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MousePlanet is blessed
with some wonderful readers, many
of whom write in, offer suggestions, give tour reports, and generally
help out so we can assemble our content for you every weekday. Sometimes
we get something really special from those nice folks - and we want to
share it with you. A few weeks ago a kind reader, Ted, sent me the
following note:
Al, In surfing the
web I have found several good photo essays of Tokyo DisneySea
including the one you have run on MousePlanet.
However, I have seen very little information on, or reviews of the
actual attractions. There has been a little information here and
there, but nothing that really examines each ride or show in depth. If
other fans are anything like me, there is some pent up demand for this
type of thing.
As part of a longer
trip through Japan my wife and I will be spending 5 days at the Tokyo
Disney Resort , staying at the Hotel Mira Costa. Would you and your
readers be interested in ride reviews and a peek inside the
attractions of Tokyo DisneySea?
Were we interested? Of
course we were, and thanks to Ted,
we now have a new series of photos and reviews to share with you from
this terrific new park - showcasing the attractions themselves. As this
series will run as Ted's time permits, keep checking back for his latest
installments. I'm sure you'll agree with me that's he's done an
absolutely spectacular job, and the staff here at MousePlanet thanks him
for allowing us to present his tour to you here.
And before I forget, YES THERE
ARE SCADS OF SPOILERS HERE. In fact just close this browser window
right now if you don't want to know anything about this ride. I assure
you Ted gives it all away here, so don't say we didn't warn you!
Part Five: The Magic
Lamp Theater & Sinbad's Seven Voyages
Photos and text
by Ted
(Please note that he retains the copyright to all photos and
they may not be used without his permission.)
Across the
Pacific, in the farthest corner of Tokyo DisneySea, nestled
between the Lost River Delta and Mermaid Lagoon lies the Arabian Coast.
Accessible only by bridge, the Arabian Coast is the home of two major
attractions, as well as a very nicely themed carousel and a slew of
shops and dining opportunities.
Arabian Coast looks as if it
was lifted directly out of the movie Aladdin. Onion domed roofs, cobble
stone streets and aged and weathered clay walls all work together to set
the proper ambiance.
This area owes
quite a bit to past Disney efforts in both its exterior
characteristics, as well as the attractions themselves. Walking the
streets and corridors of Arabian Coasts feels quite a bit like wandering
the maze like layout of the Morocco pavilion in Epcot. They share the
same basic color schemes and architectural styles, as well as a wealth
of details. Hand laid tile mosaics, textured walls and faded sun
drenched colors are shared by both. It is not just the Moroccan pavilion
which has obviously influenced Arabian Coast however, much of it feels
lifted almost directly from Disneyland Paris’s Adventureland.
In France Adventureland has
several themes running through it. The front is an Aladdin inspired
Arabian oasis, while other areas pick up a more tropical and Caribbean
feel. Arabian coast is of course entirely themed to a middle eastern
feel. Still, any visitor who has been to the Paris park will feel right
at home while exploring the back alleys of this area. The tie-ins do not
stop there.
The Casbah food court for
example feels a great deal like certain areas of Animal Kingdom. The
slatted but still open aired roof, filled to the rafters with blankets,
vessels and jeweled trinkets feels quite a bit like the interior of the
Tusker House from Animal Kingdom.
In short Arabian Coasts
borrows heavily from the Disney library of parks, yet expands on them to
create a larger scaled land of adventure.
The Arabian
Coast is broken down into roughly three sections. To the far left
is the Sinbad attraction. In the middle is a tightly packed cluster of
shops, street merchants and food outlets. This gives way to a huge court
yard. A walled of square which houses the Magic Lamp Theater, the
Aladdin themed Caravan Carousel as well as fountains and planters of
palm trees.
Photo by Todd Meigan
The carousel is aimed at the
youngest of kids and serves it’s purpose well. It is housed in a
beautiful domed mosque-like building and is the most prominent structure
you see as you approach the land. It is a double decked affair with
camels, elephants and Genies to ride upon.
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