Tokyo Disney Land is a fun place, great for families! I had a blast and would love to go back! The lines, of course, were long and most of everything was expensive, but that's Disney for you! I would recommend to use your fast pass for the roller coasters and eat before you come! Be sure to check for the times of the parades because it gets so crowded and if you get caught in a large crowd it can be almost impossible to see!

If the entertainment quality at Tokyo Disney Sea gave us any indication of what to expect at Tokyo Disneyland, we knew we could not miss the afternoon parade, which should prove to amuse us thoroughly. Again, the Entertainment Division at the Tokyo Disney Resort could afford to teach the Disneyland and the Walt Disney World resorts a thing or two.

We stumbled upon a terrific viewing area by the central hub in front of Cinderella Castle one cloudy afternoon to catch the Dreams on Parade cavalcade. The crowds struck us immediately, as we realized that we had arrived late and could not get a spot to sit. No matter, the Japanese guests watched the parade in front of us in an orderly fashion, allowing us to view everything without any obstacles.

The floats seemed larger than the ones we have here in California, as well as more colorful. Each float depicted an attraction-themed scene which captured the essence of the ride. What a concept! A theme park parade based on theme park rides!

The Mad Tea Party float featured Alice and the Mad Hatter in large teacups. The Peter Pan’s Flight float featured the Darling children with Peter, surrounding Big Ben. The Big Thunder Mountain float, complete with its boulders and mountains, had Chip & Dale prancing in a train.

Every once in a while, we found a float that did not seem to depict a theme park attraction but an animated feature film instead. The Jungle Book float featured a huge Kaa swinging from treetops, along with King Louie and Mowgli.

Tokyo Disney Resort holds true to the character integrity of its face characters. All of the Caucasian performers hail from the American parks and participate in a work abroad program of sorts.

We could only hope that we would see this parade eventually here in the US. So far, we have yet to see something this imaginative. However, for the fortunate Japanese guests, they had nothing but the best.

No contest, the Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour ranked number one as my favorite attraction at Tokyo Disneyland. While normally, scary demons and skeletons do not fit my description of a fun time, this attraction does.

Admit it, exploring a Disney castle sounds. This 16-minute walking tour takes approximately 25 guests through the hallways, stairs, chambers and dungeons of the imposing castle.

We entered a hall of portraits where a Japanese-speaking guide showed us paintings of popular Disney heroes and heroines. Suddenly, the Magic Mirror grew agitated and the paintings changed to reveal the portraits of villains. When a secret door opened, we walked down a dark, winding stairway to a dungeon. We discovered that we had entered the laboratory of the Evil Queen, where she created her poison apples.

Continuing down the dimly lit hall, we passed prison cells with skeletons and coats of armor. Enchanted chests opened, we dodged a swinging axe, and peered into a cavern which showed an animated clip of Fantasia’s Night on Bald Mountain.

A fountain featuring one of Maleficent’s goons spilled water into a pool which revealed more of her goons peering out from the water. One of the largest animatronic scenes awaited us as we stumbled upon scenes from Sleeping Beauty. As we entered a large cave, we heard eerie drafts blowing underground. Sudden flashes of lightning revealed a massive dragon sleeping in front of us. As the dragon awoke, its mouth opened and roared. Our hysterical guide rushed us to safety.

We found ourselves ushered into an elevator which took us to a room with elaborate tapestries. These tapestries depicted scenes from The Black Cauldron. Entering another hidden room, our guide asks for a volunteer guest to slay the Horned King.

Finally, we entered a large room complete with skeletons and a huge bubbling cauldron in the middle. An animatronic Horned King commanded his skeleton troops to rise from the dead, and ominously threatened us until our guide instructed the volunteer guest to aim the sword of light towards the villain. After a dramatic demise, we gathered around our hero, who received a commemorative coin for his trouble.

I have to sadly report that this attraction closed in April 2006. Should Tokyo Disneyland realize the error of its ways and by some miracle reopen this gem, I highly recommend it. For the best pictorial overview, check out www.jtcent.com/disneyland/fantasy/fancmt.html.

During the first week of July, the Japanese celebrate Tanabata Matsuri, or Star Festival. From what my friends tell me, Star Festival most closely resembles Valentine’s Day. We had the good fortune of spending Star Festival at the Tokyo Disney Resort.

The festival gets its mythology from two star-crossed lovers, Altair and Vega. Other descriptions reveal that Tanabata Matsuri is based on a Chinese story where two stars, which lie on opposite ends of our galaxy, meet only once a year. But my favorite festival story features a girl named Orihime, who did nothing but weave cloth for the gods. Her father, worried that she had no other interests, introduced her to Kengyu, a cowherder who lived on the other side of the river (or galaxy). Instantly, the two fell in love and spent all of their waking hours together. But as a result, the cows fell ill and the gods no longer had clothes to wear. So the two lovers were separated, and were only allowed to cross the river once a year.

The Japanese began a tradition of making a wish for clear skies on Tanabata Matsuri so that the two lovers could meet. By writing the wish on a piece of paper and hanging it on a tree, the wish could come true. Eventually, the festival tradition evolved and people would write their own wishes on a piece of paper and hang it up. In addition, young women will dress up in their finest kimonos to celebrate what is considered a very romantic day.

Tokyo Disneyland celebrates this festival in a unique way by having Cast Members, dressed in traditional Japanese kimonos, direct guests to a kiosk with colorful, star-shaped paper. We all wrote wishes on our pieces of paper and hung them on a board in the middle of World Bazaar, along with thousands of other guests’ wishes. All day, we spotted women in kimonos and wearing geta, wooden sandals. Considering how I never traipse across a theme park without my trusty tennis shoes, I marveled at how these ladies effortlessly walked around in teetering sandals.

Try to visit on a day where you can witness Japanese culture in person. Our trip to Tokyo Disneyland is all the more memorable because of this unique and interesting experience.

Tokyo Disneyland differs from the other Disney Magic Kingdom-style theme parks in one major way. It does not operate a railroad that encircles the park. Unlike Disneyland or Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland restricts its railroad to traverse most of Westernland, the Japanese version of Frontierland, segments of Adventureland and Critter Country.

Apparently, any railroad in Japan which sports more than one station must adhere to code requirements. As a solution, the Western River Railroad stops only once, to load and unload guests. For guests expecting a respite from walking while riding to their next destination, the Western River Railroad will not provide transportation to other areas. However, the ride around Westernland does allow one to sit back and take in the scenes from America’s woodlands.

We found the split-level boarding station at the back of Westernland and embarked on our journey. Like its American cousins, Western River Railroad passed an Indian village, complete with teepees. Prairie dogs and a very realistic looking animatronic dog greeted us as we rolled by. We watched canoes full of guests paddle laboriously across the river, and witnessed runaway trains careen through Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. The train afforded us a close up view of Splash Mountain as we glided past its final drop, complete with rushing water and guest screams.

Not to disappoint dinosaur fans, the Western River Railroad also treats its passengers to a glimpse of the Primeval World. The 12 minute round trip ended back at the Westernland train station.

For guests short on time, I would not recommend spending time on this attraction unless you wanted to experience attractions not found in other Disney theme parks. As rides go, this one will not raise the hair on your neck and will appeal mostly to young children or tired adults. Our reaction? After we disembarked, we looked at each other, shrugged, and headed toward the Enchanted Tiki Room.