The internet is filled with lists and itineraries of what you should do at Disney Parks, including the itineraries we’ve created on this blog. Many of those plans mirror each other to a degree but it can still be overwhelming to have so many factors pulling in different directions. Most itineraries (again, including ours) pack the park days to the brim with activities. We realize that isn’t everyone’s preferred route when it comes to going on vacation. With that in mind, we’ve started this series in which we give our top five things to do in each park. Essentially, it’s a ‘can’t miss’ guide.

If you missed any of the previous installments from this series you can click here to catch up. Today we move across the Pacific to Tokyo Disneyland. The park opened in 1983 and took the best of the best from Disneyland and Magic Kingdom to make up their attraction roster. While many of the attractions are copied from the stateside parks, Tokyo Disneyland remains unique and true to Japanese culture.

My top five for all of these posts can consist of attractions, shows, dining, or anything else I think of (it will mainly be in those first three categories). The main caveat is that these top five lists have to consist of tangible things to go and do. We certainly advocate wandering around Tokyo Disneyland, enjoying the architecture, design, detail and differences from the U.S. castle parks. Tokyo Disneyland is a beautiful place to stroll around, but that’s not quite what we’re going for in this series. Of course, I’m in control of this series so I’ll happily bend the rules to fit my picks! Along with all of this, I’m going to do my best to stay away from just naming five attractions.

Tokyo Disneyland is full of excellence. The entertainment may be the best of any castle park in the world. The attraction lineup is also spectacular, combining classics with state-of-the-art rides. On top of that, Tokyo Disneyland has an incredible slate of dining options. There isn’t a shortage of things to pick for the park’s top five. Let’s get to it!

The Parades!

Tokyo Disneyland is home to our two favorite parades we have ever seen. During the day, Tokyo Disneyland showcases their newest parade Dreaming Up. The parade is gigantic in scale and over-the-top fun. Dreaming Up climaxes in our favorite float that we’ve ever seen, making this a ‘do not miss’ attraction.

Despite our love for the daytime parade, Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade Dreamlights remains the best parade at the resort and the world. All of the floats in the parade are striking and beautiful. Seeing the floats lit up perfectly and the fandom that locals have for the parade and characters makes this our favorite thing to do at Tokyo Disneyland. Try to get a spot with a view of the castle.

The (Country) Bear Necessities

Tokyo Disneyland is home to the Country Bears and, unlike the two parks in the U.S., plays the show in its entirety. Along with that, Tokyo Disneyland also shows the holiday versions of the Country Bear Jamboree (a summer and Christmas) to make this even more appealing. The show is more popular in Tokyo than in the U.S. and switches between English and Japanese. It’s a zany show and well worth your time.

Right next to the Country Bear Jamboree rests Hungry Bear Restaurant. The place is a blast to walk around, featuring a few different rooms all with slightly different themes that fit the Country Bears to an extent. Hungry Bear Restaurant serves Japanese Curry which is milder and closer to a stew flavor than other curries. I really enjoy the food and think it’s an easy place to try something new. Spending some time in both of these places makes this area one of my favorite places to go in Tokyo Disneyland.

Unique Tokyo Disneyland Dark Rides

Tokyo Disneyland features two unique dark rides that are both excellent. The first is Pooh’s Hunny Hunt which is considered one of the best attractions in the world. A trackless dark ride, Hunny Hunt should be on the top of your list for attractions to ride in Tokyo Disneyland. Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek is another excellent dark ride where guests search for monsters throughout the attraction with a flashlight while riding through Monstropolis. Both of these are can’t miss attractions and well worth rides. We recommend doing them first thing in the morning!

Weird(?) Snacks

Tokyo Disney Resort is home to many fantastic snacks that are fairly foreign to Americans. Chances are that you’ve likely seen cute looking food from somewhere in that resort online. Cute food is great but the two snacks I recommend most aren’t the cutest. My favorite snack is the Seafood Pizza at Captain Hook’s Galley. The seafood is fresh and delicious, as is the crust and red sauce. It may sound, and even look, a little weird but it’s fantastic. The other snack we recommend is Westernland and that’s the Pork Rice Roll. This is essentially rice wrapped in pork (with a few other ingredients to give some flavor) and is Melissa’s favorite snack. There are excellent sweet snacks too (the Blueberry Popcorn is great) but definitely try these two savory ones.

Jungle Cruise

While we thoroughly enjoy every Jungle Cruise, Tokyo Disneyland’s version blows the rest of them away. It is easily the best looking version of the ride. What really makes it stand out though is the wonderful cast members. They are very interested in getting the whole boat involved and are extremely excited to be doing their job. Seeing Jungle Cruise in a different language and with slightly different jokes is a welcome and fresh take on this classic attraction. While we don’t recommend re-riding all of the crossovers from the American Parks (if time is limited), Jungle Cruise is one you absolutely should go on.

There are many other attractions, shows, and dining options that could have made this list including Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, China Voyager, and doing anything in World Bazaar. It’s a nearly perfect theme park and one that we’d recommend to any Disney fan.

What would be in your Tokyo Disneyland Top Five? Let us know, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below. Planning a trip or interested in going to Tokyo Disney Resort? Check out our planning guide here! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!