Rumors and Commentary

What Comes Next for Tokyo DisneySea?

A series conclusion on this website feels about as rare as a compliment of California Adventure’s skyline but I think we’ve made it! Yes, we skipped right over Epcot but when it comes to the question of ‘what comes next for Epcot?’ the answer is pretty much everything. Should I get into this post or just trudge along with these very specific Disney Parks jokes? The post? Oh, okay. Over the last few months we’ve been going through all of the Disney Parks that we’ve visited, wondering what could be added to augment their current state. We conclude the series with Tokyo DisneySea, a nearly perfect theme park. In this post, we’ll discuss five additions Tokyo DisneySea could, and maybe should, make going forward.

Of the 7 posts in this series, coming up with new ideas for Tokyo DisneySea is the most difficult. The reason for that is twofold, the first being that the park is the best in the world. There’s always room for improvement but coming up with new ideas here compared to, say, Hollywood Studios is completely different. There’s not really a bad land in the park and changing or adding things holds more risks when that’s the case. Luckily and maybe sadly for me, I’m not an actual Imagineer and this is just a blog post on the internet that you, me and my mom will read (and I’m crossing my fingers about the mom part).

Volcano fire Castle bridge TDS

The second reason that coming up for new ideas for TDS is difficult is because the park is in the midst of the most expensive expansion in theme park history. Fantasy Springs price tag is about the cost of some brand new parks and will surely be a boon to DisneySea. It also will alter the park’s identity for better or worse. With that coming down the pike so soon, it’s hard to know where else to go and what to change.

With that in mind, DisneySea’s changes may be a little smaller than some of the others in this series. Enough with the excuses though, it’s time for some actual ideas!

An overhaul in The Magic Lamp Theater

Tokyo Disney has some excellent stage shows, maybe my favorite of any Disney Resort even with the language barrier. The Magic Lamp Theater show is very strange though and one that felt a little old. Inside of the beautiful Arabian Coast, this theater could be used for a brand new stage show bringing fresh blood to the area. I’d prefer something without Disney characters here that fits in with the theme but that’s just personal preference. I think this current attraction/show is one of the only places in DisneySea that feels somewhat aged so replacing it is a no brainer.

Arabian Coast carousel TDS

Better food at Miguel’s El Dorado Cantina

Like the shows, Tokyo Disney has some excellent food so replacing the one area that didn’t wow me was an easy choice. I don’t think it’s hard to understand why Miguel’s El Dorado Cantina didn’t have the best food – Mexican food in a Japanese park seems a little ambitious. Along with that, I grew up around authentic Mexican food so I’m probably a little pickier on it than most. But I couldn’t help but feel the restaurant could do better. I think a switch to focusing on fish tacos would be in order, considering how great the local seafood in the area is. If anyone in Tokyo Disney Resort management is reading this (ha!), I think I make some pretty good tacos so you can just hire me full time if you’d like?

Remember Me wall TDS

Replace the track in Raging Spirits

Raging Spirits is a very strange experience. The outside of it is beautifully done and the queue is meticulous. Even the ride itself looks good. Unfortunately, once on the track it falls flat because it moves surprisingly slow. How do we fix this? Keep the facade of the attraction and redevelop the ride with a more exciting track. Is this worth the hassle? I’m not sure to be honest but I do know the park would be much better with an actual thrill ride here instead of a beautiful ride posing as a thrill.

Raging Spirits night TDS

The Little Mermaid dark ride we deserve!

Mermaid Lagoon is full of kids attractions inside of a beautiful castle. The attractions aren’t anything to write home about but they do the job in adding capacity and giving younger children something to ride. I think a brand new dark ride attraction in place of Mermaid Lagoon Theater would be an exciting choice. Let’s not do the Little Mermaid dark ride that’s in Magic Kingdom and California Adventure though. There’s not enough space in that building and that ride is not very good. Instead, I’d like the ride to be a throwback of sorts to Disneyland’s early Fantasyland dark rides – fast paced and a little looney. This would add to the weakest spot in the park and give it something distinctive.

Mermaid lagoon sunset with water TDS

Coney Island Hot Dogs near Toy Story Mania

Although beef in Tokyo Disney doesn’t always taste the best, they do get hot dogs right and they have some inventive ones! There’s a little section in the American Waterfront with Toy Story Mania that is loosely themed to Coney Island. It’s lovely but what better way to drive that theme home than a Coney Island Hot Dog stand? They could do a traditional one and then have a few more inventive hot dogs on the menu! Am I really saying that the best theme park in the world could get better by adding a hot dog stand? It’s time to end this post.

TSM night TDS

What would you like to see added to Tokyo DisneySea? Let us know, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below. Planning a trip to Tokyo Disney Resort? Check out our planning guide here to help you get started! Thank you for reading Wandering in Disney! If you enjoy the blog then please subscribe via email or WordPress and like our social media accounts. You can do all of those things on the right side of this page.

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