Hello everyone! I hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day. Here in Japan, roles are reversed on this special day; girls give boys chocolate and not the other way around. Luckily for us, we had a long weekend before the holiday. But what should a single girl do on Valentines day in Tokyo? Especially on a day off! There are so many things to chose from! Sleep? Nah. Do laundry? Maybe. For me the answer was simple. Go to the happiest place on earth, of course!
As a Valentines gift to ourselves, a couple of girl friends and I went on a day trip to Tokyo Disneyland! It sounds a little funny; going to Disneyland on a Monday in the middle of February. But, it really was one of the best experiences of my entire life! I have been to the parks in America when I was younger, but it is much more rewarding to relive it all now that I am older. And in Tokyo no less!
The park opened at ten, and I made sure that we would be there as early as possible. Thankfully, the trip from the Ontakesan dorm is only about an hour, and with the help of our dorm manager Aki, we were able to purchase our tickets in advance. One of the great things about Tokyo Disneyland is that it offers a discounted price for college, university and high school students. They also offer maps and special assistance in English for tourists and park visitors. Everyone in the park was so accommodating and helpful when we were unable to understand or having difficulty finding our way. Even princess Belle offered to show us around!
As far as attractions and rides are concerned, we really could not pick a better time to go. The longest wait was only 45 minutes, and there was no line to wait for at the opening gate once we arrived. One difference I quickly noted from American amusement parks is the amount of accommodation that they gave us, even just on the rides themselves! As a group of three, we were concerned that one of us would have to ride with a stranger on certain activities, as per the usual standard in the US. However, here in Tokyo, that was not the case as our third person was offered their own single seat each time. How nice!
Of course, this wouldn’t be Tokyo if the park did not have its own certain flare and specialties. One of these being the food! From King Crab pizza to Chocolate popcorn, Tokyo Disneyland has it! Even soy sauce popcorn…which I simply did not have the stomach to try. Perhaps another day! The chocolate popcorn though? Delicious!
Honestly, I could not recommend or praise Tokyo Disneyland any higher. If you have visited a Disney park before, you know that it is always going to be a fun adventure. For me, since arriving in Japan, this experience of going to Disneyland has been one of the best in my entire life. There were beautiful parades, kind people, fun rides, new and interesting food and, of course…Disney! Ah, I want to go again already!