Disneyland in Japan opened on April 15, 1983 in Tokyo. The success of Tokyo Disneyland has been obvious right away after the Park first opened. Tokyo Disney Resort became a reality in mid 2000 with the opening of Ikspiari and the Disney Ambassador Hotel. Disney Resort has been very profitable for the Oriental Land Company, which owns and operates the resort. The Walt Disney Company provides the Imagineers and gets a piece of the profits, but does not own or operate Tokyo Disney. Tokyo Disney Resort has two theme parks: Tokyo Disneyland, which opened in 1983, and Tokyo DisneySea, which opened in 2001. Disneyland in Japan is something between Disneyland in California and Magic Kingdom in Florida, but its layout is quite unique and there are a few other differences. Some of the attractions are different. For instance, Pooh's Hunny Hunt is a spectacular ride in Tokyo and is totally different from the Pooh rides in the US. Some other attractions at Disneyland in Japan such as Cinderella's Castle Mystery Tour, The Mickey Mouse Revue and several shows do not exist anywhere else. A spectacularly-themed buffeteria restaurant Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall is also something you don't want to miss while at Disneyland in Japan. Based on the success of Tokyo Disneyland, executives at Disneyland in Japan wanted to create a second theme park on the same property. They decided to create a whole new experience that would celebrate the Disney tradition and have something that all Japanese hold sacred - the sea. Disney Imagineers took this concept and created a park with the highest levels of elegance, excitement, and attention to detail. What came out of it is Tokyo DisneySea Park. Tokyo DisneySea is ocean-themed, with "ports" instead of "lands." Virtually all of the attractions at DisneySea were created especially for this park and so far have not been duplicated elsewhere. The Park features seven themed lands, laid out roughly in a circle around a central hub - Mysterious Island. DisneySea has an iconic structure at its center - a volcano named Mount Prometheus. There is also a wide mix of attractions, some that are based on Disney movies and some that are purely originals. Tokyo Disneyland is geared more towards kids whereas DisneySea was geared towards a more mature audience.
DisneySea features an interesting phenomenon - a five-star hotel built right into the park. If you didn't know about it beforehand you might not realize there was a hotel there at all. The Hotel MiraCosta, with the design that fits beautifully into the scenery, sits in and around the Mediterranean Harbor area of DisneySea, near the main entrance of the park. The quality and service match any five-star hotel in the world, and the hotel features its own gourmet restaurants and a first-class spa.
Tokyo DisneySea is a fantastic theme park that no Disney fan should miss. When you visit, take time to slow down and look at the exquisite details that contribute to the magnificent, one-of-a-kind experience of the park.