A visit to the Tokyo Disney Resort likely tops the bucket list of many Disney theme park fans. Tokyo Disneyland feels like a "greatest hits" mix of the Magic Kingdom and the original Disneyland, while Tokyo DisneySea set the standard for amazing theme park design when it opened 16 years ago. Coupled with the phenomenal customer service in Japan, and these parks together might provide the ultimate Disney Parks experience. (Sorry, Disney World.)
But which one of these two parks is the best one? Personally, I think that I would need to conduct many more days of "research" at both of these parks to be able to make a truly informed decision. (I wish!) But since I am a cruel editor, I am going to ask you to make this call right now.
We invite you to read more about these parks on their Theme Park Insider listing pages. As always, your ratings and reviews of these parks' attractions on their listing pages are encouraged and welcomed. Register here to be able to leave written reviews for each ride, in addition to the rating submissions that are open to everyone.
What are some of your favorite attractions at each of these parks? Tell us your Tokyo Disney stories, in the comments.
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Have to give it to DisneySea for more originality in the rides and a truly fantastic design to the park.
Both look absolutely amazing and it’s my dream to visit Tokyo. While I would love to see Tokyo Disneyland Park, Disneysea just looks unreal. That park takes my breath away just from the pictures. It’s ride options, characters, restaurants, landscape, and service just are awesome. It literally is my dream park. I choose DisneySea!
I was lucky enough to squeeze in a day at DisneySea when I went to Tokyo for work last summer. It was far and away my favourite theme park. The original rides were great, and the theming was incredible. I felt perfectly comfortable touring on my own even though I didn’t speak the language, all the staff were really friendly and helpful. Hope I get to go back one day!
I'm pretty sure the best theme park in the world is also the best theme park in Tokyo Disney Resort lol.
I've been to TDR multiple times and absolutely love DisneySea especially. However, I definitely cannot agree that it is the best Disney Parks experience. That would unquestionably be WDW for nearly all non-fan guests and presumably many fans as well. Four parks, dozens of hotels, water parks, other recreation aspects, could spend a week there, etc. No argument about TDS being in the running for best park in the world, but TDL is similar to MK and the Japanese shopping district is poor. I'm not sure it is even the second best Disney resort...
Just some thoughts. I think it would be more meaningful to have a qualifying tie between Ocean Park and Hong Kong Disneyland for the best theme park in Hong Kong, with the winner moving on to square off against Shanghai Disneyland for the title of China's best.
TDS is by far my favorite theme park. However, the only unique E-ticket ride is Journey to the Center of the Earth. (I'm not considering Sinbad's Storybook Journey as an E-ticket attraction, but maybe some would). All the other rides have similar or near identical counterparts in the US Disney parks. I only point this out to anyone whose main concern is the rides at TDS.
But everything else about TDS is unique, wonderful, awe inspiring, and magical. The bar has been set so high by TDS I do not think there will be anything to best it in my lifetime. It's not only the best in Tokyo, it's the best theme park in the world.
As a built environment DisneySea is the best in the world but the attraction line up doesn't quite match the amazing design. So it depends on what interests you more. I was just happy walking around and soaking up the atmosphere. Two-three days is the maximum amount time I want to spend at a theme park/resort and TDS is prefect (if the crowds are not too insane.) I was particularly turned off my the spread out (time wasting) nature of WDW so I appreciated that at TDL everything is relatively close together. Not quite as convenient as DLR but still pretty good. I look forward to going back but I need to check out Hong Kong Disneyland and the two Asian Universal parks next. By the way Shanghai Disneyland had two amazing rides but if you had to choose between Tokyo and Shanghai I would without reservation recommend Tokyo.
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This one is really hard, but I went with first impulse and choose DisneySea. There really is nothing to complain about with either park other than they are so far away; and there is so much to praise. While both parks have rides and attractions found in other places, no where else on earth looks or feels quite as jaw-dropping as DisneySea.