“Don’t forget to save your game” is one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received. It can be applied to anything nowadays: games, essays, blogs. After losing about half of what I wrote about Disney Sea, I think I managed to remember everything. If not, I’m sure I’ll touch on it at a later time. Take this as a warning. Always save your everything (not in the hoarder way).
Day 2: Under da (Disney) Sea
Unlike Disneyland, which is almost identical to Magic Kingdom, there’s not really a US equivalent to Disney Sea. It’s sort of an amalgamation of Hollywood Studios and Epcot, while still being it’s own thing. When you enter, there’s a big lake sea surrounded by Venetian-inspired buildings. Mickey et al. were finishing a stage performance when we got there. As with the others, Japanese Mickey took some time to get used to. While Shiori’s mom got fastpasses for Journey to the Center of the Earth, we headed to the Tower of Terror. Outside the ride, a worker was at the end of the line shouting [1 hour 30 minutes! 1 hour 30 minutes!]. Perfect, not too bad compared to yesterday. Once we got closer, I noticed a slight discrepancy. It was 130 minutes. 130 minutes ≠ 1 hour 30 minutes. If your job is just telling people how long they have to wait, that’s pretty much the only thing you have to remember. While the overall story of the ToT is the same, there’s no connection to the Twilight Zone since nobody knows what that is here. Many of you know that I never get scared on rides/haunted houses (Alien Encounter must have set the bar too high), so I get most of my enjoyment in others’ reactions. In line behind us, I saw a group of young teenage girls in their matching bows and colored shirts, and I knew that I was going to have fun. I already had Shiori, who freaked out on pretty much every ride we went on and was not looking forward to this one. The group of soon to be screaming girls was just a bonus. Sure enough, we get to the elevator part and drop. Shiori screamed. The girls screamed. I laughed and laughed. I’ll give the girls credit that they at least knew where the camera was and posed. It’s fun, but it’s way too short. They need bigger drops and more of them.
Whistle While You Work
As we were leaving the Tower of Terror, we encountered the breakout star of the park, who deserves his own movie trilogy. I got some video of it (my phone ran out of memory while filming). It started when we heard a loud whistling sound, like when a bomb (or really anything) falls in a cartoon. Then a cartoony *clunk* noise as a worker pushing a trashcan grabs his head like he was just hit by something. Then another whistle, another “hit.” On the third whistle, he “caught it and threw it, breaking a window.” He apologized and ran off. We realized that this was going to be interesting, so we began to chase him. When we caught up to him, he was scolding a couple for a paper cup lying on the ground next to the trash. On the ground, the trash made a buzzer sound, but then he threw it away and there was a “ding ding” sound. I thought that he was pressing a button for each thing, then later realized that he just had everything perfectly timed. The third spot was his greatest performance. He went to a short dock near a lighthouse and began to set up for a picture. Video start: He took out two stuffed animals, set them on a little stand, then proceeded to take pictures, with sound effects the whole time. Then he pulled a random person from the crowd and asked them to take a picture. The volunteer held the tiny camera… but no shutter sound. The garbage man walked up “showed him” how to use it, then as he was walking back, the shutter went off. He turned around and shook his head, pointing at his face. The volunteer tried again, but no sound. This time as he was walking up to the volunteer, it went off. He “fixed it,” went back to pose, and it worked a few times. Then he took pictures of the volunteer. There was a rapid shutter sound as he took model shots of the volunteer. END VIDEO Finally he thanked the guy with a thumbs up (accompanied by a *shwing*), and the volunteer did it back (also with *shwing*). “Surprised” by the volunteer’s ability to also make the sounds, they went back and forth doing poses with sound. The last one another thumbs up with a *ding,* but the volunteer’s thumbs up made a buzzer noise instead. Finally, the garbage man cleared a path using Jedi/Moses powers, pointing his open hand at where he wanted to go, magically separating them while lightning sounds crackled around him. Then he went off into the sunset, never to be seen again.
When the Moon Hits Your Eyes Like a Big Pizza Pie
The next area we went to was based off Bioshock 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Journey to the Center of the Earth. There were retro-futuristic ships and buildings all around. In between the two areas was an Italian place. If you couldn’t tell it was Italian because it sold pizza, all you had to do was listen to the music played outside. I think someone just Googled “Italian pizza songs,” and played what came out (so Funiculi Funicula and Tarantella Napoletana (that second name I couldn’t remember, so I Googled the above)). While we were eating, there was a loud rumbling noise. I looked over and the “volcano” from the JttCofE ride was erupting. At first it was just a larger amount of smoke, but then it started spitting up huge flames. For the Journey ride, you got on a steampunk car, then traveled through the different magical totally scientific “layers” of the earth. Basically we went from a banana bird cave (Donkey Kong Coutnry 3) to an indoor blacklight minigolf course to Pandora from Avatar, and finally battled the lovechild of Gohma and a Balrog.
You Call That Archaeology?
On the way to the Indiana Jones ride (which is an actual ride, not just a stunt show), we saw Indy himself. Like most other human characters, he was Western (American). Since he was speaking English, he had a lady helping translate. After taking a picture with some girl, he pointed at a nearby girl with bunny ears, saying, “You with the bunny ears, what’s your name?” The translator roughly repeated it, referring to her as a “kawaii josei [cute girl].” Indy immediately said, “Kawaii? I don’t know… I guess if you’re in to that sort of thing.” I’m glad that I was there to appreciate his joke, because I bet usually nobody understands or gets his jokes.
Duffy, the Most Famous Disney Character You’ve Never Heard Of
Between Americans and Japanese, there’s a surprisingly big difference between which characters each gravitates for. I feel like Japanese people like Mickey, Donald, etc. more than Americans do, while we put a lot more emphasis on movie characters (not that they don’t like the movie characters, just slightly different ones). Characters like Stitch and Marie (again, white cat with a bow from Aristocats) are staples of Japanese Disney merchandise both in and out of Disney. In Disney Sea, however, none are as famous as Duffy the Disney Bear. What’s that? You’ve never heard of Duffy? Neither had I until recently (and I’m me). What movie was Duffy in, you ask? He wasn’t. TV? Nope. He’s basically just a teddy bear sold mostly in Japan. His backstory is apparently that Minnie made him for Mickey when Mickey was going on a long voyage at sea (…what?). About a decade ago, he was introduced at Orlando, and didn’t sell super well, but then Tokyo Disney picked him up and marketed the crap out of him, and so he became a staple of Tokyo Disney. Apparently they reintroduced him to the US Disneys a few years ago, but I’ve never really noticed him, and I doubt many others do, either.
Mr. Aladdin Sir, What Will Your Pleasure Be?
Once we had visited the Duffy store, I made my one request: to do some shopping in Agrabah: city of mystery, of enchantment, and the finest (Genie) merchandise this side of the River Jordan. Half of the store was dedicated to super expensive jewelry, gemstone characters, and actual glass slippers (meaning actual glass, they were a too little small to wear). The other corner was all dedicated to the best Disney character ever created. As soon as I entered, I felt my overwhelming lack of self control take over. One of everything please. Like dealing with a child, I was able to avoid buying some things by promising to get it next time (a promise I take VERY seriously). I ended up with a T-shirt, Genie-shaped Post-It notes (that sit in a lamp), (later a nanoblock Genie,) and some boxers. As a kid, I remember having underwear with the Genie’s face on it, but I haven’t seen them around lately, so I got a new pair. The next day we took a quick trip to Kamakura and saw one of the giant Buddha statues (that we got to go inside), and ate one of the best hamburgers I’ve had in Japan, before finally heading back home.
Next week I sadly don’t have a three day weekend, but I’ll still take a little trip. After that, I’ll start teaching at a new school and have new students as the new school year begins. Everything is new. What else is new? Where am I going? Do I even have money left to go anywhere? Why do I keep it vague? Find out tomorrow on the Gaijin Chronicles! Dah dahh dadahhh da dahh duuhhh.
Here’s the full photo album of the Raumen Museum (not a typo) and Kamakura.
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