is a theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort in Urayasu, near Tokyo in Chiba Prefecture, Japan Its main gate is directly adjacent to both Maihama Station and Tokyo Disneyland Station. It was the first Disney park to be built outside the United States and it opened on April 15, 1983. The park was constructed by WED Enterprises in the same style as Disneyland in California and Magic Kingdom in Florida. The park is noted for its extensive open spaces to accommodate the large crowds that visit the park.

History

thumb|right|250px|Logo used from 1977 to 1999.

The site for Tokyo Disneyland was part of a 600-acre landfill designated in the 1960s as a recreational area to address the growing demand for entertainment in the Tokyo metropolitan area. This decision set the stage for the eventual establishment of the Tokyo Disney Resort.

The idea of a Japanese Disneyland dates back to the late 1950s when Japanese businessman Kunizo Matsuo approached Walt Disney with the idea of a Disney park in Nara. While it is rumored Walt initially agreed to the idea, he later dropped out of it. Matsuo, still determined to open his Disney-themed park, opened Nara Dreamland in 1961, a near replica of Disneyland except without Disney's characters or intellectual property. This park would continue to operate until 2006, and was eventually demolished in 2017.

In February 1974, the Oriental Land Company (OLC) formally invited Disney executives to Japan for a fact-finding tour. In June of the same year, the company's president, Chiharu Kawasaki, visited Disney's headquarters to reinforce the OLC's desire to bring Disneyland to Japan. Kawasaki once again extended an invitation to the top Disney executives to visit Japan; the offer was taken up in December.

After many years of negotiations Masatomo Takahashi, president of the OLC, signed the initial contract for the construction of Tokyo Disneyland in Chiba Prefecture in April 1979. Japanese engineers and architects visited California to tour Disneyland and prepare to construct the new park. The construction of the park began a year later and was covered by hundreds of reporters as an indication of the high expectations for the park in the future. The final cost of Tokyo Disneyland was 180 billion yen rather than the projected 100 billion yen. The closure, originally slated to expire in mid-March, was later extended twice, with the latest extension being until July 1, 2020.

Park layout and attractions

With a few exceptions, Tokyo Disneyland features the same attractions found in Disneyland and Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.

Adventureland

thumb|The [[Western River Railroad]]

Adventureland consists of two distinct yet complementary areas: A New Orleans-themed area and a "jungle"-themed area. It borrows stylistic and architectural features from the New Orleans Square and Adventureland areas found in Disneyland Park in the United States.

Fantasyland

thumb|In Tokyo Disneyland [[The Haunted Mansion is located in Fantasyland.]]

Like other Magic Kingdom theme parks, Fantasyland's central entryway is a castle, in this case Cinderella Castle, a near exact copy of the one in Florida's Magic Kingdom. Lacking any "thrill rides", Fantasyland's attractions are generally dark rides that take visitors through scenes from Disney Animation's films such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Peter Pan, and Pinocchio. The new section also houses Belle's Village which includes the La Taverne de Gaston eatery, and Village Shoppes selling souvenirs and gifts.

Tomorrowland

As is the case with other modern-day Disney theme parks, Tokyo Disneyland's Tomorrowland forgoes a realism-based vision of the future and instead features science-fiction fantasy themes. Architecturally it borrows much from the 1971–1993 version of Florida's Tomorrowland. Rides include Space Mountain, and Star Tours – The Adventures Continue.

A rotating car ride named The Happy Ride with Baymax opened in September 2020 as part of the theme park's largest expansion. The ride is the first Disney attraction to be themed based on Disney Animation's 2014 film Big Hero 6. A new specialty space-themed popcorn shop named The Big Pop also opened on the same day.

Future attractions

The park is expected to receive an attraction themed around Disney Animation's 2012 film Wreck-It Ralph, which was originally set to open in 2026 but was delayed to Spring 2027 as well as the third renovation of Space Mountain in Tomorrowland, which will be reopen in 2027.

Attendance

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

!year||visitors

|-

|2006||12,900,000

|-

|2007||13,906,000

|-

|2008||14,293,000

|-

|2009||13,646,000

|-

|2010||14,452,000

|-

|2011||13,996,000

|-

|2012||14,847,000

|-

|2013||17,214,000

|-

|2014||17,300,000

|-

|2015||16,600,000

|-

|2016||16,540,000

|-

|2017||16,600,000

|-

|2018||17,907,000

|-

|2019||17,910,000

|-

|2020||4,160,000

|-

|2021||6,300,000

|-

|2022||12,000,000

|-

|2023||15,100,000

|-

|2024||15,104,000

|}

Incidents

See also

  • List of Tokyo Disneyland attractions
  • Rail transport in Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
  • Tokyo DisneySea
  • Universal Studios Japan
  • Legoland Japan Resort

References

  • Official website