Disneyland : Where dreams come true (that's the motto anyways)

Yesterday, along with two Russians, one Afghan, and two Japanese, I visited Disneyland! All my classmates had gone but I hadn't had the chance yet. The chance presented itself on a cold and snowy day but we still had a lot of fun.

We took the train to Shinjuku and then took a 1 hour bus ride to Disneyland. I don't know what we would have done without the two Japanese girls. They'd already visited Disneyland so they knew their way around. It's so much better visiting a new place with people who have either gone there before or who speak the language. You don't get lost as much... and don't lose as much time trying to find your way ; )

From left: the two Russian girls (Katcha and Flora), me, Fahima (from Afghanistan) and Yuka

From left: Flora, Yuka, Fahima, me, Tomoka, Katcha

A parade of boats going through the park

We only visited four attractions:

1) Big Thunder Mountain: a roller coaster built on a rocky mountain. Probably the biggest attraction in Disneyland, but really not that big or scary at all. I love the adrenaline rush you get from roller coasters but this one was very short-lived.

2) Mickey's Philhar Magic: a short 3D concert by Donald Duck in which various Disney characters appear on screen and sing songs. It was all in Japanese unfortunately...

3) Space Mountain: another rollercoaster ride but the whole ride happens inside a big dome. It's dark and there are only little specks of light here and there to create the illusion of space ("Experience an exciting rocket journey through space" as the pamphlet advertises). That was probably the scariest attraction of the day (although on a scale of 1 to 10, it probably only reaches 3 or 4) because you're just flying in the dark without being able to see the track or the contraption you're sitting in.

4) Haunted Mansion: again, really not that scary. You just travel through rooms where ghosts or shrieking characters pop up randomly. But the design of the house was pretty incredible. I'd like to have a closer look at some of the popping characters.

The rest of the time was spent waiting... and waiting. The lines were long and seemed to go on forever. I never know how you're supposed to feel when you get to the sign that says: "You now have 80 minutes left from this point": Frustrated that you STILL have 80 minutes left, or relieved that you ONLY have 80 minutes left... Anyhow, it isn't so bad when you talk with your friends. You can also play cards like a group of girls were doing.

Then we did a little shopping. I gave up after about 45 minutes because I got tired of being pushed and having to squeeze through mobs of people just to get to the mirror. But there are lots of shops that sell cute hats, toys, and other Disney merchandise.

Then on our way back, the train from Shinjuku to Tokai was just packed. For the first half hour, there weren't any places to sit... then finally, we were able to snatch seats. You have to be pretty quick lol. It's an ability you acquire pretty fast.

I'm always curious to know what the maximum capacity is...