10 Reasons Tokyo DisneySea Is Disney’s Best Park
Tokyo DisneySea is Disney’s best theme park anywhere in the world. It’s rare for me to make an unqualified statement when calling something the best, but this park is so good that I’m confident in that statement without any sort of hedging my bets. The other day, I encountered a conversation in which Disneyland fans were debating whether Tokyo DisneySea or Disneyland is the best theme park in the world. I’ve had similar conversations in person on a couple other occasions, so I thought it would be a fun topic to discuss.
My take is that Tokyo DisneySea is superior to Disneyland (and every other Disney theme park) when viewed in terms of an objective (or as close to objective as humanly possible) analysis of which is the “better” theme park. I think Disneyland is brought up in the “best theme park in the world” conversation primarily for two reasons: nostalgia and its pioneering status.
In terms of nostalgia, many Disneyland and Walt Disney World fans grew up on those parks, and a big part of their love for the parks is steeped in idealized memories of the past. Heck, I’ve readily admitted that those influenced by the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia even includes me! I see nothing wrong with nostalgia and wanting to embrace fond memories of the past (to a degree), but nostalgia has no place in a conversation about “the best.” Nostalgia is judgment-clouding and, more importantly, personal to the individual.
As for its pioneering status in the world of theme parks, that makes Disneyland more historically significant and important than Tokyo DisneySea, but it does not make it better. The fact that Walt Disney actually walked down Main Street USA in Disneyland is a ‘bragging right’ that Disneyland fans will always have over fans of every other theme park, but again, that’s about history not current quality.
You’d be hard pressed to find anyone who would argue that the Apple-1 is better than the MacBook Pro Retina because Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak actually worked on the former, and it seems odd to me that theme park fans would argue that an entire theme park is better because Walt Disney once was involved in a version of the park that is radically different from what exists there today.
Other reasons crop up concerning attraction count and the number of “classic” attractions as trump cards for Disneyland, but these arguments are usually made by those who haven’t actually been to Tokyo DisneySea, and thus they haven’t realized it’s at least a 2-day park that performs better in the flesh than it does on paper. To me, Tokyo DisneySea is a fully realized conceptual park, closely akin to the original EPCOT Center, but with a more balanced execution.
As for why Tokyo DisneySea is the best Disney theme park in the world? Here are 10 (of many) reasons why…
10. Mysterious Island.
You may think putting this at the top of the article is a way to avoid burying the lede by putting this at #1. Quite the contrary. Almost every Disney fan who yearns for a visit to Tokyo DisneySea cites Mysterious Island as their top reason for wanting to visit.
Mysterious Island is every superlative you can imagine it being, but I do not consider it the end-all, be-all of Tokyo DisneySea. In fact, I waiver back and forth on whether it’s my second, third, or fourth favorite land in the park. Mysterious Island lives up to the hype, it’s just that other lands in the park far surpass their relative lack of hype.
9. Hotel MiraCosta is in the Park.
From the ocean wall in Port Discovery to the S.S. Columbia to the monorail that circles the park that you somehow never see when you’re inside the park, Tokyo DisneySea uses a litany of design tricks to great success. By far the greatest of these tricks is its placement of Hotel MiraCosta inside the theme park in an unobtrusive manner. But this isn’t just hidden like Club 33 (used to be). The Hotel MiraCosta is hiding in plain sight, “rubbing guests noses in it” who cannot afford to stay there.
That, or it is in plain sight and is enhancing the environment of Mediterranean Harbor as it provides depth and lived-in buildings that would otherwise be false facades. The prominence of Hotel MiraCosta in the design of the park had to have been a big gamble at the design stage in terms of how it would be perceived, but here the gamble paid off in spades, as Hotel MiraCosta is one of the most important and groundbreaking features of Tokyo DisneySea.
8. It Takes Transportation Seriously.
Pretty much every Disney fan knows of Walt Disney’s fondness for trains, and also of how important various means of transportation have been to the kinetic energy of Disneyland. Tokyo DisneySea continues the proud tradition of transportation in Disney theme parks.
The park uses everything from Venetian gondolas to the elevated Tokyo DisneySea Electric Railway, which is their version of the PeopleMover, in my opinion. Boats, cars, and other forms of transportation abound, not only serving utilitarian purposes, but also giving the park that ever-important kinetic energy.
7. Great Versions of the Best Attractions.
When I did my Top 10 Worldwide Disney Attractions list, only two Tokyo DisneySea attractions made the list. One of those will be discussed below, so here we are only considering Tower of Terror. However, on that list I noted that Disneyland’s Indiana Jones Adventure barely beat out Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull at Tokyo DisneySea.
Additionally, Journey to the Center of the Earth was barely edged out by Radiator Springs Racers. Another attraction that everyone but me seems to love, Toy Story Mania, has its best version at Tokyo DisneySea. It may not have classics like Pirates of the Caribbean or Haunted Mansion, but Tokyo DisneySea does have great versions of several new-classics, plus several original attractions that are not to be missed. Take a look at our overview of every Tokyo DisneySea attraction to get an idea of the full lineup.
6. It Does America Better.
Being that the first three Disney theme parks were all built in America and are rooted to varying degrees in Americana, it’s a bold assertion to claim that a theme park in Japan does America better. But this blog is all about bold assertions. Tokyo DisneySea’s American Waterfront port of call is the largest port in the park, and has a level of detail the US parks seem to reserve for exotic locales, while taking more superficial approaches to areas based on America itself.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Main Street USA and the American Adventure, but in the latter, once you get past the amazing American Adventure attraction, there’s not a ton of detail to the pavilion. It’s just a large mansion. Contrast that with the Morocco pavilion. Other Americana in the U.S. parks delicately toes the line between sentimentality and kitschy.
American Waterfront turns the idea of Americana in Disney theme parks on its head, offering an area that’s romanticized, and always loaded with realistic and gritty detail. Attractions like Tower of Terror and Big Band Beat are Disney at its best, and there’s even an ocean-liner with a lounge themed to Teddy Roosevelt on board. Need I say more?
5. The Counter Service Options are Unreal.
In other parks, there’s a standout counter service option here or there with either great food or cool ambiance, but usually not both. Tokyo DisneySea is the best Disney theme park for counter service food, and for counter service theming. At Casbah Food Court, you can dine in an Arabian open-air bazaar while having excellent curry. Vulcania offers guests the opportunity to eat inside a converted geothermal power station carved out of an active volcano while dining on delicious Chinese food.
At New York Deli, you can dine inside the shops of various mom and pop proprietors while having a Mile High Sandwich. At Cape Cod Cook-Off, you can eat inside a boathouse while watching a Duffy stage show and eating awful burgers. Okay, that last one was a bad example…but there really are about a half dozen other awesome counter service restaurants in Tokyo DisneySea. And don’t even get me started on the table service or the snacks…
4. Sindbad’s Storybook Voyage
If Tokyo DisneySea gets penalized for not having classics like Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, every other park gets penalized for not having new-classic Sindbad’s Storybook Voyage.
The fact that this is the only attraction that has its own spot on the list should speak volumes, but in case you want to read more on why Sindbad and Chandu are so great, we’ve already dedicated an entire article to the topic.
3. The Entertainment is Second to None.
With an entertainment lineup anchored by Big Band Beat, Fantasmic, and seasonal harbor shows (our favorite being It’s Christmas Time during the holidays) and rounded out with Hello New York and a variety of pop-up atmospheric performances, Tokyo DisneySea’s entertainment is top notch.
These shows take up good chunks of the day, and the quality and repeatability of DisneySea’s best shows means you consistently will eat up large portions of your visit by watching entertainment. US guests aren’t as likely to give as much deference to entertainment when evaluating a park, but that’s often because shows in the US parks is dated or are of the “one and done” variety.
2. The Cast Members are Second to None.
I love Disney Cast Members. From Orlando to Anaheim to Hong Kong to Paris (yes, even Paris), Cast Members are a big, essential part of what makes the parks wonderful. With all due respect to any individual Cast Members in the US parks who may be reading this, no group of Cast Members, collectively, hold a candle to the Cast Members at Tokyo Disney Resort.
To be sure, there are absolutely amazing Cast Members at every park, and most Cast Members at every park are good-to-great, but almost every single Cast Member we’ve ever encountered at Tokyo Disney Resort is of the ‘absolutely amazing’ variety. From just general politeness to literally walking you to where you need to go when you ask for assistance to perfectly handling crowd control and upkeep, the Cast Members there rock.
Now technically, this is an attribute that applies equally to both Tokyo parks, but unless someone is arguing that Tokyo Disneyland is the best theme park in the world, this is a characteristic of Tokyo DisneySea that gives it an advantage over all other challengers.
1. You Never Remember You’re in Tokyo.
For me, the single most important aspect of any Disney theme park is its ability to transport you from where you geographically are to where its creators want you to imagine being. This is the quality that separates a theme park from an amusement park or a random collection of attractions. From the time you walk through Aquasphere Plaza until you leave at the end of the day, you are not in Japan, you are in those various ports of call. As a foreigner, the only reminder that you’re thousands of miles from home is the occasional Cast Member who has trouble with English. Aside from that, it’s just another day on the Lost River Delta with Indiana Jones.
As an adult, it’s not so much that I actually believe that I’ve stepped under the sea when entering King Triton’s Castle, or that I’ve jumped into the pages with Jules Verne. It’s that the park gives me no plausible alternatives for the experience I’m having. There are no cracks in the illusion and there are no failures in the way the experience is presented and executed. In other words, it’s not so much that you believe you’re actually in these places, since in the back of your mind you know you are in a theme park, it’s more that you stop thinking about the outside world and sort of take where you are for granted since it is so detailed and so immersive.
I’ve heard Imagineers describe their goal as creating spaces and attractions that facilitate the suspension of disbelief. Typically, for this to occur, it’s the shared burden of the creator and the audience. The creator has to make something so compelling that there’s a subconscious, psychological desire in the audience to overlook its flaws and enjoy the fantasy without rational thought, and the audience has to embrace that fantasy without giving consideration to the faults. Suspension of disbelief is what happens throughout every inch of Tokyo DisneySea, but it seems like more of the burden has shifted to the creator, and rather than being an audience member passively enjoying a fantasy-story, the guest is an active participant in adventures.
This all may seem like over-analysis of a theme park, but I think this is the linchpin of why Tokyo DisneySea is such a great and compelling theme park. It is very difficult to articulate this other than in the abstract terms above, and without having experienced the park, it may be difficult to fully comprehend. That’s why I drew the comparison to EPCOT Center at the outset. Much of what once made EPCOT Center special has been stripped from the park, but some of these transportive places remain. Again, Morocco is a prime example. I often find that I lose myself in the paths, nooks, and crannies of Morocco, never once contemplating that I’m in a theme park. I suspect many of you have had that same feeling. Relative to the whole of the park, Morocco is a pretty small area. Now, imagine an entire park like Morocco.
Is your mind blown by all of that? That’s Tokyo DisneySea. The greatest theme park in the world.
If you’re planning a visit to Japan, make sure to check out our Tokyo Disney Resort Trip Planning Guide. It offers comprehensive advice for visiting Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, plus general tips for visiting Japan!
Your Thoughts…
Which Disney theme park (of the ones you’ve visited) do you think is #1? Why? Of the parks you haven’t visited, which do you most want to experience? If you have any questions, tips, or thoughts to share, please post them in the comments. We love hearing from readers!
Unrelated to DisneySea except for this. Your blog is the first time I’ve ever heard ANYONE say they didn’t live Toy Story Mania – but, I feel the same way! Maybe it’s all the hype about how great it is, but I was just like “that was nothing special” and don’t understand all these people that want to ride it again and again. Anyway, you’re not alone!
I’ve just been to Tokyo Disney Sea, it is by far the best park I’ve ever been to. You will not regret it, buy your ticket and go !
The only thing to watch out is to avoid peak season – too many people want to visit.
This review convinced me.
I’m from Japan and also live in Japan now.I always see your twitter and beautiful pictures.These insists on me that You love Disney Sea very much whenever I see(:
I love Disney Sea too.Everytime I visit,I feel being in foreign countries and traveling all around the world.I’m proud of having annual passport and living in Japan I’m so happy to hear that international person say”TokyoDisneySea is the best”
One day,I’d like to visit WDW and DLR!!! Tokyo Disney Resort always welcome you
If I have a toddler, what will be a better place for us to visit while we are in Tokyo?
Disney Sea is more adult themed, I would suggest Tokyo Disneyland if you’re with a toddler.
Hi Tom. I’ve been drinking your TDR posts for around 6hours now as I am planning the details for our Japan trip. Your posts are really helpful (wow! so eloquent) to those who plan meticulously. Your constant accolades about TDR makes me so ecstatic that we are going to be visiting “the best theme parks in the world” and be staying in “one of the best Disney hotels in the world”.
Btw, one advantage we have is being from Manila, flights are quicker and cheaper. 😉
Hi Tom. I loved this post! I’ve been browsing through all your Tokyo posts today actually… Fuelling the dream…. ANYWAY! In number 2 you mentioned that you liked the cast members in Hong Kong. I was at HK Disney last month and found the quality of the cast members to be APPALLING to the point where it actually ruined our whole experience there… Was my family some kind of one off exception? How did you find the HK CMs? In my opinion it did not seem like they wanted to be there at all… None of them smiled… It was super weird. Thanks again for the wonderful post! Maddie 🙂
No Maddie – the CMs at HKDL are, almost to a person, ATTROCIOUS.
From being bored, leaning on plinths at the entrance to Mystic Manor to looking at their phones while we boarded the Bear Mountain coaster, to yelling at us when we got on the train in the strident, gutteral local lingo. Hell, one of the most objectionable things I found was during a show stop in the afternoon parade, Tigger came up not once but TWICE to my partner (male) and started touching him inappropriately!
No – ESPECIALLY after coming from the TDR a few days before (on two separate occasions!), I found the HKDL CMs to be really awful!!!
On my second visit to Tokyo Disney Sea, I realised what I feel makes it the best Disney park in the world (quite aside from being the best theme park in the world.) In design terms, it’s like the Imagineers have taken every lesson of what works in a Disneyland-style park and employed that thinking, albeit with a nautical twist. They’re not trying to reinvent the wheel and think of brand new themes – instead they’re making a more coherent and successful version of what they’ve tried before. So there are lands equivalent to Main Street, Adventureland, Tomorrowland etc. And things that worked well in Disneyland Paris (eg the Aladdin area in Adventureland, or the whole Discovery steampunk vibe) are recreated and improved-upon at Tokyo Disney Sea. The entrance through the base of Miracosta is just a bigger, better version of the entrance through the bottom of the Disneyland Paris hotel. And wth the update to Sindbad, they now have a dark ride to rival It’s A Small World. For me the only mis-step is the exterior to Mermaid Lagoon, which I feel doesn’t quite work aesthetically or scale-wise. Aside from that, this park is near perfection. What can I do to convince Oriental Land Company to buy Disneyland Paris?
Tom, visited Disneysea (and TDL) recently and was not disappointed, such a wonderful amazing experience- Disneysea is really far superior to all the other Disney parks for so many reasons. I would like to add that the crowd is another major plus. A lot of young women, but everybody very enthusiastic and cheerful, yet polite, friendly and disciplined.
Hey Tom, love the blog. A lot of cool information. I’m just wondering, are we ever going to get a “Tom Ranks every Disney Theme Park in the World” post? That would be an interesting one.
I’ve just returned from a trip to Japan and Tokyo Disnesyseas was everything and more than I had expected ( and my expectations were quite high). I agree that its not just the rides but the it’s the park’s complete experience.
Although I do see a lot of room for improvement, especially when it comes to rides and star attractions. I find it hard to believe that a park with “seas” in its name did not feature a thrill splash ride (something more superior to splash mountain if possible) and that is something I would like for management to take into consideration, perhaps in “port discovery”.
Also whilst I loved almost all themed areas of the park my favourite by far was chilling around in the Arabian Coast from dining at the Casbah food court to playing games in Abu’s Bazzar until I managed to get that Stitch! Plus Sindabad is really a great ride and the queues were non existent (which is a shame really because this ride needs be experienced)!However, I would hope that in the future they expand the coast to include a major star attraction ride /coaster as much as I loved it the way it was, I think it would benefit from a major attraction, hopefully something related to the “Cave of Wonders”!
The most popular ride without a doubt is ToyStory mania, queues were monstrous and did not let up all day, fast passes were out within a couple of hours of Park opening, I failed to get one decided to go just before closing hours and the queue was still around 80 minutes long!
Overall though, Disneyseas really was amazing and most definitely the best Disney related park I’ve been too.
couldn’t agree more, Tom….I’m from Indonesia, and growing up, my family were a huge WDW and EPCOT fans, well we’re still till today…we had to travel more than 30 hours just to get there :). We’ve been going to Disneyland and WDW since the early 70’s and never even once had the thought of wanting to visit Tokyo Disneyland, nor Disney Sea. We even visited Hongkong Disneyland first, before our first Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea visit in February 2014. The visit was during the big snow storm in February, which makes the volcano covered with snow, and I must say makes it even more beautiful. The first visit was an eye opener to how amazingly beautiful these two parks are…my apology to WDW and other parks, but Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea are absolutely on my new Top of the list Disney parks…and they’re only 7 hours plane rides 🙂
Thank you for this great blog Tom. We used your to-do lists for our recent TDL and TDS visits in July 2014. Your info was very accurate and helped us plan our days out. For example, I don’t always do ToT in Florida, but your blog persuaded me to give it a try at TDS–what a great ride, with amazing pre-ride details, as you noted! I actually wanted to linger in line longer to learn about Hightower. And your explanation above about TDS in general is about as close as I’ve seen about what makes it such a strong and vivid experience. I can’t really explain it. Anyways, truly thanks again….
I’ve been planning a “real” trip to the Asian parks for ages. But I found myself in Tokyo and had one day spare – and couldn’t resist using it to visit DisneySea (this post pushed me over the edge!).
Despite it being one of the busiest days of the year (yesterday was marine day in japan – an ocean related national holiday) my companion and I got through a lot of attractions by buying two tickets each (for extra FastPass) and using Single Rider at every opportunity. I particularly enjoyed Raging Rapids for the smoke and lighting effects at the bottom of the loop. Tower of Terror was great too – as a fan of that ride elsewhere it is unique to experience it with a different backstory (though they reuse the star field – it’s not totally clear how that fits in…). Finally, the deception about where you’re travelling in Journey to the Centre of the Earth really sets you up for a surprise (I don’t want to write too much for fear of spoiling it for people who’ve yet to experience it, but anyone who’s experienced it will know what I mean) – a ride well worth the hype (for once…).
I tried my best to explore the vast dining options (I had the most bizarre drink from the Sultan’s restaurant in Arabia – a sort of Gelatine blended ice drink! – and the Gyozas you recommend were to die for), in addition to shows, transportation etc – but apart from the “rides” a lot of stuff has been left undone and it has doubled my desire to return! I will say, however, that Fantasmic (sadly the only show I managed) is wonderful – it’s my favourite show in the other parks, but this is very different and the fact the score also has unique bits is a nice bonus.
I could have squeezed in more perhaps, but it seemed criminal not to devote some time to just walking around soaking up the atmosphere, and it’s the shows and other non-headliners that suffered compared to rides and rerides on the major E-tickets (which is not an approach I’m proud of or normally take, but it seemed like the only way to attack the park with one day available and timers beeping to get the next fastpass available!).
Writing this on the bus from the hotel back to the airport, we just passed the resort and it’s reminded me of how much I desperately need to return – there’s a whole MK park I’ve yet to see.
Once again, you’ve made me jealous of not getting to Tokyo. I really wish there was a way to make it work! Great job.
I’ve been to all the parks except the Anaheim ones, but based on my experiences, I agree with you completely. I think for me the big difference is that DisneySEA is absolutely beautiful and richly detailed, EVERYWHERE. You could not take an unattractive or uninteresting photo in that park if you tried. There are no weak, lightly themed or boring spots in the park. They went all-out when they designed and built the park, and it shows.
Donald, for me the language barrier wasn’t really a problem. Many cast members speak a little bit of english, but what they lack in english skills they more than make up for in a real eagerness to help – same as for the rest of Japan. I certainly wouldn’t let that put you off visiting.
Thanks, Steve. Even if the language barrier at TDL is a bigger challenge than Paris, it sounds like cast members’ attitudes more than compensate for it. I’d also love to explore Tokyo itself and Kyoto, so this really shouldn’t hold me back from taking that trip one day.
One thing to keep in mind is that Kyoto and Tokyo are quite different. There are far fewer English speakers in Kyoto. We didn’t find it to be an issue as everyone there is still incredibly polite, but if language worries you, it’s something to keep in mind.
I traveled to Japan for 12 full days last month and can tell you that not speaking Japanese wasn’t a hindrance at all. Most service-oriented employees (hotels, airports, Disneyland) spoke English. When visiting the mom and pop shops or restaurants, English is spoken less but we still had no problem. Almost all signs that are in Japanese are also in English, and that also includes the bullet trains, subways, and buses.
You hit the nail on the head. Tokyo DisneySea has no weak links, which is one of its greatest strengths as compared to each of the other parks, all of which have at least one weak area (looking at you, Disneyland Tomorrowland).
Thanks for the fantastic article about TDS. For years I’ve been convinced that Tokyo DisneySea deserves a spot on my bucket list, and your photos and descriptions continue to reinforce that. In fact, I’d love to follow your lead and visit all the international Disney parks one day – that leaves Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.
Speaking of the international parks, I visited DLP for the first time this month, using your guide and reviews to help me plan my must-dos. Although I found the resort to be lacking overall (due to the subpar hotels, Disney Village, and Walt Disney Studios), there was a lot that I loved as well. For starters, Frontierland is just as great as you described, and I loved the thematic connection between Big Thunder Mountain (easily better than WDW’s) and Phantom Manor (my favorite ride at DLRP). Walt’s Restaurant had the greatest atmosphere of any Disney restaurant I’ve experienced, and I found the food to be better than Blue Lagoon and Bistrot Chez Rémy (albeit not as good as the signatures of WDW or Napa Rose). Even the Studio park had some neat experiences, including Crush’s Coaster, CinéMagique, and Ratatouille (which could’ve done more with the trackless ride system and used an AA or two, but it’s still a fun, modern dark ride). Oh, and the free wifi at Earl of Sandwich saved me on multiple occasions.
It might take a few years for me to visit the Tokyo parks, but I was wondering – what do you think of the language barrier at TDL? DLP was fine for me because I understand and speak some French, but I did have a few issues when using English (such as ordering a waffle with chocolate sauce and receiving a hot chocolate). Is TDL much worse?
Great point of view. Mysterious Island was everything I had hoped it would be and more. I even felt a sense of danger thanks to the sound effects (with no reassuring BGM), as if a rock slide could occur at any moment. The details of the New York Harbor blew me away as well. TDR Cast Members are top notch! Very helpful & polite, not too over-the-top as if they’re just fishing for guest compliments. The pride in their jobs really showed.
The lack of proper background music in Mysterious Island was one of the most brilliant decisions made for that land. It really makes it a start contrast to every other land, especially at night. Such a little thing, but it makes a huge difference.
Nailed it, Tom. You won’t get an argument from me! One month ago today was my family’s first visit to Tokyo DisneySea. I’ll never forget those first moments in the park…pixie dust overload!! We were all on our biggest Disney high of our lives! After getting fast passes for Tower of Terror (bypassing the throngs of people trying to get fast passes for Toy Story Mania…of whom I joined our second day at TDS) we rode Journey to the Center of the Earth. I wish I had your ability to convey with words the emotions we had on that first ride…wow and awesome are all I can still muster at this point! We can’t wait to visit again.
As for parks we want to visit yet haven’t had the opportunity, that would be Hong Kong. Just so we can experience Mystic Manor and educate ourselves further regarding SEA. We got a little taste of it at Fortress of Explorations at TDS and learning about the adventures of Harrison Hightower III…by the way, what did you think of all those Hightower murals??? Creepy!! LOL! Especially the one of him being massaged by the Indian women in the shop as you exit!
The Hightower murals are so awesome. It’s amazing how much of his personality is conveyed without a single word being spoken. The details in that queue, from the newspapers to the murals to the restaurant menu are all awesome. One of Disney’s best theme park villians.
Hi Tom! I really enjoy your articles on the international Disney parks. Having only been to the U.S. parks so far, I cannot wait to see their international counterparts. I read somewhere that the Walt Disney Co. does not actually own Tokyo Disneyland Resort. If this is true, do you think that might be something to do with the technology and quality of the rides being what appears to be superior to WDW and Anaheim? I will end by saying that I love all of the Disney parks I have visited, so I am not at all trying to make my comments sound like a slam to WDW or Disneyland Resorts.
That is true. The Oriental Land Company (OLC) owns and operates Tokyo Disney Resort. Based upon what I’ve observed, they have higher operational standards than TWDC, and are more willing to spend money on the parks. Sad, but true.