Tokyo Disney – A Walk With The Mouse

Tower of Terror “Level 13” Ride Variation Experience Available Through April 7

Posted on January 23, 2024January 23, 2024 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

Disney’s Tower of Terror attraction will offer guests a new “Level 13” ride experience . . . if they dare.

Disney’s Tower of Terror attraction is one of the most thrilling ride experiences guests can have during their visit–and one of the most daring experiences ever developed by Walt Disney Imagineering.

So daring was the development of the ride that a considerable amount of work done toward the completion of the attraction involved creating and implementing systems inside the attraction that ensure guests don’t plunge to their deaths as part of the already creepy experience.

Formally called the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios inside the Walt Disney World Resort, the heart-pounding ride not only delivers on the thrills–it has a backstory that comes with all the chills.

tower of terror missing people on elevator

Since it first opened to guests on July 22, 1994, the Tower of Terror ride at Disney World has been a park staple, as well as one of the attractions at the top of thrill seekers’ must-ride list in the parks. The ride premise, along with the theming and props inside the queue, is so impressive that guests have little time to ponder the “terror” that awaits them aboard a haunted elevator that seems to have a mind of its own.

According to the story of the attraction, a freak lightning storm struck the Hollywood Tower Hotel, and a group of five individuals who had just boarded an elevator at the hotel disappeared and were never seen again.

The ride is so popular with guests that it can be found at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Tokyo DisneySea, and Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris. It was formerly located at Disney California Adventure but was rethemed to create the Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout attraction at the park.

But the story behind the attraction changes at other Disney Parks.

At Tokyo DisneySea at Tokyo Disney Resort, for example, the story begins in New York in 1912 at the Tower of Terror Hotel. It got its name because of an awful incident in 1899 that resulted in the mysterious disappearance of the hotel’s owner.

Now, the New York City Preservation Society has just finished the work of restoring the infamous hotel. Tours of the structure have begun again. But what happens if tourists dare to ride the elevator to the topmost floor?

And now, Tokyo DisneySea has announced a brand-new “Level 13” ride experience at the Tower of Terror attraction, in which guests can experience even more drops and thrills.

From now through April 7, 2024, the Tower of Terror ride experience at Tokyo DisneySea will be very different. Guests can experience two different ride sequences and choose their favorite one.

From now through February 4, 2024, guests can experience the “Tower of Terror: Level 13” sequence during the ride, during which there are more thrills and more drops than ever before. From February 5 through March 6, 2024, guests will be subjected to the “Tower of Terror: Level 13 Shadow of Siriki” ride sequence, during which they’ll reportedly experience the “horror of the Siriki Utundu curse even more.”

tower of terror level 13 ride experience

Guests will be able to vote for their favorite ride sequence, and the ride sequence that guests will experience from March 7 through April 7, 2024, will be based on which sequence received the most votes from guests between now and March 6.

Per Tokyo Disney Resort, voting details will be announced at a later date, and ride photos will not be taken during the ride sequence variation period.

It’s the lesser of two horrors. Which horror do you think you’d choose–Tower of Terror: Level 13 or Tower of Terror: Level 13 Shadow of Siriki?

A Disney Park is Bringing Back Free ‘FastPasses’

Posted on July 28, 2023July 28, 2023 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

For better or worse, the Disney FastPass system has become a classic staple of Disney Park nostalgia. Although it worked very differently than Genie+ does today, it was the theme park’s first venture into line skipping.

While other theme park chains like Six Flags and Universal Studios offered similar services, they came with a significant cost. Disney, however, provided the service for free simply with the cost of admission. Those days are long behind us…well, not all of us.

Disney is bringing back free-line skipping at Tokyo Disney Resort, making it the only Disney Resort in the world to offer such a service (anymore). Beginning this week (July 26), Disney Guests with a ticket for Park admission will also be given a 40th Anniversary Priority Pass.

It will operate similarly to the old Fast Pass+ system at Walt Disney World Resort. Using the Tokyo Disney Resort App (or contacting a Cast Member with tablets), Guests can skip the line for an attraction on a first-come, first-served basis.

Once that Guest has used their Priority Pass (or 120 minutes have passed), they can select a second attraction and skip its line.

The only downside to this system over the current one in the United States is that you do not have any control over the time you wish to visit your attraction of choice. You simply request your ride and get your pass.

Tokyo Disney Resort has hinted that this will only be available for a limited time, but they have not released any specific date when the free Priority Passes will go away.

The free Priority Passes can be used on the following attractions:

Tokyo Disneyland

Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
Space Mountain
Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters
Big Thunder Mountain
Pooh’s Hunny Hunt
Haunted Mansion
Monsters, Inc. Ride & Go Seek

Tokyo DisneySea

Aquatopia
Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Turtle Talk
Nemo & Friends SeaRider
The Magic Lamp Theater
Raging Spirits

There is still a Premium Priority Pass, similar to Individual Lightning Lanes at domestic parks, which Guests can purchase for additional access to more popular attractions such as Splash Mountain, Soaring: Fantastic Flight, and the Tower of Terror.

Family Loses $7K After Airline Cancels Flight to Disney

Posted on January 10, 2023January 10, 2023 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Uncategorized

Jade Rodriguez and her family were all packed to go on their ultimate Japanese vacation. Her son had asked for the trip for his 21st birthday, and it included time at one of Disney’s top Resorts, Tokyo Disneyland. The family planned out their “surreal” vacation, ready to take Japan by storm and have the best time. Unfortunately, when it came to booking their dream trip, they decided to fly with Southwest Airlines.

Now, they are out more than $7,000 and looking for some answers.

Rodriguez spoke to Business Insider and said that when they arrived at the airport in Tuscon, Arizona, their flight didn’t have a crew, but they were still told that they should check their luggage.

“It was just a lot of miscommunication. One attendant was saying, ‘We’re not getting to LAX,’ another was saying to check in our bags,” Rodriguez said. “It was utter confusion.”

After all the conflicting information, Southwest finally canceled the flight altogether about seven hours before their American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo was scheduled to take off.

The drive from Tuscon to Los Angeles is about seven and a half hours, so if the family had been informed of the cancellation earlier, they would have made the long drive in order to make their connecting flight. They tried to book another flight that would get them to Tokyo from Tuscon, but Rodriguez said that the family was unable to make it work.

The big problem was that Southwest could not get them on another flight for nearly a week. And even then, they would be traveling for more than 20 hours and most of their trip would be nearly half over by the time they finally made it to Japan and the Disney Park.

Now, the family is struggling with more conflicting information as they try to get as much of their money refunded as possible. Sadly, it is unlikely they will get much from Tokyo Disney, as they don’t typically issue refunds for their theme parks. Per Business Insider:

Now they are trying to get as much of the trip refunded as they can, including from Southwest, American Airlines, the hotel in Japan, and Tokyo Disney — where they had already purchased tickets — among other expenses.

Rodriguez said they have received conflicting information from Southwest, with one email saying they would be getting a full refund, and another saying they’d only be getting flight credits to be used in the future.

They are still hoping to reschedule a trip for next year, depending on how much they can get refunded or rescheduled, but are unsure when they will be able to make a trip work for the whole family.

Sadly, the Rodriguez family was not the only one affected by Southwest’s massive failure. Many airlines experienced cancellations over the holidays because of storm systems throughout the country, but none of them were as big of a mess as Southwest. Southwest canceled more than 60% of its flights and, of the flights that weren’t canceled, more than 80% of those were delayed.

Southwest is currently working with thousands of travelers to refund the money they had to spend to get where Southwest could not take them.

Rapunzel’s Forest and Peter Pan’s Never Land Coming to Disney Theme Park

Posted on November 1, 2022November 1, 2022 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

The new expansion project at Tokyo Disney Resort has been updated with names for the upcoming lands coming to the Tokyo DisneySea theme park.

Tokyo Disney Resort, the Disney-licensed, Oriental Land Company-operated Disney theme parks in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, is a collection of two Disney Parks — Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea — as well as the shopping and dining area, Ikspiari. Soon, Tokyo Disneyland, a near mimic of Parks like Disneyland Park in California and France, and the Magic Kingdom in Florida’s Walt Disney World Resort (at least on a smaller scale), will celebrate its 40th anniversary — and much like the aforementioned Parks, will have special events, experiences, and activities for forthcoming Guests.

One of those large-scale openings, and perhaps an opening even bigger than Avengers Campus at Disneyland Resort’s Disney California Adventure Park, and Paris’s Walt Disney Studios Park, will be the addition of three themed areas in a new land at Tokyo DisneySea — Fantasy Springs.

Fantasy Springs was announced years ago and was slated for a 2023 grand opening, likely due to coincide with the Resort’s 40th celebration. However, a recent press release from The Oriental Land Company has revealed that the anticipated land will now open in the first fiscal quarter of 2024. The operators cite delayed overseas production and the ongoing ripple effect of the COVID-19 shutdown. The project will also now cost a reported 320 million Japanese yen (approx. $2.1 billion), up from the 2018 and 2020 projected numbers of 250 million Japanese yen (approx. $1.7 billion).

Now, with construction well underway, and Disney and OLC already revealing that Fantasy Springs will be centered around areas themed to Peter Pan (1953), Tangled (2010), and Frozen (2013), the names of these areas have finally been released. In a press release from the OLC, the company stated that Peter Pan’s Never Land, Rapunzel’s Forest, and Frozen Kingdom will be the names of the upcoming Fantasy Springs areas, and be based around their Disney film namesake.

The release said of Frozen Kingdom:

Set after the events of the Disney Animation film Frozen, Frozen Kingdom is full of happiness now that Queen Elsa has embraced her powers to create ice and snow. The Kingdom of Arendelle has been returned to its former glory and guests can visit while immersing themselves in a festive mood. At the far end of the village are towering snowcapped mountains with several cascading waterfalls. In the distance, near the summit of North Mountain, Elsa’s ice palace glistens proudly, covered in snow.

Frozen Kingdom at Tokyo Disney Resort's Fantasy Springs

For Rapunzel’s Forest:

Rapunzel’s Forest brings to life the world of the Disney Animation film Tangled. In the valley rises the tower where the long-haired princess Rapunzel has lived since she was a child. At night, the entire forest is bathed in warm light emanating from Rapunzel’s tower, lamps lining the paths, glowing restaurant and boathouse windows and lanterns hanging from the boats.

Rapunzel's Forest at Tokyo Disney Resort's Fantasy Springs

And lastly, Peter Pan’s Never Land is described as:

In Peter Pan’s Never Land, where the world of the Disney Animation film Peter Pan unfolds, guests become a member of the Lost Kids, a group of fun-loving, adventurous and energetic children. Here, guests can explore a pirate ship, dine in a secret hideaway, confront pirates with their friends and enjoy great adventures in Never Land. They can also visit Pixie Hollow, the fairy valley where Tinker Bell lives.

No word of Captain Hook… not yet.

Peter Pan's Never Land at Tokyo Disney Resort's Fantasy Springs

Fantasy Springs is the eighth themed port at Tokyo DisneySea, joining the likes of Mediterranean Harbor, American Waterfront, Mysterious Island, Mermaid Lagoon, Arabian Coast, Lost River Delta, and Port Discovery. There will be numerous attractions and restaurants across the three areas including a Tangled-themed boat ride.

The OLC also announced the name of the new hotel located within Fantasy Springs, the Tokyo DisneySea Fantasy Springs Hotel. The official description of the new Disney hotel is as follows:

Paintings depicting Disney Princesses as well as floral motifs can be seen throughout the interior of the hotel, allowing the world of Fantasy Springs to continue from the Park to the hotel. The hotel is comprised of 419 “deluxe-type” rooms. In addition, there are 56 “luxury-type” rooms, offering guests the finest accommodation experience at Tokyo Disney Resort.

The Tokyo DisneySea Fantasy Springs Hotel will be the sixth hotel in Tokyo Disney Resort’s portfolio. The range includes the Disney Ambassador Hotel, Tokyo Disneyland Hotel, Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta, Tokyo Disney Celebration Hotel, and the brand-new Tokyo Disney Resort Toy Story Hotel. Neighbor hotels include Tokyo Bay Maihama Hotel, Tokyo Bay Maihama Hotel Club Resort, and Hilton Tokyo Bay.

The most recent addition to Tokyo DisneySea was the new nighttime spectacular, Believe! Sea of Dreams, which replaces Fantasmic! at the Disney theme park.

Disney Resort Lowering Capacity By 20%

Posted on October 5, 2022October 5, 2022 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

A major talking point, at least currently, about Disney Parks worldwide is how busy they are. Even with the Park Pass reservation system, Guests are battling crowds, long lines for merchandise and food, and even longer lines for attractions.

To combat this, one Disney Resort presented a plan to drive attendance lower in order to maintain an overall comfortable experience for visitors in what is being described as a major pivot.

Disney Resorts across the globe welcome millions of Guests each year. From Walt Disney World Resort to Disneyland Resort, Disneyland Paris to Shanghai Disney Resort, and Hong Kong Disneyland to Tokyo Disney Resort, fans of the Mouse are flocking to the Disney theme park destinations in droves. While many horror stories on crowds and capacity being shared over the last year have shown a darker side of the post-pandemic theme park experience, operations to buffer this have been instilled at various locations.

The Park Pass reservation system is in effect at multiple sites including the United States Parks — Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort. In addition, the arrival of the paid “FastPass” system Disney Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane Selections at the American Parks, and Disney Premier Access at Disneyland Paris and now Tokyo Disney Resort, aims to reduce standby wait times by offering Guests a chance to purchase their way into the line.

However, even with these, many Guests have complained about the crowded nature of the Parks; this, teamed with the increase in prices across the board as well as reduced operations for some experiences, has caused some to find the Disney experience significantly less magical.

Over at Tokyo Disney Resort, the only Disney Park to be wholly owned by another entity — The Oriental Land Company — has revealed plans to significantly lower capacity in order to create a more valuable and “luxury” experience for Guests.

Earlier this year, the OLC, released their 2024 and 2030 fiscal plans, with the former including a pathway to reduce capacity at the Resort’s theme parks, Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. The original literature read:

The OLC Group will aim to offer a comfortable Park environment by bringing down the daily attendance limit to below the level before the COVID-19 pandemic started. Furthermore, 2 the Group will take flexible actions to meet diversifying Guest needs and roll out decisive new measures to help Guests find new experience value, thereby enhancing the value they gain from experience.

The “value” of a Disney Park visit recently came into contention as the polarizing CEO of The Walt Disney Company, Bob Chapek, used the term “unfavorable Guest” during the latest Earnings Call when discussing Disneyland Resort, leaving many to presume the Disney Chief was referencing the Resort’s Magic Key holders — local Guests who often don’t spend as much time or money at the Parks — at the time when the future of the annual pass program was up in the air.

When looking at Tokyo Disney Resort, the theme park based in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, will actively bring down capacity. A report in the Japan Times shares that the number will be around a 20% reduction, with OLC President Kenji Yoshida saying:

“Our guests now have more time to use as they wish, and the value of their experience (at the parks) has increased greatly.”

The report details:

The admission restrictions have given visitors the luxury of taking their time to enjoy the attractions of the Disney theme parks, while the amount of money they spend on dining there has also increased despite the pandemic.

A public relations official adds:

“Previously, light meals available at concessions were in high demand, but the number of visitors who enjoy leisurely dining at restaurants has increased.”

Owned by The Oriental Land Company under license from The Walt Disney Company, the Disney Resort includes many Disney Parks favorites such as the Big Thunder Mountain attraction, Splash Mountain, and Peter Pan’s Flight across lands like Adventureland, World Bazaar, Critter Country, and Tomorrowland (all in Tokyo Disneyland), and the Mediterranean Harbor, the American Waterfront, and Mermaid Lagoon (all in Tokyo DisneySea). A new land, Fantasy Springs, will open at the Tokyo Disney Resort soon.

The reduction in capacity at Tokyo Disney Resort comes as the OLC announced a complete overhaul of Tomorrowland. The popular land in Tokyo Disneyland will get a complete refresh over the next few years, including a full remodel of the classic Space Mountain attraction.