Japan will never be a one-and-done for us: we thought it would be, but we completely fell in love with everything about this beautiful country. And the thing my boys loved the most was the theme parks.

I’m not going to lie, I loved them too. Especially Tokyo Disney Sea.

You can tell that money was no object when this park was constructed. From the near-perfect replica of a Venetian Canal to the volcano that sits smack bang in the middle of the park, everything is so beautiful and so well thought out.

That also means that, even though the crowd levels can be absolutely insane, you don’t feel the crowds when you’re walking around the park.

So why is Tokyo Disney Sea the best theme park in the world? And what do you need to know if you’re planning a trip? Here’s a complete breakdown:

Booking Tickets

Booking tickets for both of the Tokyo Disney parks was one of the most confusing part of the process for us. You can technically book via the Tokyo Disney website, but it doesn’t always like non-Japanese cards, and we really struggled to get anywhere with the website.

In the end we booked our tickets with Klook (aff. link) for several reasons. Firstly the price was the same as booking direct, and second because we wanted the convenience and peace of mind of completing the booking in English. Our UK visa card was also accepted by the site – it wasn’t on so many of the Japanese website we were trying to book tickets with!

You can book your tickets up to 60 days in advance, both with Klook and when booking directly.

1 day tickets cost Adult · £ 57.20 ; Junior (12-17) · £ 47.25 ; Child(4-11) · £ 29.39.

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Fun For The Whole Family

Disney theme parks are best known as family parks and that means they’re packed-full of family friendly rides. This is true of Tokyo Disney Sea too BUT there are so many more interesting, adult focused rides here that will appeal to an older audience too.

I’ve never been so engaged by the rides in a theme park. Journey to the Center of the Earth is an excellent ride with a great backstory. And even rides that you will find in other Disney parks are better in Disney Sea. Tower of Terror is a great example of this: It’s like a whole new ride with a richer and more interesting theme.

If you’re travelling with kids (or even if you’re not!) then you have to go on the Sinbad ride and meet Chandu: The cutest tiger and unofficial park mascot. And the whole Little Mermaid themed mermaid lagoon is amazing: packed full of indoor attractions, rides, adventure playgrounds… we made a beeline for this place when we had a spot of rain, and the boys were in their element.

Thoughtful Details

The design of the park is truly incredible and so too are the attention to detail that you’ll find throughout the park. Most theme parks have photo shoot spots: Tokyo Disney Sea have photo shoot spots for teddy bears (Duffy Bear specifically)

This same attention to detail is even reflected in the merchandise throughout the park. Which is abundant, cleverly designed, and exceptionally affordable. A pair of Mickey Ears will set you back less than £10, which is insane when you think what you would pay for these anywhere else.

Even that all of the park visitors sit on the ground to watch shows and parades is incredible to me. Such a simple change, but one that means that everyone gets a great view and a sit down at the same time!

The Incredible Food

The themed food at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea is so exceptional that it deserves its own post! And so incredibly affordable too! We’re talking buckets full of flavoured popcorns and themed ice creams and lollies for around £3.

The very best snack though were the Toy Story Alien mochi. They come in 3 flavours: custard, chocolate, and strawberry. We couldn’t get enough of them, and what started off as getting one tub to share quickly turned into at least one tub each!

You don’t have to spend a fortune for delicious food in Tokyo Disney Sea in the same way that you do in the Paris and American parks. Even the quick service meals are well presented and exceptionally high quality.

Incredible Cast Members

Finally, language barrier or not, the cast members at Tokyo Disney Sea are the best I have ever known. They’re so friendly and welcoming, waving and helping whenever and wherever they can. They seem to genuinely love kids and want to see them having a good time.

When we were queuing to meet Duffy Bear (the boy’s very favourite disney characters) the cast members couldn’t have been more chatty and friendly. They offered the boys first visit badges and were as exciting as they were to share first tip trips!

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