Japan Trip in Restrospect and The Day at Disney Sea

At first I am had gathered some thoughts to be put into this retrospect post but those thoughts has elude me now... So I had come up with some new ones in regarding this post.

As I mention in my earlier post, I wasn't exactly thrill about this trip but rather the chance of being on a trip abroad. But I was thrill nontheless, it would be my second times in Japan and this times I would be old enough to remembered where I had been.

Overall I must say that it was a good trip. It was not a shopping tour but sightseeing tour so it seems that due to the currency and other factors the program seems somewhat crammed into the limited days to make the entire trip effordable. The results was that we felt rather beats by the end of the day to go out from the hotel to explore the city. Which is quite ashame thinking that I would be able to go into some ramen place and try the real Japan ramen, while in fact when I finally entered the hotel room I rarely came out at all.

One thing that you would notice while in Japan is how clean it is in all the places. I actually saw a few janitors diligently sweep cigarrett butts and small paper pieces to clean the place up. The cleanliness of the place also apply to most toilet as well. Also 99% of the urinal that I had been in (what can I say... I seems to have small bladder and the weather was cold) use light sensors at both the urinal and the washing sink. And some looks as though it's been there for 10 years at least.

Perhaps I might edit to add more thoughts but for now here is the link to see the photo we took during the trip.

Click Here I was in one of the photo ;)

I was not going into much details of my day at Disney sea in the early post because it was quite lengthy already, however I also want to describe it in more details regarding the rides so here it is. You can read about the event that lead me to wandering in the park alone here :P

If I remember correctly I began by walking toward the left side of the park from Mediterranean Harbor into the American Waterfront, and onwards to Lost River Delta and then into Port Discovery area, then going into the mountain in Mysterious Island to see the Little Mermaid's kids area. Then looking toward the Arabian Coast which would house Aladdin and Sinbad, I turn away toward the Mediterranean Harbor again. All the while looking around to see if I could find my family

I finally reach Mysterious Island again and decided to try the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride to get out of the rain for awhile. In the que, I met several people from our tour group as well. After waiting in lines for about 20 min. it's my turn. We went into a circular shape box that looks like the old brass submarine box and off we went. There was a narration as well but it was in japanese. The ride is quite pretty with bubble floating about on the looking glass. The ride seems to base from the book of the same name focusing on the part where caption Nemo took the professor out on the sea-stride session, with the lost city of atlantis, the giant squid and ship wreck ground. At first I was convince we're actually underwater, thinking it must be quite difficult to looking after the set underwater, but upon better inspection it turns out that the looking glass was double decked and filled with water to provide the illusion.

Next I was off to the Lost River Delta to the Indiana Jones rides. I had heard about this one before on TV but this would be the first times to try it. The que seems to be quite long but actually moving steadily, near the end of line into the ride there was a safety movie in silence black and white playing on the wall complete with sound affects to make it seems like it's from an old reels movie projector. The ride itself was on a jeep shape car, I have trouble putting my sizable backpack into the safety pouch in front of me as well as putting on the safety belt since I am not sure where it is! I started to panic slightly when the car started to took off but it seems that the alarm was set when the seat that has been taken but did not use the belt. So the staff came rush in and help me putting the bag away as well as helping me with the belt. The ride itself is quite grand, inside it was quite spacious and a lot of look at. The story itself is quite new although at the end of the ride it use the trademark giant rolling stone to did the drop down with photograph moment to be purchase at the exit :)

Then I walked through Port Discovery section into the Mediterranean Harbor and walk into the Fortress. I forgot to name but it was decked out Italian renaissance style with several rooms displaying the science and discovery of that era. They have one room that shows the Time-pendullum, illusion painting, alchemy, planterium with hand-crank for each planet that you can play with, and camera obscura which reflect the sight from the harbour area. It was also connected to the pier which has a small water playground for kids and a ship to explore. This is the place I regret the most for not having my camera with me T^T

After walking out of the Fortress, I walked toward the Arabian Coast and enter the Sinbad rides. This is not the Sinbad from the cinema featured but rather the traditional story from the Arabian Nights. The ride is on a boat which sail into different room with mechanic dolls performing on the story (think Smallworld here). There were a few room that was dark to represent stormy sea and night time which made me wish I have a hunky man for a quick make out session instead of just hugging my backpack...

Then I think I took the boat ride from around there back to Lost River Deltas to explore a bit more. Eventually I found my mom again as she was about to board the monorail. After a few discussion and pried my camera back from her only to found out that the battery has ran out. She recommend the Journey to The Center of the Earth rides that I avoid at first, thinking it was one of the *wet* ride but since she said that it was not and that it's quite good. I retreat back from the line and made my way to Mysterious Island again.

The Journey to The Center of the Earth rides was probabaly base on Jules Verne's book by the same name with a nice touch of the ride, for before we were to board the rides' car we were to go into the elevator to mock the descending 1,000 feets below the surface. The ride itself is like a minor rollarcoaster with some fast moving area and drop but overall it was quite fun indeed.

Then after thinking what the heck I decided to also try the StormRider rides. This one is in Port Discovery built and design with a retro modern Jules Verne style with lots of domes and brass fittings and futuristic design, it also the design of the StormRider ride which located in the Center for Weather Control building. This is a flight simulator with you sitting in the observation deck of an advanced flying laboratory into the eye of a storm with the mission to defused it with the new storm ray gun. I would not spoiled it for everyone but it is one of the Must-Ride rides in the park :)