Skip to main content

OLC Confirms Development Plans for Tokyo Disneyland® and Tokyo DisneySea®

News
wanda-hefei-joravision-aerial CAAPA award

Oriental Land Co., Ltd., the company that operates Tokyo Disneyland® and Tokyo DisneySea®, has released significant development plans for the two theme parks.

In Tokyo Disneyland, expansion of Fantasyland will include a new theatre as well as a major new ride themed on Beauty and the Beast.

A new attraction will open in Tomorrowland and a Disney Character greeting facility will open in Toontown.

OLC Confirms Development Plans for Tokyo Disney and Tokyo Disney Sea

In Tokyo DisneySea, a version of the popular Soarin’ attraction comes to Japan for the first time.

Plans are also underway for new versions of current attractions and entertainment programmes.

OLC Confirms Development Plans for Tokyo Disney and Tokyo Disney Sea

The company’s original target of achieving 30 million visitors consistently by 2023 has been brought forward to 2020 since the annual increase in attendance has been faster than expected.

The total investment for this latest phase of development is expected to be in the region of 75 billion Japanese yen.

OLC Confirms Development Plans for Tokyo Disney and Tokyo Disney Sea

Details of the New Attractions in Tokyo Disneyland:

Beauty and the Beast Area (working title)

This new area in Fantasyland brings the world of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast to life. A major new themed ride will be located within the Beast’s castle. The ride will last approx. 8 minutes. Guests board enchanted serving dishes that dance in rhythm to the film’s well-known music and follow Belle on a romantic musical adventure inside the Enchanted Castle where she dances her way into the heart of the Beast, just in time to break the fateful spell.

OLC Confirms Development Plans for Tokyo Disney and Tokyo Disney Sea

◆ Live Entertainment Theatre (as yet unnamed)

Also in Fantasyland, this will be the park’s first full-scale, 1, 500 seat indoor theatre for live entertainment. Signature Disney entertainment unique to Tokyo Disneyland and featuring the Disney Friends will be presented in this storybook theatre environment.

OLC Confirms Development Plans for Tokyo Disney and Tokyo Disney Sea

OLC Confirms Development Plans for Tokyo Disney and Tokyo Disney Sea

New ride themed on Big Hero 6

The 1.5 minute ride opening in Tomorrowland will feature the lovable robot Baymax, from the Disney film, Big Hero 6, who invites guests to join their own personal healthcare companion for an exciting musical “whip ride” that swings them unpredictably round and round. Also, for the first time in either Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea, a shop themed to outer space and selling popcorn in multiple flavours will open next to the new attraction.

OLC Confirms Development Plans for Tokyo Disney and Tokyo Disney Sea

New Disney Character Greeting Facility (as yet unnamed)

Toontown will see the opening of a new Disney Character greeting facility. Minnie Mouse, in her role as a fashion designer, will greet guests in her studio. After walking through Minnie’s design studio and her work area featuring interactive elements, guests can meet Minnie in person, take pictures with her, and generally spend a memorable time together.

OLC Confirms Development Plans for Tokyo Disney and Tokyo Disney Sea

To make way for the new developments, the following attractions in Tomorrowland will close: Grand Circuit Raceway on January 12, 2017 and StarJets*, Space Place FoodPort, Lite Bite Satellite, and Solar Ray’s Light Supplies on October 11, 2017.

*StarJets is presented by Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. With the closure of StarJets, Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. will present Mickey’s PhilharMagic at Tokyo Disneyland from October 11, 2017.

OLC Confirms Development Plans for Tokyo Disney and Tokyo Disney Sea

New attractions for Tokyo DisneySea

◆ New Attraction at Mediterranean Harbour

A new simulator attraction, Soarin’ (working title), will open at Mediterranean Harbour in Tokyo DisneySea. Already popular at other Disney parks, the attraction will now come to Japan for the first time. The 5 minute ride will take guests on a journey soaring over famous landscapes of the world, while feeling the breezes and scents that match the various scenes.

OLC Confirms Development Plans for Tokyo Disney and Tokyo Disney Sea

Further plans include more investment in incentivising and training cast members to deliver a better guest experience and further improvements in general guest facilities.

All images kind courtesy Disney.

Share this

More from this author

Related content

Your web browser is out of date. Update your browser for more security, speed and the best experience on this site.

Find out how to update