Tokyo Disney: Beauty and the Beast Themed Park

Nicole Soong, Staff Writer

Beauty and the Beast was one of the most anticipated movies of the year and captured lots of attention around the world. Because of that, the Disneyland in Tokyo decided to create a theme park featuring Beauty and the Beast, Big Hero 6, and Soarin’. The new rides will be opened in 2020.

The Beauty and the Beast area (tentative name) will let guests experience the world of the Disney film Beauty and the Beast. With the Beast’s castle and the village where Belle lives, the entire environment will make guests feel like they are in the film. This new park will take over much of the space now occupied by Grand Circuit Raceway and StarJets, effectively expanding Fantasyland into Tomorrowland’s current footprint. According to the park’s press, the “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.”

One other new feature of the park is the Big Hero 6 theme park. In this theme park, Baymax will invite guests to join their own “personal healthcare companion” on a musical whip ride that swings them around and around, which is very similar to Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree at Disney California Adventure.

Beyond that, Soarin’ (tentative name), will open at Mediterranean Harbor in Tokyo DisneySea. This attraction, which has been enjoyed by guests visiting the Disney parks outside of Japan, can now be experienced at Tokyo DisneySea with original scenes and the newest visual images. Guests who visit the attraction can overlook Mediterranean Harbor and experience a journey soaring over famous landscapes of the world while feeling the breezes and scents that match the various scenes.

Last, but not least, the Live Entertainment Theater and the Minnie Meet and Greet will also be added to the park. According to the Oriental Land Co. press release, “signature Disney entertainment unique to Tokyo Disneyland and featuring the Disney Friends will be presented in this storybook theater environment.” The Minnie Meet and Greet will provide a space for Minnie to have her own design studio, where she will greet guests.

All the new theme parks sound interesting and fun. If you have time, stop by Tokyo and be in the movie!