Finding Nemo

Rising from the sea, somewhere in the South Pacific, is a mysterious volcanic island. Inside the smoldering caldera of the volcano, we discover the hidden scientific base of the infamous Captain Nemo. Inspired by the works of Jules Verne and the 1954 Disney film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Mysterious Island is one of the most awe-inspiring ports in Tokyo DisneySEA.

Nemo's Guests on Mysterious Island are invited into his Victorian era industrial stronghold to witness firsthand the fantastic secret worlds he has discovered. Aboard vehicles of Nemo's own design, the Guests can explore the depths of the ocean or journey to the center of the earth itself.

Visitors begin their journey by boarding one of a bank of Terravators, specially-designed lifts that transport the Guests down to an immense subterranean cavern. Here, a row of tunneling vehicles awaits to carry us forward on our voyage of discovery.

Along the way, we marvel at crystal caverns and luminous forests with giant mushrooms, waterfalls and phosphorescent pools. We happen upon what appears to be the lair of some sort of creature, its egg sacs suspended in a volcanic chamber. Then as we admire the Subterranean Sea, we begin to notice that we're being followed.

The creature, an enormous lava monster, feels threatened by our presence. With a burst of flame, the creature rears up to attack. In that moment, the volcano suddenly erupts, blasting our vehicle through a spiral lava tube. We fly out the top of the mountain and speed along a trough in the rim of the caldera before finally being able to regain control of the vehicle and return to base.

The volcanic peak of Mt. Prometheus, the central icon of Tokyo DisneySEA, plays a central role in the story of Mysterious Island, a port which is entirely contained within the mountain and its adjacent crater. The mouth of the volcano smokes throughout the day, periodically sending balls of flame into the air, an effect created by a series of jet engines built into the top of the mountain.

The details that tell the Mysterious Island story, along with all the stories of Tokyo DisneySEA, are seemingly infinite and range from very large to very small. On one hand, Mt. Prometheus itself is one of the largest single rockwork efforts ever undertaken by Walt Disney Imagineering. At the other end of the spectrum, even something as small as this sponsor identification plaque (Journey to the Center of the Earth is presented by the Dai-Ichi Mutual Life Insurance Company) carries on the design aesthetic of the land and fits right into the story being told.

Under the Sea

Rising on the shores of Tokyo DisneySEA is King Triton's Castle, the gateway to Mermaid Lagoon. Now that his youngest daughter has married a human, Triton has embraced the spirit of interspecies cooperation and understanding, inviting Guests "under the sea" to explore his watery kingdom.

The castle itself draws inspiration from a number of sources, including The Little Mermaid film and the work of renowned Spanish architect Antonio Gaudi. Gaudi was known for organic, flowing architectural forms that incorporated bright colors and a variety of materials. Likewise, the surfaces of King Triton's Castle are covered in shells, glass and tile, all painted with iridescent colors to give the castle a "wet" look as if it just rose from the sea.

A closer look at the tiles and other materials covering the coral exterior of King Triton's Castle reveals tiny details, such as images of sea life, Triton's trident and Ariel herself. There's even a Hidden Mickey or two.

Stepping inside the castle entrance, a bronze statue of King Triton welcomes us to this undersea realm. Adventure awaits as we proceed to the ocean floor, where all the denizens of the deep have come out to celebrate our arrival. There's plenty to do and explore, from Jumpin' Jellyfish and the Blowfish Balloon Race to Ariel's Playground and the Sleepy Whale Shoppe (actually located inside the belly of a giant whale).

Mermaid Lagoon is a magical, fantastical place to visit, but as Sebastian the Crab likes to say, "De seaweed is always greener in somebody else's lake." Before long, it's time to return to our own world and to venture forward to the next port of call.

Home of the Famous Dead Sea Tupperware

This is Arabian Coast, a mystical port city straight out of 1001 Arabian Nights, with a dash of Disney's Aladdin thrown in. While architecturally based on Islamic and Persian designs from historical Arabic sites, Arabian Coast has an overlay of fantasy, making it a truly magical place. From the ancient waterfront area to the more "modern" (by 1200 A.D. standards anyway) Palace Courtyard, this section of Tokyo DisneySEA has seemingly infinite corners to discover.

One of the most fun areas for exploration is the Marketplace. The twisting alleys and merchant-packed streets bring to life the atmosphere of an Arabian souk. In the Casbah Food Court, a series of stalls offer a variety of dishes, from Flying Carpet Curry to shish kababs at Ali Kababa's. Outside, Jasmine's Fountain features a tile mural of the princess standing in a garden.

A camel is parked on an adjacent street, awaiting its master. In a corner Blacksmith Shop, the smith seems to have stepped away for a moment, but out of the smoke rising from his still-hot forge we see a Genie magically appear.

Inside the Agrabah Marketplace, the decor on one side of the shop evokes Jasmine's private chambers, while the other side is more like the hovel where she first met Aladdin. The Flying Carpet hangs above the walkway connecting the two areas of the shop.

A nearby counter opens onto a space where Aladdin's scavenger pal Abu has stashed his treasures over the years. The counter is labeled "Abu's Sweets," so it seems the little monkey has turned generous, sharing some of his finds (at least the confectionery kind) with visitors. Abu himself swings overhead, just to make sure the vendors here don't give away any of the good stuff.

One corner of the Marketplace we won't be exploring is Jafar's Shop of Wonders. The entrance to this mysterious spot is locked tight, with a notice nailed to the door: Closed by Order of the Sultan.

Indiana Jones and the Lost River Delta

Bienvenidos! Welcome to Lost River Delta at Tokyo DisneySEA. Here, along El Rio Perdido, a settlement of archaeologists, explorers and fortune hunters has sprung up, with all eyes on the legendary treasures of an ancient civilization.

Across the river from the settlement, a Mesoamerican pyramid rises from the jungle. Those brave enough to venture inside may stumble across Indiana Jones in search of the Fountain of Youth.

Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull (inspired by a different take on the crystal skull myth than that explored in the fourth Indiana Jones film) is an attraction similar in many ways to the original version at Disneyland in California, entitled Temple of the Forbidden Eye. In Japan, the location of the 1930s adventure was changed from India to Central America, presenting a different story and some different effects. For example, the main chamber in the Tokyo version features an impressive blue swirling vortex called the Well of Souls, as opposed to the flame effects in the Anaheim attraction.

In either case, we and Indy are successful in uncovering the Temple's secrets, but barely escape with our lives.

TomorrowSEA

Port Discovery at Tokyo DisneySEA transports us to an undefined future time, one very much inspired by futuristic ideals of the past. This is the home of the Center for Weather Control, where scientists from around the world gather to study the earth's weather systems. Today, the research teams of Port Discovery are celebrating the success of their StormRider initiative, designed to neutralize hurricanes before they reach populated areas.

As part of the celebration, Guests at Port Discovery are invited to explore some of the CWC's research vessels and even take a spin on the Aquatopia, a kind of technology workshop where the scientists test new navigation and propulsion systems.

A ride on Aquatopia is unpredictable to say the least. As each 2-3 person vehicle "floats" across the surface of Horizon Bay, it spins and twirls through an obstacle course of rocks, fountains and whirlpools.

While it may appear that the vehicles are floating on a pool of water, they are actually rolling on hidden wheels (the water is only about three inches deep). Their seemingly random movements are guided by a trackless Location Positioning System (LPS) that keeps track of all the vehicles in the area and directs each one where to go next. A similar system is used on the Pooh's Hunny Hunt attraction at Tokyo Disneyland and is planned for Mystic Manor, opening at Hong Kong Disneyland by 2014.