A TALE OF TWO PARKS Chris Barstow
With the chilly winter receding and the school holidays approaching, you may be inclined to give one of Japan's 400 or so theme parks a whirl this spring. It’s no exaggeration to say that Japan something of a love affair with theme parks, with attractions generating millions of dollars worth of revenue each year. However, not every venture in adventure turns out successfully. Here is the rollercoaster tale of two very different theme parks in Japan...
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When Walt Disney commissioned the creation of a black and white anthropomorphic rodent in 1928, little did he know how huge its cultural impact on the world would be. After several decades of award-winning cartoons featuring Mickey Mouse and friends, the Disney brand ambitiously conceived a huge theme park in Anaheim, California. The success of this first Disneyland resort spawned other branded theme parks throughout the world, cashing in on people's unquenchable thirst for all of Disney's cute and cuddly creations. The first international foray for Disney was Tokyo Disneyland in Chiba. Celebrating its 30th birthday in April, Tokyo Disneyland has become the world’s third most visited theme park, attracting an incredible 14 million visitors in 2011, despite a month-long closure as a result of the Great Tohoku Earthquake. Split into seven themed areas with rides and attractions featuring past favourites like Goofy and Dumbo, to more recent characters such as Lilo and Stitch, Tokyo Disneyland
seems like a carbon copy of its American prototypes at first glance: the “It's a Small World” ride promotes a utopian vision of peace and harmony to a saccharine ditty much like its other international counterparts, whilst Cinderella's Castle replicates the fantastical mystery of its prototype in Florida's Magic Kingdom almost perfectly. However, whilst the mechanics of Tokyo Disneyland are similar to the American originals, its customer demographic renders it rather unique. Most Disney parks around the world are frequented by excited children, bellies full of candy-floss, clutching Pluto balloons and screaming at Pocahontas with slightly reluctant parents in tow. Tokyo, however, has an altogether more adult feel, with honeymooners and gaggles of grown-ups mingling with the families and school trips. Tokyo Disneyland has been so successful that a second park, Tokyo Disney Sea, was added to the Resort in 2001. Having cost a staggering $4bn to build, it too has ascended the global theme park attendance ranks and it is now the fourth most visited attraction in the world. However, the resort has not been without its controversies. In 2006, a huge pillar toppled off a Buzz Lightyear float and fell crashing to the ground near a group of visitors. Whilst there were no injuries, it caused the daily parade to be cancelled whilst safety checks were undertaken. In 2003, the famous Space Mountain roller-coaster also derailed, resulting in disciplinary action for 17 employees.