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Tokyo Disney Resort’s 35th anniversary show gala sends us on a magical journey【Photos】

Katy Kelly Jul 12, 2018
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Our Japanese-language reporter laughed, danced and was moved to tears by the Disney-standard quality shown off in their new theme park lineup.

It’s summer, and summer brings with it enticing opportunities for vacation time. One of the top vacation spots in all of Japan is Tokyo Disney Resort (which is actually in Chiba), with its twin theme parks, Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea, being particularly notable for seasonal specials that rotate in and out faster than you can snap a cherry blossom KitKat. So what better way to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Tokyo parks than by rolling out a bonanza of new shows and events?

As of July 10, the Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea parks are running a set of special features, including two new shows and a gorgeous light display illumination projected onto the emblematic Cinderella’s castle. SoraNews24 reporter Daiichiro Tashiro is a known Studio Ghibli fan, but it turns out he’s an ardent Disney addict too, and once he heard about the campaign he was up in a flash to grab his tickets and get out there.

So what did the line-up have in store for our intrepid reporter? Well, first of all he had to visit one of the new shows debuting at Disneyland that plays at intermittent times during the day: “Let’s Parti Gras!“, a toe-tapping, foot-stomping dance celebration led by none other than the Three Caballeros themselves.

▼ As you can tell from the punny name, it’s a celebration that draws from New Orleans’ Mardi Gras festival, starring Donald, Panchito Pistoles and José Carioca.

The show was scored with some searing Latin tunes, and Daiichiro couldn’t stop his hips shimmying with wild abandon to the beat. Toss in the cheeky chemistry of fashionable parrot José, passionate rooster Panchito and our ever-naive scamp Donald, and it resulted in a red-hot recipe of rhythm that tempted even the shyest of party people onto the dance floor.

Of course, no party (or should that be Parti Gras?) would be complete without guests, and the Caballeros had those in abundance. A bunch of colorful characters showed up to tear up the floor!

▼ Recognize any of your faves?

▼ Check out the ladies’ transforming dance outfits!

With all this fun exploding around him, Daiichiro had no choice but to bust his own moves!

▼ “My body’s moving on its own!”

Whew! What’s next, after dancing out your heart and soul? Well, Disney Sea has its own anniversary show too – “Hello, New York!“. In this fun performance all your favorite Disney characters take a trip to see the sights and sounds of a fictionalized New York, and Daiichiro was chomping at the bit to join them.

▼ Here’s Goofy meeting a street performer troupe and getting swept up in their acrobatics.

▼ Chip and Dale, being dragged into Daisy and Donald’s tourist snaps

At one point in the show, trickster duo Chip and Dale filled the stage with acorns. This was much to the chagrin of Donald and Daisy, who presumably came here to have a nice vacation and not to dodge chipmunk feed…

Even this moment turned into a great opportunity for fun, when all the stagehands tossed them about the audience for them to catch and throw. Daiichiro lamented that because both his hands were full with his camera, he wasn’t able to catch an acorn for himself. Next time for sure!

Lastly, power couple Mickey and Minnie stepped out to go see a fancy Broadway production. The cuteness of this love-flushed cartoon couple got Daiichiro so emotional he had to wipe his tears away, and when he glanced around at the other reporters it seemed he wasn’t alone. Aww!

▼ The performance reminded Daiichiro of the little things that bring him joy every day, and the 35th anniversary theme song had him blubbing again in no time

You might think that two new shows would be enough to commemorate this auspicious occasion, but this is Disney we’re talking about! Of course they had yet more tricks up their sleeve. Using their popular projection mapping software, they projected a phenomenal light show spectacle onto the walls of Cinderella’s castle for everyone to enjoy.

▼ Our mousy maestro starts the proceedings with pomp

In the light show, titled “Celebrate! Tokyo Disneyland“, Daiichiro watched rapt as Mickey was sucked into a magical reality. Traversing lands both fantastical and adventurous, he relived a variety of key features from the Disney theme parks and was accompanied by dazzling pyrotechnics, sizzling fireworks and dramatic memories from the movies. Daiichiro’s heart was racing a mile a minute by the end of the show.

▼ He travels through some of the most famous parts of the park, including the pirate-plagued Caribbean sea attractions

▼ Classic moments from the films light up Cinderella’s castle

Daiichiro said that the use of real fire definitely rocketed the performance up a notch, and insisted that readers go to check out the memorial shows at their soonest convenience. “You’ll smile from ear to ear, and even after the proceedings are over you’ll be full of glorious unforgettable memories!”

▼ “Please go at least once and experience it for yourself!”

With all these great shows and sights on offer, and the ever-present attractions like the scrumptious food, people-watching for cute cosplayers and a surprising abundance of Pokémon, there’s no better time to head down to Tokyo Disney – whether Disneyland or Disney Sea. Here’s hoping the rumored third park will have similar delights in store for us!