Christmas time has set in once again at Tokyo DisneySea, and of course, that means garland and decor all around. Naturally, we made our way to the place where Adventure and Imagination Set Sail to see the latest developments and get a taste of the holiday cheer!
The AquaSphere remains decked in all directions with physically distanced 20th anniversary decorations.
The 20th Anniversary decor over the Passaggio MiraCosta is flanked by Christmas trees on both sides, and the archways are lined as well with garland.
Inside the Passaggio MiraCosta, the lit stained glass portraits of Mickey and Minnie in their It’s Christmas Time! garb returned yet again.
Lampposts and entryways throughout Porto Paradiso feature garland, which may be the most common yet festive sight at the Tokyo Disney Resort this year.
Garland largely escapes Mount Prometheus, fortunately. Instead, the iconic volcano absolutely shone in the beautiful weather.
McDuck’s Department Store is sure in the holiday spirit as well, and it looks even more gorgeous at night!
The window decorations feature the latest holiday line of Duffy & Friends merchandise as well as little vignettes featuring each of the Duffy friends and Mickey Mouse.
Long gone are the days of the Christmas version of Big Band Beat; these days, the show is a shell of its former self due to COVID-19 restrictions.
With capacity raised significantly once again, the wait for Tower of Terror has skyrocketed to an average 45 minutes throughout the entire day.
As the chilly winter months come, the fountains in Waterfront Park are turned off until March or April roll around.
Meanwhile, back towards Mediterranean Harbor, the shop building for Steamboat Mickey’s is almost entirely covered in construction scaffolds. The shop has seen very little service since the COVID-19 closure ended, only being open for a few stray days here and there.
The vending machines we spotted under construction in September are finally open! These vending machines bear a striking resemblance to street architecture in New York City, a style that’s used for subway entrances, newsstands, and more.
Normally, this is where the Christmas tree would be located. But due to COVID-19 social distancing regulations, the trees at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea did not return this year.
Holiday decor, including a special addition to the Mickey photo spot, has returned to Cape Cod in full swing!
There’s even a little snowman Duffy in the foreground!
Earlier this month, Seaside Snacks finally reopened, giving Guests access to the very popular Ukiwa Buns again.
Also thanks to increased capacity, both sides of the Aquatopia attraction are up and running yet again.
The same cannot be said for the entranceway to Horizon Bay Restaurant, which has been under refurbishment for several months now.
Also returning is Bayside Takeout, but the orange Nemo Churro has sadly been removed in favor of the 20th Anniversary Chocolate Fondant Churro.
Over in Lost River Delta, the Hangar Stage bullpen was reopened recently for character greetings. We happened to spot Timon and Rafiki out greeting Guests. But when will Song of Mirage return instead?
Yet another victim of the Duffy-fication of Tokyo DisneySea is Lost River Outfitters, now entirely devoted to Duffy & Friends merchandise.
Raging Spirits is closed for yet another lengthy refurbishment, this time for two months. Fortunately, it will reopen in early December.
Work also continues on transforming this area into the entrance of the highly-anticipated Fantasy Springs expansion.
Like Tokyo Disneyland, the prizes at Abu’s Bazaar have been converted to these LI’l Rin Rin cushions.
Down in Mermaid Lagoon, the last attraction to reopen was Ariel’s Playground, but it finally returned on November 1!
Some areas, such as the Kelp Forest, parts of the Galleon Graveyard, and the Cave of Shadows remain closed due to social distancing. There was also a rather notable issue before COVID-19 where Guests would use their phone flashlights in the Cave of Shadows to write things on the walls, as they would remain for several minutes. This may be the Oriental Land Company’s way of dealing with it for the time being.
Other areas, such as Ariel’s Grotto, are reopened once more!
Although some interactive elements have been removed or are covered over for the time being to make the job easier for sanitation crews.
Sections of Ursula’s Dungeon also remain closed, including the area that allows Guests to crawl through tunnels.
Over in Mysterious Island, Nautilus Galley is undergoing a rather extensive refurbishment, which means it may yet be some time before we get to taste a delicious gyoza dog again.
Just like at Tokyo Disneyland, some attractions at Tokyo DisneySea are removing physical distancing markers, including in the post-preshow area of Journey to the Center of the Earth.
Finally, The Leonardo Challenge at Fortress Explorations also returned on November 1.
And that’s the latest news from Tokyo DisneySea. Are you excited to see the holidays come to the world’s most beautiful theme park? Let us know in the comments below!
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The post PHOTO REPORT: Tokyo DisneySea 11/12/21 (Christmas Decor Decks the Halls, No Christmas Tree, Ariel’s Playground Returns, & More!) appeared first on WDW News Today.