Gateway to paradise

Monorail ride through Yume no Kuni

I don't think I'll ever get tired of Tokyo Disney Sea. I can see myself as a crazy old lady, dragging my crazy old husband over to take OOTD pictures at Ariel's Kingdom 50 years from now. But there is a certain amount of 'been there done that' setting in, especially when it comes to queues and crowds. My perfect Disney date these days is strolling around the park, eating limited food, riding a couple of attractions with Fastpasses and then a couple of cocktails (more on that later).

One thing that puzzles me about Tokyo Disney is the almost total absence of certain characters. I have always been a Belle fan and, until recently, it was very hard to find any sign of her in either of the parks. Similarly, you'd think that The Nightmare Before Christmas would be a popular choice at Halloween, but the Pumpkin King is nowhere to be seen. Licencing issues? Or lack of interest?

Halloween 2014 was a Day of the Dead-themed event so the food was vaguely Mexican. I had the Skull plate because it reminded me of Jack Skellington. It was, as usual, pretty good. Disney food is a little expensive (of course) but you can't knock the quality. The skull was black-coloured taco rice with mozzarella eyeballs.The chorizo sausage had no special significance that I could think of but the spooky Mont Blanc pumpkin pound cake was cute.

The Infamous Black Gyoza Dog

(just the tip)

The Black Gyoza Dog gained some notoriety for it's questionable shape and colouring. My photo isn't great but there are plenty on Google. I'm not a big fan of gyoza dogs in general so this got a meh from me. The regular gyoza dog is one of the famous Disney Sea snacks but I think it's a bit of a tourist trap and wouldn't recommend it.

If you need me, I'll be in the cocktail lounge

Hot buttered rum: not for the faint of heart

(L - R) Grasshopper, Mojito, Hot Buttered Rum

My favourite spot in Tokyo Disney Sea is Magellan's Lounge. When I was in school I absolutely loved studying the great explorers in the Age of Discovery.  I pored over any map I could get my hands on and if it came inside a fantasy epic then all the better. Magellan's Lounge combines all my favourite things; adventure, magic, maps - and cocktails. 

The prices are typical of Japan, averaging about 700 yen. The strength and quality is of a higher standard than what you'd generally find in Tokyo outside of specialist bars. It's a nice place to come to escape the cold, nurse a hot rum and and dream of adventure. A slightly adult twist to the Disney dream, but my favourite way to cap off a Disney date!