Tokyo DisneySea; What is that?

Scrooge McSam · 03-19-2006, 12:57 PM

Piddling around this weekend, I pulled up the satellite pics of Tokyo DisneySea. I love looking at these things because they give you a better idea of how all the attractions and backstage areas relate to one another.

I wanted to know how they service all the attractions and food service operations in the center of the park. I'd never heard of any tunnel system like at WDW. It turns out there's a service road running from behind the carousel in the Arabian Coast area, over the walkways that connect Mysterious Island to Mermaid Lagoon, over to a central service area behind Mr Prometheus and between Mermaid Lagoon and Port Discovery. I've never seen that done before. Here's the shot.

To orient yourself, the service road is in the center of the shot, Mermaid lagoon is the large white roofed building to the left and Mysterious Island's caldera is the large circular structure just to the right. Mediterranean Harbor is further to the right out of shot.

So naturally I started wondering how they shielded that roadway from guest view. A few picture searches later I found this shot from Richasi's Domain. It appears to have been taken from a position at the edge of the Arabian Coast looking back toward Mermaid Lagoon and the caldera beyond.

And that just leaves me with another question. What's that green railing above the aqueducts? Is that the railing for the roadway? Or is that the track for Journey to the Center of the Earth? I understand the ride system for Journey is the same as Test Track at Epcot. That green piece does look like the same kind of system as Test Track.

I tend to believe the roadway is just above the tunnel roof and the aqueduct structure is just there to shield it from view. That little piece of curving metal above and to the right of the third complete archway looks to me like the top of a roadlight. Plus, if I understand Journey's ride concept, in that portion of the ride the track would be banked inward so there would be no need for theming there to hide the roadway from Journey riders.

Do I have it figured out?

€uroMeinke · 03-19-2006, 01:06 PM

Perahps - though I have to say, having been there and then looking at the satalite images I was surprised that that road in actually existed. I know I was only there for one day - but I never noticed anything to break the themeing in the park.

Oh the green railing is the track for Journey to the Center of the Earth - the cars zip past there right before the ride ends.

Scrooge McSam · 03-20-2006, 08:18 AM

Thanks! The more I looked at it I figured that must be what it was.

The theming there is amazing, isn't it? I have to go!

03-19-2006, 12:57 PM	#1
Scrooge McSam What? Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 1,635	Tokyo DisneySea; What is that? Piddling around this weekend, I pulled up the satellite pics of Tokyo DisneySea. I love looking at these things because they give you a better idea of how all the attractions and backstage areas relate to one another. I wanted to know how they service all the attractions and food service operations in the center of the park. I'd never heard of any tunnel system like at WDW. It turns out there's a service road running from behind the carousel in the Arabian Coast area, over the walkways that connect Mysterious Island to Mermaid Lagoon, over to a central service area behind Mr Prometheus and between Mermaid Lagoon and Port Discovery. I've never seen that done before. Here's the shot. To orient yourself, the service road is in the center of the shot, Mermaid lagoon is the large white roofed building to the left and Mysterious Island's caldera is the large circular structure just to the right. Mediterranean Harbor is further to the right out of shot. So naturally I started wondering how they shielded that roadway from guest view. A few picture searches later I found this shot from Richasi's Domain. It appears to have been taken from a position at the edge of the Arabian Coast looking back toward Mermaid Lagoon and the caldera beyond. And that just leaves me with another question. What's that green railing above the aqueducts? Is that the railing for the roadway? Or is that the track for Journey to the Center of the Earth? I understand the ride system for Journey is the same as Test Track at Epcot. That green piece does look like the same kind of system as Test Track. I tend to believe the roadway is just above the tunnel roof and the aqueduct structure is just there to shield it from view. That little piece of curving metal above and to the right of the third complete archway looks to me like the top of a roadlight. Plus, if I understand Journey's ride concept, in that portion of the ride the track would be banked inward so there would be no need for theming there to hide the roadway from Journey riders. Do I have it figured out?
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03-19-2006, 01:06 PM	#2
€uroMeinke L'Hédoniste Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: A.S.C.O.T. Posts: 8,671	Perahps - though I have to say, having been there and then looking at the satalite images I was surprised that that road in actually existed. I know I was only there for one day - but I never noticed anything to break the themeing in the park. Oh the green railing is the track for Journey to the Center of the Earth - the cars zip past there right before the ride ends. __________________ I would believe only in a God that knows how to Dance. Friedrich Nietzsche
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03-20-2006, 08:18 AM	#3
Scrooge McSam What? Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 1,635	Thanks! The more I looked at it I figured that must be what it was. The theming there is amazing, isn't it? I have to go!
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