Disney Sea

Saturday was Disney Sea. Other than being terribly expensive (as all Disney attractions are, not to mention the $20 to get there and back) it was fun. It was really really clean.

The bathrooms may have been the most impressive part. They were spotlessly clean, there were never lines and there was always soap in the dispenser. I always felt cleaner after leaving the bathrooms, as one should.

There were some ice cream vendors here and there but the main snack available was popcorn. There were so many different flavors. I tried strawberry, chocolate, carmel and curry. They were all really yummy, but I think the carmel was my favorite, it wasn't carmely as at home, but that was fine. Naturally, I liked the sweet ones better, so the curry was my least favorite, but it did indeed taste like curry.

The rides were cool. We went on Tower of Terror twice, Indiana Jones, Journey to the Center of the Earth and one other whose name I don't remember but it had a loop. They were all pretty fun. It was surprisingly not that crowded, so lines were usually only 30-45 minutes (and to think that's short...). The rides were a lot like Disneyland, but maybe a bit shorter. Maybe its because I haven't been to Disneyland in a few years and in fact the rides there are short too, not sure. Anyway, they decorations and all were cool.

While in line for Indiana Jones, we were standing in front of a group of deaf Japanese kids. It was really cool to see them signing in Japanese sign language, not that I could really tell the difference between that and American Sign Language. When the line entered a tunnel and it was really dark, they couldn't see each other signing so they got their cell phones out and shined them on their hands, so others could see. It was really cool, because I never really thought about how deaf people can't communicate in the dark. At one point I smiled at one girl and we kind of became silent friends. Later another boy bumped into me and nodded an apology. After the ride, outside, I waved to them and they waved back and giggled. It was a fun experience.

Japan is funny because they Disney characters that are popular here aren't quite the same as in the US. The most popular here are Stitch, Marie from Aristocats (really....?), Chip 'n Dale, Winnie the Pooh and of course Mickey, Minnie and the princesses. I don't think I saw a single Lion King item in the park. There was this AWESOME shark backpack that I really wanted. It was a shark's head with the zipper where the the teeth were. I don't know how to explain it really. I would have bought it but it was $80. I bought a bracelet, a keitai strap, a silly sign and some sweets for the host family. As I overpaid for my souvenirs I just thought "what is it about Japan that makes Disney so much more appealing?" I really have no idea.