INTRODUCTION
Tokyo Disneyland (東京ディズニーランド) is one of two theme parks in the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba near Tokyo. It was the first Disney park to be built outside of the United States and was opened on April 15, 1983. The park was constructed by Walt Disney Imagineering in the same style as Disneyland in California and the Magic Kingdom in Florida. It is owned by The Oriental Land Company, which licenses the theme from The Walt Disney Company. It, along with its companion park, Tokyo Disney Sea, are the only Disney parks not owned by the Walt Disney Company.

There are seven themed areas, each complementing each other yet unique in their style. Made up of the World Bazaar, the four classic Disney lands: Adventureland, Westernland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, and two mini lands, Critter Country and Mickey's Toontown, the park is noted for its huge open spaces to accommodate the massive crowds the park receives on even moderate attendance days - Tokyo Disneyland was, up until three years ago, the single most visited theme park in the world, and its sister Tokyo Disney Sea was the second.

Tokyo Disneyland will celebrate the 25th Anniversary of its grand opening in 2008.

Areas of Tokyo Disneyland
With only a few exceptions, Tokyo Disneyland for the most part has the same attractions found in Disneyland and Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.

WORLD BAZAAR
Instead of a Main Street USA, Tokyo Disneyland has the World Bazaar, whose most noticeable aspect is that it is enclosed under a glass canopy.

FANTASYLAND
The icon of Tokyo Disneyland, Cinderella Castle is nearly identical to its counterpart at Walt Disney World in Florida.

Also in Fantasyland, one can find The Mickey Mouse Revue, an Audio-Animatronic musical show. This attraction originally debuted at Walt Disney World in 1971; it was later translated into Japanese and moved to Tokyo Disneyland.

ADVENTURELAND
Unlike its sister parks, Tokyo Disneyland does not have a railroad encircling it. There is, however, an attraction in Adventureland called the Western River Railroad, but it cannot be used to travel from one area of the park to another; rather it makes a scenic round-trip excursion.

TOMORROWLAND
At Tokyo Disneyland, the Imagineers set out to create an urban Tomorrowland, much more like a working community than a showcase of future technology. The rides are much more technology-specific, and effects are much more expensive, due to a much larger budget from The Oriental Land Company. Many see the Tokyo Disneyland Tomorrowland as the definitive representation of Walt Disney's vision

The entrance and front area are similar to the original Magic Kingdom Tomorrowland, while the Space Mountain area is similar to Disneyland's Space Mountain area. The paint scheme of the Tomorrowland at Tokyo Disneyland is also mostly white.

TRIVIA
In 2001, Kim Jong-Nam, the eldest son of Kim Jong-il (the leader of North Korea), was arrested in Narita International Airport while traveling on a false passport. He claimed he wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland, however popular opinion holds that he was attempting to visit a Soapland within Japan.


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