If you go to Tokyo Disneyland, you can’t miss the parade, can you?
In this post, I’ll share more information about Tokyo Disneyland’s parade, Dreaming Up! I’m a big fan of shows and parades in Tokyo Disney Resort, so I’m going dig in deep today!
Overview of the Tokyo Disneyland Parade “Dreaming Up!”
The parade celebrates “Tokyo Disney Resort 35th ‘Happiest Celebration'”, which began on April 15, 2018, the day of the 35th anniversary.
- Daytime parade
- Venue: Parade Route
- Duration: About 45 minutes
- Performances: 1-2 daily
- Number of Performers: About 140 (including about 55 Disney Characters)
- Number of Floats: 13
Tokyo Disney Resort, which has been delivering dreams to its Guests for 35 years, is now creating dreams together with their Guests.
Mickey Mouse and his Friends take Guests to a world of fantasy and imagination as the five units with 13 floats immerse Guests in many wonders of the Disney dream.
Place to watch Dreaming Up!
There are some parades in which floats stops to give a short performance. However in Dreaming Up! floats don’t stop, so no matter where on the parade route you are, you’re not going to miss any performance. If you want to get a great photo with Cinderella Castle in the background, you can take a position in front of the castle. But if you only want to see the parade, my recommended place to see it is Toontown. As an annual pass holder I have watched Dreaming up countless times, and I think this is the best spot for guests who has limited time in the park.
There are a few good things about watching the parade from Toontown.
Watch the parade without waiting!
Do you think you’ll have to wait for hours to watch the parade in a decent seat? Not in Toontown because it’s not so crowded like the rest of the parade route. Toontown is at the end of the parade route, and the performers arrive here around 45minutes after the start time. Because I don’t need to rush, I usually move to Toontown just before that time. In Toontown, if you are in the second or third row from the front, you can move to the place you want to see just before the parade starts.
I’m going to write about the specific locations, but before that, I’d like to write about the rules for watching the parade.
Rules to watch the parade at Tokyo Disney Resort
At Tokyo Disney Resort, there are certain rules and requests for watching entertainment. Some of the rules are exclusive to Japanese parks. I’ll explain it one by one.
- You may spread out plastic sheets or other belongings to wait only from one hour before the scheduled start time.In the Japanese parks, it is common to use plastic seats when watching a parade. I don’t need them at the places I recommend, but I take them with me every time I go to the park.
- Unattended plastic sheets or other items may be removed.Plastic seats and luggage left to take up space may be dealt with as lost and found. If you’re coming to the park with your family, it’s better to take turns taking your place. If you’re alone, you can just tell a nearby cast member and they’ll be fine.
- Please fold strollers when viewing performances. You also need to take place to leave the folded stroller. If you’re not sure where to leave them, ask a cast member and they will be happy to find you a place. It’s ok to talk to them in English.
- For everyone’s safety when taking photos or videos, please refrain from using equipment such as unipods, tripods, or selfie sticks (hand-size grip attachments permitted). It can only be used with tripods that can be folded small and fit in one hand. When taking pictures, do not exceed the height of the head and hold it in one hand while it is folded. Anything that must be held with both hands cannot be used.
Where to watch the parade comfortably at Tokyo Disneyland!
This is the place to watch the parade from Toontown.
In Japan, there is a rule that you have to sit down to watch the parade. So I bring a plastic seat to the park every time I go there, but in Toontown, there are benches all over the place and many are empty(The star on the map below.), so you can sit on them and watch the parade. It’s much more comfortable than sitting on the ground.
Never miss a character’s front-facing pose!
Have an experience when your favorite character doesn’t look at you, but was only looking the other way? I had a lot of pictures of the character’s back. Most of the parade course has guests on both sides of the course, and characters have to wave to both sides. However, that’s not the case in Toontown. In Toontown, guests can only go to one side of the parade course due to the placement of the plantings(To the right of the arrow on the map above.). Because of this, the characters always turn to the guest side. This way you’ll never miss a chance to take a photo!
Here’s an introduction to Dreaming Up’s float
Let’s take a look at the parade, which is in a festive mood. According to an interview from Michi Ariga, the show director of dreaming up, the floats were designed to create a sense of levitation, as if they are floating, so that guests would feel like they are really in a dream. This feature can be seen in each of the floats, so please pay attention to it.
Dream Up! – Dreams can take us anywhere
Leading the “Dreaming Up!” parade is Mickey Mouse and Pluto on a float pulled by pegasuses. As the host of the parade, Mickey Mouse guides guests into the world of dreams.
Mickey Mouse is the first so he goes right away, but I love how Mickey Mouse is leading everyone. The ship that Mickey and Pluto are on is moving up and down as though they are floating in the clouds.
Playful Dreams – Dreams that make us smile
Goofy brings a world of playful dreams. A float of a tea party with characters from Alice in Wonderland and a float of a fairground with characters from Pinocchio, follows Goofy’s bubbling float.
Goofy is hilarious but funny and is also an ad-libbed performer. It’s hard to tell which of his performances are ad-lib, but sometimes he starts to do funny things!
An adorable Pinocchio says something very important (pictured above). It’s important to keep dreaming! I’d like to hear these words from Pinocchio regularly, to keep me inspired.
Alice’s float moves like a seesaw. Her cup slips as the seesaw tilts and Alice sometimes start spinning in her cup. Her performance and the float itself reminds us of Alice’s mysterious adventure in wonderland.
Dreams from the Heart – Romantic Dreams
Minnie Mouse takes Guests to a world of romantic dreams with floats that include Fairy Godmother(from “Cinderella”), Cinderella, Aurora(from “Sleeping Beauty”), Snow White, and Rapunzel(from “Tangled”).
Minnie Mouse and her float is so charming!! The arrival of Minnie Mouse makes it all the more dazzling. Minnie Mouse’s float broom is wearing a dress and a crown.
Here’s another quote in the parade from Fairy Godmother.
This is my daughter’s favorite. The princesses are also “floating” in the air. Michi Ariga says this float was designed with an image of a chandelier in a cathedral. The float is gorgeous and beautiful, with its stained glass roof, and jewelry.
Have you seen the movie “Tangled”? I especially like the song “I See the Light”. In Dreaming Up!, “I See the Light” has been arranged. You can hear it when Rapunzel passes by, and the original song is great, but the arranged version is also very good.
I See the Light (From “Tangled” / Soundtrack Version)
Dreams of Enchantment
Chip ‘n Dale are next with a world of magic where Lumiere and Cogsworth host Belle at an enchanted banquet, and Winnie the Pooh dreams of lots of honey.
Chip ‘n Dale always seem to have fun! They’re like twins and they’re so cute! Can you see the orange juice in the float? My daughter told me that Chip had been drinking this orange juice during the parade. It’s cute, isn’t it?
The Belle’s float is a clear expression of “floating”. You’ve never seen a float like this before, have you?
Winnie the Pooh is very popular in Japan. He is a representative of a soothing character. The BGM is the same song as played in the attraction “Pooh’s Honey Hunt”.
Dreams Take Flight
Donald Duck and Daisy Duck lead the final floats which invite Guests to imagine the never-ending possibility of the Disney dream.
The Baymax float appears for the first time in TDL. I think this is in anticipation of the Happy Ride with Baymax opening in New Fantasyland. I love Baymax, so this picture makes me want to watch the DVD again.
When Mary Poppins’ float goes through, “Let’s go fly a kite” is played, and I can listen to it endlessly because it’s so cool and has a good vibe.
Let’s Go Fly a Kite (From “Mary Poppins”/Soundtrack Version)
In Peter Pan, the lyrics repeats “you can fly”.
The last part of the parade
At the end, characters walk up to you. But it’s a fun parade until the end.
Listen to the Dreaming Up! to get your energy up
The main song of Dreaming Up! is a up-tempo music. When I’m in the Park waiting for the parade to start and the song comes through the speakers, my body starts moving on its own. The excitement level is over 100%.
I always listen to it as background music for my daily chores. When I hear this, I can move more quickly and work more quickly. The original song is a song called “Brazzle Dazzle Day” which appears in Pete’s Dragon. I recommend this song for physical activity.
Brazzle Dazzle Day (From “Pete’s Dragon”/Soundtrack Version)
The music I’ve introduced in this article can also be found in Amazon Music Unlimited. 30 days trial is completely free and it’s lineup is amazing! I’m a subscriber myself, and my advice is that, if you haven’t been listening to music lately, it’s definitely worth a try!
When’s the next parade?
I think the next parade will start in April of 2023, which will be the 40th anniversary. In 2023, a new theme port “Fantasy Springs” is scheduled to open at Tokyo DisneySea. It’s going to be a busy year for Disney fans!
Summary
I introduced Dreaming Up!. I hope you remember Toontown as an option when you watch the parade. Last week, a video of Dreaming Up! was posted on the official blog! I’ll share it with you, so please take a look. The magic of entertainment. The Park is closed, but seeing the characters makes me feel better! I can’t wait to go to the park.
I hope you found this article helpful. If you have any questions or thoughts, please leave a comment!
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