Disney is set to open their latest land in Tokyo AND WE’RE THERE!

Fantasy Springs, the highly anticipated new land coming to Tokyo DisneySea is finally close to opening! The new expansion, complete with three new mini-themed lands and an in-park hotel, had been announced in 2018, and it’s finally opening on June 6th, 2024! We got a special preview of this new sea port, and we’re taking you with us.

Entrance

We entered Fantasy Springs for our preview from the Fantasy Springs Hotel — when you go out the backside of the hotel, you’ll find the security area and the dedicated Fantasy Springs entrance. There, we were greeted by some STUNNING rockwork with lots of hidden Disney details!

There are several Disney characters hidden throughout the rockwork, including multiple princesses. We particularly loved the sculpture of Princess Aurora and Prince Philip dancing together! There’s a waterfall that cascades down the back of Aurora’s dress, and the flowers surrounding her are a mix of pink and blue, giving the illusion that her dress changes colors depending on where you’re standing.

The Cinderella sculpture is surrounded by blue blooms to match her iconic dress color…

…as well as several of her mouse friends! How cute are these?!

Snow White is represented by a pool of water in the shape of her profile, and nearby, the face of the magic mirror hides behind a waterfall, giving it a glassy, reflective look. That’s a super cool effect!

Of course, Ariel is carved out of stone that looks like something you’d find near the sea! Little fountains behind her tail give the illusion that she has just pushed up out of the ocean and onto the rock.

Check out our video with some of the incredible details!

Konnichiwa from Tokyo Disney Sea! 🇯🇵👋 We are SO excited to be here for a preview of Fantasy Springs and the Fantasy Springs Hotel! 🤩 Stay tuned as we share EVERYTHING from this first look experience! #mediaevent#TokyoDisneyResort #TokyoDisneySea#FantasySprings pic.twitter.com/GAgZGiMl45

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) May 8, 2024

In addition to the outside of the hotel, we were able to tour one of the Deluxe Tier resort’s rooms.

After we made it through the entrance area, it was on to the various kingdoms!

Frozen Kingdom

The first area we toured was the Frozen Kingdom, otherwise known as Arendelle! We entered the space via an absolutely stunning bridge, reminiscent of the one to the castle in the films.

One of the major highlights of the area is the new attraction, Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey! This ride will take visitors on a boat ride tour through Frozen‘s story.

And we were barely in the land a few minutes before we were already spotting hidden details! Take a close look at this shop window…do you notice anything unusual?

One of the pretzels on display is a Mickey pretzel! What a fun nod to a classic Disney snack.

The Arendelle village square is lined with colorful buildings with spectacular theming — they really make great use of the space here.

Take a look around with us! The theming is absolutely stunning.

We have been transported to Arendelle! Welcome to Frozen Kingdom at Fantasy Springs! #mediaevent#TokyoDisneyResort #TokyoDisneySea#FantasySprings pic.twitter.com/fgahlXaOD2

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) May 8, 2024

And Oaken even has his own spot! Oaken’s OK Foods is one of the places in this area where you can grab a bite to eat. 

Now, on to the next area!

Rapunzel’s Forest 

In Rapunzel’s Forest, you’ll find spaces themed to the popular Disney movie Tangled. Including the iconic tavern from the film, The Snuggly Duckling! We can’t WAIT to eat here.

This area of the park is also home to Rapunzel’s tower, and if you look closely, you’ll notice something special…

…Rapunzel herself is inside! Somebody let that girl down to go on an adventure!

The new ride in this area is Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival. This beautiful boat ride takes you through the tale of Tangled, including a spectacular floating lantern scene. We’re so excited to try this one in person!

We got a sneak peek at the ride vehicles as they were floating by. These are made to look similar to Rapunzel and Flynn’s boat from the film.

We think Rapunzel deserves a ride in Disney World too — what about you?

Peter Pan’s Never Land

The final area of Fantasy Springs is Peter Pan’s Never Land, themed to — you guessed it! — Peter Pan.

It looks like the Lost Boys have been working on their target practice over here!

There are fun little details like this hidden throughout the land, including this Captain Hook and gang-themed totem pole.

One of the new rides in this area of the park is Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure, which takes you on a journey with several characters from the film!

We got the chance to check out this ride during our visit, and it was incredible from a technological standpoint. It’s a mix of set pieces and 3D screens, similar to Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in EPCOT, but the lines between the screens and sets are much more seamless. It was very difficult to tell when you were looking at a screen versus a real set piece.

We even spotted a hidden nod to Aladdin during our ride through — at one point, the lamp jumps out at you from a pile of treasure. You know Disney has to have those Easter eggs!

The ride vehicles for the attraction are pretty massive, shaped like a boat and meant to fly with the aid of pixie dust. We rode twice and we didn’t get motion sick either time, which is impressive for a ride that incorporates 3D — the effects were so seamless that it made the experience less jarring than other 3D rides.

Calling all explorers! If you just love roaming and checking out details, then don’t forget to step aboard The Jolly Roger, where you’ll find all kinds of fun little nods to Peter Pan.

We spotted a map of Neverland, the Jolly Roger Crew Log, and the infamous hook!

There were even fun little vandalism cartoons from where the kids took over the ship. We think that’s a pretty accurate drawing of Captain Hook!

Of course, when you’ve got a hook for a hand, you’ll have to swap it out sometimes — check out the Captain’s case of accessories, which includes utensils, a corkscrew, and a nutcracker.

Another new ride you can check out in Peter Pan’s Never Land is Fairy Tinker Bell’s Busy Buggies!

The queue for Busy Buggies is filled with lots of fun nods to Tinker Bell and her fairy friends. We felt like we were shrunk down to the size of a fairy!

The ride itself is a journey through Pixie Hollow with Tinker Bell, and if you’re a fan of the Pixie Hollow film series, you’ll definitely notice some familiar sights!

As you ride, your vehicle will spin and slide around corners. We think this will be a great, peaceful kiddie ride — not worth a super long wait, but a great option for the little ones to enjoy. 

The ride finale ends with an animatronic of Cheese the Mouse, which looked incredible! They do a great job of forced perspective in this one.

While we were in Peter Pan’s Never Land, we also got to preview some of the merchandise! Check out this new shirt coming soon to the park.

This tee is specifically themed to Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure, and it has a faux poster with Peter Pan himself on the back.

We also got to preview this new Lost Boy-inspired hat! 

Just look at the adorable little bunny tail on the back! And the floppy rabbit ears? This is a NEED.

We got to check out some further pieces of merchandise later on. This Fantasy Springs mug features chatters from Frozen (pictured), as well as Peter Pan and Tangled.

This adorable clutch brings a vintage vibe to the Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure artwork, featuring the titular character as well as the Lost Kids (as official Tokyo Disney Resort sources refer to the characters as).

And… of course… there’s a thematically appropriate Fantasy Springs popcorn bucket. Did you really think there wouldn’t be?

Next, we had the first of a two-part lunch and Never Land’s Lookout Cookout. The restaurant is themed to a wrecked shop that the Lost Kids have cannibalized to turn into a clubhouse of their own.

We were able to sample the kiwi soda, two dessert treats, and the curry chicken and lemon tea chicken snack boxes.

One of the most noticeable thematic decor elements in the restaurants are the real “costumes” of the Lost Kids hanging above the restaurant. We’re not sure if we find these adorable… or slightly creepy. What do you think?

Generally, the entire place is themed to look like it’s been assembled in a hodgepodge manner by the youngsters, completely with drawings “done” by the characters.

This “homemade” map of Never Land might be our favorite thematic touch in Lookout Cookout.

The second part of our double-lunch was a quick visit to the Snuggly Duckling back in Rapunzel’s Forest.

AHH!! The Snuggly Duckling has officially come to LIFE in Fantasy Springs! 🐥✨🤩#mediaevent#TokyoDisneyResort #TokyoDisneySea#FantasySprings pic.twitter.com/rwRZSoyBjz

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) May 8, 2024

The Tangled-themed eatery captures the design of the of the film’s locale perfectly, with easter eggs spread across the restaurant.

We were able to sample a burger, as well as a side and a drink.

While the design and theming was really top notch, we weren’t all that wild about the burger itself. The presence of baloney dominated the burger’s flavor. Hopefully our next tee on the menu later on will give us a better culinary experience.

We absolutely can’t say enough about the theming though! Every element. from easter eggs. to props, to the trays were to die for!

After our SECOND lunch, it was time for the MAIN EVENT of our first day at Fantasy Springs: Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey.

Here’s a peek from inside Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey in Fantasy Springs! #mediaevent#TokyoDisneyResort #TokyoDisneySea#FantasySprings pic.twitter.com/7OTIdm6GY6

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) May 8, 2024

To put it bluntly, this is not only the best Frozen ride we’ve ever experienced, it might be one of the best rides we’ve ever ridden period. That starts in the queue, which is one of the most detailed we’ve ever seen.

For example, these bookshelves are full of references to the film, and general world of Frozen. Note the names of some of the boos for example:

The queue’s references have a “lived-in” quality to them. Take for example Anna’s cloak…

… and her boots.

There are further Frozen easter eggs scattered throughout…

…as well as some others. Notice the Hidden Mickey?

Beyond the easter eggs and references, the queue is also massive in scope, including numerous rooms featuring “windows” to the outside which featuring changing environments, and even some characters popping by if one looks closely.

Once the queue ends, guests board their ride vehicles – boats, similar to those used on the Frozen ride at Hong Kong Disneyland.

Once the ride began, we were blown away. Disney Imagineering and the Oriental Land Company (the owners of the Tokyo Disney Resort) have created a revolutionary attraction with a level of seamless interaction between animatronics, projections, and practical effects that we’ve never quite seen before.

Take for example this scene early on in the air attraction when Elsa calls upon her icy powers. Thanks to a very fluid set of animatronics, realistic projection effects, and icy shards rising out of the floor all timed together perfectly, we could feel Elsa’s power… and Anna’s fear come to life.

Of course, the ride also includes a take on the “Let it Go” sequence, and nails it in a way that puts the other r versions of the attraction to shame.

Perhaps the ride’s most incredible scene falls near its climax, when Anna recovers from her “frozen heart” in a mixture of animatronic and projection technology that has to be seen to truly be believed.

From the greatest Frozen ride in the world, we move on to a brand new Frozen restaurant!

The Royal Banquet of Arendelle takes diners into Elsa’s palace in a completely immersive environment. The restaurant’s theming extends to the food…

… the desserts…

… and the decor, which is full of easter egg references to the films.

Next up we got to head back to Rapunzel’s Forest to experience the Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival attraction.

The queue for the attraction is chock-full of props that reference Tangled.

The boat ride begins with an outdoor attraction featuring animatronics of Rapunzel in her tower…

… Flynn Rider watching her…

… and even an animatronic of the film’s true hero, Maximus!

Inside, the ride continues hitting the high-points of Flynn and Rapunzel’s love story, including her winning from the trees…

… and Rapunzel healing his injuries with her hair, in a projection mapping effect that works perfectly.

However, the absolute highlight of the attraction is the titular lantern festival scene. We were BLOWN away by this scene, which was truly a breathtaking in scale and scope, and truly did justify Imagineers calling this the most “romantic” ride in Disney park history.

Keeping with the Tangled theme, we were able to return to the Snuggly Duckling ands sample some more of the restaurant’s offerings.

How adorable is this cupcake?

Can you figure out the design inspiration here?

Next we were able to stroll Fantasy Springs, noting some of the details we’d passed earlier. These include more rock work based on the land’s main characters: Peter Pan…

… Anna, Elsa, and Olaf….

… and a remarkable Rapunzel.

In addition, we scoped out highly-themed amenities like a vending machine…

… a popcorn cart…

… and even water fountains.

Finally, we got to take a look at more of the land’s merchandise!

There were so many cool pieces on display that we couldn’t possibly include them all, but these were some of our favorites!

The Tokyo Disney Resort is known for selling small toys of their ride vehicles, and Fantasy Springs is no exception. Here’s the Tangled ride vehicle…

… Frozen…

… Peter Pan…

and Tinker Bell.

There’s also glassware…

… a full hotel merch collection…

… including pillows…

… and this beautiful drawstring bag.

There are, of course, several tee shirt designs, including a general land one…

… a Tinker Bell “wings” design…

… and some adorable Peter Pan designs.

Speaking of Tinker Bell, there are Tink ears available…

… as well as Anna and Elsa…

… and Rapunzel.

You can even pick up a lantern as featured on the Tangled ride!

With Fantasy Springs now close to opening, the new land looks to be another jewel in the crown of Tokyo DisneySea, the park many consider Disney’s best. Stay tuned to DFB for more Fantasy Springs news!

Read This Before You Try To Visit Disney’s NEW Theme Park Expansion; Fantasy Springs

Which of Fantasy Springs’ three lands is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below. 

Disclosure: In nearly all circumstances, Disney Food Blog writers and photographers pay full price for their own travel, hotel, food, beverage, and event tickets. We do this because it’s important to us as journalists to ensure not only that we give you unbiased opinions, but also that you can trust us to do so since we’re paying our own way. On rare occasions, when we are invited by a company to attend a preview as media, and when we choose to accept that invitation, we will always make you, our readers, aware of that situation. Today, we were invited by Tokyo Disney to attend their media preview of  Fantasy Springs. Note that when we attend events as media we are 1) Not required to review that event/food on any of our channels, and 2) Not required to review that event/food favorably. You can always count on DFB to give you a 100% unbiased and honest review of any event that we attend, food that we eat, or beverage that we drink. You can see more in our Disclosure Policy. Thank you for reading. — AJ