10 fun stories from Japan – A miniseries: The Disneyland Story

by The Flamingo

Dear reader, you already know what big fans we are about all things Japan. The Flamingo wrote a 10 stories miniseries about funny/awkward/eccentric experiences that can only occur in Japan. I will share with you some more or less embarrassing moments that happened during the trips there, that always make top conversation topics.

8. The Disneyland story

The two Disney parks in Tokyo are, in my opinion, the best in the world, because no one has an eye for details like the Japanese do. The pleasure of the experience is found in the subtleties and nuances given to each feature.

Anyone who has been to Disneyland at least once knows that taking pictures with the characters is the most difficult achievement. There is always a queue or a big circle of children around them, trying to touch them or to hug them. Well you don’t want to go in the middle of that, because of course kids are more important and there will be others coming so you will end up waiting indefinitely.

In Japan that is not the case. All you need is: to be a normal girl, pretty is a plus, western on the side and it will not hurt if you are blonde, because the Japanese love blonde girls. So if you are not a blonde, maybe do  a few highlights before coming to Japan, it will do the trick and get you places. Maybe the male gender should also try going blonde…the Japanese have weird tastes after all, it wouldn’t hurt.

Returning to the characters in Disneyland, yes, I got to take pictures with everybody and not waiting for even a minute, although I felt bad for all the kids. But it was not like I could push a giant Goofy away while hugging me tightly. My boyfriend asked me, “How is it better to hug a guy in a costume, than to hug a random guy on the street?”. Well, good question, but it made all the difference, it’s Goofy after all, or Chip, or the raccoon in Pocahontas. They were all animals, I didn’t care who was underneath. It was not like I had thrown myself at a guy dressed as Aladdin or Jack Sparrow, I have boundaries, you know.

Conclusion…all the animal characters in Tokyo Disneyland are “dirty” Japanese guys who once in a while want to take a break from hugging children.