If you ever get the chance to visit a Disney park outside of the United States, you’ll see some familiar sights. For example, there are versions of Adventureland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland and Frontierland at Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland – though some lands may have slightly different names. There are also multiple versions of Main Street U.S.A., and some recognizable rides and attractions are available across the globe, such as Dumbo the Flying Elephant and It’s a Small World.
But there are several features that are unique to the parks in Tokyo, Paris and Hong Kong that definitely make each of those locations worth at least one visit. Here are nine amazing Disney experiences you can only find outside the U.S.:
1. A hunt for honey on a unique track
One of Tokyo Disneyland’s most popular attractions, with some of the park’s longest wait times, features a trackless ride system. This technology was never used before Pooh’s Hunny Hunt, which opened in late 2000. Guests board five-seat honey pots and follow Pooh on his quest for his favorite snack. The story is just like The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh at Walt Disney World, but the ride’s journey at Tokyo Disneyland is very unique. The ride doesn’t appear to have any way of getting the vehicles through it at all – and the pots look like they have a mind of their own, with the ability to start, stop, reverse and spin independently.
2. A different take on Autopia
The second Disney attraction to feature the trackless ride system technology is Aquatopia, a water lagoon ride at the Tokyo Disney Resort’s Tokyo DisneySea park. Aquatopia gets its name and concept from Disneyland’s Autopia, though you don’t actually control the boats on this ride. But that doesn’t mean that Aquatopia is boring – this ride will send you twisting, turning, backing up and spinning around, all while narrowly avoiding jagged rocks, spinning whirlpools and other boats. The ride vehicles hold two or three people each and the ride is fun for kids and adults alike.
3. A not-so-scary house
Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland is the third ride to have a trackless ride system. While its title might inspire thoughts that this ride is similar to the Haunted Mansion, it’s actually not. Because of differences in traditional Chinese culture, there are no references to dearly departed spirits or the afterlife. This ride has a lighthearted theme that’s based in fantasy. You board a four-seat Mystic-Magneto Electric Carriage and follow the story of Lord Henry Mystic and his adorable monkey, Albert. When Albert opens an enchanted music box, it brings everything in the large Victorian mansion to life. Instruments start to play by themselves, people leave paintings and statues create havoc, all while the ride vehicles swirl around the floor, traveling freely.
4. A journey to the planet’s core
Journey to the Center of the Earth is a slot car attraction at Tokyo DisneySea is based on Jules Verne’s classic 1864 science fiction novel. You walk through caverns in Mount Prometheus, near oozing lava, before boarding a “Terravator” that will take you to an eight-passenger mining vehicle. You travel through tunnels and descend into crystal caverns, then find yourself in a huge mushroom forest. But beware of an earthquake – and be even more aware of the giant lava monster that you face in the heart of a volcano! The technology used in this ride is similar to the kind used in Test Track in Epcot.
5. A detail-filled trip
Another major Tokyo DisneySea attraction is Sindbad’s Storybook Voyage, which has been called a cross between Pirates of the Caribbean and It’s a Small World. The long boat ride has a huge array of Audio Animatronic characters – all with perfectly fluid motion. The ride is part of the Arabian Coast-themed land in the park. There’s so much detail in this ride that you’ll need to be prepared to join Sindbad and his tiger, Chandu, on their journey more than once, just to see it all.
6. A zany maze
Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris is home to this walk-through hedge maze called Alice’s Curious Labyrinth, based on scenes and characters from Alice in Wonderland. There are two sections: The first features Alice’s adventures before she meets the Queen of Hearts, and the second is based on Alice’s meeting with the queen, who has a similar labyrinth in the movie. When you reach the Queen of Hearts’ Castle in the center of the maze, you’re rewarded with an aerial view of Fantasyland.
7. A coaster that Crushes it
Crush and his friends invite you to climb aboard turtle shells and ride through scenes from Finding Nemo on Crush’s Coaster, a spinning roller coaster at Disneyland Paris’ Walt Disney Studios Park. The shells spin in the dark for part of the ride, which represents the churning East Australian Current.
8. An adventure with Ratatouille
Since Ratatouille the movie is set in Paris, it’s only fitting that the city’s Walt Disney Studios Park have an attraction in which you can board “ratmobiles” and get “shrunk down” to the size of a rat with Rémy. Ratatouille: The Adventure is a 3D dark ride that just opened last year, and it has the same “trackless track technology” as Pooh’s Hunny Hunt, Aquatopia and Mystic Manor.
9. A zig and zag with Slinky Dog
You have two locations in which to board the Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin, a Caterpillar-style tame roller coaster: It’s at Walt Disney Studios in Paris and at Hong Kong Disneyland. Both parks have Toy Story-themed lands, and this coaster featuring a giant Slinky Dog train is a fun, mild thrill – perfect for kids but really, any Toy Story fan will appreciate it.
There are many, many more attractions and experiences that await you at the parks in Tokyo, Paris and Hong Kong, so definitely put them on your must-see list (if they’re not there already!).
