We recently got a first look at the massive Fantasy Springs expansion at Tokyo Disney Sea at Tokyo Disney Resort.

Frozen Kingdom at Tokyo DisneySea

To say we were FLOORED by how amazing each land was and how we loved the rides (especially Anna & Elsa’s Frozen Adventure) is an understatement. We also learned a lot more about how this expansion was put together and how Disney Imagineers ultimately decided what would and wouldn’t go into these new lands. 

When we attended a media preview for Fantasy Springs, we had an opportunity to chat with Disney Imagineers Daniel Jue and Emily “Emo” O’Brien and we learned about some of the things that were originally being planned for the Fantasy Springs expansion.

Peter Pan’s Never Land

Each land is considered a “port” in Fantasy Springs, and one of the ports being considered was a Northern Europe or Scandinavia port, which seems like it would have been Frozen Kingdom plus more Nordic stories. However, the idea was a little TOO big for the space they were working with, so it was shuttered. Frozen Kingdom, though, is so immersive that it seems like just focusing on that was the way to go.

Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey

Imagineers also thought of an Arctic Port, and although we didn’t get specifics, we may be wondering if we missed out on having some polar bears incorporated into the park in some way. Oh, well, missed opportunity, right? Maybe a whole land based on The Santa Clauses? (Call us, Disney, we’ve got ideas).

©Disney

Imagineers also had a different initial idea for Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure. The ride Imagineers went with is a 3D dark ride that uses effects and 3D to create a super-immersive experience. However, Imagineers originally considered many options for the ride in Peter Pan’s Never Land: a suspended ride, a boat ride, a simulator, or even a coaster. But in the end, the ride system they went with, a boat ride, was driven by the story Imagineers wanted to tell. Imagineers wanted the ride vehicle to enhance the storytelling and not draw attention to itself. In this ride, the boat acts as a camera.

Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure

One thing we found interesting is that Tokyo Disney Resort does things a little differently from what we see in the U.S. parks. First, Imagineers worked closely with Japanese Partners, Oriental Land Company, who own the resort. Oriental Land Company might own and operate the parks, but Walt Disney Imagineering designs what goes into the parks while a Japan Disney team overseas operations. It’s a partnership that’s allowed something like Fantasy Springs to come to life.

Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival

We also learned that Tokyo Disney Resort visitors tend to be less about escapism and more about allowing people to be a little more open in a society that is more restrictive than what we’re used to in the U.S. So Tokyo Disney Resort should be an acceptable place to express yourself in a culture where the goal may be to blend in. Understanding these cultural nuances and getting feedback from the teams in Japan helped Imagineers during the design process.

Fantasy Springs Hotel room

It’s still interesting, though, to learn more about what early concepts Imagineers had in mind when the expansion was first announced. We’ll have to say that the entire project came together in such a perfect way, and we’re hoping that maybe some of these concepts make their way to the U.S. parks (we need Frozen Ever After in EPCOT updated now, yes, please, and thank you, and please put an actual Tangled land somewhere because all we’ve got are bathrooms!).

Stay tuned to DFB for more.

“OMG You Guys, Rapunzel IS REAL”: 5 Things That SHOCKED US in Disney’s NEW Fantasy Springs

What do you think of Fantasy Springs from what you’ve seen? Let us know in the comments!

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 Resort 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