Tokyo Disneyland, Part 2: Dreamlights and Fireworks

Big Thunder Mountain

After a morning of rides and Toontown, we went back to Westernland for Big Thunder Mountain, the runaway mine train coaster. The whole area is themed like an old mining town, with rusty machines, wooden towers and big red rocks.

Minmin in front of Big Thunder Mountain — Old machinery

Minmin’s birthday is on 2 February, a month after the trip. But at Tokyo Disneyland you can ask a Cast Member for a “My Happiest Birthday” sticker, and they write your name and birthday on it. So she got hers a month early.

Minmin’s My Happiest Birthday sticker, dated 2 February 2020, in front of Big Thunder Mountain — A month early

The Daytime Parade

Around 2pm, the daytime parade (Dreaming Up!) came through Westernland. We’d grabbed some popcorn and found a spot by the route, and the floats and dancers went right past us.

Parade dancers in Westernland — Here they come

A parade float with Mickey on top — Here they come

It’s a Small World

Then It’s a Small World, the slow boat ride through dolls from every country, all singing the same song. It’s a classic, and the colours inside are amazing. Fair warning: the song will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day.

Dolls and toy boxes at the start of the ride — It's a Small World

The Asia scene with dancing dolls — Italy

Toontown Again and Space Mountain

Back in Toontown for the spring rolls (see what we ate) and a photo in Mickey’s car, then over to Space Mountain, the indoor coaster in the dark.

Both of us at the Toontown sign — Toontown

By 5pm it was getting dark, and the park started lighting up. We passed the scaffolded castle again and Cinderella’s carousel, all lit up.

The castle in scaffolding at dusk — Still under wraps

Cinderella’s carousel lit up at dusk — Still under wraps

Electrical Parade Dreamlights

The highlight of the night: Tokyo Disney Resort Electrical Parade Dreamlights. Every float is covered in thousands of lights: the Dreamlights train, the Cheshire Cat, Aladdin, Cinderella’s coach, Belle, and Elsa and Anna on an ice bridge. Here are the ones we managed to catch.

The Dreamlights title float — Dreamlights

The glowing Cheshire Cat float — Dreamlights

Cinderella’s coach and horses in white lights — Cinderella's coach

A paddle steamer float covered in lights — The steamboat

Chip and Dale on a light-up float — The steamboat

It’s a Small World at Night and the Fireworks

After the parade, we went back to It’s a Small World, because the facade at night is something else: the whole thing glows in pink and blue, with a light show on the clock tower.