Located in Chiba, Tokyo, Tokyo Disney Resort has been a top travel destination for both Japanese and international visitors for over 40 years since its opening. Beloved by all ages, it constantly rolls out new events, often leading to massive queues just to get in.
This year, with Tokyo DisneySea celebrating its 25th anniversary, huge crowds are expected. However, a recent post on Japanese X (formerly Twitter) has been stirring up a storm, showing numerous foreign tourists sitting directly on the ground within the park. This sight has left many feeling uneasy, dimming the "Dreamland" glow of Disney, and has sparked a major online discussion.
The post that grabbed everyone's attention sarcastically stated:
「Does everyone know where this is? It's not a slum somewhere, but a recent scene from Tokyo DisneySea. It's completely lost its charm as the dreamland we all aspire to...」
The images show groups of foreign tourists not only sitting on the ground in various corners of the park but also casually eating and drinking food they've brought with them. For many Japanese, this is an absolutely unacceptable sight, especially within the magical confines of DisneySea.
The post quickly went viral, with many netizens pointing out that some of these tourists weren't even eating food bought inside the park, but rather outside food, turning the park into what looked like a picnic spot. This detail particularly infuriated many.
A lot of people felt that such behavior created a terrible atmosphere for families with children, hoping that "low-quality tourists" would be discouraged from visiting the park.
The original poster also highlighted that Tokyo Disney Resort strictly prohibits outside food. Yet, these individuals blatantly disregarded the rules, bringing in their own meals and sitting on the ground, obstructing pathways for other guests. Seriously, what gives?
Of course, some netizens offered a more balanced view, suggesting that this might just be an unfortunate side effect of the recent surge in visitors. They cautioned against overgeneralizing based on a single photo, believing that many international tourists are still respectful and love the park. Nevertheless, they hoped the park management would take action to prevent such situations.
Others chimed in, mentioning their experiences at other Asian theme parks like Universal Studios Singapore, Hong Kong Disneyland, and children's amusement parks in Bangkok, where they never witnessed such scenes. They questioned why Japan was experiencing this influx of "low-quality" tourists.
One netizen even shared their own similar experience from a March visit to DisneySea, expressing a strong sentiment of "please, foreign visitors, don't come here if you're going to act like this."
Ultimately, it's up to the park management to maintain order and strictly enforce rules for all guests. Bringing outside food, for instance, should be an absolute no-go.
However, Japan has faced numerous issues caused by foreign tourists in recent years. As one of the world's most beloved travel destinations, how the government plans to tackle these challenges remains to be seen.