A bit of fun tonight… at DisneySea!

I was excited to visit this park, as it is considered unique among the various Disney parks.  It’s got a bit of a nebulous theme, around the ideas of the “waters of the world/nautical exploration”, and has caricature-inspired areas themed to Mediterranean waterfront, American Docklands, Jungle Rivers, Arabian Gulf, a fortress by the sea, a futuristic port, and a steampunk-inspired central caldera of volcanic goodness.

Overall, architecturally, it is what one might expect from the Disneyfication of the actual cultural building typologies. And, given that, DisneySea is very, very well done. The Imagineers did a stupendous job in the design of the park, with a great attention to detail and richness everywhere that keeps it from appearing tacky, and enough inventiveness to keep it from appearing insensitive and appropriating.

And that caldera, oh my!  It’s a Jules Vern inspired fantasy that is superb, from the giant drill machinery stuck into the cliffside, to the elaborate metalwork, to the riveted construction of the ride vehicles.  (And speaking of the rides, Journey to the Centre of the Earth was fantastic, and I only with it was longer to extend the goodness!)  I could have spent the entire day in there.

Very fun day, very nifty park.  Even when it comes to the buildings to hold our entertainment — or when the building itself is the entertainment — care, craft, and detail always makes a difference in our experience.