Mediterranean Harbor (Tokyo DisneySea)

Mediterranean Harbor
View of Mediterranean Harbor
Location	Tokyo DisneySea
Coordinates	35°37′36″N 139°53′17″E / 35.62667°N 139.88806°E / 35.62667; 139.88806Coordinates: 35°37′36″N 139°53′17″E / 35.62667°N 139.88806°E / 35.62667; 139.88806
Status	Operating
Opening date	September 4, 2001
Theme	Italian Port Cities
Attractions
Attractions	5 total
Other rides	3
Shows	2

Mediterranean Harbor is a themed land in Tokyo DisneySea, the second park in the Tokyo Disney Resort, located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, near Tokyo, which opened in 2001. Mediterranean Harbor is the entrance "port-of-call," or hub, themed as an Italian port city, complete with Venetian gondolas that guests can board and ride. The majority of places of interest throughout the port are various shops and restaurants.

Mediterranean Harbor's layout differs from the entry "lands" of other Disney parks as it is a large "V" shape rather than a main street that leads to a hub (as found in Disneyland's Main Street, U.S.A. or Disney's Hollywood Studios' Hollywood Boulevard"). If followed to the right, the path leads to Mysterious Island, while if followed to the left, the path leads to the American Waterfront. Built into the architecture in this port is the Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta. The hotel itself serves as a full-scale reproduction of the various buildings of Portofino and Venice's ports. The design choice of combining a real hotel within the themed park areas helps to further the illusion that (as either a park or hotel guest) you are in an actual city; since the hotel is a functional building (rather than a 'set facade' -- the general standard in theme park designs) the effect of onlooking hotel guests, that may observe the park from hotel's rooms, balconies, and terraces serve in adding a level of kinetic authenticity in passing for an authentic Italian villa for park visitors, while the hotel guest enjoys the harborside views and novelty of location. Additionally, the Hotel MiraCosta also serves as the southern berm (or border) of the park. Mediterranean Harbor also features attractions such as the Fortress Explorations which is a meticulously themed, large-scale interactive play area for guests that features exploration-themed activities and attractions; The Legend of Mythica, a twenty-five-minute show located on the harbor, and Fantasmic!, scheduled to premiere on April 28, 2011, as part of the parks 10th anniversary celebration, "Be Magical!" a nighttime spectacular also situated on the harbor that uses special barges, fountains, pyro effects, Disney Characters and fireworks.