Inside Look: Downtown Disneyland Under Quarantine

COVID precautions in full-swing at Downtown Disney

While Disneyland California remains closed for the seventh month in a row (the kiss of death for all us Disney fans), the one godsend is that Downtown Disney is open. I headed there this October for an update on merchandise, COVID practices, and more.

COVID-19 Compliance Measures

Disneyland is following all safety measures related to COVID-19, which you will have to follow in order to enter the premises (a small price to pay for a few hours of happiness). This includes temperature screening, mask wearing, hand-washing, and physical distancing.

Disneyland Coming Attractions

Josh D'Amaro checks out blueprints for Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railroad

While Disneyland California continues to be shut down due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Disneyland imagineers are using this time to make many exciting park updates, including Disneyland coming attractions. Earlier in August 2020, the titular Splash Mountain song Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah was removed from the park, and a complete revamp is underway to convert the beloved ride to the theme of The Princess and the Frog.

Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway

Inside the cartoon world of Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railroad

More Posts from Disney Elite

If you enjoyed my latest blogs for Disney Elite, check out my second compilation of articles listed below. Don't forget to check out my author page for easy reading of all my blogs!

Coronavirus Halts Lunar New Year Festivities at Disney Shanghai

New Minnie Mouse Collection Debuts Featuring Beloved Disneyland Attractions

Disney vs Etsy: The Bounty Hunt for Baby Yoda Merchandise

Ultimate Marvel Quiz

When Disney Wedding Fairytales Come True

Avengers Unite for Avengers Campus 2020

6 Ways to Ring in Disney's Chinese Lunar New Year

MaxPass vs FASTPASS vs Single Rider: Which Is Best?

How Disney Parks Celebrate New Year's Around the World

8 Rainy Day Attractions at Disneyland Parks You Should Check Out

Where to Find Mistletoe at Disney: A Little-known Secret

12 Days of Magical Deals at shopDisney for All Your Holiday Shopping

Find Your Dream Dress at the Dress Shop in Downtown Disney

Stay tuned for more updates!

New Disney Blogs Available on Disney Elite!

Hi all, you may have noticed my extended absence after returning from Japan as I have focused on my professional writing career. While sadly my writing on izanau.com was removed after a website overhaul, I am now a writer for disneyelite.com! If you've enjoyed reading my many Disney store updates and guides to Tokyo Disney parks, you'll enjoy even more Disney-themed blogs surrounding the latest news, events, shopping, and more.

Check out all of my posts at my author page, including:

Disney Face Masks Debut to Curb Coronavirus

The History Behind King Arthur Carousel: "Created for the Young and the Young-at-Heart"

Disney Coronavirus Update: What's Postponed, What's Canceled?

Pixar Moves Onward with Their Latest Hit

Making Modern Magic Happen with New Parade

Build a Better Bear with Baby Yoda

Create Your Own Custom Disney Phone Case in Tomorrowland

Lunar New Year Celebration and Recap at California Adventure

Star Wars Galaxy Edge Update

New Minnie Mouse Collection and More Debut in Time for Valentine's Day

...and many more!

Pompompurin Cafe: Spend an Adorable Afternoon with Pompompurin and Friends!

A cozy evening at the Pompompurin Cafe

If you know me, it's obvious that I love cute things (and not just Disney things!). When I was living in Yokohama, I knew I had to visit the Pompompurin Cafe at least once, and was more than pleased with the results!

The cafe is situated outside the station but in a very out-of-the-way location you won't find without a little bit of exploring. Sadly I was a bit short on time during my last month in Japan and had to squeeze this in after work one day, which was a chilly, rainy day. Thus I was at the cafe by myself, and also it was pretty empty inside, so it was a different kind of experience than visiting during peak hours. Luckily for me I have no qualms about solo-adventures, so I still enjoyed it thoroughly.

For those of you who don't know, Pompompurin is a Sanrio character made to look like Japanese purin, or pudding (which is topped with caramel sauce and similar to flan), and is actually a Golden Retriever. He has a girlfriend named Macaron and his friends are cute little animals with names like Custard, Bagel, and Scone.

626 Night Market in Orange County

At the annual 626 Night Market in Orange County, CA

It's official! I'm back to my roots in sunny California. This blog started off as a way to document my travels and fun in Japan, but that doesn't mean I have to put down the pen just because I'm back in the states. Hence, here I am at an annual event held on certain weekends throughout the summer: the 626 Night Market, basically a collection of all things Asian from art vendors to food! I went for the first time last year and loved it so much I ended up going twice (in part because they had okonomiyaki, one of my favorite Japanese foods!). The event itself costs $5 to get in, and prices vary by vendor inside. "Dishes" typically run around $7-8 dollars per item, which makes going in a group the best strategy to try as many things as you like.

Exploring Disney Sea Part 5: Omiyage (Souvenirs)

Of course no trip to a Disney park, especially an overseas one, would be complete without omiyage, or souvenirs, to remember your special day (or more, since admission to Tokyo Disney parks costs only about 70 US dollars, a third to a fourth of the price of what you'll pay in the states!). Naturally there are plenty of places to get everything from plushes, hats, jewelry, popcorn buckets, stationary, home decor, and more all around Disney Sea.

Exploring Disney Sea Part 4: Food!

Disney Sea offers some amazing food!

One of my absolute favorites of Tokyo Disney, besides the amazing souvenirs, is all the awesome food! I have to admit, after noshing around Tokyo Disneyland and Sea, Anaheim Disneyland fell pretty flat for me. Aside from the Dole Whip, monte cristo, and the most amazing chocolate swirl ice cream cone at the California Adventure pier (whose awesomeness was probably 50% contributed to the heat), there's not a lot of stuff I get excited for here. I'd say some of that has to do with the fact that Tokyo Disney always features changing menu items throughout the year. Case in point, when I discovered a Disney magazine in Japan I always studied it carefully before going to the park so I would know exactly what to eat and what to buy. Let's face it – a day at Disneyland is not a day to be on a diet! There is so much good food at Tokyo Disneyland and Sea I recommend eating light throughout the day so you can try everything!

First off, let's talk about popcorn. Because popcor is a big thing at TDL/S. You'll even see Disney popcorn bracelets attached to young people's bags and wonder what the big deal is. This is not your standard buttered popcorn! TDL/S proudly features a tasty array of popcorn flavors, from savory to sweet: soy sauce and butter, curry, salt, BBQ, caramel, milk chocolate, honey, and even strawberry.

Get a popcorn bucket for free refills on all popcorn at Disney Sea, including milk chocolate.

A Breakdown of Chinese Food in Japan

A full spread of typical Chinese food in Japan.

I happen to love chuuka ryori 中華料理, Chinese food (who doesn't?). From upscale PF Changs, to humble Panda Express, I love it all. Just like Americans (and basically everyone else on the planet), Japanese people love Chinese food, too. Chinese restaurants are as abundant in Japan as Mexican restaurants are in California – you can find one virtually on the corner of every street. Of course, every country foreign cuisines adapts to its own tastes – hence, you will find that Chinese food in Japan is very different from what you're used to in America. You won't find any beef with broccoli, general tso's chicken, kung pao chicken, or even orange chicken on the menus here (you'll have to go to the Panda Express located in Kawasaki for that). That being said, I think you'll find that it is much closer to authentic Chinese dishes (having never been to China myself, I'll leave this up to the pros to decide).

Here's a look at the Chinese dishes served in Japan. Eat your heart out (or not, on some of these items).

1. Subuta 酢豚

Subuta

Exploring Disney Sea Part 3: Lost River Delta and Arabian Coast

Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Crystal Skull awaits in Lost River Delta

Our last destinations around Disney Sea include the Lost River Delta and Arabian Coast, where you'll find jungles and temples, and maybe even catch a glimpse of Jasmine and Genie!

Lost River Delta

This area of the park is basically the equivalent of Adventureland. It features jungles, ancient runes, and a small South American style village featuring some of the only Mexican food in Japan. Attractions include Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull, DisneySea Transit Steamer Line, and Raging Spirits. In a way this is my favorite area of the park because it has my favorite ride in all of Disney Sea – Indiana Jones! It's absent from Tokyo Disneyland because they decided to put it here instead.

One of the best lookouts in the Lost River Delta is the river and bridge connecting the park, where you can see the transit steamer line journeying down the river. The red against the green and blue makes for a pretty picture.

See Disney Sea from the comfort of DisneySea Transit Steamer.

What's on the Menu at Wendy's Japan – and You Won't Find a Frosty

While I'm not one for fast food, given the choice I'd have to say Wendy's is my favorite. I actually saw one open in Yokohama right before I left Japan, but I didn't get a chance to try it. Little did I know, the menu is totally different! My go-to has always been chicken nuggets and frosties, but to my surprise you can't even get a frosty in Japan! Wendy's Japan features a more upscale menu than its American counterpart, called "Wendy's First Kitchen". While there may not be any frosties, there's plenty of other delicious looking food to make up for it!

Burgers

A typical Wendy's burger in America looks something like this:

Average Wendy's burger

Pretty average, right? Meanwhile, in Japan, you'll find more sophisticated looking fare.

Crispy pork burger

Roppongi cheese-bacon-egg burger

Veggie Pops at Mister Donut Japan, and Frighteningly Delicious Halloween Donuts

Mister Donut's "veggie pops" blend strawberries, apples, and pineapple with carrots, pumpkin, tomatoes, and spinach for a healthy treat.

The Japanese people are generally known as being very healthy, given their diet, level of activity, and impressive concentration of centenarians. However they still love to indulge in karaage (fried chicken), ramen, and tempura, too. In this day and age we are faced with a plethora of both healthy and "comfort food" options at stores and restaurants, but why not put two and two together? Mister Donut did just that, creating "veggie pops", petite-sized, brightly colored donuts with tofu cream filling. It's an effort to feel "healthy" while snacking on fried balls of dough, because if you think you're eating carrots and spinach, it must be healthy no matter how much oil and sugar is in it, right? They're also tiny (hence the name "pops"), which also makes you feel healthier, so win-win!

Three pops available in red, orange, and green.

Entertainment at Haneda International Airport

Under Haneda's nihonbashi in Edo Market.

Recently I flew from Tokyo to Los Angeles through a different way than I normally do – Haneda International Airport. I’ve always gone to Narita, begrudging the long distance to get there, as it’s basically in the middle of nowhere. I was surprised that Haneda has an international terminal, and found it a wonderful change! While I’m not saying Narita is terrible, Haneda is bursting with entertainment to occupy you while you wait for your flight! Plan a visit for your next travel plans to check out all the great amenities it has to offer.

Restaurants

Katsudon set.