The following is essential reading for parents, and possibly mental health professionals too.

Earlier this summer, our Disney-crazed writer Tashiro Daiichiro took along our Disney-disillusioned writer P.K. Sanjun, and showed him that even for adults, there is still magic to be seen.

However, ever since returning home from that day the spirit of Disney seems to have possessed P.K.’s dsughter, Rei, who now wants to go for her first time. But Rei-chan is only two years old. Would she be able to tolerate all the walking and line-ups on the very few rides that someone her size can go on?

▼ Rei, who some of you might remember from SoraNews24’s “Bring Your Daughter to Work Day”

It didn’t matter because the thought of going to Disneyland was firmly planted in her mind. Not a day went by that she didn’t ask P.K., “Can I go to Minnie’s house?” or “Can we go to It’s a Small World?”

P.K. didn’t want to let his little girl down, but he dreaded going back to the theme park. It was tolerable with the contagious enthusiasm of Tashiro, but alone there’s no way someone isn’t going to suffer. Unless…

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“Tashiro! Tashiro! I need your help! Rei-chan wants to go to Tokyo Disney, she’s crazy about it now. Can you tell me a good plan for spending the day there with a two-year-old?”
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“Oh but of course my good friend! Say, Rei-chan got into Disney really fast didn’t she! Boy the magic of old Walt sure is something isn’t it!
Oh, sorry. You were saying something about a plan?”
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“Uh yeah. She’s really into It’s a Small World. She sings the song almost every day.”
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“It’s a Small World? There is just one moon and one golden suuuun♪ And a smile means friendship to everyooooone♪ [sniff] Oh, Tashiro… keep it together man.”
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“Um. You OK?”
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“Excuse me. It’s just whenever I hear that line, it just gets me, you know? How beautiful would the world be if we all could smile together…”
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“Uh, yeah, I get it, but look…”
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“Sorry. Sorry. Right, a plan for a two-year-old, eh? Well, I mean Disney has no age limit right? They welcome the smiles of all people young and old! Shall I be your and Rei-chan’s guide for the day?”
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“Oh? You don’t mind? That would be a big help! You seriously can?”
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“But of course my good man! It would be an honor to be able to join the adorable Rei-chan at the happiest place on earth! However, I have one request. Can you let her watch the official Disney YouTube channel for one week before going?”
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“Uh, sure, I guess. I’m not sure what watching some videos is good for, though.”
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“Oh ho! What can be seen in those videos is far more than mere images! It is a world of dreams and magic that foster the imagination of the viewer. While watching, Rei-chan will begin to see the magic!”
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So, P.K. complied with Tashiro’s request and showed Rei-chan Disney YouTube videos each day for a week leading up to their visit. He was right, with each passing day she grew more and more excited.

On the day of the trip, Rei-chan had a smile plastered on her face. P.K. had never seen this level of happiness in his daughter before.

P.K. and Rei-chan waited together at Maihama Station for Tashiro to arrive. Rei-chan was still ecstatic pointing at all the posters shouting “Mickey!” and “Pluto!” and “I wonder if Minnie is here?”

Then suddenly…

▼ “Heeeeeeey!!!”

Tashiro appeared in the distance.

And then he walked toward them…

…in a very cartoonish manner…

…and said the following:

“Why hello there Rei-chan! Welcome to the land of dreams and magic! My name is Dai-chan!! Today I am honored to be with such a cute princess. Surely ol’ Walt must be pleased as punch to see that Rei-chan has come to play, yessiree! Let’s have the most fun day ever!!”

Tashiro’s raw enthusiasm for Disney, mixed with references to its deceased founder, was a little much even for a jazzed-up toddler who replied with a wry smile.

It was a rough first impression, but Tashiro was completely unfazed. When they entered the park he handed P.K. a “lost child sticker” that he got from the staff. P.K. could write his name and phone number on the sticker so – as Tashiro put it – “Even if Captain Hook kidnaps Rei-chan, you can find her.”

There is also a cover sticker so Rei-chan wouldn’t accidentally broadcast P.K.’s personal information to the entire park. Attaching it to her shirt was no problem. Like with most two-year-old’s there is nothing better than putting stickers on oneself. She even proudly pointed to it saying, “Look! Look!”

Then Tashiro ran over to a stroller rental. P.K. wasn’t thrilled about this. Rei-chan was going through an anti-stroller phase which meant P.K. often had to lug around the empty apparatus himself.

However, Rei-chan was all too happy to hop into the “Mickey Mouse Special Stroller,” as Tashiro described it.

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“Say! Let’s go shopping here! Your outfit is very nice today, but do you want to look even more like a princess, Rei-chan? Or is Minnie better?”
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“I like Minnie.”
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“All right! Let’s make you into a pretty Minnie Mouse for today!”
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It seemed as if Tashiro had completely broken the ice with Rei-chan and the pair looked through outfits together.

P.K. was happy to pay for the clothes, looking at how happy they made Rei-chan.

Tashiro too for that matter.

The shopping trip also helped keep Rei-chan’s excitement up for the first ride of the day.

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“Okay! Lot’s of rides to be ridden! How about the Jungle Cruise first?”
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“Um, sure. Rei-chan likes Disney, but she loves animals.”
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“Well, there you go. Of course she can’t go on any of the coasters, but Disney has lots of attractions for kids like here. The Jungle Cruise and Western River Railroad are both fantastic.”
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“Sure. I just don’t want to wait in any lines.”
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“Not a problem! The Jungle Cruise usually has short lines. According to my official Disney app it’s just five minutes now.”
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“Five minutes? Let’s go!! That app’s really good isn’t it?”
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“Yup. Especially with small kids, you can’t wait in long lines. With the app you can completely avoid them.”
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So everyone went to the Jungle Cruise and as Tashiro’s app predicted, they could get on in a few minutes.

Rei-chan was delighted by all the animatronic animals on display, calling out the names of each one and asking her father the names of those she didn’t know.

Tashiro looked over at P.K. with a knowing smile.

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“Great, isn’t it?”
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“Yeah, it really takes me back and the boat captain is really fun. This is a slam dunk for kids who like animals.”
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“Yes, but you know it’s fun for adults too. For example, did you notice how the elephants were different?”
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“The elephants? Yeah, I saw them a few times. What do you mean? They’re not elephants or something?”
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“The Jungle Cruise is meant to represent four major rivers in the world; The Nile, The Amazon, The Ganges, and The Irrawaddy. So the elephants that appear at different times are actually different species of elephants. One’s an African elephant and the other is an Indian elephant.”
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“Oh.”
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So while kids can enjoy the attraction for what it is, as we get older it’s possible to appreciate them on a deeper level. Perhaps the next time P.K. comes with Rei-chan, she’ll be old enough to understand what Tashiro had just taught him.

After the Jungle Cruise, the group headed over to Tom Sawyer’s Island. P.K. had never been there before, even as a child, and was surprised Tashiro recommended this place.

They took a raft to the island and Tashiro pointed out that this is one of the most difficult rides to operate in the part. “It looks like they’re casually steering the raft,” he said, “but really it takes a certain technical skill to do it.”

P.K. was surprised to arrive at the island only to find there is nothing there. It’s just an island, but Tashiro quickly showed him that’s the beauty of Tom Sawyer’s Island. It’s essentially a big playground where kids can run around freely and parents can relax. Even the ground is made of a soft material to prevent injuries.

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“This is great. There’s not many people here either. This has to be the least crowded place in the entire park.”
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“Yup. Every time I come here it’s like this. A few parents take a break while their kids roam around the park. There are also lots of trees, tents, and other secrets for kids to explore while parents take a break.”
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“It certainly is nice.”
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“If you look closely behind the cave lamps, you can find Mickey Mouse and treasure hiding. Also, something special happens when you talk to the sleeping sheriff. You should go with Rei-chan and check it out.”
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P.K. did so, but wants to keep the sheriff thing a secret. As he played with Rei-chan, P.K. occasionally looked back at Tashiro who was tranquilly sitting on a rock, completely content as if he were feeding on the positive energy of the place.
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Next it was time for lunch, and Tashiro recommended the Hungry Bear Restaurant which specializes in curry. It seemed odd to combine a staple of Indian cuisine with an Old West American atmosphere, but Rei-chan loves curry so it was as good as any.

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“Why did you choose here?”
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“I get asked that a lot, but the reason is simple: It has a lot of seats! 680 to be exact.”
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Especially with a small child in tow, struggling to find seating in a restaurant can be a nightmare. Not only does the Hungry Bear Restaurant avoid that, it also serves up good food for kids…

…and adults with appetites on par with our writers.

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“Okay, what’s next? We should go to It’s a Small World if we can…”
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“My app says it’s a little crowded now. How about we go to Toontown first? Minnie Mouse’s house is there.”
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“I wanna go to Minnie-chan’s house!”
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“Alright, let’s go to Toontown then. Man, that app is nice.”
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Minnie Mouse’s house is similar to Tom Sawyer’s Island in that it’s basically an open play space, but its layout was completely different and fresh for Rei-chan’s curiosity. Even though Minnie wasn’t there, Rei-chan enjoyed running around and touching everything.

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“Toontown’s another place kids can run around freely, eh?”
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“Sure is. Toontown has lots of stuff to stimulate kids’ imaginations. If you look in that mirror over there, hearts appear over your eyes.”
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“So, it’s different from Tom Sawyer’s Island but lets kids run around just the same.”
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“That’s the whole idea! It’s great for kids like Rei-chan to run around freely and explore while parents don’t run themselves ragged. Using Toontown and Tom Sawyer’s Island as bases, you can go out intermittently to rides like the Jungle Cruise when the app says they’re not busy.”

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“Huh.”
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“You can also easily catch parades along the way, and do some shopping and eating. Doing this parents can keep up with the extreme energy of little ones like Rei-chan, and everyone’s happy. Parent’s should just lend their knowledge to kids here and help them have fun without having to control them.”

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“You’re brilliant, do you know that? If I came here without you, I would have just taken her to It’s a Small world and then waited in line for like five other rides.”
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“Ah, that’s okay too. But it’s best not to waste time waiting for stuff. That’s why the app is essential. Toontown is good too because it has a baby area if you need to change diapers or nurse your child.”
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P.K. was impressed by his first visit to Tokyo Disney with Tashiro, but this time he could truly see the expertise that his colleague possessed about the place. Tashiro manipulated the park like a master violinist with a Stradivarius, and as a result P.K. had a surprisingly fun and carefree day with his daughter.

After getting fresh diapers, it was finally time for It’s a Small World. Rei-chan was as excited as ever, but Tashiro’s Disney high was reaching new heights.

Having earlier broken down just at the mention of It’s a Small World, P.K. was a little concerned if Tashiro could handle the actual ride.

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“Okay Rei-chan! You see all the kids coming out now? Those are your friends! And a smile means friendship to everyooooone♪ So don’t forget to greet them with a smile!”
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“What’s that over there?”
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“It’s sad, but when you become an adult you can’t make friends like that. But look at all your friends now, Rei-chan! See how they’re all smiling with you!”
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“Pinocchio!”
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“We all used to have pure hearts like yours Rei-chan and all your little friends here, but the day comes when we begin to forget that…”
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“There’s water.”
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“Can you promise me something Rei-chan? Don’t ever forget the smiling faces you see here today, and always believe – like I do – that it is possible to make the whole world smile. Together we can make the world a happy place, one person at a time.”
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“I saw elephants!”
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“The boat’s about to move now. Look, Rei-chan, at all those smiling faces. That means they are your friends. You have friends all over the world. When you smile, the whole world smiles!”
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Despite Rei-chan’s limited communication skills, her and Tashiro’s souls seemed to be operating on the same level. Rei-chan was pure because she was two, but Tashiro seemed to have that same sense of wonder and optimism radiating from him.

Maybe there really is some magic in this place if one is willing to lower all of their pride, cynicism, and other self-defense mechanisms and just let it in like he has.

Either way, Tashiro masterfully crafted a perfect day at Tokyo Disneyland with a very young child, which is no small feat by any means. P.K. now feels fully confident that he can take Rei-chan by himself next time she wants to go – but he might invite Tashiro anyway.

It’s always nice to have another smiling face.

Photos ©SoraNews24
[ Read in Japanese ]