Everyone knows that Disney is for the young and the young at heart. A great place for everyone from families to solo travelers, with kid and adult-friendly rides. But what about romance? In reviewing the DTB Archives, it appears that our advice about romantic spots at Walt Disney World and Disneyland revolves around restaurants.
The only rides that we seem to refer to as romantic are the Carousels, Dumbo and other spinners, Storybook Land Canal Boats, Casey Jr. Circus Train, “it’s a small world,” Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Space Mountain, Indiana Jones Adventure, Haunted Mansion, Skyliner, and Venetian Gondolas. It’s been a while since I wrote made those posts, but I’m going to assume some made the list because they’re in the dark. So not exactly a high bar!
Enter Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival in Fantasy Springs at Tokyo DisneySea. Imagineer Daniel Jue called it the “most romantic attraction ever built” by Disney and added that guests will “fall in love again” while riding. Even before opening, it was home to a proposal–a project manager on Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival got engaged in the iconic scene. Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival is the first ever attraction based on the Walt Disney Animation Studios hit film, following up the flushing success of the Tangled Toilets at Walt Disney World. So not exactly a high bar…times two!
Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival is a boat ride with guests making their way to the Kingdom of Corona’s annual lantern festival as they relive the story of “Tangled.” The attraction is part of the Rapunzel’s Forest area in Fantasy Springs, which also includes a Snuggly Duckling dining location.
The attraction begins outside, with boats floating back towards the entrance area after loading. The tower where Rapunzel lives rises into view, and as boats twist around the canal, she comes into view. Rapunzel sings “When Will My Life Begin” in Japanese from her tower, which can be heard from both the boat ride and the entrance area of the attraction. It’s an earworm that was stuck in my head for several different days; I already was familiar with the song–but had never heard it in Japanese.
On the other side of the river, Flynn Rider is hiding in a cave. Maximus is sniffing the tracks of Flynn in search of him; Pascal is also present–the little fella is a scene stealer throughout that you’ll want to keep an eye out for.
As the gondolas enter the show building, guests pass the “Best Day Ever” scene, with Rapunzel swinging by her long golden hair around a tree as she laughs. Flynn leans against the tree watching, and again, Pascal is present. From here, there’s a brief transition scene featuring the exterior of the Snuggly Duckling in the distance, with the faint sounds of piano.
Into the next scene, Rapunzel and Flynn are sitting on the roots of a large tree around a campfire with Rapunzel’s hair wound around them. Her golden hair glows as Rapunzel sings “Healing Incantation,” and Flynn looks on in astonishment. Pascal looks on in amazement, pantomiming that Flynn’s hand injury is healed.
The “Healing Incantation” scene is an impressive and underrated one. While the movements of the characters are limited, it’s fitting for the intimate moment. The sense of enchantment here comes from the glowing of Rapunzel’s hair, and what fans of the film know she’s accomplished. It’s pivotal to the plot–simple but effective.
The next scene is also a simple one, but is likewise key for building up to the “main event” of the attraction. Passing through a cave rock, the view of the Kingdom of Corona Castle comes into view. The opening of “I See the Light” plays, as little lanterns dot the night sky above the castle, illuminating the night sky and city streets.
“Simple but effective” is the name of the game when it comes to Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival, and nowhere is that truer than this scene. It reminds me of a modern day ‘Streets of London’ scene from Peter Pan’s Flight. It’s not quite that well-done or iconic, but the idea is similar (mentioning this since I don’t think it really translates to photos or video).
The castle view holds your eye for just long enough before the big wow-moment of Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival. The spectacular sight of endless glowing lanterns dancing in the night sky surround the boat in every direction. Guests slowly circle the gondola with Rapunzel and Flynn Rider aboard, as they sing “I See the Light.”
It’s safe to say that any Tangled attraction was bound to feature this scene. It’s too iconic to exclude. It’s also safe to say that we knew it was going to be jaw-dropping, because the scene in the film is incredible, and seeing that in person would be even more impressive. This is one of the big reasons I’m shocked Disney has never done a Tangled ride–this scene alone could carry the whole thing. It’s like shooting fish in a barrel.
Nevertheless, no matter what you expected of the “I See the Light” scene or how high your expectations, this delivers. It’s incredible. The photos and video don’t do it justice, which is nuts because the photos and video look fantastic. Like the rest of the ride, it’s also a simple scene–nothing complex like Anna & Elsa’s Frozen Journey–but that in no way reduces how downright majestic this is. Sometimes simplicity is what works.
The key here is that you are immersed in the lantern festival, not looking onto it as a passive show scene. You float around Rapunzel and Flynn in what’s (basically) a horseshoe configuration. It’s a 360° view that’s all-encompassing, which both makes you an active participant in the action and also allows you to linger in the “I See the Light” scene a lot longer. This was a brilliant and underrated decision by Imagineering.
Before exiting, the ruffians from the Snuggly Duckling can be seen at the edge of the woods behind the lake. It’s a nice bit of comedic relief coming down from the romance and majesty of the lantern festival scene.
The final scene takes guests into the Boathouse Workshop, showcasing wooden craters, barrels, ropes, oars, and other boat stuff–much of which is decorated in the spirit of Tangled. There’s also a gorgeous mural on the opposite wall, and Pascal can be spotted holding a paintbrush.
Again, a simple scene–but a great way to ‘come down’ from the wowing Lantern Festival. This basically exists to serve as a thematically-fitting transition back to the load and unload area without having an abrupt ending to the attraction. It accomplishes exactly that.
Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival is a very romantic ride. But that’s a bit reductionist, as there’s more to it than that. Interspersed among the love story scenes are little morsels of levity and comedic relief. It comes close to being a rom-com attraction, which is a great genre, and one we haven’t really seen Disney try in the past.
It’s a very emotional attraction, generally. We saw people crying on and around Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival, and it clearly made guests very happy. It’s definitely a dream come true for a generation who grew up on Tangled, and it’s honestly surprising that it took so long for Rapunzel and Flynn to get their own attraction. The movie–especially the lantern scene–seem tailor made for a boat ride like this.
But is Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival the most romantic ride that Disney has ever done? The easy answer here–the path of least resistance–would be simply saying yes. You saw my list above, which included Haunted Mansion and a bunch of other rides that, by most reasonable accounts, are not the least bit romantic. Unless you count scaring your significant other into your embrace (date night horror movies are a thing!). I would hazard a guess that 98% of fans who ride Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival would agree that it’s Disney’s most romantic ride ever.
I’m the 2% that’s contrarian, I guess. Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival is not even my #1 most romantic ride in Tokyo DisneySea. For me personally, nothing can top the complete package experience of enjoying a Christmas date night of catching Big Band Beat, followed by early dinner at Magellan’s or Ristorante di Canaletto, and concluding with a dusk or evening cruise around Mediterranean Harbor on the Venetian Gondolas–my #1 most romantic Disney ride.
Those gondolas are just so much more personal–a canvas for your own memories and magic–with the romance being more about you and your partner enjoying an indelible moment and stunning setting, and less about your connection with characters and a movie. I also have a tremendous amount of personal nostalgia for the specific scenario I described above; it’s something Sarah and I have done at Tokyo DisneySea, and it’s one of my ‘core memories.’
Of course, I was also an adult when Tangled was released and, while I’ve seen and love the movie, I don’t have that powerful emotional connection to it. Also, I still do think Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival is very, very romantic. I don’t want to diminish that. It would just probably rank as my #2 most romantic Disney ride in the park/world…but I wouldn’t argue with anyone putting it at the top of their list.
Ultimately, not only is Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival one of the most romantic Disney rides ever, but it’s a strong Fantasyland-style attraction that was much-needed in the Tokyo DisneySea roster. It’s a 5-minute long boat ride featuring multiple show scenes, both indoors and outside. It’s already proving to be a huge hit with guests, and likely will endure as one of the most popular attractions in the park for years to come.
Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival is not perfect. The biggest thing for me is its duration. Since it’s both indoors and outdoors, the 5-minute duration feels even shorter than it is. While the amount of time outside is satisfying, I still could’ve used even more of it, floating around the tower in a manner similar to the lantern festival scene.
It could also use another scene inside. I know the ride is all about romance and eschews conflict, but a brief encounter with the ruffians before the titular lantern festival would’ve helped. Or simply more comedic relief from these and other characters, leaning into the rom-com angle. Tangled is a great film for that, and more humor wouldn’t have undercut the romance–it would’ve enhanced it.
With that said, Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival benefits tremendously from being among 4 attractions in Fantasy Springs, making this the rare new Disney land with more than a couple of rides. In the totality of the expansion, it’s only one-quarter of the new attractions added to Tokyo DisneySea. It doesn’t have to carry the weight of the new land, which is important, because Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival is definitely not the tentpole ride. It can get away with being simpler and shorter, because–by second tier standards–it’s still phenomenal.
While it’s debatable whether Anna & Elsa’s Frozen Journey or Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure is the #1 ride in Fantasy Springs, Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival is undeniably #3. At least from an objective perspective, there’s really no conceivable argument otherwise.
We’d even go a step further, and say there’s considerable drop-off between #1 or #2 and Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival at #3. (Ditto the drop between this and #4.) And that’s fine. Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival fills an important role in the #3 slot. And even though the ride as a whole is the clear #3, you could argue it holds the most memorable single scene in any Fantasy Springs attraction.
With that said, I can’t help but think about what the response to Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival would’ve been if this were built in New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom in place of the Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid. When that “biggest expansion in Magic Kingdom history” opened, it was the lone ride to debut (Seven Dwarfs Mine Train came later). And it was absolutely eviscerated by fans who bemoaned that it was antiquated, cheap looking, and a host of other complaints.
Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival doesn’t have all of the same issues as the Little Mermaid dark ride, and the wow-moment of the lantern scene can overcome a lot, but they’re otherwise similar in nature. In fact, the Tangled attraction is shorter, has fewer and less advanced Audio Animatronics, and doesn’t have as impressive of an exterior or queue.
If Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival opened as the tentpole of a new land–or even by itself–at Walt Disney World, it would be the subject of scorn and criticism about Disney “cheaping out” rather than praise. So context is definitely important, and this debuting alongside 3 other rides–two of which are all-timers–in an incredible new land helps a lot. Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival doesn’t have as much pressure, and those on the other side of the world can simply savor that wow-moment scene and dream.
Again, this isn’t to diminish Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival. I’m also not pointing this out as my criticism of the attraction–I don’t think everything needs to be a mega E-Ticket in the first place. From my perspective, Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival works–and works well–because it establishes the right mood as it brings guests into the world of Tangled. It’s basically as if Imagineers started with the lantern festival scene and worked backwards from that, asking “how do we set the table for this to resonate emotionally and tug at the heartstrings?” Every scene before it is in service of that, and succeeds in so doing!
The bottom line is that Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival is fantastic for what it is, a lantern festival delivery mechanism. Starting outside is fantastic, and allows the landscape, and to Rapunzel’s tower to shine as guests enjoy the scenery. There are stunning scenes inside, before even arriving at the titular lantern festival. And then there’s that jaw-dropping scene. Wow, just wow. There’s still a lot to love about Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival–maybe you’ll even fall in love on this really romantic ride.
Planning a trip to Tokyo Disney Resort? For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Tokyo Disneyland & DisneySea Trip Planning Guide! For more specifics, our TDR Hotel Rankings & Reviews page covers accommodations. Our Restaurant Reviews detail where to dine & snack. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money post. Our What to Pack for Disney post takes a unique look at clever items to take. Venturing elsewhere in Japan? Consult our Ultimate Guide to Kyoto, Japan and City Guide to Tokyo, Japan.
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival? Is this the most romantic ride Imagineers have ever created? Were you underwhelmed by simplicity of the scenes and Audio Animatronics, or think it works well as an old school dark ride? Wish it were longer and had another scene or two? Where does this ride rank relative to other next-gen Fantasyland attractions? Do you agree or disagree with our review? Any questions? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
