Hey, fellow Explorers! Now, you may have read an earlier post where I gave an “educated guess” as to when I thought a soft opening may occur for Nemo & Friends SeaRider at Tokyo DisneySea. Well, I am glad to report that I was incorrect!

The other day — April 27, 2017 — they had their first soft opening and we were lucky enough to be among the first guests to experience Nemo & Friends SeaRider.

Now, I will give you all a full review in the coming weeks, but I will share my experience of the soft opening and give some first thoughts. I will keep this spoiler free.

Nemo & Friends Soft Opening Experience

I had two friends visiting from California and it was their last day in Japan, so I wanted to spend time with them before they left. What better way than to spend it at Tokyo DisneySea — the best theme park in the world. I’ll cut to the chase. We walked by Nemo & Friends SeaRider and we noticed a number of Cast Members in their marine blue costumes.

We decided that it was a good idea to hang around the area to see if anything would happen. Well, the waiting paid off, after about 15-20 minutes the Cast Members told us that Nemo & Friends SeaRider was open for a “test” and we were welcome to come and ride!

The Cast Members informed us that there were no photos inside the queue and pre-show area, so you’ll have to settle for my attempt to use my words to paint an image inside your head. The wait time was posted above the FastPass machines (across from the attraction) and at the front of the park on the time’s board.

Nemo & Friends SeaRider Initial Thoughts

I am keeping this short on purpose, as mentioned above, I’ll give my full review in the next coming weeks. I can say this however, it’s worthy of being in Port Discovery. The team who worked on this attraction did a brilliant job and I can’t wait to share my full review.

Additional Soft Opening Dates & Tips

Since they have already done a small soft opening, there will be more. The only thing is, we don’t know when that is. I don’t know any specific dates, so it’s based on luck. But, I do have a few tips and advice to help increase your chances of knowing when a soft opening is happening.

If you’re in the park anytime between now and May 12, 2017, keep an eye out on Twitter — as mentioned in our earlier post — with the hashtag #tdr_now. People will post about it.

Another thing you can do is walk by the Port Discovery area and see if there are any Cast Members around. If there are a lot then there is a strong chance it may happen. Keep in mind that soft openings are for short periods of time and usually don’t last the entire day. So, if you happen to see it open then jump in that line! Also, keep an eye on the wait times board at the front of the park.

Nemo & Friends SeaRider officially opens May 12, 2017, in Port Discovery at Tokyo DisneySea. Don’t forget to check out all the new merchandise and snacks to celebrate the opening!

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