Sanrio Puroland
Most of you know what Disneyland is, but how many of you know what Sanrio Puroland is? If you know who Hello Kitty is, just think of Sanrio Puroland as her home. Kind of like how Disneyland is home to Mickey and his friends. Now, unlike Disneyland, Sanrio Puroland is a lot smaller and not as crowded. There are still lines to get into attractions and rides at Sanrio Puroland, though.
Sanrio Puroland’s rides aren’t what you’d describe as extraordinary. But they’re cute and tell you some type of story. The rides are definitely kid friendly. Think Disneyland’s “It’s a Small World” but less extravagant. Also, there’s only about 2 rides total, so don’t expect much.
The main purpose of Sanrio Puroland isn’t about going on rides. It’s about making memories with your favorite Sanrio character and the people you come with. Families, friends and couples enjoy shows, interactive attractions, character appearances and exclusive merchandise at Sanrio Puroland. The rides are just the icing on the cake. And with so little icing, lines to their rides can be rather lengthy.
Interestingly enough, it’s not just the rides that have lines. Attractions have lines, too. One particular attraction I liked that had a pretty bad wait time despite not having too many people in line was the Gudetama Airlines attraction.
This attraction was interactive and probably a huge joy for Gudetama fans and photographers. While I didn’t think much of it at the time, looking back, I now realize how many photo opportunities existed within this attraction. Plenty!
It was nice but a little bit of a downer in that they only provide one attraction card (passport / boarding pass) per party, which means that not everyone within a party can partake in games activated by the card. This is great for only childs but not so great for siblings that don’t want to give in. As for the older but young at heart crowd, well, someone will just have to give in as well.
Lights. Camera. Action.
There seems to be a total of 3 different live performances at Sanrio Puroland. Although I didn’t get to see all 3 of them, it’s safe to say that the performances are nice. They’re lively and revolve around a giant tree. If you’re clueless as to when these performances start, just know that something’s about to begin when you see people claiming spots on the floor or hanging about by a railing. For those that don’t care for live performances, you can simply head over to a ride as the lines should be a lot shorter during show time.
My Melody and Human Mice
There was a show you had to get in line for. And this show had a ridiculously long line. So long that I wasn’t even sure if we’d be allowed into the show despite being in line. At one point, a staff member came out to inform that there’d be a cutoff point or something along those lines. Didn’t really understand but kind of figured the gist of things once a good amount of people, in front of me as well as behind me began to leave. I’m thankful these people left because it gave almost everyone else waiting patiently and cluelessy to gain admittance. Admittance to a waiting area, that is.
At this point, I got confused. I was like, “Is this an interactive attraction or game because I am not going to know what to do with my crap level Japanese.” I was worried. We were all sitting inside this fairy tale room that had amazing aesthetics but from how we were asked to sit in a line and whatnot, I couldn’t help but to question if this was some trivia game show I was going to fail without even trying. It was a bit nerve wracking.
But at last, the light at the end of the tunnel appeared and we were led to yet another room, to wait, yet again except this time, it was clear that we were going to see a show. (I was relieved. Lol)
Girls made the bulk of the audience and it made a lot of sense, since the stars of the show were young men, playing mice. (I love mice! Lol) The men are obviously too old for these giddy girls but who hasn’t been a tween going googoo gaga over a boy band member that’s in his 20’s? That’s what I thought…
At the end of the show, I was able to confirm the girls’ adoration for these guys upon seeing people purchasing photos of these “mice”. My favorite, in regards to acting was the bad boy mouse. (He’s the light brown mouse, if you must know. And no, I did not purchase a photo of him.)
Christmas at Sanrio Puroland
With so much to take in at Sanrio Puroland, it sometimes can be difficult to spot the small things, such as holiday decor. When you look carefully, you’ll find something Christmassy. Take a moment to find Christmas trees, ponsiettas and snowmen in my photos.
It can take more than a moment to find since the holiday decor doesn’t outshine any of the Sanrio characters.
To/From Sanrio Puroland
Getting to Sanrio Puroland as well as leaving Sanrio Puroland isn’t that much of a breeze. First, the JR doesn’t take you to Sanrio Puroland. Second, the monorail or whatever I rode on to/from the park wasn’t easy to find. (You might find it within a heartbeat, though.) Once it’s dark, you may find it a chore to figure out where you need to go, especially if you take time to take in the pretty lights by Sanrio Puroland. If you’re with someone, it’s ok. If you’re alone, I advise you to leave the theme park before it gets dark.
Links, should you need it: