Catastrophic 7.6 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Disney Parks

Tokyo Disney Resort, including both the illustrious Tokyo DisneySea and Tokyo Disneyland, was reportedly hit with the effects of a 7.6 earthquake on New Year’s Day, causing some residents of Central Japan along the coastline to flee.

For Disney enthusiasts, you’ve likely experienced the enchantment of Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea firsthand, immersed yourself in numerous vlogs capturing the magic of these parks, or found yourself yearning for the opportunity to visit what many regard as the most extraordinary Disney parks globally.

Each Disney park around the globe has its own set of challenges to face. At Walt Disney World, weather plays a large role in park operations, with Florida’s rainy and stormy climate. While this is not typically dangerous for guests, Florida’s coastline location leaves it privy to hurricane activity, and the parks typically are hit with at least one hurricane each year. Depending on the severity of the storm, Disney will close down their parks, as they have a few times in the past. Luckily, Disney accounted for this when building the park, and their structures, including Cinderella Castle can withstand a category five hurricane.

In Japan, earthquakes and typhoons are massive issues. 

Typhoons have occasionally led to the closure of theme parks, as recently observed with the temporary shutdown of Universal Studios Japan. It’s noteworthy that this theme park is situated in Osaka, a city several hours away by bullet train from Tokyo, and located on the opposite side of the country, thus having no impact on Tokyo Disney Resort.

Around 100 years ago, the Great Kanto Earthquake left the city in ruins. Because of this devastating 7.9 magnitude earthquake, which killed 105,000 people, Japan’s government rebuilt the city and ensured that they would be ready if an earthquake of a 7 or higher magnitude hit.

Today, Reuters reported, “A powerful earthquake struck central Japan on Monday, triggering warnings for residents to evacuate some areas on its west coast, destroying buildings, knocking out power to thousands of homes and disrupting travel to the region.

The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 triggered waves of around 1 meter along parts of the Sea of Japan coast, with authorities saying larger waves could follow.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued tsunami warnings for the coastal prefectures of Ishikawa, Niigata and Toyama. A major tsunami warning – the first since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan – was initially issued for Ishikawa but later downgraded.”

Residents on the coastline are being told to evacuate immediately, with “Run!” a bright yellow warning flashed across television screens advising residents in specific areas of the coast to immediately evacuate their homes.

While the quake did not begin in Tokyo, it did jolt buildings in the capital, some 500 km from Wajima on the opposite coast. According to the Tokyo Disney Resort website, no operational changes are being made at this time. In the past, we have seen updates posted online during natural disasters if it were to affect their daily operations. Thankfully, that was not needed today.

That being said, effects are being felt. Below is a video of the queue for Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast, as you can see, guests are being instructed to take cover.

地震、めちゃくちゃ長くて怖すぎた。#TDR_now pic.twitter.com/WhL4ZBpFgL

— でぃ〜ごのエキゾ&スフィな生活@レディクレ通し (@dgo0104) January 1, 2024

The most impactful earthquake to affect Tokyo Disney Resort was the 9.1 magnitude Tōhoku earthquake in 2011. Although Tokyo experienced less severe effects compared to other regions in Japan, both Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea had to abruptly halt operations during the day. Flooding took place in their parking areas, and approximately 20,000 out of 69,000 visitors had to stay overnight within the parks due to the suspension of Tokyo’s public transportation.

Tokyo Disney is well-equipped to handle earthquakes, with cast members regularly trained in disaster response. The resort reportedly maintains an emergency food stockpile capable of sustaining 50,000 guests for up to three days.

Tokyo Disneyland, featuring Adventureland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, and Toontown, closely resembles Disneyland Park in California. Tokyo DisneySea boasts stunning areas such as Mermaid Lagoon and Arabian Coast, alongside a shopping district called Ikspiari. Additionally, the resort includes various Disney accommodations like Tokyo Disney Celebration Hotel, Tokyo Disneyland Hotel, and Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta. The Oriental Land Co resort has recently introduced the Toy Story Hotel.

Follow Inside the Magic for more updates on this ongoing story.