An 8.9 earthquake has caused a tsunami to flood parts of Japan, including the parking lots at Tokyo Disneyland, which has stranded visitors to the theme park.
The amusement park’s 69,000 visitors are currently stranded inside the park, using the Disney park as a safe haven for the time being while Disney organizes a plan to have those inside the park safely return home.
The park is off limits to anyone hoping to get inside the park at this time. According to early reports portions of the parking lot were flooded but the exact cause of the liquefaction of the parking lots is still being determined.
The tsunami was first to be blamed for the flooding but police in Japan are suggesting that excess water from the tsunami along the coastline have filtered in to the soil and liquefied soil due to massive shaking from the earthquake.
Tokyo Disneyland and the adjoining Tokyo Disney Sea were built on a landfill, making the attractions more vulnerable to flooding during a natural disaster such as the one that has struck Japan. No injuries have been reported
Tokyo Disneyland was the first Disney theme park to be constructed outside of the United States and was officially opened in April of 1983. Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea are the only theme parks under the Disney name that are not owned by Disney.
Both parks are operated by The Oriental Land Company, which pays a licensing fee to Disney. Tokyo Disneyland was built in a similar style as Disneyland in California and The Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida’s Walt Disney World.
Though parts of California are bracing for their own tsunami there have been no warnings or indication that Disneyland in Anaheim, California will close or alter their schedule at this time.
Huliq continues to monitor the latest developments in Japan and will report the latest once it becomes available.
