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Sanrio Puroland

Sanrio Puroland

Image: Alvin Leong, Flickr (license)

Then again, if brooding vampires and dystopian uprisings don’t scream “fun family vacation” to you, you may have better luck at Sanrio Puroland—the no. 1 destination for all things Hello Kitty (and one of three official Sanrio theme parks worldwide). An indoor theme park in Tokyo, Japan, Sanrio Puroland has played host to the lovable cartoon cat/girl and her cast of friends since the early 1990s.

Puroland truly understands the concept of a “theme” park, though it bears little resemblance to the ride-focused layouts of big-budget parks like Disney and Universal. Here, there is only one marquee attraction—the Sanrio Character Boat Ride—which features well-known characters like Cinnamoroll, Little Twin Stars, My Melody, Keroppi, and Bad Badtz-Maru as they prepare for a party hosted by Hello Kitty herself. The backdrops and sets are carefully (and altogether too cutely) themed to each character, though the basic back-and-forth motions of the animatronics leave something to be desired from a technical standpoint.

In lieu of additional rides, Puroland offers a variety of Hello Kitty-centric activities and entertainment for guests to enjoy, including Lady Kitty House walkthrough and meet-and-greet (not unlike Minnie’s House in Mickey’s Toontown, only with more refined décor and a Japanese tea room), My Melody & Kuromi Mymeroad Drive (more an interactive photo opportunity than a proper ride), and photo-ready spots around the brightly-colored, oversized sets of Gudetama Land and Kiki & Lala Twinklingtour.

Lack of compelling attractions notwithstanding, a full slate of parades and theater shows are still offered throughout Puroland on a daily basis, from Miracle IllusionHappiness and Miracle Gift Parade to the newest addition, Kawaii Kabuki—Momotarō. This isn’t exactly what you’d find in Disneyland or Walt Disney World—that is to say, the stories and character roles aren’t quite as fleshed out as those in Frozen – Live at the Hyperion or Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage—but the sets are gorgeously designed, the illusion mapping colorful and engaging, and the characters as lovable as any you’d expect to find in a Hello Kitty world.

While this park may not be a thrill-seeker’s first destination, its charm and almost overwhelming devotion to theming is unparalleled. You’d be hard-pressed to find any travel destination quite as adorable anywhere else—unless you happened to be heading for Japan’s Harmonyland or Malaysia’s Sanrio Hello Kitty Town, of course.

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What international theme parks are on your must-see list? Do you tend to gravitate toward parks that are fanciful, gritty, or just plain precious?

 
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