Tokyo Disneyland is known for the biggest, best and most extravagant attractions, even for simple Dark Rides, and Monsters Inc. Ride and Go Seek is no exception. Using the same technology as Disney California Adventure and Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ Toy Story Midway Mania attraction, but with actual sets, and not video screens.
This attraction is a part classic dark ride and part next generation attraction. Opening on April 15, 2009, for the parks 26th Anniversary, it’s located at the entrance of Tomorrowland from World Bazaar, and is in the building that used to house Meet the World. Many fans of the park criticize that the location is near the Star Tours and breaks themeing, but for the most part this attraction is extremely well received.
The premise of the attraction is similar to Disney California Adventure’s Mike and Sulley to the Rescue attraction in Hollywood Pictures Backlot, but very different. Guests join Mike and Sulley as they search for Boo in a game of ‘Flashlight Tag’. The flashlights are the ‘interactive’ element of this attraction and as guests move through the alleyways, buildings and cityscape, they can use their Flashlight to reveal various Audio-Animatronics.
Once inside the factory, an instructional video is presented to guests on the premise of flashlight tag, narrated by Mike Wasowski. After learning how to play, guests are sent into security vehicles that have been equipped with individual flashlights. Once they have boarded, the vehicles take off and enter the inner sanctums of the factory. Sulley has brought Boo back to Monstropolis in hopes that she will join in the flashlight festivities. Although it seems as if Boo is interested, she giggles naughtily, intending to go exploring rather than playing.
Sulley warns her not to go off to far, but Boo simply responds by giggling. Turning a corner, guests find that Randall has returned from the human world intending to capture Boo to extract her scream, via the usage of a butterfly net. Randall's evil laugh still echoing through the factory, the vehicles turn and face a window overlooking all of Monstropolis at nightfall. Mike stands nearby at the switch of a power generator, that supposedly gives power to all of Monstropolis. Mike kicks flashlight tag off by turning off the generator, causing the entire factory and the city to go dark.
Entering the boy's locker room, the flashlights turn on, allowing guests to point them at various objects, activating different characters and objects to come to life. Several tiny monsters pop out of the lockers, while other objects simply pop out from underneath floor tiles and benches. Turning into the bathroom, Sulley can be seen searching for Boo with his flashlight, Boo's giggling heard from an unseen location.
Randall can be found here hiding from Sulley whom stands right behind him. Pulling into the laugh floor, guests find several of M.I.'s top comedians joining in on the game, Sulley found searching for Boo underneath tables. Mike can be found stuck in a jam between a hanging door and the arms of another monster, both pulling him back and forth. Leaving the laugh floor behind, guests pass Randall again whom hides behind a door, followed by a large crocodilian monster grasping a flashlight and laughing. Leaving the factory and entering the streets of Monstropolis, various monsters can be found searching the streets with flashlights, many hiding in objects such as mail boxes and television sets.
Boo is seen standing in the center of a dark alley, Randall mysteriously appearing behind her with a net. Luckily Sulley pops out from a manhole beneath Boo, hoisting her into the air. Entering Harryhausen's sushi restaurant, guests find the octopus-like chef searching for Boo whom can be found popping in and out of several different take-out boxes. Several odd fish can be found throughout the store, which also react to the flashlights. Preparing to leave the restaurant, Mike can be found with his girlfriend Celia, allowing guests to dunk her in water by using their flashlights to activate her tank. She falls in the water, and the vehicles head back into the streets.
After tagging several more monsters, Mike can be found being electrocuted by a large power source continuously, the veins in his eye illuminating with each shock. Sulley appears up ahead, worried that he has lost Boo again. He calls her name out in fright, but she is nowhere in sight. Entering the factory again, guests find Boo playing with some garbage outside of a garbage compactor, unaware that Randall is directly behind her, raising his butterfly net.
Randall mutters to himself about his success, when the power is suddenly returned to the factory. Mike emerges from a grate in the floor, knocking Randall backwards and into the garbage compactor. Following the trail of the garbage compactor, guests witness Randall roll down a treadmill, be crushed by a spike-lined wheel, pressed repeatedly by large iron poles, spun across another large wheel while changing skin colors, be chopped up by a large wall-like contraption, and emerge from the compactor in the shape of a cube, much like several other compacted cubes of garbage around him. Randall's eyes roll dizzily as he groans in pain.
Turning away from the garbage compactor, Mike, Sulley, and Boo can be found outside of Boo's door, saying goodbye. Leaving them behind, the vehicles pass a small monster that waves goodbye, Boo beneath him, also saying goodbye. Turning yet another corner, guests pass an interactive audio animatronic Roz whom resides in a filing room. Roz interacts with guests much as she does on Mike and Sulley to the Rescue.
This attraction has a very large cast of Audio-Animatronics figures, one of the largest in some of the Disney Theme Parks.
Less than a year after it opened, it was placed under a two-month refurbishment to touch-up details, add some more figures, and fix the technology so that the reaction time will be better between the light and the character appearance effects.
Onto the various pins of the attraction. First, we have a pin and a button showing the premise of the attraction with Mike, Sulley, Boo and the Flashlight.
When the attraction opened, many pins were released featuring various Monsters that ‘pop out’ when the Flashlight of the guests is shown on the location.
Pictures and Information from JTCent, and Official Tokyo Disney Resort Site
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