The Whale[1] is a character that was featured in the Tokyo DisneySea attraction, Sindbad's Storybook Voyage.
History[]
Background[]
The Whale is inspired by the Aspidochelone, a mythical creature often depicted as a whale or a turtle disguised as an island. It is one of the last creatures Sindbad encounters on his journey on his way back to the Arabian port throughout the attraction where the Whale is said to inhabit the Whale Straits area as shown in the map seen in the queue for the current iteration of the attraction.
Development History[]
When the attraction first opened as "Sindbad's Seven Voyages" in Tokyo DisneySea, it remained unpopular with guests due to its scary theme where the Whale was depicted with a sinister appearance. After the attraction closed in 2006 and reopened in 2007, the theme was toned down and features the Whale having a less sinister appearance giving it a friendly appearance in order to match the attraction's tone.
Role in the attraction[]
Pre-2007 revamp[]
In the original iteration of the attraction after the guests pass through the Land of the Monkeys section, the Whale is seen sailing next to Sindbad where it is seen carrying three panicking crewmates, one being held aloft by a waterspout and the other two who are thrashing about on top of the whale just before Sindbad returns home with the treasure he unloaded.
Post-2007 revamp[]
In the current iteration of the attraction, the Whale is one of the last creatures whom Sindbad encounter on his journey. In the queue, one of the pictures depicts Sindbad and Chandu encountering the Whale underwater asking the Whale for help and is later depicted on the map seen in the queue as well as the one carried by Chandu throughout the attraction. It later appears again in shadow during the end of the attraction depicting Sindbad on the whale itself followed by the Whale appearing in animatronic form happily taking Sindbad and Chandu on their way back to Sindbad's Arabian hometown.
Trivia[]
- In the current iteration of the attraction, one of the pictures depicting Sindbad and Chandu's encounter with the Whale throughout the queue makes it the first time its full body is shown.
References[]
- ↑ In the map seen in the queue of the current incarnation of the Sindbad's Storybook Voyage attraction, the location where the Whale is shown at is labeled as "Whale Straits".