URAYASU, Chiba Pref. -- Tokyo DisneySea, the latest addition to the Disney amusement kingdom, entertained the media Wednesday ahead of a public opening set for Sept. 4.
Facing Tokyo Bay and adjacent to Tokyo Disneyland, DisneySea boasts 23 attractions featuring sea-related themes, including one inspired by the Indiana Jones series.
The 47.8-hectare park has 65 shops and restaurants as well as the Hotel MiraCosta with 502 rooms.
The operator of the complex, Oriental Land Co., has hired about 8,500 part-time workers for the new theme park, expecting the opening to bring 7.7 million more visitors to the combined parks in the first year.
Tokyo Disneyland, which opened in 1983, is the nation's most successful theme park, attracting more than 17.3 million visitors over the last year.
Oriental Land said it aims to turn the two theme parks into a huge theme resort area, where visitors stay at hotels in and around the park, instead of making the customary day trip.