Which Sanrio theme park should I visit? – Puroland vs. Harmonyland

For those of you who want to be super Hello Kittified, going to Japan and visiting one or heck even both Sanrio theme parks is a must! But, which one should you go to?

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Puroland Entrance Courtesy of farside268		Harmonyland Entrance Courtesy of themeparkreview.com

Here are some considerations:

Location: Puroland is just outside Tokyo in Tama. Harmonyland is not on the main island, but in the southern island of Kyushu.

Puroland: 1-31 Ochiai, Tama-shi, Tokyo
Harmonyland: Fujiwara 5933, Oaza, Hijimachi, Hayami-gun, Oita-ken (on Route 10)

Price: Puroland is more expensive to go to with adult prices ranging from 3,000 to 4,400 yen depending on if you buy in advance and whether you would like access to everything. Youth (12-17 years) cost 2,700 to 4,000 yen and children (4-11 years) cost 2,000 to 3,300 yen. See detailed ticket pricing here. Get a Puroland discount coupon valid until September 30, 2009.

Harmonyland cost 2,800 yen with unlimited access. If you come after 4pm, the fee is only 2,300 yen.

Size: Puroland is a fairly small indoor theme park. Harmonyland is a full scale outdoor theme park including lots of rides.

Rides: There’s only one ride in Puroland which is a boat ride where you can see motorized Sanrio characters – think Disneyland’s It’s a Small World ride. Harmonyland also has a boat ride too in addition to lots of other rides including: 2 roller coasters, bumper cars, ferris wheel, flying elephant ride (like the Dumbo ride at Disneyland), carousel and more. Harmonyland has a lower section and an upper section. One side is catered to kiddie rides while the other side toward older kid rides like the roller coasters.

All the rides are simply adorable! Just imagine all the rides with Sanrio characters smiling at you from every direction.

Harmonyland Rides Courtesy of themeparkreview.com

Here’s a video I found that shows off some of the rides at Harmonyland:

Harmonyland video of rides

Shows: Both have elaborate shows although Puroland seems to be focused on a variety of 20 to 35 minute shows in several theatres. In Puroland, there’s something called the Wisdom Tree in the middle where they put on an especially cheerful show featuring music, dancers and your favorite Sanrio characters. The costumes and light effects are awesome. Here are some videos of it:

Puroland parade video 1
Puroland parade video 2

Since Harmonyland is outside, their parade includes music, dancers, your favorite Sanrio characters AND whimsical floats. Here is a video of it:

Harmonyland parade video

For the most part there are not as many shows at Harmonyland compared to Puroland.

Family Considerations: Since we are talking about Hello Kitty, as you can imagine a lot of everything is about making young girls happy in Sanrio world. If you have a baby though, I did notice on Puroland’s site that you need to be prepared to carry your baby. Strollers are requested to be parked in the stroller safe area as there are many stairs and escalators. They do, however, have a baby room to nurse, change diapers and warm up baby bottles.

At Harmonyland, I’ve heard it’s quite spread out and there are a lot of stairs between the two sections. However, you can take a train from one side to the other to save your energy.

Special Attractions: In Puroland, the star attraction is Hello Kitty’s house. You can visit her living room, bedroom, bathroom and even play on her piano. At the end, you get to meet Hello Kitty herself and pose for a picture.

Sights at Puroland Courtesy of farside268

Shopping: Sanrio does not disappoint in this category. Be prepared for a huge selection of deliciously cute Hello Kitty goodies at both parks!

Summary: Puroland is designed around putting you in the center of the Sanrio world. You’ll see life size homes and feel like you’re in a mini city of Sanrio. Harmonyland is an amusement park but all the decorations and entertainment are carefully crafted around Sanrio characters.