Family gets Disney all to itself

URAYASU, Chiba Prefecture--For the Fukuyo family, Friday was the chance of a lifetime: They had the entire Tokyo DisneySea theme park to themselves for 2 1/2 hours, with no waits for all the rides they could handle.

Yasuhisa Fukuo, 38, his wife, Sumiko, 33, and their 5-year-old triplets were chosen by lottery from 1,609 applicants for the event to mark the Tokyo Disney Resort's 25th anniversary.

At 7:30 a.m., the family from Shizuoka Prefecture arrived at the park and was greeted by the 150-member cast of Magic Kingdom characters.

"I was so excited I got goose bumps," said Sumiko. "I feel as if we'd used up all the dreams we have in our entire lives."(IHT/Asahi: July 19,2008)