3 Teens in Tokyo! A PTR

[battymum]

I'm really beginning to feel like chopped liver here...if you keep talking like this to yourself! QUOTE]



Welcome aboard - Princess!

Is there a thread you dont follow? You really are the overachiever of the disboards, but so happy you're here, your comments are always entertaining.

 

[PrincessInOz]

I'm really beginning to feel like chopped liver here...if you keep talking like this to yourself! QUOTE]



Welcome aboard - Princess!

Is there a thread you dont follow? You really are the overachiever of the disboards, but so happy you're here, your comments are always entertaining.

I prefer to think of myself as an overa$$chiever...thank you very much!




(And to answer your question......yes, there are quite a number of threads that I don't follow.....I just have to find them first!)

 

[minnie mum]

Welcome aboard, Travel Mum and Melbourne 5.

I had really started to think that I was talking to myself over here!

I've been quietly hanging on every word as well. Although we're Canadians, not Aussies, and are just a couple, not a big family, I've been finding your posts really helpful in planning and researching our own upcoming visit.

Only 17 days to go until we leave for Tokyo!!

 

[robynrainer]

We now I'm laughing too bc I've tapped in to this thread while looking at airfares and dreaming and wondering if our family of 5 would stand out in Tokyo and here I find a bucket of Aussies hanging out here with families of 5.

Great travel plan I say. Hope it all goes your way. I went to Tokyo about 15 years ago and would love to drop the kids into the cultural immersion of this and combine it with another Disney trip.

 

[battymum]

Hi Robyn, you know the bet way to get over the holiday blues, is to start planning the next one.! Hope you find some inspiration here Tokyo is certainly is a lot closer than Florida. I am hoping for a bit of Disney magic without the jet lag !

 

[battymum]

Happy new year, I thought it was time to revive my old PTR, I had to trawl back quite a few pages to find it.

With the new year, I have to get back into trip planning mode. I have been doing lots and lots of reading, but haven't actually committed to any further plans.

The good news is, the $A has been steadily increasing value against the ¥ and is now sitting in the low 90's - so I am very happy about that, I changed $500 and split it amongst my kids as part of their Christmas present, which will be there spending money.

I will be buying our JR passes soon, these have to be used within three months of purchase, so I can do that in February. In my initial planning I had priced these at $350, but with the favourable exchange rate, they are now $307. That's a big difference when buying five!

I had an email from saki, who will be our travel angel while in kyoto. This was comforting as I had fully paid our accommodation in kyoto, and wasn't sure what happens next.

So that's where we are, only 3 months out!

 

[PrincessInOz]

WOW! 3 months!

That'll go by real quick. The dollar has been great, hasn't it? Glad it's working out in your favour.

 

[battymum]

Today I booked our airport transfer - yay, one thing off my list.

I may have mentioned DH was keen to see the snow monkey park - this is quite a hike from tokyo, so we have decided to head up there on Friday 19th, we will overnight in a traditional ryokan before heading to kyoto on Saturday.

This is quite a big decision, ryokans can be quite expensive, it comes complete with a traditional kaiseki dinner, which unfortunately I don't think will be appreciated by my kids, but will be quite an experience for them and I doubt they will partake in an onsen bath - but DH and I will love it, unfortunately they will have to come along for the ride. This one night is probably going to set me back $900, but hey, when am I ever going to be in Japan again???

I have made enquiries to stay at BIyuNoYado in Yudanaka, which seems to have excellent reviews on TA.

 

[blearbear4]

Subscribing so I can live vicariously through you!!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Today I booked our airport transfer - yay, one thing off my list.

I may have mentioned DH was keen to see the snow monkey park - this is quite a hike from tokyo, so we have decided to head up there on Friday 19th, we will overnight in a traditional ryokan before heading to kyoto on Saturday.

This is quite a big decision, ryokans can be quite expensive, it comes complete with a traditional kaiseki dinner, which unfortunately I don't think will be appreciated by my kids, but will be quite an experience for them and I doubt they will partake in an onsen bath - but DH and I will love it, unfortunately they will have to come along for the ride. This one night is probably going to set me back $900, but hey, when am I ever going to be in Japan again???

I have made enquiries to stay at BIyuNoYado in Yudanaka, which seems to have excellent reviews on TA.

WOW! But as you say....when are you going to be in Japan again. Enjoy the experience, take lots of pictures so you can share it with us.

 

[WAMUMOF4]

3 months to go that time will be gone in a flash

 

[battymum]

WOW! But as you say....when are you going to be in Japan again. Enjoy the experience, take lots of pictures so you can share it with us.

I am still unsure about this one, actually I think I was messing up my currency conversion, it's looking more like $700, but still....it's one of those places you pay per person.

 

[battymum]

Purchased travel insurance this morning - another chore ticked off my list.


Although I had read about how amazing everybody thinks the Ghibli museum was, I hadnt thought it was that imperative we go there....

..... until I read how hard it is to get tickets.

As an overseas tourist, we have to apply for tickets 3months out and specify a date we would like to go, the tickets are issued in our name with a passport number, and then if we are lucky to get the tickets we have to take our passports with us to the museum, to verify our identity -

There is no changing dates or names once they are issued.

Wow - this place must be good, now I really want to go!!!

The good news is, it is reasonably priced at $A15 per adult, and $10 for teens - so I figure if it doesnt fit with our plans, we are not that much out of pocket.

So now I have downloaded the application and I rang the enquiry line for the agent in Australia,
Apparently, they only have tickets until the end of March, and the museum hasnt issued anything for April,

They have no idea when it will open up for April bookings. , He seems to think the museum had some plans or something for April and to just send the form and see how we go!

 

[battymum]

Confirmation of my Ghibli tickets received yesterday. Friday 12th April.

The plan is we will head there for opening at 10:00am - spend a couple of hours, then head to Asakusa - visit the Sensoji temple, then walk to Tokyo Sky Tree - from there, we will catch the bus back to the Disney area.

Big day, but I like to have direction!!

Hopefully, we will be able to navigate the trains to get us there!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Ooooh. Well done! That is a big day.

 

[DreamSweetsLove]

Confirmation of my Ghibli tickets received yesterday. Friday 12th April.

The plan is we will head there for opening at 10:00am - spend a couple of hours, then head to Asakusa - visit the Sensoji temple, then walk to Tokyo Sky Tree - from there, we will catch the bus back to the Disney area.

Big day, but I like to have direction!!

Hopefully, we will be able to navigate the trains to get us there!

It's a pretty packed schedule! Sounds like fun though, goodluck!

 

[battymum]

Dreamsweetlove, do you think that is doable, we wanted to visit these areas on a weekday, and we only have that one. We can always skip the skytree and do that another day.

 

[DreamSweetsLove]

I think it's possible! Just take care, it's a lot of traveling around in one day but you should be ok. How far is the walking distance from Asakusa to the Sky Tree? I think we took a taxi when we went with my mother. It's definitely better to do Sky Tree Town/Sky Tree during the week because it gets very crowded on the weekends. The bus ride home at the end of the day will be a nice worry free ride! Another thing is you might want to bring a portable USB charger for your phones, portable wifi, etc.

 

[battymum]

I have confirmed a booking at biyunoyado in yudanaka - feel sick about the amount of $ for one night, but as my dd would say "Yolo"

BTW - if we were travelling as a couple, the ryokan would not be that expensive, for the room and meal - we have to pay per person, and we are all adults, and we need two rooms which makes the cost blow out.

So for FYI Adults 13000¥ , x 5 =

 

[Minnie Sue Oz]

Hi there ( or should that be konichiwa!!! )

Have just read from start to fininsh and am following along with your plans! I will be looking for as many tips as possible for our trip next year.

I don't think we will wander too far from Tokyo though as we are primarily going just for Disney, but you never know!