calling all tokyo disney info

[disneyholic family]

Hi All,

I'm helping my daughter plan her trip to Tokyo Disneyland/DisneySea.

It's a bit of a rush, since she'd originally planned to be there only in late October, but it's moved up to mid-September so the race is on to make all the arrangements in time (buying japan rail tickets/ reserving space in hostels/figuring out how to get around/etc).

Normally I don't help her with her travel plans, but Japan being Japan, I'm doing my best to help her out (though i'm not much help, considering the last time i was there was 23 years ago - when i was pregnant with her as it happens).

Anyway, if anyone has any information on TDL/TDS or anything else related to Japan/Tokyo/the trains/ subways/getting around/must sees/etc etc. it would be greatly appreciated.

Any helpful hints. Any hints at all, helpful or otherwise.

She'll be staying at a hostel in Tokyo and traveling back and forth to TDL/TDS (the disney hotels are a bit out of her price range - though i did my best to talk her into it, my treat - but she wouldn't accept).

So anything you know, please share it (be it tips/warnings/etc.)

thanks in advance!!

 

[disneyholic family]

well i see that everyone else is as knowledgeable as i am

i'll definitely suggest that she write up a trip report upon her return...
we've already learned quite a bit in the past day, so by the time she comes back she should be a wealth of information for the next person heading out to TDL/TDS...

as i said, she's staying in a hostel and will travel to TDL by train...
however, i wanted to surprise her with a couple of nights at one of the disney hotels, but so far no go for the simple reason that i can't get through to them.
You can only make reservations at the 2 official disney hotels directly with their reservation phone line (in tokyo)....
so i've called multiple times....first you have to listen to about 2 minutes of japanese, until they finally get around to English....then you push the appropriate numbers on the phone - the recording answers that there aren't always English speaking operators available....then it says that i'm in line for the next operator and then a moment lator it says "sorry all operators are busy, call back later" AND THEN IT HANGS UP ON ME....
i've called at every possible time through the day (from 9 am to 9 pm tokyo time when the line is open)...

totally crazy....can you imagine WDW reservations just hanging up on you???????

 

[AlanUK]

Just popping this over to the CB. It doesn't meet the stated purpose for the UK Trip Planning forum which is for posters looking to plan trips to WDW and Florida.

You might have a bit more luck over there as well

 

[disneyholic family]

Just popping this over to the CB. It doesn't meet the stated purpose for the UK Trip Planning forum which is for posters looking to plan trips to WDW and Florida.

You might have a bit more luck over there as well

thanks. I figured out it was on the wrong board after i posted it. I thought the post would eventually be moved to a more appropriate place....

Though i doubt i'll have any more luck here....
doesn't really seem to be many people out there with experience....
i've found one trip report on all of the other various mouse related forums.....pretty slim pickings as they say...

well i'll post here if i ever actually do get through to the reservations line...
it's just amazing that the line automatically hangs up on you if all the lines are busy.....what an oddly programmed system....

 

[wils]

I have been to TDL but I am afraid I was just there for a day 15 years ago (gosh I'm getting old!) so I can't help.

The reservation lines seem like the stuff of a sitcom though (but not funny in real life)

Sorry

 

[disneyholic family]

I GOT THROUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i can't believe it.....i did the whole dial through thing and was expecting the hang up when i realised that a real live human being was speaking with me....

and to make up for all the trouble, she was as sweet as can be....a perfect disney call centre person with a japanese accent....

as for the hotels, the rates are in the stratosphere (you think the GF is expensive??? not even close)....but the biggest problem is they only have smoking rooms on the days she'll be there...apparently they don't have that many non-smoking floors (where's WDW policy when you need it)...

but at least i finally got through....i was really beginning to wonder there...

 

[Kristina]

There is a Diser named CrimineyCraft I believe who has been and wrote a brilliant trip report, and I tried to find the link for you but ugh the Dis search function isn't very good is it !

Hang on there, I found it !

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1372232

I want to go too!! The place is amazing! I believe there is information on where to stay as well otherwise Mary over at Mousesavers did a trip a while back..

http://www.mousesavers.com/tdrmike.html

Hope it helps and I'm not to late!

 

[disneyholic family]

There is a Diser named CrimineyCraft I believe who has been and wrote a brilliant trip report, and I tried to find the link for you but ugh the Dis search function isn't very good is it !

Hang on there, I found it !

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1372232

I want to go too!! The place is amazing! I believe there is information on where to stay as well otherwise Mary over at Mousesavers did a trip a while back..

http://www.mousesavers.com/tdrmike.html

Hope it helps and I'm not to late!

wow!!!
outstanding....thanks so much for finding these...

in the meantime i've made an amazingly inexpensive (relatively speaking) reservation for the hilton, which is one of the onsite hotels there.....
it's crazy....if i started the reservation on one day, the entire week was priced at 52,000 yen/day or about $460/day...
but if i start the reservation on the next day, it's 20,000 yen/day for the very same room!! (or $175 )

and now i'm off to check those links...thanks!!!!

 

[Kristina]

Glad to help ! I believe there is lots of advice in the first trip report regarding hotels but if not, then in the comments that follow. The Hilton sounds really, really nice but that's crazy how they price the rooms!
Again, I sure wish it were me that were going...ah well, someday eh !

 

[disneyholic family]

Glad to help ! I believe there is lots of advice in the first trip report regarding hotels but if not, then in the comments that follow. The Hilton sounds really, really nice but that's crazy how they price the rooms!
Again, I sure wish it were me that were going...ah well, someday eh !

that Diser's trip report is absolutely OUTSTANDING!!!!
the pictures are amazing.....you feel like you're there....
beautiful pictures and such a detailed report...
i still haven't gotten through all of it.....

thanks again for finding it...

i'm really glad my daughter will be staying onsite for the disney part of her trip....those long train trips there and back would add a lot of stress to the trip....and as it is she's under a lot of pressure to show her friend a good time...
she's going with one of her closest friends, who's heard her raving on and on about WDW for years....so now she has to show her friend how 'fun' disney is....a lot of pressure....

and she's actually planning their entire trip to japan (3 weeks)...all the reservations, etc. - and it's very last minute, so most of the guest houses are already booked...but she's managed to find them beds every night...so that's good....

anyway, thanks again!!

 

[florida sun]

I just read that report and wow its brilliant, thanks for posting it.

Beth, glad you managed to get through and I hope your daughter has a great time, you must let us know how she gets on

 

[disneyholic family]

I just read that report and wow its brilliant, thanks for posting it.

Beth, glad you managed to get through and I hope your daughter has a great time, you must let us know how she gets on

i will definitely post a follow up....she's only going to TDL/TDS at the end of the stay - as a kind of big finish...
i really hope they have a good time and the weather favors them...

she's buying a new camera before she goes (coals to newcastle?) so i'm sure there will be pictures to go along with the third party reports...

 

[dlpSteve]

We went there for a day trip in 2001 and had a great time.

As for travelling around Japan - in big cities where they speak English we found the people the most helpful in the world. We asked someone where the train station was and they did a 180 degree turn and led us not only to the train station but he found out where we were headed and made sure we bought the correct tickets and went to the correct platform.

 

[disneyholic family]

We went there for a day trip in 2001 and had a great time.

As for travelling around Japan - in big cities where they speak Japanese we found the people the most helpful in the world. We asked someone where the train station was and they did a 180 degree turn and led us not only to the train station but he found out where we were headed and made sure we bought the correct tickets and went to the correct platform.

yes, they have a very strong tradition of service and they love to help tourists....(and try out their english)..
i spent a lot of time there when i was growing up, so i'm very familiar with the culture - however the last time i was there was so very many years ago, my current knowledge (of trains and such) is totally lacking....

but having done a bit of this planning now, i am totally itching to go again....
maybe next year...DH goes to china all the time, so maybe i'll tag along and schedule a bit of R&R in japan....