Disney Sea - HELP!!!

[LeeLeeLuvsDisney]

I purchased our tickets at the Disney Store, but for the life of me I can't remember which district we were in. There was a desk at the store specifically for purchasing tickets. We had to tell them which day we were going to the park and the tickets printed with that date on it. There was no discount, but it saved us time once we arrived at the park.

There is a Disney Store in Shibuya. Here are the directions I put in my notes that I got from someone else who had been there:

From Shibuya Station, take the Hachiko exit. Go to the statue of Hachiko, the loyal dog. In front of you is a tall building with screens on the outside wall directly on the other side of the intersection. That building houses a Starbucks on the ground floor and a Tsutaya video rental shop. Cross the intersection towards the Starbucks and then turn right. Continue walking on that street for two blocks. You're in the right direction if you pass by a Seibu Department Store building. When you reach a Y-shaped intersection, the street on the left side goes uphill. Take that street, remaining on the left side. Walk about 100 feet and the Disney Store is right there.

Hopefully those directions are correct - we are going to try them out in April.

 

[got2travel]

There is a Disney Store in Shibuya. Here are the directions I put in my notes that I got from someone else who had been there:

From Shibuya Station, take the Hachiko exit. Go to the statue of Hachiko, the loyal dog. In front of you is a tall building with screens on the outside wall directly on the other side of the intersection. That building houses a Starbucks on the ground floor and a Tsutaya video rental shop. Cross the intersection towards the Starbucks and then turn right. Continue walking on that street for two blocks. You're in the right direction if you pass by a Seibu Department Store building. When you reach a Y-shaped intersection, the street on the left side goes uphill. Take that street, remaining on the left side. Walk about 100 feet and the Disney Store is right there.

Hopefully those directions are correct - we are going to try them out in April.

YES! They are correct, I can picture it perfectly now. That's the store I went to.

 

[walt's assistant]

Went to Tokyo DisneySea last year and would be happy to answer any questions.

A few tips:

Hotel: Public transportation is fantastic...you can get to Maihama Station (Tokyo Disney Resort) from almost anywhere, so don't be afraid of distance when shopping for lodging if you don't want to pay to stay on-site.

Tickets: I found it very convenient to buy tickets at the window when I arrived. They even provided me with English literature and maps, which weren't available at the Disney Store I visited in Yokohama.

Attractions: The ToT was finished, slightly smaller version of its Florida cousin (I think). Still very fun! Storm Rider, which is like Star Tours, was very good as was Raging Spirits Roller Coaster. 20,000 Leagues was brilliant as was Mermaid Lagoon. Journey to the Center of the Earth was terrific...reminds of Dinosaur! Indiana Jones Adventure was thrilling...a lot like its Disneyland cousin. Oh, and the American Waterfront was charming. Avoid Sinbad's Storybook Adventure...IMO, the worst attraction I've ever seen in a Disney park.

 

[Briarmom]

Bumping in case anyone else has any info.

I would like to read some TRs here, but now with the search function defunct, that's not an option.

If anyone has any links, please post them.

Thanks!

 

[sand2270]

Bumping in case anyone else has any info.

I would like to read some TRs here, but now with the search function defunct, that's not an option.

If anyone has any links, please post them.

Thanks!

There is a trip report for DisneySea in my signature.

 

[LeeLeeLuvsDisney]

Bumping in case anyone else has any info.

I would like to read some TRs here, but now with the search function defunct, that's not an option.

If anyone has any links, please post them.

Thanks!

Briarmom, I was going to post that I would be writing a trip report after we return in late April, but it looks like you'll be at Tokyo Disney at the same time as us!!!!

I will be posting a report, though, for anyone else on the Disboards who is interested...and maybe we can compare our experiences back on this thread next month, Briarmom!

 

[Briarmom]

Briarmom, I was going to post that I would be writing a trip report after we return in late April, but it looks like you'll be at Tokyo Disney at the same time as us!!!!

I will be posting a report, though, for anyone else on the Disboards who is interested...and maybe we can compare our experiences back on this thread next month, Briarmom!

I plan on writing a TR as well. It's so hard to find info about these parks!

 

[walt's assistant]

I plan on writing a TR as well. It's so hard to find info about these parks!

Please feel free to PM me with any questions you might have.

 

[SydneyBristow]

I plan on writing a TR as well. It's so hard to find info about these parks!

She went awhile back but Mary at Mousesavers has a very detailed trip report.

 

[Briarmom]

She went awhile back but Mary at Mousesavers has a very detailed trip report.

Thanks. I've been reading Micechat a bit as well.

 

[Katy Belle]

Subscribing! We leave for Japan tomorrow!!!! Will be at Disney Sea in a few days!!! I will come read this wonderful thread after I get my kids in bed!

Katy

 

[LeeLeeLuvsDisney]

Have fun in Japan and report back to us about Tokyo Disney when you get back!!!!

 

[Briarmom]

LeeLee, what is the Suica card?

 

[smilingmouse]

There are some nice hotels at Tokyo Disney Resort that aren't $1,000 a night. The 3 Disney hotels are really expensive, but there are 6 others that are in the resort area. The two that get really great reviews are the Hilton Tokyo Bay and the Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay. Both are a few minutes walk away from the Bayside Station on the monorail route. We're staying at the Sheraton in April and got our room for $175 a night through the Sheraton web site. We couldn't justify the $450 or more a night for any of the Disney hotels, but $175 seems reasonable enough to be only 15 minutes from the entrance to both parks.

I've stayed at both the Hilton and the Sheraton and I enjoyed my stay at both hotels. I liked the Hilton a bit better because they had more restaurants on site, and a Starbucks on the first floor.

 

[walt's assistant]

LeeLee, what is the Suica card?

A Suica card is a prepaid debit card that you can use for easy access to trains in Japan. This saves you from having to buy tickets with cash/credit at machines before boarding trains. All you need to do is waive your Suica card over the sensor at the turnstile. You can also use it at various stores located within the train stations proper. If you plan to travel extensively using rails, etc., it would be a good thing to have.

 

[LeeLeeLuvsDisney]

LeeLee, what is the Suica card?

Briarmom, the Suica card is a rechargable prepaid card that can be used on Tokyo area trains, subways and buses. It is put out by the JR company. There is also another prepaid card called Pasmo. They both work exactly the same way.

You load up the card with a certain amount of yen, and then you scan the card at the ticket gate. It will automatically deduct the fare and I think it shows you your balance. You can also check your card at the automatic vending machines in the stations to see what your balance is, or add more yen to it.

When we arrive at Narita airport, we're buying the special package deal of the Narita Express (N'EX) train to Tokyo Station, plus the Suica card with 1500 yen pre-loaded on it. We're staying in central Tokyo to do some sightseeing before we head over to the Sheraton at Tokyo Disney.

If you are going straight to the Disney area on the limousine bus, I believe you can buy the Suica at the Maihama Station. Now it covers the Tokyo Disney monorail line, plus would cover other travel if you're sightseeing in Tokyo.

Let me know if you have any other questions. I have been researching for 6 months now. I also get a lot of help on Micechat, the Fodors message board for Asia, as well as a site called Japan-Guide.

 

[LeeLeeLuvsDisney]

I've stayed at both the Hilton and the Sheraton and I enjoyed my stay at both hotels. I liked the Hilton a bit better because they had more restaurants on site, and a Starbucks on the first floor.

I'm glad they are both good hotels. We only picked the Sheraton over the Hilton due to price. I believe the Hilton was about $250 a night for our dates, and the Sheraton was $170. So, it was a no-brainer since we're on a budget!

 

[Briarmom]

A Suica card is a prepaid debit card that you can use for easy access to trains in Japan. This saves you from having to buy tickets with cash/credit at machines before boarding trains. All you need to do is waive your Suica card over the sensor at the turnstile. You can also use it at various stores located within the train stations proper. If you plan to travel extensively using rails, etc., it would be a good thing to have.

Briarmom, the Suica card is a rechargable prepaid card that can be used on Tokyo area trains, subways and buses. It is put out by the JR company. There is also another prepaid card called Pasmo. They both work exactly the same way.

You load up the card with a certain amount of yen, and then you scan the card at the ticket gate. It will automatically deduct the fare and I think it shows you your balance. You can also check your card at the automatic vending machines in the stations to see what your balance is, or add more yen to it.

When we arrive at Narita airport, we're buying the special package deal of the Narita Express (N'EX) train to Tokyo Station, plus the Suica card with 1500 yen pre-loaded on it. We're staying in central Tokyo to do some sightseeing before we head over to the Sheraton at Tokyo Disney.

If you are going straight to the Disney area on the limousine bus, I believe you can buy the Suica at the Maihama Station. Now it covers the Tokyo Disney monorail line, plus would cover other travel if you're sightseeing in Tokyo.

Let me know if you have any other questions. I have been researching for 6 months now. I also get a lot of help on Micechat, the Fodors message board for Asia, as well as a site called Japan-Guide.

Thanks for the replies!
We are arriving at Narita and then we'll be spending a few days just touring around before we go to TDL.
Truthfully, I am woefully unprepared for this trip. We had an illness/death in the family that really shook me and took a lot of time (I was home for about 6 weeks over the course of the last few months). And since I'm being honest here, I'm scared to post on micechat! I don't want to get yelled at. At least here on the DIS I know how to take that kind of criticism.

 

[LeeLeeLuvsDisney]

Thanks for the replies!
We are arriving at Narita and then we'll be spending a few days just touring around before we go to TDL.
Truthfully, I am woefully unprepared for this trip. We had an illness/death in the family that really shook me and took a lot of time (I was home for about 6 weeks over the course of the last few months). And since I'm being honest here, I'm scared to post on micechat! I don't want to get yelled at. At least here on the DIS I know how to take that kind of criticism.

Briarmom, I am very sorry for your loss.

I, too, was scared at first to post on Micechat, but I assure you their bark is worse than their bite. They are actually quite helpful.

But, if you don't want to post there, feel free to either post in this thread or PM me and I'll try to help if I can. I research obsessively for trips, so I might be able to help. Also, some friends who went to Japan a few years ago said they winged it and had a great time. Everyone there was helpful and they found it easier to get around than they expected.

 

[Briarmom]

Briarmom, I am very sorry for your loss.

I, too, was scared at first to post on Micechat, but I assure you their bark is worse than their bite. They are actually quite helpful.

But, if you don't want to post there, feel free to either post in this thread or PM me and I'll try to help if I can. I research obsessively for trips, so I might be able to help. Also, some friends who went to Japan a few years ago said they winged it and had a great time. Everyone there was helpful and they found it easier to get around than they expected.

Thanks.
We travel a lot, so I'm not too worried, but I wish I was a bit more prepared. Like with the train tickets, I forgot all about ordering the rail passes, and now I think it's too late.