Disney Sea - HELP!!!

[DisCopper]

What a cool thread!!!I would love to go there someday. Don't know if I could talk DH into it though. He hates long flights.

Whoo hoo! A first! Someone called a threat that I started "a cool thread!"

Yaaa me! (just kidding)

OK, convince your husband to fly business class. Yep.. It was scary expensive, but a long, horribly boring cramped flight suddenly became a part of the vacation. We had comfortable seats, lots of space, a huge amount of movies that we could watch at our leisure (including a bunch of Disney movies), several decent meals, and a crew who waited on us hand and foot.

The flight became something that we looked forward to and also created some pretty cool vacation memories.

 

[Lynn CC]

What airline did you fly business class? We are booked with JAL economy class, it didn't look like much difference in legroom between business and economy, but now I have a feeling my 6' son will not fit between the seats in economy? Great time to think of that now that I booked already.

Whoo hoo! A first! Someone called a threat that I started "a cool thread!"

Yaaa me! (just kidding)

OK, convince your husband to fly business class. Yep.. It was scary expensive, but a long, horribly boring cramped flight suddenly became a part of the vacation. We had comfortable seats, lots of space, a huge amount of movies that we could watch at our leisure (including a bunch of Disney movies), several decent meals, and a crew who waited on us hand and foot.

The flight became something that we looked forward to and also created some pretty cool vacation memories.

 

[t-bird]

Hi all,
My DH, DD and I have been to Japan three times. DH is from Japan and is on the taller side. We tend to use American Airlines when we go over. More leg room than United or Continental. Northwest is good too if you can find a flight. Try to see if you can get a seat near the rest rooms. They have more leg room than the rest.

 

[bumbershoot]

What airline did you fly business class? We are booked with JAL economy class, it didn't look like much difference in legroom between business and economy, but now I have a feeling my 6' son will not fit between the seats in economy? Great time to think of that now that I booked already.

Hubby says that legroom isn't necessarily different, but you have more shoulderroom b/c of wider seats.

 

[Briarmom]

We're at Tokyo Disney Resort now and having a blast! We visited Disneyland yesterday and we're heading out to DisneySea now.

I hope you're having fun, too, Briarmom!!!

We had a blast!!

Have to say that I enjoyed Disneyland more than Disneysea. We didn't have bad crowds, so I know we were lucky!

I'm exhausted, but hope to write something up soon.

 

[walt's assistant]

Hubby says that legroom isn't necessarily different, but you have more shoulderroom b/c of wider seats.

Here is a web site I use to check out where the best seats are when I travel, esp overseas: Seat Guru

I was disappointed with a lot of attractions at TDS, but I really enjoyed Sinbad ! LOL

LOL...that just goes to prove the old saying "different strokes for different folks"!

You may have seen in a post above, but we thought Sinbad was the worst attraction we'd ever seen at a Disney Park. Go figure.

We had a blast!!

Have to say that I enjoyed Disneyland more than Disneysea. We didn't have bad crowds, so I know we were lucky!

I'm exhausted, but hope to write something up soon.

Looking forward it!!!

 

[Briarmom]

Here's a pic of Mickey!

 

[sbell111]

What airline did you fly business class? We are booked with JAL economy class, it didn't look like much difference in legroom between business and economy, but now I have a feeling my 6' son will not fit between the seats in economy? Great time to think of that now that I booked already.

On our trip to Japan, China, and Hong Kong, we flew in business (Premium Laurel) class on EVA. They were awesome. It was definitely the best experience that I have had with an airline ever. I would pick them over any other airline.

 

[DisCopper]

What airline did you fly business class? We are booked with JAL economy class, it didn't look like much difference in legroom between business and economy, but now I have a feeling my 6' son will not fit between the seats in economy? Great time to think of that now that I booked already.

We flew Northwest (which, I guess, is now Delta... they seemed a little confused themselves).

We were on an exit row, and there was literally 5 feet between us and the seats in front of us. Even in the other rows, there was far more legroom than you need.

The seats were pretty wide too. They laid back pretty far, but I was actually more comfortable sleeping with them only partially reclined. I just felt like I was slipping off with them all the way down.

When booking the seats, we went to www.seatguru.com It was completely accurate in the descriptions of pros and cons of seats (at least for this flight).

 

[LeeLeeLuvsDisney]

We flew United and upgraded to their Economy Plus seating. It was worth it for an extra few inches of legroom. We weren't super comfortable, but it was so much better than the cramped seats back in regular economy. The flights were smooth and on time. The food was okay. The service was good. We wanted to fly ANA or JAL, but they were much more expensive...and we definitely couldn't afford business class. Our flights were about $663 each (plus $175 each for the E+ upgrade). Business class was over $6k each.

 

[LeeLeeLuvsDisney]

Here's a pic of Mickey!

I've got the same picture, Briarmom!!! It's funny, that wasn't there the day we arrived, but when we woke up the next morning and went onto the balcony of our hotel room, there it was!

 

[LeeLeeLuvsDisney]

We had a blast!!

Have to say that I enjoyed Disneyland more than Disneysea. We didn't have bad crowds, so I know we were lucky!

I'm exhausted, but hope to write something up soon.

Yeah, the crowds were low that week. We rode pretty much everything...and some stuff multiple times. At DisneySea, we rode Journey To The Center Of The Earth 5 times in one day! It was fun.

I loved both parks. They are so different from each other. DisneySea is such a visual place...you have to explore every little nook and cranny and look at the details. It's eye candy. Disneyland is the Magic Kingdom with the rides you know and love, and all the characters, and the parades.

I loved the shows at DisneySea, they were so different and fun. But, the one that got me was Dreamlights at Disneyland...I saw the Main Street Electrical Parade many times as a little girl, and it was great to hear the music again and see some of the same floats from that old parade. I cried with joy both times I saw Dreamlights.

I, too, will write up a review soon. I'm at work, so I need to get back to catching up on everything!

 

[LeeLeeLuvsDisney]

We are going to Tokyo in Nov .Ihave been before quite a few years a go I lived & worked in Akasaka .I think we will stay in that area it is an hour to Disney but i love that area close to nice restraunts & lots of sites.We are going 8 days with 3 kids.Plan on 4 days Disney not sure other days .I would like to go to Kyoto how far is it & easiest way to get there.I t must have changed Tokyo since i was there i used to stay mainly in Roppongi American quarter good nightlife but now have kids so it will be different.I met a Japanese couple who had the most amazing pictures of Charactors in colorful costumes .I hope they have Meet N greets with some of them does anyone know any charactor meals?I broughtToyko made easy book but doesnt say thanks T

Okay, I'll get back to work after I answer this!

Akasaka to Maihama Station (TDR gateway) is approximately 40 minutes with one change of trains.

The best way to reach Kyoto (IMHO) is via the Shinkansen (high speed train). If you take the Nozomi (shinkansen with the least amount of stops), it takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes from Tokyo Station. The cost each way per person is about $80 (and costs an additional $60 if you want to reserve a seat - otherwise, you go into a train car with unreserved seats and hopefully can all sit together).

I don't recall any character meals at Tokyo Disney. There are some dinner shows, though, but you have to reserve those ahead of time on the web site, I believe.

We saw characters everywhere at both parks, especially at the front entrance area of Disneyland and Toontown. People queue up for the major characters (Mickey/Minnie), but other characters are basically mobbed and you have to just jump in there when you get a chance. We got pictures with or of a ton of characters, especially the ones we rarely see at WDW (Clarice, Scrooge McDuck, Prince Eric & Max The Dog, The Rescuers' Bernard & Bianca, etc.) We saw Mickey, Minnie, Stitch, Chip & Dale, Donald, Daisy, Peter Pan, Captain Hook, Mary Poppins, The Country Bears, Marie, and so on...and we spoke to, got pictures of or pictures with all of them...no problem.

 

[Briarmom]

Yeah, the crowds were low that week. We rode pretty much everything...and some stuff multiple times. At DisneySea, we rode Journey To The Center Of The Earth 5 times in one day! It was fun.

I loved both parks. They are so different from each other. DisneySea is such a visual place...you have to explore every little nook and cranny and look at the details. It's eye candy. Disneyland is the Magic Kingdom with the rides you know and love, and all the characters, and the parades.

I loved the shows at DisneySea, they were so different and fun. But, the one that got me was Dreamlights at Disneyland...I saw the Main Street Electrical Parade many times as a little girl, and it was great to hear the music again and see some of the same floats from that old parade. I cried with joy both times I saw Dreamlights.

I, too, will write up a review soon. I'm at work, so I need to get back to catching up on everything!

We missed the night time entertainment because we were just too tired to stay at the Parks all day. We didn't need any meltdowns from the kids!

I think the reason I liked Disneyland better was that I had a HORRIBLE headache all day at DisneySea. I just felt awful. We were really lucky that there were such low crowds (even ToT had a 5-10 min wait) so that we could experience as much as possible that day.

LeeLee, do you have long blonde hair? I saw someone with blonde hair and a cute dress on the 22nd...was that you?

 

[LeeLeeLuvsDisney]

We missed the night time entertainment because we were just too tired to stay at the Parks all day. We didn't need any meltdowns from the kids!

I think the reason I liked Disneyland better was that I had a HORRIBLE headache all day at DisneySea. I just felt awful. We were really lucky that there were such low crowds (even ToT had a 5-10 min wait) so that we could experience as much as possible that day.

LeeLee, do you have long blonde hair? I saw someone with blonde hair and a cute dress on the 22nd...was that you?

We tried to get to the parks when the opened, but only managed that 2 out of the 4 days. I think we left about 30 minutes before closing each night. We were exhausted...I can't imagine kids lasting as long as we did, so it was a smart move on your part...although the nighttime entertainment was fabulous. A good reason for you to go again someday.

We were not at the parks on the 22nd - we went to the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka and then on to Akihabara for shopping. We were in the parks on the 20th, 21st, 23rd and 24th. We were at the Sheraton the 19th-25th. I'm not blonde and I wish I had a cute dress to wear, but I'm one of those shlumpy people who would rather wear shorts or jeans than anything cute because I'm lazy about getting ready in the morning. Heheheh! I have short dark hair and wear glasses, and my hubby is blonde-haired with a goatee and wears glasses. We were both in jeans and tee shirts the whole time. I kept looking for someone with a 5 year old and 10 year old (I think that's what you mentioned), but no luck. I kept telling my husband I was going to walk up to strangers and say, "Briarmom?" just to scare him (he's a little shy).

Sorry to hear about your headache while you were at DisneySea...

 

[DisCopper]

We are going to Tokyo in Nov .Ihave been before quite a few years a go I lived & worked in Akasaka .I think we will stay in that area it is an hour to Disney but i love that area close to nice restraunts & lots of sites.We are going 8 days with 3 kids.Plan on 4 days Disney not sure other days .I would like to go to Kyoto how far is it & easiest way to get there.I t must have changed Tokyo since i was there i used to stay mainly in Roppongi American quarter good nightlife but now have kids so it will be different.I met a Japanese couple who had the most amazing pictures of Charactors in colorful costumes .I hope they have Meet N greets with some of them does anyone know any charactor meals?I broughtToyko made easy book but doesnt say thanks T

Just a note Roppongi is NOT for kids... at least at night. The main strip has very large "thugs" who essentially attack you on the corner and try to encourage you to go to a strip club. Worse, they follow you.. sometimes for blocks.

Take the kids to Pongi to see the Roppongi Hills complex during the day. Avoid it at night.

 

[Katy Belle]

What airline did you fly business class? We are booked with JAL economy class, it didn't look like much difference in legroom between business and economy, but now I have a feeling my 6' son will not fit between the seats in economy? Great time to think of that now that I booked already.

We flew Qatar airways to Osaka, economy and JAL from Osaka to Tokyo. My 6' DH and 6'1" DS13 both thought the leg room was good. Better than USA flights for sure. Any LONG flight gets cramped in any economy seat. But we fly to the USA twice a year and usually antoher 7ish hour flight somewhere... and always do economy. With 5 of us its the only way!

 

[walt's assistant]

Just a note Roppongi is NOT for kids... at least at night. The main strip has very large "thugs" who essentially attack you on the corner and try to encourage you to go to a strip club. Worse, they follow you.. sometimes for blocks.

Take the kids to Pongi to see the Roppongi Hills complex during the day. Avoid it at night.

Yes, avoid Roppongi with kids at night. It takes on more of an adult atmosphere in the evenings. Roppongi is not dangerous, though. About the worst thing that has ever happened to me was that a Chinese prostitute solicited me. She was very nice but overly persistent. Best thing to do is to keep walking (unless, of course, that sort of thing is to your liking ). Anyway, one tip I saw which works for me is to pretend to be talking on your cell phone...they will leave you alone in those situations.

 

[DizneyDogs]

some other disers pointed me to this thread and I just finished reading through it and taking lots of notes.

I am just in the beginning stages of planning a trip to Tokyo next May 2010. We are thinking of doing Disney for 4 days. I know to avoid Golden Week during the 1st weeks of May. I have been to WDW 9 times and Disneyland 8 times so this will be our first trip to a Disney Park outside the US. Is this a good time to go when crowds will be lower? We are pretty open as to when we can travel. What about weather?

What other things are must do's in Japan? We are planning on a 2 week trip. It will be myself and my husband no kids.

Also I am a picky eater and the only meat I eat is beef. Is there a website where I can find menus to the restaurants at Tokyo Disney? or what are the recommended restaurants to eat at? I figure outside of disney I will be able to find the normal chain restaurants.

We have reward points to stay at either a Hilton or Marriott haven't looked to see yet which one is closer or recommended so any help there would be appreciated too.

Also one of our favorite things to do at WDW is to go around looking at the other hotels. Is it easy to do that as well at Tokyo Disney to visit the 3 Disney hotels? Also what about shipping items home? or would we be better off just to bring an extra suitcase?

I am sure I will have more questions as I plan more LOL

 

[DisCopper]

>>What other things are must do's in Japan? We are planning on a 2 week trip. It will be myself and my husband no kids.

Other things to do in Japan... there's tons! We booked our trip through Esprit Travel & Tours. One thing that they did that was AMAZINGLY cool was set us up with a private guide for a day in Tokyo and a day in Kyoto. This was well worth it. We went to the fish market in Tokyo with a woman who owned a restaurant. She was not only able to explain the inner workings of the market, but also told us many details about the fish. Let's see... during the trip we:

- Were blessed by a Shinto priest.
- Had a private tea with the abbot of a Buddest monastary.
- Watch 20 chanting monks in a pre-dawn ceremony.
- Had a private lesson with a master calligraphy artist.
- Met with an artist who made her own paper.

You're going to have to do a lot of research to figure out what you want to do. I think I bought every travel book there is on Japan. There is a huge variety of things.

>>>Also I am a picky eater and the only meat I eat is beef. Is there a website where I can find menus to the restaurants at Tokyo Disney? or what are the recommended restaurants to eat at? I figure outside of disney I will be able to find the normal chain restaurants.

Uh... as a "picky eater," you might be in trouble. We were exposed to a great deal of raw seafood. Even when they cooked it, I would say it was undercooked. Tokyo has a massive amount of restaurants, but you're going to have to look around a little. There seemed to be a lot of English Pubs... must be a trend. Kyoto seemed to have a lot of Italian restaurants. But if you're not adventurous, you're going to have to be "careful." Fortunately, many, many restaurants have menus with pictures of their food outside.

When it comes to American chains in Tokyo, you can find almost anything in Rappongi. Without kids, you should be fine there.

For a huge splurge, I HIGHLY recommend Restaurant Omae XEX (formerly Morimoto XEX, of Iron Chef fame. Morimoto's head chef recently took it over). What an amazing experience. The food, the environment, the service... WOW.

Tokyo Disney food: although there was a Japanese slant to it, overall it seemed very similar to what you'd find at Walt Disney World. As a picky eater, you should have absolutely no problems in the Parks.

>>We have reward points to stay at either a Hilton or Marriott haven't looked to see yet which one is closer or recommended so any help there would be appreciated too.

I'm not sure about these hotels individually, but anything that's in the immediate area surrounding Disney is about the same (distance-wise anyway). They're all basically within a short walking distance or shuttle ride to the monorail.

>>Also one of our favorite things to do at WDW is to go around looking at the other hotels. Is it easy to do that as well at Tokyo Disney to visit the 3 Disney hotels?

Yes, you can easily get to the Disney hotels. You probably won't need to spend a huge amount of time there... they didn't seem to have big public areas. Although they may have a lot of rooms, they just don't have lots of space to wander around.

>>Also what about shipping items home? or would we be better off just to bring an extra suitcase?

Probably depends on the airline. We flew Northwest/Delta. On our way over, we realized that you could check two bags for free. Check with your airline to see. We bought an extra suitcase in Japan and just carted it all back with us.

TAKYUBIN
If you're going to travel around in Japan, you HAVE TO take advantage of this service. Japanese train travel isn't designed for you to carry a lot of luggage with you. There usually just isn't the space to put it on the train. It's also a pain in the rail stations. Takyubin is a luggage shipping service. They will ship your bags from hotel to hotel (or even to the airport) for about $15 per bag. We were told that even the smallest inn in the countryside will provide this service. They ship all over the country. It takes about 24 hours, so you just pack a small travel bag for your first night. I know this is a totally foreign concept to Americans, but it worked perfectly for us.

I spent a year planning our last trip... if you have other questions, please feel free to private message me. I could talk about the trip for weeks (and have).