Disneyland Tokyo...anyone know the in's and out's?

[CALIFLADY]

My company just transferred to Japan a few weeks ago (thus, I am technically no longer a California Lady). I'm in the Tokyo area (actually Yokohama). I'll be here for at least a year, probably 18 months. Does anyone know the scoop on Tokyo's Disneyland? Best times to go? Best way to do the parks? Things to avoid? How to manage with English only?

Anyone have any words of wisdom for an Expat with a love for Disney?

By the way, I think I'll keep my userid. I'm much more of a CA Lady than a Geisha Girl!

 

[beachbunny]

Maihama train stop.

By far, the least crowded day is the Monday after Golden Week. No lines.

Almost everything at TDL is in English so no worries there. Some rides have headsets with English translations.

The most popular ride at TDL is Pooh - so ride that first. It beats WDW's Pooh hands down.

After Pooh, make your way to Frontierland and make reservations for the Hoop De Doo dinner show - it includes a Japanese version of American BBQ and half the songs are in Japanese. If you've been to the one at WDW, this one's a hoot - and way cheaper.

I'd recommend staying overnight and spending at least one day at TDL and one day at DS. The Sheraton is nice - it's a Starwood hotel if you're a member - and you can book a non-smoking room - as you may have noticed by now, Japan is a smoking country. Another bonus, you can get a room overlooking Disney Sea, the castle, and Tokyo Bay. And you can book on-line in english.

Purchase tickets ahead of time - if you're staying at a Disney hotel or a Good Neighbor hotel, you can buy tickets at the bell desk.

Lastly, there's no pin trading at TDL - you can buy pins, but no trading - that's because the sharks were taking the fun out of it.

If you have any more questions, just ask.

 

[Harambe]

So CALIFLADY - what kind of a living situation are you in now? Couldn't squeeze a family of four in for free? We're neat - we're good doobies . . .


Kidding aside, it sounds like an awesome opportunity to sample another culture. Good luck!

 

[CALIFLADY]

The living conditions are great here! My company gave me a HUGE housing allowance. Since I'm single, I really didn't want to get a house equal to my allowance, frankly, because I'm too lazy to clean. Anyone in your clan of four want to clean house for me? Since you're "naturally" clean, like you say you are, this could be a good match!

The culture shock hasn't been nearly as hard as I thought it would be. Unfortunately, I don't have a huge social circle yet (and probably never will) so will probably do Disneyland Tokyo solo. I've done WDW solo, so I'll be okay. Is there another DIS'er out there in the Tokyo area who wants to do DL Tokyo together?

 

[robinb]

We had a great time in DL-Tokyo! Our lack of Japanese and their lack of English was a problem only once or twice. Since you live in Tokyo, you probably have the smiling-hand-gestures thing down by now . I agree on high-tailing it to Pooh first thing. The lines get long very early and Fast Passes are gone within the first hour. I would also recommend that you do the Jungle Cruise and the Country Bears, both of which are in Japanese only. The Jungle Cruise is exactly the same as it is in the US ... the guide thought we were nuts laughing at his jokes we couldn't understand. Also, you have not lived until you have heard giant animatronic bears sing Achy-Breaky Heart in Japanese. What a hoot! You might also want to keep your eyes peeled for unusual characters. I met Jiminy Cricket at TDL and I had to bend my knees for our picture . I have never seen him in the states or at DL-Paris.

We stayed at the Tokyo Bay Hilton on Hilton Honors Points. It was very nice, but we thought it was isolated. We had our first Tokyo sticker shock there at one of the restaurants. Depending on where you live, you may just want to take the subway/train there. I recall it was a short ride to central Tokyo.

 

[Samirella]

Originally posted by CALIFLADY
The culture shock hasn't been nearly as hard as I thought it would be.

It will be worse when you come back to the States. I lived there for six months and the culture shock when I came home was dreadful. I was afraid of everything (we never locked our doors in Japan) Americans annoyed me (I'm an American myself) and I just wanted to be back in Japan. It's such a wonderful culture and a great place to live. I am so jealous of you! Enjoy!