Planning Recommendations for 1st timers to TDL/TDS

[Mike_M]

I didn't see a sticky for this topic (Hopefully this will go that way) and was looking to get some information that would be helpful in determining expectations and what kinds of preparations would be needed for a TDL trip; especially things that are different from planning a stateside trip (i.e. typical costs involved [is it around the same as DLR or expect to pay more/less?], language barriers and how to deal with them, average trip length to get a good visit [2-3 Days total for both parks or more?], lodging, transportation, and anything else unique to TDL/TDS).

I'm familiar with much of the planning gotchas for both DLR and WDW but what do I need to plan for that is specific to TDL?

 

[ChrisFL]

I've only been once so I can't be a lot of help but here's a few tips:

I'd reccomend a 3 day pass, TDR is unique in that if you buy a 2 day pass, you can't park hop and you have to tell them which park on which day you'll be going to...if you buy a 3 day pass, you can only park hop on the third day.

Believe me there's PLENTY to see in 3 days, and you still may not see everything in the parks. Tickets are I believe about the same as DLR, slightly less than WDW (Though I haven't been to DLR since 2005)

I think a 3-day park pass is about $140?

Language barriers...in the parks you probably won't have much trouble, especially for basic questions. Have your park map ready though to point at stuff, if you need to find something, just in case

The CM's and from what I've found, most Japanese people are extremely friendly and helpful, even if they don't speak english, so don't be afraid to approach someone

Honestly you will get a lot more info from checking out the Micechat.com message boards for Tokyo Disney, there are many members there who go to the parks constantly and can give you good tips.

 

[LeeLeeLuvsDisney]

I didn't see a sticky for this topic (Hopefully this will go that way) and was looking to get some information that would be helpful in determining expectations and what kinds of preparations would be needed for a TDL trip; especially things that are different from planning a stateside trip (i.e. typical costs involved [is it around the same as DLR or expect to pay more/less?], language barriers and how to deal with them, average trip length to get a good visit [2-3 Days total for both parks or more?], lodging, transportation, and anything else unique to TDL/TDS).

I'm familiar with much of the planning gotchas for both DLR and WDW but what do I need to plan for that is specific to TDL?

I agree with ChrisFL that the Micechat board is one of the best places to get lots of detailed, invaluable information for planning a trip to TDR. But, I'd also like to post some info here since the Disboards are so busy and hopefully others who may not want to visit Micechat can get some info here. These are just my personal observations and how I planned our trip, so use whatever works for you!

One of the first things we did was determine the best time of year to visit TDR and Japan. This varies for everyone depending on your situation! For us, we are an adult couple and could go anytime. We're from Florida and didn't want to go when it was cold. We were looking for low crowds and decent weather. We looked at the historical weather for Japan as well as school calendars (TDR is nuts when school's out) and national holidays. We also looked at the calendars for the Disney hotels (Miracosta, etc.) - they list Value season, Peak season, etc. That helped us determine what weeks Disney was expecting lower crowds. We also looked at the list of scheduled closings for attractions. We ended up going the 3rd week of April...we missed TDL's anniversary and the cherry blossoms, unfortunately, but the crowd level was low and the weather was pretty good (60's during the day) and we were able to ride Pooh's Hunny Hunt as it was coming out of refurb.

Language barriers are small, both on and off TDR property. The Japanese are extremely helpful. Signage is very often in English and Japanese, not only at TDR, but also all around the country. The key is to learn a few key polite phrases in Japanese, like hello, please and thank you. Beyond that, you can rely on hand gestures (nice ones!) and pointing to get your idea across. Also, at TDR, there are often a few cast members who speak a little English...if a cast member doesn't understand you, they will run and get someone who might be able to communicate better with you.

Trip length - we did two days at each park and found it sufficient to see almost everything. I suggest no less than 3 days total, as ChrisFL recommended!

Cost - tickets are less expensive than WDW. Food prices seemed equivalent to WDW and DL, but the quality and selection are much better. Souvenirs are also priced similarly, but you will rarely see a t-shirt or some of the other types of souvenirs that are popular in the U.S. TDR caters to the locals and they like things like character ears, danglers for their cell phones and bags, and elaborately packaged food items (cookies, candies, etc.). We still found enough cool stuff to almost fill our extra suitcase, though!

Hotels - on property Disney-run hotels (there are 3) are extremely expensive! Even in the value times, I believe the cheapest Disney hotel is about 27,000 yen a night ($295 at today's exchange rate). There are 6 hotels at TDR that are "official" hotels and have bus service to a monorail station. They also sell park tickets in the lobby, which is convenient. The two most popular with Westerners are the Sheraton and Hilton. We stayed at the Sheraton. By pre-paying for our room, it cost us $170 a night. Our room was huge and had a view of the parks from our balcony. We just took the monorail to and from the parks.

By the way, the monorail is NOT free! You have to buy tickets. We got passes that allowed unlimited rides for a certain number of days. It was less about $20 each for about 6 days worth of unlimited rides.

There are also less expensive hotels in nearby neighborhoods. Some of these hotels are under $100 a night. You can take public transportation to the parks. Trains are inexpensive, frequent, and are without fail "on-time, every time". You can also do the taxi thing, too (more expensive!) If you want to stay more in central Tokyo and travel to TDR, there are tons of hotels there ranging from cheap capsule hotels and hostels to fancy five-star high rises...just be prepared for a travel time anywhere from 20 minutes to over an hour, depending on what neighborhood you're in and how many transfers you need to make on the trains.

Okay, I've babbled enough for now...hopefully the information is somewhat helpful. I've only been once, so others probably know more than me...but I did do about 6 months of research (daily!) so I "think" I know a little bit!

One more thing, the official Tokyo Disney Resort web site is very helpful, too...lots of info there: http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/index_e.html

 

[Mike_M]

This is great info Thanks all!

 

[LeeLeeLuvsDisney]

I want to mention one more thing about the monorail...if you are not staying on TDR property, and you travel there by train, you will need to get off at Maihama Station (on the Keiyo or Mushashino train lines) for TDR. Once there, you do NOT need to ride the monorail to get to either park. You can walk. So, don't feel that you need to buy monorail tickets if you are staying off site.

The monorail is convenient, however, if you are staying at one of the three Disney hotels, or one of the 6 "official" hotels - the official hotels are located more towards the back of the property, along the water, and IMHO, it's the best way to get to the parks as well as Maihama Station.

 

[TokyoDina]

I didn't see a sticky for this topic (Hopefully this will go that way) and was looking to get some information that would be helpful in determining expectations and what kinds of preparations would be needed for a TDL trip; especially things that are different from planning a stateside trip (i.e. typical costs involved [is it around the same as DLR or expect to pay more/less?], language barriers and how to deal with them, average trip length to get a good visit [2-3 Days total for both parks or more?], lodging, transportation, and anything else unique to TDL/TDS).

I'm familiar with much of the planning gotchas for both DLR and WDW but what do I need to plan for that is specific to TDL?

Expect to pay around the same prices for food at TDL and TDS. Other than that EVERYTHING in Japan is expensive. So be prepared for that. Expect to use your fastpass for the E-Ticket rides more so for the cute ones. There aren't really that many language barriers and most signs in Japan are in English but it doesn't hurt to bring a Japanese/English dictionary with you. My biggest secret and at least from what I have experianced the 6 times I've been to TDL and the 4 times I've been to TDS is once it gets dark the park begins to become deserted. The Japanese like to spend time with family at night time. So when DH and I went we wouldn't get up until noon and then head to the parks because we stayed about an hour away in Hirou we'd get there around 1pm and then hit the parks. We never had a problem getting on rides at all once it got dark. The Japanese LOVE the characters so be prepared for long waits to take pictures. All the characters in the parks are English speaking as well just in case you didn't know.

If you are planning on using the metro I'd recommend buy a pass rather than just purchasing tickets for it. Cause 130yen one way will begin to add up and they take on more yen the farther you travel.

If you are a rope drop kind of person.....make sure to let the Japanese go first because otherwise they will trample you! I tried rope drop one time there and said yeah let's never do this again. Once those gates open everyone runs into the park like a chicken with their head cut off. I mean it's crazy!

If you are staying off resort you'll have to catch the metro to Maihama station. Then get on the monorail to get to the parks and you have to take the monorail to travel inbetween both parks. The monorail is cool cause it has Mickey Ears.

But other than that have fun! Be ready for the difference in the theming for some of the rides like ToTT and have fun! I love it there and I hope I get another chance to go!

 

[LeeLeeLuvsDisney]

My biggest secret and at least from what I have experianced the 6 times I've been to TDL and the 4 times I've been to TDS is once it gets dark the park begins to become deserted. The Japanese like to spend time with family at night time. So when DH and I went we wouldn't get up until noon and then head to the parks because we stayed about an hour away in Hirou we'd get there around 1pm and then hit the parks. We never had a problem getting on rides at all once it got dark. The Japanese LOVE the characters so be prepared for long waits to take pictures. All the characters in the parks are English speaking as well just in case you didn't know.


If you are a rope drop kind of person.....make sure to let the Japanese go first because otherwise they will trample you! I tried rope drop one time there and said yeah let's never do this again. Once those gates open everyone runs into the park like a chicken with their head cut off. I mean it's crazy!

But, the Rope Drop Marathon is soooo fun!!!!!! We did it one day at TDL since Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek had just opened. We are not morning people, so we were like 50 people back in line at the turnstile. Once we got in, we sprinted with hundreds of other people and lined up for a long wait JUST TO GET A FASTPASS for the ride! It was a great experience, though...one everyone should do once because it's just "so TDR". Heheh!

I agree with the fact that the crowds thin out at night. Also don't be afraid to go in bad weather...it's less crowded then, too. We rode sooo many rides at TDS one day because it was raining and no one was there.

Trying to get to the characters is difficult...no one lines up, there's no order at all. People just jump in. People surround the characters. It's pretty nuts. Just go with the flow. We got more character pictures at TDS (fewer people around) and just took a lot of pictures of the characters at TDL instead of trying to get in the picture with them.

 

[Mike_M]

Has anyone brought kids with them to TDR? we have two (DS 7, DD 4) and as of this upcoming summer will have been to DLR (DS 3rd Trip, DD 1st). Are the attractions that are in Japanese going to be confusing for them because of the language / cultural differences or is it just as fun for them regardless?

Also, how is TDS for kids? I've read that it's advertised more as a couples park than a family one.

 

[LeeLeeLuvsDisney]

Has anyone brought kids with them to TDR? we have two (DS 7, DD 4) and as of this upcoming summer will have been to DLR (DS 3rd Trip, DD 1st). Are the attractions that are in Japanese going to be confusing for them because of the language / cultural differences or is it just as fun for them regardless?

Also, how is TDS for kids? I've read that it's advertised more as a couples park than a family one.

Mike - we are soon-to-be first-time parents and did not have children with us on our trip to TDR, but here are some observations about TDS for kids based on the fact that we plan to visit again someday with our child(ren).

My opinion is that there is enough to do at TDS for kids to warrant at least one day's visit. It is a different park with a totally different vibe from TDL. It is more adult, but there ARE things for kids as well.

Firstly are the shows. There was a "Meet and Smile" show in the morning while we were there where a bunch of characters performed and welcome everyone to the park. The afternoon show, Legend of Mythica, would be fun for kids with music and characters and other cool stuff. And there are other shows there.

Secondly are the characters. At TDL, characters were mobbed and it was hard to get near them. At TDS, it was less busy and so we were able to interact with various characters. We met Marie, Chip & Dale, Pocahontas, Cruella DeVille, Goofy, Donald Duck, etc. The face characters there (like Pocahontas) speak English and it was fun to banter with them.

Thirdly are the attractions. There are a decent number of attractions that are perfect for younger kids. Kids would enjoy exploring Fortress Explorations. Also, the 20,000 Leagues ride in Mysterious Island would probably be fun for them, too. The entire Mermaid Lagoon section is geared towards kids. There are multiple rides there, including a mini coaster, and there's a big play area with ladders to climb and rope bridges. There's also a great show (that we missed because it was in refurb, but I heard it's nice). In the Arabian Coast, Sinbad's Voyage is great for kids - a boat ride with songs and a cute story. There's a double decker carousel. Also, the show in Magic Lamp Theater is fun - just find a cast member (or they might find you first) and they will give you a little handheld device that tells the story in English.

Bottom line - TDS is the best themed park I've ever seen. Every nook and cranny was well thought out and designed to look amazing. I think there's enough to keep kids interested for a day so that you, too, can enjoy this amazing park. In my opinion, it's not to be missed.

 

[TokyoDina]

Has anyone brought kids with them to TDR? we have two (DS 7, DD 4) and as of this upcoming summer will have been to DLR (DS 3rd Trip, DD 1st). Are the attractions that are in Japanese going to be confusing for them because of the language / cultural differences or is it just as fun for them regardless?

Also, how is TDS for kids? I've read that it's advertised more as a couples park than a family one.

To add on to what LeeLee said it can be a great experience for kids. I don't have any but I can't count how many times I've been pulled over by characters in the park to take pictures with. That's how I got most of my character pictures.

TDL is more targeted for kids. The rides are in Japanese but some rides are in English. The Little Mermaid show in TDS is fantastic. I'm a cheater cause I can understand Japanese but your kids would know all the songs since they are sung in English. It's kind of strange hearing everything in Japanese but I don't think it would take away from the experience.

 

[simzac]

I agree with ChrisFL that the Micechat board is one of the best places to get lots of detailed, invaluable information for planning a trip to TDR. But, I'd also like to post some info here since the Disboards are so busy and hopefully others who may not want to visit Micechat can get some info here. These are just my personal observations and how I planned our trip, so use whatever works for you!

One of the first things we did was determine the best time of year to visit TDR and Japan. This varies for everyone depending on your situation! For us, we are an adult couple and could go anytime. We're from Florida and didn't want to go when it was cold. We were looking for low crowds and decent weather. We looked at the historical weather for Japan as well as school calendars (TDR is nuts when school's out) and national holidays. We also looked at the calendars for the Disney hotels (Miracosta, etc.) - they list Value season, Peak season, etc. That helped us determine what weeks Disney was expecting lower crowds. We also looked at the list of scheduled closings for attractions. We ended up going the 3rd week of April...we missed TDL's anniversary and the cherry blossoms, unfortunately, but the crowd level was low and the weather was pretty good (60's during the day) and we were able to ride Pooh's Hunny Hunt as it was coming out of refurb.

Language barriers are small, both on and off TDR property. The Japanese are extremely helpful. Signage is very often in English and Japanese, not only at TDR, but also all around the country. The key is to learn a few key polite phrases in Japanese, like hello, please and thank you. Beyond that, you can rely on hand gestures (nice ones!) and pointing to get your idea across. Also, at TDR, there are often a few cast members who speak a little English...if a cast member doesn't understand you, they will run and get someone who might be able to communicate better with you.

Trip length - we did two days at each park and found it sufficient to see almost everything. I suggest no less than 3 days total, as ChrisFL recommended!

Cost - tickets are less expensive than WDW. Food prices seemed equivalent to WDW and DL, but the quality and selection are much better. Souvenirs are also priced similarly, but you will rarely see a t-shirt or some of the other types of souvenirs that are popular in the U.S. TDR caters to the locals and they like things like character ears, danglers for their cell phones and bags, and elaborately packaged food items (cookies, candies, etc.). We still found enough cool stuff to almost fill our extra suitcase, though!

Hotels - on property Disney-run hotels (there are 3) are extremely expensive! Even in the value times, I believe the cheapest Disney hotel is about 27,000 yen a night ($295 at today's exchange rate). There are 6 hotels at TDR that are "official" hotels and have bus service to a monorail station. They also sell park tickets in the lobby, which is convenient. The two most popular with Westerners are the Sheraton and Hilton. We stayed at the Sheraton. By pre-paying for our room, it cost us $170 a night. Our room was huge and had a view of the parks from our balcony. We just took the monorail to and from the parks.

By the way, the monorail is NOT free! You have to buy tickets. We got passes that allowed unlimited rides for a certain number of days. It was less about $20 each for about 6 days worth of unlimited rides.

There are also less expensive hotels in nearby neighborhoods. Some of these hotels are under $100 a night. You can take public transportation to the parks. Trains are inexpensive, frequent, and are without fail "on-time, every time". You can also do the taxi thing, too (more expensive!) If you want to stay more in central Tokyo and travel to TDR, there are tons of hotels there ranging from cheap capsule hotels and hostels to fancy five-star high rises...just be prepared for a travel time anywhere from 20 minutes to over an hour, depending on what neighborhood you're in and how many transfers you need to make on the trains.

Okay, I've babbled enough for now...hopefully the information is somewhat helpful. I've only been once, so others probably know more than me...but I did do about 6 months of research (daily!) so I "think" I know a little bit!

One more thing, the official Tokyo Disney Resort web site is very helpful, too...lots of info there: http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/index_e.html

Thanks for you great info. 2 questions for you, first, I'm looking at going to TDR this coming May 15-22. Are the Tokyo schools still is session then? And where do you purchase the weekly passes for the monorail? TIA

 

[LeeLeeLuvsDisney]

Thanks for you great info. 2 questions for you, first, I'm looking at going to TDR this coming May 15-22. Are the Tokyo schools still is session then? And where do you purchase the weekly passes for the monorail? TIA

As far as I know, school is in session at that time. I think the only school holidays in May are during the first week.

Monorail passes can be purchased as single tickets, or as 1-day, 2-day, 3-day or 4-day passes. There are machines located at each of the monorail stations to make your purchase. They are pretty easy to use. The day passes are for unlimited rides during the specified date(s). Also, around the time we visited, they were in the process of adding the ability to use a Suica or PASMO card to pay for monorail rides as well, so I think you can do that now. We would have purchased the monorail passes even if we could have used our Suica card...it's a nice souvenir.

 

[jsilvers]

Also, around the time we visited, they were in the process of adding the ability to use a Suica or PASMO card to pay for monorail rides as well, so I think you can do that now.

Yes, Suica/Pasmo now works.

 

[dee slack]

wow! what useful info here. We're looking to tour Japan in May and take in Disney of course! Is there a particular day of the week that should be avoided? It'll be the last week of May for Disney.

 

[LeeLeeLuvsDisney]

wow! what useful info here. We're looking to tour Japan in May and take in Disney of course! Is there a particular day of the week that should be avoided? It'll be the last week of May for Disney.

Avoid weekends.

 

[walt's assistant]

Yes, Suica/Pasmo now works.

Hallelujah!

wow! what useful info here. We're looking to tour Japan in May and take in Disney of course! Is there a particular day of the week that should be avoided? It'll be the last week of May for Disney.

Weekends, especially in the evenings, can be a challenge. I tried to get in the major attractions before the crowds got too heavy, and found myself relying on Fastpass more in the afternoon/evening.