Please help, plane tickets have been bought...but nothing planned yet for Tokyo Disneyland/Sea & Universal Osaka, feeling a bit overwhelmed !

[WWWD10]

Hello! This will be my second time in Japan (visited 15 years ago), but my first time at the parks in Tokyo/Osaka. This trip will also mark my fourth ever Disney park trip...Feeling a little nervous, not gonna lie, should have may be researched a little bit before impulse buying plane tickets ...Below is my plan so far, please let me know if this makes any sense. Thank you in advance

[Next year, May 2025]
May 27th - Morning train from Kyoto > Osaka: Explore Osaka

May 28th - Universal Osaka & Train to TDL (made reservations at Grand Nikko Bay):
Store luggage somewhere (?) and head to Universal Osaka in the morning, and spend 1/2 day there
...I am not sure how far in advance to buy the tickets, but was thinking of buying an all access pass from Klook?
THIS EVENING TAKE THE TRAIN TO TOKYO DISNEYLAND (...is this even possible? it's 4hrs from Osaka to Tokyo so if I left Osaka at around 5pm I could make it to Maihama by 10pm?)...is half a day there even enough?
I can still cancel Nikko if I can get lucky later and get one of the hotels inside the park but I am overwhelmed by this process and don't know when is the earliest time I can login to make an attempt at MiraCosta...

May 29th - Tokyo Disneyland: Have not bought tickets, but again was going to purchase from Klook? I thought I would make the line at 8am to get in and then head right to Beauty and the Beast...Not sure if I get early access as I am staying at the NIKKO...once there I will buy as many LL as I am allowed.

May 30th - Tokyo Disney Sea: Get there at 8am and spend the day at the park...really bumbed that I can't seem to figure out how to secure entrance to Fantasy Springs

May 31st - Free morning and afternoon: Flight to US departs at 5pm so perhaps spend the morning exploring the shopping area or maybe spend the morning in one of the parks (Maybe Sea?)

As I understand it, TDL doesn't work like the parks in the US so I will can't plan for LL until I am literally inside the park (which I find heart attach inducing but I'll roll with it)

Thanks again in advance, I look forward to your thoughts on how I can maximize my time in the Japan parks!

 

[Joyful!]

May 30th - Tokyo Disney Sea: Get there at 8am and spend the day at the park...really bumbed that I can't seem to figure out how to secure entrance to Fantasy Springs

For a good chance at getting either the DPA or SP for Fantasy Springs, you will need to arrive earlier than 8am (unfortunately).

For guaranteed entry to the FS area, you'll need to either stay at the FS hotel and buy the FS passport or get a vacation package.

 

[WWWD10]

For a good chance at getting either the DPA or SP for Fantasy Springs, you will need to arrive earlier than 8am (unfortunately).

For guaranteed entry to the FS area, you'll need to either stay at the FS hotel and buy the FS passport or get a vacation package.

Thank you! How early would you recommend arriving? Also, I had heard somewhere that you might be able to get into FS without a VP if immediately after entering the park you manage to grab an LL for one of the rides in there...is this not accurate?

 

[Joyful!]

Thank you! How early would you recommend arriving? Also, I had heard somewhere that you might be able to get into FS without a VP if immediately after entering the park you manage to grab an LL for one of the rides in there...is this not accurate?

Before 7am just to be safe. Yes, try get DPA/SP for FS on your app as soon as you enter the park (this is precisely the reason why everyone gets to Sea insanely early these days).

 

[WWWD10]

Before 7am just to be safe. Yes, try get DPA/SP for FS on your app as soon as you enter the park (this is precisely the reason why everyone gets to Sea insanely early these days).

Thank you, I appreciate the help! We will try to get in at around 6am to be safe (adding to my itinerary now so everyone knows to rest up before hand haha)

 

[Agent 86]

We will try to get in at around 6am to be safe (adding to my itinerary now so everyone knows to rest up before hand haha)

On our recent (weekday visits):

- first day - arrived around 7:30am, park opened "early" around 8:30am, finally entered the park around 9:15am and managed to buy Premier Access for Rapunzel, get a (free) Standby Pass for Peter Pan (NB: when we went to use it, Peter Pan was unfortunately closed) and get a restaurant reservation at Arendelle. It took around 45 to 60 minutes to do all this as the app was really slow. We tried constantly refreshing the app during the day and between 12 and 12:30pm, Frozen kept coming up as being "available", but whenever we tried to buy Premier Access tickets we got an error message. By the time I walked all the way to Guest Services and tried to explain the issue, they simply said that it was "sold out"; and

- second day (NB: it rained ALL day) - arrived around 8am, park opened "early" around 8:45am, entered the park around 9am and managed to buy Premier Access for Peter Pan, get a (free) Standby Pass for Tinkerbell and get a restaurant reservation at Snuggly Duckling. Sometime between 12 and 12:30pm, through constant refreshing of the app, we also managed to buy Premier Access for Frozen.

What are you hoping to do at USJ? Just walk around? Or are you hoping to buy Express Passes for one or more rides?

 

[WWWD10]

On our recent (weekday visits):

- first day - arrived around 7:30am, park opened "early" around 8:30am, finally entered the park around 9:15am and managed to buy Premier Access for Rapunzel, get a (free) Standby Pass for Peter Pan (NB: when we went to use it, Peter Pan was unfortunately closed) and get a restaurant reservation at Arendelle. It took around 45 to 60 minutes to do all this as the app was really slow. We tried constantly refreshing the app during the day and between 12 and 12:30pm, Frozen kept coming up as being "available", but whenever we tried to buy Premier Access tickets we got an error message. By the time I walked all the way to Guest Services and tried to explain the issue, they simply said that it was "sold out"; and

- second day (NB: it rained ALL day) - arrived around 8am, park opened "early" around 8:45am, entered the park around 9am and managed to buy Premier Access for Peter Pan, get a (free) Standby Pass for Tinkerbell and get a restaurant reservation at Snuggly Duckling. Sometime between 12 and 12:30pm, through constant refreshing of the app, we also managed to buy Premier Access for Frozen.

What are you hoping to do at USJ? Just walk around? Or are you hoping to buy Express Passes for one or more rides?

Wow, that sounds like quite the process! I hope my quick LL fingers come in handy when the time comes.
I was hoping to hit a few rides, though it seems it’s better to go in with low expectations.

For DL: Pirates, Beauty & the Beast, Pooh Hunny Hunt, Baymax

For DS: Journey to the Center of the Earth, Tower of Terror, Indiana Jones, Pans Neverland

…and honestly haven’t even thought about restaurants…will we be ok with just quick service?
Thank you for the help !

 

[Agent 86]

For DL: Pirates, Beauty & the Beast, Pooh Hunny Hunt, Baymax

For DS: Journey to the Center of the Earth, Tower of Terror, Indiana Jones, Pans Neverland

…and honestly haven’t even thought about restaurants…will we be ok with just quick service?

Pirates is easily achievable, you can buy Premier Access for Beauty and the Beast and Baymax and you should be able to get a (free) 40th Anniversary Priority Pass for Pooh (IF they're still available), so that's all fine.

Indiana Jones offers a single rider option in a worst case scenario, Journey and Tower of Terror should both be doable with paid Premier Access (depending upon timing). Peter Pan will be questionable, but it's generally available as either paid Premier Access or free Standby Pass for a while after opening. Frozen is the hardest one to get in Fantasy Springs.

We predominantly went to quick service restaurants. They do offer "mobile ordering" which can reduce wait times. But, we also sometimes just ordered at the counter.

You only need to seriously consider restaurants within Fantasy Springs as you can only eat there if you have access to the area due to holding a Premier Access ticket or Standby Pass for one of the rides within the area. You can only place a mobile order for a time that you're permitted to be in Fantasy Springs.

 

[nono]

May 28th - Universal Osaka & Train to TDL (made reservations at Grand Nikko Bay):
Store luggage somewhere (?) and head to Universal Osaka in the morning, and spend 1/2 day there
...I am not sure how far in advance to buy the tickets, but was thinking of buying an all access pass from Klook?
THIS EVENING TAKE THE TRAIN TO TOKYO DISNEYLAND (...is this even possible? it's 4hrs from Osaka to Tokyo so if I left Osaka at around 5pm I could make it to Maihama by 10pm?)...is half a day there even enough?
I can still cancel Nikko if I can get lucky later and get one of the hotels inside the park but I am overwhelmed by this process and don't know when is the earliest time I can login to make an attempt at MiraCosta...

OK for this part...from Shin-Osaka Station to Tokyo Station is 2 hrs 30 min. This is Nozomi Service, which is a few times per hour, I believe. If you are thinking JR Pass and Nozomi isn't included, that's true, but use a trip calculator to see if JR Pass is really worth it to you now.

Anyway, door-to-door, Universal City Station to Maihama Station, you could leave on a 5:07 pm train and arrive at Maihama Station at 8:46 pm. The walk from the Shinkansen to the part of Tokyo Station where you pick up the Keiyo Line to Maihama Station is long at night. And then 20 min to Maihama, and then one last connection to whichever hotel around the area you end up at. I would plan to take a taxi from Tokyo Station directly to whichever hotel, and at 8:46 pm, traffic should be ok.

 

[DizneyLizzy]

I really recommend buying Chris's (the TDR Explorer's) books. His TDR one was super helpful, and I loved that it was PDF so I could screenshot sections I'd want to reference in the parks.

 

[WWWD10]

Pirates is easily achievable, you can buy Premier Access for Beauty and the Beast and Baymax and you should be able to get a (free) 40th Anniversary Priority Pass for Pooh (IF they're still available), so that's all fine.

Indiana Jones offers a single rider option in a worst case scenario, Journey and Tower of Terror should both be doable with paid Premier Access (depending upon timing). Peter Pan will be questionable, but it's generally available as either paid Premier Access or free Standby Pass for a while after opening. Frozen is the hardest one to get in Fantasy Springs.

We predominantly went to quick service restaurants. They do offer "mobile ordering" which can reduce wait times. But, we also sometimes just ordered at the counter.

You only need to seriously consider restaurants within Fantasy Springs as you can only eat there if you have access to the area due to holding a Premier Access ticket or Standby Pass for one of the rides within the area. You can only place a mobile order for a time that you're permitted to be in Fantasy Springs.

You're amazing! Thank you for the help, I am taking notes

 

[WWWD10]

I really recommend buying Chris's (the TDR Explorer's) books. His TDR one was super helpful, and I loved that it was PDF so I could screenshot sections I'd want to reference in the parks.

He's amazing, I've been watching his videos online <3

 

[WWWD10]

OK for this part...from Shin-Osaka Station to Tokyo Station is 2 hrs 30 min. This is Nozomi Service, which is a few times per hour, I believe. If you are thinking JR Pass and Nozomi isn't included, that's true, but use a trip calculator to see if JR Pass is really worth it to you now.

Anyway, door-to-door, Universal City Station to Maihama Station, you could leave on a 5:07 pm train and arrive at Maihama Station at 8:46 pm. The walk from the Shinkansen to the part of Tokyo Station where you pick up the Keiyo Line to Maihama Station is long at night. And then 20 min to Maihama, and then one last connection to whichever hotel around the area you end up at. I would plan to take a taxi from Tokyo Station directly to whichever hotel, and at 8:46 pm, traffic should be ok.

Actually this was giving me so much anxiety I decided to rework our whole trip and now there is much more flexibility. Instead we now have a free day in Kyoto where we can take the train back to Tokyo at any time, so since we have really decided to slow things down I don't think we will need a whole multiday JR pass (we will be 4 days in tokyo, 5 in kyoto, 1 night in Osaka and 4 in TDL. )...so i think I will purchase roundtrip bullet train tickets from Tokyo to Kyoto and vice versa...not sure how smart that is as the 7 day JR pass is $388 and this will cost $200...but seeing what options are available.

Thank you for taking the time to work that out above it was super helpful, and it would have been very stressful for me to be running around that late at night, if you have more insight on the above feel free to share, applying advise in real time haha. We are hoping for a slow/calm trip, we will be doing day trips from Kyoto and Tokyo rather than overnights at smaller cities/villages along with visits to the parks