TDL, TDS and Beyond Trip Planning Advice

[clappyclaps]

@wanderlust7 and @gelatoni fan thank you. I hadn't come across the Kansai-Hiroshima pass so far so I'll definitely look into that. And appreciate the trip re staying in Nagoya the night before, that's a great idea and something I hadn't considered.

And my plan is to fly back home from Osaka. I looked into going back to Tokyo but there wasn't much difference so figured I'd save myself the return to Tokyo.

 

[dunkindonut]

Going in November, doesn't seem like much as changed since last time I went luckily.

 

[clappyclaps]

Hey all,

Another random question for you - is November a better time to visit TDR than June?

My original plan is for this November, however I have a special birthday next June and would like to go on a special holiday - this would certainly fit the bill if I delayed a little! My initial thoughts though is that November would be better as June wouldn't be ideal due to the rainy season (I hate the rain) and crowd calendars (mid-week) appear to be not too dissimilar either month. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated!

 

[Agent 86]

Summer in Tokyo is no joke. The heat and humidity are absurd!

I would personally avoid June / July if possible. November is quite lovely, although I don't mind the cold.

In terms of crowds, they were still there even in the mega heat of July. That's just the way it is with Tokyo Disney. It might have been a little quieter in the evenings, for the last hour or two. But, nothing too dramatic.

 

[wanderlust7]

November should be nice. You can see fall leaves. I'd go then instead of June if I wasn't tied to the school schedule. We went in fall before many years ago before kids. Went to a nighttime illumination event at Kiyomizu-dera that was beautiful with the leaves lit up.

 

[clappyclaps]

Thank you both, that is as I expected so I think I'll stick with my original plan and find somewhere else for my special birthday!

 

[Psymonds]

I hadn't thought about book ending in Tokyo, and while it means going back to Tokyo, might make the flights a bit cheaper and easier so that's definitely something I'll look into.

And I'll have a look at the taqubin service too. Have to admit I'm not a pack light kind of person so living out of a backpack could be difficult but certainly will look into, thank you!

one of the things I've leaned over the years is always end in the place you're most anticipating.

e.g., after Berlin, Munich can be a let down, but if you do Munich first, not so much; now it doesn't always work out but such is life.

 

[nono]

November was great in 2023. A couple of photos from that trip. It was pretty warm.

 

[clappyclaps]

November was great in 2023. A couple of photos from that trip. It was pretty warm. View attachment 1054062View attachment 1054063

Looks glorious! That's my ideal holiday weather

 

[clappyclaps]

Hey all,

Bit of an update following my previous posts. I'm still looking into this trip and am hoping to get properly stuck into it once I return from my upcoming Universal/WDW trip next month. What could be a potential blocker is the current conflict in the Middle East, as most of the flights from my city connect in Dubai or Qatar. There are alternatives, but these are a lot more expensive and paired with the fact that hotel prices seem to have gone up more than I'd like in the past few months, this trip may be little cost prohibitive this year. Unfortunately I've got a lot of adult jobs to sort in my house this year that I may have to prioritise! I'll see. If not this year then 2027 for sure.

As an aside, I wanted to ask about the queues at TKL and TDS. I've seen a lot of very horrific social media posts showing queues getting into the parks hours before the parks even open, and similar for rides. However I've also seen others saying they've gone to the parks 15 minutes after opening times and have hardly queued to get in at all.

I struggle with queues as I suffer from what I like to call an anxious bladder (always worry about needing the loo even when I don't, leading me to going more), and it's proven to need a bit of juggling on previous trips as I don't have others to rely on to hold my place in the queue. So TDL and TDS queues do worry me!

If I go on a weekday Monday to Thursday in November, realistically how bad might the queues be? Both to get in to the parks and the rides themselves? Just wondering whether I'd need to factor in some extra money for lightning lanes etc.

 

[Keladry84]

I struggle with queues as I suffer from what I like to call an anxious bladder (always worry about needing the loo even when I don't, leading me to going more), and it's proven to need a bit of juggling on previous trips as I don't have others to rely on to hold my place in the queue. So TDL and TDS queues do worry me!

If I go on a weekday Monday to Thursday in November, realistically how bad might the queues be? Both to get in to the parks and the rides themselves? Just wondering whether I'd need to factor in some extra money for lightning lanes etc.

For an idea of the queue lengths, I'd suggest downloading the Tokyo Disney app and periodically checking the times for the rides that you are interested in - I did this for a couple of months before my trip, so I had a good idea of what to expect.

In general, the rides with lightning lanes tended to regularly have long waits, between 45-90 minutes. The rides without them tended to mostly be under 30 minutes, with many averaging around the 15-20 minute mark. This was pretty consistent every time I checked, and also what I found in reality on the ground when there.

For that time period in November specifically, you could also google the historic ride wait times - I know there are several sites that have this data.

If you are interested in any of the rides with lightning lanes, I absolutely would factor in the cost of purchasing a couple of them - I also have difficulty with queues, and would not have had access to these otherwise.

 

[gelatoni fan]

Hey all,

Bit of an update following my previous posts. I'm still looking into this trip and am hoping to get properly stuck into it once I return from my upcoming Universal/WDW trip next month. What could be a potential blocker is the current conflict in the Middle East, as most of the flights from my city connect in Dubai or Qatar. There are alternatives, but these are a lot more expensive and paired with the fact that hotel prices seem to have gone up more than I'd like in the past few months, this trip may be little cost prohibitive this year. Unfortunately I've got a lot of adult jobs to sort in my house this year that I may have to prioritise! I'll see. If not this year then 2027 for sure.

As an aside, I wanted to ask about the queues at TKL and TDS. I've seen a lot of very horrific social media posts showing queues getting into the parks hours before the parks even open, and similar for rides. However I've also seen others saying they've gone to the parks 15 minutes after opening times and have hardly queued to get in at all.

I struggle with queues as I suffer from what I like to call an anxious bladder (always worry about needing the loo even when I don't, leading me to going more), and it's proven to need a bit of juggling on previous trips as I don't have others to rely on to hold my place in the queue. So TDL and TDS queues do worry me!

If I go on a weekday Monday to Thursday in November, realistically how bad might the queues be? Both to get in to the parks and the rides themselves? Just wondering whether I'd need to factor in some extra money for lightning lanes etc.

The Christmas event starts on November 11 this year. Once the event starts, lines to get in to the park get longer but lines for top rides usually get shorter due to people waiting for the seasonal parade and food.

Buying Premier Access is definitely an option but it might not solve the queuing issue for DisneySea, especially if you aren't staying at hotel with early entry into the park. That's because premier access for Frozen often sells out very early in the day so chances of being able to buy it are slim if you don't either line up outside for park open or go in during early entry which also requires you to wait outside before park open. Single rider may be the best way to avoid the standby queue if you don't want to spend money on a hotel with early entry or a vacation package.

November crowds tend to be on the bigger side so arriving 15 minutes after park opening and getting in quickly is more common for June, especially on days when rain is expected. I would expect waits of 50-90 minutes for Tinker Bell in DisneySea whose only effective line skips are going right at the beginning of early entry or going with a vacation package. With Premier Access, Priority Pass and Single Rider, most other attractions can be done with less wait than that.

 

[clappyclaps]

Thank you both. I'd checked crowd calendars a while back and they seemed to suggest my proposed dates would have fairly "normal" crowds across both parks, although checking back to November 2025 for historic crowds, these definitely weren't normal! And having just checked the historic ride wait times, the high numbers in here fill me with dread.

Is there another time of the year where weather might be vaguely decent (i.e not typhoon or rainy every day) and crowds are likely to be on the lower side compared to November? Or am I chasing the holy grail here that I'll never find?
I maybe need to rethink how I do my trip or rethink where I stay potentially to take advantage of any vacation packages etc, even if it costs a lot more. This is probably a once in a lifetime trip for me so want to make sure I do it right!

Out of interest, with a vacation package could you do a park in a day or would you still need longer?

 

[gelatoni fan]

Thank you both. I'd checked crowd calendars a while back and they seemed to suggest my proposed dates would have fairly "normal" crowds across both parks, although checking back to November 2025 for historic crowds, these definitely weren't normal! And having just checked the historic ride wait times, the high numbers in here fill me with dread.

Is there another time of the year where weather might be vaguely decent (i.e not typhoon or rainy every day) and crowds are likely to be on the lower side compared to November? Or am I chasing the holy grail here that I'll never find?
I maybe need to rethink how I do my trip or rethink where I stay potentially to take advantage of any vacation packages etc, even if it costs a lot more. This is probably a once in a lifetime trip for me so want to make sure I do it right!

Out of interest, with a vacation package could you do a park in a day or would you still need longer?

I like February for the low crowds and lower hotel prices. There's a small chance of high winds causing cancelled fireworks and modified parades but it doesn't make the park miserable as long as you don't hate the cold.

September can be good some years but it can also be too hot other years. So there may be a chance of modified parades due to heat and rain.

Late May is a safer bet than June for the weather but I'd still consider it riskier than February and September due to the chances of rain cancelling an outdoor show.

I think even with a vacation package, it's nice to have another day in each park, especially if you really want to go on all the rides and see all the major shows.

 

[Keladry84]

Out of interest, with a vacation package could you do a park in a day or would you still need longer?

For Disneyland, absolutely. For Disneysea, only if you made some hard choices about things you were willing to miss out on. I ended up purchasing 1 evening ticket for Disneysea to finish out what I couldn't do during the 1 vp day. The 1 vp day + evening ended up being perfect to accomplish everything that I wanted.

Without the VP, I probably would have needed 2 full days for both parks to accomplish the same, especially when factoring my needs regarding accessing rides, breaks, and other factors. This might not be true for everyone if they are able to manage the longer waits or be more flexible with rope drop, time in the park, etc., so you might get different answers depending on people's touring styles and ability. There probably are others on here who will say it's possible to do it all in 1 day - and most likely for them it actually is.

In case you are curious how much 'upcharge' a vp package would cost (in my case the unlimited package):

I pretty much went with the cheapest unlimited VP for my dates (Toy Story 1 night, no extra dining reservations) and stayed in the cheapest nearby non-Disney hotel the night before/after to cut down on cost. I also tracked while there everything that I got through the VP and afterwards added up what all of it would have cost to purchase out of pocket on my dates - I was curious what the 'upcharge' was for the package.

It ended up being $287 USD more than if I had bought each thing individually. So $287 is basically what I paid for the convenience and flexibility. That's quite a lot, but then without it I probably would have needed to spend more days at TDL, so more hotel nights, and less days to spend experiencing other things in Japan. With that factored in, it was actually cheaper to go with the package than add on extra days.

So it really just depends - what all do you actually want to do in the parks, how long do you have in Japan, and how much are you willing to compromise re time, days, cost, etc.

I usually don't splurge for perks or other things, and when I do, I have to plan very carefully to offset the costs. This was one time that for me was definitely worth it. It may or may not be the case for you, as it will depend on what it is you want to get out of your time in the parks, and how much you want to 'see/do it all' vs. be comfortable with possibly/probably missing out on some things if you aren't able to catch the lower waits or get the lightning lane.

 

[clappyclaps]

I like February for the low crowds and lower hotel prices. There's a small chance of high winds causing cancelled fireworks and modified parades but it doesn't make the park miserable as long as you don't hate the cold.

September can be good some years but it can also be too hot other years. So there may be a chance of modified parades due to heat and rain.

Late May is a safer bet than June for the weather but I'd still consider it riskier than February and September due to the chances of rain cancelling an outdoor show.

I think even with a vacation package, it's nice to have another day in each park, especially if you really want to go on all the rides and see all the major shows.

Thanks. February doesn't sound too bad, I can handle cold and wind - would prefer it to rain and bigger crowds! And if the hotel prices are cheaper than even better.

For Disneyland, absolutely. For Disneysea, only if you made some hard choices about things you were willing to miss out on. I ended up purchasing 1 evening ticket for Disneysea to finish out what I couldn't do during the 1 vp day. The 1 vp day + evening ended up being perfect to accomplish everything that I wanted.

Without the VP, I probably would have needed 2 full days for both parks to accomplish the same, especially when factoring my needs regarding accessing rides, breaks, and other factors. This might not be true for everyone if they are able to manage the longer waits or be more flexible with rope drop, time in the park, etc., so you might get different answers depending on people's touring styles and ability. There probably are others on here who will say it's possible to do it all in 1 day - and most likely for them it actually is.

In case you are curious how much 'upcharge' a vp package would cost (in my case the unlimited package):

I pretty much went with the cheapest unlimited VP for my dates (Toy Story 1 night, no extra dining reservations) and stayed in the cheapest nearby non-Disney hotel the night before/after to cut down on cost. I also tracked while there everything that I got through the VP and afterwards added up what all of it would have cost to purchase out of pocket on my dates - I was curious what the 'upcharge' was for the package.

It ended up being $287 USD more than if I had bought each thing individually. So $287 is basically what I paid for the convenience and flexibility. That's quite a lot, but then without it I probably would have needed to spend more days at TDL, so more hotel nights, and less days to spend experiencing other things in Japan. With that factored in, it was actually cheaper to go with the package than add on extra days.

So it really just depends - what all do you actually want to do in the parks, how long do you have in Japan, and how much are you willing to compromise re time, days, cost, etc.

I usually don't splurge for perks or other things, and when I do, I have to plan very carefully to offset the costs. This was one time that for me was definitely worth it. It may or may not be the case for you, as it will depend on what it is you want to get out of your time in the parks, and how much you want to 'see/do it all' vs. be comfortable with possibly/probably missing out on some things if you aren't able to catch the lower waits or get the lightning lane.

Thank you, knowing the additional cost comparison for VP is really useful and actually not as bad as I would've expected.

For me, my time in the parks tends to be spent seeing and doing as much as possible, including trying lots of food. I'm not bothered about character meets, parades, fireworks etc. My priority is the the rides, seeing all the lands and the food. And from a rides perspective, I wouldn't cry about missing any of the really kiddie rides or those that are duplicates from other parks, but in an ideal world I'd prefer to do them.

What time of year did you go @Keladry84? Was it over the summer?

Sounds like I've got a lot more to research and to plan!

 

[Keladry84]

Thanks. February doesn't sound too bad, I can handle cold and wind - would prefer it to rain and bigger crowds! And if the hotel prices are cheaper than even better.

Thank you, knowing the additional cost comparison for VP is really useful and actually not as bad as I would've expected.

For me, my time in the parks tends to be spent seeing and doing as much as possible, including trying lots of food. I'm not bothered about character meets, parades, fireworks etc. My priority is the the rides, seeing all the lands and the food. And from a rides perspective, I wouldn't cry about missing any of the really kiddie rides or those that are duplicates from other parks, but in an ideal world I'd prefer to do them.

What time of year did you go @Keladry84? Was it over the summer?

Sounds like I've got a lot more to research and to plan!

I was there in early July. Not the most ideal time because of the heat, but it worked out.

Keep us updated with your planning - it’s hard to get everything decided, but in some ways it’s also half the fun because of looking forward to going and learning so much about the place!