TDL, TDS and Beyond Trip Planning Advice

[clappyclaps]

Hey all,

Now I'm back from China, I'm looking into the feasibility of going to Japan around this time next year. The idea is that as well as doing TDL and TDS, I'll also spend time in Tokyo itself before travelling on to Kyoto and Osaka and spending some time in each. This would be my first ever trip to Japan, which is why I want to fit in Kyoto and Osaka as well.

At this moment in time, I'm just trying to get a rough idea of cost to explore the trip further.

The intention is to spend 2 full days in each Disney park, plus 2-3 days in Tokyo itself followed by 3 days in Kyoto and 4 days in Osaka (1 day for Universal).

Has anyone done a trip similar to what I'm planning and if so any advice?

I think initially what I'm looking for is any hotel recommendations in Kyoto and Osaka. I'm also debating whether to stay near to Disney (the onsite but non-Disney hotels if possible) for the entire trip at Tokyo and commute or split and stay in the city for a few nights. From what I've heard the commute is doable but I'm unsure, so any hotel recommendations for central Tokyo if I decide to split would be appreciated.

This would at least help me price up the trip as a whole. Thanks in advance!

 

[Agent 86]

If you're spending four days at the parks and only 2-3 days exploring Tokyo, I would just stay in Tokyo Bay. We've always enjoyed our stays at the Hilton there, although it has been prohibitively expensive for our most recent trips.

The commute from Tokyo Bay to "Tokyo" is fine, although the time spent commuting will obviously depend upon what you are hoping to see in Tokyo.

To minimise hotel changes, you may want to consider whether you could do day trips to Kyoto from Osaka or Tokyo on the bullet train. It may depend upon what you want to see and do in Kyoto.

 

[Kwami]

I would recommend against commuting from Disney to anywhere but Disney.

The train ride back to Tokyo Station isn't so bad, but then there's a long walk to get to any other train platforms (about 10 minutes). And then you still have to get to wherever you're going from there. I'd plan about an hour each way if you want to go from a hotel at TDR to, say, Shinjuku or Shibuya or something like that. Maybe that's OK for just a couple of days, though.

If you're going all the way to Kyoto, then plan 3 hours each way and keep in mind that the monorail at TDR does stop running at 11:30pm. Also, if you're going to use a Japan Rail Pass, then you'll need more than 3 hours each way because the Nozomi trains won't be covered without additional fees. Better to get a hotel in Osaka, Kyoto, or Kobe and only make the lengthy train journey once. You can rather easily get to any of those three cities from the others.

 

[clappyclaps]

Thank you both for your replies. I'll have to look into all of the things I want to do in Tokyo and the distance to see whether a commute to Tokyo Bay is feasible. A potential hour commute isn't something I'm unfamiliar with, so it is something I could potentially cope with for a couple days. Although initial very basic research seems to show hotels being cheaper in the city rather than at Disney, so a switch may be worth it. Any hotel recommendations in Shinjuku or Shibuya that may be suitable for a solo traveller would be welcome!

For Osaka and Kyoto, I was definitely planning on getting hotels there and only travelling to/from once. So anyone with any knowledge or recommendations on hotels there would be appreciated!

 

[nono]

Get express trains out of Maihama. Plan your first attraction so that you aren't backtracking into Tokyo Station. So like someplace in Ginza. That connector to the actual Tokyo Station is soul crushing. There's a lot of hidden gems East and Northeast of Tokyo Station, but if you want to do all the Shibuya/Shinjuku/Harajuku sites, it would be better to move closer.

 

[fatmanatee]

I did a trip where I stayed in Osaka for six nights and took the train (not bullet) over to Kyoto when I wanted to do stuff there (I also had a few day trips outside of the three cities). Bear in mind this wasn't my first trip, so I have a better feel for how I like to travel here and what I still wanted to do. Advantage is that I felt that the hotels in Osaka had more bang for the buck, and I didn't want to be constantly shuttling around my luggage. That said, you're looking at an hour long trip each way, the trip back wasn't fun because the trains could get crowded and I'd be exhausted, but I still preferred that over having to deal with luggage transport and all the built up souvenirs I was toting around.

I'd add one day for Tokyo (non Disney portion) and remove one day for Osaka though, just personal opinion. I know from one perspective it's seen as a lot of time in Tokyo, four days just for the TDL portion and then more on top, but it's worth it. It's a massive city.

 

[jimmymc]

I've done a trip including 3 days at Disney and two weeks going around the rest of central Japan.

Disney is a long commute from most areas you'd want to visit in Tokyo, so I would transfer hotels. Try to get a hotel near a station on the Yamanote line and you'll have good train access to the city.

For my trip, I stayed in Osaka the whole time and commuted to Kyoto. Hotels were a lot cheaper, and Osaka is more fun at night. The hotel I used is now closed, but the whole Namba area was fun to stay in.

 

[gelatoni fan]

You didn't mention the price of hotels that you're looking for but assuming hotels in the 150-250 USD range per night for Disney, you can't get anything similar in size or quality in Shibuya. Shinjuku does have cheaper options but rooms will generally be smaller.

If you want to avoid a hotel swap, a resonably priced, relatively convenient option is the Hotel Mets in Shin-Kiba which is about 10-15 minutes to Disney and 40ish minutes to get to the West side of Tokyo where you want to go. The Prince hotel and cheaper APA in Shiomi are also good middle options although you'd likely go through Tokyo station which can be a bit troublesome for a first time visitor.

For Osaka and Kyoto, you need to decide if you want to stay in one place and just make day trips to the other or swap hotels. Staying in Kyoto allows you to visit shrines and temples before they get too crowded while staying in Osaka convenient for getting diner and seeing things at night.

I personally like staying in Namba in Osaka although some people going to Universal and Kyoto would prefer staying near Osaka station. My default hotel for Kyoto is the Hyatt Place and I think it's a good option even for people who aren't actively involved in Hyatt's loyalty program. Some people prefer to stay near Kyoto station at hotels like the Granvia but navigating the station can be tricky for first time visitors so there's a chance you'd get lost.

 

[clappyclaps]

Thank you all! A lot for me to think about and decide.

 

[Apiary]

Japan is really a delight to travel around, this should be so much fun!

I would consider putting either TDR or your days in Tokyo at the end of your trip, so you bookend your vacation with stays close to a Tokyo airport, or fly back from Kansai airport near Osaka. We did the bookend approach, and it worked well for us. We ended our two weeks staying onsite at TDR, and then took the airport limousine bus to the airport.

The other thing we did to make train travel a little easier was to use the taqubin service to forward our big luggage between hotels. It takes two days from Tokyo to Osaka/Kyoto, so it only works if you're comfortable living out of a backpack for a couple days. For your trip, I'd probably forward it to Osaka from Tokyo, spend Kyoto with just a backpack, and then the day before you leave Osaka forward the bags back to Tokyo. I think it's about $20-30 per bag, could be cheaper. But it means you don't have to drag big luggage around train stations, and that's pretty nice.

 

[clappyclaps]

I would consider putting either TDR or your days in Tokyo at the end of your trip, so you bookend your vacation with stays close to a Tokyo airport, or fly back from Kansai airport near Osaka. We did the bookend approach, and it worked well for us. We ended our two weeks staying onsite at TDR, and then took the airport limousine bus to the airport.

The other thing we did to make train travel a little easier was to use the taqubin service to forward our big luggage between hotels. It takes two days from Tokyo to Osaka/Kyoto, so it only works if you're comfortable living out of a backpack for a couple days. For your trip, I'd probably forward it to Osaka from Tokyo, spend Kyoto with just a backpack, and then the day before you leave Osaka forward the bags back to Tokyo. I think it's about $20-30 per bag, could be cheaper. But it means you don't have to drag big luggage around train stations, and that's pretty nice.

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!

 

[Agent 86]

For the luggage transfer service, you could keep one large(r) bag and transfer the other, depending upon how you travel.

For our family, a carryon is normally insufficient, but it's still so much easier travelling between Tokyo and Osaka / Kyoto by bullet train only dragging one large suitcase (as opposed to two), especially with the pram / stroller, etc.

You will just need to check whether you need to book the large luggage seats on the bullet train. We always do this for peace of mind, especially with the pram / stroller.

 

[Kwami]

If you're looking for luggage delivery services, the usual romanization is "Takkyubin". That's technically a trademark, so you might see "takuhaibin" (宅配便) instead.

Most hotels will handle the paperwork for you at no extra charge, but be sure to ask before you arrive or when you check in. They will have a deadline for same-day or next-day delivery and it could be early. If your hotel doesn't do it, then you can try nearby convenience stores, major train stations, and airports. The most popular company is Yamato Transport Co, but Japan Post also has takuhaibin services. You might see "ta-q-bin" or a logo with a black cat and kitten on a yellow background. That's Yamato's logo.

Delivery might be two days if you're sending luggage a longer distance. You might be able to pay extra for next-day service, though.

Anyway, if you're just taking the shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka or something like that, then it might be easier to just take your luggage with you. Reserve the seats with access to the oversized baggage space if you need to. That's what we always do. Wheeling everything through the train station kind of sucks, but it's not as inconvenient as spending time to ship the luggage and then being without it for 1-2 days. We usually only use Takkyubin when we have to travel on smaller trains or something.

 

[clappyclaps]

Thanks everyone, i think potentially the oversized luggage seats on the bullet train could be an easier option but something to think about.

I finally had some time to work my way through this potential trip over the festive period and work out a rough itinerary to get an estimate on cost. I managed to get it looking like this, eyeing up going around mid-November:

• Fly from Manchester to Tokyo (ideally a flight arriving early morning)
• 4 nights staying in Tokyo Bay (not a Disney hotel)
• 3 nights Tokyo (staying in/around Shibuya/Shinjuku)
• 6 nights Osaka, commuting to Kyoto when needed
• Return flight from Osaka Kansai

Also roughly pricing up Disney tickets, Universal, bullet train and other taxis and transfers, I got the total for the entire trip including extras to around £2800. Obviously only a rough guide but it's not as bad as I was expecting.

I also looked into bookending in Tokyo and the flights work out slightly cheaper but not a lot, but it is something I'll consider nearer the time if it works out better cost wise.

I won't be booking this yet as need to get my WDW trip out of the way, but if anyone has any recommendations for reasonably priced (and decent) hotels in the Tokyo Bay area that aren't a bad walking distance from TDR I'd be really interested. While I'd love to stay at Disney, its extremely pricey and a little too prohibitive. I am considering the on-site official hotels on the monorail loop but as of when I checked, most had no availability or hadn't released rooms.

 

[Agent 86]

We love the Hilton at Tokyo Bay, but in recent years it has been unaffordable for us. Hotels are so much more expensive than what they used to be due to increased tourist demand.

I do think it's a good option for a park-based hotel, especially with the Lawson in the lobby. It's very nice just getting the monorail back to the hotel at the end of a long day at Disney as opposed to walking (or monorail from DisneySea), then catching a train with thousands of other people!

 

[gelatoni fan]

Tokyo Bay is a rather large area.

If you want to be on the monorail loop, I recommend the Hilton to most people. My personal preference is the Sheraton but the standard and grande rooms are older so you may want to book a slightly more expensive room type if you don't have Marriott status. Okura and Grand Nikko are decent Japanese brands.

Outside of the monorail loop, very few hotels are within walking distance of TDR and they wouldn't be the type of places that international visitors would generally like.

Within a couple stations of Maihama where TDR is located, I like the Hotel Mets at Shin-Kiba. If the only thing you'll ever do from the hotel is go to/from the parks, the Comfort Suites Tokyo Bay can be a good deal.

 

[Kwami]

I only stayed one night, but the Grand Nikko was really very nice. It's not very cheap, though, since it's on the monorail loop.

If you aren't staying on the loop, then it probably doesn't much matter where you stay. The train from Tokyo Station to Maihama is only about 15 minutes and it runs every few minutes. Maybe it's better to find one Tokyo hotel and just stay there instead of switching? If you did that, then staying out in Shibuya probably isn't ideal, though. And most of the hotels near Tokyo Station are either very high-end and expensive or cheapish, but very basic business hotels.

Disney does have one "value" hotel that's outside the resort area. It's not super cheap, but it's much cheaper than the other Disney hotels. Then you could take the shuttle bus to the parks. Otherwise, just look near the train stations on the Keiyo Line. There might be something in your budget range that's better than a basic business hotel.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

Recently returned from a long 3-kingdom Asia trip. We did Tokyo first— one thing I want to mention is that both parks were EXTREMELY crowded Dec 15-16– I had believed weekday 10 days ahead of Christmas (and all school breaks) would be enough but I was wrong. We actually had an unlimited ride vacation package and still spend a lot of time in lines.

If you are a decent napper (and coming from the Western Hemisphere.) I would hit the parks first before the rest of Japan… waking early is a big advantage because queuing for rope drop starts very very early (beware it will be cold), but you want to be able to stay awake long enough for the night parade and presumably the DisneySea night spectacle as well.