Tokyo Disney on 2 Weeks’ Notice: Hightower Halloween Costume!

[AmandaSparks730]

Hi, Carrie!

I've been reading through your past TR's, and lurking heavily on this one!

Can you say "muy kawaii" about all the things in Japan? The stuffed animals, the packages, everything! All so, so very kawaii! Don'tcha wish you had a bunch of huge suitcases and a million dollars to take it all home with you, regardless if you needed it or not?

Looking forward to TDL/DisneySEA!

 

[simzac]

I've finally figured out this thread. The OP is trying to set the DIS board record for the longest trip report in history

 

[curiouser]

I've read this entire TR over the past half of a day and I am so sad that I have reached a point where there are no new updates! Now that the wedding is over we are planning our 1 year anniversary trip to Tokyo and I am totally geeked out over going now.

I, too, lived in London and the first thing I thought when I saw the Mitsukoshi photos was Harrods. (I was a Selfridges girl myself, though!) Something tells me I'll be spending far too much time (and money) in there.

Also, that Stitch/Angel wedding set looks an awful lot like the Donald/Daisy wedding set I bought from HK for our wedding!!

 

[Happydog]

What a wonderful adventure you have been having! The streets of the cities and areas you visited really look neat. Fun places to meander in. Now I can't wait for Disney, of course, but these have been really fun posts.

 

[kcampbell]

Wow Carrie!! I just read the entire thing! There are too many things to comment on so I won't. Instead I'll just say thanks for taking the time to post all this. I love the Japanese culture and it is on our list of countries to visit so hearing about your experiences is just fantastic! Can't wait to hear more about TDL and TDS!

 

[PopArtGal]

I'm home with a sprained ankle. I'm bored! I need an update! hehe

 

[MAGICFOR2]

I made a comment before about a Tokyo DL stay being cheap - I guess I was doing the math backwards - I just used a conversion calculator - we will still need a bigger vacation budget before we do that one.

 

[praisehisname]

That museum is amazing; I love that you got to go inside each exhibit! (I also love that you had to space out the spelling so it didn't get censored! )

Along the way I spotted…

Probably a naive question, but is it common to see places in all English like this?

I totally would have wanted to buy that, too!

Real Capybara in a Donut

You're so crazy!

And then there was the aye-aye. First, let us observe the stuffed animal version of an aye-aye:

And a photo of the real thing:

I almost choked from laughing!

 

[PopArtGal]

Somehow I prefer the REAL kapybara in a donut to the stuffed one hehe

 

[jsilvers]

Probably a naive question, but is it common to see places in all English like this?

It's very, very common to see English in Tokyo. This will mess with your mind, especially if you're fresh off the plane. But it's dangerous to assume that it actually MEANS anything. The subways/trains are almost completely bilingual in their signage, but beyond that, rely on English at your own risk. (English menus are often unintentionally hilarious - but sometimes they mean what they say. I particularly remember one restaurant's listing of "chicken crotch". Given that internal organs apparently are commonly eaten in Japan, I didn't take the risk that it was a mistranslation.)

 

[praisehisname]

It's very, very common to see English in Tokyo. This will mess with your mind, especially if you're fresh off the plane. But it's dangerous to assume that it actually MEANS anything. The subways/trains are almost completely bilingual in their signage, but beyond that, rely on English at your own risk. (English menus are often unintentionally hilarious - but sometimes they mean what they say. I particularly remember one restaurant's listing of "chicken crotch". Given that internal organs apparently are commonly eaten in Japan, I didn't take the risk that it was a mistranslation.)

Good to know! Yeah, I don't think I'd want to try that chicken dish, either!

 

[lurkyloo]

I love the look of the museum you visited. I prefer immersive experiences opposed to just looking at display after display.

Totally—that's why we skipped most of the museums in Tokyo on this trip and just focused on the interactive ones.

Love the update. You have the best trip reports! Can't wait to read about the days at Disney ahead.

Me either! I wish they'd write themselves...

So my question is, with the announcement of Pee-Wee on Broadway, does that mean that you and Patrick are bound for the East Coast sometime soon? Tell, tell, tell...

I wish we knew! Everything's still up in the air, but you can bet I'll be blabbering about it when we know...

Great update! Is it me or does the faux Dumbo in the carnival photo look like Mrs. Potts?

Going off topic for a minute -- but your TRs are creeping into my daily life. I was at the salon the other day and saw a display of new hair products and said to myself, "hey look, those are lurkyloo's wedding colors!" Then I saw the name of the line -- http://www.moroccanoil.com/index.php -- perfect!

Those are fabulous! I'll have to try not to buy them just for the colors. Also, I see the Mrs. Potts resemblance too—probably just another way to subtlely rip off Disney...

I am enjoying this TR so much! I had a lot of catching up to do...I'd been in WDW for a week!

Lucky so-and-so! That sounds wonderful!

Caught up now after being at the beach.
Love the look of Tokyo DL & all the cuteness & theming there. That line for Monsters Inc was crazy....but I love all the details in the queue. Can't wait to see more.
You sure accomplished alot on your day out & about. The cherry blossoms pics are already gorgeous & now I can't wait to see the ones where they were in full bloom.

That was the one good thing about being there during a peak season—we actually got to enjoy the thing that was making the place so crowded!

Of course I loved the update! Those pictures make me want to go to a zoo! I can't wait to see the cherry blossoms. I can just imagine how amazing they looked. Oh, and I loved Patrick's green outfit he had to wear for the shoot!

Yeah that was quite something, all right. I guess only the female puppeteers had the bright idea to wear something *under* their suits, so the guys were all self-conscious the whole time!

Great update, I was laughing like a crazy person at your commentary.

I was amazed by your restraint. I would have been snatching up all that kawaii stuff and come home having to have bought 2 new suitcases to haul it all home.

Trust me, for me, this was a spending spree. Especially when we got to Disney. Stuff I'd never look at twice in Florida was flying into my shopping bag just because it was Japanese and this was my only chance to buy it!

Another great update Carrie! I love the museum and seeing the daily life around Tokyo. Those stuffed animals were so cute. I didn't realize how cute the Japanese like things. It's seems to be everywhere you go

Yes! I love it! It must be wonderful to live in a place where absolutely everything is cute.

I don't have anything cute or quirky to say....just that I LOVED this installment of your TR!

Also, I think it's so cool that you just wandered around all on your own! I have to say, I don't know if I'd be able to do that not knowing the language at all myself! I'm very proud of you!!

Well thanks! But I'll bet that if you were there, you'd be so excited to see and do everything, you'd strike out on your own too!

Also, I cannot believe you passed up the flying squirrel for the fox... but I imagine it was quite the overwhelming situation.

Totally — the flying squirrel was my second choice, but I knew I had to put a limit on it or we'd be paying dearly at the airline check-in counter.

M.F.G. = manufacturing? lol

OOOOooooooOOOOhhhh! So *that* is what that means!

Great update Carrie! Loved the animal pictures even the not-so-cute ones, although it's hard to turn down a capybara in a doughnut. Oh a bonus points for referencing my favorite Youtube video

I couldn't believe I actually got to see an actual picture of the actual Dramatic Gopher!

Thanks to you, Lurkyloo! I giggled my way through this update and I am actually surprised that I didn't wake up my children 'cause it almost got out of control! But my mini dachshund, Daisy, did wake up from her slumber to give me a "what the heck" look!

My apologies to Daisy... I hope you have a fabulous time at Disneyland—you're going to be here just in time for all the good stuff that's coming up for summer!

Rockin update again!! I am becoming more and more convinced that japan is a place i would love to visit...as long as i do not run into any Aye-Aye!!

Yes, I think they should have warning signs at the border.

And you were able to only buy 1 stuffed animal? I admire you. I think I would have bought more lol

I am a huge sucker for stuffed animals, but then I feel guilty after I buy them because what in the heck am I gonna do with them?

Hi Carrie! I loved the museum tour - thanks for sharing. The 1950s home looked just like the 1980s homes I saw in Okinawa. The whole front of the house would slide open and if you walked by you could see in - couldn't help but be curious.

That is so neat—the one thing I want to be sure we do when we go back is see more homes and rural areas of the country.

Carrie, once again may i say how brave i think you are to galavant all around by yourself.
The aye-aye.....bwahahahahahahahaha
I am certain that is something i will pull into conversation.
"whew she just gave me the aye-aye stare!"

I love it!

AWESOME update! I just love reading all about your adventures! I cannot WAIT to hear more about Disney - mostly because I want to go there SOOOOO much it makes my eyes hurt!

Well after you've recovered from Disneyland PARIS you should start planning a trip!

Great update Carrie, good work on slipping a wedding photo in.

Was it too obvious?

Real capybara in a real donut? AHAHAHAHA

And he looks none too pleased to be that donut!

I also don't have anything even close to clever to say, so I'll just say this... so so so funny!!! Thanks for doing this, yours are really the BEST trip reports!

I have learned when checking out a Lurkyloo update to put off taking a sip of the Dr. Pepper until I am done reading!

Dr. Pepper strikes again! Thanks for the kind words.

Can you say "muy kawaii" about all the things in Japan? The stuffed animals, the packages, everything! All so, so very kawaii! Don'tcha wish you had a bunch of huge suitcases and a million dollars to take it all home with you, regardless if you needed it or not?

Um, yes. AND I would need a solid-gold house in which to display it all!

I've finally figured out this thread. The OP is trying to set the DIS board record for the longest trip report in history

It's not intentional! I think I have a clinically diagnosable disorder relating to photos. This thing would be waaaay shorter if I didn't take so dang many!

I, too, lived in London and the first thing I thought when I saw the Mitsukoshi photos was Harrods. (I was a Selfridges girl myself, though!) Something tells me I'll be spending far too much time (and money) in there.

Exactly! I loved all the big department stores in Tokyo cuz they reminded me of the ones in London, especially Harrod's!

Also, that Stitch/Angel wedding set looks an awful lot like the Donald/Daisy wedding set I bought from HK for our wedding!!

So cute! What a great idea!

What a wonderful adventure you have been having! The streets of the cities and areas you visited really look neat. Fun places to meander in. Now I can't wait for Disney, of course, but these have been really fun posts.

Oh good — I'm glad you're enjoying them!

Wow Carrie!! I just read the entire thing! There are too many things to comment on so I won't. Instead I'll just say thanks for taking the time to post all this. I love the Japanese culture and it is on our list of countries to visit so hearing about your experiences is just fantastic! Can't wait to hear more about TDL and TDS!

Nice to see you over here! I can't believe you read the WHOLE thing in one go. Glad to know you're enjoying, though!

I'm home with a sprained ankle. I'm bored! I need an update! hehe

Oh no! I'm sorry to hear that. I'm typing as fast as my fingers will go....

I made a comment before about a Tokyo DL stay being cheap - I guess I was doing the math backwards - I just used a conversion calculator - we will still need a bigger vacation budget before we do that one.

Dang! But if it makes you feel any better, at Disney, it's only the hotel prices that are insane. Tickets are actually cheaper than in the US parks, and souvenirs and food cost about the same as in Florida (and less than in California).

That museum is amazing; I love that you got to go inside each exhibit! (I also love that you had to space out the spelling so it didn't get censored!)

I know, right? Silly DIS Boards....

Somehow I prefer the REAL kapybara in a donut to the stuffed one hehe

I love how grouchy he looks, like he's sooooooo put-out to have to be sitting in a giant delicious donut.

It's very, very common to see English in Tokyo. This will mess with your mind, especially if you're fresh off the plane. But it's dangerous to assume that it actually MEANS anything. The subways/trains are almost completely bilingual in their signage, but beyond that, rely on English at your own risk. (English menus are often unintentionally hilarious - but sometimes they mean what they say. I particularly remember one restaurant's listing of "chicken crotch". Given that internal organs apparently are commonly eaten in Japan, I didn't take the risk that it was a mistranslation.)

Oh my goodness! I guess we were lucky to mostly eat at places with plastic versions of our food to inspect beforehand.

 

[lurkyloo]

Hi gang!

This afternoon we and every other 25-to-35-year-old in LA are going to the Hollywood Bowl to see Flight of the Conchords, so although I'm furiously typing away on the update, I won't have time to finish it and post it until tomorrow.

Let's see if I can dig up a good photo to tide you over... OK, here's one of my favorite's that Patrick took in Tokyo Disney Sea.

Arabian Coast and Mermaid Lagoon

 

[PopArtGal]

That picture is beautiful!

Btw, I am planning a trip to Disneyland (in the next few years hehe). So I was thinking. What guide, or guides would you recommend?

 

[praisehisname]

I *love* Flight of the Conchords! Enjoy!

 

[kcampbell]

Nice to see you over here! I can't believe you read the WHOLE thing in one go. Glad to know you're enjoying, though!

What can I say...insomnia + hilarious writing + awesome pictures = a fast couple of hours of reading!

 

[lurkyloo]

That picture is beautiful!

Btw, I am planning a trip to Disneyland (in the next few years hehe). So I was thinking. What guide, or guides would you recommend?

Well, of course I am biased, but if you're a super planner like me, you can't beat PassPorter's Disneyland Resort and Southern California Attractions. Actually, come to think of it's that's the only book I've read cuz we've never really needed a guidebook.

I would recommend checking out www.micechat.com, which is kinda like The DIS for Disneyland instead of Disney World. Those people know *everything*!!!

I *love* Flight of the Conchords! Enjoy!

We are the boom kings!

What can I say...insomnia + hilarious writing + awesome pictures = a fast couple of hours of reading!

 

[lurkyloo]

Today was Patrick's last day of shooting on the commercials. Since he hadn't stumbled in til 3 that morning, we had time to go to breakfast before he was due back at the studio that day. We decided to see what a traditional American breakfast looked like in Japan, and the guy at the hotel desk suggested a chain called Jonathan's. I have heard it likened to Denny's, but it was way nicer than the last Denny's I went to!

We still couldn't get over seeing smoking sections in restaurants. As if smoke wasn't going to come billowing into the non-smoking section through those two wide-open doorways!

Now this, I liked—you just ring the bell any time you want service. Think how much waving and hollering of "Honey! HONEY!!!" that would have saved my grandmother…

Self-serve beverage station—10 different flavors of tea but no hot chocolate.

At first glance, it appears to be a typical American breakfast…

…But why only a shot-glass' worth of syrup?

Breakfast was pretty good. The pancakes had the consistency of bread, and there was only half a piece of flabby bacon, but the hash browns were AMAZING! Thanks are again in order for the Portuguese, no doubt. Plus, the single tiny piece of bacon was more than made up for by…

SLAB o' TOAST!!!

Knife: [muffled] "Uh, guys? A little help…?"

Gotta love a place where a bird nest is considered front-page news!

I was very excited to see that Jonathan's accepts PASMO/Suica as payment!

According to the guidebook, there was a shrine just up the street from our hotel, so on our way back, we stopped in for a peek.

I'm sorry—I've rotated this picture all the way around twice, and I still can't find an orientation that won't make you woozy…

Looks like that traffic cone is trying to insinuate its way into an exhibit on the evolution of the lantern

 

[lurkyloo]

The present Hie-jinja Shrine was built in 1967, but it has existed at various spots in the area since 830. It's a Shinto shrine dedicated to Oyamakui-no-kami, who protects against evil, and in about 2 weeks it will host the Sanno Matsuri festival, one of the most important in Tokyo.

When we were there, I caught a glimpse of the first of four weddings I would see that day!

Another interesting thing about this shrine is that it was the command center for a 4-day rebellion in 1936, when 1,400 soldiers attempted to wrest power from the increasingly military-controlled government and return it to the emperor.

But the most interesting thing about the shrine to me was that they supposedly let chickens roam the place! But we didn't get to see any…

If that other photo didn't make you woozy, this one sure will!

After that Patrick went on his way to the photo shoot, and I grabbed a train to Tokyo Disneyland!

Apparently Hugh Jackman means "sexy" in ANY language!

This time I was headed to Tokyo Disney to get a tour of the wedding facilities from the Director of Resort Operations and the General Manager of Hotel Miracosta. This was very exciting because I got to peek at three real weddings and was even escorted inside Tokyo Disney Sea for the very first time in order to see a Gondola Wedding processional.

However, if I paste those 200 photos into this update, I will break this message board, so if you're interested, you can read the mini-trip report about it here:


http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2438502


After a whirlwind tour covering Mira Costa, Tokyo Disney Sea and the Ambassador, my hosts deposited me back at Mira Costa and I decided to treat myself to lunch in the hotel.

There's one check in desk for both Silk Road (upscale Chinese food) and Oceano (Mediterranean combo buffet and table service). Oceano's buffet looked like it would be my cheapest option, but I took some pictures of Silk Road first!

I am not a huge fan of buffets, but I'd been excited about Oceano ever since I saw a picture of the inside.

Hmmm… that pic doesn't really do it justice—lemme borrow Jack Spence's shot:

It turns out the restaurant has two separate seating areas. The one pictured above is for those who order the buffet. Behind it is another area where you sit if you're ordering a set menu or a la carte.

The ceiling of the buffet seating area:

The table-service area:

I wish I'd snapped a picture of the menus, but as I recall, the set lunch menu was about $52/person, while the lunch buffet was a mere $37/person. Because I am a rabid comparison shopper, I'm sure I did the math on the a la carte options and the buffet still worked out the cheapest.

Off to the buffet!

If you're a meat-atarian, you can pretty much pass on this entire section of the buffet

 

[lurkyloo]

Not-so-Hidden-Mickeys!

There will be more about the dessert display later—consider this your amuse bouche!

I adored the silverware rest! I wish they had them over here—I can't be the only one out there who shudders when they put silverware directly on a table that's just been swiped with a dirty rag.

I got a little bit of everything…. everything except vegetables!

OK, on my second pass I felt guilty and got some vegetables…

And some more Beef Wellington with an adorable pastry Pooh! Hmmm…. That didn't come out right… Oh boy, now I'm just making it worse!

I also ate this.

So the verdict on the food was… pretty dang good! There was nothing that really stood out and made me think I simply had to come back, but it was all fresh and warm and tasty. The baked goods were all textbook examples—the croissants were especially flakey and delicious. I'm gonna chalk that one up to the apparent fascination with French pastry.

It was also a great way to try a bunch of unfamiliar things with no commitment and always have a fallback, so I'd recommend it for picky/wary eaters.

During lunch I caught my first close-up glimpse of Duffy mania. The two women seated next to me had quite a collection amassed on the banquette. While one of them was at the buffet, another diner came over and asked if she could take a picture of the Duffys but was told, "They aren't mine—you'll have to wait until she gets back and ask her." Huh?! So of course then I was bound and determined to get my own, unauthorized shot of them!

Mission accomplished!

What happened next was sheer dumb luck and, I think, the universe taking pity on me for my previous ill-planned visit to Tokyo Disneyland. In fact, had I known such a thing existed, I would have spent all day agonizing over timing everything perfectly so I'd be inside the restaurant at precisely the right moment, but instead the opportunity just dropped in my lap. A waiter came around and announced that the daytime water show Legend of Mythica was about to take place inside Tokyo Disney Sea, and we were all invited to go out to the restaurant's exclusive viewing platform!

My first (and might I add "wrong") instinct was to skip it so that I wouldn't spoil the surprise of seeing it with Patrick on our first real day inside the park. But then the last few days flashed before my eyes—riding Monsters Inc, bumming around Ikspiari, going into TDS for a wedding—and I realized "In for a penny, in for a pound!"

This isn't a very good pic, but it shows you where everything is in relation.

OK, so, I'm always on about how the only Disney park entertainment I like is fireworks, and I never waste time watching any of the various other shows, from parades to the various theatrical productions in the parks to the castle and street shows, etc. Well, I don't know if it was the music or the spectacle or just finally getting to experience Tokyo Disney Sea in person, but Legend of Mythica so captivated me that I was almost in tears. Aaaaannnd I took 90 pictures. Gulp!

The show is almost 30 minutes long, though. If you follow these links, you can see the best video I was able to find on YouTube (broken into 4 parts). If you don't have half an hour of your life that you never want back, just play the first video in the background for the music as you scroll through the pictures I took.


Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpExcqSJnOU

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtgN8e_BIpk

Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wVY2411vZU

Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLsHC26hwGg


OK, first there was this beautiful fountain…

…And then there were fireworks!

…And then there were crazy Jet-ski guys!

…And then I remembered my camera had zoom!

(Sorry the lighting's so bad in these—the only part of the Disney Experience that the Oriental Land Company is not able to control is the trajectory of the sun!)

…And then these super-elaborate floats came out!

… And the floats had PEOPLE on them!