Tokyo Disney Resort Discussion Thread

[MicrosoftExcel 0]

KT especially loves the Happy Magic Rooms they offer!

 

So did we. My group, 3 adults, ended up in a Happy Magic Room. Maybe it was the only three bedroom room available? We're not entirely sure still, but the Happy Magic Rooms were the most memorable part of the trip. Was fascinated the mirror.

[Nrthwnd 53]

I think I'd still be curious about riding TDS' Toy Story Midway Mania, considering the two parks practically crap all over the American versions of.... etc. And I seem to remember they really worked at making it look like Andy's bedroom, including everybody going under the bed! This is still true? If so, awesome! And honestly, queueing for the DCA (original) version of it, isn't all that exciting. It's all mainly outdoors, and if you're lucky, Mr.Potato Head will be spieling (spieling?) for your queueing entertainment. He was "Backstage" when I rode TSMM over a year ago, i.e.not operating.

 

Just a reminder that everything TDLR copies from the U.S., doesn't necessarily mean you should skip it... i.e. Tower of Terror...?

[Rollercoaster Rider 0]

I think I'd still be curious about riding TDS' Toy Story Midway Mania, considering the two parks practically crap all over the American versions of.... etc. And I seem to remember they really worked at making it look like Andy's bedroom, including everybody going under the bed! This is still true? If so, awesome! And honestly, queueing for the DCA (original) version of it, isn't all that exciting. It's all mainly outdoors, and if you're lucky, Mr.Potato Head will be spieling (spieling?) for your queueing entertainment. He was "Backstage" when I rode TSMM over a year ago, i.e.not operating.

 

Just a reminder that everything TDLR copies from the U.S., doesn't necessarily mean you should skip it... i.e. Tower of Terror...?

 

 

My problem with Toy Story Mania is that it's exhausting pulling the thing and Buzz/Justice League is better.

[SharkTums 135]

^^Sure the queue is different, but the ride itself is an exact clone (albeit in Japanese). Tower of Terror is not a fair comparison as the RIDE is different as well as the queue and reshow. I've ridden Mania a couple of times at Disney Sea but won't in the near future when they have such other amazing DIFFERENT rides that I can't ride in the states.

[MayTheGForceBeWithYou 5]

^This. Even with Indiana Jones being a clone of California's for the most part, the ride itself is different just enough to be its own thing unlike TSM (and Soarin' when that opens).

[gerstlaueringvar 0]

Definitely skip Pooh, it’s exactly the same as the one in MK, Disneyland, HKDL and SHDL for sure.

[Nrthwnd 53]

I can agree with all of the above about TSMM. But TDL's Pooh is the only trackless version of the others in the other MKs.

So I would not skip riding Pooh's Hunny Hunt at all. But skip all the others because....Trackless > Tracked.

 

Edited November 11, 2017 by Nrthwnd

[LDedios432 0]

^ I can agree with all of the above about TSMM. But TDL's Pooh is the only trackless version of the others in the other MKs.

So I would not skip riding Pooh's Hunny Hunt at all. But skip all the others because....Trackless > Tracked.

 

 

I'm definitely aware about TDL's Pooh being vastly superior to all of the Pooh rides in the world, so it's high on my list!!

 

I used to intern for Eddie Sotto back when he was at Progress City in Santa Monica, and am a big fan of his work. I can't miss Pooh's Hunny Hunt, for sure!

[Nrthwnd 53]

^ And don't forget to do a HollyDaze Trip Report here, when you get back, from enjoying yourself so/too much!

 

...And you might run into your very own FanGurls, like myself, Mike, and Peter did in TDS, back in the TPR 2007 Japan Tour!

Here's Mike with them. Really sweet young women, no English spoken, but we had fun just trying to say "Hello!"

And they got a kick out of finding out we were from 3 different countries! Canada (me); USA (Mike); Sweden (Peter).

[Nrthwnd 53]

^^Sure the queue is different, but the ride itself is an exact clone (albeit in Japanese).....

 

Hmmm. Then, maybe they could put a "Chicken Exit" (like Space Mountain?)

after the queue, so I can get out and not have to ride it again?

 

---------------------------------------------*

 

Just discovered, at http://www.tdrexplorer.com ~ they've posted two maps of the parks, where "Winter Hot Drinks & Soups" can be found.

 

Awesome idea, for visiting during the Winter Season! And some very nice drink combinations as well as soups to be found, too!

Here's the map for Tokyo Disneyland. I'm betting that the "Backwards C" is for the Hot Drinks. (o;

And here's the one for Tokyo DisneySea. (o:

Creamy Curry Soup: ¥310 ~ In TDS at Sultan's Oasis ~ Yum!

Hot Ginger Lemonade: ¥340 ~ In TDL at Camp Woodchuck Kitchen.

Recent work photo(s) posted also at tdr, on the Fantasyland Expansion. Taken from Tokyo Bay Hilton.

[MayTheGForceBeWithYou 5]

^For anyone looking that over, the characters on the map refer to either the first syllable of what they're selling (コ=ko=cocoa, ス=su=soup, ニ=ni=Nemo specialty), or if a shop has a shop-specific specialty drink (店, e.g. Camp Woodchuck's lemonade）. The other symbols show where the D's Delights (the D cup) and seasonal Christmas drinks (the tree) are sold.

[Nrthwnd 53]

^ Awesome! Thanks for sorting out which is what! I really wasn't too sure about that backwards C,

anyway. And I believe the Christmas Tree spots was for the cider they're selling. Yum!

Christmas Special Hot Drink (Apple & Cinnamon): ¥400

[appel 0]

Hey,

 

I recently booked a flight to Haneda Airport to visit Tokyo Disney, my most wanted park trip ever.

I will be staying either at Ambassador Hotel or the Hilton.

 

I know I picked one of the busiest times, but I have strong reasons for that:

 

First I wanted to make sure, that all the headliner attractions are open, that is one of the biggest points!

Another reason is my job schedule.

 

The holidays are on April, 29th (Sunday) and May, 3rd until 5th (Thursday-Saturday).

 

I plan to visit DisneySea on April, 30th and May, 3rd, Disneyland on May, 1st and 2nd, 2018.

The crowd calendar shows that 3 of those days have normal crowds (yellow coloured means 30.000 people) and it predicts a crowded day on May, 2nd (red means 50.000 people).

I am prepared for long wait times for rides (2-3 hours), food or restrooms. I will be at the entrance at least one hour before opening.

 

So has anybody experienced the parks during that time frame?

Would love to hear some thoughts.

Is it really that heavy in terms of crowds?

I assume I can wait to buy park tickets until check-in as the two mentioned hotel options would guarantee admission, right?

[Nrthwnd 53]

I don't know much about those particular holiday periods, but if you check with...

 

http://www.tdrexplorer.com

 

They cover a lot of the questions you might want to ask, in terms of crowds, weather, etc.

Star Wars' "Feel The Force" merch and snacks at TDL. Dec. till mid-March, 2018! Montage from tdrexplorer.com Thanks!

[MayTheGForceBeWithYou 5]

Can testify from living out there last summer that Golden Week is one of the few times Japanese workers have extended time off, so pretty much any tourist/day-trip destination is going to be packed. I deliberately avoided Tokyo Disney those days and did what is ordinarily a fairly quiet day trip from Tokyo, only to find myself in a sea of people (took 20 minutes to walk down a 500 foot street, admission to a local attraction had a line stretching at least three hours: three weeks later it was pretty empty). I can only imagine how much worse the Disney parks were that day.

 

Weekdays should be a little better, but those holidays constitute one of the busiest times of the year in Japan for anything tourism related. All I can really say is have a pretty solid plan set out ahead of time and hope for the best.

[Nrthwnd 53]

^ What he said. And I add that Golden Week is supposedly The Week To Avoid at All Cost, in TDLR.

It's just everybody on holiday, all over Tokyo. So the crowds are massive. Everywhere.

Outside Star Tours, 9:06am ~ TPR 2013 Japan Tour.

[appel 0]

First I want to thank you all for your feedback!

 

I have been to Disneyworld and Disneyland Paris 4 times and 2 times at Disneyland Anaheim (I recently visited all of them in 2017!).

 

I do not care for shows, Buzz, Toy Story, Nemo, the small Fantasyland Rides or Star Tours at Tokio Disney.

I will pack some snacks and water, so that I do not have to stand in line for meals.

So my plan looks like that (assuming to be at the entrance at least 1 hour before opening):

 

April, 30th: Disney Sea with 25,000 other people (normal corwds)

08-09am: get FP for Journey

09-11am: Journey stand-by

11-12am: get FP for 20,000 Leagues

12-03pm: Tower stand-by

03-04pm: Indy single rider

04-05pm: Raging Spirits single rider

05-06pm: Sindbad stand-by

06-07pm: FP Journey

07-08pm: FP 20,000 Leagues

time left: 2 hours until closing

 

May, 1st: Disneyland with 35,000 other people (normal crowds)

08-09am: get FP for Monsters (one ride is enough for me as I am no into Monsters)

09-11am: BTM stand-by

11-12pm: get FP for Space Mountain

12-02pm: Mansion standy-by

02-03pm: Splash single rider

03-05pm: Pirates stand-by

05-07pm: Jungle Cruise stand-by (only if time permits)

07-08pm: FP Monsters

08-09pm: FP Space Mountain

time left: 1 hour until closing

 

May, 2nd: Disneyland with 35,000 other people (normal crowds)

08-09am: get FP for Pooh

09-11am: Pooh stand-by

11-12pm: get FP for BTM

12-01pm: Splash single rider

01-03pm: Space Mountain stand-by

03-04pm: Mark Twain (only if time permits)

04-06pm: Western Railroad (only if time permits)

06-08pm: Roger Rabbit (missed the one in Anaheim but will only do it if time permits)

08-09pm: FP Pooh

09-10pm: FP BTM

 

May, 3rd: Disney Sea with 37,000 other people (crowded but not as heavy as TDL)

08-09am: get FP for Tower

09-11pm: Journey stand-by

11-12pm: get FP for Journey

12-01pm: Ragings Spirits single rider

01-02pm: Indy single rider

02-03pm: Transit Steamer

03-04pm: Electric Railway

04-05pm: FP Tower

05-06pm: FP Journey

time left: 4 hours until closing

 

As you can see, my priorities are Journey, Tower, Indy, Raging Spirits, Splash, Space, BTM and Pooh which I want to do at least 2 times each. I like the classics (Mansion and Pirates) and the relaxing rides as well (so that I can enjoy the atmosphere and look around).

 

Again, if there is enough time, I might do the Gondolas at Disney Sea or explore the Mermaid Lagoon or the Treehouse or things like that. I would take that as a bonus.

 

If all goes well, I may try to visit one of the parks for a half day on Sunday, 29th. My plane touches down at 06:25am at HND and with picking up my pocket wifi, suica card and limo bus ticket, I might check in at noon. Maybe I will do TDL or TDS for a few hours to check the slow rides with big capacities or hardly any wait (Railroad, Sindbad, etc.).

 

After visiting Disney, I will take the first bus to Fuji-Q-Highland (I will buy the ticket online in advance) and stay for one night at the onsite hotel to do the park on two consecutive days (I will have early entry to get fastpass tickets for the big coasters). Again, I am prepared for waiting in long lines, but if I can do the 3 most wanted thrill coasters at least once during my two days there, I am fine.

 

How does my itinerary sound to you?

[Nrthwnd 53]

^ My only thought on your itinerary, is to remember, that those last two days of your TDLR visit, can be park hoppers, too.

Example of the four day park hopper pass.

[A.J. 36]

I know you want to see everything, but I would recommend against trying to hold yourself to an hour-by-hour itinerary. For one thing, if you go in with that type of plan "locked in" and an attraction goes down for whatever reason, your plan gets all screwed up and it might ruin your overall experience.

 

I also know from "whirlwind tour" experiences that going in with a "checklist"-type plan like that tends to make your stay at the park(s) less meaningful than if you were to go in with an idea of what you want to do but let the day play out. Even if it were a once-in-a-lifetime experience like a day on the only Theme Park Review tour I will ever participate in, I would be much less upset about missing one or two attractions if my day were to be relaxing and enjoyable overall.

[Nrthwnd 53]

^ This too, is correct.

Tokyo DisneySea "Pixar Playtime" Merch & Food, available starting January 11th. Photo by tdrexplorer.com - thanks!

[Garet 45]

This is one of the reasons my wife loves HKDL so much since it's one of the few Disneys where we don't have to plan anything in advance and can just go since it never gets too busy. Honestly, with our trips to the Tokyo parks, we just try and plan out 2 fast passes a park, one to dash for opening and the second when the next time comes up if they are still available counting anything else as a bonus. I've been on days where the lines are 3 hours across the board when it should be quite due to snow keeping crowds away previous days and still managed. Like others have said if you end up a slave to your schedule, you might just end up frustrated and not enjoying yourself as much if you miss deadlines or some passes have already gone.

 

I remember seeing somewhere the park doesn't allow camping for parades and shows and being shocked on my first trip to see people setting up on blankets mid-afternoon for Fantasmic at least 4 before it starts. To them, long waits and crowding are just part of the norm. Just be like that and relax and you'll have fun.

[Garet 45]

Did anyone hear more about this? The site claims that the Oriental Land Company have officially announced their intent to make a 3rd park by 2025: https://mainichi.jp/articles/20171130/k00/00m/020/136000c

[SharkTums 135]

^Nice find! Is it construction finished by 2025 or starting in 2025 though? My Japanese is not so good!

 

The article says more details in May...I'm excited! Think it's still the rumored "Air" park or maybe a Studios?

[MayTheGForceBeWithYou 5]

^Since the article used まで, should mean finished by 2025.

 

Also worth pointing out total projected investment will be around 300 billion yen (DisneySea cost 331 billion in 2001), and is suspected to include some Japanese theming to cater to international tourists (Disney Japan Adventure?).

[Nrthwnd 53]

Did anything in the article mention where (perhaps) this third park was going to be built?

Or was it just the announcement about the park, the cost and the probable opening year?

Just curious here.

 

EDIT: Also, our current plans are to not visit TDLR until 2024. But this announcement may

push our plans ahead a year, if it does indeed open in 2025.