After visiting the Tokyo Disney Parks twice (in 2017, and 2022), right here’s the Tokyo Disney information we wished we had earlier than going to Japan.
First printed: 27 Sep 2017
Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea is definitely among the best on the planet. The issue is, it’s additionally an extremely crowded park all 12 months spherical. And should you’re an enormous theme park fan, you’d know if you wish to hit all the perfect rides in in the future, you’re gonna want a sport plan.
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Planning a visit to Japan? Try our Japan itineraries throughout numerous elements of Japan from the acquainted favourites of Tokyo, Osaka, and Hokkaido, to the lesser-known Okinawa, Kyushu, and Matsumoto.
Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea?
Clearly, each parks are extremely magical and lots of swear by them being the perfect on the planet. If in case you have the posh of time, spending two days exploring each parks is a no brainer. However should you solely have a day to spare, right here’s a short crackdown on the 2.
Picture credit score: Tom Bricker
Tokyo Disneyland is the basic of all classics. If you happen to’re a fan of the immersive, magical expertise distinctive to Disney Parks, that is the one. If in case you have younger children or are younger at coronary heart (aren’t all of us? :P), Tokyo Disneyland is definitely the one. The exhibits and parades are additionally recognized to be extra extravagant and spectacular right here in comparison with DisneySea.
Picture credit score: Alpha Coders
Tokyo DisneySea is completely completely different from every other Disney Park on the planet. Many rides have a spooky theme and the depth of the rides is usually designed for the older children. We noticed an 8-year-old bawling his eyes out on the finish of a experience on Indiana Jones Journey — he might need loved Disneyland much more.
With star rides like Toy Story Mania! and Journey to the Centre of the Earth, even essentially the most skeptical child will likely be blown away. If you happen to prioritise thrilling rides on your Disney expertise, you’d most likely get pleasure from DisneySea extra.
Though we ended up selecting DisneySea, these are ideas you may apply to each parks and can set you up for a game-changing day on the Tokyo Disney Parks.
DisneySea additionally introduced in April 2021 that there will likely be a new land Fantasy Spring open by 2023! The brand new land will function a few of our favorite Disney films like Frozen, Peter Pan & Tangled.
1) Purchase your Tokyo Disneyland/Sea tickets on-line
The counters on the Tokyo Disney Park solely open half-hour earlier than the park opens.
Whenever you arrive, there will likely be two separate queues: one for parkgoers who have already got their tickets and are ready to enter the park. The opposite, to get the tickets. You don’t wish to be caught within the latter queue! Purchase your tickets on-line — this offers you a head begin for queueing for the perfect rides.
Our Tokyo Disney tickets by way of Klook didn’t even want printing. All we needed to do was have our QR code scanned from our telephones and we’re in!
Ticket costs differ relying on day of go to and will be bought as much as two months forward.
*Professional-tip: Get 10% off your Japan Journey Necessities (incl. Tokyo Disney Tickets!) with the promo code <KLKTTI10OFF> at checkout! Restricted to the primary 100 examine outs by 31 Dec 2022. Simply spend a min. of S$150 to unlock the code!
*Observe: Sure bank cards issued outdoors of Japan usually are not accepted when buying by the official Disney Resort web site.
2) Extremely-crowded days to keep away from
Weekends
That is apparent however aside from the weekends, Mondays and Fridays are typically equally as crowded. If in case you have the posh to decide on, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are your finest wager. Verify the Crowd Congestion Forecast Calendar and attempt to keep away from the dates highlighted in crimson.
Faculty Holidays
Nonetheless, come faculty holidays, it most likely doesn’t matter which day of the week you’re going. We visited DisneySea within the final week of the Summer time Holidays and regardless of being there on a Thursday, the favored rides had queue occasions of as much as 180 minutes.
Summer time: Often July twentieth to August thirty first
Winter: December twenty sixth to January sixth
Spring: Round twenty fifth March to fifth April
Japanese Public Holidays
There are 16 completely different Japanese Holidays however as a result of a few of them occur in the identical week, loads of locals take all the week off for an prolonged week-long break. Three of the busiest intervals to keep away from are:
Golden Week: twenty ninth April to fifth Might
Obon: Mid-July or Mid-August (relying on the photo voltaic calendar)
New 12 months: thirty first December to 1st January
3) Obtain the Tokyo Disney Resort App
In 2022, most issues can now be executed from the Tokyo Disney Resort app:
– Verify queue occasions
– E-book Premier Entry for rides
– Eating reservations
– Entry requests for exhibits and character greetings
It has all of the important info you’ll want concerning the parks, and the map along with your dwell location is fairly useful when navigating!
Simply register your ticket within the app when you’re within the park and create a bunch on your get together.
4) Updates to the FASTPASS System
Picture Credit score: Tokyo Disney Resort
Tokyo Disney Resort veterans will most likely keep in mind the FASTPASS system the place each ticket holder had a good likelihood at one of many in style rides with out a lot ready time. Sadly, that service has been suspended. As a substitute now could be the brand new Disney Premier Entry (from ¥1,500/entry) the place you should purchase specific tickets for particular rides.
Standby Move at DisneySea can be at present unavailable till additional discover.
Buying Disney Premier Entry: Premier Entry is positioned below ‘My Plan’ within the Disney Resort app. From there you may choose the expertise and timeslot you need. The QR ticket code will seem 5 minutes earlier than your designated time and also you’ll must scan it to enter on the Precedence Entry Entrance.
Tokyo DisneySea Disney Premier Entry Rides
There’re at present 4 Disney Premier Entry rides obtainable, however since there are restricted time slots, you can purchase the tickets on the app instantly after coming into the park. These rides embrace Toy Story Mania!, Hovering: Incredible Flight, Tower of Terror and Journey to the Centre of the Earth.
*Professional-tip: Attempt securing Premier Entry slots for the afternoon as you’ll have extra time to queue for different rides within the morning.
From expertise, Toy Story Mania! and the brand new Hovering: Incredible Flight has the longest queues, and Premier Entry timeslots additionally run out shortly.
(1) Toy Story Mania! (American Waterfront)
Everybody raves about this unassuming carnival-themed experience and also you’ll most likely query your self too whereas queuing.
The queuing space replicates the expertise of being shrunken all the way down to one of many characters of Toy Story, and the experience brings you thru an interactive 3D course the place you get to shoot digital balls at aliens to rack up factors. Okay, maybe this description doesn’t do it justice however belief us on this one, getting Premier Entry for this will likely be nicely value it.
(2) NEW! Hovering: Incredible Flight (Mediterranean Harbor)
Opened through the pandemic, Hovering: Incredible Flight is the most recent addition to DisneySea and is unique to Tokyo. The experience has a persistently lengthy wait time (~180 minutes) which made us skeptical on condition that it’s not a curler coaster however we shortly understood why. The expertise was so life like that we forgot for a second we had been on a experience. Additionally belief us on this one #value.
Tokyo Disneyland Disney Premier Entry and Standby Move Rides
A well-liked experience that diehard storybook followers will adore is the brand new Enchanted Story of Magnificence and the Beast, which opened through the pandemic in 2020. Premier Entry is out there for this experience.
Standby Move is out there for the Haunted Mansion experience till 4 January 2023. Sure character greetings and retailers would possibly require a Standby Move to enter however the interval and availability for passes are always being up to date so we recommend checking on-line upfront.
5) Carry a bento field for lunch
Picture credit score: Tokyo Disney Resort
Meals is allowed within the Disney Resort Parks and you’ll eat them on the designated picnic space — outdoors the primary entrance on the left. To economize, buy a bento field or a few onigiris earlier than heading in. There’s a New Days comfort retailer simply outdoors Maihama station.
Re-entry can be allowed right here (simply keep in mind to get your hand stamped) so you may head out to the comfort retailer at New Days for a fast chew.
6) Arrive at the least 1 hour earlier than the park opens
Park opening hours differ by season, so examine the Tokyo Disney Park Operations Calendar earlier than visiting.
Queues get fairly loopy 30mins earlier than opening, so it’s finest to reach an hour earlier than the park opens. Hopefully, you’d have already got your pre-booked Tokyo Disney Tickets so you may skip the ticket queue and be a part of the doorway queue as a substitute.
7) Begin by queueing for in style rides
When the park first opens, head straight for one of many following rides as queues can go as much as so long as three hours by mid-afternoon.
(1) Journey to the Middle of the Earth (Mysterious Island)
The Mysterious Island is one other very well-themed space. One in every of my favorite areas of the park in reality! Because the tracks for this experience are hidden contained in the mountain, there was no method we might put together ourselves for what to anticipate nevertheless it turned out to be an in depth second favorite experience for all of us.
We loved the entire expertise even ranging from the queuing space, to the numerous shock parts paced cleverly all through the experience.
(2) Indiana Jones Journey: Temple of the Crystal Cranium (Misplaced River Delta)
One other curler coaster at the hours of darkness, this experience was laced with many surprising surprises. The narration for this experience (as with all of the rides in Tokyo) was in Japanese however regardless of this, we might observe the story due to the well-designed monitor. The element within the design right here is actually unbelievable!
(3) Tower of Terror (American Waterfront)
Twilight Zone fan (or not), you’ll love the Tower of Terror. The outside is among the most iconic sights in Tokyo DisneySea, however the inside is simply as lovely, with a touch of creepiness. It’s presumably additionally one of the vital adrenaline-inducing and hair-raising rides — each actually and metaphorically.
8) Entry Requests for exhibits
Beforehand, you’d should catch the primary present or win lottery tickets in individual on the Biglietteria to get a seat. Now, Disney Resort has shifted all the pieces on-line to their app so that you’ll must submit an Entry Request to safe a reservation. You solely get to attempt as soon as for every present, so all of it comes all the way down to luck!
In style exhibits at DisneySea:
Get your tickets from the Disney Resort app
Jamboree Mickey! Let’s Dance! — A dance-along program for teenagers with Mickey Mouse and buddies.
Huge Band Beat: A Particular Deal with — Broadway efficiency with a dwell jazz band and Mickey on the drums.
Seasonal Reveals — DisneySea hosts holiday-themed exhibits similar to Halloweentime with You and Christmastime with You all year long.
Sadly, the legendary parades have been suspended at DisneySea however you may nonetheless catch them over at Disneyland. Thankfully, seasonal greetings and night time exhibits are nonetheless taking place on the Mediterranean Harbor and don’t require any Entry Requests.
Verify the official Tokyo Disney Web site for the most recent parades and exhibits.
Picture credit score: Duy Phan
In style exhibits at Disneyland:
Get Entry Requests for exhibits on the Tokyo Disney Resort app.
Mickey’s Magical Music World — Catch Mickey Mouse and your favorite characters in a dwell stage efficiency within the majestic Fantasyland Forest Theatre.
Membership Mouse Beat — A dynamic dwell tune and dance present by Mickey Mouse and his Mates.
9) Catch the mid-day greeting should you don’t win lottery tickets
Entry Request tickets for exhibits don’t come straightforward and should you miss the chance for exhibits, save a seat on the Mediterranean Harbor close to the railings at the least half an hour earlier than the present to safe a great place for the seasonal greeting.
We caught the Halloween Greeting the place Mickey Mouse and Mates sailed round and waved from an enormous ship.
10) Escape the afternoon warmth and head to Triton’s Kingdom on the Mermaid Lagoon (DisneySea)
Picture credit score: Wing1990hk
In the summertime, afternoons can get just a little overwhelming. Being caught in outside queues surrounded by plenty of folks would possibly hinder your expertise. One of the best-kept secret actually is on the underground space of Mermaid Lagoon — Triton’s Kingdom.
This space is specifically catered for little children so it’s normally not too crowded. Benefit from the aircon in addition to a stroll by this spectacular underwater-themed space. It’s the right refuge from the prickly afternoon solar.
11) Go to Magellan’s for a noon drink (DisneySea)
If eating in a themed restaurant is feels like your cup of tea, we’d extremely advocate Disneysea’s Magellan’s — particularly should you’re craving a noon alcoholic beverage (Disneyland doesn’t serve alcohol in any respect).
Picture credit score: Tom Bricker
The decor is an attraction itself with its large globe on the entrance and hidden eating rooms behind doorways disguised as bookshelves. This place will get crammed up through the day so undoubtedly get Precedence Seating for this restaurant.
*Professional-tip: From 9AM onwards, you may ebook Precedence Seating along with your most popular time later within the day on the app — the opposite method is to ebook on-line the day earlier than however the web site is barely in Japanese.
Beneficial DisneySea Eating places with Precedence seating: Magellan’s, Horizon Bay Restaurant, Restaurant Sakura, S.S Columbia Eating Room.
12) Catch the night-time leisure earlier than the park closes
Picture credit score: Tokyo Disney Resort
If you happen to’re nonetheless within the park after sundown, catch the beautiful firework show at DisneySea which occurs each day at 8:30PM. We advise saving a spot on the Mediterranean Waterfront upfront so that you get an unobstructed view of the sunshine present.
At Tokyo Disneyland, the Electrical Parade Dreamlights is an evening parade you wouldn’t wish to miss. With lit-up floats and basic Disney music, the ambiance is fairly magical.
*Professional-tip: Save a spot for the night time parade 45 minutes earlier than it begins!
That is finest for fellow kiasu individuals who wish to prioritise the three most fun rides and the 2 hottest exhibits! *assuming the park opens at 9AM
0800: Arrive at Maihama Station
Top off on lunch at New Days (comfort retailer) earlier than taking the Tokyo Disney Line to DisneySea. The queue to enter begins piling up by 7:30 AM so it actually doesn’t damage to reach as much as an hour early.
#1: 0900 — Gates open
0905: E-book Disney Premier Entry Rides for Toy Story Mania! and Hovering Incredible Flight
Proper after importing your ticket within the app, choose your required time slots for Premier Entry so you may plan the remainder of the rides round it.
#2: Run to Journey to the Middle of the Earth
Queues can get just a little lengthy within the afternoon as this is among the few curler coasters within the park and is positioned inside the long-lasting volcano.
#3: 1055* — Catch Huge Band Beat at Broadway Music Theatre
Use the Tokyo Disney Resort app and submit an Entry Request for Huge Band Beat.
#4: Queue for Tower of Terror
#5: 1300* — Catch one of many Seasonal Reveals
If you happen to don’t handle to safe an Entry Request for this, we advocate exploring the Arabian part of the park and performing some memento buying.
#6: 1400 — Take a breather and luxuriate in a picnic lunch
Discover the completely different sections of DisneySea, have your packed lunch on the designated picnic space and ebook Entry Requests for the Meet & Greet Disney Character classes.
#7: Make method for Indiana Jones Journey
#8: Cool off at Magellan’s
If it’s too crowded that day, ask the Disney employees for a Precedence seat and you’ll get a timed ticket to come back again later
#9: If you happen to don’t get a seat at Magellan’s, head to Mermaid Lagoon
Character Greetings that don’t require an Entry Request are always taking place inside the theatre so see should you can snap a fast photograph with one of many Disney Characters.
1630 – 1915: Get pleasure from skipping the queues along with your Premier Entry
When you’ve caught the primary two exhibits, be aware of the timing in your Premier Entry tickets and make your approach to the rides inside the time interval. Replenish the time in between by in search of rides with the shortest wait occasions on the app.
#10: 2000 — Prepare for the Fireworks present by the Mediterranean Harbor at 8:30PM
Double-check the leisure schedule nevertheless it’s good to get seated half-hour earlier than the present begins.
*Showtimes might differ throughout months
Attending to Tokyo Disney Resort Parks
By Practice
If you happen to’re holding on to a JR Move, one of the best ways to get to Tokyo Disney Resort is by way of the JR Keiyo Line to Maihama Station — quarter-hour from Tokyo Station. From there you may board the Disney Resort Line to get to the park (¥260/one-way).
By Bus from Shinjuku Station
If you happen to’re staying within the Shinjuku space, essentially the most direct method is to take the bus from Shinjuku Specific Bus Terminal which arrives immediately at each Disneyland and DisneySea in 40-50 minutes.
Unique promo for TTI Readers: Get 10% off your Japan Journey Necessities with the promo code <KLKTTI10OFF> at checkout! Applies to all Klook actions incl. Tokyo Disney Tickets! Restricted to the primary 100 examine outs by 31 Dec 2022 so quickest fingers first! Simply spend a min. of S$150 to unlock the code! Low cost capped at S$30
Hope you discovered the guidelines and tips on this Tokyo Disney Information useful! Don’t neglect to order your Tokyo Disneyland/Sea Move earlier than getting there!
Been to Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea and found new ideas? Share with us within the feedback!
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