Tokyo Disneyland Resort Expansion

[Giraffe1401]

This Reddit thread has some thoughts:

https://www.reddit.com/r/TokyoDisneySea/s/jXBR7o6wPT

Sounds like some think because the Disney Sea entry experience is already so abysmal, they will do this work very slowly and deliberately to avoid impacting entry as little as possible. Also it has two hotels with special entrances, so they will likely try to only impact one hotel at a time, if both sides gates are being redone. (Not sure if FSH needs updated gates already??)

One key difference between the entrances of TDS and TDL is that TDS one has a connecting walkway between the hotel Mira Costa and the monorail station. Also TDS has those long extended queue areas set up in front of gates, so there's a possibility they'll overhaul the entire areas including the gates and the surrounding area.
Compared to TDL entrance, it seems like this could be a much more complicated project.

 

[DarkMetroid567]

Tokyo Disney Resort try not to make a horrible operational change Challenge (impossible)

 

[DonniePeverley]

We came back from Tokyo Disney Sea a few months ago.

Hipsters love this park (Without ever going) - without doubt the worst Disney experience anywhere in the world. We went during a supposed quiet period too - bu the QUEUS were insane to do anything.

To grab a little snack was a 20 minute wait. To go on any attraction a good 2-3 hours for one ride.

The problem stems from a very poor (see rip off) fast pass system that is dished out massively, but then runs out. There is no virtual queing system. A very obedient local population who don't complain.

THEY JUST LET TOO MANY PEOPLE INTO THE PARK - IT'S SO BADLY ORGANISED, NO IDEA HOW TO TREAT PEOPLE AND GIVE GUESTS A GOOD TIME. The last thing you want is people in queues - you want them out and about, eating, shopping, spending money - they do not take this into consideration at all.

To get into the new lands was impossible. We were there for 2 hours before opening, and the queues were still intense. You can only book to get into the land once you are in the park, and it was gone in a minute.

SOUL DESTROYING. We wanted to leave after a few hours as you can do nothing.

SO BADLY ORGANISED. Go read recent reviews how bad it's got.

But hipsters got to be hip/

 

[WaluigiTime]

We came back from Tokyo Disney Sea a few months ago.

Hipsters love this park (Without ever going) - without doubt the worst Disney experience anywhere in the world. We went during a supposed quiet period too - bu the QUEUS were insane to do anything.

To grab a little snack was a 20 minute wait. To go on any attraction a good 2-3 hours for one ride.

The problem stems from a very poor (see rip off) fast pass system that is dished out massively, but then runs out. There is no virtual queing system. A very obedient local population who don't complain.

To get into the new lands was impossible. We were there for 2 hours before opening, and the queues were still intense. You can only book to get into the land once you are in the park, and it was gone in a minute.

SOUL DESTROYING. We wanted to leave after a few hours as you can do nothing.

SO BADLY ORGANISED. Go read recent reviews how bad it's got.

But hipsters got to be hip/

DisneySea was the best theme park I have ever been to, I want to go back.

 

[PiratesMansion]

We came back from Tokyo Disney Sea a few months ago.

Hipsters love this park (Without ever going) - without doubt the worst Disney experience anywhere in the world. We went during a supposed quiet period too - bu the QUEUS were insane to do anything.

To grab a little snack was a 20 minute wait. To go on any attraction a good 2-3 hours for one ride.

The problem stems from a very poor (see rip off) fast pass system that is dished out massively, but then runs out. There is no virtual queing system. A very obedient local population who don't complain.

To get into the new lands was impossible. We were there for 2 hours before opening, and the queues were still intense. You can only book to get into the land once you are in the park, and it was gone in a minute.

SOUL DESTROYING. We wanted to leave after a few hours as you can do nothing.

SO BADLY ORGANISED. Go read recent reviews how bad it's got.

But hipsters got to be hip/

Look, the place ain't perfect, but this just sounds like you did zero research and are trying to make it everyone else's problem.

 

[Timothy_Q]

people are so funny

 

[Disney Analyst]

We came back from Tokyo Disney Sea a few months ago.

Hipsters love this park (Without ever going) - without doubt the worst Disney experience anywhere in the world. We went during a supposed quiet period too - bu the QUEUS were insane to do anything.

To grab a little snack was a 20 minute wait. To go on any attraction a good 2-3 hours for one ride.

The problem stems from a very poor (see rip off) fast pass system that is dished out massively, but then runs out. There is no virtual queing system. A very obedient local population who don't complain.

To get into the new lands was impossible. We were there for 2 hours before opening, and the queues were still intense. You can only book to get into the land once you are in the park, and it was gone in a minute.

SOUL DESTROYING. We wanted to leave after a few hours as you can do nothing.

SO BADLY ORGANISED. Go read recent reviews how bad it's got.

But hipsters got to be hip/

I’m sorry you had a bad time. I am hoping my experience will be different. We are dedicating 2 days to Disney Sea

 

[Giraffe1401]

I’m sorry you had a bad time. I am hoping my experience will be different. We are dedicating 2 days to Disney Sea

Fantasy Springs is now no longer under access restrictions, so as long as you’re able to snag a DPA for Frozen, you should be able to enjoy the park pretty comfortably.

That said, restaurant reservations and mobile order for QSR is essential on how efficiently you spend your time, so just be sure to plan ahead for those!

 

[The Empress Lilly]

We came back from Tokyo Disney Sea a few months ago.

Hipsters love this park (Without ever going) - without doubt the worst Disney experience anywhere in the world. We went during a supposed quiet period too - bu the QUEUS were insane to do anything.

To grab a little snack was a 20 minute wait. To go on any attraction a good 2-3 hours for one ride.

The problem stems from a very poor (see rip off) fast pass system that is dished out massively, but then runs out. There is no virtual queing system. A very obedient local population who don't complain.

To get into the new lands was impossible. We were there for 2 hours before opening, and the queues were still intense. You can only book to get into the land once you are in the park, and it was gone in a minute.

SOUL DESTROYING. We wanted to leave after a few hours as you can do nothing.

SO BADLY ORGANISED. Go read recent reviews how bad it's got.

But hipsters got to be hip/

Well I enjoy getting a coffee and sauntering about a park, so that might make me close enough to being a Hipster...

That said, DS does have a wait times problem. I was there end of May, somewhat slow-ish, and still every ride except 20k, Sindbad and C-ticket and below was 120 minutes, opening to close. FS may have alleviated the problem somewhat, but it also reinforces it by drawing yet more crowds. Four extra rides wasn't sufficient.

Speaking of, so many non-Japanese this time. Koreans everywhere, Chinese, Westerners, Malaysians, South Asians. A huge difference compared to even a few years ago. Mass tourism has hit Japan.

At TDL lines were noticeably more manageable, at some days even light.

 

[DonniePeverley]

Go look at recent reviews on Tripadvisor for Disney Sea. Universally negative.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g14134868-d320639-Reviews-or30-Tokyo_DisneySea-Maihama_Urayasu_Chiba_Prefecture_Kanto.html

 

[Disney Analyst]

Go look at recent reviews on Tripadvisor for Disney Sea. Universally negative.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g14134868-d320639-Reviews-or30-Tokyo_DisneySea-Maihama_Urayasu_Chiba_Prefecture_Kanto.html

I've got time so.

Most recent reviews:

Page 1-5 (January-Now)

1 star - 11 ratings
2 star - 7 ratings
3 star - 5 ratings
4 star - 4 ratings
5 star - 23 ratings

Consensus:

A 3.42 average suggests a mixed-to-positive overall impression. But looking at the distribution:
• High satisfaction (5 stars): 46% of reviews (23 out of 50)
• Negative reviews (1–2 stars): 36% of reviews (18 out of 50)
• Middle-ground (3 stars): 10%
• Somewhat satisfied (4 stars): Only 8%

So while nearly half of people loved it, there’s a notable chunk (over 1/3) who were disappointed.

Interpretation:

This kind of split often means:

• Expectations might be high (it is Disney after all), so shortcomings feel bigger.
• Guest experience might depend heavily on timing, crowd levels, weather, or planning.
• The park could be incredible for some but underwhelming or frustrating for others (especially first-timers or foreign tourists dealing with logistics like the app, lineups, or reservations).


So in the end, it is mixed - as is anything in life. I will say, a majority of the 1 star ratings looked to be from when things were more complicated with Fantasy Springs, and now that that is open to all, they have tapered down.

 

[ThemeParkTraveller]

I'm quite interested in seeing how Fantasy Springs has affected attendance numbers at the resort now. Just checking the app on a regular basis, TDS seems consistently busier than TDL now.

 

[BrianLo]

While Donnie loves to troll, the criticism that TDS is currently over-attended is valid. It’s nothing to do with operations and everything to do with unbelievable popularity.

It’s not the fault of any magical ticketing systems or whatever. It’s literally that everything has massive lines. Popcorn stands, snack stands, every ride. Lottery for shows. Pulling people out of queues doesn’t provide them some magical alternative experience, the whole thing is humming at the boundaries of its capability and has been since fantasy springs.

TDL is actually comparatively quite pleasant these days.

You can have a good time with TDS, but you need to really unfortunately work and pay for it. I was extremely liberal with the paid standby passes and saw that as an extension of my half price ticket. If you don’t engage in that you are stuck with basically Sindbad. USJ is questionably worse because express isn’t as cheap.

 

[Disney Analyst]

While Donnie loves to troll, the criticism that TDS is currently over-attended is valid. It’s nothing to do with operations and everything to do with unbelievable popularity.

It’s not the fault of any magical ticketing systems or whatever. It’s literally that everything has massive lines. Popcorn stands, snack stands, every ride. Lottery for shows. Pulling people out of queues doesn’t provide them some magical alternative experience, the whole thing is humming at the boundaries of its capability and has been since fantasy springs.

TDL is actually comparatively quite pleasant these days.

You can have a good time with TDS, but you need to really unfortunately work and pay for it. I was extremely liberal with the paid standby passes and saw that as an extension of my half price ticket. If you don’t engage in that you are stuck with basically Sindbad. USJ is questionably worse because express isn’t as cheap.

Oh, I don't disagree, I have heard enough to know TDS is overcrowded, and likely suffers from some ride capacity issues.

I just think the claims it is now universally despised because of this, is false. It's always been a TDS issue, which is why they expanded the park.

The real question is, why doesn't OLC restrict capacity better? Or increase dynamic pricing to lower attendance like the US parks? I know people dislike the pricing models now for the US parks, but honestly... they feel WAY less crowded than before.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

While Donnie loves to troll, the criticism that TDS is currently over-attended is valid. It’s nothing to do with operations and everything to do with unbelievable popularity.

It’s not the fault of any magical ticketing systems or whatever. It’s literally that everything has massive lines. Popcorn stands, snack stands, every ride. Lottery for shows. Pulling people out of queues doesn’t provide them some magical alternative experience, the whole thing is humming at the boundaries of its capability and has been since fantasy springs.

TDL is actually comparatively quite pleasant these days.

You can have a good time with TDS, but you need to really unfortunately work and pay for it. I was extremely liberal with the paid standby passes and saw that as an extension of my half price ticket. If you don’t engage in that you are stuck with basically Sindbad. USJ is questionably worse because express isn’t as cheap.

I'm going back to the Tokyo Resort this year for the first time in over 20 years.

I've looked at wait times just to get a feel for what to expect and nothing seems overly terrible.

Maybe it's because I've done Flight of Passage and Rise of the Resistance at the peak of their popularity, two hours easily, so I'm okay with some extended queues.

The average wait for Beauty and the Beast is 85 minutes, Frozen is 93 minutes, based on a quick search.

I'm doing two days per park. Between that and possible express passes I'm optimistic for a decent experience. No pressure to fit everything into one day per park.

I'm sure things have changed but I recall waiting 30 minutes in line just to get a physical fastpass for Hunny Hunt. Tokyo parks are simply busy.

 

[BrianLo]

Oh, I don't disagree, I have heard enough to know TDS is overcrowded, and likely suffers from some ride capacity issues.

I just think the claims it is now universally despised because of this, is false. It's always been a TDS issue, which is why they expanded the park.

The real question is, why doesn't OLC restrict capacity better? Or increase dynamic pricing to lower attendance like the US parks? I know people dislike the pricing models now for the US parks, but honestly... they feel WAY less crowded than before.

They are slowly getting there. For various cultural reasons with GDP stagnation since the 90’s they’ve been in an environment where there is no consumer nor corporate tolerance to raise prices.

Both Japan operators more than any other location (perhaps save for Shanghai) actually could build new gates, yet are not. USJ like really really badly should be a two gate park.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

They are slowly getting there. For various cultural reasons with GDP stagnation since the 90’s they’ve been in an environment where there is no consumer nor corporate tolerance to raise prices.

Both Japan operators more than any other location (perhaps save for Shanghai) actually could build new gates, yet are not. USJ like really really badly should be a two gate park.

Interesting that Tokyo hasn't brought back annual passes and don't appear to be suffering for it.

 

[ThemeParkTraveller]

Both Japan operators more than any other location (perhaps save for Shanghai) actually could build new gates, yet are not. USJ like really really badly should be a two gate park.

I imagine the main challenge there is space constraints, especially for USJ.

 

[BrianLo]

I'm going back to the Tokyo Resort this year for the first time in over 20 years.

I've looked at wait times just to get a feel for what to expect and nothing seems overly terrible.

Maybe it's because I've done Flight of Passage and Rise of the Resistance at the peak of their popularity, two hours easily, so I'm okay with some extended queues.

The average wait for Beauty and the Beast is 85 minutes, Frozen is 93 minutes, based on a quick search.

I'm doing two days per park. Between that and possible express passes I'm optimistic for a decent experience. No pressure to fit everything into one day per park.

I'm sure things have changed but I recall waiting 30 minutes in line just to get a physical fastpass for Hunny Hunt. Tokyo parks are simply busy.

If you remotely tolerated 2019 Florida and understood how to navigate it, this isn’t much of a leap. Consumers just aren’t used to that anymore, which is also why Epic is getting a bit raked over the coals.

I found TDS slightly less than USJ (mostly because of the flexibility of obtaining some line skips for free and winning lotteries and having a good attraction or two with no standby lines), followed by less tolerability for USJ that is smooth over completely if you pay for a softly expensive express basket, followed by the expo, that I would almost have given an avoid warning to. But eventually figured it out enough and just accepted my fate.

 

[BrianLo]

I imagine the main challenge there is space constraints, especially for USJ.

There is a beautiful man made island next door with a dedicated rail line that I’m annoyed they weren’t first with their hands up trying to step into once the expo leaves.

I realize I’m oversimplifying. But I’m sure an opportunity was there.