I never bother posting trip reports on my trips to the US parks. I figure most readers of these boards don't need another trip report on WDW or DLR. But I did post a report on my trip to Disneyland Paris 18 months ago, and got a lot of follow-up questions on it. So, I figured that since I've just completed a trip to Tokyo Disney, I'll post a trip report on that as well.
I'll try to write this with a lot of logistical information as well, in an effort to help people visiting for the first time plan and be ready for how to get around, etc. at Tokyo Disney Resort (TDR).
Background
The trip to TDR was added onto a business trip to Tokyo. My business in Tokyo was Feb. 20-22, and I went to TDR Feb. 23-25. For those keeping score, that means I was at TDR on a Thursday, Friday, and half of Saturday in the dead of winter. School was in session, and there were no special events at TDR. As this was tacked onto a business trip, I was solo at TDR, which had its advantages and disadvantages.
I spent Thursday, Feb. 23 at TDL, and Friday and half of Saturday at TDS before heading to the airport for my flight home. I stayed in downtown Tokyo the nights of Feb. 20, 21, 22 for my business, and then headed to TDR the morning of the 23rd.
Accomodations
I stayed at the Hilton Tokyo Bay, which is one of the "Tokyo Disney Official Hotels". These are roughly the equivalent of the hotels along Hotel Plaza Blvd near Downtown Disney, except that at TDR, there is a monorail stop that serves the Official Hotels. There are six Official Hotels. I chose the Hilton because I have gold status, got a decent rate (15,000 yen/night -- about $170), and I figured (correctly) that the staff was highly likely to speak English.
The Hilton was pretty much exactly what you'd expect from a Hilton in the US. The room was pretty large, functional, and clean. There was a wired internet connection (free for gold members, 1500 yen/day otherwise), comfortable beds, a table and chairs, a desk, a safe, a closet, and a bathroom with a tub/shower and a toilet with fancy seat warming and bottom washing functions (remember Mater in the bathroom in Japan in Cars 2? -- well, Japanese bathrooms really do have all those buttons. My recommendation -- don't push any of them!). The hotel also has a pool (which I did not use), several restaurants, a store with Disney gifts, and a 24 hour convenience store (like a 7/11), which was extremely useful. On the downside, the television in the room had only 2 English channels.
My gold status gave me free breakfast at the hotel. The breakfast buffet was large, with Western and Japanese selections. About half of the unidentifiable (to me) Japanese selections were very good. I ate very large breakfasts before heading to the parks.
All of the signage in the hotel was in English, and the staff members I dealt with all spoke English as well. Service was extremely polite and helpful to a fault.
In addition to the six Official Hotels, which are all located in a row in the southwest corner of the TDR, there are also three Disney Hotels, which are located closer to the parks and are much more in the spirit of deluxe resorts at WDW, both in terms of amenities and pricing. I did not venture in to any of the other hotels, as my time was limited.
Getting There and Checking In
As I said, I was on business in Tokyo before heading to TDR. The quickest and easiest way from Tokyo to TDR is the train. The JR Keiyo line goes directly from downtown Tokyo to TDR, which is adjacent to the Maihama station on the Keiyo line. The Japanese subway and commuter trains are extensive, but, at least in the Tokyo area, they are not hard for Enlgish-speakers to deal because most signage is dual Japanese/English, and the ticket machines have an "English" button. In addition, street signs in Tokyo, and signs pointing out entrances to the Metro and commuter train stations are also dual-language. As a result, I had no problems navigating.
The Keiyo line actually begins in downtown Tokyo near the "Tokyo Station", a large commuter and long-distance train hub that also has several subway lines connected to it. Tokyo Station is massive and you can easily get lost. However, the JR Keiyo Tokyo Station stop is actually about 2 blocks south of Tokyo Station proper, and you can enter the Keiyo line station directly from the street, bypassing the massive confusion of Tokyo Station. Maps gave me a clue as to where these entrances would be and it was no problem finding one.
Although the Keiyo line is a commuter line, it operates like a subway line in downtown Tokyo. The fare to Maihama was 210 yen ($3). After purchasing my ticket at a machine, it was easy to figure out where to slide the ticket into the gate, and I made my way to the platform. Don't lose your ticket, because you need it on the way out as well (as fares differ by distance). Because Tokyo Station is the end of the line, trains only go in one direction, and both local and express trains stop at Maihama, so you can just hop on the next train. During rush hours, there are trains every 5 minutes. Outside of rush hours, every 10 minutes or so. Maihama is the 6th stop on locals, 3rd on express trains. The next train when I arrived was an express, and it took 15 minutes on the train to Maihama. The Maihama stop is clearly marked in English, and all signage in the station is dual-language as well. Never a doubt as to where to get off.
Immediately outside the Maihama train station is a Disney check-in facility where you can, if you are staying at any of the TDR hotels (either the 3 Disney Hotels, or the 6 Official Hotels of TDR), drop your luggage and check-in. I was afraid there might be a long wait to do this at 8:30 AM when the parks opened at 9, but I needn't have feared. I was checked-in in 5 minutes. They gave me my room key and delivered my bags to the room, so I was free to head right to the park.
If I wasn't staying at an Official Hotel, I could have used lockers at the JR Maihama station or outside TDL to store my luggage in. There are lockers at both spots big enough for suitcases.
Also adjacent to Maihama station is Ikspiari, the TDR equivalent of Downtown Disney, with over 100 shops and restaurants. I did not explore, but it looked an upscale mall with the expected array of shops and restaurants. Ikspiari also has a movie theater (English and Japanese films) and there is a Cirque du Soleil show nearby as well.
From the Maihama/Ikspiari area, you can get on the Disney Resort Line, which is the TDR monorail. This monorail line is, essentially, a privately operated public transportation line. You need a ticket to ride it, and anybody can get on. It even appears on Tokyo area public transportation maps. The DRL has 4 stops -- Resort Gateway (Maihama station/Ikspiari/Ambassador Hotel), Tokyo Disneyland (Park and Hotel), Bayside Station (Official Hotels), and Tokyo DisneySea/MiraCosta Hotel. The cost is 250 yen per trip, and they also sell unlimited passes for 1, 2, 3, and 4 days. A 2 day unlimited DRL pass is 800 yen, 3 day is 1100 yen. The DRL has cool Mickey Mouse-shaped windows and straps to hold onto.
I'll continue in a few days with details of my time at the parks.
I'll try to write this with a lot of logistical information as well, in an effort to help people visiting for the first time plan and be ready for how to get around, etc. at Tokyo Disney Resort (TDR).
Background
The trip to TDR was added onto a business trip to Tokyo. My business in Tokyo was Feb. 20-22, and I went to TDR Feb. 23-25. For those keeping score, that means I was at TDR on a Thursday, Friday, and half of Saturday in the dead of winter. School was in session, and there were no special events at TDR. As this was tacked onto a business trip, I was solo at TDR, which had its advantages and disadvantages.
I spent Thursday, Feb. 23 at TDL, and Friday and half of Saturday at TDS before heading to the airport for my flight home. I stayed in downtown Tokyo the nights of Feb. 20, 21, 22 for my business, and then headed to TDR the morning of the 23rd.
Accomodations
I stayed at the Hilton Tokyo Bay, which is one of the "Tokyo Disney Official Hotels". These are roughly the equivalent of the hotels along Hotel Plaza Blvd near Downtown Disney, except that at TDR, there is a monorail stop that serves the Official Hotels. There are six Official Hotels. I chose the Hilton because I have gold status, got a decent rate (15,000 yen/night -- about $170), and I figured (correctly) that the staff was highly likely to speak English.
The Hilton was pretty much exactly what you'd expect from a Hilton in the US. The room was pretty large, functional, and clean. There was a wired internet connection (free for gold members, 1500 yen/day otherwise), comfortable beds, a table and chairs, a desk, a safe, a closet, and a bathroom with a tub/shower and a toilet with fancy seat warming and bottom washing functions (remember Mater in the bathroom in Japan in Cars 2? -- well, Japanese bathrooms really do have all those buttons. My recommendation -- don't push any of them!). The hotel also has a pool (which I did not use), several restaurants, a store with Disney gifts, and a 24 hour convenience store (like a 7/11), which was extremely useful. On the downside, the television in the room had only 2 English channels.
My gold status gave me free breakfast at the hotel. The breakfast buffet was large, with Western and Japanese selections. About half of the unidentifiable (to me) Japanese selections were very good. I ate very large breakfasts before heading to the parks.
All of the signage in the hotel was in English, and the staff members I dealt with all spoke English as well. Service was extremely polite and helpful to a fault.
In addition to the six Official Hotels, which are all located in a row in the southwest corner of the TDR, there are also three Disney Hotels, which are located closer to the parks and are much more in the spirit of deluxe resorts at WDW, both in terms of amenities and pricing. I did not venture in to any of the other hotels, as my time was limited.
Getting There and Checking In
As I said, I was on business in Tokyo before heading to TDR. The quickest and easiest way from Tokyo to TDR is the train. The JR Keiyo line goes directly from downtown Tokyo to TDR, which is adjacent to the Maihama station on the Keiyo line. The Japanese subway and commuter trains are extensive, but, at least in the Tokyo area, they are not hard for Enlgish-speakers to deal because most signage is dual Japanese/English, and the ticket machines have an "English" button. In addition, street signs in Tokyo, and signs pointing out entrances to the Metro and commuter train stations are also dual-language. As a result, I had no problems navigating.
The Keiyo line actually begins in downtown Tokyo near the "Tokyo Station", a large commuter and long-distance train hub that also has several subway lines connected to it. Tokyo Station is massive and you can easily get lost. However, the JR Keiyo Tokyo Station stop is actually about 2 blocks south of Tokyo Station proper, and you can enter the Keiyo line station directly from the street, bypassing the massive confusion of Tokyo Station. Maps gave me a clue as to where these entrances would be and it was no problem finding one.
Although the Keiyo line is a commuter line, it operates like a subway line in downtown Tokyo. The fare to Maihama was 210 yen ($3). After purchasing my ticket at a machine, it was easy to figure out where to slide the ticket into the gate, and I made my way to the platform. Don't lose your ticket, because you need it on the way out as well (as fares differ by distance). Because Tokyo Station is the end of the line, trains only go in one direction, and both local and express trains stop at Maihama, so you can just hop on the next train. During rush hours, there are trains every 5 minutes. Outside of rush hours, every 10 minutes or so. Maihama is the 6th stop on locals, 3rd on express trains. The next train when I arrived was an express, and it took 15 minutes on the train to Maihama. The Maihama stop is clearly marked in English, and all signage in the station is dual-language as well. Never a doubt as to where to get off.
Immediately outside the Maihama train station is a Disney check-in facility where you can, if you are staying at any of the TDR hotels (either the 3 Disney Hotels, or the 6 Official Hotels of TDR), drop your luggage and check-in. I was afraid there might be a long wait to do this at 8:30 AM when the parks opened at 9, but I needn't have feared. I was checked-in in 5 minutes. They gave me my room key and delivered my bags to the room, so I was free to head right to the park.
If I wasn't staying at an Official Hotel, I could have used lockers at the JR Maihama station or outside TDL to store my luggage in. There are lockers at both spots big enough for suitcases.
Also adjacent to Maihama station is Ikspiari, the TDR equivalent of Downtown Disney, with over 100 shops and restaurants. I did not explore, but it looked an upscale mall with the expected array of shops and restaurants. Ikspiari also has a movie theater (English and Japanese films) and there is a Cirque du Soleil show nearby as well.
From the Maihama/Ikspiari area, you can get on the Disney Resort Line, which is the TDR monorail. This monorail line is, essentially, a privately operated public transportation line. You need a ticket to ride it, and anybody can get on. It even appears on Tokyo area public transportation maps. The DRL has 4 stops -- Resort Gateway (Maihama station/Ikspiari/Ambassador Hotel), Tokyo Disneyland (Park and Hotel), Bayside Station (Official Hotels), and Tokyo DisneySea/MiraCosta Hotel. The cost is 250 yen per trip, and they also sell unlimited passes for 1, 2, 3, and 4 days. A 2 day unlimited DRL pass is 800 yen, 3 day is 1100 yen. The DRL has cool Mickey Mouse-shaped windows and straps to hold onto.
I'll continue in a few days with details of my time at the parks.