Disneyland Tokyo, Paris, and Hong Kong....anyone been?

[CamiCan]

I was wondering if anyone here has been to one of the Disneylands outside of the U.S.

I'd like to someday and combine it with a sightseeing trip of spending 2 weeks in either Japan or France/England (maybe one week in Paris and one in London) and maybe 3-4 days at the Disney Park.

If any of the WDW and or DLR regs on here have done a trip that involves spending at least 2 days in a disney park outside of the U.S, do share your impressions!

With the ride narrations, instructions, shows in the country's primary language, did they provide English subtitles on a screen? (I know English is widely spoken in Hong Kong almost as a first language but in both Paris in Tokyo I would assume that the cast run their attractions French/Japanese but have signs posted with English translations for the tourists).

How did the park layout and attractions compare to their U.S. counterparts?
How did you find the language barriers? (assuming that you don't have knowledge of French or Japanese)
How many days did you spend at Disney and how many days did you spend sightseeing in the respective country?
What was quality of the overall experience?

 

[FerretAfros]

I've been to all the parks worldwide at least twice, and I've generally found that the language barriers in the park are minimal, especially compared to elsewhere in their respective countries. Disney attracts an international audience anywhere, so that's not a major concern

TDR does nearly everything in Japanese, but OLC wanted the parks to feel American so the signage is primarily in English; most shows have enough English or simple enough storylines that you can easily follow what's going on without any Japanese knowledge. CMs may or may not know English, but do a great job of communicating with hand gestures for important things and are incredibly friendly and helpful

Outside of the parks, traveling in Japan without any Japanese knowledge is the most challenging of your options, though certainly not impossible. Signs increasingly have English characters for train station names and the like, so you can find your way around, but it's best to go in with the mentality that it will be somewhat of an adventure to do nearly anything. In general, Japan is a very graphic-heavy country, so it's easy to find restaurants with picture menus and instructions that include maps; people everywhere are very friendly and willing to help, but it just may be somewhat of a struggle. I've also found that Japan is making vast improvements in recent years (which I expect will continue with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics), so your experience may differ depending how soon you visit

DLP's signage and recordings are primarily in French and English, though due to the nature of Europe many announcements are made in multiple languages. The French get somewhat of a reputation for being rude to foreigners, but it's more just their culture. If you don't go in with the expectations of super-friendly CMs (though they're hardly impolite) like in other places you'll be fine

Elsewhere in France (and the rest of Europe) English is less common on signs, but most people are able to communicate in it, especially in tourist-heavy areas. Because there are so many languages in Europe, English is the default for trying to communicate with foreigners, so you should be fine.

HKDL has all signs in English and Chinese and all announcements in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. The major shows use various tricks to include all 3 languages, and are presented in a way that the language isn't important. Certain attractions use different queues (Jungle Cruise) or times (Stitch Encounter) depending on language, but I believe that English tends to be the default

In the rest of Hong Kong, you'll find plenty of English. Due to the British influence, English is still used everywhere, and nearly everybody will speak it fluently. If you decide to travel to mainland China, you'll definitely have more difficulty (much more so than Japan), but HK and Macau are very approachable in an east-meets-west sort of way

If you go in with the expectations that there will be somewhat of a language barrier with any international travel, I think that all 3 locations are very welcoming to first-time travelers. Each of the resorts have their upsides and downsides, but I think it's also important to consider the surrounding areas. International travel isn't cheap or easy, so I would recommend choosing based on the destination itself, rather than the nearby Disney parks

 

[Animaniac93-98]

What was quality of the overall experience?

I would say combining a Disney theme park vacation with an international destination like Tokyo or Paris makes for a much more interesting and compelling experience than just visiting WDW or the Orlando parks.

I know some here love to spend 10 days or 2 weeks "immersed" in WDW 24/7 and never leave to do anything else*, but I can tell you from doing both that it's worth it to try something different. You'll still get to spend time at Disney (and they're no less "Disney" for not being located in Florida), but get to experience something more varied, cultural and exciting than the Orlando area (which, let's face it, is nothing special beyond the parks). A Disney Cruise Line trip to Alaska or the Mediterranean would be another interesting, but similar alternative.

I've done a week in Paris split between Disney and DLP and will be doing something similar next month. I also plan to visit both Vegas and DLR in the same trip next year. Eventually, I will get to Tokyo, but it won't be just for TDR.

While visiting DLP, I found the language barrier to not be much of a problem. The layout of DLP's main park is similar to MK, and most rides and shows have at least some English to them. Most of the experiences though, are focused on the visual so they translate pretty well regardless. At the end of the day, a coaster like Space Mountain doesn't need much explanation. Finding menus, signs and maps in English was not an issue. Most CMs spoke enough English to be helpful (some are from England too). In general, it's always a good idea to familiarize yourself with some of the local language before going.

*I also get the impression some go to the other resorts with this attitude and walk away dissapointed when they shouldn't be. While designed to keep you occupied for more than one day, they are not intended to be week long destinations. In the end, you'll be much better off to see other parts of France, Japan, Southern California or other places as part of your total vacation.

 

[WDWLover#1]

In DLP language barriers aren't a problem. As people have mentioned there's signs in all languages and announcements are in English and french along with other European languages as well. I would try learning some simple phrases in the respective language just to be polite, simple hellos and thank you's, along with phrases like, i would like, for example. But most cast members at DLP speak English; they have to speak french and one other. One day I ordered something using the native language and she just replied in English!
For rides The ones at DLP are supposed to be deigned as the best versions. BTM is by far the best as Phantom Manor which is one of the best and creepiest HM's. There's a whole back story behind Frontierland that ties those two attractions together, so I'd really invest in investigating and exploring the stories and backgrounds behind each attraction in the park. I'd recommend this for every other Disney park as well. Rides use music more here to tell the situation due to the large audience. Some rides use subtitles; In ToT Rod Sterling speaks French but there's English subtitles. Basically it's really easy to understand most, if not all attractions and shows. Two characters would usually alternate in french and english to make it easier ie. Mickey will speak English while Minnie French.
It's just really easy to understand everything and talk to castmembers-I can't stress that enough. Just do a bit of research on everything you're unsure of and you'll have a great time!

 

[CamiCan]

Thanks for the tips. I definitely would like to visit Europe sometime anyway so incorporating Disneyland Paris won't be too much trouble. It's also nice to know that language won't be much of a barrier. Of course, the primary purpose of the trip would be to see the major sights of London and Paris so maybe only 2 days at Disney at most. This trip would probably be about 2 years off anyway but it's nice to think ahead.

 

[HolleBolleGijs]

Literally just got back from DLP a few hours ago.

Language barrier absolutely will not be a problem. All of the super important stuff is said in both English and French, and most rides are bilingual (i.e. one character will say something and another will say "Yeah!" and rephrase what the first one said in English). Based on my knowledge of the casting process, they really value knowledge of English (I might even go so far as to say English is more important than French).

My situation is a little different - I'm living in Paris for the semester, so my Disney experience is based on day-trips here and there, but I would definitely recommend sightseeing elsewhere in Paris and combining it with a Disney trip. It's a nice break from the sometimes conformist-feeling Paris, and I honestly feel like it's one of the few places in the city where I feel like I can be myself.