First trip to TDR suggestions?

[Princess Leia]

When it is safe to do so, I am planning to go to Japan, and will be spending 2 days at Tokyo Disneyland Resort. As this is a once in a lifetime trip, I plan on doing as much as possible, but are there any restaurants or experiences I shouldn’t miss?

Also, just any Japan tips would be very much appreciated. I’ve never been to Asia before, so I will take any advice I can get. Thanks!!

 

[BasiltheBatLord]

A little hard to give specific tips because no one knows what operations at TDR are going to look like post-pandemic (specifically whether the standby pass system is going to stay or be expanded) but I can try to give general tips.

Do you have an idea on where you're going to be staying? Despite the name TDR is not in Tokyo, it's in Chiba prefecture, an eastern suburb. However access to TDR from Tokyo proper is not difficult. There's a couple different Disney hotels, including two (Disneyland Hotel and MiraCosta) which are directly in front of the entrances of each park. There's also several third-party hotels right outside the resort. Haneda is a much more convenient airport to fly in to if you can, not just for Disney but for all of Tokyo. I believe it's actually faster to get to TDR from Haneda than Narita, even though Narita is in Chiba.

Get to the parks early if you want to maximize your time (aim for 1-2 hours before opening). Japanese Disney fans don't play around and it's common for them to line up way in advance of park opening every day. Download the TDR app as it has live wait times (this used to be a feature exclusive to the Japanese version of the app but I think it's in the English one now too). Also kind of obvious, but make sure to check refurb calendars when planning your trip. Refurbs at TDR are generally more frequent than the U.S. parks.

List of exclusive TDR attractions:

Tokyo Disneyland
- Pooh's Hunny Hunt
- Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek
- Enchanted Tale of Beauty & the Beast
- The Enchanted Tiki Room: Stitch Presents Aloha e Komo Mai!
- Happy Ride With Baymax

Tokyo DisneySea
- Journey to the Center of the Earth
- Tower of Terror (different theme than WDW)
- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (different than the old WDW version)
- Sinbad's Storybook Voyage
- Nemo & Friends SeaRider
- Soarin' (sorta, it has some theme differences)
- Raging Spirits (sorta, it's a copy of a coaster from DLP)
- Magic Lamp Theater
- Various flat rides which I won't bother listing

My personal recommendations for plan of action:

Disneyland: Prioritize Hunny Hunt and Monsters, as well as whatever other e-tickets (Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder etc.) you want to do. Don't worry if you end up not being able to ride BatB because it's really not that great (my opinion). TDL also has arguably the best versions worldwide of HM, PotC and Splash Mountain as well as the full version of CBJ (although the latter is partially in Japanese), so those are worth keeping an eye on throughout the day. The new Mickey's Magical Music World show in BatB land is worth seeing if you can. The two parades (Dreaming Up and Dreamlights) are pretty well regarded and so are worth seeing if you're interested.

DisneySea: Prioritize Center of the Earth and ToT, and also Soarin' if you want. Skip Midway Mania because it's exactly like the U.S. rides except for the queue and it will be mobbed all day. Indiana Jones Adventure is better than the California version although it's mostly the same ride. You shouldn't have any issues getting on Sinbad and 20,000 Leagues as their wait times are usually not bad (especially Sinbad). SeaRider is skippable unless you really want to do it (it's a Universal-style simulator ride).

I'm not a fan of 90% of the food at TDR, but check out the different popcorn flavors. There's different carts all over each park (I like the honey and milk chocolate flavors the most) including a new popcorn shop with exclusive flavors which just opened in Tomorrowland with the new expansion. The Queen of Hearts restaurant in Fantasyland is cool from a theme perspective but the food is meh in my opinion.

In general I don't think TDR is too difficult to finish in 2 days as long as you have some experience with Disney parks and maximize your time. Some of the newest attractions (specifically BatB and Soarin') may be luck dependent though. You may be surprised at how little there is to do in DisneySea.

 

[Robbiem]

I definitely agree with the post above. Pooh’s Hunny Hunt and Monsters in Disneyland are must dos if you visit. Disneyland is great but a lot of it is based on Magic Kingdom so prioritise Disneysea if you are on limited time. In Disneysea must dos are definitely Sindbad, Journey to the centre of the earth, and 20k. Indy is a really good take on the Disneyland original (splash is the same as well). I love the gondola ride as well as its a perfect mish mash Japanese view of European culture.
snack food in tokyo is interesting, make sure to tey things like the green alien mochi, gyoza sausage bun and the flavoured popcorn and churros. Check the tokyo disney website for menus (I use chrome auto translate), IMO good bets are the country bear in Disneyland does good Japanese curry and Grandma Sarah in Critter country has nice food and you eat in splash mountain! Over in Disneysea Vulcania is often good and the Yuccatan base camp often has good specials. https://www.tokyodisneyresort.jp/tds/restaurant.html

If you stay on site you can save money by staying at a partner hotel. I’ve stayed at the Hilton and Sheraton, both are nice the Sheraton is probably slight nicer. If you arrive by train you can check in next to the staion and get luggage etc delivered.

The rest of Japan is amazing- where are you thinking of going? The people are super nice I definitely recommend traveling beyond Tokyo if you have time check out getting a railcard if you travel around and get an IC card for metro travel. Use hyperdia http://www.hyperdia.com/ to check timetables. If you let us know where or what you’d like to do I’m sure the people here can help with suggestions

 

[PiratesMansion]

Don't go on a weekend. That's where most of the scary crowd photos from TDR come from.

While the attractions and overall package are really high quality, where TDR really shines is the entertainment. Definitely make sure you see the parades, yes, but also any harbor shows at DisneySea, Big Band Beat, and anything else that strikes your interest. If all you care about is rides and the big, big entertainment, you can probably do the parks in two days, but there is a lot going on normally.

The most popular shows often require participation in a show lottery. Do this early because you get one shot per show per day, and if you don't get chosen you're out of luck. BUT if you do this early enough and you don't get into the show, you can still go to the first show of the day, which tends to be open to all.

Parades and harbor shows (if in season) are very popular and people will start gathering for them in huge numbers well before the performances start. However, generally parade and harbor show viewing is seated, and you are probably taller than many Japanese people. Thus, I've usually been able to get a decent spot ~30 min before the show starts.

You're best off waiting until you're in Japan before buying your ticket. TDR has lots of weird ticket-purchasing rules if you're trying to buy on their site. Instead go to select Disney stores in Japan for your tickets (I like the one in Shibuya) or buy the night before your first park day when you arrive at the resort.

Seriously, check the refurb schedule. One prominent vlogger didn't look at anything in advance because he wanted to be surprised...only to go during a period where Journey and TOT were both closed. Something is ALWAYS under refurb. They post the schedule six months out.

If you stay at the Hilton onsite and you're a Hilton Honors member, you get a huge breakfast buffet free every morning (or at least you did...who knows post pandemic).

If you or anyone in your party has special dietary needs, know that Japan in general is not particularly accommodating on that front, nor are they accustomed to customizing orders, and that absolutely extends to TDR.

The rest of Japan: I highly recommend Kyoto and Hiroshima. You can reach both via bullet train (Shinkansen) and you can purchase a Rail Pass that will save you a ton of money on the JR trains. If you're going to Kyoto and back from Tokyo that's generally enough to pay for the Rail Pass all by itself.

 

[BasiltheBatLord]

You're best off waiting until you're in Japan before buying your ticket. TDR has lots of weird ticket-purchasing rules if you're trying to buy on their site. Instead go to select Disney stores in Japan for your tickets (I like the one in Shibuya) or buy the night before your first park day when you arrive at the resort.

Yeah this is a good point. OLC makes it ridiculously hard to buy a ticket outside of Japan for some reason. You can very easily buy a ticket at certain Disney stores (the ones in Shibuya and Ikebukuro sell them), however this has been suspended ever since COVID. Currently the only way to buy a ticket is online and you can only buy it with a Japanese credit card.

 

[PiratesMansion]

You can very easily buy a ticket at any Disney store (there's one in Shibuya and one in Ikebukuro), however this has been suspended ever since COVID. Currently the only way to buy a ticket is online and you can only buy it with a Japanese credit card.

I guess this is ok-ish if it's temporary because of the pandemic, but oy...

 

[BasiltheBatLord]

I guess this is ok-ish if it's temporary because of the pandemic, but oy...

Not okay for foreigners living in Japan.

Thankfully I was able to apply for and receive a Japanese card (which is uncommon for foreigners I hear)

 

[Princess Leia]

A little hard to give specific tips because no one knows what operations at TDR are going to look like post-pandemic (specifically whether the standby pass system is going to stay or be expanded) but I can try to give general tips.

Do you have an idea on where you're going to be staying? Despite the name TDR is not in Tokyo, it's in Chiba prefecture, an eastern suburb. However access to TDR from Tokyo proper is not difficult. There's a couple different Disney hotels, including two (Disneyland Hotel and MiraCosta) which are directly in front of the entrances of each park. There's also several third-party hotels right outside the resort. Haneda is a much more convenient airport to fly in to if you can, not just for Disney but for all of Tokyo. I believe it's actually faster to get to TDR from Haneda than Narita, even though Narita is in Chiba.

Get to the parks early if you want to maximize your time (aim for 1-2 hours before opening). Japanese Disney fans don't play around and it's common for them to line up way in advance of park opening every day. Download the TDR app as it has live wait times (this used to be a feature exclusive to the Japanese version of the app but I think it's in the English one now too). Also kind of obvious, but make sure to check refurb calendars when planning your trip. Refurbs at TDR are generally more frequent than the U.S. parks.

List of exclusive TDR attractions:

Tokyo Disneyland
- Pooh's Hunny Hunt
- Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek
- Enchanted Tale of Beauty & the Beast
- The Enchanted Tiki Room: Stitch Presents Aloha e Komo Mai!
- Happy Ride With Baymax

Tokyo DisneySea
- Journey to the Center of the Earth
- Tower of Terror (different theme than WDW)
- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (different than the old WDW version)
- Sinbad's Storybook Voyage
- Nemo & Friends SeaRider
- Soarin' (sorta, it has some theme differences)
- Raging Spirits (sorta, it's a copy of a coaster from DLP)
- Magic Lamp Theater
- Various flat rides which I won't bother listing

My personal recommendations for plan of action:

Disneyland: Prioritize Hunny Hunt and Monsters, as well as whatever other e-tickets (Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder etc.) you want to do. Don't worry if you end up not being able to ride BatB because it's really not that great (my opinion). TDL also has arguably the best versions worldwide of HM, PotC and Splash Mountain as well as the full version of CBJ (although the latter is partially in Japanese), so those are worth keeping an eye on throughout the day. The new Mickey's Magical Music World show in BatB land is worth seeing if you can. The two parades (Dreaming Up and Dreamlights) are pretty well regarded and so are worth seeing if you're interested.

DisneySea: Prioritize Center of the Earth and ToT, and also Soarin' if you want. Skip Midway Mania because it's exactly like the U.S. rides except for the queue and it will be mobbed all day. Indiana Jones Adventure is better than the California version although it's mostly the same ride. You shouldn't have any issues getting on Sinbad and 20,000 Leagues as their wait times are usually not bad (especially Sinbad). SeaRider is skippable unless you really want to do it (it's a Universal-style simulator ride).

I'm not a fan of 90% of the food at TDR, but check out the different popcorn flavors. There's different carts all over each park (I like the honey and milk chocolate flavors the most) including a new popcorn shop with exclusive flavors which just opened in Tomorrowland with the new expansion. The Queen of Hearts restaurant in Fantasyland is cool from a theme perspective but the food is meh in my opinion.

In general I don't think TDR is too difficult to finish in 2 days as long as you have some experience with Disney parks and maximize your time. Some of the newest attractions (specifically BatB and Soarin') may be luck dependent though. You may be surprised at how little there is to do in DisneySea.

Thank you for your detailed response! Definitely good to know about Monsters Inc and Hunny Hunt. I’ll be flying into HND, and I’m hoping to stay at the Hilton. I wanted to stay near the monorail.

As for food, are there any QS options other than popcorn? I love popcorn, and have had it as a meal on several occasions, but in the few videos I’ve watched about TDR, they all seem to feature TS restaurants.

I definitely agree with the post above. Pooh’s Hunny Hunt and Monsters in Disneyland are must dos if you visit. Disneyland is great but a lot of it is based on Magic Kingdom so prioritise Disneysea if you are on limited time. In Disneysea must dos are definitely Sindbad, Journey to the centre of the earth, and 20k. Indy is a really good take on the Disneyland original (splash is the same as well). I love the gondola ride as well as its a perfect mish mash Japanese view of European culture.
snack food in tokyo is interesting, make sure to tey things like the green alien mochi, gyoza sausage bun and the flavoured popcorn and churros. Check the tokyo disney website for menus (I use chrome auto translate), IMO good bets are the country bear in Disneyland does good Japanese curry and Grandma Sarah in Critter country has nice food and you eat in splash mountain! Over in Disneysea Vulcania is often good and the Yuccatan base camp often has good specials. https://www.tokyodisneyresort.jp/tds/restaurant.html

If you stay on site you can save money by staying at a partner hotel. I’ve stayed at the Hilton and Sheraton, both are nice the Sheraton is probably slight nicer. If you arrive by train you can check in next to the staion and get luggage etc delivered.

The rest of Japan is amazing- where are you thinking of going? The people are super nice I definitely recommend traveling beyond Tokyo if you have time check out getting a railcard if you travel around and get an IC card for metro travel. Use hyperdia http://www.hyperdia.com/ to check timetables. If you let us know where or what you’d like to do I’m sure the people here can help with suggestions

I will have to remember your note about the curry, I adore curry. I’m only planning to spend two days at the parks, so Day 1 will probably be Disneyland and Day 2 will be DisneySea. As for the rest of the trip... I’m still working on details lol. I’ll probably end up staying in either Shinjuku or Shibuya. I’d like to visit shrines, museums, maybe check out the Robot Restaurant (and eat somewhere else before the show). I’d definitely like to see Mt Fuji, and visit an onsen. The tricky part is that my total time in Japan (not counting my flight over) will be about 7 days.

 

[Princess Leia]

Don't go on a weekend. That's where most of the scary crowd photos from TDR come from.

While the attractions and overall package are really high quality, where TDR really shines is the entertainment. Definitely make sure you see the parades, yes, but also any harbor shows at DisneySea, Big Band Beat, and anything else that strikes your interest. If all you care about is rides and the big, big entertainment, you can probably do the parks in two days, but there is a lot going on normally.

The most popular shows often require participation in a show lottery. Do this early because you get one shot per show per day, and if you don't get chosen you're out of luck. BUT if you do this early enough and you don't get into the show, you can still go to the first show of the day, which tends to be open to all.

Parades and harbor shows (if in season) are very popular and people will start gathering for them in huge numbers well before the performances start. However, generally parade and harbor show viewing is seated, and you are probably taller than many Japanese people. Thus, I've usually been able to get a decent spot ~30 min before the show starts.

You're best off waiting until you're in Japan before buying your ticket. TDR has lots of weird ticket-purchasing rules if you're trying to buy on their site. Instead go to select Disney stores in Japan for your tickets (I like the one in Shibuya) or buy the night before your first park day when you arrive at the resort.

Seriously, check the refurb schedule. One prominent vlogger didn't look at anything in advance because he wanted to be surprised...only to go during a period where Journey and TOT were both closed. Something is ALWAYS under refurb. They post the schedule six months out.

If you stay at the Hilton onsite and you're a Hilton Honors member, you get a huge breakfast buffet free every morning (or at least you did...who knows post pandemic).

If you or anyone in your party has special dietary needs, know that Japan in general is not particularly accommodating on that front, nor are they accustomed to customizing orders, and that absolutely extends to TDR.

The rest of Japan: I highly recommend Kyoto and Hiroshima. You can reach both via bullet train (Shinkansen) and you can purchase a Rail Pass that will save you a ton of money on the JR trains. If you're going to Kyoto and back from Tokyo that's generally enough to pay for the Rail Pass all by itself.

So, I know exactly which vlog you’re talking about, and I am the opposite kind of planner for this. Will definitely be looking into schedules and refurbs.

I’m definitely looking at staying at the Hilton, but I’m not a member. Is it free to sign up?

Unfortunately, I will probably only be spending my trip in Tokyo and the surrounding area. Definitely want to explore more on my next trip.

 

[PiratesMansion]

As for food, are there any QS options other than popcorn? I love popcorn, and have had it as a meal on several occasions, but in the few videos I’ve watched about TDR, they all seem to feature TS restaurants.

There's plenty of Quick Service options throughout the parks, and the menus are almost all unique from each other. Grandma Sara's and Queen of Hearts have been rightfully singled out for atmosphere, but there are several other options as well. I've generally liked what I've tried, but I would steer clear of some of the things you might traditionally eat at the American parks-in particular, I have yet to hear anything positive about their burgers. I mostly ate quick service at TDL, but I enjoyed Queen of Hearts, Pan Galactic Pizza Port (fun AA to watch too while you eat), and Camp Woodchuck. There appear to be lots of other solid options, and even if they don't appeal to you, snacking is plentiful outside of popcorn too!

I’m definitely looking at staying at the Hilton, but I’m not a member. Is it free to sign up?

Completely free to sign up for Hilton Honors.

 

[Princess Leia]

Question about the FP system as it’s been awhile since I’ve handled paper FPs- are you allowed to get a new FP after you check into your attraction?

 

[Princess Leia]

There's plenty of Quick Service options throughout the parks, and the menus are almost all unique from each other. Grandma Sara's and Queen of Hearts have been rightfully singled out for atmosphere, but there are several other options as well. I've generally liked what I've tried, but I would steer clear of some of the things you might traditionally eat at the American parks-in particular, I have yet to hear anything positive about their burgers. I mostly ate quick service at TDL, but I enjoyed Queen of Hearts, Pan Galactic Pizza Port (fun AA to watch too while you eat), and Camp Woodchuck. There appear to be lots of other solid options, and even if they don't appeal to you, snacking is plentiful outside of popcorn too!

Completely free to sign up for Hilton Honors.

Thank you! I’m a pretty adventurous eater, so I’m not sure I’d go for a burger in Tokyo anyways. Except there is something that looks like it comes in a steamed bun that looks interesting? Though that may be chicken.

 

[PiratesMansion]

Thank you! I’m a pretty adventurous eater, so I’m not sure I’d go for a burger in Tokyo anyways. Except there is something that looks like it comes in a steamed bun that looks interesting? Though that may be chicken.

Are you referring to what is sometimes called the gyoza dog? It's (currently, anyway-not sure if they ever change it out) sausage. You can get it at the little snack stand (Nautilus Galley) on the lower level of Mysterious Island at TDS. They also have Dim Sum at the Vulcania restaurant (another great counter service option) nearby.

 

[PiratesMansion]

Question about the FP system as it’s been awhile since I’ve handled paper FPs- are you allowed to get a new FP after you check into your attraction?

You can get a new FP once your window opens or when you reach the window noted on the bottom of the FP, whichever is earlier. You don't actually have to use the FP you have before you get a new one-you can get a new one as soon as you hit either of the times I noted above.

But rather than get them in person, I would download the app, because I'm fairly certain you can get FPs on there in the English app as well.

 

[BasiltheBatLord]

You can get a new FP once your window opens or when you reach the window noted on the bottom of the FP, whichever is earlier. You don't actually have to use the FP you have before you get a new one-you can get a new one as soon as you hit either of the times I noted above.

But rather than get them in person, I would download the app, because I'm fairly certain you can get FPs on there in the English app as well.

Yep although important to keep in mind that FP has been gone since Corona and considering the experimentation currently going on with the Standby Pass system I wouldn't be surprised if an entirely new system replaces FP in the future.

I genuinely like the burgers at Tomorrowland Terrace, they're nothing amazing but they're not bad. I'm a very picky eater though.

 

[Robbiem]

Thank you for your detailed response! Definitely good to know about Monsters Inc and Hunny Hunt. I’ll be flying into HND, and I’m hoping to stay at the Hilton. I wanted to stay near the monorail.

As for food, are there any QS options other than popcorn? I love popcorn, and have had it as a meal on several occasions, but in the few videos I’ve watched about TDR, they all seem to feature TS restaurants.


I will have to remember your note about the curry, I adore curry. I’m only planning to spend two days at the parks, so Day 1 will probably be Disneyland and Day 2 will be DisneySea. As for the rest of the trip... I’m still working on details lol. I’ll probably end up staying in either Shinjuku or Shibuya. I’d like to visit shrines, museums, maybe check out the Robot Restaurant (and eat somewhere else before the show). I’d definitely like to see Mt Fuji, and visit an onsen. The tricky part is that my total time in Japan (not counting my flight over) will be about 7 days.

Shinjuku or Shibuya are good places to stay in the city. Shiodome/Shimbashi is another good area. In Shinjuku you can visit the viewing decks at the metropolitan government buildings for free (take your passport) if you are lucky you might see mt Fuji from there. From shinjuku you can also visit the Fuji area by train.some nice shrines in the city are meji jingu in yoyogi park or the Asakusa shrine which is near to the skytree tower.
If you can manage a trip out of the city (which I recomend) Nikko has some amazing shrines and it easily reached from shinjuku or tokyo stations. Kamakura has the giant buddha statue, some more shrines and is close to enoshima island (you travel on a 1960s suspended monorail). The Hakone lakes area is a nice scenic day in nature with Onsens and you might see Fuji on a clear day.
In the city you might want to visit Odaiba island for the mirakan science museum (you can see asimo the robot) and the area also has an onsen And a giant robot statue (at night you get great views of the city). The Tokyo National museum in ueno is great for traditional things (Kimono, woodblock prints, swords etc). The Edo Tokyo museum is a good museum on the history of the city and although its a bit further out (train from shinjuku) the Edo Tokyo architecture museum is good - it has old buildings moved from the city and when I visited it has a Ghibli exhibition.

I really hope you have a great time

 

[Princess Leia]

Shinjuku or Shibuya are good places to stay in the city. Shiodome/Shimbashi is another good area. In Shinjuku you can visit the viewing decks at the metropolitan government buildings for free (take your passport) if you are lucky you might see mt Fuji from there. From shinjuku you can also visit the Fuji area by train.some nice shrines in the city are meji jingu in yoyogi park or the Asakusa shrine which is near to the skytree tower.
If you can manage a trip out of the city (which I recomend) Nikko has some amazing shrines and it easily reached from shinjuku or tokyo stations. Kamakura has the giant buddha statue, some more shrines and is close to enoshima island (you travel on a 1960s suspended monorail). The Hakone lakes area is a nice scenic day in nature with Onsens and you might see Fuji on a clear day.
In the city you might want to visit Odaiba island for the mirakan science museum (you can see asimo the robot) and the area also has an onsen And a giant robot statue (at night you get great views of the city). The Tokyo National museum in ueno is great for traditional things (Kimono, woodblock prints, swords etc). The Edo Tokyo museum is a good museum on the history of the city and although its a bit further out (train from shinjuku) the Edo Tokyo architecture museum is good - it has old buildings moved from the city and when I visited it has a Ghibli exhibition.

I really hope you have a great time

Thank you! I totally blanked on the name of Kamakura, that’s currently my second day trip out of the city if I have time. The other day trip is to Fuji Five Lakes.

If I had an infinite amount of time and money, I would definitely be spending 2+ weeks traveling, but alas, that is not the case. It’s also mostly going to be a solo adventure for me. Might be meeting up with a friend and his fiancée for a couple days in Tokyo, but as of now, it’s just me.

 

[Robbiem]

Thank you! I totally blanked on the name of Kamakura, that’s currently my second day trip out of the city if I have time. The other day trip is to Fuji Five Lakes.

If I had an infinite amount of time and money, I would definitely be spending 2+ weeks traveling, but alas, that is not the case. It’s also mostly going to be a solo adventure for me. Might be meeting up with a friend and his fiancée for a couple days in Tokyo, but as of now, it’s just me.

Don’t worry about traveling alone. Japan is super safe and most people are very friendl. I’m sure you will have a great time

 

[PalisadesPkteer]

When it is safe to do so, I am planning to go to Japan, and will be spending 2 days at Tokyo Disneyland Resort. As this is a once in a lifetime trip, I plan on doing as much as possible, but are there any restaurants or experiences I shouldn’t miss?

Also, just any Japan tips would be very much appreciated. I’ve never been to Asia before, so I will take any advice I can get. Thanks!!

Planning on going in 2023 when the new areas open up there. Will be a once in a lifetime trip I fear. So will do 3 -4 days at the resort.

 

[britain]

Thanks for this thread! The Genie announcements have made me cancel plans for a WDW trip next year. I have set my sites on a 2023 trip to Japan to finally experience TDR, as well as hit the Ghibli sites.