The difference between domestic parks and Tokyo DLR management

[BasiltheBatLord]

Considering you went to TDL for 5 straight months I can see why got tired of it. But that is not representative of the average tourist who goes to Japan maybe once every 10 years if that.

Still if it was that bad then you wouldn't keep going.

I never said TDR was bad or that I'm tired of it. I actually said the opposite.

I lived in Tokyo for a while earlier this year, which is why I went so often. My general impressions of the resort (good mix between FL and CA but doesn't top either) were made on my very first visit, and they still hold for me.

 

[tentaguasu]

Here's the thing - TDL is much more "competitive" with WDW or DL than most people really realize. It's not that much more expensive.
And sure, overseas travel isn't for everyone, but Tokyo is about as smooth as overseas travel gets.

It really is a lovely country. I came away from a week in Tokyo with not only a greater respect for Japan as a country, but a very positive overall impression of its people. I had a good overall impression of Japan before going, but I came away with a better one. Sure, like every country it has its issues (as we do in the states and as everywhere does), but overall I found it safe, courteous, clean, culturally fascinating, and welcoming. Some of the things that Americans might find messed up (in our view) about Japanese society (like the very long hours work culture), don't really apply to visitors anyway.

In a way, I'm hesitant to talk it up too much, partly because I don't want to overhype it, but mostly because I'd like to keep it a bit of a secret...

Of course YMMV. I respect BasiltheBatLord's view. Sounds like he liked it, but wasn't as impressed with it (or Tokyo) as I was. Who knows how any individual person will react. After all, I wasn't that impressed with DL, and most people are. To each his own!

 

[BasiltheBatLord]

What did you think of Hong Kong by the way.

Any plans for Beijing or Paris?

HK was like a mini-clone of DL, with the exceptions of Mystic Manor and Grizzly which are both great rides. That's going to be changing now though as HK gets a more unique identity with all the Marvel stuff and the new castle.

I'll get to Paris and Shanghai eventually.

 

[BigThunderMatt]

Obviously both TDL and WDW are Disney but if Universal really want to do things right they raise the customer service and value and we could have a similar scenario as hard as it is to imagine that.

The problem with Universal is that internally their corporate culture really tries to have that same feel as Disney but it isn't there because they lack the sort of tangible household name you can trace back to a single person to really tie everything about the corporate culture together. It really is just a job for many people and they don't have that passion or emotional investment in it like so I many people I know who work for Disney do. Yeah the people who work at the Wizarding World tend to be very into what they do but that's because they like Harry Potter, not Universal in general.

 

[Lou Filerman]

This pretty much sums it all up.

Beauty and the Beast at MK is nothing more than a money-making cafeteria and a met and greet experience.

Meanwhile Tokyo Disney gets this

So don’t go anymore. Some of us like it.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

TDL doesn't have the Trails End. They don't have Rose & Crown or Yak and Yeti there either.

TDL doesn't have a lot of things that WDW has.......But because TDL has a few things that WDW doesn't.......

.......just trying to understand the thought process behind the post.......has more to do with budget.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I don't think it has to deal with the management. I think it's more of the fact that OLC only has Tokyo Disneyland Resort to worry about, whereas TWDC has a whole media empire plus the theme parks, resorts, and cruise ships. If you have one thing to really focus on, of course you're going to put the maximum effort into it. In the stateside parks, I like Chapek's drive to expand and change the parks, but the quality that were getting is very hit or miss (i.e. Pixar Pier vs. Galaxy's Edge). Eisner and Wells had some hits and misses with quality, but at least they weren't the cheap "re-themes" that they are trying to pass off to the fans now.

Disney isn’t stretched thin.

 

[SteveBrickNJ]

This pretty much sums it all up.

Beauty and the Beast at MK is nothing more than a money-making cafeteria and a met and greet experience.

Meanwhile Tokyo Disney gets this

WOW!

 

[Nezumi Fan]

This pretty much sums it all up.

Beauty and the Beast at MK is nothing more than a money-making cafeteria and a met and greet experience.

Meanwhile Tokyo Disney gets this

Eh, disagree. We love BOG. When it was one dining credit, it was one of the best values in all WDW. Maybe now, not so much (our trip next week will be our first time at two credits), but the ambiance cannot be matched.

 

[Nezumi Fan]

Out of curiosity, does Tokyo Disney offer the same hard ticket events such as all the random Dessert parties, Halloween and Christmas parites and the After Hours? I honestly dont know, just asking if you or anybody knows?

While there are always park-wide "celebrations" (Christmas, summer-time matsuri, Halloween), TDLR doesn't have separate, hard ticket events, as I recall. It's been a year or two since I've been back there.