Visiting TDL and DisneySea in May - any advice?

[popsicletrees]

Konnichiwa! My husband and I will be visiting Japan from late May - early June this year. I've convinced him to let me have two days (maybe two and a half) at Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea. We will be at the parks May 28-29. I've read that the parks are typically crowded, but has anyone visited during this time of year? We are going during the week and not during any national holidays, so I'm hoping that it won't be too crowded.

Plus, since we only have two days devoted to the parks does anyone have any advice on the best methods to touring the parks? What are must-dos? What can we skip? What should we hit first? What should we get fastpasses for? And what snacks should we try? I know that there is a plethora of information on the internet with this kind of information, but I wanted to check to see if any of y'all could offer some advice.

Thanks!

 

[Disneysea05]

First remember that you will not be allowed to park hop with a 2 day ticket, you must visit one park on day 1 and the other on day 2. This restriction is actually beneficial for a short trip like yours so you can maximize your time in each park.

Tokyo Disneyland: Be there at least, AT LEAST, one hour before park opening. Openings at both parks look like a marathon with people running to get to their favorite rides so be prepared for that.

I would get a Fastpass for Monsters Inc and then do stand by for Poohs Hunny Hunt or vice versa. Monsters inc is closer to the entrance. You MUST do Poohs Hunny Hunt! It is an insanely elaborate, e ticket attraction!

Tokyo has the most impressive Splash Mountain make sure to ride that and consider eating in the restaurant inside the mountain. Very unique.

Before I go on with Tokyo Disneyland, it would be helpful to know if you've been to the original Disneyland in California? Magic Kingdom in Florida?

Tokyo DisneySea is a park in a league all it's own. Not one park in the US is equal to TDS, it is just spectacular. It will forever change your view on what "Disney quality" is.

You must do: Journey to the Center of the Earth, Tower of Terror, Indiana Jones Temple of the Crystal Skull (has nothing to do with the movie).

Make sure to snack on all the different flavored popcorn around the park. Strawberry is my favorite, but I love Coconut, Apple, sweet milk, and curry. Another popular item is a sausage bun they sell in Mysterious Island, the line for that is usually very long but if it's not try it.

 

[popsicletrees]

Thanks for the information, @Disneysea05! I have been to both the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland. I've been to WDW numerous times but Disneyland only twice. I read that Space Mountain will be down while we are there, which is sad because that is always mine and my husband's favorite ride. I'm hoping that it is similar to either the version at Disneyland or the Magic Kingdom.

I am really looking forward to visiting TDS. Do you have any recommendations for which shows are worth seeing?

Also, do you know how the crowds typically are around the end of May? I looked at a crowd calendar that listed the expected crowds at 30/100. I'm hoping this is fairly accurate.

 

[Disneysea05]

Space Mountain is an identical copy of Disneyland's, the track anyway. The station is more spiffy and there is no onboard audio, so it really isn't a huge loss.

When walking around the park, it won't take long to realize that the imagineers blended the best of Disneyland and Magic Kingdom together along with some unique features. It is also much more expansive than the Magic Kingdom. The result is a familiar yet fresh experience. It is overall my favorite of the 5 magic kingdoms.

If you are running low on time, there are a few attractions that are similar to American counterparts: Pinocchio, Snow White, Philharmagic, and Pirates of the Caribbean to name a few. If you can, you should still ride them and they still feature unique elements...like being in Japanese!

At Tokyo DisneySea be sure to catch Big Band Beat at the Broadway theatre. It is such a good show. On most days, you have to enter a lottery to see if you win seats for the show. There is a location in Mediterranean harbor, close to the Venetian gondolas, where you scan your tickets and see if you are selected to see the show. OR you can show up really early for the first show, which is usually first come first serve. It's an AWESOME musical revue!

Also, Fantasmic is a much different show over there, definitely worth the time to check out.

But, if you had to see one show at TDS is has to be The Legend of Mythica! It's a huge daytime lagoon show and it probably is the grandest scale spectacle in any Disney park. Huge water barge floats with animatronics, 100+ performers, jet skis, pyro, it's just awesome. The show is being retired in September, so you are just in time to catch it! And it's a little different depending on where you view it, there are 5 main viewing areas around the lagoon and each area gets a different character for a slightly different show.

I have not been in May, my trips fell in Fall or Winter. But if there's no public holidays, it should be tolerable. Maybe not Saturdays.

Also, don't fret too much about language barriers in the parks. They're virtually non existent. All signage, maps, and park announcements are in both Japanese and English. Some shows are also partly in English. And the cast members are so willing to help you, it's almost too good to be true. Most have some basic English skills or will direct you to someone who does. There are also English pins that fluent CMs wear opposite their name tags.

 

[popsicletrees]

Thank you so much for the helpful information! The Legend of Mythica sounds like a really cool show to watch, and since it is retiring in September it will be added to our list.

We are trying to learn as much of the language as possible before we go. We've been working on it since December, and while I know that we will not be anywhere close to fluent, I'm hoping that we will be able to understand parts of rides.

Also, thank you for letting me know which rides at TDL are similar to their American counterparts. My goal is to have as many unique experiences as possible, so those will probably go towards the bottom of my list of what we must do (except Pirates, I want to experience that in Japanese). Plus, it is nice to hear that Space Mountain is identical to the one in Disneyland. Honestly, my husband and I prefer the one in WDW, so that isn't too heartbreaking to know we will miss it.

Again, thank you for this information! You have been so helpful!

 

[peep]

When I visited in September we went straight to the back of Fantasyland for Winnie the Pooh and we managed to walk on and get a fastpass! Whereas I've heard stories of people going straight to Monsters Inc and not only having to queue for the ride but there was also a long line for fastpasses! Working your way around the park from the left we found good as well as Adventureland and Frontierland don't get busy from the get go, unlike the other areas. Toon town is also fairly quiet for the first hour or so. Obviously there is a huge chance it'll be very quiet when you go but still prepare for the worst.

Disneysea05 mentioned about the big show in DisneySea (which is fantastic if you love big band style music) having a ticket lottery. The same goes for a show in Tomorrowland, One mans dream 2. We missed out on it because it is pot luck if you get tickets (only one try a day) but I've heard nothing but great things about the show.

In DisneySea definitely don't miss out on Sinbad! It's my favourite dark ride, it's just so relaxing and the song is great and the animatronics are fantastic.

There's also the Genie show which is very different. It mixes a live stage show with 3D film.

Their Tower of Terror is also different to both American versions. I'm annoyed I didn't know of the following, ask a cast member working on the attraction for the English story card (not sure what they're officially called), they look amazing.

Food we found to be great, I think our favourite place was the incredible restaurant in the volcano (name escapes me).

Whatever you do don't miss out on Fantasmic, it's magical.

Best thing to do is to just explore, both parks have loads of little pathways filled with hidden details.

In regards to the language, learn the Kanji for the food you like and don't like. Where most places (especially at Disney) have menus in both Kanji and English some places in Japan don't cater to English speaking guests. If stuck the staff will be more than happy to help you even if it involves a game of charades.

 

[Iced]

I went there couple years ago ... I found DisneySea was really interesting!
as mentioned before "journey to the center of the earth", "tower of terror", and "indiana jones" surely must be on your to do list! There is an 4D attraction on the Port of Discovery that worth to see as well...
and don't miss the watershow parade...(*I missed 1/2 of it)

we went to Arabian Coast for our lunch, they have a good curry

 

[popsicletrees]

When I visited in September we went straight to the back of Fantasyland for Winnie the Pooh and we managed to walk on and get a fastpass! Whereas I've heard stories of people going straight to Monsters Inc and not only having to queue for the ride but there was also a long line for fastpasses! Working your way around the park from the left we found good as well as Adventureland and Frontierland don't get busy from the get go, unlike the other areas. Toon town is also fairly quiet for the first hour or so. Obviously there is a huge chance it'll be very quiet when you go but still prepare for the worst.

Disneysea05 mentioned about the big show in DisneySea (which is fantastic if you love big band style music) having a ticket lottery. The same goes for a show in Tomorrowland, One mans dream 2. We missed out on it because it is pot luck if you get tickets (only one try a day) but I've heard nothing but great things about the show.

In DisneySea definitely don't miss out on Sinbad! It's my favourite dark ride, it's just so relaxing and the song is great and the animatronics are fantastic.

There's also the Genie show which is very different. It mixes a live stage show with 3D film.

Their Tower of Terror is also different to both American versions. I'm annoyed I didn't know of the following, ask a cast member working on the attraction for the English story card (not sure what they're officially called), they look amazing.

Food we found to be great, I think our favourite place was the incredible restaurant in the volcano (name escapes me).

Whatever you do don't miss out on Fantasmic, it's magical.

Best thing to do is to just explore, both parks have loads of little pathways filled with hidden details.

In regards to the language, learn the Kanji for the food you like and don't like. Where most places (especially at Disney) have menus in both Kanji and English some places in Japan don't cater to English speaking guests. If stuck the staff will be more than happy to help you even if it involves a game of charades.

That is good to know about Tower of Terror. I've been on both American versions and basically expected a repeat of one or the other so I wasn't too worried about not doing it. Now I will put that on our list.

Thanks for the info about traveling to the left at TDL. My plan of attack there is to head to Monsters Inc and Pooh first for fps and stand-by, but I don't have much of a plan from there other than experience as much as possible. I'm really hoping that the crowds will be manageable because there is so much that I want to see and do there, especially at DisneySea. The shows there sound amazing, and I've seen photos of Sinbad, which looks great too.

My husband is learning a lot of the Kanji before we go. We both know most of the hiragana, but I will tell him that he better brush up on his food. He is a very picky eater, and I've already warned him that substitutions simply do not happen in Japan.

I went there couple years ago ... I found DisneySea was really interesting!
as mentioned before "journey to the center of the earth", "tower of terror", and "indiana jones" surely must be on your to do list! There is an 4D attraction on the Port of Discovery that worth to see as well...
and don't miss the watershow parade...(*I missed 1/2 of it)

we went to Arabian Coast for our lunch, they have a good curry

All of these are on my list! I saw a photo of the water parade this morning, and I'm really looking forward to seeing it. I will have to see if I can find a menu for Arabian Coast. I love a good curry. My husband hates spicy food. So, I'll have to see if there is something for him to eat.

Thanks again everyone for your great advice. Tomorrow marks two months until we leave on what is shaping up to be quite an adventure!

 

[gsrjedi]

I don't have anything to add, but I'm very interested to hear about your experiences in visiting in May. I'm currently saving up to travel to Tokyo next year & May was the time I was thinking of going since it didn't seem as busy at TDL

 

[popsicletrees]

I don't have anything to add, but I'm very interested to hear about your experiences in visiting in May. I'm currently saving up to travel to Tokyo next year & May was the time I was thinking of going since it didn't seem as busy at TDL

I plan on doing a full trip report when I get back. The more that I research for my upcoming trip the more excited I get.

 

[BrerJon]

I'll add some tips in case they're useful... be warned though, once you've done Tokyo once you'll want to go back fast!

As others have said, Monsters Fastpass is the priority as that always has insane lines, and a mad rush to get them at rope drop, then go to Pooh and ride that, it should be manageable first thing. After that you can relax a bit and the main thing is just to enjoy the same-but-different feeling of exploring.

Pirates and Splash are worth doing, they're similar but much more polished and impressive (get a Critter Sunday and check out the rabbit warren restaurant by Splash), Jungle Cruise is amusing with Japanese skippers but only if there is a very short line as it's little different from it's American counterparts. The Stitch Tiki-Room is an interesting difference if you're a fan of the other Tiki rooms, but not really a must-do otherwise.

Other than Pooh, Monsters and Haunted Mansion, there's nothing in Fantasyland, Toontown or Tomorrowland that's not a clone of a Magic Kingdom ride, so any of those attractions can be missed if you're short of time which you will be if you have just one day. I'd say enjoying the park and theming and popping into the shops and restaurants is more important than hitting every little dark ride.

On to TDS, the big rush in the morning is for Toy Story Fastpasses, but this is identical to the American ones so I really would miss it and instead focus on Tower of Terror, which is very different. Maybe even get a Fastpass for that then ride it immediately, as that would be the only way to do it twice, and you may want to.

Journey to the Center of the Earth is the main one that gets long lines after Toy and Tower, so I'd head there next, but once that's done you can pick and choose from the other attractions. Everything is worth doing although Raging Spirits is a clone of the Paris Indiana Jones coaster if you've done that, and the flying carpets are the same experience as anywhere else, but worth going to look at the outside (but don't spend time lining up to ride) because the theme and detail is incredible.

Turtle Talk is the same as at Epcot, and all in Japanese so you can skip that.

So to sum up here's my must-do hit-list.
Land:
Pooh
Monsters Inc
Splash
Mansion
Pirates

Sea:
Tower
Journey
20,000 Leagues
Mermaid Lagoon
Sinbad
Indiana Jones
StormRider
Aquatopia
Magic Lamp

But DisneySea is really more about exploring the park and the imagineering and theming than the rides, so even if lines are long you can still have an amazing experience.

Finally as others have said, Mythica the lagoon show is superb, and this is the only place in the world you can meet Oswald the Lucky Rabbit so that might be worth it if the line isn't too bad.

 

[popsicletrees]

I'll add some tips in case they're useful... be warned though, once you've done Tokyo once you'll want to go back fast!

As others have said, Monsters Fastpass is the priority as that always has insane lines, and a mad rush to get them at rope drop, then go to Pooh and ride that, it should be manageable first thing. After that you can relax a bit and the main thing is just to enjoy the same-but-different feeling of exploring.

Pirates and Splash are worth doing, they're similar but much more polished and impressive (get a Critter Sunday and check out the rabbit warren restaurant by Splash), Jungle Cruise is amusing with Japanese skippers but only if there is a very short line as it's little different from it's American counterparts. The Stitch Tiki-Room is an interesting difference if you're a fan of the other Tiki rooms, but not really a must-do otherwise.

Other than Pooh, Monsters and Haunted Mansion, there's nothing in Fantasyland, Toontown or Tomorrowland that's not a clone of a Magic Kingdom ride, so any of those attractions can be missed if you're short of time which you will be if you have just one day. I'd say enjoying the park and theming and popping into the shops and restaurants is more important than hitting every little dark ride.

On to TDS, the big rush in the morning is for Toy Story Fastpasses, but this is identical to the American ones so I really would miss it and instead focus on Tower of Terror, which is very different. Maybe even get a Fastpass for that then ride it immediately, as that would be the only way to do it twice, and you may want to.

Journey to the Center of the Earth is the main one that gets long lines after Toy and Tower, so I'd head there next, but once that's done you can pick and choose from the other attractions. Everything is worth doing although Raging Spirits is a clone of the Paris Indiana Jones coaster if you've done that, and the flying carpets are the same experience as anywhere else, but worth going to look at the outside (but don't spend time lining up to ride) because the theme and detail is incredible.

Turtle Talk is the same as at Epcot, and all in Japanese so you can skip that.

So to sum up here's my must-do hit-list.
Land:
Pooh
Monsters Inc
Splash
Mansion
Pirates

Sea:
Tower
Journey
20,000 Leagues
Mermaid Lagoon
Sinbad
Indiana Jones
StormRider
Aquatopia
Magic Lamp

But DisneySea is really more about exploring the park and the imagineering and theming than the rides, so even if lines are long you can still have an amazing experience.

Finally as others have said, Mythica the lagoon show is superb, and this is the only place in the world you can meet Oswald the Lucky Rabbit so that might be worth it if the line isn't too bad.

Thanks for the breakdown! I'm really worried that we are going to love visiting Japan way too much. Pooh and Monsters Inc. will be my first priorities the day that we hit TDL. Honestly, I had considered not worrying about Tower of Terror at DisneySea at first because I thought that it would be an American replica and read that the line gets really long. I'm so glad that I've posted this thread so that I could find out that it is a different experience and well worth doing. Also, thank you for the info on Toy Story. I've read that the lines for that attraction are really long, but knowing that it is a replica gives me no desire to waste time on something that I can ride in the states.

I read that TDL will be premiering a new castle show on the day that we are going to visit DisneySea. I've decided not to switch the days that I am going to visit the parks to be at TDL when the new show premiers. As neat as it would be to see the new show, I'm hoping the premier will draw some crowds away from DisneySea on that night.

 

[BrerJon]

That seems very wise. The crowds will be even larger than normal (and they're always large by American crowd standards) on an attraction debut day, so choosing to join them is a recipe for not getting much done at all! But it may well ease up things at Sea a little.

 

[BrerJon]

Sorry, I've had a few more thoughts on tips for a good trip that I forgot to mention but might be important.

I checked a calendar for crowd levels: http://tdrnavi.jp/forecast/disneyland?lang=en

This shows your visit to be at the same level as my last trip. If you follow a touring plan it is very do-able, lines should be not much longer than you are used to except for Monsters, Pooh, Toy Story and Tower.

In the USA getting there for park opening is advisable, in Japan it may as well be compulsory.

Half an hour before opening the crowds will be at rock concert levels. Everyone waits in orderly lines, but they are loooong lines. I would suggest try to be there at least an hour before opening. Because of the time it takes to scan tickets, you may find Fastpasses have run out before you even get through a turnstile on a busy day.

Also, I mentioned in another thread and may be useful here, there are a few cultural differences. First of all if things go wrong, making a fuss noisily is frowned upon and unlikely to get results, but smiling and apologetic will - although hopefully all will run smoothly!

Lines to get a Fastpass are often longer than attraction lines - I've never seen this in the US parks, but if you follow a touring plan you should only have to do one long Fastpass line first thing, and even then it shouldn't be more than 15 minutes or so - but don't be scared if you see these long lines!

Ride wait times may be huge (we're talking in the hundreds of minutes) or they may be no worse than Orlando, it depends on the day, but having seen when you're going you should be fine.

If lines are hours long, there's always lots to see and do that doesn't need a wait and attractions go up and down so one ride with a line in the morning may be quieter in the evening and vice versa, and following any touring plan will mean you'll get to do the important big attractions at least once.

 

[popsicletrees]

I purchased the most recent Travelers Series Guide to Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea, so I plan on hurriedly going through that in the next few weeks and sketching out a plan. I am bracing myself for larger crowds than the Disney parks. I've seen two crowd calendars that list the crowd level at less than half capacity. I am hoping that these are correct, but again, I'm not sure how this will relate to being in the U.S. parks.

I know that I won't be able to see and do everything, but I hope to see a lot. My plan is to get to the parks about an hour beforehand. I'm sure after traveling for 20 hours the day before we hit the parks, once we get to our hotel we will be ready to crash for the night. I will absolutely sacrifice any rest for the next two days to be in the parks from opening to close. Who knows? We may enjoy the parks so much that we decide to go back on Friday morning before we head off to Kyoto.

As far as cultural differences, I've bought several guide books that have offered helpful information. I try to be incredibly accommodating whenever possible, and I hate complaining to someone about something not being correct. Back in December my husband and I purchased Rosetta Stone, so I'm hoping if any problems occur we can communicate well enough.

Thanks for all of the useful information!