First time visitors to Tokyo - help please!

[protes]

Hello!

I will be visiting Tokyo for the first time in 2 weeks time and will be visiting Disney on Tuesday 28, Wednesday 29 and Thursday 30 May.

Firstly, what are the crowds usually like at this time of year? I've read elsewhere typically not busy but just want to check.

Second, on our first day, how long should we expect to queue to purchase tickets? We will be staying at the Hilton Tokyo Bay and I think you can buy park tickets there - is that a good idea?

Thirdly, how easy is it to meet Disney characters in the park? Are there set places to meet them? And do you line up like in the American parks? (not like in Paris where it is a bit of a free-for-all!)

And finally, have people been able to use UK-issued credit cards (MasterCard) in the shops/food places at the park? I know the park accepts MasterCard but I'm worried my card will get rejected and I won't be able to buy all the goodies I want.
The reason I ask is I'm in Tokyo for 1 week prior to going to Disney, so at this stage I'm not sure how much cash I will have left. The credit card will only be used if I run out of cash.

Thanks!

 

[Wuzefelix]

Hi buddy and welcome to the Dis !

Congratulations on your trip to Japan, you're going to have a fantastic time!!

Here's to your questions:

1) Crowds on weekdays in May tend to be low, and your dates are no exception. There's an excellent inofficial crowd calendar that predicts low crowds in both parks while you're there: http://www15.plala.or.jp/gcap/disney/ (Japanese only). But please mind that low crowds at Tokyo Disney are kind of comparable to a moderate day at Disneyland Paris. Tokyo always tends to be a bit busier. It will be totally managable though, so don't worry, you picked a fantastic time to visit!


2) If you go to the Hilton hotel first anyway, I suggest you buy your ticket there at the ticket counter in the hotel lobby. No need to queue at all. Please note that they only take cash though!

I think if you buy the ticket at the parks, they should probably take credit cards but you will have to queue depending on the time of day. The line shouldn't be too long though I think.

Depending on when and how you arrive at Tokyo Disney Resort it may be convenient for you to not go to your hotel straight away. At the Disney Welcome Center that is very close to the Maihama station you can do the check-in for the Hilton hotel (and other official hotels), drop off your luggage, buy your tickets (i think also pay by card) and go straight to the parks to have some fun! At night you'll just go straight to your hotel room to find that they already delivered your luggage there.


3) At TDR they have both kinds of character encounters. They do have the "free for all" kind where you can meet a character on the streets surrounded by a mob of people (think of Tokyo Disneyland entrance suqare), but they also have character meet and greets where they set up queues. I hope there is someone else who can give you more information about where to meet characters than me because I'm no expert on this topic. However I can warn you that the Japanese tend to be crazy about the characters so even on a slow day you'd probably have to queue for a while for the most popular characters. Some (like Duffy at DisneySEA) had longer lines than the rides . I'd ask about the characters at City hall at TDR or guest services at TDS to get more information.


4) Japan is really focused on cash, so make sure you bring enough of it, especially for your time in Tokyo where many places won't accept cards! At Disney however, you can use your credit card in pretty much any shop and at every restaurant (counter, buffeteria or table service). Foreign cards like your UK Mastercard will work fine. Small food carts still require cash though.


Please don't hesitate to ask any more questions. Have a good trip and a great time in Japan!

 

[shelemm]

The reason I ask is I'm in Tokyo for 1 week prior to going to Disney, so at this stage I'm not sure how much cash I will have left. The credit card will only be used if I run out of cash.

Thanks!

Subway stations and many other places will have a machine that accepts credit cards and will give you cash. ATM machines that accept your ATM (bank debit) card are rare. Your credit card should have a network symbol on it like Cirrus or similar. If the machine has the same symbol, it should work. As long as you have enough credit, you're good to go. Credit cards are often the cheapest way to exchange money. The rates at the airport exchange office is criminal, only to be used as a last resort. Many exchange companies are quite expensive as well, so be careful.

 

[protes]

Hi buddy and welcome to the Dis !

Congratulations on your trip to Japan, you're going to have a fantastic time!!

Please don't hesitate to ask any more questions. Have a good trip and a great time in Japan!

Thanks for your answers - very helpful!

I'm also wondering the best way to get to Narita from Disney. We need to be at the airport for about 8:30am on a Friday morning.

I noticed there is a bus service from Disney to the airport which leaves at 7am and arrives at 8:20am. Does anyone know how reliable this is? And do they get crowded at this time? I'm worried it will be too busy and then we'll have to panic and get a train back to Tokyo to get the NEX

 

[jsilvers]

I noticed there is a bus service from Disney to the airport which leaves at 7am and arrives at 8:20am. Does anyone know how reliable this is? And do they get crowded at this time? I'm worried it will be too busy and then we'll have to panic and get a train back to Tokyo to get the NEX

I have taken that exact bus, and it was on-time almost to the second - which is typically how things work in Japan. (Note that it visits the official and bayside hotels before departing for the airport - the Hilton Tokyo Bay is in the middle of the circuit.)

My experience was that the bus was only half-full, but you can (and probably should) buy the tickets in advance at the hotel concierge desk.