Have a plan .. does it make sense?

SSOASS

Earning My Ears
Joined
Jan 16, 2014
Going with my 2 kids (ages 20 and 24) to Tokyo March 2018

We will arrive Monday the 12th around 3PM and staying until Saturday.

We want to go to Disney for sure, but also see Tokyo as well, our first time in Japan.

My thought was to get rooms in Tokyo semi close to Tokyo station, where the train leaves to Disney.

We have been to the US parks many many times, France and Hong Kong ... not a ton of interest in the Fantasyland rides (depending on the lines .. we will wait 15 minutes, probably not over a half hour for Pinocchio for example). We want to maximize time on attractions that are unique to Tokyo or at least with significant differences from the US counterparts. Minimal interest in parades as well.

My understanding is the park hoppers are odd that you can only hop starting on day 3, I also figure during the week will be better days to go than weekends for crowds.

Park hours look to be 8AM to 10PM

My thought is to buy 3 day passes,
Go Monday when we get there, figuring it will be around 6PM when we arrive, spend 4 hours at Magic Kingdom, see what we can see

Go back early Tuesday, hit Disney Seas (really the park we have the most interest in), spend most of the day there ... go back to Tokyo

Got back again Wednesday or Thursday (we should be able to hop now) ... cover anything we missed or want to see again in 6 to 8 ... end the Disney portion of our trip spend the rest of the trip in Tokyo

Does that make sense/any suggestions?

I really want to see if the park plan makes sense given we will be about 40% Disney/60% Tokyo if staying in Tokyo makes sense and take the train to Disney or vice versa .. keeping in mind adult kids .. or stay a few days at a Disney hotel, then the rest in Tokyo

My thought on staying in the city was on Disney days we could hit Disney during the day, the city at night.

TIA
 
Going with my 2 kids (ages 20 and 24) to Tokyo March 2018

We will arrive Monday the 12th around 3PM and staying until Saturday.

We want to go to Disney for sure, but also see Tokyo as well, our first time in Japan.

My thought was to get rooms in Tokyo semi close to Tokyo station, where the train leaves to Disney.

We have been to the US parks many many times, France and Hong Kong ... not a ton of interest in the Fantasyland rides (depending on the lines .. we will wait 15 minutes, probably not over a half hour for Pinocchio for example). We want to maximize time on attractions that are unique to Tokyo or at least with significant differences from the US counterparts. Minimal interest in parades as well.

My understanding is the park hoppers are odd that you can only hop starting on day 3, I also figure during the week will be better days to go than weekends for crowds.

Park hours look to be 8AM to 10PM

My thought is to buy 3 day passes,
Go Monday when we get there, figuring it will be around 6PM when we arrive, spend 4 hours at Magic Kingdom, see what we can see

Go back early Tuesday, hit Disney Seas (really the park we have the most interest in), spend most of the day there ... go back to Tokyo

Got back again Wednesday or Thursday (we should be able to hop now) ... cover anything we missed or want to see again in 6 to 8 ... end the Disney portion of our trip spend the rest of the trip in Tokyo

Does that make sense/any suggestions?

I really want to see if the park plan makes sense given we will be about 40% Disney/60% Tokyo if staying in Tokyo makes sense and take the train to Disney or vice versa .. keeping in mind adult kids .. or stay a few days at a Disney hotel, then the rest in Tokyo

My thought on staying in the city was on Disney days we could hit Disney during the day, the city at night.

TIA

Just to warn you now, other than the 12th, you're going to be at the parks with around 50,000 other people. If I remember high schools and some college have a break in March and you might be going the same time as that. Disney Sea is a huge date park.

From Tokyo Station it will take you about 20 minutes to get to Maihama Station, then you can either walk to TDR or take the monorail to Sea. The Keiyo line is on the opposite side of the station from the Chuo/Yamanote/Keihan so if you can afford it, staying on the Yaesu side of the station is a shorter walk than the Marounochi. The transfer from some of the lines will take you 5-10 minutes depending on your navigation skills.

If you are two adults and your two adult sons you will need 2 rooms, most Japanese rooms are small and not set up for more than 2 adult outside dorm rooms and some ryokans.

Someone on Japan Guide was looking at the Hotel Sardonyx Hatchobori and the Unizo in Hatchobori. Both are a little closer to Tokyo Disney on the Keiyo line than Tokyo proper but not as far from Tokyo proper as a hotel at TDR. I've not personally stayed at either but they looked reasonable and well priced.

I am not really sure what you plan to do in Tokyo at night post the parks.... you can shop or go out to eat or go to bars or karaoke or shop... but most stores will close by 8 or 9 and most temples, shrines, gardens and museums close much earlier.

An yes, unless you stay on property you can't get a park hopper for days 1+2. I loved having a hopper. Sea is small and its attractions can get very long lines.
 
It mostly makes sense. I would consider a split stay though (i.e. stay near Disney for the Disney days and then in Tokyo for the sightseeing).

This is because, to get maximum value from the parks, you will need to be there early (at least an hour before opening, maybe more so due to the potential heavy crowds mentioned by rkold). You will also want to stay until close to maximise ride opportunities. That can make for very long days when you add in travelling to and from Tokyo.

For our first two visits, we trekked back and forth from Tokyo every day. On our most recent visit we stayed at the Hilton in Tokyo Bay and it was a much easier and more pleasant experience - we could even duck back to the hotel for additional jackets when the weather became unexpectedly cold and wet. If you sign up to the Hilton website or follow tdrexplorer.com, you should get notified of any good deals for the Hilton. Also, their rooms were quite large so if you're willing to share the bed with one of your kids, I think you'd all fit relatively comfortably in a single room.
 
Thanks for the reply ... my kids are actually 1 boy and 1 girl. I had planned on 2 rooms (1 for them, 1 for peace and quiet at night for me :) ). I looked a little into AirBNB places and found a few 2 BR places that looked good ... and less $ than 2 rooms .. and with more western style beds .. too old for a mat on the floor :).

I saw some triple rooms, which pretty much looked like 3 beds in a fairly small room, I am want to be somewhere with at least some room. I will look into Hatchobori as well.

I travel a lot for work, so we are essentially flying there free on miles, so I am willing to spend more than I normally would on hotels to be in good spots.

Thanks for the crowd warning, that is pretty much the only time we can go before summer (which I want to avoid) .. hopefully between single rider lines, fast passes, and getting there at 8 on the dot, it will not be too bad so we can see what we want to see and be back in the city by 5 or 6. We should have at least 2 full days in Tokyo plus a few hours here and there ... that should be good for the museums and attractions we want to see and for my daughter to look at whatever anime stuff she wants to see and for my son to go on a sake tour.
 


It mostly makes sense. I would consider a split stay though (i.e. stay near Disney for the Disney days and then in Tokyo for the sightseeing).

That might be the way to go .. I'll see both my kids this weekend and see what they are thinking ... I think they are debating between more Disney time and more Tokyo time .. personally I am fine either way ... this is mostly their trip as a reward for some good work in college on both their parts
 
Thanks for the reply ... my kids are actually 1 boy and 1 girl. I had planned on 2 rooms (1 for them, 1 for peace and quiet at night for me :) ). I looked a little into AirBNB places and found a few 2 BR places that looked good ... and less $ than 2 rooms .. and with more western style beds .. too old for a mat on the floor :).

I saw some triple rooms, which pretty much looked like 3 beds in a fairly small room, I am want to be somewhere with at least some room. I will look into Hatchobori as well.

I travel a lot for work, so we are essentially flying there free on miles, so I am willing to spend more than I normally would on hotels to be in good spots.

Thanks for the crowd warning, that is pretty much the only time we can go before summer (which I want to avoid) .. hopefully between single rider lines, fast passes, and getting there at 8 on the dot, it will not be too bad so we can see what we want to see and be back in the city by 5 or 6. We should have at least 2 full days in Tokyo plus a few hours here and there ... that should be good for the museums and attractions we want to see and for my daughter to look at whatever anime stuff she wants to see and for my son to go on a sake tour.

If the parks open at 8, you want to be there at 7. The Japanese are very very good at getting up early to wait in lines. I was staying on property with early entry on low attendance days and even when I got there 30 minutes early, I was never at the front of the early entry line! The regular lines were even longer.

One thing you can do is also 3 singles at a business hotel. Japan is nice that way in that business class hotels don't ding you for getting a single, in fact frequently their doubles are singles with larger beds and less floor space. If you're interested in those Hatchobori hotels, see what it would cost for 3 singles. Nearly all business hotels will have western beds. Ryokans usually have futons and they can be surprisingly comfortable.

A lot of people on this board have had good luck with AirBnB but it is important to note most AirBnbs are illegal in Japan and you just don't know when they're going to be cracked down on. So you can risk it if you like, but be aware it is a risk.

Even with FP, lines can just be long... especially at Sea where there are just limited attractions and frequently a large crowd of teen and 20 something Japanese on dates. Some rides have single rider, but some do not. When I visited Sea in October '09 nearly everything had a 1 hour plus line and there was a just a lot of down time. The park is very attractive though.

I know this is not that common, but I've found I like going to Japan in June. It can be hot, but it's really not that bad and crowds seem reasonable enough. It's also easier making reservations for things. I really enjoyed all the Tanabata decorations.

If you fly into Haneda getting to Tokyo is not that bad, if you're going to Narita, it will be a longer trip. People do use baggage delivery services like takyuubin, but if you pick not to, trying to get through Japanese train/subway stations with bags can suck.

2 days is going to be tight depending on what anime stuff she wants to do, you can easily spend hours doing anime stuff in Nakano, Ikebukuro and Akihabara depending on what she likes. Many stores don't open until 11 or 12 and are only open until 8. And while local trains and subways are plentiful, it still takes time to take them where ever you are going. Your daughter should look to see if there are any anime events in March in Tokyo. I'm pretty sure there is usually something. And speaking of anime... if you don't want to book at an enormous mark up or get lucky with the Lawson site, you need to prebook your tickets to the Ghilbli Museum through JTB. There is still a mark-up but much less than the Japanican tour. Most sake tours in Tokyo are really like 1 hour+ away from what people think of as Tokyo:
http://experiencesake.com/sake-brewery-902

Supposedly Ishikawa from that list offers a good tour in English.
 
I think she just wants to look at stores and make some purchases ... nothing really formal. March works out well because they are both on spring break and I know I will be slammed on some projects over the summer ... so it is March or wait until 2020... as we have 2019 US Disney plans for the Star Wars land openings
 


I think she just wants to look at stores and make some purchases ... nothing really formal. March works out well because they are both on spring break and I know I will be slammed on some projects over the summer ... so it is March or wait until 2020... as we have 2019 US Disney plans for the Star Wars land openings

Even if she just wants to look in stores it can take longer than one would think because depending on what she wants, the stores can have a lot. I also just find a lot of Japanese stores have short hours in comparison with US stores. Animate tends to only sell new things while if she wants figures or "used" items she is going to do better with Mandarake.

If you want to eat at a sit down place in the parks on 3/14 book it ahead of time. 3/14 is "White Day" a second Valentine's Day of sorts in Japan.
 
Even if she just wants to look in stores it can take longer than one would think because depending on what she wants, the stores can have a lot. I also just find a lot of Japanese stores have short hours in comparison with US stores. Animate tends to only sell new things while if she wants figures or "used" items she is going to do better with Mandarake.

If you want to eat at a sit down place in the parks on 3/14 book it ahead of time. 3/14 is "White Day" a second Valentine's Day of sorts in Japan.


Thanks so much for your help ... we will see how it goes .. I guess it really comes down to we only have so much time ... they will need to prioritize ... and they are obviously old enough that we do not all have to do the same thing at the same time.
 
Thanks so much for your help ... we will see how it goes .. I guess it really comes down to we only have so much time ... they will need to prioritize ... and they are obviously old enough that we do not all have to do the same thing at the same time.

Definitely, but if you're planning to split up within the Tokyo environs I would highly recommend all having cell phones that work in Japan. It can be nice for planning dinners. Some US cell phones do work in Japan or you can rent a SIM card or an actual phone.
 
We used a similar plan. 3 day passes - arrived late the first day and went to Magic Kingdom, 2nd day Disney Sea and 3rd day back to Magic Kingdom. We also stayed at the Hilton Tokyo Bay which I would highly recommend for the Disney portion instead of staying in Tokyo. We had one room with a king bed and a rollaway bed and had plenty of room for 3; the room was huge. We did everything we wanted to do at Disney by mainly concentrating on things (rides/food) that were only available in Japan. I would also recommend renting pocket wifi's at the airport. We had two in case we wanted to split up and they were amazing when it came to using google maps and looking up train schedules.

I agree with you that the kids need to prioritize. Having a plan ahead of time will really help things go smoothly with the limited time you guys have.
 
We used a similar plan. 3 day passes - arrived late the first day and went to Magic Kingdom, 2nd day Disney Sea and 3rd day back to Magic Kingdom. We also stayed at the Hilton Tokyo Bay which I would highly recommend for the Disney portion instead of staying in Tokyo. We had one room with a king bed and a rollaway bed and had plenty of room for 3; the room was huge. We did everything we wanted to do at Disney by mainly concentrating on things (rides/food) that were only available in Japan. I would also recommend renting pocket wifi's at the airport. We had two in case we wanted to split up and they were amazing when it came to using google maps and looking up train schedules.

I agree with you that the kids need to prioritize. Having a plan ahead of time will really help things go smoothly with the limited time you guys have.


Was the Hilton in a good location to get into Tokyo as well? If so, that would work out well, I have a enough Hilton points I could use to pay for at least 3 nights there.
 
The Tokyo Bay Hilton is a short distance from Maihama Station (a free shuttle is provided by Hilton). You could go into Tokyo but it is a 20 min train ride. I would only stay at Hilton Tokyo Bay for the Disney portion and then move to a hotel in Tokyo closer to what you want to do around Tokyo. We stayed at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo when we did our Tokyo stuff. If you have points consider a split stay of Hilton Tokyo Bay for the first few nights and then move to the Hilton Tokyo.
 
The Tokyo Bay Hilton is a short distance from Maihama Station (a free shuttle is provided by Hilton). You could go into Tokyo but it is a 20 min train ride. I would only stay at Hilton Tokyo Bay for the Disney portion and then move to a hotel in Tokyo closer to what you want to do around Tokyo. We stayed at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo when we did our Tokyo stuff. If you have points consider a split stay of Hilton Tokyo Bay for the first few nights and then move to the Hilton Tokyo.


Thanks ... that might be a good way to go. This was easier to plan out in Paris (stay in Paris, take the train to Disney, you can KO both parks in 1 day in the off season easily) :)
 
Starting on the Saturday after you arrive, the parks will be impossible. On the days before that, they will be typical of summer crowds - very crowded but manageable with judicious use of Fastpass. Tue, Wed, Thu will be your best days. It seems like a waste to me to go on the shortened day you arrive. Since Disneyland is pretty much similar to the US, I don't see why you'd need more than one day there. We saw everything in two days. one park per day, though both were very long days. I've been there twice in August. Splash Mountain will be closed when you are there, but everything else will be open.

I recommend going to Disney Sea first, as that will be totally new.

In deciding on a hotel location, in general the two biggest concerns are:

How do I get to and from the airport?
How do I get to TDR?

On the days you want to visit Tokyo, you are not under a time crunch and you can get to Tokyo from just about anywhere fairly easily.

Airport transport is a big concern because it can be very time consuming and wildly expensive. Especially on the day you go back, you want to make it as easy on yourself as possible.
 
Actually we arrive on a Monday afternoon... so I was thinking Monday late afternoon/evening at Disneyland ... Tuesday at Seas ... then Wednesday (or Thursday) just do anything we missed/really want to do again at both parks on the hopper day. My thought really being that the day we get there it will be around 5PM by the time we check into a hotel ...and after a long day flying from Dallas, walking around Disney would be nice and the 3 day pass is not really all that much more than a 2 day and it would let us do the Seas stuff more. So I am really thinking 3-ish hours Disneyland, full day at Seas, half day (6-8 hours) whatever we want to do in either park.

You raise a good point though that there is not really anywhere we need to be at a certain time in Tokyo ... so going Disney to Tokyo is probably easier than vice versa.

We will be flying in and out of HND
 
Since you'll only be doing the evening the first day, you may want to look at the after 6 passport. This is a much cheaper ticket that will let you in to the park of your choice after 6pm. I don't know how it plays into getting a parkhopper for your third day though, so if that's a priority, maybe not the best move.

I realize I'm in the minority for most people on this board, but I don't advise going to the park your first night. I'm usually dead upon arrival to Japan when I fly from the US, and the only thing I want to do when I arrive is get to my hotel, take a shower, find dinner, and crash. Might be worth considering wandering around Tokyo near your hotel the first night, explore a little bit, and then get to bed by 8 or 9 (about as late I usually manage the first night due to jet lag), then get up early the next day for the parks. I think two days (one for each park) is plenty, especially if you're focusing on unique aspects of both parks. As long as you get there early on your two days and utilize fastpasses, you should be fine.
 
Flying in and out of Haneda is a different scenario. You won't need to worry about the time and expense of getting to Narita. In that case..... you have more choices of where to stay.

If you stick to your plans, I still think you should go to Disney Sea that first night. If you see Fantasmic, then the following day you can try to ride Journey at night during Fantasmic when the line dips down. Journey is worth riding twice, once at night. And remember, ask for the front row in Journey. It makes a difference. Better yet, learn how to ask in Japanese! Also, Raging Spirit is a pretty dull ride, but you should do it at night. Seeing this at night makes all the difference. Also, that Monday night will be a bit lower attendance, and Disney Sea is really the star attraction since so much of Disneyland is the same as at the other parks.

Indiana Jones is the only ride that will surely have single rider while you are there. I have heard rumors about Raging Spirit, but it didn't have single rider both times I was there.

Do not wait on line to enter the lottery for the shows. It's a waste of time just to be disappointed. Instead, go to the lottery just before the last show. The line will have disappeared and your chances are just as good. Maybe better, since this has worked for me twice.

Cape Cod Cookout is a good place for lunch since you can see the show while you eat, and it's fun.

If the 'wet' side of Aquatopia is running that time of year, then try to hit that early because there is no FP and the line builds quickly.

FP in Tokyo is truly front-of-the-line. You get in very quickly. So make sure to take full advantage of it.

Quuen of Heart Banquet Hall is the only inefficient place in all of Japan. If you go, eat lunch there early before the crowds.

Don't miss Triton's Kingdom. The entrance is actually easy to miss. Lots to explore down there. The kids play area is fun for adults too.

Ask for a map in English of Fortress Exploration. They have them, but never at the ready, so they have to track it down. Makes for a great (and free) souvenir, and you really need it to make sure you don't miss anything.

Tha's all for now.
 
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Since you'll only be doing the evening the first day, you may want to look at the after 6 passport. This is a much cheaper ticket that will let you in to the park of your choice after 6pm. I don't know how it plays into getting a parkhopper for your third day though, so if that's a priority, maybe not the best move.

I looked into this option for us and the 3 day ticket was only 400 yen more than a 2 day ticket + passport ticket. For the extra $3.56 it was worth it to have the option to park hop but I do have to admit we never did park hop the last day.
 
Parkhopping is of limited use at TDR. Once you get to that second park, it has already become very crowded and FPs are no longer available. It could be used to see a parade or fireworks, though.

When we were flying out of Haneda, we stayed at the Toyoko Inn on Tennozu Island. This is a family style hotel chain with spacious rooms for families. There is a monorail from there directly to the airport. Our flight out was very early in the morning, so a quick connection was paramount. From Tennozu Island to TDR, you take the rinkai line to Shinkiba, then transfer to the keiyo line to Mahaima (TDR). It is an easy transfer.

But if you have the dough to stay at a partner hotel near TDR, maybe that will work best for you.
 

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