It's official...ABD is going to Japan!

Looks like the July 28 trip is the only departure with any availability left. And the price has increased $800 from opening day.

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Looks like the July 28 trip is the only departure with any availability left. And the price has increased $800 from opening day.

Sayhello

I’m honestly surprised there is still availability for any date at this point. With 10 trips they only needed to find ~400 guests.
 
I’m honestly surprised there is still availability for any date at this point. With 10 trips they only needed to find ~400 guests.
This July 28 tour showed as fully booked on Wednesday so I’m thinking someone had to cancel shortly after booking.
 
Looks like the July 28 trip is the only departure with any availability left. And the price has increased $800 from opening day.

Sayhello
Wow. That must be one of the best sell outs ever for them. At that price point, I actually think it's pretty impressive.
 


well apparently a lot of folks who live in Japan are happy to visit the Disney parks in Japan and they enjoy it. Who am I to eliminate the parks from my itinerary because it's not "immersive" enough in the culture.
 
well apparently a lot of folks who live in Japan are happy to visit the Disney parks in Japan and they enjoy it. Who am I to eliminate the parks from my itinerary because it's not "immersive" enough in the culture.
Exactly!! :thumbsup2 It would be like going to Southern California, and saying you're not going to Disneyland because it's not a part of the LA culture.

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Exactly!! :thumbsup2 It would be like going to Southern California, and saying you're not going to Disneyland because it's not a part of the LA culture.

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Exactly! Disneyland is so much a part of So Cal culture!

I have to say this whole topic is a hot button for me which is why I have waited to comment. Shouldn’t one be allowed to spend their hard-earned money the way they see fit? If someone chooses to go to Asia just to visit Disney parks, isn’t that their choice? Who am I to judge how others spend their money? You only live once. Do what makes you happy. “You do you” as my daughter would say.
 
Agreed, and let's be honest, being led around by an ABD guide in a group of 40 is not necessarily being immersed in the culture either.

Not slamming anyone who's going, because it sounds like a great trip, but there are all kinds of ways, none of them the "right" way, to see a foreign land.
 
It's not necessary to "immerse" yourself in the culture to learn about a foreign land. although everybody has their own idea about how to be "immersed."

had at least 3 friends say I should rent an apartment and go by myself because this tour costs too much and renting an apartment is probably more "immersive." Ok then.
 
Exactly! Disneyland is so much a part of So Cal culture!

I have to say this whole topic is a hot button for me which is why I have waited to comment. Shouldn’t one be allowed to spend their hard-earned money the way they see fit? If someone chooses to go to Asia just to visit Disney parks, isn’t that their choice? Who am I to judge how others spend their money? You only live once. Do what makes you happy. “You do you” as my daughter would say.
100%!!! I would never have taken the special China trip that spent more time in the Parks, and skipped a lot of the non-city sites. But I would never tell someone who chose that trip that they shouldn't have chosen it! We all travel differently! I have a friend who went to Japan *only* to go to TDLR. And she had a blast. If that's the trip she wants, that's her privilege. Again, I wouldn't do it, but that's just me.

It's not necessary to "immerse" yourself in the culture to learn about a foreign land. although everybody has their own idea about how to be "immersed."

had at least 3 friends say I should rent an apartment and go by myself because this tour costs too much and renting an apartment is probably more "immersive." Ok then.
I don't think that sounds like a viable option to me! I've done this other (English-speaking!) places, but I can't imagine doing that in Japan! I felt amazingly immersed on the ABD China trip. I learned so much about their culture from our local guides and the folks we visited in the Hutong, etc. That's one of the things I love about ABD. I feel they really work to immerse you!

Sayhello
 
It's not necessary to "immerse" yourself in the culture to learn about a foreign land. although everybody has their own idea about how to be "immersed."

had at least 3 friends say I should rent an apartment and go by myself because this tour costs too much and renting an apartment is probably more "immersive." Ok then.

We did it this way last year - and I'll be doing it again next year. If I really wanted to immerse myself in the way they mean though I'd need to stay at least a year and participate in their society somehow... not happening as I want to keep my job/life here in the States. :)

I don't think that sounds like a viable option to me! I've done this other (English-speaking!) places, but I can't imagine doing that in Japan!

Its easy, honestly. I really can't wait for you to come home and hear your post thoughts about Japan.. I think you're going to be surprised. That trip is going to be so wonderful too - not hating on doing the ABD at all, if I had more time and money next year I'd be on it! :)
 
Its easy, honestly. I really can't wait for you to come home and hear your post thoughts about Japan.. I think you're going to be surprised. That trip is going to be so wonderful too - not hating on doing the ABD at all, if I had more time and money next year I'd be on it! :)
:) You know I'll post all about it. But I have to ask, did you rent an apartment and "immerse" by yourself or with someone else? I think it's a totally different thing when you're travelling solo.

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:) You know I'll post all about it. But I have to ask, did you rent an apartment and "immerse" by yourself or with someone else? I think it's a totally different thing when you're travelling solo.

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Last year I went with my husband, and the time before I stayed with friends at their place too. Next year will be solo though I may try to connect with some people from our office in Tokyo if I get too lonely. It'd have to be VERY lonely though as I am a serious introvert.
 
Last year I went with my husband, and the time before I stayed with friends at their place too. Next year will be solo though I may try to connect with some people from our office in Tokyo if I get too lonely. It'd have to be VERY lonely though as I am a serious introvert.
:) I, on the other hand, am an extrovert, and there's only so much wandering alone I can do!

Sayhello
 
Looks like the July 28 trip is the only departure with any availability left. And the price has increased $800 from opening day.

Sayhello
Well, now the July 28 trip is sold out, accepting waitlist, and the July 14 trip has availability. And the price has increased by $1200!!! :eek: :faint: I guess we'll see some fluctuation as the 14 day deposit deadline gets closer...

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$1200.00 bucks.......So much for Walt's dream of making a Disney vacation affordable......He must be shaking his head in wonder.
 
Well, that’s a first, if Tokyo Disney Sea is included in that not recommended list of Asia Disney parks.

Makes perfect sense if you are not a huge Disney fan. But for some that are, circumstances might lend themselves to the idea of going to another country just to visit Disney theme parks. I’m doing exactly that in just a few weeks. :-)



Well said.

Every person I’ve spoken to about TDS that has visited and every article I’ve read about TDS talks about how much better the park is than any of the other Disney parks in the world. So of course I want to go and check it out.

I didn't have a chance to check out Disneyland but I thought Tokyo Disneysea was incredible. I devoted one day of my five days in Japan there and have no regrets.
 
I don't mind traveling alone. I'm going to London alone next week. I'm very familiar with London though.

I've been on two ABDs and they were fun, and I don't feel they were rip-offs.

Walt's dead, he's not shaking anything.
 
$1200.00 bucks.......So much for Walt's dream of making a Disney vacation affordable......He must be shaking his head in wonder.

Walt's dead, he's not shaking anything.

If we assume that Walt currently looks like one of the inhabitants of the Haunted Mansion and can both shake his ghostly head and have an opinion on pricing for Japan, I am not at all sure that he would be opposed to the pricing structure. I think of his vision in terms of quality and family-friendliness (meaning cleanliness, wholesomeness and safety). When I watched the American Experience episode on Disney, his motivation for opening Disneyland was couched in terms of being skeeved out by the carnivals of the day, which were affordable, but seedy. So his vision was arguably somewhat elitist.

With the Japan trip filling up so quickly, I have resigned myself to the pricing structure being what it is. That means my family is looking at 2022 for this trip at the earliest -- unless we somehow come in to more money. (That's because I still want to do South Africa more and have that on my list for 2020).
 

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