Sowing the seeds

[pandv_2000]

Well my timer says I'm going back to WDW next year but with the accommodation looking at £1000 more than this year and flights for the 4 of us coming out about £1000 more too I'm starting to look at other options.

We had an amazing but short stay in Tokyo last year on our way to Australia and after looking into it I'm now trying to persuade DH that Japan might be a better option - somehow it's cheaper to fly direct to Japan than it is to fly to Orlando.....

I am looking at flying into Osaka and spending 6 nights in Kyoto and seeing Kyoto and surrounding areas. We would then catch the Shinkansen to Tokyo and spend 4 nights at the Tokyo Bay Hilton before ending with 8 nights in central Tokyo and a flight back to the UK from there. I actually have enquired about a couple of hotels and have provisionally booked some accommodation - no deposits so no risk at the minute. I'm just struggling to press the button on the flights because once they are booked the decision is made.

Our two DS's will be 4 and 11. The 11 year old will love everything (he said he wanted to live in Japan last year) but I think our youngest would prefer the full Disney experience.

 

[ky71]

Unless you are prepared to spend some serious dollars (or pounds), do not think Japan is a better option. The money spent on flights to get to the USA will allow you cheap clothing and footwear, souvenirs and plenty of western food options...stopping in Japan is an outrageously expensive exercise! No cheap food options unless you go to downtown places with locals (way away from DL, using time and effort on transport and time away from DL), no cheap clothing and footwear and if you are average size or bigger, there is little option for clothing in the parks either! Hotel pricing onsite is crazy but I agree very convenient and much closer than WDW hotels.

If you have been before and there is something new you want to see/do, go ahead and spend up but if it's just the additional flight cost, I think it's false economy to head to Japan over the US parks and all the options you would have over there! Just my two cents...

 

[shelemm]

Sounds to me like you know what you're doing, since you've been before. 8 nights in Tokyo seems overkill, though. Not interested in other places in Japan?

 

[pandv_2000]

I don't really want to change hotels too often as our youngest DS will have jus turned 4. We felt we rushed through a lot of what we wanted to do last time and we can take our time a lot more with 8 nights.

We appreciate how expensive japan can be and we are quite happy eating conveyor belt sushi or ramen from a vending machine place. DL will only be 4 nights of our trip and with the savings on flights and accommodation we will have far more spending money than we would take to the US although we won't come home with new wardrobes!

We've got flights and accommodation booked now. I'm trying to find a ryokan which serves kaiseki for our last night in kyoto but they haven't started selling the rooms yet and since it's obon I don't hold out much hope

 

[Lisa_C]

Sounds lovely!! Jealous I am I'm glad you stuck to your plans of Japan as to be honest, the lines of "cheap food, clothes" etc do nothing for me either. I go to a different country to embrace the culture, eat the food and I very rarely buy souvenirs or clothes.
We're planning a trip to Tokyo in a few years and am well prepared for the prices. We're DLP Dream holders and they charge enough in the parks to eat. Am looking forward to being able to buy noodles while in TDL/DS!
When we go to DLP, we travel outside the bubble to a chinese restaurant run by Chinese immigrants to eat. Western food is so bleugh and the food options of burgers etc in WDW puts me off eating on site. And as for turkey legs *shudders*. I am just so in love with the idea of a whole new Disney experience

 

[tinibee]

They do sell turkey legs at Tokyo Disney Sea, but they are so tiny compared to DL that the look like chicken legs! Now if DL could only import the pork rice roll...

 

[Lisa_C]

They do sell turkey legs at Tokyo Disney Sea, but they are so tiny compared to DL that the look like chicken legs! Now if DL could only import the pork rice roll...

Might be able to handle "chicken" size, those turkey ones look like dinosaur legs!

 

[pandv_2000]

Sounds lovely!! Jealous I am I'm glad you stuck to your plans of Japan as to be honest, the lines of "cheap food, clothes" etc do nothing for me either. I go to a different country to embrace the culture, eat the food and I very rarely buy souvenirs or clothes. We're planning a trip to Tokyo in a few years and am well prepared for the prices. We're DLP Dream holders and they charge enough in the parks to eat. Am looking forward to being able to buy noodles while in TDL/DS! When we go to DLP, we travel outside the bubble to a chinese restaurant run by Chinese immigrants to eat. Western food is so bleugh and the food options of burgers etc in WDW puts me off eating on site. And as for turkey legs *shudders*. I am just so in love with the idea of a whole new Disney experience

Thanks. I have managed to find a ryokan for obon in kyoto and I'm so excited about this. It's a complete splurge but we get to experience kaiseki in the comfort of our own room where we don't have to worry about our youngest getting bored and annoying other diners. We can head out after dinner to view gozan okuribi. I don't think we will get a decent viewing spot but we are just excited to be part of it

 

[Tanzanite]

Thanks. I have managed to find a ryokan for obon in kyoto and I'm so excited about this. It's a complete splurge but we get to experience kaiseki in the comfort of our own room where we don't have to worry about our youngest getting bored and annoying other diners. We can head out after dinner to view gozan okuribi. I don't think we will get a decent viewing spot but we are just excited to be part of it

Are you getting a Japan Rail pass? We are going next year in June 9 days Japan 4 days Hong Kong 4 days Singapore and not sure if we will add couple of night in Bali Cant wait to hear your plans.

 

[pandv_2000]

Are you getting a Japan Rail pass? We are going next year in June 9 days Japan 4 days Hong Kong 4 days Singapore and not sure if we will add couple of night in Bali Cant wait to hear your plans.

If we do it will probably be a JR West pass for the time we are in kyoto. I don't think it's worth getting a full pass for the 3 weeks for us as we don't really want to do masses of travelling with a 3 year old. We have our suica cards from last trip for travel around tokyo

 

[tinibee]

In case you don't want to buy a second card since you already have a Suica, Suica cards can now be used in the Kansai area for more than just JR West

http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pass/suica.html#suicaMap

I'm not sure if this would work with your plans, but thought I'd mention it in case it does so you don't have to buy a second pass

 

[pandv_2000]

In case you don't want to buy a second card since you already have a Suica, Suica cards can now be used in the Kansai area for more than just JR West http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pass/suica.html#suicaMap I'm not sure if this would work with your plans, but thought I'd mention it in case it does so you don't have to buy a second pass

Thank you that is really useful information