Disneyland and DisneySea – Planning
Tokyo boasts Disneyland and the only DisneySea in the world. Both parks, although completely separate, are right next to each other on Tokyo Bay. A monorail and ring of hotels circle the parks.
For updates regarding restrictions and requirements due to COVID19, please check the official Disney page or download the Tokyo Disney Resort App from Google Play or the App Store.
For Japan travel planning check out our blogs on travel and transport in Japan, top tips for travelling as a family in Japan, top things to do in Japan according to the kids and according to the parents.
Tokyo Disneyland was the first Disneyland to be built outside of the United States. The main attraction, of course, is Cinderella’s castle in the centre of the park.
DisneySea is a water theme based park and has a huge man made lake through the middle of the park and a volcano that erupts with fire during the day. At night there are light shows on the water. It is geared towards a slightly older market, however, are lots of rides for younger children as well.
We all (young and older!) loved both these parks. Even if you have been to Disneyland before you will want to check them out and see how Japan does Disney. Japanese youth are not shy in dressing up and in Disneyland and you will see many groups or couples in matching outfits, Kawaii!
Disneyland is an absolute must for all ages, now you just have to decide which park to go to first!
Language
Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea are easily navigated with no Japanese. There are maps at the gates in English and a number of other languages. Signs and menus are written in Japanese and in English.
Cast members are used to international travellers, some will speak English fluently and some will not, however, they will always find someone for you if needed. One of our sons lost his wallet in DisneySea and we were able to communicate with cast members. It had been handed in at one of the shops (with everything still in it!) and we had no problems getting it back – the cast members are amazing!
Parades, shows and rides are generally in Japanese, however, this did not take away from our experience at all. In fact, I think it just made it more exciting, with introductions to rides in Japanese and not knowing what was about to happen!
Disneyland and DisneySea with kids
Both parks are incredibly accommodating of families and kids. Strollers are available for hire and this is highly recommended for little legs to rest as you explore the park or wait in queue. The parks are both flat so there are no issues with pushing strollers around the park. Some shows you need to park the pram outside, however there are stroller bays for this.
You can bring your own food into the park and this is a great idea, especially drinks as this can add up when purchasing for a family of five!
If you are keen on parades, you are allowed to take your places an hour before the parade starts (parade route is marked on maps in the park). This can be a great time to spread out a rug for a picnic and get prime spot. Rugs can be bought in the park, or bring your own. If you are not keen on parades, this is a time when some ride lines are shorter, especially if they are further from the parade.
DisneySea and Disneyland have a brilliant system for families called Rider Switch Service or as the cast members said to us ‘switchy switchy’. This is a huge time saver if you have at least two adults and children that don’t meet the restrictions of the ride.
This is how it works;
- Mention that you want to use the rider switch to the first cast member you see.
- They will give you a ticket and one adult lines up for the ride while the other waits with the kids – time for loo trips and snacks on a picnic rug,
- Once the first adult finishes the ride, they watch the kids while the second adult is taken to the front of the line for their ride.
Kid friendly rides – see the separate blogs on Disneyland and DisneySea for more information.
FastPass Rides
Each ride has a ride wait time clock outside the ride. If the wait is too long, there are a number of rides that have FastPass. Either download the Disney app and then when you are in the park you can choose rides and times for FastPass (and check wait times) or go to the FastPass machines at the rides. Simply scan the QR code on your park ticket and you will be given a timed ticket. Return at the time designated on your ticket and join the FastPass queue to skip the long standby lines. However, you must make sure you come in the time frame given, the rides are generally not lenient if you are late so keep an eye on the time! There is no cost for the FastPass tickets.
A limited number of rides also allow for single riders, this can be faster but is currently only available on Splash Mountain at Disneyland and Indiana Jones and Raging Spirit at DisneySea.
Standby Pass
Since Sept 2020 some rides have required a standby pass. It is unclear if this is a short term measure to limit times waiting in lines or will continue long term. For a standby pass, choose your time through the Disney App once you are inside the park. For popular rides you will need to log in as soon as you are in the park to choose a time. If it is not busy, then a standby pass will not be needed. The Tokyo Disney App displays wait times on the maps and indicates if a standby pass is needed and then allows you to choose your pass. For an up to date list see the official Disney site for Disneyland and DisneySea.
Food
There are a number of different food options at both parks. You don’t need to book in and wait times for food are often very short. Menus are in English and there are pictures for most meals. Be aware that the meals can’t usually be modified, what’s in the picture is what you get.
The Disney resort website has a full list of all restaurants and food outlets for Disneyland and DisneySea. They also have an option to make reservations (in English) and links to the menus. The menus are in Japanese but don’t be put off by that, there are a lot of pictures and you can use google translate to get an idea of foods offered. Some menus also offer low allergen choices that are wheat, buckwheat, egg, milk and peanut free.
One of the things our kids loved were the popcorn buckets which can be found throughout the park and are themed as different Disney characters (some are limited edition and can be quite sought after). The buckets can be expensive but refills are then cheaper. There are different flavours of popcorn at different popcorn stands through both parks and the buckets can be used at both parks, so remember to take them with you the next day! The kids loved this, looking for different and interesting flavours to try! Curry popcorn anyone!?! or matcha white chocolate?!?
Weather
Wet days in the park are often quieter so don’t let the rain put you off. The queues are shorter and there are a number of rides and areas that are under shelter, especially Muriel’s playground in DisneySea. In very wet weather a dry change of clothes for little ones might be a good idea.
In hot weather make sure you have a hats, water and sun cream, although if you forget this they can easily be bought in the park. Umbrellas for portable shade and a picnic rug, for a spot in the shade or sitting on hot concrete are also a good idea.
Tickets
Currently (Jan 2021) due to COVID19 annual passes are not available and tickets cannot be purchased at the gate. Tickets are released a month prior on the Wednesday at 2pm. Tickets are limited so it is worth looking at ticket availability before going to purchase. For updates check this page on the official site.
You can purchase tickets for both parks online before you go or purchase them from your hotel if you stay at one of the Disney official hotels. Tickets are not transferable between parks unless you purchase a 3-day ticket. Tickets are available at the gate, however they can sometimes sell out so buying tickets in advance is advisable. There are a number of crowd predictors, however, it is generally less crowded during the week and remember to avoid Japanese public holidays and school holidays.
Tickets for both parks can be purchased from the official site here. For more information about tickets and ticket availability, check the official site.
Disneyland or DisneySea Tickets
Adult tickets are for 18yo and over, Youth 12-17yo and child 4-11yo. Children 3 and under are free.
Currently (Jan 2021) with COVID19 there are three entrance times
From park opening time. Adult ¥8200, Youth ¥6900, Child ¥4900
From 10:30 am. Adult ¥7700, Youth ¥6500, Child ¥4600
From 12:00 midday. Adult ¥7300, Youth ¥6100, Child ¥4300
Orientation
From Tokyo, Maihama station on the Keiyo/Musashino line closest and both parks are a short walk from the station. Disneyland is closest to Maihama station and although you can walk to DisneySea, many will take the Resort line monorail. The Disney Resort Line monorail encircles the two Disney parks in an anti-clockwise direction and enables easy access from the hotels.
The Disney Resort line stations are; Gateway resort station (closest to Maihama), Tokyo Disneyland station, Bayside station (closest to the Disney official hotels) and Tokyo DisneySea station.
Single tickets (up to one full loop) are ¥260 for adults and ¥130 for children (11 and under). Children under 6 are free with a paying adult (up to two children per adult). Infants under 1yo are free.
Your Suica or PASMO train card can be used on the resort monorail. The JR rail pass cannot be used on the Disney resort line.
Disney Hotels
The Disney hotels are located in or at the entrance of the Disney parks, they are Disney themed and often enable early access to the park and other exclusive benefits. The Disney hotels are; Disney Ambassador Hotel, Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta, Tokyo Disneyland Hotel, Tokyo Disney Celebration Hotel (note this hotel is located a little further from the parks).
The six Tokyo Disney Resort Official Hotels are located along the monorail line between Tokyo bay and Disneyland. They all have free shuttles to the monorail line so provide very convenient access to the parks. They are; Grand Nikko Tokyo Bay Maihama, Tokyo Bay Maihama Hotel First Resort, Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel (this is where we stay, they have western and Japanese style family rooms so our family of 5 can stay together), Tokyo Bay Maihama Hotel, Hilton Tokyo Bay, Hotel Okura Tokyo Bay.
Tokyo Disney Resort partner hotels are located a little further from the parks, however, they have shuttles to the Disney Resort line. The four hotels are; Brighton Hotel Tokyo Bay, Oriental Hotel Tokyo Bay, Hotel Emion Tokyo Bay and Mitsui Garden Hotel Prana Tokyo Bay.
More Information
Check out our full blogs on Disneyland and DisneySea
Official Tokyo Disney page
Disney Hotels
Disney Resort Official Hotels
