DISNEY TIME for this Aussie family of 4! Nov/Dec 2016

[aussie shaz]

I like your idea of having 2 days to just 'be', and then you can decide if there's anything you desperately want to do and haven't done, or anything you want to do again.
I think we often miss out on the atmosphere when we're running around trying to do everything we have planned.
Just enjoy.

 

[MomoMama]

I think your low-expectation attitude is great! Stressing out during a vacation is never a good thing.

We enjoyed Chef Mickey's at WDW, but did not go in Tokyo. Hope you get some responses on that.

I don't think there is any princess-related dining in Tokyo Disney now. How about Tokyo Disney specific dining show, like Cape Cod Cook-Off, where you can see Duffy and friend's show? I think this is the only character greeting/show restaurant that does not require reservation or priority seating at this time.
We did not go, as I expected this place to be packed due to Duffy's popularity in Japan, and they did not have food my kid could eat. But if Duffy is your thing, you might want to try!

 

[retwinked]

In regards to character restaurants, there are a few restaurants in each park that have character dining.

DisneySea: Horizon Bay, Cape Cod Cook-off
Disneyland: Crystal Palace, Polynesian Terrace, Diamond Horseshoe

I have been to Horizon Bay, Cape Cod Cook-off, Crystal Palace, and Polynesian Terrace. Horizon Bay is more geared towards character greeting, centered on Mickey and Friends in special costumes that can only be seen at the restaurant. I don't recall seeing any face characters. Polynesian Terrace is, as the name suggests, Hawaiian themed and has a luau show and characters appear on stage. There are character greetings but it isn't as much compared to Horizon Bay.

Crystal Palace is a buffet and, while it says it has character greeting, I have never actually seen characters in the handful of times I have been there. I hear that Pooh and friends occasionally come out but it is very rare. As for Diamond Horseshoe, it is Western-themed so think saloon-style atmosphere and cowboys including a special scene on Woody's Round-Up from Toy Story.

Here's the thing - with the exception of Crystal Palace and Cape Cod Cook-off, character dining restaurants require reservations. It is not a walk-in restaurant. Online reservations are available but they are only in Japanese. There is an English-service number you can call to make reservations though and you can find it here https://reserve.tokyodisneyresort.jp/en/far/inquiry_01 or here http://www.tokyodisneyresort.jp/en/info/

If you already know the dates you are going, I highly suggest that you make a reservation ASAP. Reservations open a month in advance and they go REALLY fast, as in fully booked in two days, especially in regards to the Polynesian Terrace.

 

[Jade-Elise]

In regards to character restaurants, there are a few restaurants in each park that have character dining.

DisneySea: Horizon Bay, Cape Cod Cook-off
Disneyland: Crystal Palace, Polynesian Terrace, Diamond Horseshoe

I have been to Horizon Bay, Cape Cod Cook-off, Crystal Palace, and Polynesian Terrace. Horizon Bay is more geared towards character greeting, centered on Mickey and Friends in special costumes that can only be seen at the restaurant. I don't recall seeing any face characters. Polynesian Terrace is, as the name suggests, Hawaiian themed and has a luau show and characters appear on stage. There are character greetings but it isn't as much compared to Horizon Bay.

Crystal Palace is a buffet and, while it says it has character greeting, I have never actually seen characters in the handful of times I have been there. I hear that Pooh and friends occasionally come out but it is very rare. As for Diamond Horseshoe, it is Western-themed so think saloon-style atmosphere and cowboys including a special scene on Woody's Round-Up from Toy Story.

Here's the thing - with the exception of Crystal Palace and Cape Cod Cook-off, character dining restaurants require reservations. It is not a walk-in restaurant. Online reservations are available but they are only in Japanese. There is an English-service number you can call to make reservations though and you can find it here https://reserve.tokyodisneyresort.jp/en/far/inquiry_01 or here http://www.tokyodisneyresort.jp/en/info/

If you already know the dates you are going, I highly suggest that you make a reservation ASAP. Reservations open a month in advance and they go REALLY fast, as in fully booked in two days, especially in regards to the Polynesian Terrace.

Thank you for the reply!! So if you had to pick the best one from each park would it be Horizan Bay and Polynesian Terrace? We've never done anything Disney before, so I think anything is going to be a novelty!

My current short restaurant list is:
DL
Queen of Hearts (hubby and I MAJOR Alice fans, kids not so much!)
Magellans
Grandma Saras
Huey Dewey and Louie
DS
Cope Cod Cook Off
Space Place Food Port

I've only got 2 days in each park, and was hoping to do 2 meals and snacking for the day. (haha yeah I am hillarious) I'm afraid it will cost too much to have 3 meals in the park! Reservation is no problem, I have friends in Japan who are helping with anything that is over my head.

Thanks again!

 

[Jade-Elise]

I like your idea of having 2 days to just 'be', and then you can decide if there's anything you desperately want to do and haven't done, or anything you want to do again.
I think we often miss out on the atmosphere when we're running around trying to do everything we have planned.
Just enjoy.

Thanks Aussie Shaz! This is what I am concerned about. Yes there is a chance our first day we might 'suffer' from long lines, but I am sure there is so much to look at and see that taking it easy and enjoying the atmosphere might benefit. Also the face the kids are having their first ever long overseas flight, landing in a completely foreign country, getting to hotel about 10pm at night, then expected to get up at 6am to go to Disneyland! Who knows, could be a disaster or could be so excited we can't sleep! Time will tell!

 

[Jade-Elise]

I think your low-expectation attitude is great! Stressing out during a vacation is never a good thing.

We enjoyed Chef Mickey's at WDW, but did not go in Tokyo. Hope you get some responses on that.

I don't think there is any princess-related dining in Tokyo Disney now. How about Tokyo Disney specific dining show, like Cape Cod Cook-Off, where you can see Duffy and friend's show? I think this is the only character greeting/show restaurant that does not require reservation or priority seating at this time.
We did not go, as I expected this place to be packed due to Duffy's popularity in Japan, and they did not have food my kid could eat. But if Duffy is your thing, you might want to try!

Thanks Lovely I think we might do Duffy just because we have no idea who he is lol! I am sure DD8 will want to see Gelatoni, she is cat crazy!

 

[wanderlust7]

Thanks Lovely I think we might do Duffy just because we have no idea who he is lol! I am sure DD8 will want to see Gelatoni, she is cat crazy!

We went to Cape Cod Cook-Off for drinks and shared a small dessert. I've read that the food there is not great. We just happened to pass by in the afternoon and no line (on a Wednesday in early June). DD was the only one who was into it, the rest of us just enjoyed having a place to sit with air conditioning! I don't think Gelatoni was in the show - only Duffy, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy...oh and a talking seagull.

 

[retwinked]

Thank you for the reply!! So if you had to pick the best one from each park would it be Horizan Bay and Polynesian Terrace? We've never done anything Disney before, so I think anything is going to be a novelty!

My current short restaurant list is:
DL
Queen of Hearts (hubby and I MAJOR Alice fans, kids not so much!)
Magellans
Grandma Saras
Huey Dewey and Louie
DS
Cope Cod Cook Off
Space Place Food Port

I've only got 2 days in each park, and was hoping to do 2 meals and snacking for the day. (haha yeah I am hillarious) I'm afraid it will cost too much to have 3 meals in the park! Reservation is no problem, I have friends in Japan who are helping with anything that is over my head.

Thanks again!

If you had to choose a character dining restaurant, go for Diamond Horseshoe at Disneyland. Horizon Bay was simply OK for me but since Sea doesn't have many other choices for character dining, it's probably your only choice if you wanted to go. I felt that the experience didn't match the pricing value though.

Queen of Hearts is my favorite restaurant at Disneyland and I say this as a non-Alice fan. It is AMAZING. The food, the decor, the details, it always blows me away every time I go there. They don't take reservations and it is very popular so try to line up for it before 11AM or after 1PM.

Magellans is like Carthay Circle in Disneyland. It's high class. Probably not a good idea if you have kids. Cape Cod Cook-off would be a better choice.

The Crystal Palace in Land or Sailing Day Buffet at Sea are buffet style and great choices for kids too.