First time visitor w/3.5 year old.... have some questions

[MSRJones]

Hello all,

My wife/DD and I will be traveling to Tokyo August/September 29th - 6th with plans on visiting the Disney parks the 30th - 2nd and we had some questions we figured someone might have the answers to (or point us in the right direction)

It shows the Tokyo resort requires tickets to the parks starting at 4 years old. Since our DD will not be 4 until December she should qualify for complementary entry to the parks. I was wondering what if anything they will require to prove her age (birth certificate/passport?). Also how would we go about printing out fast passes for her since she will not have a physical ticket?

I also am seeing that USA branded AMEX cards are not accepted for ticket purchases online but was wondering if they could be used once onsite? We will be staying at the Hilton Tokyo Bay just across the street.

Crowd calendars seem to show this to be a slower time of the year for the first 2 days we are planning on going but moving over to the weekend the crowd estimate does seem to go up (which I read is very typical)

In the previous FAQ (dated 2013) it suggested bringing plenty of local currency since a majority of eateries/shops do not take CC. I was wondering if this is still standard.

We will be flying into NRT airport and taking the shuttle bus service to the Tokyo Disney resort area (unless someone with experience has other/easier solutions). We do plan on purchasing a Pocket Wifi at the airport and grabbing Suica cards from the onsite terminal kiosks.

Thank you in advance for any assistance or tips provided

-Michael-

 

[wanderlust7]

My DD was already 4 when we went to TDR, so no first hand experience, but if it's like any of the other Disney parks, you won't be asked to prove her age. It will just be an honor system. At the most, they might ask how old she is (if she looks big for her age). She won't need a Fastpass and can just go with you on any ride that you have Fastpasses for.

Most of the restaurants we went to took credit cards, but there were a couple that didn't. It's good to always have cash. You can only load Suica cards with cash - so remember to get some yen before you buy them at the airport. Also, if you were thinking of buying the park tickets at the Hilton - I believe it's cash only.

The shuttle bus from NRT to TDR will be the most convenient (short of an expensive taxi). The last one is at 6 pm, so hopefully your flight arrives before that.

Have a great trip!

 

[MSRJones]

Wanderlust: Thank you very much for the detailed and quick response! She is big for her age so I'm thinking about taking a copy of documentation to prove age to prevent any questions (nervous about toting around original documents throughout the parks). Good to hear about the Fastpass situation!

We are planning to hit up the ATM first thing off the plane to purchase Suica and we will be sure to grab plenty extra for Disney and Tokyo siteseeing. Good info on the cash only at the Hilton ticket booth as well!

Our flight gets in at 2PM from LAX and I see the shuttle bus runs every hour (approx) starting at 2PM so we are planning on catching the 4PM to allow plenty of time to get through customs and get cash/purchase Wifi/Suica cards

 

[MomoMama]

I mostly used Amex and VISA cards and did not have problems. Most of the shops and restaurants accept credit cards, especially in TDR area. Besides small street vendor/shops, I encountered 2 stores that did not accept foreign issued credit cards during my last visit, and those stores were not in Tokyo.
I bought cash mostly for the transportation cost, and loaded them to Suica cards. Suica card can be used in some stores and restaurants too, but I only used them for trains and buses.

When I stayed at Hilton last November, I was told they would accept cash only for the park tickets. I went to the Ticketing Center in Ikspiari so I could buy the tickets using credit card. I did that a day before I went to the park. Hilton has free shuttle bus to Maihama station, where Ikspiari is.
Since you have a little girl, did you book Happy Magic room at Hilton? My DD loved that room.

Normally Japanese schools start in September. Hopefully most of the crowds are gone by the last days of August, but yes, you can expect the parks to be crowed on weekends. Prepare for hot and humid weather!

Hope you will have a magical trip!

 

[jsilvers]

She is big for her age so I'm thinking about taking a copy of documentation to prove age to prevent any questions (nervous about toting around original documents throughout the parks).

Technically, you should always carry your passport with you when in Japan. See, e.g., http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/tetuduki/zairyuu/ryoken.html. I've never had an issue arise, but have heard anecdotes of foreign visitors who had minor encounters with police escalate when they weren't able to provide them.

 

[jsilvers]

Normally Japanese schools start in September.

Actually, they start in April - but with an extended summer break between the first and second term.

 

[MomoMama]

Actually, they start in April - but with an extended summer break between the first and second term.

I did not mean the start of the new school year, but I guess I was not clear. Yes, I meant the start of the second term.

 

[PJMeadows]

If it helps, there is a Citibank ATM in NRT terminal 2 that worked for me to get cash when I got off the plane. The ATM can be switched to English. Just remember you will be withdrawing yen - it was so many zeros that I was nervous. Lol.