HydroGuy's Tokyo Disney Trip Report

[Judy from Boise]

the Japanese have weird social mores.......on one hand so polite, on the other....well lets just say I am still not over having to elbow the elderly to get onto the public bus, but after the first time i missed it i was reduced to it.

 

[BillyFan]

Thnaks for the report, Trey! The parks look amazing, but I can't imagine waiting behind 5 people, let alone 50 people for popcorn!!!

 

[HydroGuy]

Fantastic Report Hyrdoguy! I enjoyed every part of it and watched all your videos. How was the cost of everything there? Are prices similar to our parks?

Cost for tickets and food was comparble to the USA parks. The hotels were more expensive as Tokyo is a major city closer to New York City than Orlando or Anaheim.

 

[HydroGuy]

Thanks for the TR. Fun and informative as usual! It surprises me that more people there do not speak English. I would think that it would be easier to manage there than at DLP I hope to make it there someday, and actually had to turn down a free trip there earlier this year

There is more English language at DLP than French. I think 40% of visitors to DLP are French nationals, 20-25% are Brits, and Spaniards I think are third at something like 10%. So English is actually more needed there than French and almost all the CMs are bilingual (if not tri or quadlingual). The shows, parades and rides are mostly English, but in some cases they offer two versions of the shows in English and French (e.g., Lion King).

 

[HydroGuy]

So, Hong Kong next?

As you probably know HK Disney has a bad reputation as a park built on the cheap. i am looking forward more to the new park in Shanghai 2014.

The business part of my trip was very successful and I and our Chinese contacts decided to increase the frequency of our visits there which, based on the number of people my company has who are qualified to teach in China, means I will be going to China at least once every other year from here forward. I will try to overlap that in 2014!

 

[HydroGuy]

Trey I didn't know you were so handsome .

Thanks Judy, but are you sure you were not referring to my son (the shorter one)? He gets all the girls which was not true for me at 13 LOL.

 

[HydroGuy]

Thnaks for the report, Trey! The parks look amazing, but I can't imagine waiting behind 5 people, let alone 50 people for popcorn!!!

Most of the flavored popcorn offerings sounded good such as caramel and chocolate. DS13 got chocolate on Day 2 when we happened to find a reasonable line with 10 people. The curry flavored popcorn they sold really grossed us out though.

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

Wonderful TR, HG!!

With the popcorn deal, they have different flavors, right. I've heard curry, coconut, chocolate, honey... That makes it more understandable (to me atleast. Curry popcorn, that sounds good to me) for a line of 60 people for flavored popcorn than regular boring buttered popcorn. [ETA, you just posted this up there.]

That's really disappointing about the merch there. That's something that I really want to check out if I ever make it there (like those adorable hats!), but I would want to go home with a t-shirt that says something TDL on it.

 

[TinkandPooh]

What a fantastic report and a great insight to what it is like at TDL.
I love that you took the time to share photos, things you did, and your observations. TDL is one of the Disney destinations that I never had a desire to go to however seeing your report put it on my list.
My first overseas Disney destination will be Disneyland Paris because just by the pictures it looks stunning.

 

[marcemc]

I find it fascinating. Thanks for posting all the pictures and details.

What a great trip with your youngest son. Lucky him!!

I'm curious about the food. Did you by any chance took a pic of something you guys ate at the parks????

 

[The Rocketeer]

Thanks very much for taking the time to post such a fantastic report. There is very little info on Tokyo Disneyland compared to WDW and Disneyland. Our family wanted to go to Tokyo this year, but instead opted to go to Disneyland Paris last month. Hopefully we will get there next year. But I definitely will check out Kevin Yee's book.

Question about the lottery system for shows, does each person insert their ticket, or is it one person per a group? I'm wondering if a family/group can enter the show based on one winning ticket. Also do you know if there is a standby line for seats when the winning ticket holders are no shows?

 

[HydroGuy]

Question about the lottery system for shows, does each person insert their ticket, or is it one person per a group? I'm wondering if a family/group can enter the show based on one winning ticket.

Good question. You insert everyone's tickets and the whole group is awarded or denied entrance. I think they have it setup that you did not get any advantage or penalty for having a group.

Also do you know if there is a standby line for seats when the winning ticket holders are no shows?

Another good question and I do not know the answer. It would seem like a good idea.

Just to be complete, they do not do the lottery for all shows. There was one at TDS and one at TDL that used the lottery. The other shows were typical first-come first-served, and two of the shows at TDS had FP (sort of like LMA, IJ, and VLM shows at DSH in Florida).

 

[The Rocketeer]

HydroGuy, thanks for the explanations. They are really helpful. I'm trying to gather as much information as possible for the most time-efficient trip possible. I am unwilling to wait in 2 or 3 hour lines like the locals, so I've got to be on my game and your trip report has really helped a lot!

Besides the Ristorante di Canaletto and Sail Day Buffet, what other restaurants did you eat at? Quite frankly, the food in Japan scares me, and that's another reason we haven't been there yet. The irony is I am Japanese, but born and raised in the U.S., and I don't like Japanese food. Is there a wide variety of foods other than Japanese? Or should I bring granola bars and beef jerky?

 

[HydroGuy]

HydroGuy, thanks for the explanations. They are really helpful. I'm trying to gather as much information as possible for the most time-efficient trip possible. I am unwilling to wait in 2 or 3 hour lines like the locals, so I've got to be on my game and your trip report has really helped a lot!

Besides the Ristorante di Canaletto and Sail Day Buffet, what other restaurants did you eat at? Quite frankly, the food in Japan scares me, and that's another reason we haven't been there yet. The irony is I am Japanese, but born and raised in the U.S., and I don't like Japanese food. Is there a wide variety of foods other than Japanese? Or should I bring granola bars and beef jerky?

Pretty much all restaurants had offerings both Japanese oriented and western oriented. From what I saw at our breakfast buffet at the hotel and park dining, the Japanese eat western food at least as much as Japanese. The lines at breakfast each morning for the western eggs, sausage and pancakes were much longer than those for the Japanese vegetables and rice.

Altogether we got Italian at Ristorante di Canaletto, western buffet (meat load, shrimp, mashed potatoes) at Sail Day Buffet, burgers and fries at good old Tomorrowland Terrace, and pizza at Pan Galactic Pizza Port in Tomorrowland.

 

[The Rocketeer]

Pretty much all restaurants had offerings both Japanese oriented and western oriented. From what I saw at our breakfast buffet at the hotel and park dining, the Japanese eat western food at least as much as Japanese. The lines at breakfast each morning for the western eggs, sausage and pancakes were much longer than those for the Japanese vegetables and rice.

Altogether we got Italian at Ristorante di Canaletto, western buffet (meat load, shrimp, mashed potatoes) at Sail Day Buffet, burgers and fries at good old Tomorrowland Terrace, and pizza at Pan Galactic Pizza Port in Tomorrowland.

Just what I wanted to know. Thanks!

 

[HydroGuy]

I'm curious about the food. Did you by any chance took a pic of something you guys ate at the parks????

Sorry, I have never taken a picture of food in my life with the exception at Rainforest Cafe when we get a VOLCANOOOOOOO!!!

 

[ChrisFL]

Great TR, but a couple of notes

The Indy ride there IS a Crystal Skull theme, but it came out years before the movie, so it's not really based on the movie at all, it just happens to be themed to a crystal skull.

Raging Spirits is not an "inverted" coaster, it has inversions aka loops, but an inverted coaster means that the track is above you (think like Dueling Dragons or Montu in Florida)

 

[HydroGuy]

Great TR, but a couple of notes

The Indy ride there IS a Crystal Skull theme, but it came out years before the movie, so it's not really based on the movie at all, it just happens to be themed to a crystal skull.

Raging Spirits is not an "inverted" coaster, it has inversions aka loops, but an inverted coaster means that the track is above you (think like Dueling Dragons or Montu in Florida)

I thought Indy had been there awhile but have still not put together how the movie came after. Was it a case of a ride inspiring a movie (like POTC)?

I stand corrected on Raging Spirits. It has a single loop, and FWIW the loop is a small tight loop. Maybe half the diameter of California Screamin.

Thanks for the clarifications.

 

[ChrisFL]

I thought Indy had been there awhile but have still not put together how the movie came after. Was it a case of a ride inspiring a movie (like POTC)?

I just think that George Lucas liked the whole mythology around the real crystal skulls that exist in the world, but the ride and movie are pretty separate from what I can tell.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

Great report Hydro ~ TDL is beautiful!