It's official...ABD is going to Japan!

[carpenta]

When Walt set up the Disney Parks he did not raise the admission price 10% on any day when the crowds were unusually larger than the norm. The price for admission remained the same if one person entered the park or 100,000 people entered the park on the same day. It seems to me when ABD finance sets up any tour they decide how much per person the cost will be charged to cover operating costs of that trip. IMO raising the cost of a pre published price after you decide what the general cost will be is just plain greedy. As Cinderella says "just because it's done doesn't mean it should be done"......Disney should heed their own characters advice.

 

[sayhello]

When Walt set up the Disney Parks he did not raise the admission price 10% on any day when the crowds were unusually larger than the norm. The price for admission remained the same if one person entered the park or 100,000 people entered the park on the same day. It seems to me when ABD finance sets up any tour they decide how much per person the cost will be charged to cover operating costs of that trip. IMO raising the cost of a pre published price after you decide what the general cost will be is just plain greedy. As Cinderella says "just because it's done doesn't mean it should be done"......Disney should heed their own characters advice.

Unfortunately, this is hardly just an ABD issue. This is the model Disney follows all over the place. Charging more for popular dates at the Parks. DCL prices go up as the cruises fill up. It's pretty much their standard operating procedures...

Sayhello

 

[carpenta]

Yes today when Disney is a public traded company but when Walt ran it as a "family business" not such a factor. Today entertainment is secondary to their stock price.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Walt may be shaking his head, but Roy is doing the fist pump.

It seems to me when ABD finance sets up any tour they decide how much per person the cost will be charged to cover operating costs of that trip. IMO raising the cost of a pre published price after you decide what the general cost will be is just plain greedy. As Cinderella says "just because it's done doesn't mean it should be done"......Disney should heed their own characters advice.

It's how most cruise lines and guided tour groups do it. Not just ABD or DCL. I have a Royal Caribbean cruise booked from since they opened booking on it and now that the cruise is two and a half months away, it's currently twice as much as I paid for it, and that is for a lower stateroom category. It's relatively new at the parks and I understand folks saying that things should be left the way they were. But if the Disney product was too overpriced, they wouldn't have crowds in the parks or the Japan trip booking up within two weeks of its release.

 

[sayhello]

So obviously this is all subject to change, but I found out that on my May 19th Japan ABD, there is currently only *one* 10-year-old girl signed up. All the rest are 18 or older. I'm a little concerned how this might affect the dynamics of the group if one Adventure Guide has to take care of the 10-year-old, and the other Guide has to care for the remainder of the group? Has anyone been on a family trip where there was only one child? How did that work? I sure hope this kid is well-traveled and likes being around adults...

Sayhello

 

[acndis]

So obviously this is all subject to change, but I found out that on my May 19th Japan ABD, there is currently only *one* 10-year-old girl signed up. All the rest are 18 or older. I'm a little concerned how this might affect the dynamics of the group if one Adventure Guide has to take care of the 10-year-old, and the other Guide has to care for the remainder of the group? Has anyone been on a family trip where there was only one child? How did that work? I sure hope this kid is well-traveled and likes being around adults...

Sayhello

There were only 3 Juniors on our SE Asia trip and there were almost no Junior activities. I am fairly certain the guide will not take care of the 10 year old. Our Juniors just hung with the adults or each other and participated in all the activities we did. No issues at all. My son likes it when there are lots of kids but he loved this trip, too. Japan sounds a lot like the SE Asia trip in that you seem to be 'going' all the time. I am sure the 10 year old will fit right in!

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I kind of think they don't need to assign a guide to look after one child full time. The kid will probably be with the group most of the time, hanging with her parents. I've never been on a tour with kids but that seems to make sense.

 

[BluesTraveler]

The group make-up could also change quite a bit between now and then - even though it's full now, there may be people that drop off or switch dates, or postpone to another year.

 

[calypso726]

We were on one ABD that had only one junior adventurer once. Neither guide left the group to look after the child. The child remained with their family the entire time. This child was on the younger side and and had some challenging moments. Nothing that put a damper or disrupted the trip or flow. Just the typical behavior of a younger, less well traveled child. I would not be too concerned.

 

[sayhello]

There were only 3 Juniors on our SE Asia trip and there were almost no Junior activities. I am fairly certain the guide will not take care of the 10 year old. Our Juniors just hung with the adults or each other and participated in all the activities we did. No issues at all. My son likes it when there are lots of kids but he loved this trip, too. Japan sounds a lot like the SE Asia trip in that you seem to be 'going' all the time. I am sure the 10 year old will fit right in!

Cool! Thanks. I'm feeling better. I've just never encountered this before.

I kind of think they don't need to assign a guide to look after one child full time. The kid will probably be with the group most of the time, hanging with her parents. I've never been on a tour with kids but that seems to make sense.

Makes sense to me, too.

The group make-up could also change quite a bit between now and then - even though it's full now, there may be people that drop off or switch dates, or postpone to another year.

And that is also true. You really never know this far out.

We were on one ABD that had only one junior adventurer once. Neither guide left the group to look after the child. The child remained with their family the entire time. This child was on the younger side and and had some challenging moments. Nothing that put a damper or disrupted the trip or flow. Just the typical behavior of a younger, less well traveled child. I would not be too concerned.

Thanks, I'm feeling better.

Sayhello

 

[danv3]

So obviously this is all subject to change, but I found out that on my May 19th Japan ABD, there is currently only *one* 10-year-old girl signed up. All the rest are 18 or older. I'm a little concerned how this might affect the dynamics of the group if one Adventure Guide has to take care of the 10-year-old, and the other Guide has to care for the remainder of the group? Has anyone been on a family trip where there was only one child? How did that work? I sure hope this kid is well-traveled and likes being around adults...

Sayhello

I was on a one-kid adventure to Italy and it was basically treated as an adult only trip as far as I could tell. The kid was with us for basically everything and she was young...maybe 8?

Anyway, I don’t think you’ll need to worry.

 

[sayhello]

I was on a one-kid adventure to Italy and it was basically treated as an adult only trip as far as I could tell. The kid was with us for basically everything and she was young...maybe 8?

Anyway, I don’t think you’ll need to worry.

Thanks!

Sayhello

 

[Mathmagicland]

I see all Japan itineraries are now fully booked.

@sayhello - when you inquired about your group, did you find out how many are in your group? I have not seen firm numbers anywhere yet.

 

[sayhello]

I see all Japan itineraries are now fully booked.

@sayhello - when you inquired about your group, did you find out how many are in your group? I have not seen firm numbers anywhere yet.

When I asked, they said 36.

Sayhello

 

[CurryPopcorn]

Hey all! I've lurked around on these boards for a long time but have never posted before (mostly I just like to read and dream about vacations). I was reading through this thread out of curiosity, since I'm living in Japan right now! I wanted to pop in and give a tiny bit of Tokyo advice, as someone who's lived in Japan for a couple of years total (one of those years in Tokyo!)

I saw a few people talking about looking for anime/animation related stuff to do, and one person who mentioned their kid being really into anime. I just wanted to point out that, while Akihabara is probably the most famous "nerd zone" in Tokyo, it's probably not the best place to take your kids (depending on their age/how comfortable you are with adult content.) Akihabara is chock full of amazing anime/geek shops, and you can definitely find all kinds of rad toys/electronics/books, but keep in mind that in a lot of these shops there is some relatively extreme stuff mixed in with everything else. While most comic shops and toy stores keep the REALLY adult stuff in a separate area, or on the upper floors, you'd be surprised at how much is just mixed in with everything else- and comic shops tend to sell some pretty adult stuff right next to the titles aimed at younger audiences. If this doesn't bother you, shop away! But just something to keep in mind if you are traveling with younger folks.

If you're looking for other anime experiences, the Ghibli Museum is a fantastic option. It can be a little difficult to get tickets from overseas, but it's really a lovely museum, with some beautiful exhibits showcasing sketches and the like. It may be a little less interesting for very young kids? Although, there is a catbus play area and some outdoor play zones. Tickets are purchased for specific entry times- people can stay however long they like, so try to get an earlier entry time for fewer people.

If you can't get into the Ghibli Museum but still want some Ghibli merch, look for a "Donguri Republic" store (どんぐり共和国)- there's a great one at the base of Tokyo Skytree if you are in the area. Another great place to check out anime related shops with younger people is Character Street (underneath Tokyo Station). Tons of character related shops, including a Jump Shop (Shonen Jump publishes Naruto, One Piece, etc.), and a nice Pokemon Store. I saw that the tour is going to Harajuku/Takeshita Street as well, and there's a permanent Sailor Moon shop that opened there recently. Check out the multi-story "KIDDY LAND" toy store on Omotesando in Harajuku, as well. You could also go see the giant Gundam in Odaiba (there's also a shop, and Gundam Cafe!)

This is already super long, haha. But for any of you who want any other geeky recommendations (or Disneyland/DisneySea, or any other Tokyo advice!) just let me know.

 

[sayhello]

Hey all! I've lurked around on these boards for a long time but have never posted before (mostly I just like to read and dream about vacations). I was reading through this thread out of curiosity, since I'm living in Japan right now! I wanted to pop in and give a tiny bit of Tokyo advice, as someone who's lived in Japan for a couple of years total (one of those years in Tokyo!)

I saw a few people talking about looking for anime/animation related stuff to do, and one person who mentioned their kid being really into anime. I just wanted to point out that, while Akihabara is probably the most famous "nerd zone" in Tokyo, it's probably not the best place to take your kids (depending on their age/how comfortable you are with adult content.) Akihabara is chock full of amazing anime/geek shops, and you can definitely find all kinds of rad toys/electronics/books, but keep in mind that in a lot of these shops there is some relatively extreme stuff mixed in with everything else. While most comic shops and toy stores keep the REALLY adult stuff in a separate area, or on the upper floors, you'd be surprised at how much is just mixed in with everything else- and comic shops tend to sell some pretty adult stuff right next to the titles aimed at younger audiences. If this doesn't bother you, shop away! But just something to keep in mind if you are traveling with younger folks.

If you're looking for other anime experiences, the Ghibli Museum is a fantastic option. It can be a little difficult to get tickets from overseas, but it's really a lovely museum, with some beautiful exhibits showcasing sketches and the like. It may be a little less interesting for very young kids? Although, there is a catbus play area and some outdoor play zones. Tickets are purchased for specific entry times- people can stay however long they like, so try to get an earlier entry time for fewer people.

If you can't get into the Ghibli Museum but still want some Ghibli merch, look for a "Donguri Republic" store (どんぐり共和国)- there's a great one at the base of Tokyo Skytree if you are in the area. Another great place to check out anime related shops with younger people is Character Street (underneath Tokyo Station). Tons of character related shops, including a Jump Shop (Shonen Jump publishes Naruto, One Piece, etc.), and a nice Pokemon Store. I saw that the tour is going to Harajuku/Takeshita Street as well, and there's a permanent Sailor Moon shop that opened there recently. Check out the multi-story "KIDDY LAND" toy store on Omotesando in Harajuku, as well. You could also go see the giant Gundam in Odaiba (there's also a shop, and Gundam Cafe!)

This is already super long, haha. But for any of you who want any other geeky recommendations (or Disneyland/DisneySea, or any other Tokyo advice!) just let me know.

Thanks!! Some great information here! Feel free to post as much as you care to! I'm sure we'll all appreciate whatever insights you have on any aspect of Japan/Tokyo travel! I know I appreciate it!

Sayhello

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

@CurryPopcorn I'd love some advice on both parks. Is 2 days enough? Will the FPs ABD provides be enough for the popular rides? How crowded will the parks be on a weekday in early June (I read to avoid weekends)? Basically any advice is very much appreciated!

Thanks for the info on the Anime area. It doesn't sound like an area I want to take my 16 year old (she'll be 17 next year). Sailor Moon store?!! Yes please!

 

[CurryPopcorn]

I actually think that a weekday in early June should be a pretty good time to visit! Summer break here starts in mid/late July and goes through August, so all the kids will still be in school. There also aren't any public holidays in June or anything like that. The first time I went to DisneySea was during a weekday in the off season, and I was so worried about crowds! It ended up being not as bad as I thought, crowd-wise. We went in with a plan, got there early, and ended up seeing everything we wanted and going on rides multiple times. This year we also went to DisneySea on Christmas Day, and while it was definitely very crowded, we were still able to grab Fastpasses to go on all the rides we wanted.

As far as whether 2 days is enough... that is tough. Keep in mind that you can't normally get parkhopper tickets at the Tokyo parks, unless you get a 3 day pass. Even so, it'll be one park per day except for the third day, when parkhopping will be allowed. I think that 1 day per park could be enough (I've gone for one day at a time each time that I went) but it would definitely be fun to have that bonus day to see anything you may have missed or go on a favorite ride again. Also, unless you're staying an extra day in Tokyo on your own, the last day will have to be cut short by leaving to get on your flight home, I think? If I'm interpreting the schedule correctly? So doing the three day would be a way to for sure get a full day at one of the parks. On the other hand, the extra days in the add on are SO expensive, I honestly can't say whether or not I think it's totally worth it. Lots to consider!

The included fastpasses are definitely nice, especially since fastpasses can run out pretty quickly for rides like Monster's Inc. and Pooh's Hunny Hunt. It'd save you from having to dash over there immediately in the morning... unless you wanted to grab some anyway and go on the rides multiple times. I think that they'll be enough. In my mind, the "must do" rides that would be best suited to using the fastpasses on (that are unique to TDR) are Pooh's Hunny Hunt and Monster's, Inc Ride and Go Seek at Tokyo Disneyland, as well as Journey to the Center of the Earth and Tower of Terror at Tokyo DisneySea. Yes, Tower of Terror is technically in the US too, but it is very different at DisneySea. I have a HUGE soft spot in my heart for Sindbad at TDS, but there's pretty much never a wait for that. 20,000 Leagues usually has a pretty tame wait time, too. I haven't been on Nemo & Friends yet, so I'm really not sure about that one.

As far as rides that are in the US and Japan, I personally like DisneySea's version of Indiana Jones better than the original. While it's very similar to Disneyland, it's a little... nicer... (no dayglo skeletons painted on the wall, haha) and has a very cool queue. At Disneyland, the Haunted Mansion is also GREAT. While it's basically the same, it's been impeccably maintained, and the graveyard scene looks gorgeous. It also lacks the newer updates which means that it has the old attic/bride scene... which for me was a plus. Again, though, all this is personal taste! Midway Mania always has enormous lines and I don't get the appeal at all, so obviously everyone likes different things, haha.

Anyway, very long story short- June's a good time, I think the fastpasses will be enough, and staying an extra day may or may not be worth it.

 

[sayhello]

I actually think that a weekday in early June should be a pretty good time to visit! Summer break here starts in mid/late July and goes through August, so all the kids will still be in school. There also aren't any public holidays in June or anything like that. The first time I went to DisneySea was during a weekday in the off season, and I was so worried about crowds! It ended up being not as bad as I thought, crowd-wise. We went in with a plan, got there early, and ended up seeing everything we wanted and going on rides multiple times. This year we also went to DisneySea on Christmas Day, and while it was definitely very crowded, we were still able to grab Fastpasses to go on all the rides we wanted.

Would the same be true for weekdays the *very* end of May?

Sayhello

 

[CurryPopcorn]

I think it should be okay! Beginning of May is generally not a great time due to Golden Week (a whole bunch of holidays at once, so the country basically has a week off all at the same time), but I don't think there's anything major going on at the end of the month.

As a side note, Golden Week next year might be extra long due to the emperor abdicating on April 30. I think all of the ABD trips safely miss that time period, even with the TDR add on (although the April trip cuts it a little close.) For anyone who is going in April that might plan to stay in the country longer, it'd be something to keep in mind.