Planning for a trip to Disneyland can be overwhelming especially when you are traveling to a foreign country. The team here at TOKYO DSNY has put together a list of Top 10’s that will hopefully make it easier for you to plan ahead and enjoy the park when you get there.
1. Download TKYO DSNY
If you have not already downloading the TKYO DSNY app is a must. At the current time it’s only available on iOS but it will give you a head start into favoriting and planning for your trip. Check out the rides and restaurant that you want to go on . Then while at the park use the app to not only navigate but also check out the wait times.
2. Buy Tickets in Advance
We all know waiting in line is no fun. Honestly it just deflates the excitement when you find out that you have to wait in two lines! You can purchase tickets when you get there but you’ll have to wait in that line to purchase and furthermore you’ll then have to stand in another line to get inside. Purchasing your tickets prior to arriving is key and will save you so much time just standing in line.
You can purchase your tickets online directly through the Tokyo Disney Resort at convenience stores or even the Disney store or on Tokyo Disney Resort app(only available on Japanese app store). If you are staying at one of the Disney Resorts you can purchase tickets there as well but make sure you have cash. Also one thing to note about purchasing tickets online directly through the Tokyo Disney Resort is that not all credit cards are accepted. I found out when trying to book tickets none of my Chase Visa cards worked due to some sort or system restriction. I will have a post separately that will talk about this and how I ended up purchasing the tickets.
3. The Right Time to Go
Many travelers main objectives might be just to just visit Japan and check out Disney or it could be vice versa with the primary objective of visiting Tokyo Disney. Regardless Tokyo Disney Resort can get more crowded than other Disney parks so making sure you plan ahead and choose the right dates because it will make your visit more enjoyable.
Here are some sites that have built some great predictions on how busy the park might be based on old visitor data:
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https://dwait.net/index.php/kako/kakotdr?month=2020-01
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http://disneyreal.asumirai.info/monthly/6month-expect.html
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http://www15.plala.or.jp/gcap/disney/
You can probably guess that typically the best times to visit during the week would be Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays. The weekends and holidays you can always expect it to be crowded and for sure the 2020/2021 Summer Olympics will for sure be crowded.
The busy season:
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February & March: This is the spring season with spring break and graduation in Japan. Plus all the tourists who flock to see the cherry blossoms will surely see a higher amount of tourists in general.
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August: Summer vacation for most of the northern hemisphere. Plus it will be hot during this time.
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Christmas & New Years: Many people will have this time off and take additional days off.
4. Get there Before the Park Opens
Tokyo Disneyland opens at 8:30 while DisneySea opens at 8:00.
The lines gets super long and you don’t want to be stuck behind everyone.
5. Fastpass!
You have to get to the park before they open because FastPass will make your time at any Disneyland more optimized. FastPass is a special ticket that lets you skip to the front of the lines. Many of the attractions have this option and with Fastpass you wait maybe 10-20 min at the front of the line versus waiting up to 1-2 hours in line.
When you arrive at the park your first objective besides the selfie of entering the park is bolting straight to the ride that you want to go on and scan your QR code on the ticket. Once you get the FastPass it will have the specific time frame that you can come back to the ride and use it. Also written on the ticket is when you can collect the next FastPass ticket. It’s typically 2 hours after you pulled a FastPass.
3 Tips to make the most of FastPass
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Get the first FastPass right when the park opens
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Get the next FastPass as soon as you can. If it states that you can pick up the next one at 10:00 then pick it up right at 10:00.
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Get FastPass for attractions that sellout or close early. Monsters Inc, Pooh’s Honey Hunt, and Buzz AStroBlasters.
6. Show Lottery
If you are looking to check out a show such as Big Band Beat at TDS, One Man’s Dream II at TDL and other seasonal shows without having to wait in line for 1-2 hours then the lottery might be a good option. You can draw for the lottery at Tomorrowland Hall for Tokyo Disneyland and Biglietteria for Tokyo Disney Sea.
7. Restaurant Reservations
One of the highlights and overlooked part about Tokyo Disney is the food options. The food there is amazing and the quality is soooo good! One option to take the dining experience to the next level is to make reservations to a restaurant in advance. You can do this right from our TKYO DSNY app that books it directly to the Tokyo Disney Park. Also use our mobile app to check out the food options in the area of the park that you get a bit hungry and looking for some good food.
8. Pocket WIFI and Charger
The TKYO DSNY app you can use the app without any data which is awesome. However, to fully leverage it you will want to have some sort of data connection as the Disney Parks don’t have free WIFI. You’ll want to check your phone and app for locations specifics, waiting times for the attractions, and etc.
9. Sit & Watch the Parade
One of the things that blew me away with Tokyo Disney is that when it comes to the parades it is top knotch. Not only are the parades and floats amazing but how they organize the spectators. What I mean is that for the most part there are no bad viewing areas because everyone is sitting down. Unlike many other theme parks around the world where everyone is standing up watching the parade and those in the back can’t see over anyone. Literally you have at least 25-30 rows of people sitting down on the ground watching the parade. The Disney helpers do such a great job of getting people to sit down so others can view. Also unlike other theme parks they keep this place so clean that it’s not a problem with sitting on the ground. Plus it’s just a cultural norm with everyone that we encountered in Japan let alone Tokyo Disney being so nice and welcoming.
10. Official Disney Hotels
This shouldn’t come as a surprise but booking a vacation package at one of the official hotels has some huge advantages. Of course you will be closer to the park for easy access but you also get some priority perks. Such as time-free FastPass, show tickets, tokens, drink tickets, and the ability to gain entry into the park 15 minutes earlier!
