So the Tokyo trip wouldn’t be complete without actually going to Disney Resort right? Here. You be the judge.
Traveling to Disney from Ikebukuro took 2 train rides (Ikebukuro – Tokyo and Tokyo – Maihama) for about JPY 420 or PhP 156 per pax one way and maybe about 45 minutes.
My best friend and I initially thought Osaka’s Universal Studios would be a better deal since we have already tried Hong Kong Disneyland. But the distance of Osaka to Tokyo and back, and the expensive fare through the shinkansen turned us off.
You can choose between Disney Land and Disney Sea – and we chose the former because we didn’t have extra clothes for when we get soaked (our otherwise over-baggage dilemma at play here).
The Disney Land ticket for one day is JPY 6250 or PhP 2481. Prior to going there, I already had a list of rides and attractions that I wanted to ride / do. Getting there at 9am wasn’t optimal even as it was a Tuesday when we went. The park was just full of kids and teenagers. It was crazy.
Here are the rides that I highlighted during the planning stage:
Splash Island A ride in a log boat that leads to a 16-meter high waterfall. The 45-degree plunge will send you screaming for sure, and your clothes maybe a little wet after the ride. Photo grabbed from their website
Big Thunder Mountain We were happy with its Hong Kong Disneyland version so we wanted to compare it to this. It’s set in the mountains but something chilling happens during the ride. Nope, it’s not another train ride.
Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters It’s a 3-person-per vehicle kind of ride that requires a space gun to shoot the enemies and the evil emperor Zurg. I think it’s for kids but I liked to try it out because we’re Toy Story fans!
Starjets This is an outdoor ride on small jets revolving around the main rocket ship, which can allow you take control over the height of which your jet flies. Powered by Japan Airlines.
Grand Circuit Raceway It’s a small race car that can maneuver in a track – and not just the usual bump cars we see in local attractions. Something that I can probably do in the Makati Circuit, you think?
But among those that I’ve listed, to our dismay and disappointment – it was my birthday – we only got to really ride the Star Tours. Yes, just one ride, and witness the parade and watch the Philharmagic. That’s how much people are lined up. Even the FastPass only gave a 7pm schedule and it was only around 11am then. Other rides were even “sold out”. 🙁
Star Tours Being a big fan of Star Wars (I was “a little” version), Jons marveled at the replication of the characters and ensuring the vibe inside was very Star Wars-like.
Mickey’s Philharmagic This was pretty much the same as the HK version, when we thought the story line was going to be different per location. It’s a 4D version of Mickey and Donald’s adventures and fun to watch for the first time.
Daytime Parade – Happiness is Here
It’s a parade in the afternoon – time will be indicated in the flyer and may not be available at the time of your visit – that has most Disney and Pixar characters dance to the beat of the Happiness is Here theme. It is to me, the most colorful part of the day. I was surprised at how disciplined the Japanese were during the parade, there was no pushing, standing or elbowing, unlike our other Disney experience.
Tips:
My over-all take, is if you’ve experienced Disney somewhere, you might as well skip this and save one day in your itinerary and some valuable Yen. Or if you really need to, book your fast pass ahead of time, visit their website and read the fast pass FAQ page so you can plan your day and choose your rides. Leave early and be there at the gate before they actually open. Bring bottles of water and some snacks. Food and water here are expensive, or you’d have to queue for free water for about 30 minutes. Bring anything for the heat (sunblock, fan, umbrella) and of course, dress up (most of the teens were wearing couple Disney shirts, hoodies, and other effects).
On the last Japan series: Shopping, Donqui, and Food in Tokyo.
Thanks for reading 🙂
