Tokyo Disney

ThirdAmendment.com
Tokyo Disney Resort Tips
Jol A. Silversmith

I’ve been lucky enough to have had business reasons to travel to Tokyo, and as a result I’ve had a number of opportunities to visit the Tokyo Disney Resort (“TDR”). I would not want to hold myself out as a TDR expert – but I’ve put together this page to try to offer some tips to first-time anglophone visitors (to be updated based on any feedback and future trips to Tokyo…).


(1) Plan ahead. Of course, the challenge to planning ahead is that TDR is primarily targeted at the Japanese market. I’m not aware of any commercial guides to the park in English, other than the brief descriptions in general Tokyo travel guides - although one is due out soon (see http://www.amazon.com/Tokyo-Disney-Made-Easy-Unofficial/dp/097737582X). But TDR does offer an extensive English-language website at http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/index_e.html. There are also various fan sites, such as http://www.jtcent.com/main.php and http://www.mouseplanet.com/tokyo/ (but be careful – some, such as http://www.mickey-mouse.com/tdl.htm, haven’t been updated recently, and contain obsolete information). And there’s always Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Disney_Resort).


(2) Try to learn some Japanese. Again, easier said than done. TDR (and many tourist-oriented sites in Tokyo) do have English-language signage, and some cast members may speak some English, but you will be a stranger in a strange land (with apologies to Robert Heinlein). Unfortunately, I’ve yet to find a guide that tries to quickly teach “useful” Japanese – i.e., something more than just a phrasebook, but something doesn’t emphasis words like “father” and “mother” that tourists are unlikely to need. (Of course, a phrasebook is helpful, but it’s even more helpful to have a basic understanding of the structure of the language, so you’re not just mimicking sounds). At a minimum, visitors should be able to state how many there are in their party (i.e., "hitori" = 1, "futari" = 2, etc.), make basic requests ("kore o kudasai" = please may I have this?) and state that they don’t speak Japanese – not that it isn’t likely to be obvious ("nihongo o hanashimasen").


(3) Don’t forget about the rest of Tokyo. Presumably, if you’re visiting TDR from anywhere outside Japan, you somehow made it to TDR from Narita airport - but there is a bus service from the airport, so it is possible to miss the center of Tokyo. The trains and subways in Tokyo are easy to navigate (well, relatively) because virtually every sign is in both Japanese and English. Still, a good atlas is recommended – I suggest The 3rd edition of Kodansha’s bilingual atlas, available at http://www.amazon.com/Tokyo-City-Atlas-Bilingual-Guide/dp/4770025033). Also invaluable is a “Suica” card – a debit card which is accepted by most public transportation (and some stores) in Tokyo, so you don’t have to try to calculate the fare and buy a ticket for any given trip for an overview, see http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/suica-nex/suica.html). Although one shouldn’t be too cocky, Tokyo is a safe city to explore (as a friend who lives there said: “What’s the worst thing that could happen? That some nice Japanese person will try to help you?”)


(4) Don’t be an “ugly American.” You’ll obviously be a “gaijin” (foreigner), but you shouldn’t take that as a pass to ignore cultural norms. Perhaps out of necessity, from living on a crowded island, the Japanese don't seem to mind crowds. TDR isn’t a great place to go if you’re sensitive about personal space. On the other hand, when it’s time for a parade, Japanese guests tend to politely organize themselves with out the need for ropes – and stay seated during the parade, so the people behind them can see. It also appears that schools justify field trips to TDR by giving students certain assignments to complete, such as to seek out foreigners and have them write a few words for them to take back to class.


(5) Personal comments – Tokyo Disneyland. Tokyo Disneyland is fun, but most of the attractions now open are clones of current or past attractions in the U.S. (one, the Mickey Mouse Revue, was actually moved to TDR from Orlando). But one ride with no U.S. equivalent is Pooh’s Hunny Hunt; the vehicles aren’t on a track but use a local GPS system instead, so they can swirl around the attraction, as well as each other. It’s very popular – and Japanese visitors understand and use FASTPASS – so it should be at or near the top of any touring plan for TDL. And if you’re familiar with the U.S. parks, enjoy being disoriented – i.e., what is the Haunted Mansion doing in Fantasyland? Why does Tomorrowland still look like it’s the ‘70s (StarJets!)?


(6) Personal comments – Tokyo DisneySea. Almost all of the attractions in Tokyo DisneySea have no U.S. equivalent, and the two headliners that do are themed very differently – a demon instead of Rod Serling haunts the Tower of Terror, and Indiana Jones is haunted by a crystal skull (prescient of the 2008 movie?) while searching for the fountain of youth in South America. I enjoy Stormrider in the Port Discovery section of the park, a motion simulator (with some similarities to Star Tours and Soarin); for a quirky experience, try Sinbad’s Storybook Voyage (think of “it’s a small world” – only with better technology, and very politically incorrect). I do note that 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, is not well designed for anyone taller than 5’0” to see out of the ride vehicles, and I simply don’t understand why Raging Spirits draws crowds – it’s only a mildly thrilling coaster, but can have 100 minute+ waits (tip – apparently it’s a “date” attraction, since the single rider line appears to almost always be deserted).


(7) Maps. Although much the same information is available from the TDR website, I’ve scanned the English-language park maps from my most recent visits.