I love Disney, especially the theme parks. Ironically, it’s not the rides that draw me there, but it’s the way I feel when I’m in the “Happiest Place on Earth.” I passed my Disney affection on to my daughter, Emily, but Cabana John and our son, Michael, aren’t quite as enthusiastic. They like going to the theme parks but are happy to spend about half the amount of time that us girls would like to spend there.
I grew up going to the original Disneyland in California, and will eventually write a blog or two about navigating that Magical Kingdom, but this blog will focus on the initial planning, preparing, and experiencing of Tokyo’s Magical Kingdom. There is so much to see and do! You don’t want to waste time or money making mistakes that could have been easily avoided. Hopefully this post will help you avoid some of the pitfalls that we fell into.
This blog will cover:
- Planning your trip
- Purchasing your Tickets
- Navigating the Disney App
- Understanding the Queue Systems (Hint: Fastpass is a thing of the past!)
- Wifi
- … and more!
PLAN
The very first thing you should do is to determine the right time to go. Many travelers squeeze Tokyo Disney into their Japan travel itinerary, rather than plan a trip specifically to go to Tokyo Disney, and I get it. We did that too! If you have your trip to Japan planned, and have a couple free days, then go to Disney whenever you can and don’t worry about the timing. If you have flexible travel plans and freedom to pick time of the year, day of week, and timing of day, then read my blog about “When to Go to Tokyo Disneyland.”
Even if you are limited on your date options, I would still suggest checking a Disney crowd predictor calendar to get an idea of which specific days are less crowded than others.
For example, weekdays will generally have lower attendance than weekends. Weekends at Tokyo Disney are even crazier than at Disneyland in California or Disney World in Florida. Be sure to check the calendar for national holidays in Japan!
TIP: Be sure to check the Disney app for ride closures before scheduling your trip if you are hoping for a specific ride! Closures are often listed as much as a year ahead.
TICKETS
Tokyo Disneyland tickets are NOT sold at the theme parks, so you need to plan ahead to get them. You do not need reservations at Tokyo Disneyland like you do at some of the other Disney locations, but purchasing your park tickets can still be somewhat tricky. Check and double check when buying tickets! Do not assume what you read here (or anywhere online) is up to date. Things change often.
TIP: If you already have a Disney account (Land/World/Cruise), you can use the same account for Tokyo Disney.
You have a couple of decisions to make when buying your tickets.
First:
Which type of ticket to buy
- 1-Day Passport
- Early Evening Passport (entry from 3 pm weekends/holidays)
- Weeknight Passport (entry from 5 pm weekdays)
- 1-Day Passport Fantasy Springs Magic – NEW
- 1-Day Passport (guest with disabilities)
If you’re looking for park hopper tickets, then you’re out of luck. You need to buy separate tickets for each park. You’ll also need to buy a ticket for each day of your visit as there are no multi-day tickets either.
Tokyo Disney ticket prices vary depending on the day of the week. Weekends and National Holidays are the most expensive, while weekdays are generally the least expensive. I’m sure you’re shocked by that piece of information.
Second:
Where to buy tickets
- Buy through Klook. Klook is an authorized booking partner and is very easy to use. Buy online, scan QR code at the entrance gate, and start your day.
- Buy on the official Tokyo Disneyland website or app
- If you have a Tokyo Pass, then you can purchase the Tokyo Disneyland ticket as an add-on option. This is often a less expensive way to purchase your tickets.
- With your Tokyo Disneyland hotel reservation
These Disney Hotels currently offer guaranteed park entry (check yourself):
- Tokyo Disneyland Hotel
- Hotel MiraCosta
- Disney Ambassador Hotel
- Toy Story Hotel
- Tokyo Celebration Hotel
Some Disney Official Hotels, including the Hilton Tokyo Bay and Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel, no longer offer guaranteed entry. As I keep saying, things change. Please confirm important details.
As of this post, tickets are available for purchase 2 months in advance.
TIP: Park tickets might be temporarily suspended if the daily ticket sales limit is reached. Just as randomly, tickets that are sold out might become available again without notice. Check back periodically!
PREPARE
Download the Tokyo Disney Resort App
The Disney app has two abilities. It enables you to do pre-planning before your visit, but it has additional abilities once you are inside the park. Get familiar with the app BEFORE you need to use it! If you buy your ticket via the app, then you’ll use the app at the entrance gate to scan your ticket for entry.
BEFORE ENTERING
- Buy your tickets (officially called Passports)
- Create your group (link tickets)
- Make dining reservations
- Make “show restaurant” reservations
FIRST THING WHEN INSIDE PARK
When you enter the park, the very first thing you should do is access the app to manage your Premier Access (paid), Priority Passes (free), Entry Requests, and mobile food orders. You will not be able to do this until your ticket is scanned at the gate. Each ticket needs to be scanned. One person can’t enter early and get passes for others who might be sleeping late.
Strategize before entering the park! Know which rides and shows are the most important to your group. You don’t want to be standing around inside the gate trying to figure it out while others are rapidly snatching up tickets and times.
Disney Premier Access for the Beauty and The Beast ride always sells out quickly. If it’s on your must ride list, getting this pass should be the very first thing you do!
TIP: Place your mobile food orders for the day while you wait in line for your first ride! Food lines are looooong. Don’t forget the popcorn!
Download Google Translate
I assume if you are planning a trip to Japan, you either know Japanese or are willing to put a little effort into being able to communicate with the locals. Please don’t be an “Ugly American” and expect people to conform to you. Learn a few key phrases. Please and Thank You are good starts! Those of you who follow my posts know that I am currently using Babbel to learn Spanish. Maybe I’ll start Japanese next for my future trips to Tokyo Disney! It doesn’t matter if you use Google Translator or a language learning program like Babbel, just put in a little effort to be respectful.
Research the Queue Systems, Entry Requests, and Priority Seating
Disney enthusiasts know there have been many time management systems implemented over time. While Disney continues to make improvements to their queue systems, there is a lot of debate over which changes are better than others. That’s opening a can of worms, though, and is a good topic for another post.
Tokyo Disney currently offers these virtual queue systems:
- Disney Premier Access
- 40th Anniversary Priority Pass
- Standby Pass
- Entry Request
Disney Premier Access
This is your best option if money is not a factor. Premier Access lets you pick the time for rides, shows, and parades that are in high demand. You can buy as many Premier Access passes as you want per ride, per day, and per person. Also, you only need to wait 60 minutes after purchasing a pass, or after the start time of your purchased Premier Access pass, whichever is earlier.
TIP: Premier Access is basically the same as Individual Lighting Lane passes you’ll see in the USA. However, in the USA, you can currently only buy up to two passes per day.
Pros:
- You select the time
- You can buy multiple tickets throughout the day for each ride (one at a time, though)
- Guaranteed access to rides, shows, and parades that are in extra high demand
Cons:
- Money – You pay each time for access
- You need to wait 60 minutes after purchasing a pass, or after the start time of your purchased Premier Access pass, whichever is earlier.
- Money
- Money
Disneyland attractions that use Premier Access:
- Splash Mountain
- The Happy Ride with Baymax
- Enchanted Tale of Beauty and The Beast
- Mini@Funderland
- Tokyo Disney Electrical Parade Dreamlights
- Disney Harmony in Color
DisneySea attractions that use Premier Passes:
- Tower of Terror
- Toy Story Mania!
- Soaring: Fantastic Flight
- Journey to the Centre of the Earth
- Believe! Sea of Dreams
40th Anniversary Priority Pass
Priority Passes are free! These passes let you ride within a one-hour window, limiting the amount of time you spend in line. You can get multiple passes throughout the day for the same ride, unlike at Disney USA, where you’re limited to one pass, per ride, per day. You can get your next Priority Pass after the start time of the current Priority Pass or 120 minutes after obtaining the last Priority Pass, whichever is earlier.
40th Anniversary Passes are expected to be used through April 2024, but what will replace them is still unknown. Stay tuned!
TIP: Strategize! You can stack passes!
Pros:
- Free
- One hour window to ride
- Shortened wait time for popular rides
- You can use multiple tickets per day, per person, per ride (one at a time, though)
Cons:
- Limited availability!!!
- You don’t get to pick the time frame.
- You have to wait 120 minutes after obtaining a pass, or after the start time of the last Priority Pass, whichever is earlier.
- Disneyland attractions that use Priority Passes:
- Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
- Haunted Mansion
- Pooh’s Hunny Hunt
- Big Thunder Mountain
- Space Mountain (closing 2024)
- Monsters, Inc. Ride & Go Seek
- Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters
DisneySea attractions that use Priority Passes:
- Nemo & Friends: Sea Rider
- Turtle Talk
- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
- The Magic Lamp Theater
- Raging Spirits
- Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull
Standby Pass
With the addition of the 40th Anniversary Pass, Standby Passes are somewhat obsolete. You will still need Standby Passes for some of the merchandise stores and for character birthday meet & greets, but that’s about it.
Entry Requests
This is your chance to win your way into an experience! Entry Request is a free, lottery-based system for entry to popular experiences (primarily shows & character greetings). Since you can’t submit Entry Requests on the app until your whole party is in the park, the lottery system gives you a chance to see some of them even if you get a late start to your day. You can try your luck at Entry Requests up to 30 minutes before start times, but you can only make one Entry Request per experience, per day. If you don’t win, then you’re out of luck.
TIP: The first show is usually “open” and available without Entry Request. However, you’ll have to queue EARLY to enter.
As of February 2024 the following experiences REQUIRE Entry Request:
Tokyo Disneyland
- Jamboree Mickey! Let’s Dance!
- Mickey’s Magical Music World
- Club Mouse Beat
Tokyo DisneySea
- Jamboree Mickey! Let’s Dance!
- Big Band Beat: A Special Treat
- If you don’t get an Entry Request ticket, you could go early (1-2 hours before) and try for the balcony seating. It’s standby only but is still a great experience!
Priority Seating
Priority Seating is the Tokyo version of Advance Dining at the USA parks. You can reserve priority seating one month ahead, starting at 10:00 AM Japan standard time (confirm for changes). Availability changes, so check back frequently if your desired day and time is not available.
WI-FI
There is limited Wi-Fi in the park, as of this post. You can access Wi-Fi for 15 minutes at a time, and you can only access it at the park’s main entrance. I highly recommend bringing a rental Wi-Fi option like Japan Wireless. I’m not promoting it specifically, but you should do your research regarding Wi-Fi and pick something that works for you.
GO
ARRIVE EARLY, and bring your patience! Lines will be long. Just accept it. Too often I see families getting worked up while waiting in line, arguing about which lane is moving the fastest, trying to navigate away from lines with loaded strollers, and glaring at people who have others join them in line. That’s not a great way to start the day. Look around and notice how the locals are behaving. In my experience, local Disney-goers have an endless ability to wait in line without complaining. Follow their example and have fun!
