Our Tokyo Disney Adventure: What I'd Do Differently (And What Was Totally Worth It)

Part one of a three-part series on our whirlwind week in Japan

A lot of people may think it's crazy to step off a 12 hour plane ride to Tokyo Disneyland... but I'm a little crazy so that is exactly what we did. And honestly? It worked out better than I expected.

This is part one of a three-part series breaking down our week in Japan. We will cover Tokyo Disney (Disneyland + Disney Sea), three nights in Kyoto, and two nights in central Tokyo before flying home. Our kids were 10 (almost 11) and 13, and I cannot say enough about what great ages those were for a trip like this. They pulled their own carry-ons, walked 20,000+ steps a day, and kept up with a jam-packed itinerary withvery little complaint.

In this post, I'm sharing everything: why I started the trip at Disney, how we booked it, our ride strategy, the food hits and misses, what I'd do differently, and a few travel finds that made the whole trip easier.

Why We Started at Tokyo Disney

Tokyo Disneyland is on the outskirts of the city, not in central Tokyo, so it actually made logistical sense to go straight there from the airport rather than check into a city hotel and then make our way back out. We were flying in and out of Tokyo, with Kyoto in the middle, so starting at Disney and ending in the city felt like the natural loop.

I also didn't feel like I needed a full day at Disneyland specifically. We live in California and have been to Disneyland multiple times, so I mostly wanted to see the castle, soak up the vibes, and ride a couple of key rides. My real priority was Disney Sea.

The plan was: arrive, check in, head to Disneyland for dinner and three rides, get a great night's sleep, and then spend a full day at Disney Sea. It kept our first night low-key and easy to navigate, which is exactly what you want after landing in a new country after a long international flight.

Four Things I Bought Before This Trip That I Loved

Before I get into the Disney details, I want to share four things I bought ahead of time that genuinely made the trip easier.

1. A triple-zipper change purse. This was a game-changer at Disneyland because the vacation package comes with a stack of paper tickets, ride passes, park entry tickets, drink tickets, gift tickets. Being able to separate them into different pouches meant I could grab exactly what I needed without digging around. It also worked perfectly for organizing yen coins, bills, and my credit card throughout the whole trip. Change purse with 3 compartments here

2. An expandable bag (a Baggallini, about $50–60). It folds down to the size of a thin book but opens into a full shoulder bag that also slides over a suitcase handle. I actually packed two, one for daily use and one as a backup in case we needed to bring home souvenirs. (Spoiler: we ended up buying a suitcase instead. More on that in a later post.) Baggalini we bought can be found Here

3. Hoka walking shoes. I'd never owned a pair before this trip and I am now a convert. Water-resistant, incredibly comfortable, and they held up through a lot of rainy and drizzly days. Also very helpful for all the times in Japan we had to slip our shoes on and off. One note: they run a little big, so I'd recommend sizing down half a size. I went with the transport style, find them Here

4. A water-resistant coat. Not a full raincoat, but something water-resistant with a little warmth lightweight enough to pack easily but practical enough to wear in the rain. Japan in spring can be drizzly, and having layers that you can easily put on or take off makes a real difference.

How We Got There (and the Airport Pickup Lesson I Learned)

We flew Delta economy, departing around 10 AM on a Thursday and arriving around 2 PM on Friday. I do wish I had upgraded to Economy Comfort seats for that flight, we flew home on American Airlines in Comfort Plus and the extra legroom made such a difference. We did upgrade my husband to Delta One because he's tall and gets uncomfortable on long flights, and I wanted him to arrive feeling rested for our first day at Disney.

For the airport pickup, I scheduled a car service through Viator (I also like Klook for this). When I first land somewhere new, I really don't want to figure out trains and subway systems, I just want to get to where I'm going. I scheduled the pickup 30 minutes after landing, but immigration took closer to an hour, so next time I'd schedule for a full hour out. The driver waited, but I'd rather not cut it close. The car was about $60 total, and I used some Viatoy credits to bring the cost down, and we traveled with carry ons only so didnt have to wait for luggage.

Where We Stayed: The Fantasy Springs Hotel

We booked the Disney Fantasy Springs Hotel, and there's a specific reason I chose it: hotels in the Fantasy Springs and MiraCosta properties get Happy Entry access to Disney Sea. Depending on the day, that means getting into the park 15 to 30 minutes before the general public, and the entry line is significantly shorter.

This matters because people line up early at Tokyo Disney. I've seen the photos. I personally had no interest in doing that.

The Fantasy Springs Hotel has a private entrance that leads directly into the Fantasy Springs area of the park, which is where the most in-demand rides are. That head start, as you'll see in a minute, makes a huge difference to your entire day.

Understanding the Tokyo Disney Vacation Package

Booking Tokyo Disney is not the same as booking Disneyland in California. There are vacation packages, and understanding the difference is key.

There are essentially two main options:

The Three-Pass Package: You choose three rides in advance for each day at the park and receive Premier Access passes (essentially fast passes) for those rides. You can also book restaurant reservations at the time of booking. This is what we did. And once you're in the park pay for more Premiere Access Passes or get free 40th anniversary passes.

The Unlimited Package: You get unlimited Premier Access passes for all eligible rides throughout the day, you can walk straight into the fast pass line without scheduling a time. This is the dream, honestly. The catch is that it's more expensive and it sells out fast. We're talking the day reservations open fast.

Reservations open about six months in advance for vacation packages, but not down to the date. Everything in a given month opens on the same day. The best resource I found for knowing when your dates open is a Facebook group called Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea Holiday Planning. They post reminders when booking windows are opening, and the group is full of helpful planning information.

One note on booking meals: We pre-booked dinner at Oceano because it comes with a reserved viewing spot for the nighttime show. If I did it again, I probably wouldn't book any meals. You pay a premium for a set menu when you book ahead, whereas mobile ordering through the Disney app gets you more choices, better prices, and way more flexibility with your time. We had zero wait time for food almost every time we wanted to eat.

Disney Sea Ride Strategy: What to Book, When, and Why

Here's what you need to know if you don't do a vacation package. Disney Sea is stunning the level of detail and scale is genuinely unlike anything I've seen at any other Disney park, and if you only have one day there, your strategy matters.

Here's what I'd prioritize:

As soon as you enter the park, book a Premier Access pass for Frozen (Anna and Elsa). This was the first ride to sell out of Premier Access passes it was basically gone way before lunchtime. 

Also book early: Soaring, and Journey to the Center of the Earth

Peter Pan and Rapunzel passes last a little longer into the day, so those can wait.

The rides that don't require any pass like Aqua Topia and the Magic Carpets had 20–30 minute waits that were very manageable.

Our Happy Entry strategy: We went straight to Peter Pan when we entered (it's in Fantasy Springs and has a shorter line than Frozen even with happy entry), and while we were waiting, I used my phone to book a Premier Access pass for Frozen at 9:05 AM. After riding Peter Pan, we went straight to Frozen, rode it, and then I booked our next Premier Access pass for Soaring, which my daughter had heard was amazing from a friend (she was right).

The rule with Premier Access passes is: after you use one, you can book another, or an hour after you book one. So set an alarm on your phone if your pass use is more than an hour away. 

One hiccup: When I tried to purchase a Premier Access pass for Journey to the Center of the Earth, the credit card verification sent a code to my husband's phone number which wasn't receiving texts because we were on an eSIM. Then another card wouldn't work. It turned into a whole thing. What I eventually learned (thanks to Googling) is that there are three physical kiosks in the park where you can buy Premier Access passes in person. One is near the Aladdin/Arabia Coast area, one is near the Aerial/Under the Sea world, and one is near the main entrance. Save yourself the stress and know where these are before you need them. Once I figured it out you bring your park ticket and purcahse the premiere passes there and they end up in your disney app.

The Food: Hits and Misses

Food at Tokyo Disney and Disney Sea is noticeably more affordable than California Disneyland. Here's our honest rundown:

Worth it:

• Honey popcorn at Disneyland good
• Hot chocolate with strawberries from the Sultan's Palace area at Disney Sea  loved it on a drizzly day
• The sparkling coconut pineapple drink with boba in tomorrowland, so fun and refreshing
• Lookout Cookout at Disney Sea, fried chicken strips, lemon were our favorite and a pizza pocket-style dish that were both good
• The alien mochi get these, they're a fun Disney Sea staple
• The chocolate churro, yum
• The pink shell ice cream (a little raspberry-filled shell in the Ariel/Under the Sea area), this was everyone's favorite

Not worth it:

• Butter garlic scallop popcorn I don't know what we were expecting, but we were not fans
• The burgers at Disneyland in Tomorrowland a little off, stick with Mickey nuggets and fries
• The crème brûlée churro, sounded better than it tasted
• The tiramisu ice cream sandwich, not bad, but the pink shell ice cream was better

We split most of the treats between the four of us so we could try more things. Highly recommend that approach.

What I'd Do Differently

A few honest reflections after doing it:

I'd book a second night at Fantasy Springs Hotel. After a full day at Disney Sea — especially with one of my kids not feeling 100% what would have been perfect was walking back to the hotel for a nap and then returning for the nighttime show and dinner. Instead, we ended up leaving early because everyone was exhausted. If you can swing a second night at the same hotel, do it to be able to take a mid day break.

If I couldn't get two nights at Fantasy Springs, I'd look at the Hilton or one of the other hotels near the monorail line especially if I had the unlimited vacation package the toy story hotel would be great. Happy entry is great, but if you have unlimited passes, proximity to the park matters more than the private entrance.

I wouldn't book any dining in advance except possibly breakfast which you have to with a vacation package, we did ours at 6:40 and the time worked perfect to freshen up after and get inline for happy entry. The set meal pricing and the inflexibility just don't make sense when mobile ordering is so easy.

I'd go straight for the unlimited vacation package if the budget allows, and we were dong 2 days of parks. The planning and strategizing I had to do around Premier Access passes was fun in its own way, but walking straight onto every ride would be next level.

How We Got to Our Second Hotel

For night two, we used Hyatt points to stay at the Hyatt Regency Tokyo Bay 17,000 points for a club access room, which was perfect because it fit all four of us without needing two separate rooms. The club access breakfast buffet the next morning was fantastic: omelet station, waffles, pancakes (with a freshly made pancake machine the kids were obsessed with), and some Japanese options too.

The Hyatt Regency Tokyo Bay is about 20–30 minutes from Disneyland, so it was a little less convenient for Disney purposes, but it was a great hotel and a great points value.

From there, we took an Uber to Tokyo Station and caught our bullet train to Kyoto. I'd booked our shinkansen tickets about two weeks ahead of time because we were traveling during a popular season and wanted to guarantee four seats together. Give yourself time at the station to grab a bento box for the ride, eating on the Shinkansen is totally fine, and the bento boxes are a fun part of the experience.

Would I Do Tokyo Disney Again?

Honestly, I'm not sure. I loved it. It was an incredible experience and I'm so glad we did it especially Disney Sea, which is genuinely unlike anything else. But with easy access to Disneyland in California, I'm not sure I'd spend two full days there on a future Japan trip when there's so much else to see. If I was going with someone who had never been to any Disney park, or if I could swing the unlimited package, I think I'd feel differently.

That said if you're going to Japan and you have kids (or even if you don't), Disney Sea is worth it. The detail, the scale, the food, the rides it's a world unto itself, just make sure you budet in some premiere passes so you don't spend all day waiting in lines. 

Stay tuned for part two: our three days in Kyoto.

Have questions about booking Tokyo Disney, the vacation packages, or our Japan trip in general? Reach out on Instagram @dorothymcgatlin or find me on Facebook Dorothy McGatlin — I'm happy to help point you in the right direction!

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