The Wonderful World of Disney - Japan Style

Apologies for the long post - I had intended to stick up a few pictures, but I thought more was needed. Thank goodness today is a down day - very much required after two Disney days...

Having been at a Steiner school for a good four years before home educating, our family had been somewhat (relatively) under-exposed to the World of Disney. But we'd had enough exposure (recently thanks Air NZ) to thoroughly enjoy the magic of Disney (although the kids had no idea who the Storm Troopers, Indiana Jones, most of the Toy Story Characters and Lilo and Stitch were).

Disneyland, Tokyo

On a Monday, Disneyland opened at 10am. We wanted to make the most of our day pass, but were a bit worried about commuter traffic (it's around an hour and a half train ride). Although we caught the 8:58 train to Tokyo, it was pretty much standing room only for a good 20 minutes. My biceps will put Rambo to shame after holding Tama for a good part of the past two days! Certainly something to experience and a bit intimidating for the kids. Still, nothing could dampen our spirits... we were off to Disneyland!

There is something magical about Disneyland. The music, the parades, the characters that have come to life. My first ever visit to Disneyland (in Tokyo) was when I was 28. I loved it and this time I loved experiencing it all with my family. MOTH had to dash off a few times (not for grotty-potty lurgy thank goodness - that's gone) to grab a few thrill rides using the Fast Past. This is a pass that lets you 'book' a ride at a later time in the day with a MUCH shorter queue. This is only on some rides (usually the less family friendly ones), but good for MOTHs who want to experience a quick thrill and their waiting families!

Recommendation for Disney with small people #1
Be prepared to queue


This, I have to say, is one of the downers of Disneyland. We stood in a queue for at least half an hour for Peter Pan's flight - lovely ride, done in about 2 minutes and almost a disappointment for such a long wait. The best times to do rides is about half an hour before and during parades (they run at least twice a day - except the light parade- so catch one and ride during the other). Often there are also long lines to meet and greet the characters. When there aren't there doesn't seem to be any rules about letting others who are already waiting go first - it's every person for themselves, we started to get bolshy by day two!

Recommendation for Disney with small people # 2
Rides worth riding
 Most rides are very child-friendly. Master T (age 20 months) sat alongside us on everything from the Spinning cups to the Snow White ride (NOT recommended - it's entirely from the witch's perspective and a tad scary). The rides (usually with the shortest lines and longest durations) we enjoyed the most as a family were: 'It's a small world', the Western Steam Train and the River Boat Paddle Steamer. Toontown is great for little people, as is most of
Fantasyland and the Swiss Family Robinson tree-house absolutely appealed to our children's sense of adventure. The MOTH and Master A bonded over a few little roller coaster rides and one big one (Space Mountain)!


Recommendation for Disney with small people #3: Do the parades
Because it is close to Easter, Disneyland put on a special Easter themed parade, complete with 'bunny dance'. The music just makes you wanna join in and jiggle and jive. Disney Parades are awesome and I love a good parade. Most spectacular is the Disney Light Parade that starts at 7:30pm. The MOTH disappeared off to some thrilling attraction (vacant because everyone was waiting for the parade, so he rode twice and ended up standing on the opposite side of the parade from the rest of us), while the kids and I waited 30 minutes, with front row seats for the parade. It was worth it. The parade is a visually thrilling spectacular. Master T was so excited by the Chip and Dale float he gave it a standing ovation! It's a fantastic high to leave on.
 

Chip and Dale from Master T's perspective

Disney Sea - Tokyo



Recommendation for Disney with small people #4
Spread out the fun if you're doing two or more days....
Being penny conscious, we opted for the two-day pass (one day Tokyo Disneyland, and day Tokyo Disney Sea), which saved on average about $20 per person. Great savings but not so good for tired small people, as the pass must be used on consecutive days. We certainly could have benefited from a few days between 'lands' to recover, particularly as it's a bit of hike from Shin-Nakano (a metro ride to Tokyo, then a good 10 minute walk to the Keiyo JR line before another train ride. In, all about an hour and a half traveling each way).

 If doing both Disneyland and Disney Sea is on your wish list in Tokyo, with little people in tow, consider either staying in Mahaima (or Chiba - close to the Disney Resort) or swallowing the cost difference and going on different days. The cost-benefit will be having children who aren't so exhausted by the end of day two that the magic could almost be lost...

View from monorail

 We started off an hour later to Disney Sea so train seating was more available and the children definitely needed the sleep in. From the JR station at Mahaima, you need to catch the Disney Mono rail to reach Disney Sea and that also has a price tag, but we saved a little by buying a round trip. Akira loved sitting right up the front and we got a good perspective of the size of the Disney Resort.

Waiting for a carpet ride

Recommendation for Disney with small people #5
Best attractions at Disney Sea 
I had heard mixed things about Disney Sea, in particular that it was not so suitable for small children. Yes there are some amazing rides there for the more adventurous (the MOTH actually admitted he screamed for the first time on a ride doing the Tower of Terror), but we had a fantastic time exploring the Little Mermaid's World (absolutely no queue for that attraction) and other associated rides like the puffer fish; Sindbad's Tales of adventure was so amazing and queue-less we went twice; the electric train and riverboat rides were fun and Jasmine's carpets also thrilling.

One of the highlights was seeing the Big Band Show with Mickey and friends in a fantastic revue of the era. A first class show (although Master A said it was too loud, so his recommendation is to take cotton wool). We had to wait a good half hour before it opened for decent seats, a relatively short wait for a brilliant show. We came across people waiting, in the heat, then the cold, almost three hours before an outdoor performance!
 
Recommendation for Disney Sea with small people #6
Toilet stops are mandatory 10 minutes before show time
The pinnacle of Disney Sea is their light show set on the water, followed by the fireworks (fireworks were cancelled on our visit due to strong winds). People wait almost two hours before for a good seat. We waited 45 minutes, about 10 rows from the front for not great views, but we could see most of the imagery. In hindsight, we should probably have opted for a standing position slightly away from the front of the performance further round the port. About 4 minutes into what turned out to be a 10 minute show, Miss K had a call of nature, so she and I exited the seating area. We dashed madly to and from the loo, only to discover we were not admitted back in and had to stand on the side.

Miss K explores Ariel's world

As the grown up, I had the choice to bibidi-bob-ibidi-boo and make the best of the situation. As it was, I was tired and disappointed and muttered how unfair it was, which sent an even more tired and disappointed Miss K into a hysterical screaming fit (not ideal in a happy place like Disney. Not ideal in Japan. Not ideal in general). After the show ended a sobbing Miss K was consoled with some fairy magic from an attendant (to come back again) and another visit to Mermaid Lagoon, before we made a very late trip home.

Just a note - the 11pm Marunouchi subway line train is as crowded as the 9am train!

Recommendation for Disney in general with small people #7
Take a bag of all seasons' weather gear
Tokyo Disneyland resort is located close to the sea. It can be extremely hot during the day and it can be difficult to find sheltered spots. Thankfully we had sun hats and sunblock in tow, as well as rain coats and extra layers of merino for when the night set in. There is nothing more uncomfortable than waiting for something and being cold.

Recommendation for Disney in general with small people #8
Take your own food


Disney water

Disneyland/Sea is a wonderful place to spend money. There are dozens of stores selling every imaginable item of Disney paraphernalia and almost every Japanese person in the park has a Monster Inc. tail or set of Mickey's ears of a Donald Duck on their head. I don't know what they do with it once they get home. Thankfully due to luggage space being at a premium, we did  not succumb to this custom.

The children and MOTH are all rather partial to onigiri (rice cakes) so we stocked up on those, snacks, fruit and bottled water from the local convenience store and took them in with us for lunch. Onigiri keep you pretty full and we only needed a top up of churros and a hot dog in the evening, keeping our food bill very low. To give you an idea of costs, we ran out of water and had to fork out 220 yen for a 250 ml bottle; the 2 litre one we took in only cost us 100 yen (about NZ$1.10). I think the extra charge at Disney is for the art work...

Recommendation for Disney Sea with small people #9
Smile and feel that Disney Magic
There is no doubt that a day at Disney is exciting, thrilling, disappointing, scary, funny and exhilarating. It's unforgettable. It's surprising and it's magic, as Master A's face kinda aptly sums up...