A Paradise Reachable in Just Three Hours (Part 2)

The magical kingdom of dreams and joyful times

Tokyo Disneyland Resort

As for the Disney part, since Maihama is a bit farther from Tokyo, and we had planned to spend three full days at Disney, we decided to stay at the Hilton Tokyo Bay, located just outside the Disney area. This way, whether entering the park in the morning, leaving in the evening, or returning during the day, we could bring the kids back to the hotel for rest without spending too much time on transportation. If you’re also considering buying a three-day or two-day pass like we did, it’s highly recommended to stay in the surrounding area. In addition to the hotels within the Disney resort, Odaiba is also a recommended place to stay. Most hotels in Odaiba offer shuttle buses directly to Disneyland, and it’s slightly closer to Tokyo, with a commute of about 20 minutes.

We stayed at the “Hilton Tokyo Bay,” a Disney Resort Recognized Hotel. These so-called Disney-friendly hotels and Resort Recognized Hotels all feature Disney-themed decor and are designed primarily with children in mind. They include specially sized toilets and sinks for kids, as well as adorable pajamas and toiletries. The beds even have safety rails, and there’s a dedicated kids’ section at breakfast. The downside is that the closer the hotel is to Disney, the higher the price, which is significantly more expensive than regular hotels in Tokyo, especially during the summer holiday peak season. One very practical benefit of staying in this area is that these hotels offer Disney Parade Buses that shuttle between Disneyland, DisneySea, and the hotel. As a guest, you don’t need to pay for the bus fare, allowing you to go back and forth between the parks and your hotel at any time without having to buy tickets for the park’s monorail.

I’ve been to Tokyo Disneyland many times, so before departure, I was already familiar with the popular attractions. After checking the show schedules in the park, I mapped out the route in advance. Following a set plan helped save a lot of time. Our three-day itinerary is as follows:

Day 1:

We went to Disney Land first — personally, I prefer this park. As soon as you enter, you can feel the joyful atmosphere, and even adults' inner child is instantly awakened. There are several must-do attractions that I strongly recommend getting FastPass (FP) tickets for right away: “Space Mountain,” “Pooh’s Hunny Hunt (highly recommended),” “Splash Mountain,” “Big Thunder Mountain,” “Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters,” and “Mickey’s PhilharMagic (3D movie).” These are the FP (FastPass) rides — you exchange your ticket at the FP machine for a FastPass ticket that indicates a specific time slot for quick entry, saving you a lot of waiting time. However, remember that you must wait two hours between getting each FP ticket; you can’t just grab them all at once. Also, “Meet Mickey Mouse at his House” is a must-do, because taking a photo with Mickey is an essential part of the trip. For parades, I recommend the afternoon parade, the evening parade, and the fireworks show at closing time — these performances are not to be missed. Our pro move was to carry a picnic mat with us. When the time came, my husband would go stake out a spot and buy popcorn and drinks, while we waited comfortably to enjoy the show.