THIS BLOG POST INCLUDES MY ONE DAY STRATEGY FOR VISITING BOTH DISNEY PARKS IN TOKYO – IN ORDER TO MINIMISE WAIT TIMES AND REALLY MAKE THE MOST OF THE DAY (WE REALLY HATE WAITING WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE A SYSTEM NOW.)
I’ve written this for those who want to know what I do the very moment I am inside the park entrance.
This is because we LOVE rides but HATE waiting – and I want to use the number of times (more than 30 times for each park actually) we have visited and things we have learned along the way to help you wait less and have WAY more fun too!
The way the Tokyo Disney Parks system works is different to other Disney Parks in the world.
This blog post contains some affiliate links. This means that I will receive a small commission if you book a hotel or make a purchase using one of my links – at no additional charge to you.
THINGS TO DO AHEAD OF TIME!
Choose the best park for you & the best day to visit
Of course, the first thing to do is choose your day at Tokyo Disneyland and/or Tokyo Disneysea.
Look at all the days you could potentially visit (within your time in Tokyo) and then use a crowd prediction calendar to work out which day is the least busy.
Extra tip: BEFORE YOU BOOK DISNEY TICKETS!
Use the calendar on the official Tokyo Disney Resort website. The reason? Some days close early and the calendar on the site will tell you the open and closing hours for each day.
The upside to a long day ? More time in the park
The upside to a shorter day? Less people book for days where they park closes earlier (and earlier means around 6:30pm.) This can be handy if you are visiting with young children who won’t last longer than this time anyway.
Can’t decide which of the two parks is right for you?
I have written a breakdown of the differences here as they are both fab but for different reasons – and are good for kids of different ages (and it also depends on what they are interested in right now.)
Decide if you’d like to commute to the park from central Tokyo or if you’d like to stay in the immediate Tokyo Disney area
It is totally possible to commute from your hotel in central Tokyo. It will take 30-45 mins each direction and you will need to get to Maihama Station (that’s the station right outside of Tokyo Disneyland.) So have a play with google maps to see how many train changes etc that will be.
We prefer to stay out near Tokyo Disney when we visit as we go hard and stay from start to finish.
Here are the hotels we love out in the Tokyo Disney area – there area a variety of options for different budgets as you can go for an official Tokyo Disney Hotel or a cheap and cheerful option with a complimentary shuttle to and from the parks. Here is my full list of Tokyo Disney area hotels. I’ve included lots of our own pictures so you can get an idea of what to expect and what we like about each property.
Please note that, if you have booked a hotel in the Tokyo Disney area with a pool, please go to their website to check which month of the year the pool opens and if they charge extra to use the pool – even for guests. It’s a very frustrating thing about Japan and, although I think Japan does pretty much everything better than everywhere else – pool rules for families in hotels is the exception so please please check ahead of time so you aren’t choosing a hotel with a pool that won’t actually be open while you are there. I explain a lot more about crazy pool rules in Japan here so you don’t get caught out.
It is a lot more money, but you can also look into a vacation package (hotel, park tickets and fast passes included.) I’ve written in more detail about a Tokyo Disney Vacation package here.
Time to buy your Tokyo Disneyland and / or Tokyo Disneysea tickets!
Here is how to buy your Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disneysea tickets easily (the official website isn’t always the most international credit card friendly option so I’ve written a full list here.
Please note that, if you are staying at an official Tokyo Disney Hotel you can buy tickets while you are staying there (only for staying guests) no matter how busy the parks area. Please please please double check that this is an option at your hotel though – I don’t want you to get stuck without tickets for you and your family!
Okay so now you have your park dates, tickets and accommodation sorted…
That means that you’ve done pretty much everything you can do ahead of your Tokyo Disney day.
Unlike Universal Studios in Japan you don’t need to pre-purchase fast passes / express passes ahead of time.
What to do in the days leading up to your Tokyo Disney Park visit….
Download the Tokyo Disney Resort app.
For a family, just one person needs to download the app – too many different phones make it hard to all place fast pass orders so that you can all ride together so I recommend just having one person who is the app “ceo” for the day. That’s what we always do. It’s always me, by the way.
*If you have a large group, you might want to split into two or three groups and load onto 2-3 phones instead. The reason? Large groups of 10 people+ could make it harder to win lottery tickets for shows (I explain more about this below) and get some fast passes during busy times – so it depends how much you value moving as one large group.
Make sure you have wifi sorted!
It’s wild to me that Tokyo Disney Parks do not have free wifi but, that’s the way it is (maybe they don’t want issues if it stops working or something and to have to be liable for everyone not getting on the rides etc?) Anyway, this is something that is a MUST and will change your whole day. International roaming is NOT great or reliable (for my fellow aussies – international roaming on telstra or optus is just too risky.
If you don’t have wifi in the parks you can’t see wait times, reserve rides, apply for show lotteries etc.
I highly recommend getting an esim or pocketwifi – I have a 25% off discount code here if you’d like to book through my affiliate link.
Good internet is a must for everywhere in Japan, actually – so you can wander and get “lost” without actually getting lost and also for google translate etc too. I explain more here.
Time to get together your things to pack and take with you
Here is my full list of what to pack for day out at the Tokyo Disney Parks (I also include what NOT to pack.)
Things to do the night before you go to Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo Disneysea
-make sure your app is set up with your name and all of your families tickets are loaded on the one app on the one phone (that way you are applying for shows and fast passes as a group at the same time – can all sit together , can all wait together. etc. as I mentioned above.
-scan in your tickets using the QR code (in case you missed it, here are all of the ways to buy tickets for Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disneysea.)
-check the Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo Disneysea official website to see which rides will be closed for maintenance on that day (this also helps managing expectations for little ones on the day. For example, Space Mountain is closed until 2027 for a massive upgrade. Knowing this is not an option, will help you narrow down which rides you want to prioritise first.)
-check the Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo Disneysea official website for all height restrictions* so you know which rides will be a no-go for some family members (this helps you cross off which rides won’t work for your family and also saves you wasting time prioritising a ride that you won’t even be able to get on.)
*This is one of the reasons I, in my Japan with Kids: What to Pack article, recommend knowing your children’s height and approximate weight in centimetres and kilograms before travelling to Japan.
– familiarise yourself with the Tokyo Disney Resort app
Look at the premier pass (fast pass) option, the Disney Mobile Order app (for purchasing food without having to queue – this is more useful at Tokyo Disneysea than it is at Tokyo Disneyland), the Entry Request option (that’s the lottery for the shows)
-then (this is just something we do as a family and you might want to copy -but) everyone chooses one ride they really want to go on and we try to prioritize that one favourite for each family member throughout the day. Since I know people love to hear examples and specifics, here is what each of my family members often choose.
At Tokyo Disneyland: I usually choose Big Thunder Mountain, my husband chooses Splash Mountain or Space Mountain (pre-renovation as Space Mountain is now out until 2027), my son chooses something like Haunted Mansion or Roger Rabbit and my daughter loves Beauty and the Beast.
At Tokyo Disneysea: I usually choose Soaring or the Frozen Ride, my husband likes Journey to the Centre of the Earth, my daughter likes Raging Spirits and my son will go for Peter Pan at Fantasy Springs, Sinbad (which has a 10 min wait max so we give him a second choice too) or Tower of Terror.
As mentioned above though, makde sure you check the official site a few days ahead so you know if any of these “chosen” rides will be closed for maintenance- then kids have a chance to reconsider which ride is now going to be the new “must ride” for them.
See my Tokyo Disneyland with kids article here for a breakdown of each ride and why we love them.
See my Tokyo Disneyland with kids article here for a breakdown of each ride and why we love them.
In these articles I also mention which rides are a bit scary for small kids and which experiences aren’t that much fun if you don’t speak Japanese.
-choose a first ride of the day as a family. Now, if you’ve followed my advice and arrived early, I recommend making this first ride a pretty popular ride that is also not right near the entrance.
What time to arrive at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disneysea?
Don’t listen to people on social media who tell you to get there at 4am. You don’t need to do anything crazy like that at all!
However please arrive 1 hour ahead of scheduled opening time. Opening and closing times can vary so please check the calendar on the official Tokyo Disney website.
I explain more about why early arrival is so important in more detail here. We always take a convenience store breakfast to eat while we are waiting for the gates to open (I have pictures of us doing that here). We also use this time to apply sunscreen and fine tune our disney strategy.
I speak more about it here but some people who don’t know how the system works will tell you “oh we walked in at 10:30am and there were no lines at the gates at all!” but that just means they don’t understand how the fast pass system works in Japan and they will now be missing out on rides and waiting longer for the rest of the day. It is a different system – especially compared to the US disneys.
Please note ; that on busy days – they open the park 15-30 minutes earlier than scheduled! Another reason to make sure you’re at the gates early.
Warning: It does feel intimidating when you arrive 60 mins early and there are already lots of people there. Don’t worry- the parks are MASSIVE and it isn’t a reflection of what the day will be like.
Choosing that first ride at Tokyo Disneyland (you can choose this the night before or while outside the gates the morning of):
I explain below but this is the ride you will head to while also, simultaneously, booking your first fass pass for the day and applying for a show lottery – I explain more about this below. This is just the ride to set the tone for the whole day. A fun ride with a short wait time – to get kids super excited.
(If you have kids under 6-7 or kids that are sensitive when it comes to rides, I recommend going straight to Fantasyland and doing the teacups, the carousel, Mickey’s Philharmagic, Peter Pan, Goofy’s Gadget Coaster, Roger Rabbit… these all have short wait times of 5-10 mins and set the tone for a really fun day – I think it’s really mean to make kids wait for their very first ride. You can then also head to Toon Town for the Roger Rabbit ride, the outdoor play area for toddlers, Goofy and Donald’s houses. I’ve written here which rides I don’t recommend doing at Tokyo Disneyland first thing in the morning.)
If you have kids who don’t need to start with the more gentle kid rides, then at Tokyo Disneyland I recommend walking to the back/further edges of the park for the more popular rides – first thing in the morning – these rides are unlikely to have more than 20-30 mins wait even on a super busy day.
If you don’t need to start with the little kids rides … head for those rides that are not near the entrance that will be really popular later.
Examples: Big Thunder Mountain, the Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, Pooh’s Hunny Hunt (although I am cautious to recommend this lines at Pooh’s Hunny Hunt can still get crazy long first thing so if the app tells you it’s more than a 20 min wait once you’re in the park – I’d save it for a fast pass).
Choosing that first ride at Tokyo Disneysea (you can choose this the night before or while outside the gates the morning of):
I explain below but this is the ride you will head to while also, simultaneously, booking your first fass pass for the day and applying for a show lottery – I explain more about this below. This is just the ride to set the tone for the whole day. A fun ride with a short wait time – to get kids super excited.
(If you have kids under 6-7 or kids that are sensitive when it comes to rides, I recommend going straight to Mermaid Lagoon and doing the rides inside here . After following my first tips and locking in all of those fast passes though- of course!!
All are so pretty and so little kid friendly. It’s beautiful in there.
There is also a whole indoor playground area and grotto with caves to explore (no wait times just play as you like!) There is even a little splash area (small fountains squirt little jets of water.)
Just outside the Mermaid Lagoon is a small “Scuttle Scooters” ride that rarely has more than 15-20 mins (if the wait time is longer, skip it until the times go down.)
Warning: There is no free wifi in the park (or even a pay to use option – which is crazy to me!). This is another reason I recommend using a rental wifi box option like Japan Wireless- my favourite company to use. If you do book with Japan Wireless, I have a 25% off discount link here -it’s an affiliate link so I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Japan Wireless also have an option now for esims so you also don’t need to pick up or return a box at all – you just pay on their site and receive a QR code and off you go! Please use their “e-sims supported phones list” before making a purchase – the list is easily found on their homepage. Click here for 10% off your esim using my affiliate link.
I have more details on my Tokyo Disneysea with kids article here. … these all have short wait times of 10-20 mins and set the tone for a really fun day – I think it’s really mean to make kids wait for their very first ride. The Mermaid Lagoon is also all undercover so it is an excellent spot to visit when it’s raining or scorching hot.Another option, is to head for the Double Decker Carousel in Arabian Coast and then Sinbad’s Voyage – the wait time for these rides is 5-10 mins and is a really cute way to start the day with little ones.)
And a random recommendation, if you need to change your baby, do it at the change tables at the Mermaid Lagoon. Have you ever seen a more beautiful changing space for babies?
If you don’t need to start with the little kids rides … head for those rides that are not near the entrance that will be really popular later.
Examples: Indiana Jones, Raging Spirits, Toy Story (although the Toy Story Mania ride line can get long quickly so if it says more than 30 mins wait then save it for a fast pass later – only attempt Toy Story Mania first if you are at the gates 60 mins ahead of time – otherwise, just pay for it – the line never gets short for the whole day.)
OKAY ! SO NOW WE HAVE FINISHED ALL OF THE PRE-PLANNING AND EARLY ARRIVAL CHAT…
YOU’RE NOW INSIDE THE GATES – WHAT TO DO NOW?
So the moment we are inside the gates at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disneysea here is what we do…
See how I talked about “choosing that first ride” above? While you’re lining up for the much shorter queue there – get your passes and shows sorted for the next few hours. I recommend doing this instead of just standing inside the park gates like most people tend to do- get the day started by getting to that first ride! – it’s more efficient AND way more fun.
1. Lock in your first Fast Pass
Do this while walking to or waiting for that first short-wait ride (the one that is “setting the tone for the day” as I mentioned above.)
For more of a detailed write up of the rides my kids like and which ones also have queues that are undercover etc see my Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disneysea with kids detailed articles here.
A premier pass is a paid pass. It skips the queue for certain rides. Prices are usually 1500-2500 yen per person. I, personally, recommend paying for 3-4 passes for the day. This is option. If you only pay for ONE at each park – I recommend making it the Beauty and the Beast ride at Tokyo Disneyland (so beautiful and the queue will NEVER get shorter) and for Soaring or Journey to the Centre of the Earth or the Frozen Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey rides at Tokyo Disneysea.
Just for the really good rides that would normally mean waiting for more than 1 hour. We have a family rule that we never wait longer than 30-35 mins for rides – but with this “family rule” that would mean missing out on some of the more memorable rides. So, we pay for at least 2-3 rides.
For us the following rides are worth paying for and skipping the queue :
Tokyo Disneyland: Beauty & the Beast for sure. Another good option to skip and pay for is Splash Mountain.
Tokyo Disneysea: The Frozen ride in Fantasy Springs (if you miss out on being able to buy this pass first thing- try again around 1pm as they release a new batch at that time most days) , Soaring, Tower of Terror, Toy Story Mania, Journey to the Centre of the Earth (if any of these are an option for the 40th anniversary pass – jump on them straight away. At this point in time, the Fantasy Springs rides (Frozen, Rapunzel AND the Tinkerbell Ride are only available as paid premier passes so you will need to pay to ride on these – unless you have a Vacation Package, of course.)
Rides that I, personally, don’t think are worth paying for: The Rapunzel ride is lovely but it is VERY short and the Tinkerbell Ride is aimed at very small children (so maybe only pay for this one if you have a child under 4?)
Young children and premier passes at Tokyo Disney Parks: If you have a child who is younger than 4 years old (and therefore is free to enter Tokyo Disney Parks!) they can just piggyback off your fast passes – no need to do anything for them. So, for example, if you have a fast pass for Pooh’s Hunny Hunt then your 3 year old can also skip the lines with you!
2. Lock in your Entry Requests for Shows (if you don’t like shows – ignore this step.)
The shows are so popular that admission is by lottery system.
On the Tokyo Disney Resort app, tap on Entry Request. This is a lottery for seats to one of the shows. We have the most success when trying for times later in the day – example the 4pm or 6pm shows. The reason I recommend this step first is so you can arrange the other fast passes around the show times.
At Tokyo Disneyland, I recommend applying for “Mickey’s Magical Music World” and at Disneysea I recommend trying for “Dreams take Flight“
An entry request doesn’t cost any money. You will see straight away if you “won” seats to a show at that time. You can’t try again so I recommend applying for a later time in the day and hoping for the best (using this strategy – we have only missed out 1-2 times ever.). If you miss out? More time for rides – it’s ok.
We have the most success with the lottery tickets when we apply for a show later in the day (or lunchtime onwards at least.)
3. I keep track of passes and show times in my notes app
This helps me see what we have coming up and which times not to set up passes for – for example, if we want to see the projection show on the castle and the fireworks at the end of the day, I add in the that time to make sure I don’t line up a premier fast pass for the time time so that they overlap.
It’s possible to pay for a Premier Pass for front row seating for this show. For us? We can see fine just by standing near the castle (near the entrance to Tomorrowland just before the bridge.) I don’t think it’s worth paying for special seating for the night shows – you can see from pretty much everywhere around the castle – this also gives you way more flexibility.
Warning: everyone leaves right after the night shows – so if you don’t like the idea of filing out with the masses – leave before or during this show.
4. Souvenir Shopping
If you haven’t been to Japan before – you may not know about omiyage culture yet. Omiyage mean souvenir – but in Japan it almost always refers to buying boxes of individually wrapped sweets or crackers. In Japan, its customary to buy these boxes of treats for friends or colleagues when you go somewhere special or on holidays. Kind of like a “I had fun but I still thought of you guys!” kind of thing. They need to be individually wrapped as the box sits on the staff room table in the office at work so everyone can help themselves.
Because this is the “done thing” in Japan – this is big business for both of the Disney Parks. Shops full of these treats are mostly near the park entrance/exit so guests can stock up before they leave. The result though? Insanity around 1-2 hours in these shops before the parks close (makes sense because you don’t want to carry around that shopping haul all day.)
So avoid doing your shopping during those last 2 hours if you can.
Try and buy things late afternoon (I speak about it in my articles on both Disney Parks – but there aren’t that many toys for little kids sold at either park. There are some but more collectors items or seasonally themed goods (a Mickey Halloween Themed Stuffy, a Donald Photo Frame with the Tokyo Disney’s 50th Anniversary Logo on the front etc.) So just be careful what you promise kids – or pre-warn them if they have pocket money saved. If they really have their hearts set on buying something at Tokyo Disneyland – I recommend going to “Toy Station” next to the Monsters Inc ride first. I actually think the Disney Store (there is a big one at Ikspiari – the shopping complex next to Maihama Station near Tokyo Disneyland has more options for kids and teens – I have pictures of what I’ve found and bought here if you want to see).
Another option is to go to Bon Voyage, the gift shop between Maihama Station and Tokyo Disneyland the day before or day after your Disney day instead (I also have pictures of the kinds of things sold at Bon Voyage in my Disney area with kids blog post here) – they sell a large portion of the park merch – and then you don’t have to worry about lugging it around all day.
“So, what do we do for the rest of the time then?“
We fill in the spaces between free and paid fast passes with the short wait times. Here are all of the rides at Disneysea with the short wait times.
Feel free to steal my rule “we NEVER wait more than 30 mins for a ride – never!” My kids really know my rule so they keep an eye on the app all day so that between paid passes and shows we are just popping in and out of the shorter wait times all day – then, before you know it – you’ve done more than 10 to 12 rides in one day!!!!!
We also eat the cute food! We watch the parades! We shop and just explore! (once again, all in the “gaps” between the shows and the paid fast passes.
We also play in the playspaces and playgrounds to allow for downtime.
See below for the places I recommend for kids who just need playground or general wriggle time while in the parks. Scroll down to see my full list and why we love these spots.
See my Tokyo Disneyland with kids and Tokyo Disneysea with kids blog posts on the shortest wait times and other fun things to do in each of the parks.
You can see that, at this time, we had a Monsters Inc ride set up for the evening (anniversary pass – ie. free pass) and you can see that we had already used free passes for the Haunted Mansion and had been lucky with our lottery tickets for the Mickey’s Magical Music World show.
The Replacement pass was because a ride was suddenly closed after we had bought our pass. So this was to make up for it.
This blog post contains some affiliate links. This means that I will receive a small commission if you book a hotel or make a purchase using one of my links – at no additional charge to you.
*PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU DON’T NEED ANY SPECIAL TICKETS OF ANY SORT TO WATCH PARADES AT TOKYO DISNEYLAND. There are some special front row seats that cost money for shows and some parades – but we never purchase them and have never needed them. As I mention in my Tokyo Disneyland with kids article, we love watching from outside Tomorrowland Terrace. We set up our little picnic sheet (which I talk about this in my “what to pack for Disney article here”) around 30-45 mins before the parade starts and use that time to have a snack and a little rest – one parent takes kids to the restroom while the other keeps our spot.*. Then we get to be right at the front and the kids get to interact with the characters and wave and high 5 them etc.
Another spot we like (not as “secret” though so it’s harder to get a spot at the front) is in front of the castle – just to the left of the Walt Disney statue and in front of the Crystal Palace restaurant – looking back at the castle.
Disneysea doesn’t have parades in the same way Tokyo Disneyland does. Their shows are all on the big lake in front of the volcano or in smaller show stage arenas around the park. Read here for all the other differences between the two Tokyo Disney Parks.
OUR FAVOURITE TOKYO DISNEYLAND AND TOKYO DISNEYSEA SNACKS (AND WHERE TO BUY THEM!)
Here are pics of some food that we like to eat at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disneysea without ever having to have made a reservation. Most restaurants are just food court style or order as you go so I honestly don’t ever worry about pre-booking restaurants – especially with kids. As I mention in my Tokyo Disneyland with kids post – we often lay down our picnic mat ( I talk about this and other things to pack for a day out at Tokyo Disney Parks here) and eat lunch from one of the restaurants while waiting for the parade to begin – it helps us get in some downtime while also getting a proper feed and securing a spot at the front of the parade.
Popcorn wagons are all over the parks – selling different types and you can choose to purchase them in a cardboard box (cheaper) or in a collectable popcorn holder. If you want to see the full selection – go to The BIG POP shop at Tokyo Disneyland (it’s in Tomorrowland) and you can see all of the popcorn buckets and choose the flavour you like most.
See here for a full list of where to find all of the popcorn buckets sold at Tokyo Disneyland (updated daily) included a list of all of the popcorn flavours and exactly where to find them – use the search function on the site and type “popcorn” to find the Disneysea options too!
The alien mochi are sold at a food wagon near Indiana Jones or in the Zambini Bros restaurant at Tokyo Disneysea. They are also available at Pan Galactic Pizza at Tokyo Disneyland – opposite the Star Wars ride. Star Tours.
See here for a full list of where to find all of the popcorn buckets sold at Tokyo Disneyland (updated daily) included a list of all of the popcorn flavours and exactly where to find them – use the search function on the site and type “popcorn” to find the Disneysea options too!
Otherwise, see here for a full list of where to find all of the popcorn buckets sold at Tokyo Disneyland (updated daily) included a list of all of the popcorn flavours and exactly where to find them – use the search function on the site and type “popcorn” to find the Disneysea options too!
Do I need to reserve restaurants for Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disneysea?
*You can reserve some restaurants online but there really aren’t that many restaurants in Japanese Disneys that take reservations (most of them are the fancy /more expensive options so not that great for families anyway) and it can slow you down if, like us, you like rides. There are soooo many restaurants that don’t take reservations at all and you can just line up or use the app to pre-order (once you’re hungry and are in the park) and collect at a time that you like.
If you are the type of family who are hardcore Disney people and want to prioritise a dining experience over attractions then these are the restaurants I would look into booking in advance if I were you. Please note that you cannot make menu alterations at these restaurants. What is on the menu is how it comes.
*I must add that we don’t do this. We want to explore the parks and shows and keep moving! We can eat a delicious sit-down meal anywhere in Japan.
You can reserve some restaurants one month prior (reservations open exactly one month in advance at 10am Tokyo time on the official Tokyo Disney Resort site) and others just via the app once in the parks.
Some of the show restaurants will require the assistance of a travel agent.
TOKYO DISNEYLAND
These are the restaurants you can reserve ahead of time
*We never do – there are so many more casual options throughout the park that we love that don’t need reservations. We also find that it limits our flexibility for rides and shows if we have a time we HAVE to be sitting and eating somewhere. But here are the places that do need a reservation – incase you’re way more fancy than we are!
The Blue Bayou
This restaurant is popular with couples in Japan. Looks like it is always night time and it can be seen from the start of the ride “The Pirates of the Carribean.”
The Crystal Palace Restaurant
This is a buffet lunch spot and they have actually added many vegan options. Best to book in advance or apply for a spot on the day. If you sit by the window you can even see some of the parade going by!
The Mickey’s Rainbow Luau
This is very hard to book as it is a show and restaurant. It is usually occupied with tour groups. If you are having a hard time making a reservation on the official Tokyo Disney Resort website, then I recommend asking a travel agent for assistance (JTB are the best at this, in my experience.
The Center Street Coffee House
This is the one pictured above that has the Baymax Curry Plate. You can make a reservation here using the app or you can just line up. We always just line up.
The Diamond Horseshoe
This is very hard to book as it is a show and restaurant. It is usually occupied with tour groups. If you are having a hard time making a reservation on the official Tokyo Disney Resort website, then I recommend asking a travel agent for assistance (JTB are the best at this, in my experience.
TOKYO DISNEYSEA
These are the restaurants you can reserve ahead of time
*We never do – there are so many more casual options throughout the park that we love that don’t need reservations. We also find that it limits our flexibility for rides and shows if we have a time we HAVE to be sitting and eating somewhere. But here are the places that do need a reservation – incase you’re way more fancy than we are!
Magellan’s
This is a fine dining restaurant with food and wine pairing. Book one month in advance or you can try on the day using the app.
Ristorante di Canaletto
Italian food. Courses start at around 4000 yen per person. Book one month in advance or you can try on the day using the app.
Horizon Bay Restaurant
This can be a wonderful restaurant to book as it is buffet dining. Book one month in advance or you can try on the day using the app. Some timeslots and bookings offer character greetings while you dine (unfortunately these greetings haven’t come back since the pandemic closures.)
If kids need downtime / no waiting time / just a good wriggle. These are the spots that I recommend for a bit of lower stimulation time at the Tokyo Disney Parks.
Sometimes kids need just areas to play and just be kids – with no wait times!
Read here for lots of tips from many different parents on visiting Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disneysea with Neurodivergent children.
NEEDING A CHANGE OF SCENERY WITH KIDS AT TOKYO DISNEYLAND
Tom Sawyer Island
It’s a little island, accessible by (motorized) raft. The island has rocks to climb, rope bridges to cross and caves to explore. It’s a really good wriggle-spot.
Swiss Family Treehouse
From a grown-ups’ perspective, it’s really boring, but my kids love the Swiss Family Treehouse. It’s just a big playground. My kids love it because it’s fun. Hubby and I love it because there is no wait time.
The toddler playground within Toon Town
There is a playground area here outside Goofy’s Paint’n’Play house and Chip and Dale’s Treehouse looks like an attraction but it’s just a walk through playground. Outside the Roger Rabbit ride is also lots of interactive buttons and spots that shoot water etc. No wait times – it’s just a playground.
A little play in Critter Country.
It’s nothing much but my kids love playing in the fake mountainside at the base of Splash Mountain. There are also some seats and a drinking fountain here too.
NEEDING A CHANGE OF SCENERY WITH KIDS AT TOKYO DISNEYSEA
Take the Disney Transit Steam Liner
Ariel’s Playground
From a grown-up perspective it’s not the most exciting section – but my kids love Ariel’s Playground.
The playground is an under-the-sea type Jungle Gym with a boat to climb on and caves to explore. My family love it because of all the different activities. My hubby and I love it because there is also no wait time.
It’s a beautiful little kid-friendly oasis from all the queues while visiting Tokyo Disneysea.
The Agrabah Area
There are lots of places to take cute photos and it’s a great spot to meet the characters. No wait times. Just explore for 10 -15 mins or so as a family. Look for little door handles and fountains and little nods to different disney movies throughout the whole space.
The area next to the Soarin’ ride
The area between the Soarin’ ride and the Zambini Bros is like a little fake Italy film set or something. Take a quiet walk through here. Grab a treat and sit at Zambini Bros on the terrace section. Little kids may love walking up and down the thick stone-like stairs here too. See which windows you can look into. There isn’t a playground here but it is fun to explore and just have some downtime.
This area also has a view over the big lake so you can watch the Journey to the Center of the earth rollercoaster pop out on the side of the volcano and, if you’re lucky, see the flames come out of the volcano every once in a while.
DO TOKYO DISNEY PARKS HAVE A CHILD SWAP RIDE SYSTEM?
Yes. They do ! In Tokyo it is called the Rider Switch system. This is great if you have a baby with you or kids that don’t meet the height requirements for a certain ride. There is no need to prebook or anything – just let the staff members know you will be using Rider Switch while you are in the line. We don’t use this as we prefer to stick together as a family and “grow into rides” with our kids but if this is your only chance to get here? Why not?!”
The rides with a Rider Switch System at Tokyo Disneyland are:
– Big Thunder Mountain
-Splash Mountain
-Star Tours
Please check the rider switch section of the official Tokyo Disney Resort website to see if there are any changes to the single rider system on the day of your visit.
Here is more information on the Rider Switch system at Tokyo Disney Parks.
The good news is that there are many many more rides that you CAN still jump onto (waddle onto) but here is the list of no-nos at Tokyo Disneyland:
- Big Thunder Mountain
- Splash Mountain
- Gadget Go Coaster
- Star Tours
- Space Mountain (please note that Space Mountain is closed for renovations until 2027 )
- And here are the rides that are not recommended for pregnant women at Tokyo Disneysea.
- Tower of Terror
- Indiana Jones
- Raging Spirits
- Journey to the Center of the Earth
- Flounder’s Flying Fishing Coaster
- Nemo & Friends
Also, did you know that you can request a Guest Assistance Card if you’re pregnant and can’t stand in line for a long period of time. Unfortunately, this doesn’t speed up the waiting process (so don’t even think about packing that watermelon to shove under your shirt, ok?) but it does mean that, if you’re pregnant at Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo Disneysea, the staff will escort you to a place where you can sit while you wait.
See here if you’re keen to learn more about the Fantasy Springs section at Tokyo Disneysea.
See here if you don’t have time for both parks – I’ve broken down the differences to help you decide (also based on what your children are interested in.)
KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE OH-SO JAPAN MOMENTS AT TOKYO DISNEY PARKS
Warning: There is no free wifi in the park (or even a pay to use option – which is crazy to me!). This is another reason I recommend using a rental wifi box option like Japan Wireless- my favourite company to use. If you do book with Japan Wireless, I have a 25% off discount link here -it’s an affiliate link so I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Japan Wireless also have an option now for esims so you also don’t need to pick up or return a box at all – you just pay on their site and receive a QR code and off you go! Please use their “e-sims supported phones list” before making a purchase – the list is easily found on their homepage. Click here for 10% off your esim using my affiliate link.
This blog post contains some affiliate links. This means that I will receive a small commission if you book a hotel or make a purchase using one of my links – at no additional charge to you.
And what if it rains on the days you’re at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disneysea?
Please please please don’t go home!
Rainy days are a blessing in disguise.
For some reason, most Japanese people freak out about the rain. Mostly because many people can visit again more easily than international visitors so it’s not as much of a big deal to just “give up” on the day.
Stay ! Stay and watch those ride wait times go down down down down down!!
Recently it rained and the Beauty and the Beast ride wait time at Tokyo Disneyland went from 120 mins to 20 mins!!!!!! The rain can mean you can do many of the big rides many times over.
Most parades don’t stop for rain (although they do stop for strong winds.)
If it’s raining really hard at Tokyo Disneyland go to :
Mickey’s Philharmagic
Star Tours (all undercover)
Country Bear Theatre
Cinderella’s Fairy Tale Hall
Peter Pan’s Flight
Pinocchio
Snow White. *There is a place to park strollers here out of the rain too
Roger Rabbit’s Cartoon Spin
Pirates of the Caribbean (most of the line is undercover too)
It’s a Small World (most of the line is undercover too)
Splash Mountain (most of the line is undercover too)
Haunted Mansion (most of the line is undercover too)
Pooh’s Hunny Hunt (most of the line is undercover too)
Beauty and the Beast (most of the line is undercover too)
Monsters Inc (most of the line is undercover too)
If it’s raining really hard at Tokyo Disneysea go to :
Sinbad (the best rainy day option – short wait time so just do it over and over!)
The Mermaid Lagoon
Caravan Carousel
Nemo & Friends
Indiana Jones
Journey to the Centre of the Earth
The Duffy Greeting Dock (most of the line is undercover too)
Tower of Terror (most of the line is undercover too)
The Frozen or Peter Pan ride within Fantasy Springs
Here is my full list of apps I recommend for visiting Japan with kids – it’s a good idea to download these even before you leave your home country.
What are my favourite attractions at Tokyo Disneyland?
1. Beauty and the Beast
2. Big Thunder Mountain
3. Space Mountain (reopening 2027)
4. The daytime parade (it changes but the main one with all the classic characters during the daytime)
5. Mickey’s Magical Musical Show – apply by lottery using the app once inside the park)
6. Mickey’s Philharmagic
7. Goofy’s Gadget Coaster
What are my favourite attractions at Tokyo Disneysea?
1. Journey to the Centre of the Earth
2. Soarin
3. Peter Pan
4. Tower of Terror
5. Anna & Elsa
6. Sinbad
7. Indiana Jones
8. Toy Story Mania (especially since they have updated it)
Which rides do I think are not worth lining up for /don’t really rate?
Tokyo Disneyland – I think Monsters Inc is a bit megh (but my son loves it so I guess I’m just not the right audience?)
Tokyo Disneysea – 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
What is the exception to my strategy for those with Happy Entry (the 15 min head start for some hotel guests)?
If you have Happy Entry I still recommend arriving at least 15-30 mins ahead of your “start time.”
Then, I’d head to Splash Mountain, Monsters Inc, Big Thunder Mountain, Pooh’s Hunny Hunt or Baymax (I don’t rate Baymax but many people like it.) Don’t line up for Beauty and the Beast – the line gets LOOOOOOOOONG fast – so while you’re about to board one of the rides I just mentioned – pay for your Beauty and the Beast ride time.
Happy Entry usually means a head start on a fast pass + one extra ride. It’s nice to have but it’s not so great that I would say pay lots and lots of money to stay at a hotel that has it. It’s a lovely bonus.
I hope this has helped! Let me know if there is anything I’ve missed!
Love,
Jo xx
Feedback on my Tokyo Disney Park strategy tips from my readers:
“Thank you so much for your amazing Tokyo Disney strategy. We were able to ride 19 rides in one day thanks to you!”
