It’s a long story but a family member of ours passed away a few years ago and left us a little gift to be put towards something fun and not the littlest bit practical. We have been meaning to stay at one of the Disney hotels for the longest time but just couldn’t quite justify a stay (it’s only a bit over 30 minutes from home!) so this helped up justify and gave us a nice buffer to begin with.
We didn’t tell the kids so I was almost bursting with excitement as we got closer and closer.
We looked at the crowd prediction calendar (all the details on my blog post Tokyo Disneyland with kids) and let that decide for us that we should do the Disneyland on the first day and DisneySea on the second.
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 park entry tickets for Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disneysea are NOT included in your hotel price like in some other Disney parks around the world. You will need to buy Tokyo Disney Park tickets separately (I explain how here) or, if you are staying in an official Tokyo Disney Hotel, you can purchase while you check-in for your stay. The exception? If you’ve purchased some sort of vacation package. *. The Tokyo Disneyland Hotel IS an official Tokyo Disney Resort Hotel.
I recommend buying tickets directly for Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disneysea directly via the Tokyo Disney Resort app. However, some people find that the site won’t accept their overseas credit card ( I know, as it’s happened to me a LOT!). So the next best option, in my opinion, is to book via Klook.Click here to book Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo Disneysea via Klook. Klook send you an email with a QR code – scan that code into your Tokyo Disney Resort app and you’re good to go (go into the Tokyo Disney App to show your ticket for scanning at the disney gate. Remember to scan everyone from your group onto the same app on the one phone – that way you are able to apply for the fast passes and show lotteries as a group and can ride and sit together etc.) I have written here how the fast passes etc work at Tokyo Disney Parks in Japan.
*Please note that park entry tickets for Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disneysea are NOT included in your hotel price like in some other Disney parks around the world. You will need to buy Tokyo Disney Park tickets separately (I explain how here) or, if you are staying in an official Tokyo Disney Hotel, you can purchase while you check-in for your stay. The exception? If you’ve purchased some sort of vacation package. *
We wanted to go with a character room over anything else so we stayed at the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel (other hotels have rooms with Mickey pillows etc but for a fully themed room this was our only option.)
Unfortunately this hotel didn’t offer a character breakfast – which I also wanted to do – but it worked out better as we take our Disney days pretty seriously and a breakfast would have slowed us down a lot!
There was an Alice/ Queen of Hearts room, Tinkerbell room and a Beauty & the Beast room.
I chose the Beauty & the Beast room as the kids have recently seen the movies recently and I felt like it wasn’t too girlie for my little guy to also enjoy.
*For those asking, I booked directly on the website. It was a bit of an annoying process as it required signing up and logging in but it all worked out in the end.
Extra tip: If you stay in one of the Tokyo Disney Resort official hotels, you can (on almost all plans) enter the park 15 mins earlier than other guests. Ask your hotel staff for a pass.
*Please note that Tokyo Disney Official Hotels can only be booked up to 2 months in advance*
1. We used the hotel for a break – just at the right time for us
This was in January (which was VEEEEERRRY chilly) but is also an excellent time to go as there weren’t half as many people as normal – especially on a weekday. It was also so incredibly rainy. I’m so glad that of all our disney trips we had a hotel to run into and hide from the weather for a few hours.
We left Disneyland at 3pm, got a pass-out to return later and checked into the hotel.
Even if it hadn’t been raining this chill out time would have been amazing.
My kids are still little (3 and 4) so a big day at Disney makes everyone pretty ratty around this time. It was so good to just go, get warm, recoup, run around and stretch.
It also meant that we all lasted later and longer than we ever had before too (we’d never lasted until the end of a disney day with the kids up until this point – especially as we were always there for the very, very start of the day.)
It was such a hit! The attention to detail in the hotel was adorable.
And then the room….
2. We took all of the costumes and let the kids have a proper play and enjoy the room (ie. bask in the novelty)
I think it just gave us more time to soak it all in.
A big weekend at Disney doesn’t always leave time to reflect on everything that is “Wow” so I loved that the kids could jump on the bed, role play etc.
It was so cute to watch.
What do the Tinkerbell rooms at the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel look like?
3. We gave the kids more of a (make-shift) ‘real’ meal
Don’t get me wrong, the food is fun and I think it’s way less expensive to eat inside the Disney Resort Parks than I ever imagined. But still… two days straight of Disney food can be a bit much for anyone.
I’m going to be REALLY honest here.
The in-room dining menu prices were out of control.
BUT there was a convenience store near the lobby and with a combination of food I had brought from home and a spaghetti bolognese (that the staff at the convenience store heated for me on the spot) , salad and some other treats – we made our own little picnic – before heading out again. That convenience store is called “Looking Glass Gifts”
I was terrified that we would trash the beautifully themed room with spaghetti spills so I actually used the picnic sheet that we use for watching parades.
It worked so well that I’m thinking about actually packing one of these every time we stay in a hotel ! So easy to wipe down at the end!
Note: The Tokyo Disneyland Hotel can provide in room cots for children 18 months and younger.
And then the next day….
4. We took full advantage of the extra 15 minutes early entry for hotel guests
Although, even with the extra 15 minutes we still had to make a wild dash for our busy ride of choice.
Our choice was the Toy Story ride at DisneySea as it has wait times over 2 hours.
Even then, I picked up a fast pass as the stand-by queue was already 60 minutes long (crazy, right?)
Still …the fast passes options were all out by 11am so I’m so glad we got that 15 minute heads up.
My advice for the extra 15 minutes is to arrive quite a bit before that time to make sure you’re at the front of the other hotel guests. Then you’ll have even more of an advantage.
I wish that I’d done this.
We were at the back to begin with.
An Aussie breakfast in the Tokyo Disney area
15 mins by car from the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel, you can find an Aussie cafe called Bountiful Coffee. They don’t take reservations so best to just walk-in. They accept most major credit cards. They have high chairs. They also do take-out. They have vegetarian & vegan menu options. See the full menu at Bountiful Coffee here. My daughter was so happy that they also have vegemite! The cafe is on the second floor but there is an elevator (as well as stairs.)
The Falafel Plate, Green Peace Smoothie, Potato Wedges, Vegemite on Toast! Oh and some colouring.
BOUNTIFUL COFFEE
浦安市明海6-1-10 トレードポート 2F
2ND FLOOR, TRADEPORT BUILDING, 6-1-10 AKEMI, URAYASU
OPEN EVERYDAY 8AM-4PM
If you only have time to do one of the Disney Parks ? I wrote an article here that will easily help you decide.
I have written about our stay at the Toy Story Hotel in Tokyo here.
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.
I recommend buying tickets directly for Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disneysea directly via the Tokyo Disney Resort. However, some people find that the site won’t accept their overseas credit card ( I know, as it’s happened to me a LOT!). So the next best option, in my opinion, is to book via Klook. Click here to book Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo Disneysea via Klook. Klook send you an email with a QR code – scan that code into your Tokyo Disney Resort app and you’re good to go (go into the Tokyo Disney App to show your ticket for scanning at the disney gate. Remember to scan everyone from your group onto the same app on the one phone – that way you are able to apply for the fast passes and show lotteries as a group and can ride and sit together etc.) I have written here how the fast passes etc work at Tokyo Disney Parks in Japan.
Super Family Friendly All-You-Can-Eat Sukiyaki (11 mins in a cab from the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel)
Syabu-yo Urayasu Higashino
When you dine here, you choose the amount of time they would like to have unlimited meat brought to their table (usually 60 or 90 mins) and that price also includes access to a salad and vegetable buffet and ice-cream. The instructions on how to make your meal at the table are here on the Syabu-Yo website but the staff will also help you. My kids prefer sukiyaki to shabu-shabu as it is so sweet and more-ish.
If everyone has different dietary requirements (for example if one family member is vegetarian etc) you’ll need to ask for separate pots or half /half as , otherwise, all the food is cooked in one pot. They have pots like the one pictured below that has two sections (that’s what I normally do.) This is mostly so you can cook two different flavours but it could also work for a meat side and a veg side too, I guess
Worried about language issues? DON’T ! You order everything on an ipad at the table in English!
To eat here I would budget for around 3000 yen per adult. The entire restaurant is non-smoking. Syabu-Yo accept most major credit cards. Even if you don’t eat meat – just order an all you can eat meat portion for you so you can take advantage of all of the other parts included (the salad and veggies and desserts). The all you can eat meats come out a tray at a time so you just order more as needed for the table anyway (within your all-you-can-eat time frame.)
*Dining etiquette tip: the giant chopsticks are for putting the meat into the hot pot. The normal chopsticks are for eating. This also means you don’t have kids eating off chopsticks that have touched raw meat.
If you like this restaurant – I’m pretty sure you will! Then you are in luck as you can always google your closest Syabu-Yo branch as they are all over Japan.
They have free wifi.
There is a change table in the bathroom at this restaurant. They also have the little robots that bring the meat to your table. My kids love this!
They do have high chairs here – they are the wooden type that clips on to the table (and it does have a strap to keep baby secure.)
I’ve never had to make a reservation at this store before. Just walked in. Budget 3000 yen per adult to dine here (you will leave SO full!) There is a big supermarket (it’s called R. Genki – open 10am-8pm) in the same complex so get sweets and treats to take home afterwards. There is also a 7-Eleven right across the road.
SYABU-YO, URAYASU HIGASHINO
浦安市東野3-4-1 アクロスプラザ浦安東野 1F
GROUND FLOOR, ACROSS PLAZA URAYASU HIGASHINO, 3-4-1 HIGASHINO, URAYASU
OPEN 11AM-11PM (OPEN FROM 10:30AM ON WEEKENDS)
