Originally Posted By jmuboy I am planning a 6 day trip to Tokyo with a a friend in 2009. It's looking like May of 2009 is the month that best works for us. We are going to do 3 days at the TDR and three days in the city. Is May a good time to visit the resort? We'll plan to be there during the week, not weekends. Thanks in advance for any advice from your TDR regulars.
Originally Posted By MagicalNezumi If possible, visit after the Golden Week holidays which run through the first week of May. -- MagicalNezumi
Originally Posted By Mr X Ugh. Yes, that is excellent advice. Avoid Japan during Golden Week if at all possible! Otherwise May is pretty nice. Good weather, and the kids are still in school (except Golden Week) so the parks are not terribly busy.
Originally Posted By jmuboy Good advice! Thanks. I was thinking mid-May so Golden Week should not be an issue.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I'm sure you will like the whole thing. I had been to Tokyo many years ago and liked it, but it wasn't until I came back a couple years ago that I really fell in love with the place. There's just so much to see and do as a tourist, and it's all so wonderfully designed that you can do everything without even knowing Japanese (yep, I've done the trains and stuff just matching a couple symbols). It's a great city, and an even better Disney resort.
Originally Posted By Bob Paris SPeaking of Ugh......everytime I read Golden Week I just make this really random connection with showers. Couple that with old people and......UGH!!!! Oh and jmuboy-Can you please fill me in on all the wonderful things for tourists to do in Japan? I am going to TDR in October and I would be perfectly happy with 5-6 days at the resort and then fly home or to Singapore. Unfortunately, my partner insists if we are going all that way we MUST see some actualt Japanesey things. We are throwing in USJ for good measure but he wants historical stuff and so on. Any suggestions(preferably good ones)would be appreciated. Oh and neither of us are drinkers so those sleezy bars at night are REALLY not our thing(and not my idea of "fun" anyway).
Originally Posted By SMCD >>If possible, visit after the Golden Week holidays which run through the first week of May.<< I’m going to Tokyo from April 26th to May 8th. Bad timing I guess. As far as I could find out the week will begin April 29th and end May 5th. As I will buy the three days-pass to TDR, and they need to be consecutive, I guess May 5th to May 7th would be the best option. Comments from someone with experience with Golden Week would be appreciated. >>Yes, that is excellent advice. Avoid Japan during Golden Week if at all possible! << What is to be expected of Tokyo during the week? >>Any suggestions(preferably good ones)would be appreciated. Oh and neither of us are drinkers so those sleezy bars at night are REALLY not our thing(and not my idea of "fun" anyway).<< Too bad. Love those Tokyo bars. Anyways, if you’re looking for cultural stuff, the Meiji temple in Harajuku, Tokyo, is a cool experience. Also, the gardens in the middle of Tokyo’s concrete jungle, like Shinjuku Goyen, are nice. You can even attend a classic tea ceremony in the mentioned one. I would also recommend the old city of Asakusa with its large market place. I think cities like Kyoto and Osaka are even better on old Japanese cultural sites, but I haven’t been there.
Originally Posted By Mr X **What is to be expected of Tokyo during the week?** Tokyo itself feels pretty deserted. Lots of places (including banks, so be careful as you'll have little to no access to ATM's!) closed for days or even the whole week. I was in Ginza one day during golden week, and that usually bustling place felt just like the scene from that movie where Tom Cruise (?) was in Times Square and there wasn't a soul around! Expect tons of crowds at the touristy places though (of course), and also if you are planning to travel any distance the planes, trains and buses can be awfully crowded and difficult to book.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Can you visit before April 2009? The 25th anniversary event ends in early April 09, and it would be a pity to miss it.
Originally Posted By SMCD Thanks for the tips, Mr X. Sounds pretty weird. Will remember to bring enough cash to survive the week.
Originally Posted By Mr X You're welcome. It is weird, but kinda cool in a strange way too (Tokyo is not a place you'd normally associate with "empty" lol). Yup, cash is very important. Slightly less so since so many places take credit these days, but still you don't want to leave yourself stuck. Take out more than you think you'll need would be my advice. Have fun!
Originally Posted By The Goddess Mara Here are great things to do that are all either in Tokyo, or an hour away on the train: 1) Asakusa Temple: enormous and magnificent shrine, with a great shopping arcade in front of it. 2) Meji-Jingu: Take the subway to Omote-Sando avenue and enjoy the lovely shopping as you walk up the hill. At the top you'll find an pretty big public park with a small museum, emperor's garden, and a palace. 3) Kamakura: less than an hour from Tokyo on the commuter train (not the Bullet Train and it costs a hell of a lot less). In Kamakura you can see the Daibatsu (Great Buddha), several shrines, and one of the most profound places to visit: a cemetery for infants. Parents leave toys by the grave stones. Kamakura also has great shopping on the main street and its sidestreets. 4) Ueno park: In Tokyo, Ueno park is home to some excellent museums and is a lovely place to walk around. So, there is a lot of "old" stuff to see in Tokyo without taking a long side trip.
Originally Posted By Bob Paris Thank you! That child cemetery sounds lovely. Both my partner and I love looking in cemeteries(if you don't get it, you'll think it's sick and you just WON'T GET IT!).
Originally Posted By dennis-in-ct << So, there is a lot of "old" stuff to see in Tokyo without taking a long side trip. >> I want to visit KYOTO
Originally Posted By Mr X Kyoto is great...kind of a long trip though. For "Kyoto light" there's always Kamakura, which is pretty close to Tokyo (and used to be the capital same as Kyoto interestingly enough), and Nikko which is pretty awesome too. For the best "old Japan" though, take a couple of days and go to Kyoto.
