Originally Posted By Supermatt70 WOW! I bought my air over the weekend, so I'm finally going to Tokyo Disney Resort! Of course, I now have questions and would really appreciate any help you guys might be able to provide! I'm so excited just thinking about this trip! I will arrive in Tokyo on March 24th 2009 and depart on April 4th. We choose that time because we hoped we could see cherry blossoms. So now come the questions... A) Is this an OK time to visit the resort & Tokyo in general? Weather? Crowds? B) For the past few years TDL has shown Cinderellabration and not Dreamlights, with the 25th will we get Dreamlights this spring? I really want to see Dreamlights!! C) Any idea on an opening for Monsters inc? D) Anything that I should know about & not miss at TDR (I know about Hunny Hunt) or in Tokyo? I know that in the next few months I will have many more questions and look here for advice! Thanks in advance for any help!
Originally Posted By Roger55 A) Is this an OK time to visit the resort & Tokyo in general? Weather? Crowds? Perfect time weather wise. Should be able to see the cherry blossoms too! Not sure exactly, might be after you leave, but it is close to Spring Break for the schools so the parks may be packed. B) For the past few years TDL has shown Cinderellabration and not Dreamlights, with the 25th will we get Dreamlights this spring? I really want to see Dreamlights!! Drealights should be going. Cinderellabration is a stage show, not a parade and does not replace Dreamlights. Cinderellabration is gone. C) Any idea on an opening for Monsters inc? I believe it should be open by then or at least very close to being open. D) Anything that I should know about & not miss at TDR (I know about Hunny Hunt) or in Tokyo? I suggest reading back through the discussions. A lot of people have commented before with various opinions. See who matches your liking and tastes.
Originally Posted By X-san I would suggest Ueno Park in Tokyo for Cherry Blossom viewing, and make a day of it. Buy a nice bento (Japanese lunchbox) at any supermarket or convenience store, along with adult beverages if you wish (no concern about drinking in public in Japan, everyone does it ESPECIALLY for the "flower viewing" parties), bring along a light blanket to sit on, and enjoy the afternoon. It's a uniquely Japanese experience. No way to tell so far ahead if you'll catch the Cherry Blossoms, but keep your fingers crossed.
Originally Posted By X-san If Ueno isn't an option, there is also a park right outside of DisneySea that has some nice cherry blossoms too. It's right alongside the monorail tracks, can't miss it. Also, you'll find people sitting in just about every park, so you won't have any trouble finding a nice spot to check out the season. You can pick up supplies at Ikspiari or the Newdays convenience store at Maihama station if you wish (gotta do the food and drinks thing, it's part of the experience!). Have fun!
Originally Posted By Anatole69 Tokyo Edo Museum is good for the history of the city from the Edo period on. Roppongi Hills for the view and Art Museum at the top. I also had a blast at Oedaiba. Harajuku, Ometaesando, Shinjuku and Shibuya for people watching. - Anatole
Originally Posted By X-san All great choices Anatole! (actually, I can't say as I've ever spent time in Omotesando, at least not that I can recall) I would also add to that list Ueno (must see...lots of museums, great park, Pandas, and some great street vendor action and cool shopping), Ginza, Asakusa (old school Tokyo), and if you want to step out a bit further from Tokyo proper, Yokohama and Kamakura. Where is that Tokyo Edo museum located, Anatole? I've heard of it, but never made it there (I'd like to, though!).
Originally Posted By MagicalNezumi X-san, the Edo-Tokyo Museum is in Ryōgoku (two stops from Akihabara on Sobu Line) right next to the Ryōgoku Kokugikan, the place where they hold the sumo matches. BTW, it's my favorite museum in Tokyo. <a href="http://www.edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp" target="_blank">http://www.edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp</a> then click the "English" link on top. -- MagicalNezumi
Originally Posted By trekkeruss I third the Edo-Tokyo Museum choice. It's fantastic. If you're into electronics and gadgets, Akihabara is more entertaining than Innoventions (but then, just about anything is. LOL.) A walk around Kabukicho at night is... interesting. The View from Tokyo Tower is fine (although Tokyo is not a good-looking city), But the view from Tokyo City Hall is just as good, and is free. On a clear day, you can see Mt. Fuji in the distance. I don't think any trip to Japan is complete without some sushi or ramen. I don't have any specific recommendations; I just look for places with a line and/or lots of people eating (empty to me says probably not good.)
Originally Posted By Anatole69 What everyone else said is great. I forgot about Askusa and Akihabara! You can get an guided tour of the Edo Museum in English, but you need to contact them ahead of time to reserve one. I got lucky and one was just begining when I got there. If you go to Roppongi Hills, try to go in the late afternoon. The view from the top is even better at night!
Originally Posted By trekkeruss Within walking distance of Asakusa is Kappabashi. If you enjoy cooking, this is where you're find all kinds of restaurant/kitchen supplies. There a few stores that specialize in the fake food displays you see in the windows of many restaurants. A warning though: those fake food displays are *very* expensive (but they do have inexpensive examples make into keychains and refrigerator magnets.)
Originally Posted By X-san ***X-san, the Edo-Tokyo Museum is in Ryōgoku (two stops from Akihabara on Sobu Line) right next to the Ryōgoku Kokugikan, the place where they hold the sumo matches. BTW, it's my favorite museum in Tokyo.*** Oh, cool. I've been there (for sumo...WAY cool live!!). I'll have to check it out sometime. Nice to see ya back online MN!
Originally Posted By Supermatt70 Thanks for the suggestions so far...a couple more questions... The TDR hotels and those within the resort complex (Hilton, Sheraton etc) all seem so expensive, more than $600 a night, are there other hotels close by that you might recommend I look into? Or should I just book the hotel in downtown Tokyo we'll be staying at for the other part of our trip and train it every day to TDR? Is there a more budget friendly way to be close by TDR? Since Cherry Blossoms are a part of what we are hoping to see on this trip and TDR tickets must be used on consecutive days, do you think it's best that we do TDR on the first leg of the trip or the second? Seems like the Blossoms are best closer to April, no? So then I'm thinking TDR 3/24-28 then move on to Tokyo 3/29-4/3. Sounds OK? Does anyone have any experience with JTB/Sunrise Tours? Thanks again for your help here!!!
Originally Posted By X-san Well, Hilton and Sheraton are nowhere near $600 a night, for starters. Only the Miracosta and Disneyland Hotel cost that much (you could book the Ambassador for quite a bit less than that, I think). If you're looking for a bargain hotel in the area (just a three minute train ride to the resort), the Oriental Hotel Tokyo Bay is a good option. How much of a savings do you really get by buying those consecutive day passes anyway? Why not just buy tickets every day you want to visit? Parkhopping isn't really a big deal at TDR anyway, so I don't really see why everyone locks themselves into those multiday passes (unless the savings really is significant, I really dunno). Anyway, that's my 2 cents. Are you interested in switching hotels, or do you want to stay in the same place the whole time? If you want to remain in a fixed location, I'd recommend a hotel near Disney (like the Oriental, or one of the partner hotels if you can get a deal), because on days you go to Disney you'll be wanting to arrive early anyway so it's nice to be nearby. On the other days, you can relax more and cruise into Tokyo at your leisure. It's not too far (from Disney or the Oriental, it's 20-40 minutes to most locations in Tokyo).
Originally Posted By X-san I would have suggested maybe two hotels for the two sections of your visit, but again because Cherry Blossoms are a priority (and rightly so) it's tough to plan ahead and sort of lock yourself in beforehand. For example, if you arrived to head to Disney for 4 days and then found that the event had been unseasonably early, that would kinda suck right? So for maximum flexibility, I would go with the above. Stay near Disney the whole time, so you can just go into the parks on whatever days you wish without limitation (like, for example, if it's pouring rain one day...you can skip the parks and head to Tokyo where there's lots to do indoors), and hopefully the cherry blossoms will be around for you to enjoy throughout your stay. Just to throw in the pessimist view though, I would be very careful not to look forward to the Cherry Blossoms TOO much...since the season is very unpredictable. In other words, DON'T expect to see them too much, and if you do that's just as an added bonus (as opposed to "gee, our trip was ruined because we went there just to see them and it turned out the appeared two weeks late this year!"). Just thinking about expectations here, wouldn't want you to be totally bummed if that part doesn't work out! If it DOES though, you won't be disappointed. It's quite spectacular. Have a great trip!!
Originally Posted By Supermatt70 What about train passes? We are only traveling in & around Tokyo (TDR & Kamakura), so what kind of rail pass should we get? I would prefer not having to buy a ticket at every station or every day, but I don't know if that's what's best? Any options on rail passes from you guys? Thanks!
Originally Posted By trekkeruss The Suica IC card would probably be the best choice for a railpass around the greater Tokyo area; it includes JR trains such as the Yamanote and Keiyo lines, and most other trains, subways, and buses: <a href="http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/suica-nex/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/suic...dex.html</a> You can add the N'EX option for travel from Narita to Tokyo station at the discount rate shown.
Originally Posted By Mr X Suica can also be used as a pre-paid cash card at many kiosks, restaurants, and convenience stores (mostly in or near the stations, it's obvious at the register if they take Suica or not...there's a little green card reader that reads "Suica", and you simply tap the card). For a vacationer, it's probably a very nice and convenient thing...you don't have to carry so much cash (OR even figure out how much you owe), when you buys drinks and snacks around the city. One thing though, be careful to calculate how much to charge the card ($10,$20,$50 etc...), because I don't believe you can get any cash back if the card still has value when you leave. I'm not sure about that, though. SuperDry will know. If you DO find yourself on the last day with too much value on your card, a possible solution might be to find a restaurant or snack shop and just "empty" the card at the register, and pay the difference.
Originally Posted By Roger55 Even if you "empty" your card, there is still the 500 yen deposit left on the card. The only way to get your last 500 yen is to go to one of the green windows at some of the major train stations.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< SuperDry will know. >>> Yes, you can get your extra money (minus 10% processing fee) and the 500 yen deposit back. I've seen this done at the train station at Narita Airport. Or, you can just keep your Suica for your next visit!
Originally Posted By Supermatt70 Thanks!! I didn't know if the Suica or Pasmo ticket was the better option or if either would even allow for what I wanted. Suica totally looks like the way to go! It looks like I can buy the Suica at Narita Terminal 1 also. Does it work on TDR Monorail line or will I need another ticket for this line?
