Originally Posted By HokieSkipper So, I'm deciding between a trip to Tokyo or Hong Kong next fall (October 2014), and would love some recommendations for hotels for Disney as well as the city itself along with some sights to see when I'm not going to TDLR. I realize I'm doing this pretty far in advance, but I want to start saving ASAP for it. Thanks for any help in advance!
Originally Posted By TDLFAN It's not TDLR. Just TDR = Tokyo Disney Resort. Official name. As for Tokyo Disney resort or Hong Kong Disneyland.. DO BOTH.
Originally Posted By Brad HKDL is done best when you have a knowledgeable guide who can point out the little subtleties that make that park actually quite special! That aside, with the current expansion now all but finished, I think HKDL would make for an EXCELLENT side trip! As for TDR - you cannot go past the Hilton Tokyo Bay. EXCELLENT service and you can get a really nice room for about $AUS180.00 per night, which is a STEAL compared to the $500+ per night at one of the official hotels. Also the Hilton is just across the road and you can walk(or catch the bus)to the monorail station. In the lobby of the Hilton you can buy your tickets and I even had a park view room, so it was AWESOME!!!
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<As for Tokyo Disney resort or Hong Kong Disneyland.. DO BOTH.>> I would love to. Unfortunately I don't think I'd be able to swing it financially and with time off from work. I want to spend time in each of those cities when I go, so I think they'll have to be seperate trips. <<As for TDR - you cannot go past the Hilton Tokyo Bay. EXCELLENT service and you can get a really nice room for about $AUS180.00 per night, which is a STEAL compared to the $500+ per night at one of the official hotels. Also the Hilton is just across the road and you can walk(or catch the bus)to the monorail station.>> The Hilton was what I was looking at initially, but I found the Sheraton Tokyo Bay to be 70 bucks cheaper.
Originally Posted By leemac Hilton is our preferred corporate hotel but I've stayed at the Sheraton recently and think it is a better hotel. It has been refurbished from top to bottom unlike the Hilton that still has some older rooms. Both are interchangeable so I'd go with price. City-wise it really depends what floats your boat. I love both - but HK is my favourite city anywhere in the world. It is an absolute gem - but YMMV. Transport is pretty cheap in both so you can afford to stay almost anywhere and commute.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper ^^^Thanks for the info, leemac. I think Tokyo will end up being the choice. So far it's much more affordable across the board for me. Glad to hear the Sheraton is a good choice, too. It has very good reviews on Trip Advisor, but it's always good to have a first hand account. And at 70 bucks cheaper than the Hilton it will probably end up being my choice.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Here's another vote for Hong Kong as being one of the best cities in the world to visit. It's completely unique, and has a lot of really neat stuff to check out (though their Disney park was somewhat lacking on my visits before the 3 mini-lands were added). If you decide to go that route and want a cheap hotel, I highly recommend the YMCA (yes, that YMCA) in Kowloon. It has rather simple rooms, but the location can't be beat, next door to the world-famous Penninsula. It's within walking distance the big attractions in Kowloon, and HK is accessible by transit nearby. Plus, you just can't beat that view across the harbour!
Originally Posted By LindsayC how bizarre - I just posted a photo on FB with that YMCA in the background <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151661515385739&set=a.10150124606640739.321036.672990738&type=1&theater" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/photo....&theater</a>
Originally Posted By SuperDry That specific location is called the Salisbury YMCA if you're looking for it on the Internet (there are several YMCA locations in HK). I've stayed there several times and it's unquestionably one of the best values for the money in HK.
Originally Posted By leemac <<That specific location is called the Salisbury YMCA if you're looking for it on the Internet (there are several YMCA locations in HK). I've stayed there several times and it's unquestionably one of the best values for the money in HK.>> Their pool makes a couple of neighboring blocks reek of chlorine - I've no idea why.
Originally Posted By Mr X I've always found that Tokyo smells like fish (or cigarettes, or a mix of the two). When I went to Hong Kong, I could swear the whole city smelled like pork!
Originally Posted By Mr X Including HKDL (perhaps it was the weirdness of eating Chinese pork and veggies in Tomorrowland that messed with my senses). TDR doesn't smell like fish though, it reeks of quality.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper So, just wanted to update people. I will be in Tokyo March 11-18, 2014. Staying in the Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay for the 11-14th, which are also the days I will be in the parks. Still looking for a hotel to stay at more "in the city" for the rest of my stay.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros So, to completely hijack this thread, it looks like I'm going to Japan in July of next year and I wanted to see if you guys had any tips. The official purpose of the trip is a conference that my mom is attending July 18-22, but I plan on making it into a ~2 week vacation. Since I'm planning on hitting up TDR along the way, I wanted to see what to expect crowdwise. Since It's summer, I'm expecting it to be bad, but will it "be 2-hour waits to get a FP" bad? I assume my best bet is to go to the parks on weekdays to try and avoid some of the crowds Would it be better to add time on to the beginning of the trip or to the end? I'm basically trying to find a 2-week window that includes those dates that would be best for being a tourist And are there any special events going on in Tokyo (or elswhere in Japan) in that timeframe that would be fun to see as a tourist (or good to avoid, if they make insane crowds)?
Originally Posted By FerretAfros That's great to hear! I knew the break was later in the year than in the US, but I didn't realize it was that late! We'll definitely try to lean toward the earlier side of the travel window then! Is it safe to assume that the parks will be manageable while the schools are in session?
Originally Posted By Mr X Well, *more* manageable anyway. Summertime is always slammed. BTW, July 20th was this year (technically the 19th was the last day, the 20th was a Saturday). It might be worth your while to research the exact dates for next year (at least for the greater Tokyo area, other areas may vary). The dates might really work to your advantage though, because in addition to schools the Tanabata "star" Festival happens July 1st-8th, which usually adds crowds to TDL at least, and so you might be coming in at a bit of a lull which could be advantageous for you (those are rare lol - between Halloween and Christmas is another one, but it's just 5 days or so).
Originally Posted By barboy ///Staying in the Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay/// That's what I'd do if I had to be "on property" and wanted to save as much as possible.......... for a basic room that place is close to 1/3 the cost of say a basic Mira Costa one. Hilton would have been another viable option if Sheraton were not available
