Is this even possible (Tokyo Disney)?

Linc82

Earning My Ears
Joined
Jan 31, 2013
I will be in Japan for a few days with limited free time. I am scheduled to get into Osaka on a Friday night spending the weekend in Kobe area.
Is it even possible to take the bullet train from Osaka to Tokyo on Saturday, do Tokyo Disney, and take the train back late that evening?
I know there's Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea - I assume I could not do both in one day.
Clearly this isn't desirable...but may be the only way I can fit it in.

I'm wondering about whether it's logistically feasible (and if so, how) or even advisable (no Japanese, first time to Japan).

Thoughts?
 
Yes, it seems feasible. Advisable...I don't know. You can check the train schedule and routing on hyperdia.com, the station for Tokyo Disney Resort is Maihama. From there, you can take the monorail to either park. Looks like it'll take about 3 1/2 hours one-way.

Definitely only do one park. I would recommend DisneySea since it's almost totally unique and a gorgeous, beautifully themed park.

Saturdays are usually crowded. You'll want to check the crowd calendar. Here are the ones I know about. First one is in Japanese, decipherable using google translate.
http://www15.plala.or.jp/gcap/disney/
http://tdrnavi.jp/forecast/disneyland?lang=en

You may want to buy a ticket in advance online or at a Disney Store in Japan.
 
With the bullet trains, it would be possible.

But, I'm not sure how enjoyable it would be. Depending upon the timetable, I don't think you would make it to DisneySea before opening, so it's possible that there will be no Fast Passes left by the time you arrive. As such, you may not get to ride any of the major attractions or you may face a 2 to 3 hour wait to do so. You may also have to leave before DisneySea closes to get the last bullet train back to Osaka. As you're visiting on the weekend, your options for restaurants may also be limited (or you may face a long wait to eat at a popular restaurant).

Unless you have plans for the Sunday in Osaka, would it be possible to stay overnight on Saturday night in Tokyo? Could you take the last bullet train from Osaka to Tokyo on Friday night? Could you fly into Tokyo instead of Osaka?
 
I would suggest you just do Disney Sea as it is so unique. Disney land is amazing as well but more familiar with the USA versions. Instead enjoy a day in the most special Disney park in the world! Also, you can't hop between both parks in one day until your third day there / you must choose which park and only one of them on the first two days of your stay. If you wanted to go to both parks in one day you would have to buy two separate one day tickets for each park which would be pricey for the limited time you could be there.

Have fun no matter what you do!!! We just got back two days ago from Tokyo and miss it terribly!
 


To be honest, I am with agent86. Even if it's possible, how you plan it now, would it be worth it? I would look for other options how to make a day or days in Disney possible.

If you go for work and your plane tickets aren't booked yet, ask if they can book your tickets with the return flight from Tokyo, maybe even a few days later, where you pay for the hotel yourself.
 
That is quite a plan you are considering... I think visiting Tokyo Disney on Saturday is challenging enough due to the crowds.

So you are flying into one of the Osaka airports, then go to Kobe area to stay, and must come back to Kobe to stay Saturday night? Like others said, you should stay in Tokyo at least one night, if that is possible.

Kobe is a wide city...depending on the area of Kobe you are staying, getting to Osaka could take 1 hour too.
Let's say you take the first train from Shin-Kobe (or Shin-Osaka) station, which should be about 6 am. That should get you to Tokyo station just before 9 am. Then you have to get to Disney from there...DisneySea may open at 8 am, so the crowds are already there.
If you take the last train from Tokyo before 9 pm, you should get to Shin-Kobe before midnight.

Personally I would not have enough energy to pull schedule like that, but yes, it is possible. Good luck!!
 
Thanks for the comments! I appreciate the dose of realism... that is what I was looking for. In addition to the logistics - I would hate to get there after all that and find it swamped due to crowds. Confirms what I suspected... it CAN be done but probably SHOULDN'T be done.
Oh well it's a good excuse to plan a return trip where I have more time :)
 


Also, FWIW, Osaka and Kobe area amazing cities in of themselves; I would hate to miss out on the chance to explore them and have an 'eh' day at DisneySea to boot. Plus, if you get the hang of 'Japan' this trip: the trains, how to maneuver, and other solid help experience brings, it will make a future Tokyo Disney trip that much better!
 

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