# Our July 2019 Japan trip report, including TDR and USJ, from a points-and-miles hobbyist, Complete



## newfamilyman

Our family (DW, DS 14, and DD 18) just returned from an amazing, two-week trip to Japan where we visited TDL, TDS, and USJ. In spite of the growing tourism, it was difficult to find to find all of the information that we needed, so I wanted to share that with you in addition to our experiences.  Please feel free to ask any questions.

This first installment details our trip planning. We have never done an ABD trip and are unlikely ever to do one, mainly for the high premium charged for both the Disney name and service which seems to be the hallmark of these guided tours. However, DW likes to copy the itinerary of ABD trips when it suits us. We did not follow the specifics of their activities but loosely copied their overall structure of the trip:
6/29: Left LAX
6/30: Arrived Osaka
7/1: Hiroshima
7/2: Kyoto
7/3: USJ
7/4: Ryokan in Takayama area
7/5-7/6: Odawara
7/7: Tokyo
7/8: TDS
7/9: TDL
7/10: TDS in AM, TDL in PM
7/11-12: Tokyo
7/13: Returned home

I am a miles-and-points hobbyist, so that played an important role in airfare and hotels. Our trip planning begin once I booked the outband award flight. The redemption highlight was snagging Delta One seats for all of us for only 60,000 each way on the LAX-HND serviced by Delta’s newest aircraft, the A350. I booked them through Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club program. DW and I were able to earn all those points without one single flight because Flying Club is a partner with so many currencies, including Amex’s Membership Miles and Citi’s Thank You points. We also both got the Flying Club MC when there was a 90,000 sign-up bonus. Considering that Delta wanted 300,000 Skymiles for each leg, getting four seats for both segments for only 480,000 was the best redemption I have ever managed.

I booked the Intercontinental Osaka for the first four nights of our trip. DW and I both have IHG’s Chase cards. With the sign-up offers on these cards, we were able to take advantage of the fourth night free on award bookings with the premium version of the card. At 60,000 points per night and the fourth night free, this was another terrific redemption since the hotel was charging $1,000 a night for these rooms at the time of the booking. Because of our party size, the hotel required that we book two rooms for each night.

We chose the same Odawara hotel as used by ABD, the Hilton. This hotel also required that we book two rooms. They were charging 60,000 points per room on Friday, which rose to 95,000 points on Saturday. We both have Amex Hilton co-branded cards and used our free night certificates for spending 15,000 on the card to cover the free nights on Saturday, and I used Hilton Honors points to cover the lower redemption rate on Friday.

The final points redemption was our last three nights in Tokyo. I chose the Grand Hyatt with the club upgrade for 33,000 per night. The Grand also required that we use two rooms each night. All of the Tokyo-area Hyatt hotels had award nights for that period, and I also could have stayed at the Conrad. I chose the Grand Hyatt because as a family, we enjoy club lounges, which both save on breakfast expenses and are convenient, and from what I read, the Grand Hyatt has a nicer lounge than the Conrad. The Rappongi Hills location of the Grand Hyatt also seemed more desirable for us. We were able to get the required points by both cancelling our Hyatt Gold Passport Chase Visas and successfully applying for World of Hyatt Visas and its high sign-up bonus during the brief window before Chase’s strict 5/24 application limits were imposed.

I paid for the remaining hotel nights out-of-pocket. As DVC members, we always stay on property when visiting DL or WDW, and we had a wonderful Castle Club room when we visited Disneyland Paris several years ago. We knew that we wanted to stay on property for the Disneyland part of this Japan trip, and the main question was whether we would get a package or not. Of all the aspects of planning, there were the least amount of reviews for people who had booked packages. I was finally swayed to splurge for a two-night package by the TripAdvisor review where the reviewer stated that she found the bonus FPs included in the package to be “worth their weight in gold.” Even though she went during a more peak season, I decided that a package would enable us to hopefully minimize lines. The Mira Costa was sold out for packages, so I chose a Beauty and the Beast room for my second choice, the Disneyland hotel.

With only two nights left unaccounted for, I chose the Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay. While I initially considered using free night certificates from our credit cards, I decided to splurge on the Japanese suite, which besides allowing us all to stay in the same room, also included private use of the hotel’s  yu yu, essentially an onsen that uses city water instead of mineral springs. I chose the non-refundable rate because it was the cheapest.

As we got closer to the trip, on a whim, I checked the availability of the Mira Costa for the 7th, not expecting much given the hotel’s legendary reputation of selling out within minutes of the opening of the booking window. However, there were rooms available, and I again splurged on a partial Mediterranean harbor view.

There are obviously nowhere near the available resources for booking a TDR trip as there are for WDW. The heaviest resource that I leaned on was Chris Nilghe, who created the TDR Explorer webpage and podcast, the latter with his co-host Trish. I listened to most of their podcasts during the year which led up to our trip, though as their focus spread from only the Japanese parks to the other two Disney parks in Asia, I skipped more of the main episodes. As a $15 monthly Patreon contributor, I also enjoyed the monthly bonus episodes. In addition to purchasing Chris’ e-books on TDR and USJ, I also purchased a $100 private session which was conducted through Skype during one of his visits to his family home in Canada.

Another decision was booking tours. Chris recommended Maction Tours, so we booked private tours in Hiroshima, Kyoto, and two days in Tokyo. I could have booked with Mac himself or one of his trained guides, and following Chris’ recommendation, we splurged (I know, that word again) on Mac.

Finally, there was the decision about the JR rail passes. Initially I made the mistake to purchase a two-week pass. Only after I got them did I think about our needs enough to realize that there was only an 8-day period when we would be riding bullet trains. As a result, I returned the passes and purchased 7-day ones instead. The penalty was $15 per person plus the initial cost of shipping. Still, the savings more than exceeded this expense. I decided to again splurge on the green cars.

In the next installment, we’ll start the trip.


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## aleh021

Can't wait to read more about your trip!


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## newfamilyman

Days 1 & 2: Leaving LA, arriving in Osaka

For miles and points hobbyists, scoring a first- or business-class award is the payoff for the hours of planning and research involved in applying for the right credit cards at the right times and using the best credit card for each purpose. While the best Virgin Flying Club redemption to Japan is on ANA, where first-class flights would have cost less than what I spent on the Delta redemptions, there is a requirement with ANA for booking a round-trip, and I could not find available dates for the four of us in business, much less first.

This was our first Delta One experience, and it was certainly a relaxing and luxurious way to fly. With Delta, they are supposed to send an e-mail three days before the flight so that meal selections can be confirmed in advance. When this did not happen, I called the airline and was able to confirm our preferences that way. DW and DD wanted the Japanese meal experience, and DS and I wanted Jon and Vinny’s meatballs, which had been recently detailed in a full-page spread in Bon Appetit.

I’m not sure if this is the case for all Delta international flights, but this one and at least the flights to Shanghai check-in at Terminal 2 at LAX, but the plane actually departs from TBIT. This is important to know if, like us, you have someone picking you up. Have them meet you at TBIT, not Terminal 2. The plane had arrived the previous night from Shanghai, so there were no concerns about leaving late.

Delta has a dedicated check-in space for Delta One in Terminal 2 with couches for guests who are waiting to be helped and drinks and snacks. Once checked in, there is a shuttle for all passengers going to terminals 3 or TBIT after security. Delta One passengers are supposed to receive a pass for a private shuttle to TBIT. We were not given one, and I did not realize that was even available as an option until seeing someone else take advantage of that perk.

Boarding for Delta One passengers started about 50 minutes before departure. The suites themselves are certainly private, if narrow enough to feel somewhat confining when the doors are closed. Because there are no individual air controls for the center suites, there were times when the even the thick Westin Heavenly bedding provided was insufficient for the cold.

The meal service was a bit underwhelming, though my high expectations may have negatively impacted that impression. We’ve never eaten at Jon and Vinny’s but certainly are familiar with their glowing reviews. I wouldn’t have known that the meatballs were made from meat ground in-house or that the lettuce was sourced from farmers’ markets if I hadn’t read that in the Bon Appetit article. The standout of the meal was actually the ice cream sundae made with McConnell’s and presumably with no input from Jon or Vinny. Unlike long-haul flights in Asian carriers, there was no mid-flight meal options, only a snack service consisting of surprisingly delicious apples and standard chips. The breakfast was an unappetizing scrambled eggs, though I could have selected a cold choice or the Japanese breakfast. The Delta service also could not match that offered by the best foreign carriers. The attendants were friendly enough without doing anything special to make their interactions memorable.

Delta always has a large selection of movies, which was particularly helpful since the outbound flight was two hours longer than the return. I appreciated their large selection of foreign movies, since my preference is always to see a title to which I normally wouldn’t have access in the States.

Upon landing in Haneda, we faced a true nightmare of a long, immigration line. While I feared that this would be the first of many such lines during our trip, it proved to be the longest by far. There were numerous switch-backs before we finally reached a customs officer after an hour or so in line.

As a CPAP user, this would be a good time to share my experiences. I read multiple posts in the Japan FB regarding bringing in a CPAP machine without a completed Yakkan Shoumei form. I reached out to the Japan Information and Cultural Center in Seattle and was advised that I did not need this form completed. I did not complete it, and it was never questioned. I did check the CPAP machine into my luggage. I also checked my prescription medications, and these were similarly not an issue.

We next picked up my Japan WiFi Buddy. It was easy to retrieve from the specified location. It came with a portable charger, which was helpful. Here are my impressions of the Japan WiFi Buddy and the need for an external wifi device: There is definitely an insufficient amount of public wifi available, so either some sort of external/internal device or paying for data from your domestic cell phone provider is required. Because we were four people, and our phones were still locked, an external device was required. We chose the WiFi buddy because I was lured into the idea that the data would be more unlimited or faster with the other options available. In the end, I would chose a cheaper product in the future. The speed was never faster than 12 mps or so and was always slower than hotel speeds. If you do get this, or a similar device, do not leave it turned on all day but turn it on only when you need it. If you leave it on all day, the battery and even the portable battery will be depleted. Using it only when we needed it ensured adequate battery life.

The final stop was to the infamous JR ticket office, which was smaller than expected and easy to find. There was nobody waiting in the outside queue, which was clearly marked at different points how long the wait would be from that point. It was easy to exchange our vouchers for passes even though I did not want the passes activated until the next day. Unfortunately, at the airport, they were only able to make one reservation, which I made for the next morning.

It was then time to transfer to the domestic terminal. Our flight landed on time, around 2:30 PM, and I had booked a 7 PM flight from Haneda to Osaka. In retrospect, I could have booked a 6 PM flight but I didn’t want to push it. We used our Suica to take the train to the different terminal, so there was a charge. I had read that it would have been free if we had a boarding pass for the next flight, but I had not been able to check-in online, so I had no such boarding pass.

One of the wonderful things about Japanese airports, at least these ones in Tokyo and Osaka, is that there were many information desks staffed with people with enough English to provide answers. I was given help for which part of the domestic terminal serviced the Japan Airlines flights to Osaka. Unfortunately, there was a language barrier in trying to figure out which check-in line to use, since it seemed to be just one line for all customers. The line was short enough, and we were quickly checked in.

American Airlines gave DW and I free platinum status for several months earlier in the year, and I must have booked these JAL tickets during that time, since the boarding passes indicated that we still had oneworld Sapphire status even though our AA elite status had ended in May. JAL has its lesser lounge, called Sakura lounge, for sapphire members. This was an expansive lounge, with abundant seating, and our children were admitted for no additional charge. What was strange about the lounge is that they only served the ubiquitous rice crackers, soup, and beverages. DW was disappointed that there was no wine, only multiple types of beer, as far as alcoholic beverages were concerned.

After a spending an hour or so in the lounge, it was time to board our final flight of the day. The boarding process was interesting since it was our first flight where the boarding process was completely in a foreign language, with no English used. The staff walked around the gate area with signs in Japanese and English which indicated which sections were being boarded. Exhausted, I easily slept through the brief flight to Osaka, which was comfortable in business class. One of the interesting things about Japanese flights is that even domestic ones have a three-class service. This 767 had one row of first class, 10 or so rows of business class, and the remainder in coach.

We finally arrived in our final destination of the day, Osaka. I had been communicating with our hotel, the Intercontinental, who had me concerned about limited transportation due to the G20, which had finished the day before. The hotel staff painted an uncomfortable picture of us having to stand for the half-hour train rides to the hotel. A helpful information booth staff recommended that we take subways to the hotel, since the closest limousine bus was no longer operating that night. Google maps, as it would for the duration of the journey, perfectly guided us to the correct line and platform for what proved to be an effortless trip to the hotel.

The Intercontinental is located in the Grand Front development in Osaka. Only a few years old, it also consisted of a huge shopping center and office buildings. Signs in English easily guided us from the JR station to the hotel. As part of my e-mail communications, I had asked about the cost to upgrade to a club-level room. IHG rewards is considerably less generous to elites than Hyatt, Hilton, or Marriott, as top-tier elites do not gain automatic access to executive club lounges or receive complimentary breakfast. In this case, the hotel wanted 16000 yen per room, per day for the upgrade, which was lowered only to 15000 at the time of check-in. I declined this offer, and I was then offered a discounted breakfast price of $32 a person, which was more than we wanted to spend. Because of our Platinum/Spire status, we were upgraded only one category.

The room was stunning and would be, by far, the nicest room of the trip. The bathroom was by far the nicest bathroom of any hotel room in which I have ever stayed. There was a monsoon shower head along with a hand-held attachment which ensured a powerful and relaxing experience. The mirror at the adjacent counter had a huge, anti-fog area which made shaving effortless. There was also an oversized bathtub with a powerful faucet for quick filling along with two types of bath salts. Finally, there was the obligatory Japanese toilet with its many features. My only complaint is that the wall behind the bathtub, which faced the rest of the room, was translucent, so anyone turning on light in the bathroom would also illuminate the bedroom area. As I had read and would be true for all future hotel rooms, the beds were considerably firmer than we are used to in the States.

View from the room, on the 26th floor:


View of the room:

Next installment: Hiroshima and Miyajima Island


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## distravel

Wow, that was an impressive use of miles. Thanks for taking the time to do a trip report. Will be following along.


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## LovesTimone

Wow.... I am new to the churning... so I am going to follow along very closely....and the room looks really nice... Can't wait for the next installment...


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## bearette

I love to travel and have wanted to do Tokyo with Disney for some time. I am enjoying hearing about your experience.


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## newfamilyman

Day 3: Hiroshima and Miyajima Island

I just realized that I forgot to discuss ATMs. If you have begun researching your trip, you will have learned that only certain ATMs accept foreign debit cards. My checking account is with Charles Schwab, which I chose because they offer interest checking but most importantly rebate all ATM fees worldwide with no limits. Internationally, I have only used the card in Mexico, but there were no problems. Unfortunately, at Haneda, I tried the card at three different ATMs which accept foreign debit cards, but it was immediately rejected at all three. I had to use DD’s Bank of America debit card which resulted in steep fees, both from the Japanese bank and Bank of America, neither which I would have incurred if my Schwab card had worked. When I got home, I called Schwab, and they suggested that my chip was subtly damaged in a way that was not impacted by American ATMs but Japanese ATMs may have been more sensitive. Schwab suggested that I get a new debit card before my next foreign trip. In the future, though it will pain me to do so because of the costs, I will have to bring some cash to convert, or convert money ahead of time to be on the safe side. Now on to day 3.

Our guide, Jasmine Nakai, had e-mailed us ahead of the trip, and Mac had recommended a particular bullet train for us to take in the morning.

Let me begin by describing Japanese breakfast options. It was very surprising to us that relatively few restaurants or coffee shops open early for breakfast. Many restaurants, including Starbucks and Tully’s, do not open before 7:30, which made our options limited. For our first day, we breakfasted at the Tully’s nearest to the hotel, which again was ideally located to the JR Station. I ordered a waffle, which consisted of a small waffle with a scoop of ice cream on top, which I was not expecting. DS ordered a hot dog, which was just as surprisingly available at 7 in the morning. The next thing I learned is that there is no such thing as refills in Japan, at least not for coffee. Luckily, Tully’s did take credit cards.

We used our rail pass for the first time. We tried unsuccessfully to put our reserved tickets through the machine before learning that when you are using a rail pass, you have to always use the entrance on the far right or left, where there are staff positioned who will review the rail passes and let you pass.

I used Google Maps and Navitime to plan train travel, and Google Maps for the subway. Google Maps was extremely helpful in providing detailed information about what line to take and the platform from which the train leaves. I liked Navitime because it gave more information about the specific trains and sometimes the information was more accurate and provided more choices than is provided by Google Maps. Without a pocket wifi or SIM card, however, you will be lost if you are relying on free wifi.

Hiroshima and Miyajima Island were on DW’s agenda. As a history buff, I was interested in seeing where the bomb was dropped, but there was not enough about the area for me to justify the entire day.

Jasmine greeted us on the platform and quickly whisked us to a subway and then to the ferry for Miyajima Island. Miyajima essentially consists of a temple with a famous gate which is submerged at high tide, though we were there at low tide, so its impact was somewhat lost on us. Otherwise, there were many, many tourist-driven stores selling what my friend Cary calls T&S (trinkets and s**t) as well as snacks. Jasmine took us to an underwhelming restaurant, not at all memorable, which luckily would be the exception that proved the rule about how wonderful and amazing Japanese food can be. There are many deer on the island, but Jasmine cautioned us not to pet them and that they can, like goats, nibble on our bags and clothes.

We took the ferry back to Hiroshima after lunch. While not wanting to get entangled in the politics and sensitivity of Hiroshima in general and the Museum of Peace in specific, it is, I think, important for people to be informed about what they will be experiencing in the museum, which I called the Museum of Death. It is essentially picture after picture of the dead and dying, and we went through the museum quickly.

There were many school groups on field trips in Hiroshima. What was amusing and amazing to me was that each class had their own private photographer, taking Photopass-worthy shots of each student as they recited facts and even sang around the many monuments of the city.

Since we finished early, Jasmine was very helpful in bringing us to certain counters within the giant marketplace in the train station to get us dinner. It was easy and pleasant to eat on the bullet train. The sandwiches were extraordinary. It was when we were looking for fruit that we discovered in person what I had seen only in pictures, which is to say peaches, cherries, and grapes costing 10-100x more than what we pay. All of a sudden, it made a lot of sense why so many tourists visit the local Farmers Market in LA, where the abundance of colorful and cheap fruit must seem like miracles. Back at the station, I was able to find a reasonably priced fruit cup which contained delicious and ripe fruit.

I will share more thoughts about Jasmine after describing the following day in Kyoto with our guide Kosuke. I will say that Jasmine not only did not have a car, but she expected us to pay for all of her subway, ferry, and trolley fares in addition to her lunch. Because there is no tipping in Japan, I considered lunch to be her tip, which applied to the subsequent guides as well. She also did not read her audience terribly well. She did not adequately perceive our succumbing to jet lag by the end of the day, as she provided more detailed information than we could process. She was certainly well-versed in the history of the area, I will say that for her. DW and DD also enjoyed making origami cranes on the trolley from the ferry to the museum. On the other hand, she only suggested taking one family photo.

The famous gate at low tide:

The famous building in Hiroshima which partially survived the blast:


Next Installment: Kyoto with Kosuke


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## indoshakespeare

i'm an early riser as well.  for breakfast, i usually just grab onigiris from mini marts.


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## LovesTimone

indoshakespeare said:


> i'm an early riser as well.  for breakfast, i usually just grab onigiris from mini marts.



Our friends that went last year, suggested that we bring something or plan the night before to pick up something,  like breakfast bars, granola bars or muffins with us to tide us over until around 9:00 am when more stuff starts to open, or opt for the breakfast at the hotel.


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## LovesTimone

newfamilyman said:


> Day 3: Hiroshima and Miyajima Island
> 
> I just realized that I forgot to discuss ATMs. If you have begun researching your trip, you will have learned that only certain ATMs accept foreign debit cards. My checking account is with Charles Schwab, which I chose because they offer interest checking but most importantly rebate all ATM fees worldwide with no limits. Internationally, I have only used the card in Mexico, but there were no problems. Unfortunately, at Haneda, I tried the card at three different ATMs which accept foreign debit cards, but it was immediately rejected at all three. I had to use DD’s Bank of America debit card which resulted in steep fees, both from the Japanese bank and Bank of America, neither which I would have incurred if my Schwab card had worked. When I got home, I called Schwab, and they suggested that my chip was subtly damaged in a way that was not impacted by American ATMs but Japanese ATMs may have been more sensitive. Schwab suggested that I get a new debit card before my next foreign trip. In the future, though it will pain me to do so because of the costs, I will have to bring some cash to convert, or convert money ahead of time to be on the safe side. Now on to day 3.
> 
> Our guide, Jasmine Nakai, had e-mailed us ahead of the trip, and Mac had recommended a particular bullet train for us to take in the morning.
> 
> Let me begin by describing Japanese breakfast options. It was very surprising to us that relatively few restaurants or coffee shops open early for breakfast. Many restaurants, including Starbucks and Tully’s, do not open before 7:30, which made our options limited. For our first day, we breakfasted at the Tully’s nearest to the hotel, which again was ideally located to the JR Station. I ordered a waffle, which consisted of a small waffle with a scoop of ice cream on top, which I was not expecting. DS ordered a hot dog, which was just as surprisingly available at 7 in the morning. The next thing I learned is that there is no such thing as refills in Japan, at least not for coffee. Luckily, Tully’s did take credit cards.
> 
> We used our rail pass for the first time. We tried unsuccessfully to put our reserved tickets through the machine before learning that when you are using a rail pass, you have to always use the entrance on the far right or left, where there are staff positioned who will review the rail passes and let you pass.
> 
> I used Google Maps and Navitime to plan train travel, and Google Maps for the subway. Google Maps was extremely helpful in providing detailed information about what line to take and the platform from which the train leaves. I liked Navitime because it gave more information about the specific trains and sometimes the information was more accurate and provided more choices than is provided by Google Maps. Without a pocket wifi or SIM card, however, you will be lost if you are relying on free wifi.
> 
> Hiroshima and Miyajima Island were on DW’s agenda. As a history buff, I was interested in seeing where the bomb was dropped, but there was not enough about the area for me to justify the entire day.
> 
> Jasmine greeted us on the platform and quickly whisked us to a subway and then to the ferry for Miyajima Island. Miyajima essentially consists of a temple with a famous gate which is submerged at high tide, though we were there at low tide, so its impact was somewhat lost on us. Otherwise, there were many, many tourist-driven stores selling what my friend Cary calls T&S (trinkets and s**t) as well as snacks. Jasmine took us to an underwhelming restaurant, not at all memorable, which luckily would be the exception that proved the rule about how wonderful and amazing Japanese food can be. There are many deer on the island, but Jasmine cautioned us not to pet them and that they can, like goats, nibble on our bags and clothes.
> 
> We took the ferry back to Hiroshima after lunch. While not wanting to get entangled in the politics and sensitivity of Hiroshima in general and the Museum of Peace in specific, it is, I think, important for people to be informed about what they will be experiencing in the museum, which I called the Museum of Death. It is essentially picture after picture of the dead and dying, and we went through the museum quickly.
> 
> There were many school groups on field trips in Hiroshima. What was amusing and amazing to me was that each class had their own private photographer, taking Photopass-worthy shots of each student as they recited facts and even sang around the many monuments of the city.
> 
> Since we finished early, Jasmine was very helpful in bringing us to certain counters within the giant marketplace in the train station to get us dinner. It was easy and pleasant to eat on the bullet train. The sandwiches were extraordinary. It was when we were looking for fruit that we discovered in person what I had seen only in pictures, which is to say peaches, cherries, and grapes costing 10-100x more than what we pay. All of a sudden, it made a lot of sense why so many tourists visit the local Farmers Market in LA, where the abundance of colorful and cheap fruit must seem like miracles. Back at the station, I was able to find a reasonably priced fruit cup which contained delicious and ripe fruit.
> 
> I will share more thoughts about Jasmine after describing the following day in Kyoto with our guide Kosuke. I will say that Jasmine not only did not have a car, but she expected us to pay for all of her subway, ferry, and trolley fares in addition to her lunch. Because there is no tipping in Japan, I considered lunch to be her tip, which applied to the subsequent guides as well. She also did not read her audience terribly well. She did not adequately perceive our succumbing to jet lag by the end of the day, as she provided more detailed information than we could process. She was certainly well-versed in the history of the area, I will say that for her. DW and DD also enjoyed making origami cranes on the trolley from the ferry to the museum. On the other hand, she only suggested taking one family photo.
> 
> The famous gate at low tide:
> View attachment 421022
> The famous building in Hiroshima which partially survived the blast:
> View attachment 421023
> 
> Next Installment: Kyoto with Kosuke




We are trying to decide if we want to make the trek to Hiroshima... and the floating Torii gate really is something that is not on our list... - Is there anything else that you know of in this area to see or experience, to make it more of a full day?


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## newfamilyman

LovesTimone said:


> We are trying to decide if we want to make the trek to Hiroshima... and the floating Torii gate really is something that is not on our list... - Is there anything else that you know of in this area to see or experience, to make it more of a full day?


Miyajima Island just seemed like a tourist trap to me. The island was beautiful, but I'm not sure what else you can say about it. Hiroshima in and of itself is not a full day.


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## newfamilyman

LovesTimone said:


> Our friends that went last year, suggested that we bring something or plan the night before to pick up something,  like breakfast bars, granola bars or muffins with us to tide us over until around 9:00 am when more stuff starts to open, or opt for the breakfast at the hotel.


I couldn't justify the $30 per person price tag for breakfast. I'll share our subsequent breakfast experiences in future installments.


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## newfamilyman

Day 4: Kyoto

Before heading out to Kyoto, let me bring up a couple of issues on which I had meant to report. The first is mosquito repellant. I thought I had done my share of research for this trip, but I had not come across any recommendations for mosquito repellant. So if you haven’t, either, let me be the first to tell you: if you are going to Hiroshima and/or Kyoto, at least during the summer, you need mosquito repellant. This was not an issue in Tokyo or Osaka, but it sure was in those other two cities. I saw a poor teenager in Kyoto whose back of legs must have been a dessert buffet to the insects, since they were covered in red welts. I guess my blood is not as sweet, but they certainly made more than a few efforts to draw it out.

The second topic was the need, or lack thereof, of a travel/converter. Electricity basically ran at the same current. However, as has been reported elsewhere, a three-prong plug will not work, and most hotels, even luxury ones, do not have any or, depending upon the hotel, enough USB outlets for your electronics. Remember that you will more than likely need to be charging both the wifi buddy and its portable charger in addition to your own electronics, so some sort of travel adapter with multiple inputs helps, even if you don’t necessarily need the adapter part of it for this trip (at least not if you are coming from America).

Now back to the morning of our day in Kyoto. Because Kyoto is considerably closer to Osaka than Hiroshima, we did not have to have such an early start. As a result, we were a little later arriving at Osaka station but not later than 7:30, when again most restaurants that served breakfast opened. Today was to be our first day of trying one of the “insta-shammable,” as Mac calls them, of Japan’s favorite foods, the soufflé pancake. The restaurant where we went had to flavors, which Google translate had a hard time translating. I finally got one flavor translated as tiramisu, and the other looked lemon, but it alluded the app completely. These desserts, sorry breakfast items, were definitely a disappointment, but luckily the disappointments seemed to be most restricted those foods where looks trumped taste. In the case of soufflé pancakes, or at least these ones, they were puffy, roughly in the way that soufflés can be. But these ones were dense and not at all light. The flavor was also muted, mostly coming from the abundance of cream. I did not enjoy them anywhere near as much as our usually fluffy pancakes at home, though both DS and DD claimed to enjoy these more. I certainly can believe that there better versions of these out there, but I won’t be hunting them down. At this restaurant, the staff did not speak English, and it was cash-only.

We boarded the bullet train for the short ride to Kyoto and were met at the station by Kosuke. Kosuke, or Ko for short, was trained by Mac, by both of their reports, though I think most people tend to book Kosuke independently. I don’t know if he would have been cheaper booking directly or through Mac, though Mac charged less for his affiliated guides than for his personalized tours, and he did offer us a 10% discount for booking four days with his company.

Ko met us at the station. It was immediately clear that unlike Jasmine, Ko had a van, so there was no rushing off to subways. Based on a Japan Travel Group FB post from the person who toured with him the following day, Ko’s tours tend to have the same format, with opportunities for tailoring to individual needs. As he said, he was flexible. I had made it clear to Mac that even though it was Kyoto, I was not interested in spending the day looking at temples or shrines, and the couple that we went to were definitely ones that only a private guide would know about.

The first one we visited looked like a private house, and there were no other tourists there. We then went to the famous Fushimi-Inari-Taisha Shrine, where Kyoto demonstrated his excellence as a guide by not only offering to take many pictures but taking them in a way that gave the ridiculous impression that we were the only tourists there:



The final one was known for having many fanciful buddhas, and from that aspect, it did not disappoint. There were a couple of tourists at that one, including what looked like a father and son from America. The dad joked with us that we weren’t in Kansas anymore, and that much was certainly true.



Ko took us to a street market, where you could sample some exotic delicacies, and to a Shiba café. While Japanese call these types of places cafés, you get a single beverage from a vending machine but no food. The shiba café was a bit of a bust in the sense that shiba are not the friendliest of dogs. They are cute, but the interaction was minimal. It was a nice place to rest.


Ko brought us to a delicious soba lunch at restaurant which also only took cash and where there were no other tourists. I certainly had the impression that Ko took all of his customers there, so while good, I’m not sure if he received any kind of incentive from the owners for bringing his clients there. It was certainly not our best meal of the trip, and I’d like to think that there were better restaurants in Kyoto even if it hit the spot.

The highlight, at least for us, was the monkey park. It was a somewhat brutal uphill climb, but the results were mostly certainly worth it:



I also had the best dessert of the trip on the way there, insta-shammable, yes, a but a delicious green tea, ice cream concoction. It had what tasted like corn flakes dipped in a sweet, green-tea coating which was a wonderful accompaniment to the ice cream. Even better, they took Suica, since I was out of cash at that point. Having the Suica card on the app made it tremendously easy to add value without ever having to use a machine.

DW was interested in geishas, so we made a stop to that neighborhood without seeing any and from there it was back to the station. We decided to take a train back rather than eat dinner in Kyoto, since there would have been a long gap between trains.

Kyoto made a strong impression on us, particularly DS. Ko reported that it was the second safest city in the world, after Singapore, and it was mind-blowing, as Americans, to see young elementary-school children walking home on their own, without any worries about being kidnapped or exposed to crime.

Ko was a wonderful guide. He never charged us for parking, saying it was included. As I expressed to Mac, I did feel overcharged at paying the same amount for both guides, whereas Ko said everything was included, and Jasmine nickel-and-dimed us, or whatever the yen equivalent to that expression is, for all of her expenses, including public transportation costs. In fact, one of the first things she did was to take one of my larger bills and give me back the difference after subtracting all of these costs. We were all glad that we had spent the day with Ko and wouldn’t have had it any other way.

When we got back to the hotel/shopping mall, we decided to eat at a sushi restaurant. We discovered that at many shopping malls, the top floor or two were dedicated to restaurants. We found a sushi restaurant which was both conveyor belt and you could order from a touch-screen at your table. We ordered many items and were blown away by their freshness, quality, and deliciousness. Many of the fish were unknown to us, and even the known ones, like tuna, came in multiple varities. It was a veritable sushi Shmorgishborg and the price at the end was a fraction of what we would have paid at the states made even better by the lack of need to tip. DW and I agreed that it was better than Nobu. That is one of the problems of going to Japan: every subsequent sushi meal back home will be truly depressing.

Next Installment: Universal Studios Japan (USJ)


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## nono

Really enjoying your report!


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## newfamilyman

Day 5: USJ

First of all, let me say thank you to all who have been reading so far, and I appreciate the kind words.

Before we get to USJ, now would be a good time to discuss jet lag. From reading various Japan Travel FB posts and talking to people (Americans) who had been there, the common experience seemed to be an effortless adjustment to the new time zone upon arrival to Japan followed by weeks of recovery and jet leg upon returning to the States. This was not our experience. We were glad that we hit the road running, so to speak, at the beginning of the trip rather than have an activity-free day first because we all woke up early the first days, so it only made sense to have full-day activities at the beginning. However, we continued getting up early, or at least most of did, meaning that we were pretty exhausted by our fourth full day, which unfortunately was our USJ day. We were definitely all experiencing crankiness.

Having read trip reports of hours-long waits for most rides, I had some trepidation about going to USJ. As an American, it felt strange that July 3rd would be considered off-peak, which it was, and I debated splurging on the royal pass versus getting express passes. In the end, I decided to buy the royal pass. There are primarily two vendors of USJ tickets, at least for international tourists, voyagin and klook. When it comes to the royal pass in specific, the difference was the voyagin was more expensive, presumably because they delivered the wristbands and tickets to your hotel instead of making you pick them up from an office, and that voyagin allowed you to buy tickets in advance of the official date of when the royal passes were released. For those reasons, I went with voyagin. After purchasing the tickets, the order is placed in what could be called abeyance for a couple of days until the order is approved, at which point you are charged. A couple of weeks later, I got an e-mail from voyagin telling me that the order was cancelled because USJ decided not to sell royal passes from June 24th-July 12th with no reason given. This was a good condition that the parks would not feel too off-peak that day. I then decided to go with a 7-attraction express pass, choosing the Sing show as the variable, and purchased through klook, which was still quite a bit cheaper. Because these passes were e-mailed and used electronically, this rendered the inconvenience of picking them up void. The express passes had some attractions with time restrictions and some without, and several attractions were either/or so that they could not be used for both.

As far as research, I did read a few trip reports online, and I purchased Chris Nilghe's TDR Explorer review of USJ. Again, I am a big fan of Chris, who is an immensely likable person and to be commended for helping so many people plan their theme park-centric Japan trips. In all honesty, though, I have to say that this book, for a book, was a bit anemic of some details which would be helpful. Chris' primary suggestion of using single-rider lines did not help us, since we wanted to ride as a family. His restaurant reviews, though, were probably the section in most need of beefing up. When you are buying a book, even if it is not particularly expensive, you do want more details.

We planned to rope-drop the park, so because we were leaving early, we gave Tully's another go. This time I ordered the pancakes. Tully's pancakes are plastic-wrapped for microwaving, so freshness is going to be lacking. The coffee was just so-so. Given the limited options, though, it got the job done. We headed again to the adjacent JR Osaka station and using our Suica cards on our iPhones, made it quickly to USJ. Walking through CityWalk was a little strange because it looked a lot like our Universal City, CA City Walk but with a couple of hotels instead of a movie theater.

There were long lines in front of the entrance gates, with security positioned in front of the turnstiles. While there were many people waiting, the crowds quickly dispersed once they entered the park. Team members scanned our passes, which I did not print but just presented on my phone, and we were in.

Before the park got two crowded, DW and DD wanted to do Flying Dinosaur, since this was basically the only ride not included in the Express Pass, other than the Cool Japan overlays. While they both love roller coasters, they spoke about how intense the ride was, and they would chose not to do it again.

We then went to Jaws, which was probably the main reason I chose to even go to USJ. Having never done Jaws when it was in Orlando, I really wanted to experience it. The express pass could be used on either Jaws or Spiderman, so we decided to wait on the line. It was a slow 30 minutes, especially given how cranky we were, but we really enjoyed the theming of the line. The "Re-Elect Mayor Vaughn" signs were hilarious. The Jaws ride did not disappoint. Even though it was in Japanese, it was exactly what I had been expecting and hoping for. Here is a picture which included both  Amity and Hogsmeade:


Still not wanting to use our express pas yet, we headed over to Backdraft. Having enjoyed this attraction many times in California, this was about nostalgia and treating the kids to their first experience of it. It was essentially the same as I remembered. Though the second set was different, the fire display was the same. Again, the fact that it was all in Japanese did not detract from the enjoyment of experiencing this again, perhaps for the final time.

It was then time to start using the express passes. The weather in the trip started off hot in Osaka, which proved to be the only hot days of our vacation. As a result, even though it was still only around 10 or so in the morning, it was hot enough for Jurassic Park. The express pass paired Jurassic Park with Terminator, which would have been another attraction for nostalgia's case, but it was closed during our visit due to the Cool Japan overlay. Jurassic Park was pretty identical to what we had ridden in California and Orlando, with the main differences being that everything was working, and there were more animatronics.

Our final ride before lunch was Spiderman, which was identical to the version in Orlando. Perhaps because of its ample use of screens, which gets to be a bit old for many of the newer Universal rides, this attraction has proven to be a classic case of diminishing returns for me. At this point, I don't feel the need to ride this one again, which is the same feeling I have about the strikingly similar Transformers rides.

Lunch was the first indicator that the food at USJ was dismayingly dismal. Because we wanted to enjoy more of the Amity theming, we returned to eat in the Amity Landing restaurant. The theming proved to be superior to the food, which was just so-so and unmemorable. The view overlooking the loading area of the attraction was pleasant.

Minions are very popular with the Japanese, and this area of the park was packed. However, this is a ride that made me dizzy, and nobody else wanted to try it again, so we all skipped this one. We did use our pass for the new Sing show. This was a completely unnecessary use of the pass, and I would not recommend choosing the express pass with this option. Feeling pretty exhausted by this point, I got a seat in the back away from the crowd and attempted to sleep unsuccessfully but instead at least got some rest. This show was a curious hybrid of English and Japanese. The songs were all in English and some of the dialogue in English, but most of the dialogue was in Japanese. Again, I did not get the sense that I missed anything. The performers looked American and were of the quality of performers that you might think needed to find work in a Japanese theme park in order to make a living in their chosen profession. The set was minimal but made  ample use of expensive and elaborate LED screens for backdrops. There was also clever use of puppets and animatronics.

After leaving the show, we still wanted to rest, and we had until 3 PM before we our express pass times for entry to the Harry Potter area, as it was called on the ticket. Resting near Mel's Diner, a parade began. It involved much spraying of water on guests, but we were sitting far enough away that we were not impacted. Suddenly, cannons on top of the Mel's Diner roof blasted us with water to the point that we were all soaked. When we saw the name of the parade at the end, the Water Surprise Parade, we all agreed that we had never seen a more accurately named entertainment. I also subsequently noted on the map that had been seated in one of the splash zones.

Soaking wet, or close to it, we decided to try the Cool Japan event that Trish said was the best in a recent TDR Explorer podcast, which was Attack on Titan. We knew going in that this would be all in Japanese, and we were unfamiliar with this show, but Trish explained the plot in the podcast, and we thought we'd give it a go, especially since the line was relatively short. The effects were pretty spectacular and impressive for an overlay, and we certainly got the idea of the show, if not any deeper intricacies.

It was then time for us to enter Harry Potter, which started with the express pass for Forbidden Journey. This attraction blew me away the first time that I rode it, but I've gotten progressively sicker and dizzier after each ride that like Spiderman, I have to give up on it at this point. Not having 3D glasses certainly removed the nausea, but it's just too unpleasant for someone with motion sickness. I would agree with those who've said that this version does have more effects.

We then used our express pass on the neighboring Flight of the Hippogriff. What made this ride particularly fun was the Japanese young woman sitting in the row ahead of us who was screaming as loudly and hysterically as if she was riding the most intense roller coaster ever created. I have to think this visitor for making this ride on Hippogriff my clear favorite.

I was tired again and decided to rest with DS while DW and DD explored the shops. They were surprisingly quick, and DD voiced her disappointment with the tininess of these shops in comparison to those in the States.

As late afternoon was falling, and it was starting to rain, we dropped in on the last performance of the Universal Monsters Live Rock and Roll show. The set was magnificent, arguably the most under-served set of any that I have seen. The monsters show that followed was, like Sing, mostly in Japanese with some English, with the songs being in English. The host, Beetlejuice, spoke entirely in Japanese. The performers, again mostly American, were of the same quality as those in Sing. It was a nice place to rest with a wonderfully spooky set, but the performers left me feeling a little depressed.

Our final ride of the day was Hollywood Dream. We used this express pass, since we had not waited on line for Backdraft, which was paired I was worried about getting a headache or feeling dizzy, but this ride was surprisingly fun. I enjoyed kicking my feet up like on a swing and enjoying the sensation of being lifted up.

Before leaving, we had dinner at Azzurri di Capri. Like all sit-down restaurants that we visited in Japan, this had only a price fix, or set meu, as they call it. The so-called salad was all meat, cheese, with maybe tomatoes. The pizza wasn't bad, but until we got to TDR, DW was convinced that we should avoid European cooking while in Japan.

Overall, USJ is not a park where we would ever return to. It was fun for the sake of nostalgia, but this is the only Universal park without a Mummy ride, which is my favorite ride at both American locations. The food is in serious need of an upgrade. The theming, however, is up to Japan's excellent standards.

Next Installment: Ryokan in Takayama


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## LovesTimone

We were wondering about Universal, my DH's brother works at the one here in Orlando, and we only go maybe once or twice a year, and he gets us tickets. So officially Universal Japan is off the list, it was way down the list to start with... I really want to us our time wisely, and basically it's the same as here so no big deal missing it... 

Really enjoying your trip report...


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## newfamilyman

Day 6: Honjin Hiranoya Bekkan Ryokan in Takayama

Spending a night at a ryokan was on DW's wish list, and she chose one in Takayama based on the ABD itinerary. Based on reviews, it is one of the highest-rated ryokans in the country. We booked on hotels.com, since the price seemed to be same on all the different booking sites, and hotels.com also has a rewards program. My only regret is that I did not purchase hotels.com gift cards at an office supply center or online at staples.com, where I could have received 5 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar for using my Chase Ink card.

Because DS has a shellfish allergy, to err on the safe side, she upgraded the meal plan to beef, as the ryokan advertises using the area's famous Hida beef. While we were in Osaka, we began receiving notifications from the ryokan asking about allergies and the time of our arrival into the Takayama station for pick-up. I had been wondering how we were going to contact the ryokan to arrange for pick-up, since we did not have a cell phone plan and figured I would need to ask one of the guides to call for us. However, the messages finally came only a couple of days in advance, so if you book there, don't expect to hear from them until a couple of days before your check-in date.

We were able to get a late start out of Osaka, since we could not arrive to the hotel until 4 or so. We were craving an old-fashioned American breakfast and decided to visit the closest Osaka location of the Hawaiian-themed and -based chain Eggs 'n Things, which specializes in breakfast foods Hawaiian-style. It was a short walk from the hotel and actually the first time we had walked in Osaka beyond the adjacent train station and shopping center. DS ordered the chocolate banana pancakes, which were as fantastic as they sounded, and topped with what looked like an entire can of Reddi Wip. The eggs were delicious as well. In addition to maple syrup, which I didn't try, they also offered coconut and guava syrup, which were a pleasant change from the usual. It was an expensive breakfast which topped $60 but was a nice break from Tully's, and they took credit cards.

It was then time to leave Osaka. Even though we had not spent much time in Osaka, we enjoyed the location and elegance of the InterContinental. We took a bullet train from Osaka to Nagoya and then the Wide View Hida train from Nagoya to Takayama.

Anyone who says that the green car rail pass is not worth it has clearly never ridden the Wide View Hida train from Nagoya to Takayama. At first, I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't realize that you could reserve seats on trains other than bullet trains. We took a random car, and I observed some other passengers look at their tickets for where to sit. At that point, I stopped a conductor and showed him our rail passes. He returned after a few minutes and escorted us to magnificent green car up front and showed us to our seats. The green car had two seats on one side and only one on the other, affording incredible and unobstructed views of the beautiful scenery. In addition, the front of the train was similarly unobstructed so that you had a panoramic view of the scenery. It was amazing how close you got to the river. Here is a photo:



There was even occasional narration, in both Japanese and English, of what you were seeing. The seats themselves were huge, with vast legroom and ample recline. It was a delightful way to spend three-and-a-half hours.

Once we got to Takayama, things went a bit downhill. The shuttle bus driver met us at the station, as promised. The Honjin Hiranoya Bekkan is a bit of a hybrid hotel and ryokan. From the outside, it looks like a hotel, and has maybe six or so floors. The rooms themselves, however, were furnished ryokan-style. We were all allowed to stay in one room. From the moment the hostess, who escorted us to our room, opened the door, the smell of the apparently aging tatami mats reeked like something old and unpleasant, with a mildew-like odor. We acclimated to it, but any time you left the room and returned, the powerful odor returned.

The hostess oriented us to our room. The downgrade of bathroom from the InterContinental to this ryokan could not have been more severe, though the fabulous Japanese toilet was at least still present. At this point, DW and DD chose to use the onsen. They have visited Korean spas in our hometown of LA before, and they were comfortable with the nudity. Perhaps because DS was 14 almost 15, though perhaps any age would have been awkward, we both decided that we did not want to experience traditional onsens which required nudity. DW and DD reported enjoying themselves, and they shared it with an Australian mother and daughter who we subsequently shared the shuttle back to the station the next day and even saw again at TDS. DW and DD resisted the temptation to joke with the Australians about having difficulty recognizing them with their clothes on.

DW had arranged for dinner in the room, as opposed to the dining room, and after a couple of hours, the hostess returned with the meal. I can't remember how many courses were included, perhaps eight or so, and each one included beef. Beef sushi, custard with beef, and on and on. If you order the beef "upgrade," be prepared to be inundated with beef beyond even a meat-lover's tolerance or preference. Furthermore, Hida beef was nothing to write home about, at least the quality used by the ryokan. Here we are eating dinner:



An hour or so later, a staff member and her teenage children, presumably, set up the futons. This is how it looked the following morning:



I didn't expect the futons to be comfortable, and they were not. Luckily, I brought my pillow from home, which I recommend anyone do who prefer pillows that are not extremely firm. The room included a small TV which you can't see in the photo. I always bring an Apple converter which connects an iPhone to an HDMI cable so that we can watch TV wherever we are, so we enjoyed starting Stranger Things season 3 in Takayama.

Next Installment: Leaving Takayama, Arriving in Odawara


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## indoshakespeare

I'm going to Takayama this December (also taking the wide view train).  Are the windows different between Green Car and Regular Car?


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## newfamilyman

The windows are the same, as far as I could tell. However, the lack of so many other seats made the views much less obstructed.


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## FireflyTrance

Thanks for sharing. Looks like an amazing trip!


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## newfamilyman

Day 6: Hilton Odawara, Day 1

After a not-great night's sleep, we went down to breakfast in the dining area where we could have had dinner the night before if we hadn't chosen to have it in our room instead. For those not in the mindset for a Japanese breakfast, the western-style breakfast continued to disappoint. The only thing that I enjoyed were the breakfast breads, and those were only just OK.

We took the hotel's free shuttle to Takayama station. One of the curious things about shuttle buses, which continued when going to the Odawara Hilton, is that there is no compartment in the back for luggage. Instead, they leave the first row free in which they place the luggage.

Once in the Takayama station, I got our reserved seats for the Wide View Hida, this time to Nagoya, and then transferring to the shinkansen to Odawara. On the return trip, the seats had been turned around the opposite way, and there was no narration. It was still an extremely relaxing ride with beautiful scenery.

We had a little over an hour layover in Nagoya before the shinkansen to Odawara, so we decided to have lunch in a sit-down restaurant. We went to the neighboring tower, where the top two floors were similarly dedicated to restaurants. They had an interesting set-up where rather than leave your name on a list, you sat in seats lined up against the wall in a first-come, first-served manner. I'm not sure how that would work if they needed a table for two and the next guests were a party of four, but we didn't wait to find out because we did not have enough time to wait to be seated. We found a restaurant with no wait so that we could be seated immediately.

Once again, we were treated to a fantastic Japanese meal. I finally got my pork cutlets, which were perfectly fried and not at all greasy, and served with the most delicious tonkatsu sauce. One of the wonderful things about not having to tip, other than saving money, is that you can approach any staff when you need something, so it was easy to get water refills from anyone who passed by. Payment was also quick, since as soon as you were done, you went to the cashier without having to wait for a check or a server to return with your processed slip. We were easily in and out in an hour.

It was then a quick shinkansen ride to Odawara. I was a little nervous about making the Hilton shuttle because from the information that they sent us, they have only one pick-up per hour, and if there isn't room for you, you need to take the train to Nebukawa, the closer train station to the hotel. I was trying to avoid Nebukawa mainly because there is no escalator, and I always preferred not having to lug heavy suitcases up and down stairs whenever possible. The hotel provided a detailed map for where to find the shuttle, which arrived exactly where the map indicated. Luckily, we had no problems getting on the shuttle.

As a diamond member, I had requested upgrades, ideally to suites. We were instead upgraded to their curious Western-Japanese hybrid rooms. The room was half, typical Western-style hotel room and half ryokan. The bathrooms, other than the wonderful Japanese toilet, were typical Hilton, not upscale, but the views were the best I have experienced in a hotel. Views do not get any more expansive. It was overcast, as it rained the following day, but hopefully you can get the idea from these pictures:



The Hilton has only two restaurants, a lobby lounge and the main restaurant, which offers only buffets. As diamond members, we were offered club lounge access. The Ocean lounge was a little unusual in that it did not offer breakfast but did have snacks and late afternoon/early evening hors d’oeuvres and light desserts. For diamond and possibly gold members, the breakfast buffet was free. This Hilton is one of few hotels that does not only provide a continental or cold buffet for elite members. For entertainment, the hotel has tennis courts, a bowling alley, and karaoke rooms. Their indoor pool complex is vast.

For our first night, we decided to save a little money and have a makeshift dinner in the lounge. There were a couple of hot items so that it was not impossible to do. By the standards of upscale, Asian hotels, this spread underwhelmed. It was more on par for what you would expect in an American Hilton executive lounge.

We were still catching up on sleep, so we watched some more TV. We never had a problem at any hotel using my iPhone HDMI adapter. While it was confusing at some hotels where the remotes lacked English, intuitively, it wasn’t too hard to figure out the source button.

Next Installment : Hilton Odawara, Day 2


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## newfamilyman

The room was well air-conditioned, but the mattresses and especially pillows were definitely on the firm side, which continued in all hotels where we stayed. The bathroom, while head and shoulders above the ryokan’s, was yet another major step down from the InterContinental.

We headed down to the breakfast buffet, where there was no wait to be seated. One section of the restaurant is reserved for Hilton Honors guests, presumably so that they know not to charge for the meal. A bill was never presented during either of our breakfasts there. Considering how big the rest of the seating area was, it was surprising that there weren’t more elite guests (i.e., gold or diamond status).

The buffet catered to its predominantly Asian clientele, offering little in the way of an America or European breakfast. The limited fruit options continued, and much of the fruit available was canned, including the peaches. Given that it was stone fruit season in California, it was a little depressing to see canned peaches. However, they did have fresh lychees, something that I have only had canned before (as far as I know, at least). They were easy to peel, and it was definitely fun to eat them fresh.

The bread items were similarly disappointing. If the chalkboard sign indicating that they were baked in-house was correct, then they certainly weren’t baked in-house that day. The sample of breads I tried were all stale, at least a day old. For those who were content with sticking to the Japanese choices, the buffet looked more than satisfactory.

After breakfast, we gave some thought as to how to plan our day. The Hilton, as I would quickly learn, is fairly isolated, and unless you have a car, you are pretty much stuck there. The shuttle to the Odawara station does not run on weekends, at least during the summer season. I asked a friendly attendant in the Ocean Lounge about that, and he explained that the Hilton sits on the road to Hokkaido, which after 11 AM on the weekends is often heavily congested and slow-moving. As a result, the shuttle can’t make it round-trip in a timely manner.

We had initially wanted to visit the Yunessun theme-park spa, and I had even been foolish enough to reserve the tickets in advance, but it would have been prohibitively expensive to get there by taxi. Furthermore, the machinations of taking a taxi to the Odawara station and then finding the correct bus and getting off at the correct stop and then doing the same thing in reverse seemed overwhelming and stressful. As a result, we made the somewhat reluctant to decision to spend the day at the resort and enjoy its amenities, knowing that we had one more day of rest on Sunday before the beginning of our busy and final week.

DW and DD enjoyed an hour in one of the karaoke rooms, and we all spent some time in the pool complex, since it was not an onsen. The Japanese were very strict about what they considered to be hygiene issues. Swim caps were required for the Olympic-sized lap pool, which was enforced, and you were supposed to rinse off by pouring water on yourself in a special pool that looked like a Jacuzzi but had freezing-cold water after leaving the saunas, which was not enforced. From my perspective, pouring freezing water on yourself basically undid whatever relaxation was achieved from the saunas.

We had lunch in the lobby restaurant, where food was delivered from the distant kitchen in the main restaurant. As befitting a restaurant where guests were really discouraged from eating in order to choose the presumably more cost-effective and profitable buffet, the prices were extravagant for small-portion menu items. A sushi plate, for example, cost around $30, whereas the buffet contained unlimited sushi along with everything else you would want for twice that price. It was kind of a no-brainer to eat onsite, since any off-site restaurant would include an expensive round-trip taxi fare.

After a nap, we went to the lounge, where the same helpful staff member explained that the buffet dinner cost was $60 after the service charge. I tried to get that information using Google translate from a brochure in the lobby restaurant, but again, the app failed to accurately translate. DW decided that she was not hungry enough to eat the buffet, so DD, DS, and I went alone. The buffet proved to be a terrific value for $60, again inclusive of service charge and no required tip, for the sushi alone. There were plenty of other delicious items, including a chocolate fountain, to more than justify its cost. In the absence of other options, I recommend the buffet.

We did not feel like doing anything else around the resort, so we finished the night watching Netflix in the room.

Next Installment: Sheraton Grande, Tokyo Bay


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## newfamilyman

Day 9: Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay

We checked out of the Hilton after breakfast. The breakfast was identical to the previous day. There was no wait, which was great, and still no out-of-pocket, which was also great.

Because the shuttle did not run to the Odawara station, rather than deal with the inconvenience of Nebukawa, I decided to book a taxi through the JapanTaxi app. The app gives an approximate cost and allows for payment through credit card. Otherwise, as it turns out, I don't think there were any advantages and one significant disadvantage of asking a bellman to get a taxi for us. Like Uber, you wait for a driver to be matched after you confirm the ride, but unlike Uber, the wait was over 20 minutes for the taxi to arrive. It turns out that the driver came from the Odawara station. We were lucky that the taxi was large and had ample storage space for our luggage.

Back at the station, because DW and DD had filled themselves with the Japanese offerings at the breakfast buffet, only DS and I purchased some lunch items at one of the excellent restaurants in the Japanese version of a food court, which focuses on grab-and-go items. I made our reservations for our final bullet train of the trip. With the sad realization that our rail passes were expiring that day meant that our trip was half over.

With a short wait for a bullet train, it was a relatively brief journey to Tokyo. From that station, there was a long, long, long walk which felt like two miles, though it probably wasn't, to the subway which would take us to the Maihama station. From the Maihama station, we took the Disney monorail initially to Ikspiari (their version of Downtown Disney) because I wanted to see if I could get my vacation package materials early. Only the Disney hotels provide the free monorail tickets, so we used our Suica cards to cover the monorail trips initially. A helpful staff member directed us to the Disney ticketing office.

The following picture shows our initial welcome to Ikspiari, and I point this out to help others who think that just because you are visiting in the second week of July, don't expect the rainy season to have ended or even for it to be warm.



Because I have seen this question raised multiple times, here is important information for anyone purchasing vacation packages: you cannot pick them up until after 3PM on the day before the package begins. Because our package was set to start on Tuesday, we would have to return on Monday after 3. We then headed back to the monorail to take it to the Resort Gateway station and walked across the street to the Sheraton Grande.

I've read a number of negative reviews of the Sheraton Grande, and I can say from my experience is that based on what room you get, your opinion will definitely vary widely. We arrived to the Sheraton on a Sunday, and there were at least two weddings taking place that we saw. There were long check-in lines, but a helpful staff member directed me to the Bonvoy elite check-in desk which had only party in front of me. Check-in time was 3, and we arrived just after 3. As I mentioned earlier, we had booked a Japanese suite, and the clerk told us that our room would not ready until 5. Before I even had a chance to complain, she told us that she would provide us with room keys to a different room, and we could go to our suite after 5. This seemed like a very reasonable arrangement.

The initial room looked pure Sheraton, a Sheraton that hadn't been upgraded since the hotel opened in 1988. Instead of thermostat, for example, it had a series of buttons for the air flow strength and heat or air-conditioning without allowing for any specificity. The bathroom, similarly, was completely dated. The view from the room was curiously of the Disney Sea show buildings, specifically Indiana Jones and at least one other whose corresponding ride could not be easily determined.

While we were waiting, I began doing laundry, which was one of the main reasons for choosing this hotel. The laundry room was, again curiously, located in the kids' play area of the hotel, located in a separate building. The machine required 100 yen coins. The laundry was 300 yen per load, and if you put in 400 yen, the machine automatically inserted detergent. The dryer was 100 yen per 15 minutes, up to 60 minutes at a time. I filled up two washing machines and eventually loaded two dryers with clothes. Luckily, only one other guest was doing laundry.

We then made a visit to the club lounge, which was located in the same building on the top floor, though at the other end of the floor. There was only some packaged crackers and drinks at that time of the day, so we returned to the room.

Next it was time to choose where we were going to eat. Three of the restaurants in the hotel were offering a terrific deal: Marriott Bonvoy members got discounts starting at 10% for basic members, 15% for gold members, and 20% for platinum and higher. My memory may be incorrect here, as I can't be sure if platinum was 15% or 20%. As titanium, we got 20%.

We chose the buffet restaurant, which in spite of the negative reviews that I have read, turned out to be terrific. It had a wide-variety of choices, emphasizing the theme at that time of Indian dishes. Seeing that I was a big water drinker, a server helpfully placed a pitcher of water on our table. With the 20% discount, the meal was very reasonably priced, and I recommend this restaurant without hesitation.

The only problem I experienced at dinner was that I had to keep going back to the laundry room, as I discovered the dryers were among the least powerful that I have experienced. Initially, my mistake was to put the one load into one dryer. We had filled up the washing machine, and the dryer was helpless to deal with this quantity of clothes. After running one dryer for two hours, I finally had to separate the clothes into two dryers in order to finally have the adequately dried.

After dinner, we were excited to go to our new room, and the difference was astounding. It was almost impossible to believe that both rooms were located in the same hotel. You passed through a Japanese curtain to enter the wing of the Japanese suites, each one of which was named. Our room had four beds and was enormous. Everything was perfectly themed and luxurious. Here are pictures of our view and the shower/bath part of the bathroom.




One of the main benefits of the Japanese rooms, as I mentioned earlier, is the use of a private bath room, which included a large jacuzzi of sorts, showers, and many sinks. After the unexpected rainy cold of Tokyo weather, it was heavenly to enjoy a hot soak and then shave. We could have booked it again the next day, if we had chosen to stay in the room.

Having wound down with this relaxing treat, we watched more Netflix and fell easily asleep.

Next Installment: Our First Day in Tokyo


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## MakiraMarlena

what kind of adapter for the Iphone are you using to watch TV? I looked at some, but they say they are not compatible with Netflix or other paid streaming services which are supposedly somehow encrypted and cannot be mirrored to a TV screen. If the programs are downloaded first I guess it would work.


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## newfamilyman

MakiraMarlena said:


> what kind of adapter for the Iphone are you using to watch TV? I looked at some, but they say they are not compatible with Netflix or other paid streaming services which are supposedly somehow encrypted and cannot be mirrored to a TV screen. If the programs are downloaded first I guess it would work.


I use the Lightning AV adapter below. No, we did not download first. We used the hotels' WiFi, since it was usually faster than the WiFi buddy. You just have to connect an HDMI cable to the adapter, and the other end goes into the phone. The only challenge sometimes was positioning the TV to find the HDMI input and then figuring out the source button on the remotes, some of which had only Japanese characters.


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## newfamilyman

Day 10: Tokyo and Hotel Mira Costa

As I had mentioned earlier, I double-booked this night at both the Sheraton and the Mira Costa. I little expected to have the debate that we encountered this morning as to whether or not to blow off the Mira Costa to continue our stay at the Sheraton. Unfortunately, it turned out that we would make the mistake of checking out of the Sheraton and making good on our Mira Costa reservation.

First was our breakfast in the Club Lounge. I absolutely have to hand it to the Sheraton. When they get busy, they know how to manage crowds. A staff member ascertains your party size and then escorts you to a table just as if it were a restaurant. This was very civilized and convenient. There was a generous spread which continued to prove that not all Sheratons are alike. The breads, in particular, were spectacular. My only complaint was that there were two elaborate coffee dispensing machines which prepared drinks with steamed, or at least heated, milk. Only when we left did we discover a traditional coffee dispenser near the back exit for just regular coffee. One of these two fancier machines had an out-of-order sign on it, creating a long line for the only working machine. When I came back for a refill, however, I saw someone using the other machine. She explained that the "broken" machine worked fine for any drink which didn't include milk, so it would have been helpful if that had been mentioned on the sign. Still, a small complaint.

We were not hitting the parks today but going into Tokyo. We had some time before our 10AM tickets for Team Lab Planets, so we headed over to the Mira Costa to drop off our bags. This involved taking the monorail one more time at our own expense, where there is a convenient walkway from the second floor to the hotel's lobby, which is also on the second floor. There was a bit of a line to check-in, but the cast member helpfully gave me our monorail passes, Happy 15 entry tickets, but not our room tickets, instructing us to return after 3. The lobby was compact but as spectacular as we promised in the many trip reports and reviews I had read by way of planning.

We were then ready to go to TeamLab Planets. It seemed de rigeur to visit at least one of the Team Labs while in Tokyo, and I was put off by some of the negative reports of those who visited Borderless. Planets turned out to be Borderless lite, which worked for us. There were a relatively small number of rooms, and there was a prescribed order to visit them. Our tickets were for the opening time, and there was a small line when we got there. It was a pretty cool digital art museum, if that's what you can call it, no question about it.


Why women are told not to wear skirts:

We were done in 45 minutes or so, shorter than I expected, but I felt like I had partaken adequately of the TeamLab experience. TeamLab will have a floor in the upcoming Motion Picture Academy museum under construction pretty close to us in LA, so we'll probably go back again then.

Following TeamLab, there was an elaborate hot dog stand, essentially, near the entrance, so we all got some lunch before heading to the Tokyo Dome. I wanted to experience at least one other local amusement park besides Disney and chose this one primarily because it had a karaoke ferris wheel for DW and a log ride for DS and me. Log rides are my favorite kind of ride because of the combination of relaxation and, when they're good, a nice view before a fun but usually not-too-intense thrill.

I probably should have purchased passes in advance on Viator, but I wasn't clear exactly what was included, so I purchased a three-ticket attraction pass on-site. We first went on the karaoke ferris wheel. There was a limited number of songs from which to choose, but DW and DD had enough time to belt out "Let it Go" while we got some great views of the neighborhood.




Next was the log ride. The most impressive part of the ride was that you really got soaked, much more so than would have been expected by looking at it. Since Splash Mountain incredulously was closed for the summer, this would be my only log ride in Japan (Jurassic Park is a shoot-the-chutes), this one had to suffice and barely did.

I guess we saved the worst for last, the newly opened Back Daan indoor coaster. It goes forward in the dark, and then backwards with the blinking lights. I guess they are supposed to simulate "comical explosions of bombs," according to the website. You can't make this stuff up. It was just, meh.

Leaving Tokyo Dome, we happened upon our first Donki, as Don Quijote is abbreviated by the locals. For this first one, it was all about the Kit Kats for me. I wanted to bring them back as souvenirs and was faced with a wonderful assortment of flavors which could only be partially translated. We were then back to the subway to return to Tokyo Bay.

We returned to Ikspiari right around 4, and I had no problems this time getting my vacation package materials. When we returned to Mira Costa, there was a dispiritingly long line for check-in. Luckily, a manager was assisting guests in line, and I explained that I had checked in earlier and was just picking up my room key. He helpfully was able to provide me the keys so that I could bypass the line.

Our room, 5345, could not help but overwhelm in comparison to the suite at the Sheraton except for the views:

Note the line at Mama Biscotti's, which never seemed to diminish

The room itself had two beds which were basically somewhere between a twin and a double, a twin trundle bed, and another twin bed. The room was small, and the four beds seemed to take up all of the available space. It was less than half the size of the Sheraton suite. The bathroom was similarly underwhelming, though at least the toilet and shower were in separate compartments.

I had made a 6:45 reservation for Oceana because I wanted to be able to watch Fantasmic from the balcony at the restaurant, a perk for the restaurant's diners. We made the mistake of initially taking the elevator to the first floor and couldn't figure out how to get to the restaurant. We did manage to see the incredible view of Venice from the spa, which is on this floor. We then remembered that the lobby is on the second floor.


Oceana was about half or possibly a third the size of the Sheraton's buffet. The selections that they did have satisfying enough but only the perk of watching Fantasmic from the balcony justified the experience. I wondered how letting guests on the balcony would work, and I observed a CM standing guard for 10 minutes or so before he finally opened the door, which was about 5 minutes before the show started. There was a stampede for the door, but the balcony was big enough to allow us to get a great view of the show.

My experience of Fantasmic goes back to its premier at Disneyland. In those days, you could claim your spot in front of the Rivers of America hours ahead of time in anticipation of a great view of the spectacular. I remember one such time where we had waited hours next to another group of guests Arizona, one of whom told me, and I still remember, in a wistful tone of voice, "There's something just so magical about this place." The novelty of the show and the way it was created for this particular space made those waits worth it. It's no longer possible to stake out your spot hours in advance, and in any case, Fantasmic 2.0 at DL is not a worthy successor to the original, in my opinion. The same can be said of Orlando's version, which does not even justify a second viewing. The Tokyo version is coming to an end. The technological innovation here is the sorcerer's hat which is used as a projection device instead of screens of water. The language barrier also diminished the show's impact, but I was glad to have experienced it.

We paid the check and returned to the room to go to sleep, since tomorrow would be our first day at DisneySea.


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## newfamilyman

Day 11: Tokyo DisneySea

Before we get to our first day at TDS, I realized that I forgot to mention about our visit to the Disney store in Ikspiari before we headed out to Tokyo on Moday. Let me repeat that we planned for hot weather. I listened two or three times to Chris and Trish's TDR Explorer podcast on how to manage the sweltering heat that is summer in Tokyo. I brought mostly t-shirts and shorts, with no sweatshirt or coat, not wanting to bring more than I needed. The first week was as hot as we expected, but as we entered week two, and the cold, rainy gloom that would last all the way until we boarded our plane to following Sunday.

As a result, DS and I definitely needed heavier clothing. Before we headed to the city on Monday, we made our way to the Disney Store in Ikspiari, the largest one in the country. Upon entering it, I thought maybe there was a hidden floor, since it was about half the size, if that, of the World of Disney store in Downtown Disney in Anaheim and smaller even than the typical mall Disney store in the States. Even more amazingly, there was almost no clothing. The only clothing items were a few Marvel t-shirts. I asked a cast member if there was more to the store and if there were any more clothes than what was on display, and the answer was no to both.

We made our way then to the neighboring Gap, where we ended up buying a couple of hoodies. The advantage of following Japanese law which requires tourists to bring their passports at all times was that I did not miss out on getting an instant rebate on the consumption tax, Japan's version of VAT. It was 8% but will rise to 10% on October 1. The sales associates will staple the receipt to your passport, which are supposedly meant to be removed by outbound customs agents, and I had read in some places that you needed to have those purchased items on hand at that time. However, mine were never removed, and I was never asked to produced those items which I had packed in any case.

This brings me to shopping in the Mira Costa hotel, which we also did on Monday night. Unlike Disney hotels in the US, this one had just one, very small gift shop. Curiously, much of what was for sale were candies and sweets, with no clothes for sale. Disney was certainly consistent, apparently, in not wanting me to purchase any logo apparel. We did end up redeeming all of the vouchers that we could in the shop, however, which included the lanyards and merchandise.

That finally takes us to Tuesday morning. We thought about returning to the Sheraton to eat at the club lounge there, since we had not checked out, but thought that it would be too much trouble. As we were getting ready, I observed the pre-opening operations as they maneuvered boats around the bay. The gondoliers looked up and waved to me as they passed underneath, which was pretty cool.

A short while later, I noticed a commotion as guests started to enter the park, even though it was not yet 8, much less 9. Here was my big mistake of the day: I had checked the opening time of TDL but not TDS. California Adventure never opens earlier than Disneyland, so I didn't even consider the possibility that TDS would open earlier than TDL. A quick check on my phone, however, proved that things don't work the same way in Japan as they do in California. Here, TDS opens at 8, and TDL at 9. We all rushed to get out of the room, and this proved to be basically the only benefit to staying at the Mira Costa.

I called to guest services to ask about luggage, and I was given some very helpful and much appreciated information. If we packed our suitcases and left them in the room, someone would transport them to the Disneyland Hotel for us. This definitely made life easier.

We made it down to the lobby and still turned in our Happy 15 certificates. Luckily, almost all visitors were camping out in front of the water for the first of the day's pirate shows. We made a beeline for the Mysterious Island for Journey to the Center of the Earth. We got a FastPass and then entered the stand-by line for the short, five-minute wait.

I had pretty high expectations for Journey. It uses the same ride system as Test Track and Radiator Springs Racers, two of my favorite Disney rides. It is a combination dark and thrill ride which, again, is my favorite kind of ride. While a great ride, it was a tad underwhelming, unfortunately. The huge lava monster was a great animatronic, certainly the best one I've seen in any Disney park since the Jedi in Everest is non-operational. Whereas Test Track hits you with a long, intense speedway and Radiator Springs some fun hills, Journey has a great climb and dip following the lava monster which ends way too abruptly. If they could have kept that going a little longer, it definitely would be my favorite Disney ride.

DW is a huge Jules Verne fan, so our next ride was 20,000 Leagues. This is like the classic submarine ride minus the submarine. It was luckily a walk-on and did not warrant a repeat ride. 

We rode Journey a second time using our FP and walked to the Lost River Delta to get an Indiana Jones FP. From there we went to the Mermaid Lagoon area to ride Flounder's Flying Fish Coaster. This seemed a little more fun than Gadget's Go Coaster or Goofy's Barnstormer, but maybe it was just the same ride. It couldn't have been longer than either of those two, and luckily was a walk-on.

From there, we headed back to Raging Spirits, but first we had our one character interaction of the entire trip, with Timon. It's always fun to see Timon, regardless of which park you are in.



I got FPs for SeaRider since the return times were close to the times the FPs were obtained. I decided to use one of our "D" vacation package FPs for Raging Spirits. With the two-night vacation package that we selected, which was the one without show seating, we got two "A" FPs, which could be used for any ride, and five "D" FPs, which could not be used for Toy Story Mania or, curiously, Sea Rider. I say curiously because, unlike Toy Story, the demand for SeaRider was not greater than that of any other attraction. They have since replaced SeaRider with Soarin' for restricted rides on D FPs, which makes a lot more sense. My initial strategy was to use two FPs for the first two days and three on the last day.

Anyway, back to Raging Spirits. 

Not surprisingly for TDS, the theming was the best part of the attraction. The exterior mixed water and fire to cool effect, and there is one part on the coaster where you go through essentially a cloud of fog that was unique. We enjoyed it.

From there, it was time to use our Indiana Jones FP. Japan still uses paper FPs but instead of scanning them, you scan your park tickets for entry. The paper FPs essentially are just there to remind you of your return times. Once again, the exterior again proved that this is what TDS does best. 

The Mayan temple facade was impressive, and the queue definitely had more skeletons than any other Disney attraction. The ride itself is essentially a clone of Anaheim's version. It was slightly plussed in places, but not to the degree that it significantly improved one's experience. For me, this ride provides plenty of ambience but is too jerky to be particularly enjoyable.

Our final ride before lunch was SeaRider. There's not a lot about this ride to recommend for those who don't speak Japanese. It is just a motion-simulator, 4D screen ride. You get some air blown on you and some water sprayed at you like all these rides seem to do. The movie that we saw, since they do vary, had the various Finding Nemo characters. I don't like motion simulator rides, since they tend to make me dizzy, and not understanding the language made this one feel longer than it probably was. Needless to say, this was another one-and-done ride for us.

It was then time for lunch. Another advantage of staying on-property was being able to book dining reservations in advance. Surprisingly, many of the slots booked out quickly at the 30-day mark. We were able to make a reservation for Restorante di Canaletto for shortly after they opened. As I mentioned before, Chris' restaurant reviews in his TDR Explorer book are too encapsulated to be particularly helpful. I drew from Tom Bricker's Disney Tourist blog for more detailed information.

Tom suggested that it did not matter where you were seated to enjoy the experience at Restorante di Canaletto, so I did not request outdoor seating. This was a major mistake. The charm of this restaurant is the view of the canals. While the indoors was nicely themed, it was not even close to being the draw of the outdoor view. Like all sit-down TDS restaurants, this one offered only a course service, which is what they call a prix fix menu. The pizzas were just meh, not horrible but nothing special. The service was similarly not great, which is the main drawback to a system without tipping. We left disappointed.

DW wanted a gondola ride afterwards, but one of the frustrations of the frequent pirate shows was that all of the water rides would shut down for long periods throughout the day. Instead, we got FPs for Tower of Terror and explored the park while we waited for the return time.

The ToT facade was magnificent, and the ride itself proved to my favorite version after the WDW original. 

All the clones have done away with the fascinating trip down the hallway in an elevator. I loved the theming of the TDS version, however, the best. The history museum theming was fun and emphasized the inherent creepiness that dark museums stuffed with artifacts can have. The pre-show in Japan was definitely my favorite because of both the theming and the effects. As for the ride, it is by far the least jarring, which suited me just fine.

The only disappointment, which would continue throughout our time at the resort, was that I was hoping to buy a cool t-shirt in the attached gift shop. There were no clothing items, not even a hat, for sale. That was just mind-blowing to me. On the positive side, I certainly spent a lot less than I was expecting on souvenirs.

Having run out of things to do, pretty much, we decided to use our "A" FPs to ride Toy Story. This is an identical clone to the other versions, with the only difference being the three-hour waits for those without FPs. Maybe this has changed since Soarin' opened.

We spent the remaining time before our Magellan's dining reservation exploring. 

We redeemed our vacation popcorn voucher for strawberry popcorn. This was the popcorn equivalent to Franken Berry cereal. I'm not a huge fan of artificial strawberry flavor, and this made wonder about what was all the fuss about popcorn. We watched a bit of the "Hello, New York" show from the sides, since predictably all of the seating filled up quickly. This seemed like a fun show, though it curiously switched from English (I particularly liked the "Staten Island/keeps you smiling" rhyme") to Japanese. We explored Mermaid Lagoon, and DW was especially disappointed, as a Small World mega-fan, that the Sinbad ride was closed during our visit. We finally ended up in the Fortress Explorations before our dinner reservation.

I asked for seating in the wine cellar or under the globe, and only the latter choice was available. 

I've read a few raves of this restaurant, and this was one of those times when you could believe everything you read. It was a spectacular meal, with attentive service, from beginning to end. Unlike Be Our Guest in WDW, where I have a keen memory of bussers removing many barely-touched meals during our last and final dinner there, guests were loving everything served at Magellan's. TDS knows how to do fine dining but maybe not much else, at least food-wise.

We decided to leave TDS and check-in to TDL Hotel, which required taking the monorail. The TDL Hotel is a magnificent, Victorian structure. There was a short line to check-in at this time, and we were soon into our magnificently themed, Beauty and the Beast room. Unlike the tiny Mira Costa room, this one was large enough to accommodate three beds plus a trundle-like bed. We did not feel cramped, and the sleeping arrangements were more comfortable. The theming was fun and had been missing in the Mira Costa.

Next Installment: Tokyo Disneyland


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## LovesTimone

Great trip report, lots of good tips, and info...

I have a question, I have read you need to keep your passport with you, which just worries me like crazy... I mentioned this to a friend and she was like you can get a passport card to carry with you and leave the main passport in the hotel safe, she said that's what they do when they travel, and they travel alot... Did you keep your reg passport with you, or did you use a passport card...

She said that when they are visit Japan they just pay the tax, on small purchase's, for bigger ticket items... things like electronic's.. she said they use their passport card so that they don't have to pay the tax... she also said to make sure to keep the receipts, and everything in the box and bags... it will cut down on the time if they do ask to see what you bought...


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## gelatoni fan

LovesTimone said:


> I have a question, I have read you need to keep your passport with you, which just worries me like crazy... I mentioned this to a friend and she was like you can get a passport card to carry with you and leave the main passport in the hotel safe, she said that's what they do when they travel, and they travel alot... Did you keep your reg passport with you, or did you use a passport card...
> 
> She said that when they are visit Japan they just pay the tax, on small purchase's, for bigger ticket items... things like electronic's.. she said they use their passport card so that they don't have to pay the tax... she also said to make sure to keep the receipts, and everything in the box and bags... it will cut down on the time if they do ask to see what you bought...



Americans aren't used to carrying a passport around but in many countries, it's the law to carry ID at all times. Japan is ultra safe so theft of your passport is unlikely. I sometimes keep a print out of my passport with info about how to contact the consulate/embassy when I travel although I don't bother in Japan. I routinely leave my passport in my bag and leave it unattended at Disneysea when I'm trying to save a spot for a show but need to go to the bathroom (not saying you should do that but this is not something I'd feel comfortable doing in a US park).


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## LovesTimone

gelatoni fan said:


> Americans aren't used to carrying a passport around but in many countries, it's the law to carry ID at all times. Japan is ultra safe so theft of your passport is unlikely. I sometimes keep a print out of my passport with info about how to contact the consulate/embassy when I travel although I don't bother in Japan. I routinely leave my passport in my bag and leave it unattended at Disneysea when I'm trying to save a spot for a show but need to go to the bathroom (not saying you should do that but this is not something I'd feel comfortable doing in a US park).



That's a great tip on the consulate and embassy... we are still debating the passport cards... I really wasn't worrying about theft so much as losing a the day bag or something like that...


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## newfamilyman

Thanks for the kind works.

Japan is a wonderful country, but the police state aspect of it is maybe not one of its most wonderful charms, which is something our Tokyo guide, Mac, pointed out to us on several occasions, mostly when observing the police mascot painted on walls. He informed us, among other things, that Japanese police can hold you for 23 days without charging you for a crime. It is the law in Japan that tourists must carry their passport with them. Therefore, if you don't, you are breaking the law and could potentially be held for 23 days in jail. Not such a great thing to happen during a trip!

As for having your purchases with you when you leave the country, it proved to me unnecessary. I had a few pangs of anxiety about it when packing but decided I would have had way too many carry-ons if I had brought all the Kit Kats and more importantly, Bull Dog katsu sauce bottles with me on the plane. I was never asked to provide proof of what I had purchased.


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## LovesTimone

newfamilyman said:


> Thanks for the kind works.
> 
> Japan is a wonderful country, but the police state aspect of it is maybe not one of its most wonderful charms, which is something our Tokyo guide, Mac, pointed out to us on several occasions, mostly when observing the police mascot painted on walls. He informed us, among other things, that Japanese police can hold you for 23 days without charging you for a crime. It is the law in Japan that tourists must carry their passport with them. Therefore, if you don't, you are breaking the law and could potentially be held for 23 days in jail. Not such a great thing to happen during a trip!
> 
> As for having your purchases with you when you leave the country, it proved to me unnecessary. I had a few pangs of anxiety about it when packing but decided I would have had way too many carry-ons if I had brought all the Kit Kats and more importantly, Bull Dog katsu sauce bottles with me on the plane. I was never asked to provide proof of what I had purchased.




Thanks for the response... I have been doing some more researching around... and have found that you basically better have your passport at all times... as well to the US embassy and consulate address's and phone numbers.. and the location of a american hospital... as well our friends have strongly suggested travel insurance, and she said that when their son was injured, in a freak accident, it was necessary, and they helped them every step of the way.... as they got him on a medical flight, and she was able to go with him...

Our friends that went last year, said that the bottle's of different sauce that they were bring back, were confiscated out of their check luggage, and a form letter was left in the luggage that stated that liquids of any sort are not allowed to be transported, in checked, or carry on bags... Any thoughts on this?


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## newfamilyman

LovesTimone said:


> Our friends that went last year, said that the bottle's of different sauce that they were bring back, were confiscated out of their check luggage, and a form letter was left in the luggage that stated that liquids of any sort are not allowed to be transported, in checked, or carry on bags... Any thoughts on this?


I'm very surprised to read this. After the tonkatsu meal in Nagoya, I fell in love with the katsu sauce and had to bring some back with me. As will be covered in a future installment, while shopping at a Donki with Mac and Chris (TDR Explorer), Chris pointed out the Bulldog katsu sauce, and I bought 5 bottles. I should have bought more. On the cover of this month's Bon Appetit magazine is a sandwich from their favorite restaurant in the U.S. The recipe inside calls for katsu sauce, preferably Bulldog, so I clearly made the right choice. The bottles were not confiscated from my luggage. I've already gone through one bottle. It is great on chicken, pork, meatloaf, basically everything.


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## nono

Who was the form letter from?  Airline? TSA equivalent?


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## LovesTimone

nono said:


> Who was the form letter from?  Airline? TSA equivalent?




Lovestimone here,
Sorry I had to talk to my friend, she said the letter inside the luggage it's self, they did not realize that the contents had been gone through until they got home...  She said that once they left the bags at the ticket counter and the luggage was locked ( TSA approved locks) when they dropped it off, she said that everything was all locked when they picked it up.... She really doesn't have any idea of when or where the sauce's were taken out of the luggage, They flew out of Narita, then onto LAX, stop and stayed overnight at an LAX airport, she said they never opened the check baggage, that had moved everything that they would need into the roll on's for the one night.... then the next morning from LAX, stopped in Atlanta, before landing in Tampa... she said it was just a printed form letter, and she just threw it away... I asked her did they take anything else she said only the sauces, she said they several packages of loose tea leaves, in a large zip lock baggie, which they said looked like something that you would see on PD live... and tons of other stuff that they bought, her DD's bought lots of Korean and Japanese beauty products, lotions and oils, shampoo and conditioner, body scrub and on and on... the sauce were in my friends DH's bag...So they are not sure if they randomly pulled his bag for inspection, or what happened... just the letter and the sauce were gone....

She said that the only thing that when going back through customs in Japan, that they wanted to see the camera's that they had bought, and some other electronic items... which they all had in their carry on's...  the receipt's were in the passport...  they just looked at the camera's, the boxes, the receipt and sent them on their way... now this was last year, in March 2018....


----------



## newfamilyman

Day 12: Tokyo Disneyland

We began our day with the included breakfast at Sherwood Garden, included in the package. I had changed our initial reservation time to one earlier to ensure that we would be ready to enter TDL at 8:45. The day did not begin auspiciously as we were escorted to literally the farthest table away from the food, a no-man's land of sorts. As it would soon become clear, we would be SOL if we wanted coffee refills, which we most certainly did, or extra sugar or creamers.

As for the buffet itself, it was a definite improvement on all of the breakfast buffets to which we had been exposed so far and would rank as the best of the trip, though to be fair, all of our other breakfast buffets were either in hotel club lounges or lesser hotels, like the Hilton Odawara. The pastries were fresh and delicious, and it was my first muesli of the trip, which I always enjoy (for American muesli lovers, try the chilled Swiss oatmeal from Corner Bakery). What distinguished this buffet is that it had plenty to please both Eastern and Western palates as opposed to most other buffets giving the Western options short shrift.

We were on our way on time for the Happy 15 minute head start into TDL, which was easily navigated from the hotel's entrance. There were plenty of CMs to guide you to the entrance, so there is reason to be concerned about finding your way. One thing I learned immediately was that you could wait in lines for FPs or rides, but you could not obtain FPs during these 15 minutes. As a result, the FP line the Pooh's Honey Hunt harked back to the early days of Radiator Springs Racers, when those with early entry would spend it on the FP line, waiting for tickets to be dispensed at opening. (Cliff Clavin moment: while researching hark back to see if I was using it correctly, I learned that the phrase was coined in the early hunting days to describe hounds harking back to recover a lost scent.)

This is a good time to describe one of the problems of TDL which will be slightly eased with the opening of the Beauty and the Beast ride: there are about the same number of FPs at TDL as there is at TDS, so whereas most rides at TDS have FPs, most at TDL do not. When you factor that two of those few, Monsters, Inc.: Ride & Go Seek! and Splash Mountain, were closed and a third, Star Tours, we had no desire to ride, that severely limited our options. The second problem specific to the timing of our visit was the number of rides closed. Incredibly, Splash Mountain was closed for the entirety of the summer, something that was incomprehensible to me, as was all of Tom Sawyer's Island and the various boat rides that go around it.

What we decided to do initially was to try the show lottery, since it was stationed next to Space Mountain. What I did not realize immediately, though it might not have made sense if I had known, was that you only get one try per show. I thought it was one try per performance time. We struck out on everything until Judy and Nick’s Jumpin’ Splash. I literally knew nothing about the show, but I have to admit, it just felt good to win something. Some of the native Japanese visitors were screaming with joy when they won, and watching them was sort of like watching a show, and an entertaining one at that.

The next step was to get the Space Mountain FPs, since the park had opened by this point. Using the same strategy that we used for the American Disney parks, we headed out to a non-FP attraction to maximize the efficiency of the FPs. We were eager to experience the Japanese Jungle Cruise, which already had a 20 minute line. Obviously we did not understand a word of the Skipper, but her enthusiasm was infectious. I couldn't imagine how exhausted she must be at the end of all of her shifts if she put the same amount of energy into each ride. The Tokyo version is considerably longer than Anaheim's, with an especially cool tunnel effect.

One thing they have in common is the scene depicting lions post-kill with their prey, a zebra. This is off-topic, but visiting South Africa can have some unexpected Disney moments. We were on an incredible safari in South Africa two years when we came across the scene below, with apologies to the squeamish. As you can see, the moment looked like a copycat, real-life version of the Jungle Cruise scene. While our jeep parked to watch it all unfold, I googled the best skipper quips for this part of the ride and reduced our guide to tears with some of the results, such as the skipper who sings "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" by way of accompaniment. A priceless moment that I will never forget.

Our next stop was Peter Pan, another attraction without FP. Like the Anaheim version, each vehicle only has one row, which means that the ride has a low capacity. The ride itself, however, was much longer than Anaheim's version. One image in particular, the silhouettes of Wendy, Peter, Michael, and John on Big Ben, was both magical and memorable.

Our next ride was Pirates, another without FP. Luckily, because it was still early enough, the lines were all manageable. Pirates was a walk-on. This ride was like boarding a time machine to the pre-PC days of Anaheim, when the Redhead was still being auctioned as a potential bride, and pirates were chasing wenches, not food. Anyone missing those scenes will need to go to Tokyo. The only disappointment was the dip, as there was only one, and a small one at that.

As we returned to Space Mountain for our FP time, I grabbed our next FPs at Big Thunder, and we headed to Pooh's Honey Hunt, where we used our "D" package FPs. Since this ride ended up being closed for most of the following day, this ended up being our only time riding it. Perhaps because my expectations were so high, this ride proved to be disappointing. I did not realize that the storyline was identical to both American versions. The innovation was the ride vehicle, as I did not feel like I was seeing anything new. I enjoyed the freedom of the trackless system while re-experiencing a familiar story.

Space Mountain proved to be identical, at least as far as I could tell, to Anaheim's version. What made this one unique was that there was no music. I don't know if this is a daily occurrence or if it was a technical mishap. I surprisingly preferred not having music. Without it, there was nothing to detract from the experience of being blasted into space. The absence of music also gave the illusion that you were traveling faster than when there is music. Luckily, the track was similar in Anaheim's and not Orlando's, where you need a chiropractor due to the very real need for the track to be replaced. We won't ride Orlando's again for that reason.

Big Thunder was our last ride before lunch. The ride seemed close to Orlando's version.

Our experience at lunch was a main reason why TDL was no one in our group's favorite Disney park. Without any compelling table-service options, we chose Grandma Sara's Kitchen partially because of the theming and partially because we were hoping that with Critter Country again amazingly closed, we hoped it would be less crowded. The theming was as impressive as has been described by TDR Explorer's Chris and Disney Tourist Blog's Tom Bricker. However, just like a theme park is ultimately judged by its rides and not its theming, a restaurant ultimately must be judged by its cooking and not just its theme. The first problem we experienced was that everyone was saving tables to the point where literally every table was saved by practically invisible items so that just when you thought you had the last available table, you would see a mostly-hidden backpack occupying a seat. That was a pretty frustrating system. We ended up sitting on the stairs of a building next door, with people waiting for us to leave when we were done to grab those same, uncomfortable seats. Then there was the food itself, which was dreadful, at least the Western options. I chose the salisbury steak, and it tasted like a TV dinner or something from a particularly bad school cafeteria. I'm not sure even when Anaheim's food was at its worst did they serve anything as dreadful as what is offered at Grandma Sara's.

After lunch, we headed to the Tiki Room, which featured the Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride song in place of In the Tiki Tiki Tiki Room. There was Stitch but no rain effects.

It was time for a drink, which seems like a good time to discuss the free drink options for those on the vacation package. I would recommend a careful review of all eateries providing free drinks and what they serve. The drinks with popping boba balls were the best options on the plan, since actual smoothies or blended drinks were not included, but these hybrid boba drinks were. Lines were the longest at these stands, mostly because customers were purchasing the smoothies and other, similar drinks.

Because it was getting crowded and people suddenly began claiming their spots for the parade, we decided to wait as well for the Dreaming Up! parade. The exclamation point was well-earned. Here are a few float pictures below, but this parade blew away any similar parade at a U.S. park due to its elaborate floats, costumes, and length, for that matter. There were definitely more floats in this parade. Look how much is going on in this one float:

What made the experience much more civilized was the Japanese custom of everyone sitting down. You will never see this in the states:

We did not bring or buy anything on which to sit, so we just sat down on the ground as we do in the U.S. parks when we are on the curb.

After the parade, we decided to go to use our winning tickets to see Judy and Nick’s Jumpin’ Splash, which was in front of the castle. It was not particularly hot, so we were glad that our reserved standing area was toward the back. This was a curious show for several reasons. The songs were all in English, but the characters spoke in Japanese. The show principally consisted of splash effects, which I have never seen before in a castle show. At one the point, the scantily clad dancers were shooting water guns into the crowd from their hips which made it difficult to ignore a sexual subtext. 

In summary, there was nothing about the show which I would have expected.

At some point, we used our Haunted Mansion FPs, which was pretty much identical to Orlando's version, and we waited on a surprisingly long (half-hour) stand-by line for It's A Small World, about which I can't say much because, as usual when riding this attraction, I used it as an opportunity for nap time.

It was time for another of the trip's big disappointments, dinner at the Crystal Palace. It's hard to downplay how miserable this buffet was, again providing evidence that without a service upgrade in food, this park's greatness is limited. If you don't take any other tip from this report, please take this one and avoid Crystal Palace at all costs.

We attempted to do more shopping and couldn't find any satisfying souvenirs. The lack of shirts continued, as even the ones that mention the 2019 summer theme, "Donald's Hot Jungle Summer," didn't even mention the park's name on them.
Since we were so impressed with the daytime parade, we decided to watch the Electrical Parade as well. From our spots near the hub, we ended up with a reasonably good view of Oh! Summer Banzai!, apparently the first evening show in front of the castle in six years. This show again was mind-blowing. Like with Judy and Nick, the songs were inexplicably in English while the dialogue was all in Japanese. Unlike any show at the American parks, all of the songs were original to that show, without any Disney classics. The effects were mind-blowing, especially the enormous bursts of fire shooting up from the front of the castle which I have never seen before at other castles. As for the electrical parade, it had most of the familiar floats outrageously plussed.

There was additional entertainment value from our vantage point because they were filming the parade for some purpose, and one of the CMs would wave a stick near the camera to alert performers to face the camera. Some followed the instruction, like Pete from his perch on Elliott, while many were oblivious.

We had stayed much longer than expected and left after the parade.

Next Installment: Final Day at TDR


----------



## newfamilyman

Day 13: First Day, Tokyo Tour with Mac of Maction Planet

We began our day in the club lounge for breakfast. As lounges go, this one was pretty spectacular. A staff member helps you find a table, if it is crowded, and is available if you need them (as would be the case the next day). One of the biggest surprises for me about Japan was the scarcity and expense of fruits and vegetables. The lounge had some excellent fruit selections, wonderfully ripe fruit, as well as excellent breads, pastries, muesli, and Japanese selections. We were not disappointed in the lounge.

Today was our first day meeting Mac, tour guide extraordinaire who had come so highly recommended by Chris. He started the day bringing us to the Meiji Shrine, located in Shibuya. The purpose of this excursion was to bring us to the feeling of being in a forest in the middle of the city. This was also an opportunity for Mac to educate us in buddhism and shintoism. As we observed the temple, Mac asked if we noticed what happened before people prayed, and I commented that there was always money involved. Mac agreed, commenting on how you have "pay to pray" at the buddhist shrines. This was a good time for me to explain to Mac that we were hoping to see more than shrines, and he was responsive, or at least claimed to be.

While walking or in the subway, we had plenty of time for conversation. We were naturally curious whether Mac was able to make it happen for Chris to join us for a bit. DW went as far as to say that she had made a "silent bet," which is to say a bet with herself, that Chris would not be joining us. Mac got a good chuckle from this, saying that he would love to take her to Vegas and claim at each hand that they had made a silent bet which had paid off. Mac explained that Chris was busy packing to move and that if we were going to see him at all, it would be tomorrow.

We had an interesting conversation about the democratic ways of Japan. I shared with Mac that it was almost shocking to spend multiple days in a Disney park and never once see a plaid. Similarly, unlike either Universal location in the U.S., there was no option for VIP tours, group or private. I asked Mac what VIPs do if they can't have private tours, and he explained that they have to do the same thing as everyone else. He pointed out that the wealthiest people don't have mega-mansions like you see in the States and suggested that we think of Japan as a communist country posing as a democracy, and he meant that with the highest praise. He told stories about companies who thought nothing of spending money for the greater good with concern about its share price. And, truth be told, the country's democratic take on communism was one of the reasons why it is such a special country to a visitor. It does feel pretty good when you are waiting to board a ride at TDL without seeing all the plaids and their groups cutting in and has to be one of the reasons why their bullet train and other rail lines are as prevalent as they are. Mac spoke about their healthcare system, which seemed like a hybrid of sorts between traditional socialized medicine and the American system.

It was then time for lunch. Mac had previously informed us that he wanted to take us to his "absolute favourite ramen shops - there are 10000 in Tokyo and I've eaten in 2000 of them." While we were walking, I discussed my disappointment with Jasmine in comparison to Ko and why she did not meet my expectations as a guide whereas Ko exceeded them. Mac said that he understood where I was coming from but that he had some guests who felt the exact opposite, and I could understand that as well. Regardless, Mac offered to pay for our lunch to compensate for the disappointment, which I appreciated. I do not remember the name of this ramen restaurant. We were the first in line, and you purchase a ticket from a machine and give to the chefs at the counter. It was an excellent bowl of ramen but not particularly memorable in the way that, say, our conveyer belt sushi meal in Osaka was. Maybe it's just because I'm not a big ramen person.

After lunch, we walked more around Shibuya, learning that Japanese love Stranger Things, too, and learning about Hachikō, the city's famous dog. 


It was time, then, for the famous Shibuya Crossing. DW really wanted a video of her crossing, and Mac obliged by taking a video of her crossing as well as philosophizing about what has become an obligatory tourist stop: "It's become a thing to see. It makes it weird for me that people try to assess it. You can't put a ranking or a rating on this. This just is what it is. It's a crossing of people who want to get from there to there. My local friends find it hilarious when I tell them that people come here and go, 'Well, 2 out of 5.' She says, 'What, did my son not cross well enough for them?' Should he have done a little dance for the white people watching from the Starbucks, you know what I mean?" 

The station also provided an opportunity for Mac to provide us with an art history lesson about Taro Okamoto's Myth of Tomorrow mural, what Time magazine once described as a "lost masterpiece." 

This moment epitomizes, I think, the difference between having a guide and going on your own. We certainly would have passed by the mural, possibly without a second glass, but our experience was certainly much richer by Mac making sure that we stopped not just to admire the artwork but learn about its significance.

DD was hell-bent on trying rolled ice cream, so it was time to go to Takeshita Street in Harajuku. 


It was Friday, and Mac mentioned that we had to go today because it was too crowded on weekends. Mac had a lot to say about what he called "insta-shammable" foods, especially boba drink cafes that were apparently spouting up everywhere. Harajuku certainly was all about how desserts looked as opposed to how they tasted. I had something like a churro stuffed with soft-serve ice cream. There was not much of a line that day, but Mac said it would have extended down the block had we gone on Saturday. That dessert was completely unmemorable, either the pastry or the ice-cream, and the same could be said of the rolled ice-cream.

Our next stop in Harajuku was the Harry Harajuku Terrace, billed as the world's first chinchilla, otter, and hedgehog cafe. This was one of those only-in-Japan moments, and we all enjoyed the animal interactions. Like in Kyoto, the space felt like a pet shop except ones that the pets aren't for sale but because admission included a free drink from a vending machine, it became a café.





Next was Shinjuku, home to Godzilla Road and our first of two Donki's with Mac. 

DW found the "Don Don Donki" theme to be infectious and seemed to never tired hearing of it. Mac and I got into an extended conversation about Kit Kats. It is important to know that there are three levels of quality for the Kit Kats. The bottom level are the ones in bags. Some of the flavor combinations are pretty interesting; when I brought them back as gifts for my co-workers, one loved the Mint Peach. Salt Lemon was pretty interesting as well. I was not particularly enamored of the strawberry-flavored ones, which reminded me of the standard artificial flavor. I teased Mac quite a bit about the soy sauce flavor which eluded us and was so highly recommended by Ko as his favorite, and quite exasperated by that point, Mac said that he was going to have a word with Ko about mentioning Kit Kat flavors which are no longer available. The second tier, also for sale at Donki's, are boxed. For the top tier, you have to go to the special Kit Kat chocolatier in Ginza, which we will get to in the next installment.

By that point, our day was coming to an end. I had mentioned to Mac how Ko urged us to get Mac to take us to the best burger place in Tokyo. 

Did Mac ever deliver! Again, that's the difference between doing it on your own and a tour guide. We toured the famous Kabukicho red light district on the way to our final destination, Shogun burger. After passing the various Maid Cafés and Soapland clubs, which I had to ask Mac to explain since the pictures of whales on dolphins on the outside were confusing, we made it to this burger restaurant that features smashed Wagyu patties and are better than most any burger you can get in the U.S. The Japanese may not be able to do pizzas very well, but they sure can do burgers, at least if you are fortunate enough to go to Shogun.

Our final stop was a walk through Piss Alley, which Mac said must have been the inspiration in part for Blade Runner's cityscape. A fascinating place, to be sure. It was then back to our hotel after a full day of sightseeing and conversation with Mac.

Next Installment: Final Full Day in Japan


----------



## aviva5675

Have had a room (3 adults) at the Hilton Tokyo Bay booked for awhile, for 3 nights, but just booked a 1 night 2 day package at the Sheraton. Basically all I could get right now, for May. Anyway, worried now our room will be horrible, based on the first one you were in.  Are all the basic rooms there like that?  Really enjoying your report, btw!


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## newfamilyman

Thanks for the kind words.

From reading other reviews of the hotel and browsing the hotel's room selection when I made the reservation, I saw that there was a wide range of rooms available. If you choose the bottom level, though, I would be prepared to have a room like the first one that we experienced. While I would not be pleased to have to spend a couple of days there, at the same time, presumably you won't be spending too much time in the room, so it wouldn't be the end of the world. Still, if you can swing it financially, I would try to get something nicer than the lowest level. Good luck!


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## sdchickie

Loving your report so far, I'm going in March and have a week to spend between DL and Tokyo. Your information has been so helpful and I can't wait to try one of those burgers! Did you feel too rushed with only 2 days at DL and DS? I'm planning 1 day at DL 2 days at DS and I'm trying to decide if I need a 4th day to finish up stuff I didn't get to. I will be going during a busy time of the year and am not staying on property so no hotel FP so I'm expecting long waits. I am also planning on doing the TeamLab museum thing whichever one it is while I'm there.


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## LovesTimone

newfamilyman said:


> Day 13: First Day, Tokyo Tour with Mac of Maction Planet
> 
> We began our day in the club lounge for breakfast. As lounges go, this one was pretty spectacular. A staff member helps you find a table, if it is crowded, and is available if you need them (as would be the case the next day). One of the biggest surprises for me about Japan was the scarcity and expense of fruits and vegetables. The lounge had some excellent fruit selections, wonderfully ripe fruit, as well as excellent breads, pastries, muesli, and Japanese selections. We were not disappointed in the lounge.
> 
> Today was our first day meeting Mac, tour guide extraordinaire who had come so highly recommended by Chris. He started the day bringing us to the Meiji Shrine, located in Shibuya. The purpose of this excursion was to bring us to the feeling of being in a forest in the middle of the city. This was also an opportunity for Mac to educate us in buddhism and shintoism. As we observed the temple, Mac asked if we noticed what happened before people prayed, and I commented that there was always money involved. Mac agreed, commenting on how you have "pay to pray" at the buddhist shrines. This was a good time for me to explain to Mac that we were hoping to see more than shrines, and he was responsive, or at least claimed to be.
> 
> While walking or in the subway, we had plenty of time for conversation. We were naturally curious whether Mac was able to make it happen for Chris to join us for a bit. DW went as far as to say that she had made a "silent bet," which is to say a bet with herself, that Chris would not be joining us. Mac got a good chuckle from this, saying that he would love to take her to Vegas and claim at each hand that they had made a silent bet which had paid off. Mac explained that Chris was busy packing to move and that if we were going to see him at all, it would be tomorrow.
> 
> We had an interesting conversation about the democratic ways of Japan. I shared with Mac that it was almost shocking to spend multiple days in a Disney park and never once see a plaid. Similarly, unlike either Universal location in the U.S., there was no option for VIP tours, group or private. I asked Mac what VIPs do if they can't have private tours, and he explained that they have to do the same thing as everyone else. He pointed out that the wealthiest people don't have mega-mansions like you see in the States and suggested that we think of Japan as a communist country posing as a democracy, and he meant that with the highest praise. He told stories about companies who thought nothing of spending money for the greater good with concern about its share price. And, truth be told, the country's democratic take on communism was one of the reasons why it is such a special country to a visitor. It does feel pretty good when you are waiting to board a ride at TDL without seeing all the plaids and their groups cutting in and has to be one of the reasons why their bullet train and other rail lines are as prevalent as they are. Mac spoke about their healthcare system, which seemed like a hybrid of sorts between traditional socialized medicine and the American system.
> 
> It was then time for lunch. Mac had previously informed us that he wanted to take us to his "absolute favourite ramen shops - there are 10000 in Tokyo and I've eaten in 2000 of them." While we were walking, I discussed my disappointment with Jasmine in comparison to Ko and why she did not meet my expectations as a guide whereas Ko exceeded them. Mac said that he understood where I was coming from but that he had some guests who felt the exact opposite, and I could understand that as well. Regardless, Mac offered to pay for our lunch to compensate for the disappointment, which I appreciated. I do not remember the name of this ramen restaurant. We were the first in line, and you purchase a ticket from a machine and give to the chefs at the counter. It was an excellent bowl of ramen but not particularly memorable in the way that, say, our conveyer belt sushi meal in Osaka was. Maybe it's just because I'm not a big ramen person.
> 
> After lunch, we walked more around Shibuya, learning that Japanese love Stranger Things, too, and learning about Hachikō, the city's famous dog.
> View attachment 454116
> 
> It was time, then, for the famous Shibuya Crossing. DW really wanted a video of her crossing, and Mac obliged by taking a video of her crossing as well as philosophizing about what has become an obligatory tourist stop: "It's become a thing to see. It makes it weird for me that people try to assess it. You can't put a ranking or a rating on this. This just is what it is. It's a crossing of people who want to get from there to there. My local friends find it hilarious when I tell them that people come here and go, 'Well, 2 out of 5.' She says, 'What, did my son not cross well enough for them?' Should he have done a little dance for the white people watching from the Starbucks, you know what I mean?"
> View attachment 454120
> The station also provided an opportunity for Mac to provide us with an art history lesson about Taro Okamoto's Myth of Tomorrow mural, what Time magazine once described as a "lost masterpiece."
> View attachment 454118
> This moment epitomizes, I think, the difference between having a guide and going on your own. We certainly would have passed by the mural, possibly without a second glass, but our experience was certainly much richer by Mac making sure that we stopped not just to admire the artwork but learn about its significance.
> 
> DD was hell-bent on trying rolled ice cream, so it was time to go to Takeshita Street in Harajuku.
> View attachment 454124
> View attachment 454121
> It was Friday, and Mac mentioned that we had to go today because it was too crowded on weekends. Mac had a lot to say about what he called "insta-shammable" foods, especially boba drink cafes that were apparently spouting up everywhere. Harajuku certainly was all about how desserts looked as opposed to how they tasted. I had something like a churro stuffed with soft-serve ice cream. There was not much of a line that day, but Mac said it would have extended down the block had we gone on Saturday. That dessert was completely unmemorable, either the pastry or the ice-cream, and the same could be said of the rolled ice-cream.
> 
> Our next stop in Harajuku was the Harry Harajuku Terrace, billed as the world's first chinchilla, otter, and hedgehog cafe. This was one of those only-in-Japan moments, and we all enjoyed the animal interactions. Like in Kyoto, the space felt like a pet shop except ones that the pets aren't for sale but because admission included a free drink from a vending machine, it became a café.
> View attachment 454125
> View attachment 454126
> View attachment 454127
> View attachment 454128
> 
> Next was Shinjuku, home to Godzilla Road and our first of two Donki's with Mac.
> 
> DW found the "Don Don Donki" theme to be infectious and seemed to never tired hearing of it. Mac and I got into an extended conversation about Kit Kats. It is important to know that there are three levels of quality for the Kit Kats. The bottom level are the ones in bags. Some of the flavor combinations are pretty interesting; when I brought them back as gifts for my co-workers, one loved the Mint Peach. Salt Lemon was pretty interesting as well. I was not particularly enamored of the strawberry-flavored ones, which reminded me of the standard artificial flavor. I teased Mac quite a bit about the soy sauce flavor which eluded us and was so highly recommended by Ko as his favorite, and quite exasperated by that point, Mac said that he was going to have a word with Ko about mentioning Kit Kat flavors which are no longer available. The second tier, also for sale at Donki's, are boxed. For the top tier, you have to go to the special Kit Kat chocolatier in Ginza, which we will get to in the next installment.
> 
> By that point, our day was coming to an end. I had mentioned to Mac how Ko urged us to get Mac to take us to the best burger place in Tokyo.
> View attachment 454129
> Did Mac ever deliver! Again, that's the difference between doing it on your own and a tour guide. We toured the famous Kabukicho red light district on the way to our final destination, Shogun burger. After passing the various Maid Cafés and Soapland clubs, which I had to ask Mac to explain since the pictures of whales on dolphins on the outside were confusing, we made it to this burger restaurant that features smashed Wagyu patties and are better than most any burger you can get in the U.S. The Japanese may not be able to do pizzas very well, but they sure can do burgers, at least if you are fortunate enough to go to Shogun.
> 
> Our final stop was a walk through Piss Alley, which Mac said must have been the inspiration in part for Blade Runner's cityscape. A fascinating place, to be sure. It was then back to our hotel after a full day of sightseeing and conversation with Mac.
> 
> Next Installment: Final Full Day in Japan




I was wondering how to get in touch with Mac... I really think that we would like to do a tour, just to get our feet wet.... and my DH would so love that burger !!!! Did he give you tips how to use the trains without getting lost... I am a bit... okay ... alot nervous about using the trains...  
Looking forward to reading about your last day in Japan... 

I have really enjoyed reading it... lots of good stuff...


----------



## newfamilyman

Day 12: Last Day TDR, First Night Downtown Tokyo

First let me apologize, since DW pointed out to me that I had completely forgotten to write about our last day in the parks.

We woke up early to pack, since we were checking out, and for our last breakfast at Sherwood Garden. We got a better table this time, and the buffet, as far as I could tell, was identical. We left our bags at the bell desk and headed over to TDS for the last time.

This time we made it early enough to use our Happy 15 to enter before 8. We rode Journey to the Center of the Earth, Indiana Jones, Raging Spirits, and then used our vacation package A FP for Toy Story again. We explored a bit until lunchtime, when the best and worst of TDS was on display.

We selected Cape Cod Cook-Off because we were enjoying the Cape Cod theming. I got the fish sandwich, which was pretty good, but DS got the Cape Code Cook-Off First Prize set menu, which featured a hamburger. Jay Leno used to tell a joke about the Chrysler K car, asking if you've seen the K car, can you imagine what models A-J looked like. Along those same lines, if this hamburger was the first-prize winner, I can only imagine how honorable mention tasted. I would give this the prize as truly the worst hamburger I have ever eaten on Disney property, which is one of the reasons who DisneySea could not rank as a top park. Food, at least for me, is an integral part of the park experience, and it is just too inconsistent, when not dreadful, here.

On the other hand, the CMs here are better than any who work at any Disney park. When I got back, I described it to people as imagine the best CM you have ever encountered and then imagine a park full of them, and that's TDR. I observed this particular CM in the photo below waving the entire time that we were eating. Even when she was speaking to her fellow CMS, she continued waving. She literally did not stop once. I don't know how she did it.


We then moved over to TDL to end our TDR experience. It was fairly crowded, so we burned off our remaining vacation package FPs. Pooh's Honey Hunt was down, so we rode Big Thunder, Haunted Mansion, and Pirates again. It may have been July, but it was raining, and not the warm kind of summer rain. We had an early Blue Bayou reservation, which I thought would be the best way to close out our visit.

In Anaheim, Blue Bayou has been mostly a disappointment. They know that guests will come for the atmosphere alone, so the food has rarely been good and always overpriced. In Tokyo, somewhat surprisingly, the food is important to them as well. It was a fantastic meal, superior to anything Anaheim has served at their location. What was peculiar, though, was that the lighting was so dim that you could barely see the passing boats. As a result, the interaction between riders and diners, something that often enhances the Anaheim experience, was almost completely absent in Tokyo.

It was then time to leave the resort and head to Tokyo for our two days with Mac and then flight back to California. While I've certainly shared my opinions along the way, it might make sense for a summation or recap of our stay with a focus on tips for trip-planning:

1. Don't waste your money on the Mira Costa. The Mira Costa left a bitter taste in my mouth. The hotel's occupancy rate and high demand obviously justifies management's decision to charge the most unreasonable rates that I have ever paid for such meager accommodations. Perhaps because this night was sandwiched between the luxurious Japanese suite at the Sheraton and the spacious and wonderfully-themed room at the Disneyland hotel, but there was nothing about our Mira Costa stay which would make we want to return there. Just because you can charge $700 for a miniscule room with a prime park view and entrance doesn't mean that you should.

2. It's hard to find a good meal. I can't remember if the common wisdom is that counter service restaurants are better at TDS and sit-down restaurants better at TDL or if the reverse is true. That should tell you about our experience with quick-service restaurants. Between the Cape Cod hamburger and Grandma Sara's salisbury steak, neither park had much to recommend as far as quick-service restaurants are concerned. There is no buffet in any Disney U.S. park that is worse than TDR's Crystal Palace. Again, just because you have a captive audience doesn't mean that you have to serve them barely edible food.

3. Don't miss the shows or parades. We're not usually a family that stops for parades or stays for shows, but all of the ones that we watched at TDR were well worth the time and trouble. The fact that people actually sit down for them makes a great parade even better.

4. If you can afford it, the package is worth it. We spent some time going over whether or not to get the package. If you break it down to what is included, essentially it means that you are paying an enormous premium for the additional FPs. In the end, I decided to do it and certainly did not regret it. The unlimited drinks, while restricted to certain locations and selections, were a great benefit. When we visit WDW, I usually book an Early Morning Magic experience, and this was about as analogous an experience as TDR offers, if more expensive. Like many decisions not just restricted to travel, ultimately you have to decide as to whether or not you can afford it or are willing to spend the money on it. If you decide to spend the money, I don't think you will be disappointed. If I did not exactly agonize, I certainly did go back-and-forth in trying to decide if the park would be busy enough to justify this perk. Based on our experience, when the park was not exactly low season but not high season, either, as long as you are not going during a thunderstorm, you will more than likely get good use out of the package.

5. Don't spend more than three nights, three days. While I was glad to have had the third day, it was also somewhat unnecessary, as we were able to do everything that we wanted to do in the two days. Certainly if you are waiting on long lines, the third day will come in handy because there may be rides, parades, or shows that you didn't get to experience in the first two days. Except for the absolute die-hard fan, it's hard to imagine how a fourth day would be anything but overkill.

6. Plan for all weather. Just because, say, you're going in July, don't assume that it will be warm. It certainly wasn't during much of our visit, and I had to pay for an overpriced hoodie at the Gap as a result. This picture gives you an idea of how people were dressed in July:


Next Installment: Last full day in Tokyo with Mac


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## newfamilyman

sdchickie said:


> Loving your report so far, I'm going in March and have a week to spend between DL and Tokyo. Your information has been so helpful and I can't wait to try one of those burgers! Did you feel too rushed with only 2 days at DL and DS? I'm planning 1 day at DL 2 days at DS and I'm trying to decide if I need a 4th day to finish up stuff I didn't get to. I will be going during a busy time of the year and am not staying on property so no hotel FP so I'm expecting long waits. I am also planning on doing the TeamLab museum thing whichever one it is while I'm there.


Sorry, I forgot to include our last day at the resort, which I've just added.


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## newfamilyman

LovesTimone said:


> I was wondering how to get in touch with Mac... I really think that we would like to do a tour, just to get our feet wet.... and my DH would so love that burger !!!! Did he give you tips how to use the trains without getting lost... I am a bit... okay ... alot nervous about using the trains...
> Looking forward to reading about your last day in Japan...
> 
> I have really enjoyed reading it... lots of good stuff...


Mac's e-mail is mactionplanet@gmail.com. Here are his rates as of last October: 
*TOKYO*
Tokyo pricing depends on whether I am the guide or whether you are guided by a member of my hand-picked highly trained guide team.

Mac:  ¥9900/hour. 
Other Maction Planet guides: ¥7900/hour

A minimum engagement of 8 hours/day is required. Any extension to the tour time is billed on a 15 minute basis. 

This includes the tour fee, all our upfront coordination and planning, hotel pick-up and drop-off each day, the guide's transportation by train (within Central Tokyo - this is almost never included) and any applicable taxes.

It does not include your transportation by train or car/taxi or the guide and your food and drink, or any costs such as the guide and your entry into any paid attractions we visit.

*KYOTO*

¥7900/hour with a minimum engagement of 8 hours/day. Any extension to the tour time is billed on a 15 minute basis. 

Inclusions: Vehicle, driver/guide, fuel fee, parking fees (parking is rarely included by others), hotel pick-up and drop-off each day and any applicable taxes.

Exclusions: Entrance fees for driver and you, highway fees if applicable, lunch for you and driver.

If leaving the Kyoto city limits, for example for a trip to Nara or Osaka, an extra payment of one hour is added to the time fee.
*
HIROSHIMA*

¥7900/hour. A minimum engagement of 8 hours/day is required. Any extension to the tour time is billed on a 15 minute basis. 

This includes the tour fee, all our upfront coordination and planning, hotel pick-up and drop-off each day and any applicable taxes.

It does not include the guide's or your transportation by train or car/taxi/boat or the guide's and your food and drink, or any costs such as the guide's and your entry into any paid attractions visited.

A minimum 50% non-refundable deposit via PayPal invoice is needed to secure the dates. I say minimum as I have found some people prefer to pay a higher amount upfront. Any balance can be settled in cash or by PayPal after the tour. All PayPal payments are subject to a 5% processing fee.
**
I did not ask Mac for help with trains. I found Google maps and Navitime extremely helpful. Google maps specifically directs you to the specific platform and even recommending which train to board to facilitate the transfer. There was only one time when we were about to board the wrong train, and that was on the way to the airport, so that will be in the last installment.


----------



## LovesTimone

newfamilyman said:


> Mac's e-mail is mactionplanet@gmail.com. Here are his rates as of last October:
> *TOKYO*
> Tokyo pricing depends on whether I am the guide or whether you are guided by a member of my hand-picked highly trained guide team.
> 
> Mac:  ¥9900/hour.
> Other Maction Planet guides: ¥7900/hour
> 
> A minimum engagement of 8 hours/day is required. Any extension to the tour time is billed on a 15 minute basis.
> 
> This includes the tour fee, all our upfront coordination and planning, hotel pick-up and drop-off each day, the guide's transportation by train (within Central Tokyo - this is almost never included) and any applicable taxes.
> 
> It does not include your transportation by train or car/taxi or the guide and your food and drink, or any costs such as the guide and your entry into any paid attractions we visit.
> 
> *KYOTO*
> 
> ¥7900/hour with a minimum engagement of 8 hours/day. Any extension to the tour time is billed on a 15 minute basis.
> 
> Inclusions: Vehicle, driver/guide, fuel fee, parking fees (parking is rarely included by others), hotel pick-up and drop-off each day and any applicable taxes.
> 
> Exclusions: Entrance fees for driver and you, highway fees if applicable, lunch for you and driver.
> 
> If leaving the Kyoto city limits, for example for a trip to Nara or Osaka, an extra payment of one hour is added to the time fee.
> 
> *HIROSHIMA*
> 
> ¥7900/hour. A minimum engagement of 8 hours/day is required. Any extension to the tour time is billed on a 15 minute basis.
> 
> This includes the tour fee, all our upfront coordination and planning, hotel pick-up and drop-off each day and any applicable taxes.
> 
> It does not include the guide's or your transportation by train or car/taxi/boat or the guide's and your food and drink, or any costs such as the guide's and your entry into any paid attractions visited.
> 
> A minimum 50% non-refundable deposit via PayPal invoice is needed to secure the dates. I say minimum as I have found some people prefer to pay a higher amount upfront. Any balance can be settled in cash or by PayPal after the tour. All PayPal payments are subject to a 5% processing fee.
> **
> I did not ask Mac for help with trains. I found Google maps and Navitime extremely helpful. Google maps specifically directs you to the specific platform and even recommending which train to board to facilitate the transfer. There was only one time when we were about to board the wrong train, and that was on the way to the airport, so that will be in the last installment.




Thanks so much for the link... and the last day trip report for the parks...

DH and I have talked about staying on site, the Disneyland Hotel, for some reason  Mira Costa doesn't appeal to either of us, as well as the price doesn't appeal to us either....so if we decide to stay on site it will be Disneyland Hotel.....  We have gone back and forth about how many days and nights.... we don't tour commando style, and rope drop really isn't our thing... I know with the crowds and fast passes we should and maybe one day we would... but not for whole stay... as of right now we are thinking 4 nights off site at either the Hilton Tokyo Bay or the Sheraton Tokyo Bay... depending on which one has the best offer at the time... since its just the 2 of us and we are empty nester's, we can just do whatever we want... as far as tickets we are thinking 4 day, so that we have the option to hop on day 3 and 4... and the plan looks more like Disney Sea a full day and half, and Disneyland 2 full days, and half... This way we can see the night-time shows, parades, and a better chance at maybe winning a lottery for one or more of the shows and so we will have 4 days and nights to see it, instead of having to do it all in 2. 

I do have a kinda random question... and I ask this as this is the first time I have heard about this.... as our friends that just went, said that they needed a flash light in the parks at night,  as there really isn't much lighting to see where you are going, or to look at the park maps... Their future son in law is in the military and he had a small one stowed away in his back pack... so they used that each night.... My friend was like it was so dang dark, that it was hard to keep from bumping into people, and that other guest were constantly saying.. " Sumimasen" that's when they realized it meant excuse me or sorry... as well she said that they need it in the hotel rooms, when they were trying to look for things in the luggage, and without much room to move things around... She said overall that lighting in the hotels were limited...  Thoughts on this?

Looking forward to more on your trip report...


----------



## newfamilyman

Day 14: Last Full Day in Tokyo With Mac

Mac had asked us the previous day if we wanted to attend a religious ceremony involving drums and fire at a little-known temple. You may recall that I had advised Mac multiple times that we were not interested in visiting too many shrines or temples, but he assured me several times that this experience was the highlight of many of his previous clients' visits. With some reluctance, I agreed, requiring that we begin our day a little earlier than we would have wanted in case the temple filled up.

We made our way by subway to the temple. We were plenty early enough, since there was ample seating. The monk began drumming loudly and then lit a fire. If you picture someone hitting a loud drum and then lighting a fire in a fireplace, you will get some idea of this experience. Now imagine sitting for an hour, watching someone beat a drum in front of a rather mundane fire. Instead of it being a calming experience, basically the whole time I kept wondering why I was paying $60 an hour to witness a monk beat a drum, stare at a fire, and then bless various attendees' personal properties, including Mac's cell phone, which he described as the most-blessed cell phone in Tokyo. I guess this was my fault for not refusing Mac's suggestion, but I thought of this as a lesson learned: when using guides, don't be afraid to put your foot down on what you are willing to do, especially when the guide has a high hourly rate. Needless to say, it was definitely not the highlight of our trip. On the way out, Mac asked that I not publish the name of the temple so as to limit the number of tourists who visit the ceremony. Clearly, Mac both underestimated my influence as a writer and overestimated my opinion of the experience.

Following the ceremony, we went to the Tsukiji Fish Market, which was similar to the fish market that we visited in Kyoto, and then had sushi for lunch. Mac steered us to an uncrowded restaurant where we sat at the sushi bar. He asked about our experience with sushi on the trip, and we shared our glowing experience at the conveyer-belt sushi restaurant in Osaka. Mac was somewhat dismissive of conveyer-belt sushi restaurants, even ones such as the one we visited in which we ordered almost all of our selections from the video screen and took few items from the actual conveyer belt. Mac described this particular restaurant as more of a mid-level restaurant. This restaurant, which proved to be Mac's only slip in dining recommendations, was more expensive than its Osaka counterpart without being better in quality or value. In fact, this was the only time that I wondered if Mac received some sort of kick-back for bringing customers there. We paid for Mac, since I decided in lieu of a tip, which are generally discouraged in Japan, that we would pay for his meals. There was only one other party who dined at the restaurant while we were there, which Mac attributed to its location on the second floor, so it received less business than street-level restaurants. While he claimed that it was a find, unfortunately, this disappointment continued my negative impression of the tour so fat that day.

Things went uphill after lunch, thankfully. We began by visiting Ginza. We went into the Nissan showroom, where they decorate the foam in cappuccinos in the image of your face. Mac brought us to a Sony store where they had a realistic dog robot which made us miss our dogs at home. We visited the upscale Kit Kat chocolatier, which only sells the Kit Kats made with high-quality ingredients so that the raspberry pistachio was obviously made with real raspberries and pistachios, unlike the artificially-tasting flavors of the mass-produced varieties. They were considerably more expensive, but the quality justified their price.

We then traveled to Akihabara, where all the electronics stores are located, reminding me a little of New York. Once we got off the subway, Mac had a surprise for us. I was looking at a pastry shop located near the subway station's entrance when all of a sudden I realized that Chris of TDR Explorer fame was waiting for us. As I mentioned previously, Chris was our primary trip-planning resource. We listened to all of his relevant podcasts at least once for more than a year as well as buying his e-books and purchasing an hour of individual planning, which was done through Skype. Chris is very likeable, so it was pretty cool just to hang out with him and Mac for a couple of hours.

What did we do? We strolled through the neighborhood. It was a warmer day, and many of the stores were handing out fans, which was wonderfully helpful. We spent some time in one electronics store that had the first 8K television that I had seen. The picture was actually not as crisp as the 4K TVs surrounding it. We went to our last DonKi, where Chris showed me some of his favorite snacks. I purchased five bottles of Bulldog katsu sauce, though I subsequently noticed that it is also son on Amazon. After getting some great pictures, we said good-bye to Chris. This was easily the highlight of the day for us and a good reminder why we like to use guides.


As we prepared to end our day, Mac took us through an area that looked like a swap meet of sorts which he said was run by the yakuza and that we should not say that name aloud. I ended up buying a cheap piece of luggage which I needed in order to bring our souvenirs back home. It was then time to say good-bye to Mac as well.

Overall, we were impressed with Mac and glad that we had used his services. While we did not turn out to be one of his clients who he said booked their next tours with him while they were on the plane flying home, we enjoyed his personality and the knowledge that he imparted. DW said that she still wants to climb Mt. Fuji, and Mac said that he would be glad to escort us on our next trip.

We were pretty beat after the long day and preparing for the dread of our return home the following day. We ended up just eating dinner at the club lounge. It fit the bill for a pretty good, free meal, especially since DS wasn't feeling well. I did appreciate the lounge for the helpfulness of the concierge that night. I thought a nice way to end the trip was by seeing Toy Story 4, which was just opening in Japan that weekend. I love seeing movies in different countries to see how the experience can vary, but I was unable to book the tickets because the website was in Japanese. The concierge booked the seats for us, so we were set to go to the movies the following morning before leaving for the airport.

Next Installment: Final Day in Tokyo and the Flight Home


----------



## newfamilyman

LovesTimone said:


> DH and I have talked about staying on site, the Disneyland Hotel, for some reason Mira Costa doesn't appeal to either of us, as well as the price doesn't appeal to us either....so if we decide to stay on site it will be Disneyland Hotel..... We have gone back and forth about how many days and nights.... we don't tour commando style, and rope drop really isn't our thing... I know with the crowds and fast passes we should and maybe one day we would... but not for whole stay... as of right now we are thinking 4 nights off site at either the Hilton Tokyo Bay or the Sheraton Tokyo Bay... depending on which one has the best offer at the time... since its just the 2 of us and we are empty nester's, we can just do whatever we want... as far as tickets we are thinking 4 day, so that we have the option to hop on day 3 and 4... and the plan looks more like Disney Sea a full day and half, and Disneyland 2 full days, and half... This way we can see the night-time shows, parades, and a better chance at maybe winning a lottery for one or more of the shows and so we will have 4 days and nights to see it, instead of having to do it all in 2.
> 
> I do have a kinda random question... and I ask this as this is the first time I have heard about this.... as our friends that just went, said that they needed a flash light in the parks at night, as there really isn't much lighting to see where you are going, or to look at the park maps... Their future son in law is in the military and he had a small one stowed away in his back pack... so they used that each night.... My friend was like it was so dang dark, that it was hard to keep from bumping into people, and that other guest were constantly saying.. " Sumimasen" that's when they realized it meant excuse me or sorry... as well she said that they need it in the hotel rooms, when they were trying to look for things in the luggage, and without much room to move things around... She said overall that lighting in the hotels were limited... Thoughts on this?


Thanks for your kind words, and sorry for the late reply.

That is really strange about the lighting. Are these the same friends who claimed their sauces were confiscated from their luggage? I'm starting to wonder if they actually went to Japan or are making all these crazy things up?! No, you will see just fine without a flashlight. Nobody bumped into us.

As for the strategy of going late and staying late, just remember that these parks are extremely crowded. I was underwhelmed by the number of attractions and if you are going when many are closed, as was the case for us, the lines get even longer. Also, FPs can run out pretty quickly, especially for the more popular attractions. 

Let me know if you have any other questions.


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## LovesTimone

[QUOTTE="newfamilyman, post: 61475799, member: 78487"]
Thanks for your kind words, and sorry for the late reply.

That is really strange about the lighting. Are these the same friends who claimed their sauces were confiscated from their luggage? I'm starting to wonder if they actually went to Japan or are making all these crazy things up?! No, you will see just fine without a flashlight. Nobody bumped into us.

As for the strategy of going late and staying late, just remember that these parks are extremely crowded. I was underwhelmed by the number of attractions and if you are going when many are closed, as was the case for us, the lines get even longer. Also, FPs can run out pretty quickly, especially for the more popular attractions.

Let me know if you have any other questions.
[/QUOTE]


Thanks for the info... Yes theses are from my friends who sauces went missing... and they never found the sauce... so who know what really happened, maybe the sauces never made it into the luggage... It would not surprise me at all if this is what really happened...  They are really nice and good people, and really wonderful friends and we have alot of good times with them... They tend to fly by the seat of their pant, and never really have a plan for anything, then stand around wondering what just happened... lol... The husband say's getting my family together just to leave the house is like herding cats around... LOL 

After mentioning the flashlight thing to DH, he was like "Honey I always take the small flashlight with us"... I was like duh... once I stopped and thought about it we have used it a bunch, looking in the back pack or day bag, looking for earring backs in the carpet of hotel room, and cruise ship cabins, Walking through Paris very late at night, and at DLP walking back to the Newport Bay at each night... 

So we are going in mid. November of this year... for 10 nights.. not including travel day... Right now we have decided on 3 nights,  at either the Hilton or Sheraton... ( planning on using points for the hotels)  and a 3 day ticket, we might get the 4 day ticket, as its not really that much more... depending on what we think when we arrive...  I think that all the refurbishment's look like they will be done, and we are going well after the Olympic are over... so that's a plus... I have checked and re-checked the crowd calendars, and picked the best time for our time frame.... and the rest will fall where it may... 

Looking forward to your next installment..


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## ophkw

Thanks for the great report.  I had a question about you picking up your Disney vacation package the day before.  Did you have to call to arrange that or was it just ready?  The website says you cant pick it up until the day your package starts which isn’t very convenient.


----------



## newfamilyman

Day 15: Last Day in Tokyo, Flying Home

After another great breakfast in the club lounge, we headed to the Toho Cinemas connected to the adjacent Rappongi Hills mall. The tickets were in Japanese, with no English, so it was impossible to know the theatre number. I first hit the concession stand, where the employee did not speak English. I ordered a popcorn and soda mostly by pointing, though she did seem to know the word popcorn. It came with a sticky, caramel sauce on top. It was as if instead of caramel corn, there was regular popcorn with the caramel sauce all on top instead of coating all of the kernels. I showed the manager our tickets, and he informed me of the correct theatre in English.

Upon entering the theatre, everyone was given Toy Story 4-themed kids' activity sheets. The auditorium itself was extremely large and divided into three different levels of seats. The standard level was traditional, stadium seating. The second level, which took up the premium space in the center section in the middle of the theatre, consisted of a type of seats that we don't have in the States. It was like a suite consisting of the same stadium seating in the rest of the theatre but enclosed on three sides. It was no more comfortable than the other seats, and the suite was unnecessary, but location was ideal. The highest level of seating was relegated to a space too near to the screen to be desirable but was in the kind of premium, reclining seats that are found, for example, in AMC's Dine-In and Dolby theatres. Arguably the best feature of the theatre, again something that we don't have in the States, is that once the lights dimmed, the theatre was completely dark. There are no illuminated exit signs. Luckily, there were no emergencies, so it made watching the movie very pleasurable. I highly recommend you see a movie in Japan, if you have the time.

Once the movie ended, it was time to get to the airport. We were going to Haneda, not Narita, so it was theoretically a convenient and relatively short subway ride there. For some reason, my usually reliable Google maps and Navitime failed me when it was time to switch train lines. We were about to get on a train without being sure if it was the right one when a friendly local stopped us and told us that that was not the right train to go to Haneda. This interaction is a great example of why Tokyo is such a great city. I can't think of too many other cities that we have visited where a local might not have had a good chuckle at a dumb American rather than lend a helping hand.

Once at the airport, it was easy to find the drop-off location for our WiFi buddy which had served its purpose efficiently and affordably, and we were definitely glad that we invested in the loaner, especially since our cell phones are still locked. After checking in and going through the short security line, we passed various duty free shops, and I was glad that I had purchased my Kit Kats already. The selection was quite poor compared to our beloved DonKi, and I think in general duty free shops are rip-offs, since they tend to make up for the savings in taxes by raising their prices.

It was a bit of a struggle to find the Delta-affiliated lounge, but that will be a moot point for future travelers, as Delta is opening their own Sky Lounge at Haneda. Delta's stellar reputation as the domestic airline with the best service certainly was not evident on our flight home except for the wonderfully private suites in Delta One. A flight attendant practically yelled at me when I went to the galley to ask for a drink. Their snack basket, when I was allowed in the galley area, was filled with Japanese snacks, and the in-flight entertainment (IFE) had a decent selection of Japanese movies. One that I watched, "You Are the Apple of My Eye," had many of the themes common to Japanese coming-of-age stories that I have seen and read in which (spoiler ahead) the central female character dies. As tear-jerkers go, it was a good one and a nice way to end our journey.

And then we were home. Returning to the points-and-miles focus  of this trip report, many premium credit cards offer reimbursement for Global Assist, which bypasses customs and immigration lines when returning to the U.S. The depression about which I had read in so many reports from the Facebook Japan travel planning forum was definitely true. We had a wonderful trip which we won't soon forget and hope to return again.

Here are some summarizing final thoughts/tips/suggestions:

Japan is a great destination for points-and-miles hobbyists. Not only was there availability for up to four Delta One seats using Virgin Atlantic points, but couples can generally fine ANA first class seats or business class seats for less than what Virgin charges for Delta seats. There is also widespread hotel availability on Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton, and IHG. If you can use miles and points to cover your airfare and hotel stays, the trip becomes a lot more affordable. It is definitely easier to redeem miles for premium cabins going to Asia as compared to Europe, Australia, or Africa (I haven't tried South America).

If you can afford it, the TDR vacation package is worth it. I had a lot reservations before booking it as far as whether the package would be necessary or a waste of money. As it turned out, due to both the limited number of attractions with FP and the number of attractions in total at both TDL and TDS, the extra FPs that you get with the package were worth it, and this will certainly be even more true now that Soarin' opened, with the Beauty and the Beast attractions soon to follow. The free drink benefit also came in handy, though it caused us to drink many more sugary drinks than we otherwise would have.

Avoid the Mira Costa. Unlike the vacation package, this hotel was truly a rip-off. I would have much rather enjoyed our second night at the Sheraton in a Japanese-style suite instead.

Make your dining reservations in advance for table-service restaurants at TDR. I didn't find counter service restaurants to be of particularly good quality at either park. Between the Cape Cod burger and salisbury steak at Grandma Sara's, neither park has much of which to be proud when it comes to counter-service restaurants.

If you've been to either of the Universal resorts in the States, there won't be much in Osaka to justify a visit there. It was fun to experience Jaws once, and Backdraft provided a nice walk down memory lane. Otherwise, unlike the TDR, there is nothing unique about USO.

We love tours with private guides, whenever it is affordable (and sometimes when it isn't). Especially if you are having some anxiety about going to a truly foreign country with a significant language barrier, a private guide is really helpful.

I hope these tips have been helpful and that you have a great time in Japan.


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## newfamilyman

ophkw said:


> Thanks for the great report.  I had a question about you picking up your Disney vacation package the day before.  Did you have to call to arrange that or was it just ready?  The website says you cant pick it up until the day your package starts which isn’t very convenient.


When I tried to go at the beginning of the day, I was told to come back later that day. I can't remember if the CM told me 3 or 4. It would not have been convenient to pick it up the same day, agreed, but unless the procedure has changed, you can get it the afternoon beforehand.


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## soniam

LovesTimone said:


> Lovestimone here,
> Sorry I had to talk to my friend, she said the letter inside the luggage it's self, they did not realize that the contents had been gone through until they got home...  She said that once they left the bags at the ticket counter and the luggage was locked ( TSA approved locks) when they dropped it off, she said that everything was all locked when they picked it up.... She really doesn't have any idea of when or where the sauce's were taken out of the luggage, They flew out of Narita, then onto LAX, stop and stayed overnight at an LAX airport, she said they never opened the check baggage, that had moved everything that they would need into the roll on's for the one night.... then the next morning from LAX, stopped in Atlanta, before landing in Tampa... she said it was just a printed form letter, and she just threw it away... I asked her did they take anything else she said only the sauces, she said they several packages of loose tea leaves, in a large zip lock baggie, which they said looked like something that you would see on PD live... and tons of other stuff that they bought, her DD's bought lots of Korean and Japanese beauty products, lotions and oils, shampoo and conditioner, body scrub and on and on... the sauce were in my friends DH's bag...So they are not sure if they randomly pulled his bag for inspection, or what happened... just the letter and the sauce were gone....
> 
> She said that the only thing that when going back through customs in Japan, that they wanted to see the camera's that they had bought, and some other electronic items... which they all had in their carry on's...  the receipt's were in the passport...  they just looked at the camera's, the boxes, the receipt and sent them on their way... now this was last year, in March 2018....



I wonder if the liquid was confiscated due to US liquid allowances on flights. We were in Chile during xmas break. On our return flight, while sitting in the airport waiting to board, they made some announcements about no liquids over 3oz allowed on the plane. We thought we were misunderstanding, but no. Since other countries, and Chile itself, don’t have any liquid restrictions, they let you bring it into the airport. No one said anything until after we, and many others, had purchased large bottles of water inside the airport. They did a secondary security screening before boarding, where they searched all carry-ons and made people dump their liquids. I wonder if they did it when inspecting the bags before loading them at the airport in Japan


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## soniam

Enjoyed the informative report. I am just starting our planning for summer 2022. I don’t see many people talk about USO, so it was nice to see that. Also just subscribed to the TDR podcast; I didn’t realize they had one.


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## DianaMB333

Thanks for writting and sharing.! I am starting to plan the trip for 2022 and your report has helped a lot!


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## soniam

DianaMB333 said:


> Thanks for writting and sharing.! I am starting to plan the trip for 2022 and your report has helped a lot!



Planning for summer 2022 too. Hoping they have worked out the virus stuff and are letting tourists in.


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## TwingleMum

Enjoyed the report. Could you give a rough estimate of the cost per night of the Disneyland Hotel?? The cost of the package and what it included? Very confusing. There is no way I can do 15 days. We are thinking maybe 7.


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## newfamilyman

TwingleMum said:


> Enjoyed the report. Could you give a rough estimate of the cost per night of the Disneyland Hotel?? The cost of the package and what it included? Very confusing. There is no way I can do 15 days. We are thinking maybe 7.


I tried to find the charge for the package, but I couldn't find it. It was definitely a splurge, from my memory. If I recall correctly, the packages came in an option of one or two nights. They included breakfast each morning, unlimited non-alcoholic drinks from most locations in the parks, a popcorn bucket, and particular souvenir from the hotel's store. They also included a number of FastPasses, which we selected, or you could choose a package which included show reservations and fewer FastPasses. It was a high premium to pay for the FastPasses, as I recall, but we decided to splurge.

If you only spend a week there, you'll probably want to skip Osaka and Kyoto. Hope you have a great trip!


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## soniam

TwingleMum said:


> Enjoyed the report. Could you give a rough estimate of the cost per night of the Disneyland Hotel?? The cost of the package and what it included? Very confusing. There is no way I can do 15 days. We are thinking maybe 7.



Those packages are not currently available and may or may not return. I would just keep an eye out when they start catering to foreigners more again.


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