A Veteran WDW Parkgoer Wants To Do TDL/TDS - Questions

[mesaboy2]

Yes, they give you Yen. The currency conversion is another thing that's ridiculously easy as well. Move the decimal over two places and that's your dollar amount.

I wouldn't stress too much about learning the train system before you go. It's the kind of thing that will make more sense once you're in it and you've done it a couple of times. Use the Navitime app and don't hesitate to ask someone to point you in the right direction. Half the time we asked for help it was out of sheer laziness, not because we were truly struggling to find our way. If you're not sure where you should be going when you get off a train, step to the side or next to a column, let the crowd pass, and then figure it out. This became standard routine for us, particularly when hauling our luggage. Navigating the stations is a lot less stressful when you don't feel like you're getting in other peoples' way.

Kewl!

 

[TipsyTraveler]

If you are taking the NEX into tokyo look at the NEX + Suica option. You get the Suica preloaded with 1500 Y and it works out cheaper than paying for the two separately. This is what we did last time. We kept the Suica cards as souvenirs and when we head to japan in august we will take them back with us

I just want to comment on this for anyone else who might read this thread for trip planning help. When I was there (May 2014) they had just done away with this option. The N'EX/Suica combo is no longer available and they must be purchased separately.

 

[Ebiten]

I feel safer walking around Tokyo in the seedier areas than I do walking around some neighborhoods back home . Tokyo is so safe you can sleep on the train and not have your possessions stolen.

You can pick up a Suica card at a JR train station from the ticket machines if you have your transportation to Tokyo covered. Then keep it as you can use it as a continuous souvenir that expires ten years after its last use and you won't need to get another one when you come back to Tokyo.

If you don't travel during rush hour with your luggage then you are fine. Yes, the Narita Express does have a luggage storage area in each car. If you are taking the Keiyo Line to Tokyo Disneyland from Tokyo Station I never encountered a crowded train going to the park for rope drop but going back is a beast after closing . Just need to find a spot at the station to stand and stand again in a crowded train for a short time.

 

[pandv_2000]

I just want to comment on this for anyone else who might read this thread for trip planning help. When I was there (May 2014) they had just done away with this option. The N'EX/Suica combo is no longer available and they must be purchased separately.

Thanks for correcting me. I had no idea they had done away with this and I wouldn't like to give out incorrect information

 

[Kyjin]

Adding to the safety concerns, I've lived on and off in Tokyo in the last four years, and the only time I haven't felt safe is really late at night in some parts of Shinjuku. (When you go far enough south of the station, you can hit some pretty sketchy host clubs, etc.) Within the rest of Tokyo itself, never a problem. Honestly as a foreigner, more people will be wary of YOU rather than you of them. XD You should be perfectly fine right around Tokyo station.

 

[mesaboy2]

Thanks for the reassurances about safety. I figured as much based on what I know of the culture, but it's nice to hear it all the same.

 

[Corbisblue]

Just to add to the trains, if you are ever lost or unsure you can ask a staff member. They may or may not speak English but if you simply say the station you are looking to go to, they will be able to help you out. Japanese people will go very out of their way to help you, even if you both do not understand each other perfectly.

If you can, try and buy your tickets as soon as you can. The parks will reach capacity a lot during August and you may have to wait to get in. If you want to try and make the most

Language

Back to the language, as mentioned already you won't have any issues within the parks. CMs that need to speak English will such as ticket counters and guest services. Or if they do not, they will find someone that does. If you're wanting to try your hand at speaking a little Japanese I wrote two guides for that:

• 17 Basic Japanese Phrases for Tokyo Disney Resort
• 20 Japanese Phrases for Dinning at Tokyo Disney Resort

If you want to make the most out of your visit to DisneySea we also wrote up One Day Touring Plan.

Transportation

As for transportation, I don't know if it was mentioned here yet, I would avoid taxis at all costs, unless you are in a pinch. They are incredibly expensive. The parks close at 10pm every night, so the chances of you missing your last train is very low. Most trains stop between 12am-1am.

Also, be prepared for the hot and humid weather. Since you're from Florida you'll be used to it. Being from Canada, the humid weather is sometimes hard to deal with haha.

You're going to have a great time! Japan is a very easy country to get around, it will be intimidating at first but once you get going it gets a lot easier, even if you don't speak any Japanese.

 

[FireflyFi]

You guys have certainly helped reassure me that the train system and the language barrier is not as bad as I initially feared. Well, the train system is still pretty daunting but nothing a few hours of study can't conquer.

You've had some great responses here. I just wanted to add one thing about the trains if you're still stressed. Most trains actually have monitors inside the carriage above the door. This will show at least the main stations the train stops at, and cycles between Japanese and English. So you'll 1. Know you're going in the right direction and 2. Know when you're coming close to your required stop

A few people have pointed out Navitime. I've never used that, but became very familiar with Hyperdia (I believe they may now have an app). In a lot of cases, Hyperdia will even give you the platform number for the train/s you need.

And also don't stress about having enough money for a particular trip. There are ticket machines inside the barrier, so if you go to swipe through the exit barriers and get rejected, turn around and find a machine to top up.

Oh and speaking of ticket machines - buy a multi day monorail ticket at Disney! It'll likely be cheaper, and you get a great souvenir

 

[mesaboy2]

You've had some great responses here. I just wanted to add one thing about the trains if you're still stressed. Most trains actually have monitors inside the carriage above the door. This will show at least the main stations the train stops at, and cycles between Japanese and English. So you'll 1. Know you're going in the right direction and 2. Know when you're coming close to your required stop

A few people have pointed out Navitime. I've never used that, but became very familiar with Hyperdia (I believe they may now have an app). In a lot of cases, Hyperdia will even give you the platform number for the train/s you need.

And also don't stress about having enough money for a particular trip. There are ticket machines inside the barrier, so if you go to swipe through the exit barriers and get rejected, turn around and find a machine to top up.

Oh and speaking of ticket machines - buy a multi day monorail ticket at Disney! It'll likely be cheaper, and you get a great souvenir

Thank you! I think I'll purchase a Suica with either 5,000 or 10,000 yen when I arrive at Narita and figure that will take care of all my train needs for the 5 days or so I'm on my own. Good to know the signage on many of the trains themselves will show English translations. I will look into Hyperdia too.

 

[jsilvers]

If you want to make the most out of your visit to DisneySea we also wrote up One Day Touring Plan.

Update needed - the early admission benefit for DisneySea is now available to guests of all three Disney hotels, not just the MiraCosta. See http://www.tokyodisneyresort.jp/en/about/rh/dh_tokuten.html.

 

[FireflyFi]

Thank you! I think I'll purchase a Suica with either 5,000 or 10,000 yen when I arrive at Narita and figure that will take care of all my train needs for the 5 days or so I'm on my own. Good to know the signage on many of the trains themselves will show English translations. I will look into Hyperdia too.

While you're looking at Hyperdia, check the prices of your train fare. 10k yen sounds like too much for just five days. Although if you end up loading too much, you can spend the money at a number of convenience stores.

And totally your choice on not buying a monorail pass, but at least have a look at them before deciding. There should be a display near the entrance at Maihama. The one I got was so cute! My normal train pass I picked up in Osaka (can't remember the brand) may have had Hello Kitty on it, but my Disney monorail pass has the 30 year anniversary Mickey and Co on it

 

[mesaboy2]

While you're looking at Hyperdia, check the prices of your train fare. 10k yen sounds like too much for just five days. Although if you end up loading too much, you can spend the money at a number of convenience stores.

And totally your choice on not buying a monorail pass, but at least have a look at them before deciding. There should be a display near the entrance at Maihama. The one I got was so cute! My normal train pass I picked up in Osaka (can't remember the brand) may have had Hello Kitty on it, but my Disney monorail pass has the 30 year anniversary Mickey and Co on it

I agree 10KY is going to be too much, I'd get a 7500Y is they offered it. But I know I will use the Narita Express once (for ~3000Y or ~4500Y if I'm feeling splurgy for a green car). I'm just not sure 2000Y would be enough (if I did the 5000Y instead, and after N'Ex) for the rest of my needs.

I will definitely check out the monorail passes then--they sound interesting. Thanks!

 

[Ebiten]

10k yen is a lot of money but depending on how much you travel it will be used up pretty quickly. I usually load up 5k yen when I land and when I notice my remaining balance on the display at the station gate scanner is down to about 1k I just add another 2k. I usually spend around 8k-10k for traveling around Tokyo.

Don't forget, the card is good for 10 years from last use so you can save it on the side for future trips if you have a remaining balance. You can even exchange it for cash if a friend is going so they already have the money loaded up when they go too.

Also, not all trains will have updated station signs on the train blinking/showing where you are. I suggest you download the JR East map and Tokyo Metro map onto your phone just in case. You can track where you're going on your phone as you also may end up on a packed train in the middle of the seats where you won't be able to see the signs above the doors as well (happened to me multiple times).

JR East
http://www.jreast.co.jp/E/info/map_a4ol.pdf

Tokyo Metro
http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/subwaymap/pdf/routemap_en.pdf

 

[mesaboy2]

10k yen is a lot of money but depending on how much you travel it will be used up pretty quickly. I usually load up 5k yen when I land and when I notice my remaining balance on the display at the station gate scanner is down to about 1k I just add another 2k. I usually spend around 8k-10k for traveling around Tokyo.

Don't forget, the card is good for 10 years from last use so you can save it on the side for future trips if you have a remaining balance. You can even exchange it for cash if a friend is going so they already have the money loaded up when they go too.

Also, not all trains will have updated station signs on the train blinking/showing where you are. I suggest you download the JR East map and Tokyo Metro map onto your phone just in case. You can track where you're going on your phone as you also may end up on a packed train in the middle of the seats where you won't be able to see the signs above the doors as well (happened to me multiple times).

JR East
http://www.jreast.co.jp/E/info/map_a4ol.pdf

Tokyo Metro
http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/subwaymap/pdf/routemap_en.pdf

Thank you for the advice and maps. I plan on using up a good portion of my iPhone's memory loading it up for offline use.

 

[mesaboy2]

Now that I think I understand mostly about the train system and getting around, I'm turning my attention to merch and food options. The other thread about unique souvenirs was helpful--I think I'm happy there.

I've done a brief study of the food options from the official website. I'll be solo and am not very adventurous with cuisine. Mainstream seafoods (er, cooked), beef, chicken, and of course western foods I'm solid with, so it looks like there are plenty of CS options at both parks to keep my gut happy. Anyone disagree?

Also, if I'm feeling a little adventurous...any recommendations or "must-dos" for food choices based on the very few bites of info I gave above? Not really considering any table-service options, but can change my mind if someone makes a good enough argument.

Thanks!

 

[FireflyFi]

You'll be fine, there's lots of options to choose from.

Are you only doing CS? The only one I can think of that was memorable for me was the hot dog wrapped in cheese wrapped in a tortilla that was good for all the wrong reasons You can find it up near Splash Mountain and there's pics of it in my trip report. Other people like the gyoza dog, which is near 20,000 Leagues, but I really didn't like that at all.

The cold sweet dumplings (made to look like the little green aliens from Toy Story) were pretty tasty. Not sure if they were seasonal, though. And don't forget the popcorn!

If you're going solo and want TS, Teddy Roosevelt's is a good option. You can sit at the bar, and the food is pretty awesome. And the other recommendation is Magellan's because the room is amazing (I really enjoyed the food, too).

 

[mesaboy2]

Can anyone tell me about Ikspiari? Does it close early (relative to the parks), so that I would need to leave the park mid-day to look around, or is it not worth that?

Which made me think of another question, one I take for granted here in the US: I assume you can leave and return to the same park on the same day with any kind of ticket?

 

[Kyjin]

I've never bothered to look around Ikspiari myself, just wandered past the shops after I was leaving the park for the evening. I wouldn't necessarily make it a priority.

Yep, you can enter and leave the park. Just be sure to get your hand stamped and have your ticket!

 

[TipsyTraveler]

Ikspiari isn't really comparable to Downtown Disney. There's a Disney Store there but otherwise it's just a mall with regular mall stores. I wouldn't give up park time to go there.

 

[mesaboy2]

I've never bothered to look around Ikspiari myself, just wandered past the shops after I was leaving the park for the evening. I wouldn't necessarily make it a priority.

Yep, you can enter and leave the park. Just be sure to get your hand stamped and have your ticket!

Ikspiari isn't really comparable to Downtown Disney. There's a Disney Store there but otherwise it's just a mall with regular mall stores. I wouldn't give up park time to go there.

Gotcha, thanks!