Has anyone used DVC to stay at Tokyo resorts?

[elderfam]

Hello!
We are starting our 2025 Japan trip, We want to use our DVC to stay at the Disney parks. Has anyone done this before? Thoughts and suggestions welcome!

 

[thanxfornoticin]

We've not actually done it yet, but have been getting educated for something similar. I've spoken with MS, as they need to handle the transaction. Sorry if I repeat things you already know! First, you can only use 'blue card' member points to stay. Most resale points are not eligible for the transfer required (so it could take some planning there). TDR room point charts appear to come out about 4 months in advance. If they come out a bit earlier, I'm told we can only make reservations 4 months out. Each reservation has a fee of $95 currently. If you go to make a reservation through MS, it sounds like they can check/verify availability while on the phone - although again, we've not actually done it. The points charts for TDR are currently on the DVC site through June, 2024, so you can see what hotels are offered, and the points required (although the actual points could be different for your actual dates). The points are VERY high for staying, but then again, so are the cash prices! There are actually quite a few hotel options offered. Good luck with your plans. TDR was on our list to visit for a while now, and even more so now with Fantasy Springs!

 

[verobeachlover]

I actually used points for part of my stay next month (2 nights at MiraCosta), so I’ll report back how that goes, but a few things to note….

TDR hotels can only be booked 4 months in advance using DVC (this is true for cash bookings as well, with the exception of vacation packages). However, TDR hotels have a tendency to sell out extremely quickly - and because of the time change, it’s possible that cash bookings could eat up most of the inventory (especially for coveted rooms at MiraCosta and TDLH) before the DVC member services line even opens. I believe the rooms come on around 9pm EST, so you’d have to wait until the following morning to book with member services - and I believe the department that handles these bookings is closed or has limited weekend hours. Probably not a huge deal for most, but DVC also doesn't have access to certain room categories - in particular, they can only book the standard view rooms at MiraCosta - not the park or Venice view, and some special suites cannot be booked using points.

Also - the point redemption isn’t the best, but I don’t think it’s horrible either if you have the points and want to do something different. Right now the Yen is fairly weak to the USD, so cash rates aren't as bad as they have been in the past. You can also rent out your points and use the funds to make a cash booking - you'll probably come ahead this way, but the convenience of just dealing with DVC and not worrying about the sale of points on my taxes was worth it IMO. If you're considering lumping in some of the other Asia parks on your trip, HKDL has some much better point redemptions (specifically mid-week), where you can often get the HK Disneyland Hotel (like a mini Grand Floridian) for 20-30pts per night.

One thing that is great about using DVC at TDR compared to HKDL or DLP is that when you call member services to book, they will actively book the reservation for you then. It’s not like the others where they have to submit it, and then it could take up to a week to hear back. Also, because it’s a DVC reservation, you won’t be able to link it to your TDR travel case/website - meaning you’ll miss out on the ability to make certain privileged hotel dining reservations.

 

[soniam]

I guess it’s not good for packages either then. This may affect access to Fantasy Springs. I guess we will have to see how long it remains popular after opening in June.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I guess it’s not good for packages either then. This may affect access to Fantasy Springs. I guess we will have to see how long it remains popular after opening in June.

It'll be interesting see if DVC gets any member points accesses to the new Fantasy Springs Hotel rooms with the next point chart release. But definitely separate from those packages!

 

[princesscinderella]

I am hoping to use my DVC points to say in July. I spoke with MS and the agent said that they have a block of rooms held for DVC point reservations and that it’s not competing with cash reservations. I hope this holds true with the time difference. I’m going to try to do a cash and DVC knowing the cash window will open up first for me due to the time zones.

 

[verobeachlover]

I am hoping to use my DVC points to say in July. I spoke with MS and the agent said that they have a block of rooms held for DVC point reservations and that it’s not competing with cash reservations. I hope this holds true with the time difference. I’m going to try to do a cash and DVC knowing the cash window will open up first for me due to the time zones.

That would make sense if DVC has a small room block, especially since MS can book/confirm it unlike HKDL or DLP where there is the hold for the actual resort to confirm the booking and MS is just submitting a request. In fact, I actually do think they have some form of room block, since for DLP they wouldn't let me book Art of Marvel, despite cash bookings still being plentiful. That being said, I've heard conflicting information from MS (all have been helpful, but its difficult to get a clear answer on some of this "stuff") - and who knows how big that room block is - so YMMV but hopefully you get it!

 

[elderfam]

Thanks for all the info! We are just over a year out from our travel dates. We are blue card DVC owners so our points are good for Tokyo, I was a little disapoiinted with the 4 month window! YIKES! I will have a back up just in case, but we have dreamed of using our points in Japan for 20+ years.

 

[princesscinderella]

So a quick update, we didn’t end up using our DVC points to book a room at TDL. We ended up getting a vacation package for 2 nights at Miracosta which includes guaranteed admission to the new fantasy springs area. We are staying for 4 nights so I still needed to get two more nights to complete our stay. Vacation packages are only offered for one or two night stays. They include the park tickets so a 1 night package gives you one day at TDL on check in and the next day at Disneysea with the fantasy spring access. The 2 night gives you three park passes.

I called DVC about booking our other two nights but it was 100 points per night and we need two rooms per night since we are a family of 5. It was a very poor use of our points to spend 400 points for two nights stay. We were able to get a cash stay for the next two nights at Miracosta in the same room type so I hope we don’t have to switch.

 

[soniam]

So a quick update, we didn’t end up using our DVC points to book a room at TDL. We ended up getting a vacation package for 2 nights at Miracosta which includes guaranteed admission to the new fantasy springs area. We are staying for 4 nights so I still needed to get two more nights to complete our stay. Vacation packages are only offered for one or two night stays. They include the park tickets so a 1 night package gives you one day at TDL on check in and the next day at Disneysea with the fantasy spring access. The 2 night gives you three park passes.

I called DVC about booking our other two nights but it was 100 points per night and we need two rooms per night since we are a family of 5. It was a very poor use of our points to spend 400 points for two nights stay. We were able to get a cash stay for the next two nights at Miracosta in the same room type so I hope we don’t have to switch.

They will probably let you. Just ask.

 

[verobeachlover]

Hi all - just reporting back after an incredible trip. I used DVC points at MiraCosta for 2 nights (followed by a cash booking for concierge at the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel for 1 night), and everything went incredibly well - absolutely no issues.

Also used points at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel - sort of got a surprise "upgrade," and points at Sequoia Lodge and NewPort Bay at DLP (undoubtedly the worst two hotels of the trip, stay tuned for the trip reports!)

If anyone has any questions, let me know.

 

[FriendsAndFood]

Hi all - just reporting back after an incredible trip. I used DVC points at MiraCosta for 2 nights (followed by a cash booking for concierge at the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel for 1 night), and everything went incredibly well - absolutely no issues.

Also used points at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel - sort of got a surprise "upgrade," and points at Sequoia Lodge and NewPort Bay at DLP (undoubtedly the worst two hotels of the trip, stay tuned for the trip reports!)

If anyone has any questions, let me know.

What MiraCosta room did you get, how many DVC points did that cost?

 

[verobeachlover]

What MiraCosta room did you get, how many DVC points did that cost?

67 points per night (March 11-13th), and the Capitano Mickey room. I was on the top (5th?) floor, basically directly over the valet - sort of "lucked out" in the sense that I could see Cinderella Castle/fireworks, the monorail and the Skytree from my room.

 

[elderfam]

67 points per night (March 11-13th), and the Capitano Mickey room. I was on the top (5th?) floor, basically directly over the valet - sort of "lucked out" in the sense that I could see Cinderella Castle/fireworks, the monorail and the Skytree from my room.

Room Report! Lol!!

 

[verobeachlover]

Room Report! Lol!!

Haha - I’ve been lazy to post a trip report, but let’s just say it’s the nicest Disney resort I’ve stayed in (I’ve been in all the DVC properties except DL hotel so I’d say that’s high praise). Service was incredible - arguably the best bell services I’ve ever experienced at any Disney destination (my bags got magically transferred from my room at MiraCosta to my room at Disneyland hotel, but they didn’t get put in my room when I transferred from MiraCosta to the Disneyland hotel so I went to concierge to ask if they could make sure they got sent up to my room, went shopping at the Disneyland hotel for about 20min, and came back to my room to find a bell services cast member, who waited for 10min outside my room to make sure he personally handed the bags to me and that everything was alright - if that’s not world class service then idk what is).

Only con about MiraCosta/TDR hotels is that there really aren’t 1 king bed rooms (if you’re a solo traveler like me or a couple wanting to share a bed, this might be an issue).

MiraCosta was a bit less “western” than I expected too. TV in the room had no English channels (well, they had CNN - but it had Japanese voiceover - I’m used to at least seeing BBC in “international” hotels (which they had at HKDLH). Also, the check-in staff has very little English speaking ability at MiraCosta when compared to Disneyland Hotel - it was the only time during my whole trip in Japan/Hong Kong that I had to use Google translate (wasn’t an issue at all though, but maybe a bit surprising if you’re coming from a chain hotel like Hilton/Hyatt/Marriott that’s a lot more westernized).

Oh, room service is odd - same menu between all the hotels, and expect a 3-4hr wait so you basically have to pre order in advance.

I’ll post a more in-depth trip report - maybe over the weekend - but hopefully this serves as a brief report of the hotels for now lol

 

[AinW]

We visited TDL in March for the first time and stayed at the Sheraton Maihama Bay. It's a very large, very nice hotel with a pretty pool area. Tip: do not pay extra for Park View since that's now blocked by the new Fantasy Springs hotel. They do a huge wedding business so it's not just Disney but there are stores onsite that sell Disney merch. It is directly across from the Tokyo Bay monorail station and surprisingly there is a bus that runs between them (we almost always walked except when it was raining hard). You do need to buy a monorail ticket - buy it for the length of your stay. The only downside is that you do not get early entry for the parks. I was almost knocked over going down the stairs from the monorail at 7 am by stampeding spring break students and we were pushed and shoved trying to get through the security gates and the turnstiles at park open, especially at TDS (they were literally yelling PHYSICAL!!! in English). We plan to return next year with my elderly mom and now know we need to stay at a Disney resort so she won't have to deal with that; there aren't nearly as many people in the queue for early entry.

We paid cash in Hong Kong (a resort/ticket package using Klook) and loved the Hollywood Hotel - large rooms, very clean, fun Disney amenities, not much further from the park (the three hotels are in a row with the HKDL hotel closest, then Explorer's Lodge, then the Hollywood Hotel). We were up early our first day and explored the other hotels a bit as we walked to the park.

In November we went to DLP and stayed at the Hotel Cheyenne - NEVER again! It was one of the worst hotel experiences I've ever had. They put us in Calamity Jane and that says it all. DLP has a great luggage transfer service if you come in by train but your stay is off to a bad start when you check in after park close and they tell you you'll need to pull your own bags through a poorly lit parking lot in the rain. My daughter found multiple hairs in her bed and our socks got filthy walking across the floor - I wetted bath towels and did my best to "mop" the faux-wood floor with them then left them in the tub. In the morning we showed pictures of all of this to the front desk, waited 30 minutes to speak to a housekeeping manager, and all we got were a promise of better cleaning, a 25 Euro gift card and 3 fast passes (we had to designate which rides we wanted up front). We moved to an apartment next to the Metro station 1 stop away at a much better price.

 

[verobeachlover]

We visited TDL in March for the first time and stayed at the Sheraton Maihama Bay. It's a very large, very nice hotel with a pretty pool area. Tip: do not pay extra for Park View since that's now blocked by the new Fantasy Springs hotel. They do a huge wedding business so it's not just Disney but there are stores onsite that sell Disney merch. It is directly across from the Tokyo Bay monorail station and surprisingly there is a bus that runs between them (we almost always walked except when it was raining hard). You do need to buy a monorail ticket - buy it for the length of your stay. The only downside is that you do not get early entry for the parks. I was almost knocked over going down the stairs from the monorail at 7 am by stampeding spring break students and we were pushed and shoved trying to get through the security gates and the turnstiles at park open, especially at TDS (they were literally yelling PHYSICAL!!! in English). We plan to return next year with my elderly mom and now know we need to stay at a Disney resort so she won't have to deal with that; there aren't nearly as many people in the queue for early entry.

We paid cash in Hong Kong (a resort/ticket package using Klook) and loved the Hollywood Hotel - large rooms, very clean, fun Disney amenities, not much further from the park (the three hotels are in a row with the HKDL hotel closest, then Explorer's Lodge, then the Hollywood Hotel). We were up early our first day and explored the other hotels a bit as we walked to the park.

In November we went to DLP and stayed at the Hotel Cheyenne - NEVER again! It was one of the worst hotel experiences I've ever had. They put us in Calamity Jane and that says it all. DLP has a great luggage transfer service if you come in by train but your stay is off to a bad start when you check in after park close and they tell you you'll need to pull your own bags through a poorly lit parking lot in the rain. My daughter found multiple hairs in her bed and our socks got filthy walking across the floor - I wetted bath towels and did my best to "mop" the faux-wood floor with them then left them in the tub. In the morning we showed pictures of all of this to the front desk, waited 30 minutes to speak to a housekeeping manager, and all we got were a promise of better cleaning, a 25 Euro gift card and 3 fast passes (we had to designate which rides we wanted up front). We moved to an apartment next to the Metro station 1 stop away at a much better price.

I know this is the Tokyo thread, but I did a trip with TDL, HKDL, and DLP all in March, and much of your experience (albeit I used DVC for my entire stay) is spot on - particularly DLP. I did 1 night at Sequoia followed by 3 nights at New Port Bay, and the room at Sequoia was one of the worst, dirtiest rooms I've ever seen (comparable to a sketchy roadside motel with the rudest service - bell services told me they "didn't feel" like assisting me with my luggage, among other issues), and the room at New Port was "nicer" but heavily dinged up (the security latch on the door was busted off the wall which is a huge no-no in the US, among other issues). I agree with staying off property for DLP (or just go to TDR/HKDL instead .. )

The queues for early entry at TDL are completely worth it alone... even being able to rope drop an E ticket and then have time to get in line for a smaller attraction before masses enter is worth every penny.

 

[TwingleMum]

Hi all - just reporting back after an incredible trip. I used DVC points at MiraCosta for 2 nights (followed by a cash booking for concierge at the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel for 1 night), and everything went incredibly well - absolutely no issues.

Also used points at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel - sort of got a surprise "upgrade," and points at Sequoia Lodge and NewPort Bay at DLP (undoubtedly the worst two hotels of the trip, stay tuned for the trip reports!)

If anyone has any questions, let me know.

I am staying at Miracosta on DVC points next month. Were you able to make advance dining reservations??? Guests staying at a Disney Hotel are supposed to be able to make dining reservations a month ahead.

 

[verobeachlover]

I am staying at Miracosta on DVC points next month. Were you able to make advance dining reservations??? Guests staying at a Disney Hotel are supposed to be able to make dining reservations a month ahead.

You cannot - which drove me crazy (this is true for TDR and HKDL, though oddly not DLP).

The reason is that the DVC booking numbers are similar to that of a third party booking number at TDR and HKDL (like if you booked through Expedia, Klook, etc.)…. As such, that number can’t be linked to the Tokyo Disney (Or HKDL) website/app, and there isn’t a way to get a number that would link.

However - for Tokyo - the advanced dining reservations (unless if I got something wrong) were only for hotel restaurants. I was able to easily get Magellan’s and Blue Bayou on the general release day without issue, but I’d suggest getting on when they release. I even was able to get the Duffy show/meal which is highly coveted and generally sells out in a couple minutes. The only major benefit (IMO) is if you want the lounge in MiraCosta that overlooks the park (I can’t remember the name off the top of my head) - that fills up with hotel reservations, especially if you want a window table. Otherwise, you should be fine nearly everywhere else on property if you’re on when they release dining to the public.

I’d suggest going on the website and trying to make dining reservations when they release a couple days before you actually need them, just so that you’re prepared for when they release and it makes getting them easier.

 

[soniam]

I am staying at Miracosta on DVC points next month. Were you able to make advance dining reservations??? Guests staying at a Disney Hotel are supposed to be able to make dining reservations a month ahead.

You can try at 10am JT 30 days out. That's the time that everyone can try. You can also try day of in the app at 9am or at the restaurant in person at 10am. Hotel guests and vacation packages start at 9am JT; however, they can book for the entire length of their reservation. You still can book a month out though.