Disneylands around the world are always incredibly magical places for young ones (and for adults who are young at heart). Tokyo Disneyland is no different. The last time my wife and I visited a Disneyland was back in November 2018 in Hong Kong when we didn’t have a kid. The times were much simpler back then, the official Disneyland app was mostly used to see the waiting times and to look at different attractions, timings, location etc. This time around it felt like visiting Disneyland needed much more research upfront and wasn’t exactly a stroll in the park to achieve what we eventually did and hence the need for this guide.
Tokyo Disneyland is unique in a sense that there is an additional theme park attached to it on offer exclusive to Tokyo called DisneySea. If you have the luxury of time, you should visit both of them. But if you have to chose one, here is the guiding principal – Disneyland is all about the classics and tailored towards the young kids. Rides and shows are more extravagant and spectacular compared to DisneySea which is suited for the older kids. From what I have read, DisneySea rides tend to be intense at times and has a higher share of “Thrill” rides. Since we were short on time and travelling with a 4 year old kid, the choice was more obvious.
Where to get the tickets
Tickets can be purchased 2 months in advance online through their official site or through third party sites like Klook. I also read somewhere that they don’t even sell tickets at the location, so buying online before hand is always safer. Prices vary depending on the day you are visiting – eg: Mondays are much cheaper compared to the other days; they also increase during the peak Sakura season. Children aged 3 or below can enter for free. Ages 4 to 11 is considered “Child”, 12 to 17 being considered as “Junior” and anything above being an “Adult” pricing. We were visiting the theme park on the 4th birthday of our daughter and so, we had this dilemma if we need to purchase a child ticket or not. After emailing the official handle of the park, we got to know that they are strict about age and we ended up purchasing the ticket for her.
The Tokyo Disney Resort App
The official app is where all the action happens and is a must have for the day. As soon as you book the tickets for the park online, you can use the QR code to link the tickets to your app. On the day of the visit, as soon as you enter the park after scanning the QR entry code, your app comes alive and gives you all the options you need for the day to plan and act on the days events.
The app lets you do the following things –
1. Map to search and locate a specific attraction/show
2. Check queue times
3. Book Premier Access for rides
4. Book dining reservations
5. Entry requests for shows and character greetings
You can also filter out attractions and events based on multiple criteria such as special passes needed, height restrictions, area of the park it exists, type of attraction etc.
Entry Requests for Shows and character greetings
Disneyland has various shows and character meetups on offer. But the interesting thing is that many of them will be marked “Entry Request Experience” on the app. These are access controlled meaning you can’t just hope to turn up at the location and wait for your turn to get in. You need to request for access on the app after you enter the park. It’s also luck based and one attempt per day is allowed so you may end up not getting access to any of them like us. Some of the popular shows that require prior access permit are “Jamboree Mickey! Let’s Dance!”, “Mickey’s Magical Music World” & “Club Mouse Beat”.
Same concept for some of the character greetings too including the famous Disney Character greeting in front of the Main street house.
Book Premier Access for rides
There is this concept of paying extra money to get fast tracked entry to certain very popular attractions within the park. Premier Access is located under ‘My Plan’ in the Disney Resort app. From there you can select the experience and time slot you want. The QR ticket code will appear 5 minutes before your designated time and you’ll need to scan it to enter via the Priority Access Entrance. Each Park ticket can be used to purchase one Disney Premier Access. You will be able to purchase Disney Premier Access for another attraction 60 minutes after purchasing Disney Premier Access, or after the start time of your purchased Disney Premier Access, whichever is earlier.
Some of the popular attractions offering this include “Splash Mountain”, “Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast” & “The Happy Ride by Baymax”. We bought the premier access for the beauty and the beast attraction and it saved us over 100 mins of waiting time.
40th Anniversary Priority Pass
Disclaimer: This was relevent for 2024, the 40th anniversary year of the park. It may not continue after that
This service, available free of charge, allows guests to select eligible experiences and enter the venue at a specified time, and enjoy their selected experience with a reduced wait time. You can request one priority access per entry ticket and another one 120 mins after obtaining their last pass. Guests will not be able to select the time to access the experience.
The list of attractions supported is little longer here including some famous ones like “Big Thunder Mountain”, “Haunted Mansion”, “Space Mountain”, “Monsters Inc” etc.
Standby pass
The standby pass is very similar to the 40th anniversary pass and applies to even restaurants, shops etc. to manage the queue. As of 2024, it’s usage was on hold, but may come back into effect once the 40th anniversary pass ceases to exist.
Height Restrictions
Various attractions inside the park are tagged with a minimum height restriction starting from “No Height restrictions” to over 81 , 90, 102 and 117 cms as well. But what’s cool about Disneyland is most attractions would be accessible to kids above 90 or 102 cms which was the case with our daughter.
Themed lands
Tokyo Disneyland has seven zones to explore scattered around in a circular fashion.
1. World Bazaar
As soon as you enter Tokyo Disneyland, you’ll step into World Bazaar. This zone is heavy on shopping and less on attractions. Don’t forget to pick up your souvenirs from one of the shops here before exiting the park.
2. Tomorrowland
Interested in all things about outer space and future tech? Tomorrowland is the area for you! Here, you can find fan-favorite attractions such as the Happy Ride with Baymax, Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters, Space Mountain, and the Monsters, Inc. Ride and Go Seek.
3. Toontown
Toontown is a good place to see Disney characters live. You can play with Donald Duck, Mickey, Minnie and Chip N Dale inside their houses.
4. Fantasyland
This is the home to Cinderella’s Castle and some of the Disney classics such as Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, Peter Pan.
5. Critter Country
One of the most famous attraction of the park – Splash Mountain can be found here.
6. Westernland
This land is home to Big Thunder Mountain and Tom Sawyer Island
7. Adventureland
Last but not least on Tokyo Disneyland’s zones is Adventureland. True to its name, this themed land takes you on crazy adventures in tropical jungles, Arabian bazaars, and the wild seas of the Caribbean.
Parades
Parades are extremely popular concept in Disneyland and Tokyo park isn’t any different. The types of parades can change but generally there is a day time parade showcasing Mickey Mouse and Disney friends and a night time parade offering spectacular display of lights and Disney music in the night. Do check the exact times on the app.
Most popular attractions
Here are some of the most popular attractions of Tokyo Disneyland (not in any particular order). Best way to check for popularity of an attraction before hand would be to check the wait times on the app before the visit day.
1. Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast (Fantasyland)
Guests board magical cups that “dance” in rhythm to the well-known music from Beauty and the Beast, as they take Guests through scenes depicting the story of the animated film.
2. Splash Mountain (Critter Country)
Board a log boat and go off on a fun adventure! Be prepared for a 45-degree drop down a 16-meter high waterfall!
3. Haunted Mansion (Fantasyland)
This ominous gothic mansion is haunted by 999 ghosts, goblins, and ghouls. They’re all “dying” to make their number an even 1,000. Look over there! It’s a statue with glowing eyes. And invisible hands are playing strange music on that piano. Now, who’s that sitting next to you?
4. Monsters, Inc. Ride & Go Seek (Tomorrowland)
Experience the world of the Disney/Pixar film Monsters, Inc. in this attraction. The human child, Boo, and lots of monsters, including Sulley and Mike, are playing a special game of hide-and-go-seek and you’re invited to join them. As you travel through the Monsters, Inc. offices and the streets of Monstropolis, use your flashlight to “find” the funny, hidden monsters.
5. “It’s a small world” (Fantasyland)
Dressed in the traditional costumes of their countries, children of the world sing “it’s a small world” as you voyage from Europe, through Asia, Africa, Central America, and the islands of the South Pacific. It’s the happiest cruise that ever sailed!
6. The Happy Ride with Baymax (Tomorrowland)
Experience this wild musical ride developed by the young inventor Hiro Hamada. As up-tempo music plays, this ride is sure to make everyone happy.
7. Dumbo The Flying Elephant (Fantasyland)
Dumbo is the only elephant in the world that can fly. The most popular little elephant in the circus has come to take you higher and higher into the sky. Who should be conducting this special ride but Dumbo’s best friend, Timothy Q. Mouse. He’s making sure you have the time of your life!
8. Pirates of the Caribbean (Adventureland)
Captain Jack Sparrow from Disney’s live action film, Pirates of the Caribbean, and other unique pirates make an appearance in this masterpiece that fires the imagination. You can’t talk about a world of adventure until you’ve experience this attraction.
9. Pooh’s Hunny Hunt (Fantasland)
Travel on a whimsical “hunny pot” with a mind of its own as you follow Winnie the Pooh on his search for honey. Enjoy the warm and friendly world of Pooh and his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood.
10. Big Thunder Mountain (Westernland)
It’s a few decades after the big gold rush. The rush now is from the mine trains that careen at high speed through the old gold mine. You’re headed straight for the rocky side of the mountain or going down fast at a tilt … You’ll be screaming with the thrills
Food at the park
Popcorns are pretty popular snack among Disneyland lovers and its no different here. There are different flavors available across various parts of the park such as Caramel, Soy Sauce & Butter, Milk Chocolate, Curry, Salt, Honey, Black Pepper, Salty Caramel, Matcha White Chocolate & Betty Cheesecake.
Apart from the popcorns, regular food is also available at restaurants spread across different themelands. But finding veg/vegan food can be difficult. You might have to make do with French fries and salads. They also say you can get your food in to the park without restrictions, but we didn’t try.
Our Experience at Disneyland
We chose to visit Disneyland on our daughter’s 4th birthday. Incidentally, it was a Monday and ticket prices for that day was one of the cheapest within that month. It gave us hope that the park might be less crowded than usual.
We reached the park by 8:30 am and soon realized that there is nothing called “less crowded” day in Disneyland. The entry queue looked humungous spanning almost half a km. But as soon as the clock hit 9 am, the lines started moving fast. The staff were well trained and efficient at their job and we were inside the park in no time. The park offers special stickers for kids on their birthdays and we took one for our daughter, which later came in handy during character meetups when she was over the moon seeing her favorite Disney characters wish her on her birthday.
The first thing we did as soon as we entered the park was the open the app and request access for some of the shows and meetups we wanted. Unfortunately, we ended up getting access to none of those. We paid $20 per person for the Premier access to the Beauty and the Beast ride and got an afternoon time slot assigned for that. We also requested for the 40th anniversary pass for one of the busy rides and got it for around 10.30 am. We were able to repeat the same process for few other rides and were able to score priority access to couple of other rides through this 40th anniversary pass as and when it allowed us to.
Here is the final list of rides/attractions/meetups we went to –
- Tomorrowland
- Monsters Inc – Brilliantly made ride. Got a 40th anniversary pass for this one, so didn’t have to wait much.
- Toontown
- Mickey’s house and meet Mickey – We had to wait for around 75 mins before we got to meet Mickey. Luckily, this was one of the few entries which allowed strollers while queuing up.
- Minnie’s style studio – Had to wait roughly 60 mins to meet Minnie.
- Gadget’s Go Coaster – It was a fun roller coaster ride which our daughter enjoyed a lot. Waited for 45 mins.
- Fantasyland
- Enchanted tale of Beauty and Beast – Probably the best ride in the whole of theme park. Excellent recreation of the classic. Bought a Premier access for this one.
- Its a small world – Another excellent creation with lots of attention to detail and elements to it. Wasn’t too crowded, waited for roughly 15 mins.
- Dumbo The Flying elephant – Our daughter was particularly interested in this one. Waited for 45 mins.
- Haunted mansion – Very good themed ride. Got a 40th anniversary pass so didnt wait much.
- Mickey’s Phillar magic – Not very crowded, but a very good 3D show for kids. Too bad the narration was in Japanese.
- Critter County
- Splash Mountain – Was below expectation.
- Adventureland
- Pirates of the Caribbean – One of the first rides we did. A good quality dark themed ride. Not much wait time.
- Jungle Cruise: Wildlife Expeditions – A fun ride for smaller kids. Wasn’t busy.
- Parades
- Both day and night ones – The night one was much more spectacular than the day one. Be sure to get a seat nearby an hour before the parade for quality viewing.
It was an excellent day overall for us at the park. We had planned well and were able to pull off most of the things we wanted to achieve in the end. The most important part was that our daughter was ecstatic and had a blast on her birthday. Even though it felt the park was crowded at the start, we were able to navigate through our schedules and so many complexities of the bookings and requests in the app to end up having a fun filled day in the end.
Unending Vacations 