Japan’s world-famous Tokyo Disney Resort is the top attraction near Tokyo (yes, the resort is not located in Tokyo but in Chiba Prefecture!). To enjoy the resort to its fullest, you will want to avoid the large crowds and explore the parks efficiently. So, we have compiled all the information you need to know to make your day at the Kingdom of Dreams and Magic smoother!
Table of Contents
- A Summary of the Tips for Visiting Tokyo Disney Resort
- How to Get to Tokyo Disney Resort
- Disneyland vs DisneySea
- Planning Your Visit to Tokyo Disney Resort
- Tokyo Disney Resort’s Partial Day Passport
- Do My Children Need a Tokyo Disney Resort Admission Ticket?
- What If Tokyo Disney Resort’s Tickets Are Sold Out on the Day I Want to Visit the Park?
- Can I Bring Food to Tokyo Disney Resort?
- How to Save Money at Tokyo Disney Resort
- The Best and Worst Time to Visit Tokyo Disney Resort
- What Time Does Tokyo Disney Resort Open, and What Time Should I Arrive at Tokyo Disney Resort?
- Restaurant Reservation and Priority Seating at Tokyo Disney Resort
- All You Need to Know About the Priority Pass, Disney Premier Access, the Standby Pass, and the Entry Request
- Disney Hotels and Happy Entry
- Disney Mobile Order (ディズニー・ モバイルオーダー)
- Which Attractions/Rides Should I Do First at Tokyo Disney Resort?
- The Must-Bring Items to Tokyo Disney Resort
- Tips on Visiting Tokyo Disney Resort With Children
- What to Do While Queuing for Rides at Tokyo Disney Resort
Tip: If you want to stay close to Tokyo Disney Resort but not in their official hotel, stay at Spa & Hotel Maihama Eurasia the night before. That way, you can walk to Tokyo Disney Resort instead of taking the first train.
A Summary of the Tips for Visiting Tokyo Disney Resort
Like Universal Studios Japan, Tokyo Disney Resort is also very popular. Planning your day to get the most out of your visit is very important. In addition to listing what you want to do at Tokyo Disney Resort, here are the following tips that you will find useful:
- Purchase your admission ticket in advance to ensure you can enter the park on the day.
- Park tickets can be purchased for the same day two months in advance. Sales start at 2 pm every day.
- As the number of days differs each month, if the current month has fewer days, tickets for the 30th and 31st two months later can be purchased on the 1st of the following month.
- Make a restaurant reservation in advance to ensure your family has somewhere to enjoy the delicious and potentially unique menu Disney Resort offers.
- Download the Tokyo Disney Resort Official App to your phone.
- The official app will be very handy on the day. Using its map function, you can navigate your whereabouts and where to go when you are in the resort.
- The congestion condition of each attraction in Tokyo Disney Resort on the day is also updated on its official app.
- The app can be used to make restaurant reservations and participate in show lottery draws.
- The official app is the only way to secure Standby Passes for the attractions that require them.
- Arrive early. We recommend arriving at least 60 to 90 minutes before the park opens unless you plan to stay at one of the affiliated hotels that offer early entry.
- The earlier you can get into the park, the more Priority Passes/Standby Passes you can get.
- Consider purchasing Disney Premier Access to shorten a ride’s waiting time and to reserve a specific viewing time for a show or parade.
- Have lunch and dinner earlier than the usual hours.
- We recommend visiting restaurants before 11 am for lunch and by 5 pm for dinner.
- Check if the shows and attractions you are interested in require an Entry Request. If they do, ensure that you submit your request and cross your fingers for the lottery draw.
- Create a group and add those who visit Tokyo Disney Resort with you on the same day.
- Refer to HERE for more details about how to create a group on your Tokyo Disney Resort Official App.
- Purchase the souvenir during the day or use the official app to purchase it.
- While it costs money to store souvenirs in the lockers, the shops are the most crowded at night, shortly before the park closes.
- If you purchase anything over 10,000 yen, the park will ship your purchase for free (within Japan)!
- Do not fill your day with popular attractions only. Queuing one ride after another is tiring. Ensure that you add a few relaxing rides, such as short cruises.
- If you want to watch the parade, waiting in front of Cinderella Castle or Toontown is best. These spots are closer to food stalls and restaurants, so you can have lunch or dinner while waiting for the parade to begin.
- Send a letter to yourself or Disney’s characters.
- Letters sent using one of the 10 posting boxes in Tokyo Disney Resort will get the park’s special stamp stamped on them.
- You might even get a reply if you send a fan letter to a Disney character, such as Mickey.
Tip: If you decide to stay at one of Tokyo Disney Resort’s official hotels, you do not need to purchase your park passport beforehand. Hotel guests can buy the park’s ticket from the concierge upon arrival.
How to Get to Tokyo Disney Resort
Unlike Universal Studios Japan, Tokyo Disney Resort is not located next to its closest train station, JR Miahama Station (舞浜駅). After getting off the train at Maihama Station, please walk to the park’s Resort Gateway Station (リゾートゲートウェイ・ステーション駅) for the park’s monorail, Disney Resort Line (ディズニーリゾートライン). Then get off at either Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea Station, depending on which park you want to visit.
If you plan to visit Tokyo Disneyland, you can also walk from Maihama Station for five minutes.
Tip: Use one of Japan’s Transport Apps to plan your visit.
Disneyland vs DisneySea
As you may already know, Tokyo Disney Resort is divided into Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. If you only have one day allocated to the theme park, choosing which park to visit can be rather difficult. So here is a comparison table for your reference:
| Tokyo DisneySea | Tokyo Disneyland | |
| Concept | Adventure and the myths and legends of the sea | The Kingdom of Dreams and Magic |
| Atmosphere | Its atmosphere allows visitors to enjoy the port towns and cultures of different countries. Thus, adults tend to like DisneySea more. | A wide range of ages can enjoy Tokyo Disneyland’s fanciful atmosphere. |
| Types of rides | Tokyo DisneySea has more thiller rides. | The rides in Tokyo Disneyland focus more on Disney’s characters and stories. |
| Types of shows/parades | Mainly entertaining water shows | Mainly parades with cute characters |
| Food | The restaurants in Tokyo DisneySea offer a wide variety of alcoholic beverages and various cuisines. | The restaurants in Tokyo Disneyland are more family-friendly. |
| Park’s terrain | There are many slopes and stairs. In addition, the harbor in the middle makes it takes time to get around the park. | Mainly flat |
Tip: Fireworks are launched at 8:30 pm every day except from September to June at Tokyo Disney Resort.
Planning Your Visit to Tokyo Disney Resort
As you know, Tokyo Disney Resort is a big tourist attraction, so the earlier you start planning your visit, the better. Mark down the reservation start dates below in your diary so you don’t miss them!
- Most Tokyo Disney Resort Vacation Packages can be reserved 5 months in advance.
- Official Disney Hotels can be reserved 4 months in advance at 11 am.
- Restaurants in Official Disney Hotels can be reserved 3 months in advance at 10 am.
- Tokyo Disney Resort Passport can be reserved 2 months in advance at 2 pm.
- The restaurants and other services in Tokyo Disney Resort can be reserved 1 month in advance.
Tip: Tokyo Disney’s official hotels can be reserved on other hotel reservation websites, such as Klook. Even if they are fully booked on the official website, you might still be able to reserve them through other channels.
Tokyo Disney Resort’s Partial Day Passport
If you only can or want to spend part of the day in Tokyo Disney Resort, get a partial passport to save some money.
- Early Evening Passport
- Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea can be enjoyed from 3:00 pm on weekends and holidays with this ticket.
- Weeknight Passport
- Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea can be enjoyed from 5:00 pm on weekdays (excluding holidays) with this ticket.
As the ticket types on sale can change over time, you can refer to the Official Website for the currently available ticket types.
Do My Children Need a Tokyo Disney Resort Admission Ticket?
If your children are three years old or younger, they do not need a ticket to enter Tokyo Disney Resort.
What If Tokyo Disney Resort’s Tickets Are Sold Out on the Day I Want to Visit the Park?
Check back in regularly if all the tickets are sold out on the day you want to visit. Some tickets may be available again a few days later due to the following:
- Tokyo Disney Resort may release more tickets later on.
- Tickets may become available if those who have purchased the tickets change the day of the visit.
Tip: Tokyo Disney Resort usually releases resale tickets on weekdays.
Can I Bring Food to Tokyo Disney Resort?
Unless you have a food allergy or if it is baby food, please refrain from bringing food to Tokyo Disney Resort. If you don’t want to dine in the park’s restaurants, you can eat at the picnic area outside of the park. There are table sets in the area for guests to use.
How to Save Money at Tokyo Disney Resort
- If you are going as a group of four, take a taxi from JR Miahama Station to Tokyo Disney Resort instead of taking the park’s monorail. It is usually cheaper this way.
- Instead of dining in a restaurant, get savory bread from the park’s bakeries and cafes. You can also eat at restaurants outside of the resort.
The Best and Worst Time to Visit Tokyo Disney Resort
Unless you come to Tokyo mainly for the Tokyo Disney Resort, it is probably unrealistic to plan your visit based on the resort’s off-peak season. Nevertheless, once you know when you will be in Tokyo, checking the Tokyo Disney Resort’s Congestion Calendar to avoid as many crowds as possible. The crowd level can differ noticeably one day after another, depending on the Japanese public holidays.
Note that the congestion calendar link is in Japanese. But you should be able to easily read it using your browser’s translation function.
Tips:
☛ If the day of your visit is shown as congested on Tokyo Disney Resort’s Congestion Calendar, purchase your Tokyo Disney Resort Passport (the park’s admission ticket) ASAP. The tickets are usually sold out during the park’s peak season.
☛ The more expensive a day’s ticket is, the more crowded Tokyo Disney Resort will be.
Tokyo Disney Resort’s Busy Season
Before all the international tourists flooded Japan, Tokyo Disney Resort was already a popular attraction near Tokyo. So it is unsurprising that the theme park is extra busy on weekends and when the Japanese are on holiday. Avoid the below periods of the year for a more pleasant experience at Tokyo Disney Resort:
- The weekends, especially long weekends
- The Christmas and year-end period from December to the beginning of January
- Note that the Christmas event starts in November, so the park will be quite busy as well!
- Golden week from the end of April to the beginning of May
- Japan’s spring and summer break
- The spring break (especially late March) is the busiest or the second busiest period of the year.
- Because of the heat, summer break (especially from Friday to Monday) is less busy than spring break.
- Obun festival period around mid-August
- The Halloween festival period: Between mid-September to October.
What Time Does Tokyo Disney Resort Open, and What Time Should I Arrive at Tokyo Disney Resort?
The question may sound stupid, as the information is widely available on Google and Tokyo Disney Resort’s website.
However, it is a valid question when it comes to Tokyo Disney Resort because the theme park usually opens before its official opening hours! If you don’t plan on purchasing the Disney Premier Access but want to enjoy as many rides as possible, entering Tokyo Disney Resort at the same time the park opens is a must on a busy day.
For more information about what time we recommend you to arrive, refer to our Guide to What Time to Arrive Tokyo Disney Resort!
Restaurant Reservation and Priority Seating at Tokyo Disney Resort
Like Universal Studios Japan, the restaurants and cafes in Tokyo Disney Resort have their own themes. As the restaurants can be fully booked even on a weekday, we highly recommend booking your seats at one of the restaurants in Tokyo Disney Resort once you have the theme park on your itinerary.
For more information about restaurant reservations at Tokyo Disney Resort, refer to our Guide to Restaurant Reservations at Tokyo Disney Resort article!
All You Need to Know About the Priority Pass, Disney Premier Access, the Standby Pass, and the Entry Request
If you are planning your visit to Tokyo Disney Resort and have skimmed through the theme park’s website, the different types of passes you can get can be quite confusing! So we have decided to put together a guide on each type of pass and tips for getting them. As you can imagine, these passes are popular for those who want to get the most out of their day!
Refer to our article on Decoding Various Passes at Tokyo Disney Resort for other passes you might want to consider for your visit!
Disney Hotels and Happy Entry
If you are not budget-conscious, stay in one of the hotels affiliated with the Tokyo Disney Resort for Happy Entry! The affiliated hotel guests can enter the park 15 minutes before everyone else. While 15 minutes may not sound like a big deal, it can make a huge difference if you plan your visit properly.
The 15 minutes allow you to:
- Obtain a Standby and Priority Pass, submit your Entry Request, and purchase Disney Premier Access earlier than regular guests.
- Queue at popular rides earlier than regular guests.
- Enjoy taking photos and walking around the park with less people.
The Disney official hotels can be reserved 4 months in advance at 11 am.
The Tokyo Disney Official Hotels That Offers Happy Entry
- Tokyo DisneySea Fantasy Springs Hotel
- Tokyo Disneyland Hotel
- Disney Ambassador Hotel
- Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta
- Tokyo Disney Resort Toy Story Hotel
- Tokyo Disney Celebration Hotel
Important:
☛ Guests staying at Tokyo Disneyland Hotel will not be eligible for Happy Entry at Tokyo DisneySea and vice versa until further notice.
☛ Refer to HERE for the dates that Happy Entry are not available.
Tip: Please check with the staff in advance for a list of attractions and shops that open as soon as the park opens for regular guests. Waiting at one of these attractions means that you can be the first to enjoy it!
Disney Mobile Order (ディズニー・ モバイルオーダー)
Another tip to cut down on restaurant waiting time is to use the Official App’s Disney Mobile Order function. You can specify when you want to pick up your order. The restaurant will notify you through the official app when your order is ready. Then, all you need to do is head to the designated pick-up location for your food!
Tip: On a busy day, the time slots on Disney Mobile Order can run out quickly. So if you are unsure of what to order, select something first and press ‘reserve’. You can always amend your order later. Payment is only required when the app tells you that your order is ready for pick-up.
Important: If you want to get food from the restaurants in Fantasy Springs, you will need a Standby Pass or Disney Premier Access to enter the area. Also, you can only get your order during the time allocated to your pass.
Tip: With 1-Day Passport: Fantasy Springs Magic, you can enter the area as many times as you want. Of course, you can get your Disney Mobile Order any time you desire. But as the timing of your subsequent order is subject to a time delay, put through your first order as soon as possible!
Refer to the Official Tokyo Disney Resort Website for the pricing of the Disney Mobile Order.
Which Attractions/Rides Should I Do First at Tokyo Disney Resort?
Assuming you arrive at Tokyo Disney Resort early (by 7 am on a busy day) and are the first batch of people to enter the park, here is what you can do after entering the park:
- After securing your first Priority Pass and Standby Pass, line up at the ride you want to go to that has the earliest Priority Pass run out time.
- Depending on the time slot allocated to the Priority Pass, you might have time to queue up at another attraction before using your first Priority Pass.
If you are unable to arrive at Tokyo Disney Resort early, here is what you can do after entering the park:
- After securing your first Priority Pass and Standby Pass, check the queuing time of the rides offering Priority Passes and head to the ones with the least waiting time.
- You can also choose to head to the lesser-popular attractions, take some photos, and meet the characters first!
Tips:
☛ Set an alarm to remind yourself to obtain your subsequent Priority Pass without wasting time.
☛ The queues at popular rides tend to be the shortest shortly before, during parades, and at night. Just note that ride admission can end earlier if the waiting time is likely to exceed the park’s closing time.
☛ The queue at the second or third most popular ride can be surprisingly short in the early morning, as everyone is rushing to get to the most popular ride.
The Must-Bring Items to Tokyo Disney Resort
- Your smartphone
- Power bank
- Water
- Picnic blanket
- Hand sanitizer
- Sunscreen
On a Hot Day
- Handheld fan or Neck fan
- Sun parasol with UV protection
- Neck cooler
On a Rainy Day
- Folding umbrella
- Raincoat or poncho
- Towels
- Plastic bags
- Socks and/or shoe covers
- a Light jacket or cardigan to keep you warm
Note that we get a small commission for advertising the above products on Amazon.
Tips on Visiting Tokyo Disney Resort With Children
Traveling with children, especially toddlers, is not easy. So, if you plan to visit Tokyo Disney Resort with the younger ones, we have some more tips to make the day less stressful. Things like which rides suit what age group and what to bring on the day are also included.
For more information, refer to our Tips on Visiting Tokyo Disney Resort With Children article!
How to Save Physical Stamina at Tokyo Disney Resort
As you know, it will be a long day at Tokyo Disney Resort. You will most likely be tired from all the walking and queuing up.
To save physical stamina, we recommend utilizing the transportation type of rides in Tokyo Disney Resort. Not only can you relax on these rides, but you are also on the other side of the park after you get off the ride!
What to Do While Queuing for Rides at Tokyo Disney Resort
No matter how well you plan your visit to the Tokyo Disney Resort, some waiting time is inevitable. While your phone can keep you entertained, you might want to save some battery so that you can continue to use the official app later in the day. You will need it to check the waiting time and get passes on the official app. After all, we are now in a world where it is hard to enjoy Tokyo Disney Resort without access to its official app!
So what can you do to kill time while queuing?
How about finding the hidden Mickeys in the park?
In Tokyo Disney Resort, various Mickey patterns are hidden here and there. Some are intentional, whereas others are accidental. Especially if you are with your family and/or friends, finding these hidden Mickeys will keep everyone busy and entertained!
Also Visiting Universal Studios Japan on the Same Trip? Here Are Some Tips!
Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka are the three main cities that many international tourists visit when they come to Japan. Instead of a Disney Resort, Osaka has Universal Studios. And yes, it is just as popular as Disney Resort, if not more!
So if you are tempted to visit Universal Studios Japan in Osaka on your upcoming Japan trip, we have some tips in our Tips and the Things I Wish I knew Before Visiting USJ article to make your trip smoother and more pleasant!
