Spend a Day at Disneyland in Tokyo, Japan!
Hi Friends!
If you are planning a trip to Japan and are even a little bit of a Disney adult like Dustin and I and you're even thinking about not going to Tokyo Disneyland, let me stop you right now and say: YOU HAVE TO DO IT. Seriously, this place is pure magic and has a charm that’s totally unique compared to other Disney parks we've been to! The classic Disney vibes mixed with a fun Japanese twist make it such a special experience. When we were planning our trip to Tokyo, we knew both Disneyland Tokyo and Tokyo DisneySea had to be on our must-do list! As you probably know by now, we went in early April and it turned out to be the perfect time—great weather and manageable crowds. Dustin and I soaked up every bit of the magic, food, rides, and fun we could fit into our one day at the park!
🎟️ Getting There + Buying Tickets
We bought our tickets ahead of time through the official Tokyo Disney Resort website, and I definitely recommend doing that — they can sell out, especially during busy seasons or when there's a new attraction. If you want there are other options that you can also use third-party platforms like Klook if you prefer, but we found the official site worked just fine and then I didn't have to worry about transferring anything over or dealing with extra steps, it was just in the app.
Like I mentioned, for us getting to the park was very easy because we were staying at Grand Nikko Tokyo Bay Maihama (we loved our stay here so much) and it was a quick 5 minute walk to the Disney Resort Line! But if we weren’t staying right in the area it was also super and we could have taken the train to Maihama Station and then transferred to the Disney Resort Line. The Disney Resort Line feels like the first ride of the day because of the Mickey-shaped windows and handles, which are adorable)! We got there at about 8:15 AM and it opened at 9:00 AM. There was already such a long line forming and I recommend getting there about 45 minutes to an hour early to not be at the back of the line when the park opens. The gates opened a bit ahead of schedule (like at 8:50ish). Make sure you have your tickets on the app, it made things so much smoother!
🏰 How to Skip the Lines at Disneyland Tokyo
I am not an expert by any means, I just wanted to note what we did and noticed about the fast pass system when we were visiting. From what I understand, the classic paper FastPass system is gone much like other Disney parks, and Disneyland Tokyo now uses Disney Premier Access (paid) and Standby Passes for some attractions. We used the Tokyo Disney Resort app to keep track of wait times, reserve access to certain rides, and even order food — it’s a must. We bought the Disney Premier Access to be able to choose a ride right away when we got there and once we scanned into the ride we were able to look on the app again and choose another option from Disney Premier Access. We kept doing this throughout the day and adjusting our plan as we knew the next ride we were going on, it helped a ton with avoiding crazy lines!
One big tip: if there's something you must ride, go straight there at rope drop or pay for Premier Access.
Make the most of your visit with these handy tools available in the Tokyo Disney Resort app:
🎟️ 1. Disney Premier Access (Paid)
What it is: A paid reservation system that lets you skip the regular line at select popular attractions.
How to use it:
Open the Tokyo Disney Resort app, link your park tickets, choose an attraction and select a time slot, pay directly through the app and show your QR code when it’s time to ride!
🆓 2. Standby Pass (Free)
What it is: A virtual queue system that gives you a time window to join the line—no payment required.
How to use it:
Reserve your Standby Pass through the app (subject to availability), come back during your time window and join the physical line.
🎢 The Rides We Went On (And Which Were Totally Worth It)
Pirates of the Caribbean - This is another classic that is pretty much the same every park we have been to but we will always recommend for people to ride it because it is just so good, we loved it!
Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast - This was the cutest ride ever that reminded me of the Rattatouli ride at Epcot in Florida but done 10x better honestly! You get to ride in a teacup and feel like you are immersed into the Beauty and the Beast movie while watching animatronics and listening to music while moving around in the teacup. This ride was done so well and we loved it! This ride was really popular and is a must-see in my opinion! We bought a Premier Access to skip the long line!
The Happy Ride With Baymax - I would compare this ride to the Aliens ride at Hollywood Studios in Orlando! It was a fun ride, the energy from the cast members was amazing and we loved it! It was actually a little bit longer than I expected as well. Because we were trying to squeeze in as much as we could in the one day we were there, bought a Premier Access to skip the long line!
Pinoccios’s Daring Journey - We also really liked this ride, it reminded me of Dinosaur at Animal Kingdom in Orlando. We got into a jeep and then raced through a cursed temple that was filled with traps, fireballs, and other effects that were inspired by the Indiana Jones movies. It was a fast-paced ride and I wish we had something similar to this at Disney World.
Pooh’s Hunny Hunt - The cutest ride, we loved it! It is basically just a journey through the Hundred Acre Wood with cute scenes and getting to see the characters that are in Winnie the Pooh. There was really no wait and we loved it! Definitely a good ride for all ages.
Mark Twain Riverboat - We went on this around 3 in the afternoon because we needed a break from all of the walking that we were doing and it was the same ride as the one in Disney World. We liked going on it and it was a nice break from the crowd!
Haunted Mansion - This is always a classic and pretty much the same everywhere we have been but we will always ride it!
Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin - We didn’t even really know what we were getting ourselves into when we got in line for this ride but we wanted to go on something and we were in the area so we decided on this when we saw it only had like a 30 minute wait. It was a cute ride and was like no ride we have here in Orlando so that was a fun experience!
I know I have said this a few times but we were only there for one day so there were a few rides we didn’t have time to go on. We chose to skip Splash Mountain and Peter Pan’s Flight and then we were sad to realize that Big Thunder Mountain was down for refurbishment when we were there as well so we missed that one. We wanted to make sure that we got to go on rides that we wouldn’t be able to here at home. So yes we skipped out on some of the bigger rides but we were definitely okay with it because each of them seemed so similar to rides that we have here in Orlando at Disney World.
🍴 What We Ate
Okay, real talk: everything I watched about the food at Disneyland Tokyo was that it was so great and some of the best food they had ever had at a theme park and so on… guys, we weren’t fans of the food at the parks, like at all. There were some things that weren’t horrible but besides the food being really cute and themed well, it didn’t taste great. This is obviously just my opinion but I would lower the expectation of the taste of the food at Disney Sea and Disneyland Tokyo quite a bit before you visit! The second day we ate breakfast and dinner outside of the park and for “lunch” we just had a couple of snacks here and there!
🥐 Breakfast
We ate breakfast at our hotel, Grand Nikko Tokyo Bay Maihama! We weren’t sure if there were going to be a ton of options for breakfast in the park so we just ate before we went. I’m glad we did this because we were able to get right to going on the rides!
🥐 Lunch
We ate lunch at Huey, Dewey and Louie’s Good Time Cafe and we pretty much got one of everything and was mostly disappointed in the food with the exception of the Bacon and Basil Pizza. We got the Tariakyi Chicken on the Bao Bun which we would rate a 5/10. The last thing we ordered was the special breaded chicken sandwich on a bao bun, I can’t remember what it is called but it was probably a 6/10. Don’t get me wrong, the food was so cute- it just didn’t taste the best!
🍗 Snacks
Soy Sauce Popcorn – There were so many kinds of popcorn to try but the lines were seriously always so long. They had flavors like black pepper, caramel, and a curry flavor that smelled great! They had the option to buy popcorn in regular boxes or you could go all-in with a souvenir bucket — we saw people collecting them like trophies, they were so cute but I couldn’t bring myself to get one and then try to fit it in my suitcase on the way back to the states. We ended up trying the Soy Sauce popcorn because there was a short line during a parade that was happening and it made sense why the lines were always so long, it was delish!
Churros – The churros were really good, we had many and my favorite from Disneyland was the creme brûlée churro!
🛍️ Souvenirs We Bought (Because You Have to)
Shopping at Disneyland Tokyo and even DisneySea Tokyo was honestly in my top 5 favorite things that we did while we were there. Every store we went into there was SOMETHING that I couldn’t resist picking up. They had so many fun Mickey-shaped snacks that I felt that I couldn’t live without. The merch here is seriously next level, with tons of Japan-exclusive items you won’t find anywhere else—especially all things Duffy, which has a massive fan base here so if you are also a fan, prepare your wallet! Haha We tried to go into all of the stores, like the little kiosks near each land those had themed goodies that you might miss if you walked past. I also couldn’t leave without getting some of the themed plushies that I wouldn’t find here in the states as well as the iconic Mickey Mouse shaped sunglasses that I have seen everywhere! We definitely bought way more than we planned, but I have zero regrets! A little tip, shopping during parades or early morning was much less stressful because the crowds were preoccupied and not shopping, so I would shop during those times if you want to browse in peace!
💡 Tips for First-Timers
Download the Tokyo Disney Resort app before your trip and use it!
Make sure you log in and link your tickets before getting to the park, you will want to use the app with your linked tickets to get into the park!
Check availability for rides and make reservations right after park entry. Availability for the fast pass options can go fast—especially on weekends and holidays!
Make sure you bring a portable charger, you’ll be on your phone all day and it will come in handy, I promise!
Utilize mobile ordering when it is available at select quick-service locations in the app! It is great for skipping food lines!
Pack compact umbrella or raincoat — Tokyo weather can change quickly and again you will be happy you brought it.
Make sure you arrive early to the park to wait in line. I would aim to get there at least 30–45 minutes before park opening. The earlier you get in line the earlier you will get into the park and be able to get the fast passes that you want for the rides on your list.
I would have a plan going into the day but at the same time be flexible. It is smart to have a few rides on your list that are must-do attractions for you but also be ready to adjust the plan based on crowd levels and wait times for the day that you are at the park!
I can’t express enough how Disneyland Tokyo totally lived up to the hype and then some. Whether you're a Disney die-hard or just looking for a fun day while you're in Tokyo, this park is 100% worth the visit. From the park being so insanely detailed with theming, to the fun and unique rides and all the themed snacks and merchandise, it was such a magical day! If you're going to Japan and a Disney fan and you are on the fence about going, I promise it’s 100% worth it. We hope that someday we will be able to go back and experience it again! Until then, we’ll just be reliving the magic through our memories (and the snacks we brought home)! If you have any questions while planning your own trip or want to know more about anything that I mentioned above, feel free to reach out—I’m always happy to chat about anything Disney! You can comment below or you can send me an email at tarynintotravel@gmail.com and I will get back to you as soon as possible! ✨
Much Love,
Emma
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