Tokyo Disneyland: 9 Amazing Hacks to Maximize the Fun!

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There is a reason why Tokyo Disneyland is referred (by many) as the “Happiest Place on Earth”. As a result, it attracts over 20 million visitors annually – making it the 3rd most crowded theme park in the world. But you have nothing to worry as we have listed below 9 hacks to maximize the fun without getting caught up in the crowd.

Whatever age group you belong to, whichever language you speak, it just doesn’t matter. Because one entire day spent at this amazing theme park will definitely make you HAPPY !! Without a doubt! And, the place has some charm that it will entice you to revisit and revisit again. I have already been there twice (once with friends, and once with family) and I am sure I will visit again.

happiness in Tokyo Disneyland
Never thought my parents will enjoy like teenagers!! 😀

The Tokyo Disney Resort (Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea) will probably be in your bucket list while planning to visit Japan. And according to me, it’s definitely a must-visit for everyone, especially if you are first time in Japan. But if you visit there completely without doing some homework, you might not be able to make the most of your time. There are many hacks that I want to share with you to make the most of your time. These tips will save you lots of time from waiting in queues and watch more shows and enjoy more attractions. Additionally, in this blog post, I will not just list down the hacks, but also give you some basic details about Tokyo Disneyland (TDL).

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How to reach Tokyo Disneyland

There are multiple ways to reach the Tokyo Disney Resort. You can take a train, a bus or even a taxi. Having stayed in Japan for over 4 years, I was comfortable with the train-and-subway routes of the city and thus we took a train to Maihama Station. Tokyo Disneyland is a five-minute walk from JR Maihama Station.

Take a train/subway to Tokyo station and then hop on the Pink Line to reach Maihama station!

In general, I will always suggest you use trains in Tokyo. They are really convenient and ultra punctual. And, I will also recommend you to reach before the park opens in the morning. Arriving before the park opens will save you time waiting in the queue. And hence, it is a good idea to choose your hotel in Tokyo close to any of the metro/local train lines.

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Best time to visit

Being one of the most top theme parks in the world, TDL is also super crowded; well, most of the time. There are a few specific weeks during the year when the park gets heavily crowded. Japan can get really crowdy during some of the ‘holiday-weeks’ – something you should know before visiting Japan. During those particular weeks, the wait-times can even be 4 hours!! Simply avoid those weeks, and you can have a happier time.

Christmas carnival at Tokyo Disneyland
Christmas is probably the most crowded time of the year!

Heavily crowded times:

  • 1st week of January
  • 2nd half of March (Cherry blossom season)
  • Golden week (end of April to the beginning of May)
  • Summer holidays or Natsu Matsuri (last week of July to end of August)
  • Entire October (Halloween party)
  • 20th December onwards (Christmas Carnival)

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Tokyo Disneyland Tickets

You can purchase tickets to TDL online or at the park. The cost of a 1-day ticket is 7,400 Yen ($1 ~ 100 Yen, 2019). You may even purchase a 2-day ticket ( 13,200 Yen ) if you wish to enjoy Disneyland and Disneysea on consecutive days.

I will strongly recommend you to purchase tickets online, which saves a lot of your time while entering the park. Trust me, this tip alone will save you a ton of time and energy, especially if you are going during the peak season (Christmas, for example).

Tokyo Disneyland Tips
Right from your fantasy land – Cinderella’s Palace!

Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS

Being a Happy and happening place, the amusement park can get really crowded, especially during Halloween and Christmas. Disneyland has come up with the idea of “FASTPASS”. This ‘pass’ assigns you a time window to ride or enter the attraction – you have basically ‘reserved’ your right to enter the attraction at a certain time. So, If your goal in Disneyland is to take as many rides as possible, the FASTPASS is definitely something you should make use of.

All you need to do is go to the FASTPASS ticketing booth at the front of an attraction, scan QR code on your tickets and you are done! There will be a specific time-slot written on the FASTPASS telling you when you should return to the attraction and use it. It’s usually about 2 hours after you collected the current ticket. To put in simple words – a FASTPASS prebooks your time-slot for a particular ride.

Note: Not every ride has a FASTPASS option – only the really popular ones!

Tokyo Disneyland rides
One of the most awesome ride – Pirates of the Caribbean!

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Tokyo Disney Resort Hotels

Instead of buying the 1-day or 2-day entry-tickets, you may even choose to purchase a vacation package and stay at the Disney Resort Hotel. Staying at the official hotels has an advantage not just because of its easy access to the park but also it comes with super cool priority benefits. Like – time-free Fast Pass, show tickets, goods tokens, free drink tickets, and especially the HAPPY 15 entry which allows you to go into the park 15 minutes before it opens.

walt disney
The UBER-TALENTED creator (Walt Disney) and his EPIC creation (Mickey Mouse)!

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9 Amazing Tips and Hacks
Summary

  • Make sure to purchase tickets in advance.
  • Arrive before the park opens
  • Be ready to rack the ‘FASTPASS’ game-plan
  • Choose a great time to go
  • Carry your own lunch or book the restaurants in advance
  • Lottery tickets for popular shows
  • Save a spot for the night parade at least half-an-hour before it starts
  • Download wait-time apps and bring your own wifi
  • Stay at the Disney Resort hotels
Cinderella palace
Multiple facets of Cinderella’s palace.

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Tokyo Disneyland
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24 thoughts on “Tokyo Disneyland: 9 Amazing Hacks to Maximize the Fun!”

  1. Thank you for helpful tips. I feel the fast pass is the game changer, actually helps a lot. And yes, the food there is quite costly. Better carry your own.

  2. I would definitely love to enjoy the magic that Disney offers and visit Tokyo at the same time. Thanks for sharing this magical post.

  3. Thank you for this very useful information. I have never been to Disneyland before, but if I ever reach Tokyo and I’ll go there, your guide will be very helpful.

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