If I were to go to Japan for a short trip, should Tokyo Disneyland and Disneysea be on my list to visit? I’m going to be real here!
The answer is Yes and No
If you’re a Disney fan and like to check out some special world-class attractions that no other Disney parks in the world have, then yes. These attractions include Monsters, Inc, Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast ride, The Happy Ride with Baymax, and Pooh’s Honey Hunt Ride. These rides are all inside Tokyo Disneyland. As for Disneysea, well Disneysea is special and I will explain why, later.
If you have a child or children who are really into Disney, then yes I would definitely bring them to DisneyLand and DisneySea! It is definitely worth the memorable experience for the entire family as the parks provide a safe clean environment for growing children to be immersed in music, unforgettable adventures, delicious food, and countless fun!
Go to Disneysea for the Uniqueness
If you have to go to just one park, then Disney Sea would be it. This is because DisneySea is the only marine-based Disney park in the entire world.
Disney Sea has many attractions but of all the rides they have, the “Journey to the Center of the Earth” ride is an attraction that can only be found nowhere else but at Tokyo Disneysea! There are many unique things about Tokyo Disney Sea but if you’re into Jules Verne’s sci-fi novels and want to experience dropping to the “Center of the Earth” or if you want to just go for a stroll and board a replica Spanish Galleon of the late 1500s, then Disneysea is definitely the place to go!
Also, Disneysea has some really good restaurants that are arguably world-class and there’s a reason why the wait list for some of these restaurants is at least 1 month. As of now, I’ve been to Magellan’s, Ristorante di Canaletto, and they S.S. Columbia Dining Room and they were all AWESOME!!! No blog, pictures or words can actually cannot describe the experience. You have to experience it yourself.
I like to add that drinking alcohol is allowed at Disneysea and they serve alcoholic beverages at some of the restaurants inside the park.
Btw, if you want to go experience a premium classic bar, then the Roosevelt bar inside the S.S. Columbia or Magellan’s Lounge inside the Exploration Fortress is highly recommended.
So Why is Tokyo Disney is not Worth it?
It’s not worth visiting Tokyo Disney Land and Disney Sea if you aren’t really a Disney fan and can’t stand the long lines. Period.
Waiting in long lines in the hot or cold will test your patience.
Queuing for an average time of 90 minutes just to get on a popular attraction for a relatively short ride doesn’t make sense to me. Also, as a food lover, having to wait 20 to 40 minutes to eat at some of the overpriced fast food/snack joints at Disney just kills the mood for me. Nobody, including hardcore Disney fans should wait to eat in the place of happiness. Where’s the magic in that?
This is one of many reasons why many will argue that it’d be way better to travel elsewhere to make the best of your stay in Japan!
I like to add that if you plan to stay until the very end, beating the crowds at closing is to my opinion many times more unpleasant than queuing in line for an attraction because the last thing I would want after a long exhausting day is to experience crowded trains and packed buses when leaving the park.
What about the Disney Standby Passes?
Yes Disney offers passes and will work very well for you “if” you can get them.
During the covid pandemic, Disney integrated a new free pass system for all their parks called the standby pass. It is similar to what they had with the old fast pass system, which was a special ticket that allowed you to cut through long lines and minimize your wait time for all the rides.
However, as of 2023, the standby pass system can only be obtained through your phone. To obtain the free standby pass, you have to be quick to get them as they run out pretty quickly depending on the demand.
What makes this new system very inconvenient especially for first timers is that you can only get these passes through the Disney app on your smartphone. If you don’t have a phone, you will end up waiting in the normal lines for all the rides at the park. This is why it is highly recommended to do research and extensive planning before going to the Disney parks so you can optimize your experience there. I can help you with this here.
There is another pass called the Premiere Access which is a paid version of the Standby Pass.
The other pass is called the Entry Request which is based on a lottery system for Disney shows.
Unreliable Disney App? App Reportedly Glitchy?
I like to mention that when I was there, the Disney app was reliable for the most part. However, the Disney app crashed on me several times while I was trying to get a standby pass on my iPhone 15. There were also times when the Disney app would just hang forever on the Disney splash page. I would restart my phone thinking it would fix the problem but to no avail. It would take about 15 minutes for the app to start working again, but by then, the standby passes for the popular rides were no longer available.
All this is happened with the latest iphone Pro Max, so I don’t think my phone’s hardware is to blame here. This could have been a one time thing but if you can get the app to work and are able to secure some passes, then it will serve you very well.
I would also like to add that, you cannot obtain a standby passes if you’re not inside Disney property. The app utilizes your phone’s GPS to determine if you’re inside the park. Once the app verifies you’re inside, it allows you to get passes for designated time slots.
This new system may look great in theory but in practicality it just adds more frustration especially for older folks who aren’t familiar with using certain apps on their phones. So for the grandparents looking to treat their grand kids to Disney, just beware. Please learn how to use the Disney app on your phone before going on Disney property.
For me, what really sucked about this system is that if you arrive just a little late or have some kind of technical problem using the app, many of the main attractions will no longer provide standby passes. So to avoid this, read this personal guide I made here.
Pay to Ride Disney Premier Access
Fortunately, there is another option, which is called the Disney Premier Access (DPA). This premium pass allows you to pay a fee per person per ride. On average, the Premiere Pass will cost about 1500 yen to 2500 yen depending on the ride. It’s a clever business scheme, but this to my opinion kills the Disney experience. Covid really changed Disney.
Just know that that premier access passes are finite so they will run out just like the standby passes. I highly recommend purchasing DPA’s before noon if you cannot acquire the free standby passes.
Bottom Line
It’s worth going to Disneyland if you are a Disney fan, have the patience, and love the attention to detail the parks create for park-goers to enjoy. Both parks are great safe places for kids to play and see the unique beauty that both Disney imagineers have created!
If you aren’t a fan of Disney and hate waiting in line for more than 15 minutes, then Disney isn’t the place to go to. As of 2023, it’s the crowds and the glitchy Disney app that definitely killed the magic for me. Save yourself and your time for a better place in Japan.
Don’t take me as a Disney hater because I am actually Disney fan. I also admire the beautiful architecture the Disney imagineers produced for park visitors. However, it would be so much better and more enjoyable if they had a more efficient pass system rather than just using the Disney app to do everything on it. I just can’t imagine what would happen if the app was hacked or the app server crashed? I really wish they bring back the old fast pass system.
I want to mention that my review might be critical but I’m just keeping it real. There are too many blogs out there that are over-exaggerating their experiences just to get you to click on their affiliated links. To me, keeping travel experiences real adds more value if we share the good… and the bad.
Perhaps the days of visiting a Disney park and riding major attractions where wait times were about 15 minutes without any special passes is a thing of the past and only but a dream.
