And a Final Wrap-up:
Obviously this was such a dream trip! I definitely had some hard experiences with crowds in Tokyo, but overall I am so so so happy I did this. Especially when I did, because if I had tried to wait a year it would have been cancelled and who knows when things will ever get back to normal!
For the Tokyo Disney Resort itself, I think I overhyped it in my mind. Every guide and trip report I read just raved about it. So I went into it expecting to have my mind blown. But those crowds just were ridiculous! Also, being solo didn’t help since I did start to feel very alone.
For Tokyo Disneyland, the crowds were not as bad, so I actually had some better experiences. Also I think my favorite ride at TDR (Honey Hunt) was there, so I enjoyed that. And the parades and atmospheric entertainment were amazing! Decorations for the holidays too were superb. And the food was fun, with lots of great snacking options. However, a lot of the rides themselves were really just copies of WDW. I do know they have the new BatB area, and while I think that ride has some great aspects, it also doesn’t make me need to go back to visit right away. Their Fantasyland needs more foliage though – it really felt too much of a concrete wasteland. Tomorrowland too, but I’ve heard rumors they may be adding some new stuff there eventually.
For DisneySea, obviously crowds caused big issues and I don’t know if there’s much of a solution. And once they get Fantasy Springs completed, which does look absolutely amazing, it will get even worse. The Harbor shows were fun, albeit finding spots sucked, especially with the lottery viewing areas taking away so much of it. Unfortunately I didn’t get to ride Journey to the Center of the Earth, which I think would have been one of my fav rides, so that will have to wait for a future trip. The overall park is gorgeous however, and also has some super fun food!
Ok, and my overall rankings of the parks:
1 – Disneyland. The original, it will always be #1 in my book!
2, 3, 4 – I am including these as a group because the actual order doesn’t matter and could change.
-Disneyland Paris. Love this park, so many details and fun rides and just great atmosphere.
-Shanghai Disneyland. Such a huge surprise! And I have so much love for this park, standing up for it whenever I hear bad things. I can’t wait to go back!
-Animal Kingdom. Also love this one, so authentic and immersive.
5, 6 – I have a harder time placing these. I mean the parks are gorgeous with great entertainment, but still have issues with the other guests and crowds and operations. So many people put them as the top 2 Disney parks but really I would choose any of the above ones, and probably some of the other lower ones too.
-Tokyo Disneysea
-Tokyo Disneyland
7 – Hong Kong Disneyland. Such great rides and a charming park. Again, can’t wait to return.
8 – California Adventure. Another home park for me, which I still love!
9 – Magic Kingdom. This would probably be higher if I wasn’t a Disneyland local, but I still consider the original to be better.
10 – Hollywood Studios. This would have been lower until it finally got “finished” in early 2020 with MMRR.
11 – Epcot, Festival season. I like the festivals at Epcot, but Diet Epcot just doesn’t interest me enough.
12 – Walt Disney Studios Parc (Paris). I do love the shows here and some fun rides, but that park needs so much help! Hopefully the new lands will open sooner rather than later.
So, some answers to the questions I posed at the beginning!
What did I think of the Disney parks in Asia? I think I answered these – Shanghai and Hong Kong were just amazing! Tokyo had great parks but issues with my visit.
What were my favorite rides? At Shanghai: Tron, Pirates, Peter Pan, Buzz Lightyear, Voyage to the Crystal Grotto. At Hong Kong: Mystic Manor, Big Grizzly Mountain Railroad, Ant-Man and the Wasp. At Tokyo: Honey Hunt, Sinbad.
Which ride did I get a certificate from? Mystic Manor! And I love it so much!
How many times did I ride Tron? I think I did it 6 times? Day 1 – early entry, hotel FP, paid FP; Day 2 – regular FP, 2x single Rider. And I CANNOT wait for it to come to MK!
Which memorable character meets did I experience? Gelatoni in Hong Kong was super fun. And Gepetto/Fairy Godmother in Tokyo
What was my most stressful travel experience (maybe ever)? Almost missing my flight from Hong Kong to Tokyo! I still have nightmares about it!
What was it like to fly business? AMAZING! I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to fly to Asia in economy!
Would I try the Green Alien Mochi in Tokyo? Absolutely, and loved them!
What would I do differently in the future? First thing would be adding more rest days – that really zapped my energy once I got to Tokyo. In a future trip I may also try reversing the order of parks so I get to Tokyo energized and can have a better experience?
When will I visit again? I have no idea! I definitely want to go back to all of them, but probably will wait several years after Zootopia opens in Shanghai, Frozen and the castle open in HK, and Fantasy Springs opens in Tokyo. Of course, the current global climate isn’t helping things at all!
What surprise dismeets did I have? Natalie from Instagram and Spencer from twitter, both in Tokyo! I originally thought I would meet with a fellow disser in Shanghai and then a character performer who had just moved to HK, but both of those fell through, so it was funny to get these accidental meets!
