I was just wondering if anyone who's been has advice on clothing (for end of July weather), what to bring, what to do first, etc ...
Also, could you share your restaurant experiences? We're not staying at a Disney hotel, but any restaurant(s) that you've been to in the two parks, I would love to know what you ate and what you thought of it.
One more thing! The Westernland Picture Parlour ... is it worth it? Do the workers there speak english?
Thanks to any and all help!
Have fun
We have been twice, both times were great experiences. If you want to PM feel free to, though it has been a couple years so some things may have changed.
At the end of July it is very likely to be hot and humid. We went about this time during one of our trips and even though we were pushing the water non-stop it was still very hard to stay hydrated. I highly suggest bringing a water bottle with you, there are refilling stations at most of the restaurants where you can fill up again.
Also, if you can go during the week. The crowd levels are a lot different. And of course you'll want to be there early.
The fastpasses machines work the same way
We had two very picky little boys so we stuck mostly to the burger joints. We did eat at the Queen of Hearts restaurant in Fantasyland (sorry I'm totally blanking on the name) and that was great. Lots of variety and I loved the decorations inside. One thing to be aware of if you're used to American sized portion is that the Japanese ones are much smaller. This is also very true of the drinks. Both food and drinks are also more expensive than in the states (I know, right?) And the souvenirs are more expensive as well. Oh and also, keep in mind that foods that are the same name may not be the same. Like pizza's. I've never been able to bring myself to try another bite of Japanese pizzas... or hotdogs for that matter.
I haven't done the Westernland picture thing, didn't even know about it
As to what the PP said about traveling in Japan, I found this both true and untrue, but take it with a grain of salt from me as we lived in Okinawa for three years and adjusted to a lot. A lot of the younger Japanese speak some english, but fluent english is rare. The train/subway system is very easy to use, but you'll want to have an english map on hand before you get there and know the basic layout and stops. Also know if you take the train/subway it's not just one fare, you pay depending on the distance traveled. Oh, and if you're hunting the restroom ask for the toilet.
We stayed in Tokyo for a week twice and ventured out of the city on both trips (once to Hiroshima and once to Hakone). We took only public transport, and did it all with two toddlers. But we're also the insanely adventurous type (or insanely stupid, take your pick!). The one thing I do have to say for the Japanese people is that they generally will try to be helpful. I had a cab driver turn off the fare once because he didn't know exactly where we were going and felt as if he couldn't take our money! And no tipping, tipping can be considered an insult. If there's anything more specific I can help with I'd be happy to
And HAVE FUN!
