Booking "Japanese" package instead of "English" one?

JoieNsk

Mouseketeer
Joined
Sep 28, 2015
I noticed a big difference in packages themselves and the room types available for booking a package between English and Japanese versions of the web-site.

The Japanese packages are so much better in all ways.

Is there a way to book them for a non-Japanese person (without address in Japan)?

And is there anyone who actually did it?

Thank you very much in advance for the information!!!
 
I think I tried to do this when I called Tokyo Disney last Spring with no dice. I was able to swing the better package on the Japanese website for the Keihan near USJ when I sent them an email. I keep looking for an offer like that one again (25,000 yen for 1 adult+1 child ticket, 1 night in a twin room, buffet breakfast for two, and use of the onsen, since the tickets alone were 12,000 yen I considered 13,000 yen for everything else a bargain!)
 
I think I tried to do this when I called Tokyo Disney last Spring with no dice. I was able to swing the better package on the Japanese website for the Keihan near USJ when I sent them an email. I keep looking for an offer like that one again (25,000 yen for 1 adult+1 child ticket, 1 night in a twin room, buffet breakfast for two, and use of the onsen, since the tickets alone were 12,000 yen I considered 13,000 yen for everything else a bargain!)

Thank you very much for the info.


I am interested in a package because I would really like to get fastpasses and show tickets.

Japanese packages have tickets for firework shows and parades. Their packages maybe not great from the point of saving money, but they certainly look great from the time saving point.

I really am not looking forward to seating for 1-2 hours trying to save a spot to watch fireworks.
 
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Just be aware the fireworks are often cancelled.. and are very small in comparison to the US parks! We booked a package but I guess it was an english one? It included a few fast passes and breakfast each day plus the vacation package souvenir (I got a thermos, works great!).
 


Just be aware the fireworks are often cancelled.. and are very small in comparison to the US parks! We booked a package but I guess it was an english one? It included a few fast passes and breakfast each day plus the vacation package souvenir (I got a thermos, works great!).

Thank you very much for the information!

I guess I should have said "shows" instead of "fireworks".

I saw part of Japanese "Fantasmic" show on youtube, and I was really impressed. Though I am not a big fan of neither DCL nor WDW version. So I would really like to see that. Also it seems like they have really great parades there - both day and night ones.

But I read that in Disney Tokyo you REALLY need to hold your spot way in advance. And I feel like it would be such a waste of time for us. We are not a big group, where one person can hold the spots while other people are doing something, and then they switch. It is going to be just me and my daughter.

I would rather "buy fastpasses" - if I could. Sometimes time is more important than money.

I am planning our trip to Japan in the end of May - beginning of June 2019. So I will probably still try to call them in December - when the 6-month period will start. And see what would come out of it. If that would not work - I will just get the package at English web-site.

I was just hoping - maybe somebody had a successful experience with that.
 
It seems like in the FAQ's they mention that the packages are only available for Japan residents.

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I have no advice about getting the Japanese packages, but wanted to offer some alternative strategies if you're not able to get them.

- For parades, the Japanese all sit and only the very back stands, so even 4 rows back, I still felt like our view was great. We never felt like we had to stake out our spot very much in advance. The earliest we did was about 30 minutes. We went during early June, which was not a particularly crowded time.

- When we were there, there was a lottery for priority seating for the castle projection show. Although one of the days we were at TDL, it was so quiet (comparatively) that they didn't even run the lottery machines. I was a bit bummed since I wanted to try my luck again!

- If you eat at Oceano during a show, they'll invite you out to the balcony to watch. We did the buffet at dinner and watched Fantasmic. The short side of the balcony faces the harbor. Try to go further in to the end of the balcony. There's another balcony where the long side faces the harbor that I suspect is where the course meal guests go. I think that would have better views.
 
I have no advice about getting the Japanese packages, but wanted to offer some alternative strategies if you're not able to get them.

- For parades, the Japanese all sit and only the very back stands, so even 4 rows back, I still felt like our view was great. We never felt like we had to stake out our spot very much in advance. The earliest we did was about 30 minutes. We went during early June, which was not a particularly crowded time.

- When we were there, there was a lottery for priority seating for the castle projection show. Although one of the days we were at TDL, it was so quiet (comparatively) that they didn't even run the lottery machines. I was a bit bummed since I wanted to try my luck again!

- If you eat at Oceano during a show, they'll invite you out to the balcony to watch. We did the buffet at dinner and watched Fantasmic. The short side of the balcony faces the harbor. Try to go further in to the end of the balcony. There's another balcony where the long side faces the harbor that I suspect is where the course meal guests go. I think that would have better views.

THANK YOU very much!

This is such a great info! I definitely will keep it in mind!
 
I was wondering too - if you get a room in Disney Sea hotel with harbor view - can you hear the music well enough in your room while Fantasmic show? Is it close enouth?

I know already that rooms with the balcony with harbor view are just totally impossible to get. But the window view - thanks to the strategies I found out about here at this forum - I know I can get if I put an effort into it.
 
What's really interesting about that package is it seems to imply you can also stay at partner hotels. I guess if you would rather have the package vs staying on property I would consider contacting a partner hotel. What they offer can vary a lot more I think.

The package TDR was willing to offer me cost more than 3x what booking a room on my own at TDR would cost and the only "additions" were a breakfast I couldn't eat and the extra FPs. I didn't end up needing extra FPs because the parks were pretty quiet in June. I am hoping to be as lucky when we go in early July this year. In my case, I'm one adult with a child, so that also plays into costs.
 
The package TDR was willing to offer me cost more than 3x what booking a room on my own at TDR would cost and the only "additions" were a breakfast I couldn't eat and the extra FPs. I didn't end up needing extra FPs because the parks were pretty quiet in June. I am hoping to be as lucky when we go in early July this year. In my case, I'm one adult with a child, so that also plays into costs.

So the Japanese Reservation Center was willing to book a package - it's just the price you didn't like?


Because if they give the same price they indicate at the web-site - the prices are O'K for me personally. I was thinking about staying in Disneyland and DisneySea hotels anyways. As most likely it is going to be kind of "once a lifetime" type of trip for me - I am willing to pay some extra to have more relaxed and less rushed experience.

My daughter is into Japan, so she will most likely go back some time. But I am not sure about myself.

My plan for now is also some days in Tokyo in a "normal" hotel, couple days in onsen ryokan in the Fuji area, and 4-5 days in Kyoto where I think of renting a machiya type accommodation.
 
So the Japanese Reservation Center was willing to book a package - it's just the price you didn't like?

Because if they give the same price they indicate at the web-site - the prices are O'K for me personally. I was thinking about staying in Disneyland and DisneySea hotels anyways. As most likely it is going to be kind of "once a lifetime" type of trip for me - I am willing to pay some extra to have more relaxed and less rushed experience.

My daughter is into Japan, so she will most likely go back some time. But I am not sure about myself.

My plan for now is also some days in Tokyo in a "normal" hotel, couple days in onsen ryokan in the Fuji area, and 4-5 days in Kyoto where I think of renting a machiya type accommodation.

It was a different package and it cost more than the Japanese packages, but it was a package. So... it was one I didn't like the price of and was not the same as the Japanese ones on offer at that time vs. with the Keihan I specifically got the USJ package offered on their Japanese site vs. the English one.

I've been a lot, this Summer will be my daughter's 3rd trip. We both love Japan. Just be aware the trip from say Fuji 5 Lakes to Kyoto will take longer than should you pick Hakone to Kyoto because from Hakone you can go to Odawara and catch a shinkansen while from Fuji 5 Lakes you either need to bus it down to Odawara, Mishima or go back to Tokyo. Accordingly to Japan Guide, most people do 1 or 2 nights at a ryokan before trying a different one. I'm planning to try a few different ones in Kyushu.

BTW just so you know, the specific package you were looking at ends 4/14/18. They change package offerings on a semi regular basis, even for people within Japan.
 
It was a different package and it cost more than the Japanese packages, but it was a package. So... it was one I didn't like the price of and was not the same as the Japanese ones on offer at that time vs. with the Keihan I specifically got the USJ package offered on their Japanese site vs. the English one.

I've been a lot, this Summer will be my daughter's 3rd trip. We both love Japan. Just be aware the trip from say Fuji 5 Lakes to Kyoto will take longer than should you pick Hakone to Kyoto because from Hakone you can go to Odawara and catch a shinkansen while from Fuji 5 Lakes you either need to bus it down to Odawara, Mishima or go back to Tokyo. Accordingly to Japan Guide, most people do 1 or 2 nights at a ryokan before trying a different one. I'm planning to try a few different ones in Kyushu.

BTW just so you know, the specific package you were looking at ends 4/14/18. They change package offerings on a semi regular basis, even for people within Japan.

Thank you VERY MUCH for the info!

I see the dates. I assume they will have something like this next year too.

Or - maybe! - they will have similar packages for people outside of Japan :) One can always hope :)))

In Fuji area I am planning to stay in Kawaguchiko (hope this is correct :) There is a bus from Narita Airport to Kawaguchiko as it seems.

And initially I though we would go to Kyoto from there. But I was not planning to rent a car in Japan. As I am a little intimidated by the need to drive on the other side of the street :)) We did it in Ireland, but my husband was driving there, so it was not my problem :)

And it seems like the best way to get to Kyoto (the fastest) would be to go back to Tokyo and take Tokaido Shinkansen to Kyoto from there?
 
Thank you VERY MUCH for the info!

I see the dates. I assume they will have something like this next year too.

Or - maybe! - they will have similar packages for people outside of Japan :) One can always hope :)))

In Fuji area I am planning to stay in Kawaguchiko (hope this is correct :) There is a bus from Narita Airport to Kawaguchiko as it seems.

And initially I though we would go to Kyoto from there. But I was not planning to rent a car in Japan. As I am a little intimidated by the need to drive on the other side of the street :)) We did it in Ireland, but my husband was driving there, so it was not my problem :)

And it seems like the best way to get to Kyoto (the fastest) would be to go back to Tokyo and take Tokaido Shinkansen to Kyoto from there?

Kawaguchiko==Fuji 5 Lakes. :D

I wouldn't rent a car if you wan to visit Kyoto. Parking in Kyoto would not be fun and I've never heard of discounts on expressway fees from Tokyo to Osaka. I'm planning to try a rental car and I'm a little nervous about the other side of the road thing, but I want to go to Kyushu and the places I want to visit there have 1 or 2 buses a day and/or no trains so it really behooves you to just drive. I'm hoping to hike, visit Takachiho and visit some onsen towns. I'm taking trains for the Kyoto to Fukuoka leg. Kyushu also has a special expressway discount pass I am going to get.

According to Japan Guide, the best way to get from Kawaguchiko to Kyoto is taking a bus from Kawaguchiko to Mishima and then taking the shinkansen from there. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6905.html?aFROM=2158_6900 This is the best place for TDR info in my humble opinion, Japan-Guide is the place to go for Japan in general. If you have a rail pass, which tends to break even if you do the Tokyo to Kyoto roundtrip, you can't take the Nozomi shinkansen as is, so going to Mishima or Odawara to catch a Hikari is not a big deal. If you're paying out of pocket the Nozomi is faster.

Depending on how many nights you have and how fast you travel you can also do Kawaguchiko to Gotemba by bus and then by bus to Hakone, visit Hakone as well, and then take the train to Odawara and then catch the shinkansen to Kyoto. It really depends on what you want to do. In general, Kawaguchiko is known for Fuji views, flower views, and some museums. It has some onsen ryokan but not as many as Hakone which is known more for its onsen. Some people have seen Fuji-san from Hakone, I'm not one of them, but I've seen Fuji-san a surprising number of times from Tokyo so... I don;'t know how long your trip is, but if you have the time I would look at both Hakone and Kawaguchiko. Yunessun in Hakone is super cheezy but it also features bathing suit onsen, which depending on your perspective is a plus.

I know when I went the packages I saw on the Japanese site did not offer anything regarding fireworks, Fantasmic or parades. I think they included tickets to shows like "One Man's Dream" and Fast Passes. I suspect they are less likely to offer fireworks or nighttime show packages when you are there because June starts the rainy season and it's too possible things will be canceled. The first day I visited it poured buckets most of the day and then turned windy. We got soaked. We also walked on Pooh's Hunny Hunt and Monsters Hide and Go Seek so..... (We probably would have walked on Splash Mountain too, but we were wet enough!)

Good luck!
 
Kawaguchiko==Fuji 5 Lakes. :D

Good luck!

Thank you VERY MUCH for taking time and explaining all this stuff to me.

I am just starting all my planning, so don't know much yet. But I started looking for information, found some videos on youtube (for example how to ride shinkansen :) ) etc.

In a way those videos make me a little afraid as I see how little of an info in English seem to be around Japan. But my daughter studies Japanese, so she would be able to figure out some things.

Also I am a planning type, so I am sure next spring I am going to be almost an expert ;)))

I don't like to travel fast, I rather try to sink the experience in. So I am not planning too much (hopefully). But I am starting to feel already that this would be a fabulous trip!
 
Thank you VERY MUCH for taking time and explaining all this stuff to me.

I am just starting all my planning, so don't know much yet. But I started looking for information, found some videos on youtube (for example how to ride shinkansen :) ) etc.

In a way those videos make me a little afraid as I see how little of an info in English seem to be around Japan. But my daughter studies Japanese, so she would be able to figure out some things.

Also I am a planning type, so I am sure next spring I am going to be almost an expert ;)))

I don't like to travel fast, I rather try to sink the experience in. So I am not planning too much (hopefully). But I am starting to feel already that this would be a fabulous trip!

I get the planning type, I am one too. I keep checking various destinations to see when their hotel bookings will open up. (Kyoto has bookings open much much earlier than the rest of Japan aka 6 months or more out. Tokyo also has a lot of bookings open earlier. Outside of Kyoto and Tokyo it really varies. A lot of places are 5 months or less. )

Riding the shinkansen is actually really really easy. My first trip to Japan in 1999 there was a lot less English than now and my Japanese was non-existent. You do need to give yourself extra time at the station and just spend some time looking around. Most train stations in Japan have a lot of signs written out in English. All shinkansen signs will eventually give you a listing of stops in English. For smaller stations like Mishima or Odawara it is even more straightforward because there are more limited trains. I just wouldn't give yourself 3-5 minute transfers unless it is a very frequent train like the Yamanote line in Tokyo. Just always know where you are headed.

I actually found for luxury hotels, the TDR hotels had less English than their equivalent in Tokyo proper. Tokyo, Kawaguchiko, Hakone, and Kyoto (along with a lot of the Tokaido/Sanyo shinkansen line out to Hiroshima) have more English than many other parts of Japan. There are places where English is rarer. Generally, those involve infrequent buses/trains or needing a rental car to get to. Though a few harder to reach places have put out a lot more English lately to try to get in more tourists like the Kumano Kodo in Wakayama-ken/Mie-ken.

My favorite hotel in Tokyo proper is the Tokyo Station Hotel. If you can afford it, it's fantastic and the staff will meet your shinkansen/NEX and help you board your train on departure. I like paying for that luxury. They're also fluent in English and very helpful if you have any questions. But it is a luxury hotel and you are paying for it. Their breakfast buffet is also fabulous. I've stayed a few other places I've really liked in Tokyo as well. In general I don't like staying near Shinjuku, I don't like the station it can be a little confusing. I also am not into nightlife as a mother traveling alone with her elementary school child. (I am married, my husband just had no vacation time. :( He has been to Japan 2x.)

The biggest problem with staying in a Machiya in Kyoto is you won't necessarily be able to take advantage of takyuubin. Takyuubin is a lovely paid service in Japan where you can send bags ahead of you to hotels so you don't need to travel on trains with bags. Finding room for a carry on size wheelie on a shinkansen or limited express train or highway bus is not a problem. Trying to carry anything larger than a purse on some local buses is a challenge. I like to shop in Japan, a lot. So I tend to bring a large suitcase to mostly fill up with purchases and will then pay to forward it on, while keeping a smaller overnight bag with me so I can mostly travel luggage free. Hotels will help you fill out the forms as will most ryokan. So as an example on my last trip in June 2017 I: Took my bags on a NEX to Tokyo Station and then traveled to the Keiyo line to go to TDR. I should have takyuubinned. The walk from Maihama to the Tokyo Disney Hotel is FAR easier than I expected. After 1.5 days in TDR I takyuubinned my bags to Kyoto and left for Kyoto myself. I arrived in Kyoto on Thursday and my bag on Friday. I stayed in Kyoto a few nights and then takyuubinned my bags from Kyoto to the Tokyo Station Hotel. I took an overnight bag and spent 1 night in Takayama and 1 night in Nagano before arriving in Tokyo to my waiting luggage. The staff at the hotel helped me board my NEX and I went home. :D

Buses in Kyoto can be very crowded and tight. I admit I try to avoid them and would never do them with bags. My current favorite place to stay in Kyoto is the Hana Touro. It's right in Gion and a short walk from the Keihan station, the subway, Yasaka/Gion jinja, and all rooms have private balconies. I found it rather by accident, though if I was a larger group I might rent their townhome and see if they would work with me for takyuubin. There are a few other really new properties that also look fabulous. Kyoto has really upped its game with accommodation options. I saw a lovely industrial looking place near Kiyomizu and a few other interesting places. BTW In June last year I got a special Anniversary Stitch at the Kyoto Disney Store. My daughter adores him. The merchandise at Disney Stores in Japan is really different than the US sometimes and different from the parks as well.

I've not stayed there, but had Lalaca ( http://lalaca.com/english/ ) in Gora (a part of Hakone) recommended to me on Japan-Guide. As I mentioned to someone else on this board, if you can make it to Kawaguchiko for the Shibazakura Flower Festival, it sounds like it would be fabulous. I wish I could go!

I would spend some time reading through Japan-Guide, it's quite comprehensive and includes many locations and might help you sort through what you want to see and do. if you bus from Kawaguchiko to Mishima or catch the train in Odawara you might want to do the math to make sure a pass is worth it as one plus of Nozomi are they are faster and run more frequently. (Different types of shinkansen have different names generally based on how fast they are. On the Tokaido line you have the Nozomi, Hikari and Kodama, on the Sanyo which is the Tokaido line post Shin-Osaka, you still have Nozomi and Hikari as well as Sakura and Mizuho.)

Hope this helps!
 
I get the planning type, I am one too. I keep checking various destinations to see when their hotel bookings will open up. (Kyoto has bookings open much much earlier than the rest of Japan aka 6 months or more out. Tokyo also has a lot of bookings open earlier. Outside of Kyoto and Tokyo it really varies. A lot of places are 5 months or less. )...

Hope this helps!

WOW! You are just amazing source of information!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!


Sorry, we were on a cruise where internet is kind of limited, and I was not doing a lot of internet. So I just read your post couple minutes ago.

Your advice about shipping bags is very helpful, I have never heard about something like this.

I was looking forward to staying in Machiya as it kind of goes with Kyoto. Maybe we will just do split stay then. Though I am not a big fan of split stays as I don't like to repack, normally I try to do it as little as possible. But I was thinking that I should cut my packing habits to a minimum amount of stuff I would be able to live in, as I did read that it's not convenient to travel with big bags in Japan as a lot of travelling is via trains and buses.

I don't really shop when I travel, so that should not be a problem. But I normally try not to do laundry, so take a lot of clothes with me. I already figured that I would most likely need to break this habit when going to Japan.

I am going to Japan only with my daughter, but she is going to be 19 at the moment. She also speaks some Japanese as she already took one semester of Japanese in college and will take more Japanese before the trip. My husband likes to travel, but he is not willing to spend his precious vacation time on a trip to Japan. He'd rather go to Europe. So we are going to be two girls too :)
 
WOW! You are just amazing source of information!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!


Sorry, we were on a cruise where internet is kind of limited, and I was not doing a lot of internet. So I just read your post couple minutes ago.

Your advice about shipping bags is very helpful, I have never heard about something like this.

I was looking forward to staying in Machiya as it kind of goes with Kyoto. Maybe we will just do split stay then. Though I am not a big fan of split stays as I don't like to repack, normally I try to do it as little as possible. But I was thinking that I should cut my packing habits to a minimum amount of stuff I would be able to live in, as I did read that it's not convenient to travel with big bags in Japan as a lot of travelling is via trains and buses.

I don't really shop when I travel, so that should not be a problem. But I normally try not to do laundry, so take a lot of clothes with me. I already figured that I would most likely need to break this habit when going to Japan.

I am going to Japan only with my daughter, but she is going to be 19 at the moment. She also speaks some Japanese as she already took one semester of Japanese in college and will take more Japanese before the trip. My husband likes to travel, but he is not willing to spend his precious vacation time on a trip to Japan. He'd rather go to Europe. So we are going to be two girls too :)

Glad, I can help. I've only been to TDR 2x but I've been to Japan a lot more times and have traveled a lot. There are certainly a lot of places I am missing and haven't gone yet, but lots of places I have as well. :)

If your daughter can speak Japanese well enough and you're willing to stay around your machiya for a 2 hour time period one of the days you are there, you can still takyuubin. Takyuubin is not just a service between hotels/ryokan. Yamato/ KuroNeko (the two big brands) is used quite frequently by Japanese from their residences. I first learned about it from my JET friends who lived in Japan and used it when traveling around Japan. So for example if you're going from Hakone to Kyoto on a Monday, when you check out, you could have your ryokan arrange for your bags to arrive between 20:00-22:00 on Tuesday at your machiya. You will just need to be at your machiya between 20:00-22:00 to receive them. If you were not arriving until Wednesday, you would need to make sure your bags were held by the service until Wednesday since there would be no where to store things at the machiya. When leaving your machiya, you can call one of the baggage services and they will come to your machiya and fill out the forms for the next location you plan to go to and take your bags away. I like using hotels and ryokan because they are willing to hold your bags often a few extra days (like in my example of my trip between Kyoto and Tokyo. An AirBnB or machiya rental would want you to be there the night I spent in Nagano and not want my baggage there and not me since 1) there might be another guest there so there isn't a place to hold it and/or 2) there isn't anyone there to receive it. Does that all make sense? BTW you don't tip the service people. This is Japan so tipping is not part of their culture.

I admit, I am better with Japanese in person than over the telephone, though there are rumors about takyuubin starting up an English on line service or having helplines in English.

There are machiya rentals through out Kyoto. Generally, the place to be if you want full on traditional is Gion/Higashiyama closer to the Keihan line vs the JR lines. I admit, some of the machiya look quite lovely, but I also don't think I need a 300-500 small house for just me and my daughter. I'd rather splurge elsewhere. But it's all what you want. Just be aware that more traditional places in Kyoto and in more traditional areas rent at a premium. I like Kyoto, but not everywhere is as convenient or interesting to stay in. And I've seen apartment rentals that stretch the definition of machiya. Even with a small bag like something that is carry on size, you want to avoid the local buses in Kyoto. They tend to be packed and are very narrow. You will be sitting with said bag on your lap and that is assuming you are not stumbling over it while being forced to stand. If where you are staying is near the Keihan line, the easiest way to get there is to take JR from Kyoto station to Tofukuji and transfer for the Keihan there. You can also sometimes take the subway and do a transfer, but I use to do the Tofukuji transfer all the time.

I do try to do laundry when in Japan. One good thing is unless you get cold very easily, it should be quite warm when you are there, so you ca pack lighter clothes vs needing sweaters and jackets. I guess if you can fit in some Japanese sizing you could even buy clothes as you need it. Uniqlo has fun and relatively cheap clothing. I've bought my daughter leggings and panties there and I've gotten myself dresses, skirts, and outer wear in season. They use to sell Summer yukata as well. If you want to keep all your new clothes, you can either buy a bag in Japan or just ship it home with EMS.

Going back to TDR, the packages are up for Summer dates and it's the same package they had last Summer pretty much. I don't think there is a difference between the English and the Japanese one. For me personally, it's not worth the money. I did the math out assuming the cheapest room at the Ambassador in another thread, it was something like 80,000 yen for 2 people for 1 night. It's generally double whatever the price of one hotel room is. There are limited number of packages and they do not reflect availability at the hotel itself, just what is available for the package. When I went the Disneyland hotel was not available for the package but I had no problem booking a room and even got a free upgrade.

My husband loses a lot of vacation for religious holidays and visiting his mother. He did enjoy both his trips to Japan. I hope for him to come back at some point, perhaps when my daughter is better at bicycling so we can bike from Honshu to Shikoku!

Good luck, enjoy your cruise and no worries about response time. I'm working on my costume for Princess 1/2 and just trying to get organized lol
 

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