It's official...ABD is going to Japan!

[TarotFox]

Does anyone remember what the Day One pricing for the tour was? I'm crunching some numbers in the budget for next year or maybe after that and I'd like some info to go off of before the tours get loaded.

 

[Mathmagicland]

Does anyone remember what the Day One pricing for the tour was? I'm crunching some numbers in the budget for next year or maybe after that and I'd like some info to go off of before the tours get loaded.

As I recall, it was in the range of $10,500 to $11,500 pp for adults, depending on departure date.

 

[calypso726]

Small off topic first world problems rant here: In a few months, we will be going on the Sept 29th Japan ABD and are also doing the ABD 2 night post stay package at Disneyland Hotel in Tokyo. We are adding an additional 2 nights on our own. Last night I participated for the second night in a row, the stressful, anxiety ridden, frustrating, nail biting horror show that is booking a Harbor View room at MiraCosta in Tokyo Disney Sea. This involves making sure you already have a valid registered an account with TDR Calling your credit card and letting them know you will be making a purchase in Japan Using a MC over Visa in case the website prompts you to call for verification Doing a practice run before your booking window opens up so you know what to expect Copying the URL from your practice run, putting in a text generator and changing the date in the URL to your real date to get to the page faster Being on your computer and ready before 11 am Tokyo time Entering your edited URL Clicking refresh at the exact moment the time turns from 9:59 pm ET to 10 pm ET Doing this EVERY night you wish to stay in this room type because it can ONLY be booked ONE. NIGHT. AT. A. TIME.

I am happy to say that I was successful in securing the first night of the on our own stay in a MiraCosta Harbor View room two nights ago. Last night, I was able to pull up the room immediately and when I hit reserve the next screen would give me a not available to book zero results pop up. This happened a subsequent FOUR separate times over the span of an hour and a half of refreshing all FOUR times

Luckily, my TA was up booking rooms at Disneyland Hotel for other friends of ours traveling with us. Between her and DH scrambling we were able to get a reservation for that night, just not at MiraCosta. Instead it is back at the Disneyland Hotel in a Alice in Wonderland themed character room. So now, we have 2 nights with ABD add on at Tokyo's Disneyland Hotel, then we get to spend one night at the much coveted MiraCosta Harbor View Room, then we have to go back to the Disneyland hotel ... like a peasant (kidding, I'm borrowing a phrase from the Budget Board credit card thread which some of you are on and will get the inside joke).

For those wondering why anyone would go through this ordeal, here is Fantasmic at Tokyo Disney Sea filmed from our room last year with my iPhone. https://tinyurl.com/y3uhojrh

 

[OhanaCuz]

For those wondering why anyone would go through this ordeal, here is Fantasmic at Tokyo Disney Sea filmed from our room last year with my iPhone.

Not wondering at all because I love TDS, but that sounds like an absolute nightmare. I'm baffled by the one night at a time system they have. If I ever go back to Tokyo I'm going to dread doing this but I would do it!

 

[Cousin Orville]

@calypso726 glad you were able to secure the night at the Harbor View! So, what's the pro tip for getting the most out of it? Tour the parks as usual and be back for Fantasmic? Looks like your close enough to hear all the music, right? No need to pipe in the music through your TV like the Contemporary at WDW?

We didn't book post nights through ABD. It was crazy expensive for a family of 5. We booked a 2 night DL Beauty and the Beast Room package, 1 night room only Miracosta Harbor View, and a 2 night package Miracosta Piazza View.

Also, do you just take the Disney transfers from the park back to the airport?

Trying to get a reservation at Magellan's is crazy too. It's really the only table service restaurant I'm interested in. I was a couple minutes late when reservations opened last night. They had plenty of tables for 2, but not 5. We have 4 more nights, so we'll try our best!

 

[CaliKris]

@Cousin Orville it may be tricky to get reservations for 5. I would try calling if you continue to have a problem. There are people that speak English answering the phones. The word for English is Eigo (pronounced Eggo - like let go of my Eggo.).

If someone speaking Japanese answers the phone, I just say Eggo Han-Ah-See-Mas Kah? (all a's pronounced ah) Do you speak English? This has helped me many times. A useful phrase to know. If they don't speak English, they will find someone who does.

 

[Cousin Orville]

@CaliKris Thanks!! I’ll try to get on the website on time tonight, but if that fails I’ll give them a call. My guess is there’s just very few 5/6 top tables.

 

[calypso726]

@calypso726 glad you were able to secure the night at the Harbor View! So, what's the pro tip for getting the most out of it? Tour the parks as usual and be back for Fantasmic? Looks like your close enough to hear all the music, right? No need to pipe in the music through your TV like the Contemporary at WDW?

We didn't book post nights through ABD. It was crazy expensive for a family of 5. We booked a 2 night DL Beauty and the Beast Room package, 1 night room only Miracosta Harbor View, and a 2 night package Miracosta Piazza View.

Also, do you just take the Disney transfers from the park back to the airport?

Trying to get a reservation at Magellan's is crazy too. It's really the only table service restaurant I'm interested in. I was a couple minutes late when reservations opened last night. They had plenty of tables for 2, but not 5. We have 4 more nights, so we'll try our best!

Yes! That is exactly what we did. Played at the park and then literally ran back to the room to be there in time for Fantasmic. The video has no editing at all and the music is not being piped in the room.

We booked our transfers back to the airport with the hotel while we were there. We will do the same thing again this year. It was easy and convenient and punctual!

I will try for Magellan’s this year online. Last year we got lucky. We were staying club level at Disneyland Hotel and the club hostess got the manager involved in trying to get us a reservation. We thought it was a no go but the manager didn’t give up and nearly an hour later of making calls back and forth with the hostess also intervening on our behalf we were informed we had a reservation for that night!

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

@calypso726 I admire your determination! Well done!

@Cousin Orville how did you navigate the reservation site for Magellan's? It's only in Japanese from what I can tell. It just closed for maintenance, so I'm going to try again later. I was just using Google translate as I navigated through website!

 

[Mathmagicland]

I’m heading out of town this week, so before I leave I want to wish the May Adventurers a wonderful time in Japan!! Have fun!!!

 

[TarotFox]

@Cousin Orville it may be tricky to get reservations for 5. I would try calling if you continue to have a problem. There are people that speak English answering the phones. The word for English is Eigo (pronounced Eggo - like let go of my Eggo.).

If someone speaking Japanese answers the phone, I just say Eggo Han-Ah-See-Mas Kah? (all a's pronounced ah) Do you speak English? This has helped me many times. A useful phrase to know. If they don't speak English, they will find someone who does.

Lol, I definitely don't pronounce Eggo that way (eggo like egg, eigo like eh-go, but I suppose in some accents this would maybe be the same) but I think they'll get what you mean. Also if you just start babbling English haha.

 

[CaliKris]

Yes, eh-go is a better way to explain the pronunciation. I am sure I have a terrible American accent, but the Japanese somehow seem to understand. They tend to be very forgiving and encouraging when I try to speak bad Japanese.

 

[Cousin Orville]

@calypso726 I admire your determination! Well done!

@Cousin Orville how did you navigate the reservation site for Magellan's? It's only in Japanese from what I can tell. It just closed for maintenance, so I'm going to try again later. I was just using Google translate as I navigated through website!

Now I can’t find the link because the website is closed. But basically you go log in and find your reservation. There’s an option called “travel case” you click on. You’ll see sort of a day by day spreadsheet. You’ll probably see the breakfast reservation times you chose. Then you click the lunch or dinner time slot plus button. It takes you to a link with all the possible restaurants. From there it’s more obvious. Click the restaurant, number of guests and available times will appear or in my case not appear . It all opens 9am Tokyo time 1 month prior. So, tonight reservations for the 13th will open up.

Sorry that’s completely off of memory. Bottom line is since you have a package, you don’t have to go through the Japanese only side.

Again, I saw plenty of availability for 2. 4 and especially 5 seems to be the problem.

 

[TarotFox]

Ah well, the Japanese hear lots of bad accents haha. Even I get lots of notes on pitch accent at this point and I've spoken Japanese for 6 years.

 

[sayhello]

Small off topic first world problems rant here: In a few months, we will be going on the Sept 29th Japan ABD and are also doing the ABD 2 night post stay package at Disneyland Hotel in Tokyo. We are adding an additional 2 nights on our own. Last night I participated for the second night in a row, the stressful, anxiety ridden, frustrating, nail biting horror show that is booking a Harbor View room at MiraCosta in Tokyo Disney Sea. This involves making sure you already have a valid registered an account with TDR Calling your credit card and letting them know you will be making a purchase in Japan Using a MC over Visa in case the website prompts you to call for verification Doing a practice run before your booking window opens up so you know what to expect Copying the URL from your practice run, putting in a text generator and changing the date in the URL to your real date to get to the page faster Being on your computer and ready before 11 am Tokyo time Entering your edited URL Clicking refresh at the exact moment the time turns from 9:59 pm ET to 10 pm ET Doing this EVERY night you wish to stay in this room type because it can ONLY be booked ONE. NIGHT. AT. A. TIME.

I am happy to say that I was successful in securing the first night of the on our own stay in a MiraCosta Harbor View room two nights ago. Last night, I was able to pull up the room immediately and when I hit reserve the next screen would give me a not available to book zero results pop up. This happened a subsequent FOUR separate times over the span of an hour and a half of refreshing all FOUR times

Luckily, my TA was up booking rooms at Disneyland Hotel for other friends of ours traveling with us. Between her and DH scrambling we were able to get a reservation for that night, just not at MiraCosta. Instead it is back at the Disneyland Hotel in a Alice in Wonderland themed character room. So now, we have 2 nights with ABD add on at Tokyo's Disneyland Hotel, then we get to spend one night at the much coveted MiraCosta Harbor View Room, then we have to go back to the Disneyland hotel ... like a peasant (kidding, I'm borrowing a phrase from the Budget Board credit card thread which some of you are on and will get the inside joke).

For those wondering why anyone would go through this ordeal, here is Fantasmic at Tokyo Disney Sea filmed from our room last year with my iPhone. https://tinyurl.com/y3uhojrh

And THIS is definitely one of the reasons I went with the ABD package!! Stuff like what you described is beyond my patience!!! I was really lucky that they didn't charge me a single supplement for my package, so it ended up being pretty decently priced, too. Sometimes, my time and my nerves are worth paying the price! But I'm so glad you got at least one night of what you were looking for.

By the way, your video link doesn't work for me. It says "URL signature expired".

I’m heading out of town this week, so before I leave I want to wish the May Adventurers a wonderful time in Japan!! Have fun!!!

Thank you so much!! It's really starting to get real for me. Spent today sorting out all my medications (Oi!), buying last minute stuff, and doing laundry. SO glad I took the day before I leave off from work!!

Sayhello

 

[Cousin Orville]

On the topic of booking restaurants, it appears TDR releases reservation a little earlier than 9am Tokyo time. I checked 12min early and they had very good availability at Magellan's. Still no 5 tops. Checked with 5 adults or 2A/3 kids and nothing. I booked a table for 4 - and we'll see. I'll check with them in person to see if we can add a person. Can't hurt to ask.

 

[Mathmagicland]

On the topic of booking restaurants, it appears TDR releases reservation a little earlier than 9am Tokyo time. I checked 12min early and they had very good availability at Magellan's. Still no 5 tops. Checked with 5 adults or 2A/3 kids and nothing. I booked a table for 4 - and we'll see. I'll check with them in person to see if we can add a person. Can't hurt to ask.

I hope it works out for you.

 

[sayhello]

So I have to admit, I know nothing about the dining at TDLR. I'm not big on Table Service when I'm at a park I'm not likely to visit again (unless it's like a big group dinner). What Quick Service do you guys recommend?

Sayhello

 

[OhanaCuz]

So I have to admit, I know nothing about the dining at TDLR. I'm not big on Table Service when I'm at a park I'm not likely to visit again (unless it's like a big group dinner). What Quick Service do you guys recommend?

So besides the gyoza sausage bun we ate at two places.

My friends ate here when I went for another run at Journey to the Center of the Earth and they liked it.
https://www.tokyodisneyresort.jp/en/tds/restaurant/detail/418/

We had a snack here also.
https://www.tokyodisneyresort.jp/en/tds/restaurant/detail/456/

 

[OhanaCuz]

Yes, eh-go is a better way to explain the pronunciation. I am sure I have a terrible American accent, but the Japanese somehow seem to understand. They tend to be very forgiving and encouraging when I try to speak bad Japanese.

I love the way you describe the pronunciation. When I was in Japan trying to say things I didn't understand how to pronounce things properly when reading from a book. Instead of "desk-a" I was saying "sue-ka" (I'm sure I'm butchering this from memory).