Just back from Tokyo Disney Resort - any questions?

6) Was there any eccentric experience that you would consider so Japanese we should do no matter what?

I don't know if I would say eccentric and I'm honestly not sure who this is targeted at because it's a PIA to get to but....

The number one weirdest, most "eccentric", and possibly offensive, depending on your religious bent, experience I have ever had in Japan is visiting Jesus' "Grave" in Shingo, Aomori Prefecture. It's in the middle of nowhere, and you're not going to get there easily without a rental car because buses are just not that frequent. Once there, you will find out that Jesus visited Japan as a young man before returning to do all his New Testament preaching. You will also learn that his family name was "Christ" and that he had a twin brother no one's ever heard of before name Isukiri "who casually took Jesus' spot on the cross." (I am 99% sure that is an exact quote from the literature available there in English!) Jesus then returned to Japan where he became a rice farmer, got married, had a bunch of kids, and eventually died at the age of 106. Isukiri's ear also has a grave at the site. There are tons of "proofs" that this story is "true." And it sort of has to be seen to be believed. They also sell Dracula (garlic) ice cream there, and I bought Dracula the Cool (aka garlic mint, you don't taste the garlic you do taste the mint.)
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3781.html


The area is very rural and pretty. We got caught in a blizzard on our way to Towadako but that is neither here nor there. If you have a car in Japan and are not offended by its existence, it definitely qualifies as weird and eccentric.

I collect fashion dolls, so it's possible to non-fashion doll collectors Licca Castle would count as a weird and eccentric place. You can get there via public transport (shinkansen to Koriyama, local train to Ononiimachi) http://www.liccacastle.co.jp/ (And yes, it is a small Western style Castle in the middle of nowhere Japan.)

I also collect Asian Ball Joint Dolls. One of the big makers of them, is the Japanese company Volks. They have shops throughout Japan, but a special store/garden/cafe in Kyoto in Arashiyama called Tenshi no Sato. You must be over 12 and have a reservation to visit. The garden is lovely in season and quite quiet. Doll owners can be a little weird (and I say this as a doll owner) The Omukae ceremony is pretty cracked out and (keeping a straight face during it is really hard) there is a statue of the Virgin Mary Doll Mother surrounded by little doll angels as well.

http://www.superdollfie.net/tenshinosato/about_en/

For "eccentric" places I've not been:

I would love to visit: http://www.muvalley.com/ (Mu Valley)

It looks pretty insane, because made up civilization. It's definitely meant for the Japanese since they don't have an English website. Again, it's only accessible via car.

Another semi eccentric place and going along with the question regarding toilets is:
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4883.html The Toto Museum! And unlike Mu Valley is actually accessible via public transport. It's right near Kokura which is a shinkansen stop.

I guess I would also probably include Spa Resort Hawaiians in Iwaki
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7777.html

It's a Hawaiian Theme Park in Iwaki.


I like onsen and I think given the chance most people should give them a try. If you have a tattoo that might be harder, but there are some tattoo friendly places now. But for more "unusual" onsen, there is: Yunessun in Hakone https://www.yunessun.com/en/
A bathing suit onsen with interestingly themed onsen baths including: sake, red wine, coffee, and green tea. I've not been since they've sold off some of their land to build a new hotel, but they also use to have a limited themed onsen depending on season. The weirdest I ever saw was Keroro Gunsou: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sgt._Frog which I swear looked like it consisted of Palmolive dish soap.

Not to be outdone Osaka has SpaWorld http://www.spaworld.co.jp/english/ which has themed onsen and is more traditional in that sense that you enjoy said baths naked.

I personally liked Zao onsen more along with Hirayu, but Yunessun and SpaWorld are definitely more on the eccentric side.
 
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I would love to visit: http://www.muvalley.com/ (Mu Valley)

It looks pretty insane, because made up civilization. It's definitely meant for the Japanese since they don't have an English website. Again, it's only accessible via car.
Never heard of this one but for anyone curious, according to the website, the full name is Mikawa Mu Valley & it's an Indiana Jones-type adventure theme park. It must have gotten a good write-up on an foreign tourism website or in a magazine because they're offering the adventures in English now. It seems to be a lot like the Leonardo Challenge at DisneySea. Looks like an ideal thing to do with kids.

It is accessible by public transportation, too, not just by car!
 
I can answer a few questions:

1. We went to the Studio Ghibli Museum & it was my kids favorite part of the trip (and that trip included a day at Tokyo DisneySea). We're planning a trip back to Japan & tickets to the museum are definitely on the list for the next trip. My only regret is that I didn't bring more $$ for the giftshop.

6. Eccentric Experiences: Kawaii Monster Cafe. Total weirdness but I'm glad we went. Food wasn't too expensive IMO either.

7. Metro: We found the subway very easy to navigate & we come from a city with very little public transportation. We used a subway app & it was a huge help. Even got us from our apartment near Shibuya Crossing to Tokyo DisneySea easily.

8. We are Sanrio fans but we didn't go to the theme park. We did go to the big shop in Tokyo & it was worth it.

9. Didn't find the toilets hard at all. In fact, I keep trying to convince my husband to get us one here.

Tokyo Disney (We only went to DisneySea)

1. We didn't see any shows in English & honestly we struggled a bit because we didn't know Japanese. If you go to Tower of Terror, ask for an English translation before you go in. We didn't & felt we missed a lot (even though we still enjoyed the ride).

2. I didn't have a favorite place we ate but I loved all the cute snacks. We all LOVED the gyoza dog & I loved the Little Green Men mochi and the popcorn. We ate at the 'Mexican' restaurant (as a TX native I use that word loosely ;) ) and it wasn't bad. The portions were large. We were able to get 3 entrees and an appetizer of chips & salsa/guacamole to feed all 4 of us (2 adults, a college student & a HS senior).
 
Never heard of this one but for anyone curious, according to the website, the full name is Mikawa Mu Valley & it's an Indiana Jones-type adventure theme park. It must have gotten a good write-up on an foreign tourism website or in a magazine because they're offering the adventures in English now. It seems to be a lot like the Leonardo Challenge at DisneySea. Looks like an ideal thing to do with kids.

It is accessible by public transportation, too, not just by car!

I can't get the bus time table to come up, but I find once you have to take a smaller train line that runs once every 1-2 hours to a bus, that even the website warns is occasional, you're at the border of being inaccessible via public transport. I guess if you are staying several nights in either Hiroshima or Iwakuni it would help, since there are more trains in the morning, but you are going to have a harder time getting back unless you want to spend all day there. This is not like an easy day trip like Nara or Miyajima or Kamakura. Personally, this seems more "Japanese" than Leonardo's Challenge since there are also onsen available. lol

I went to Osorezan, which is on public transport, but the buses between Shimokita and Osorezan are once every 2-3 hours making it feel not all that accessible, when you miss one and then have to wait. :/ I admit, at this point before I go back to Licca Castle, I'm going to rent a car because the train line to Ononiimachi is just not all that often.

I found Mikawa Mu Valley by looking for places near the Akiyoshidai Caves. We played with a lot of possible itineraries before picking the one we are mostly committed to now.
 


I can't get the bus time table to come up, but I find once you have to take a smaller train line that runs once every 1-2 hours to a bus, that even the website warns is occasional, you're at the border of being inaccessible via public transport. I guess if you are staying several nights in either Hiroshima or Iwakuni it would help, since there are more trains in the morning, but you are going to have a harder time getting back unless you want to spend all day there. This is not like an easy day trip like Nara or Miyajima or Kamakura. Personally, this seems more "Japanese" than Leonardo's Challenge since there are also onsen available. lol

I went to Osorezan, which is on public transport, but the buses between Shimokita and Osorezan are once every 2-3 hours making it feel not all that accessible, when you miss one and then have to wait. :/ I admit, at this point before I go back to Licca Castle, I'm going to rent a car because the train line to Ononiimachi is just not all that often.

I found Mikawa Mu Valley by looking for places near the Akiyoshidai Caves. We played with a lot of possible itineraries before picking the one we are mostly committed to now.
The link is dead because they moved the timetable but I found it over here: https://www.city.iwakuni.lg.jp/uploaded/life/26698_88579_misc.pdf

It would require some scheduling to make sure you weren't waiting around for an excessive amount of time, but with bus & train times available, it's possible to plan the trip without needing to drive, if someone wanted to go & wasn't able to rent a car. I don't think I'd plan to spend more than a few hours there, though, unless my kid was really into that type of thing & would want to go on multiple adventures.
 
Thank you all for all the great answers. I keep having to reset my Disboards PW and its been annoying, but I've lurked and read all the answers. I am definitely doing the Pokemon Cafe now (that place looks awesome) I do collect certain Disney 17 inch dolls... but not dolls in general (however that sounds like something interesting to look into as well. And as far as Japanese Jesus (my hubby would get a kick out of that) We are both Catholic so everything you described is completely not what we were taught.... I'm a religion minor so I've studied many different religions and I find religion fascinating so not offended just intrigued now.
 
Thank you all for all the great answers. I keep having to reset my Disboards PW and its been annoying, but I've lurked and read all the answers. I am definitely doing the Pokemon Cafe now (that place looks awesome) I do collect certain Disney 17 inch dolls... but not dolls in general (however that sounds like something interesting to look into as well. And as far as Japanese Jesus (my hubby would get a kick out of that) We are both Catholic so everything you described is completely not what we were taught.... I'm a religion minor so I've studied many different religions and I find religion fascinating so not offended just intrigued now.

Honestly, I don't think anyone is taught what is on display at "Christ's" Grave or it's "educational" museum. I don't know how popular it is, but foreigners often go because it's sort of hilarious if you're not offended by it. Just the fact they think "Christ" is Jesus' last name is sort of amusing. We drove from Towada City when we went and then continued on to Lake Towada. (Towada City and Towada Lake are a good 50+ km apart. Towada City has an interesting looking modern art museum I've never been to and we passed some randomly pastel rainbow painted houses.) I am not sure how much of the story is believed by anyone... they claim their town's symbol is a Star of David, showing a connection to ancient Hebrews... except it's a 5 pointed star (ignoring the whole it wasn't used as a symbol necessarily in the time of Jesus aspect of it...) They also try to claim some traditional song sounds like Hebrew... it doesn't sound like Hebrew, at all. But hey, Dracula the Cool ice cream! If you or your husband feels comfortable renting a car, the easiest way to get there is take the shinkansen up to Hachinohoe and rent a car there and drive. The road we took onwards to Towada Lake is closed November to close to the end of April, it was only just opened when we took it which is probably how we got caught in a blizzard. I did the trip pre-child and with a good friend who had lived in Japan many years doing video game localization.

Ball Joint dolls range in size, but I believe the MSD/mini size is 17 inches. Though most ball joint dolls tend to be thinner than I think the Disney 17 inch dolls. And bringing this back to Tokyo Disney. Volks has created some pretty amazing one of a kind Disney dolls for D23 Japan:
https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/japanese-cinderella-super-dollfie-bjd-10k-auction/
There is a Cinderella

And these are the ones they did for D23 this year:
https://tenshinomon.com/2018/02/27/✧-volks-d23-magic-✧/

Back a decade or so ago, Volks had a doll event at Tokyo Disney.

If you are into dolls at all, Japan has a ton of doll events. I've been to Doll's Party (Dolpa) a few of the smaller iDolls and a bunch of Volks events and Doll Show. It gets very very expensive quickly and I don't currently do Volks events cause I have a kid and they are not child friendly. I will warn you now, some stuff at Volks stores is completely on the up and up, but I have also seen some figures for sale there I wish I could bleach from my mind.

Good luck!
 
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Do you need Yen for Ghibli Museum or do they take credit cards? I know some places are cash only.



I can answer a few questions:

1. We went to the Studio Ghibli Museum & it was my kids favorite part of the trip (and that trip included a day at Tokyo DisneySea). We're planning a trip back to Japan & tickets to the museum are definitely on the list for the next trip. My only regret is that I didn't bring more $$ for the giftshop.

6. Eccentric Experiences: Kawaii Monster Cafe. Total weirdness but I'm glad we went. Food wasn't too expensive IMO either.

7. Metro: We found the subway very easy to navigate & we come from a city with very little public transportation. We used a subway app & it was a huge help. Even got us from our apartment near Shibuya Crossing to Tokyo DisneySea easily.

8. We are Sanrio fans but we didn't go to the theme park. We did go to the big shop in Tokyo & it was worth it.

9. Didn't find the toilets hard at all. In fact, I keep trying to convince my husband to get us one here.

Tokyo Disney (We only went to DisneySea)

1. We didn't see any shows in English & honestly we struggled a bit because we didn't know Japanese. If you go to Tower of Terror, ask for an English translation before you go in. We didn't & felt we missed a lot (even though we still enjoyed the ride).

2. I didn't have a favorite place we ate but I loved all the cute snacks. We all LOVED the gyoza dog & I loved the Little Green Men mochi and the popcorn. We ate at the 'Mexican' restaurant (as a TX native I use that word loosely ;) ) and it wasn't bad. The portions were large. We were able to get 3 entrees and an appetizer of chips & salsa/guacamole to feed all 4 of us (2 adults, a college student & a HS senior).
 
Do you need Yen for Ghibli Museum or do they take credit cards? I know some places are cash only.

To purchase souvenirs? Or for entry tickets? Entry tickets need to be booked and paid for online FAR in advance. I'm not sure it is possible to buy entry tickets upon arrival.

As for souvenirs, my memory is a little fuzzy, but I'm pretty sure they accepted credit cards. It's probably best to take at least some Yen just in case they don't. There are ATMS in pretty much ever 7-11 and similar, so it's easy just to get a daily allowance.
 
Thank you! I'm hoping to catch iris in Kanazawa the last week in June and hydrangea in 2 weeks in Kyoto and then again in Kanazawa. :D

I feel guilty saying this, but I am still debating TDR. >>; We went last year, but I am just not 100% committed to going this year. The parks are nice, but I love getting to see more of Japan itself.
Can you post some pics of your trip with flowers thanks
 
Do you need Yen for Ghibli Museum or do they take credit cards? I know some places are cash only.
IIRC, they take credit cards at the gift shop. As someone else said, you have to book the tickets in advance. I prefer using cash for souvenir purchases when I'm on vacation so that's what I used.
 
Did any fat/obese people go on any of the rides? I just want to see if I should wait (doing exercise now) or go soon
 
Did any fat/obese people go on any of the rides? I just want to see if I should wait (doing exercise now) or go soon
To be honest, I don’t recall really noticing this - apologies, I know that’s not useful!
 
I just booked Hotel Okura Tokyo Bay.. Hope it is a good one! Have you heard anything about it? Thanks!
Hi, We recently stayed at Hotel Okura Tokyo Bay. The room we had was surprisingly big for a Japanese hotel, I booked the Superior -Non Smoking, it was a two queen sized bed pushed together, plus a lounge chair that could be used as an uncomfortable bed. It's not decked out in Disney, but if affordable if what you're looking for, I think it will do fine. (You can save the money from the hotels and spend it at the park) Any of the hotels in the monorail line has a shuttle bus, so it's good for a quick get away to go back to your hotel for a rest. I also liked the official disney resort souvenir shop inside the hotel...there weren't that many people and i was able to take my time looking at every little item the shop stocked. Hope that helps.
 
So I am on Japan planning overload and my trip isn't even until 9/29 through 10/14/19. A lot of the trip is the ABD so my itinerary is pretty set as far as the country proper goes.... buuuut that being said there is still on my own time so


8) Are either of you Sanrio fans... and or checked out Sanrio Puroland?
I am a fan of Sanrio, and I can not believe I have not visited. I must put that on my todo list.


Disneyland/Disney-Sea Related Questions

3) Did you visit the 'Downtown Disney' area since you were on the monorail? Ikesparia has a Disney Store, which I also like to visit. They offer different things than the resort souvenirs,

4) Did you do any character meets and or a character dining experience?
If you want to do character dining, you can book a spot in advance for Horizon Bay. The online reservation system is in Japanese only though.

5) Do they have any sort of Photopass option... or will CM's take pictures of say a couple with our cameras?
When you do a character picture, they will come up and ask you if you want to buy pictures or not. If you say you're thinking about it, they will give you a photopass and you'll have the option of ordering online up to 30 days from your visit. If you want to purchase the picture, you should tell them right away when they ask you, they will be holding the photo set, so you can prep yourself. The cast member taking the picture will take one picture with your camera or phone. Some lines, for instance, taking a picture with Mickey, will only allow ONE shot, while others, like taking pictures in front of castles, will take more than one, if you do not like how the first one turned out.


7) Did you see any magnets in the gift shops? (I collect them from places ive been cheap mementos) I've seen some. another cheap souvenir i find is postcards, you can get stamps from any of the cashiers, and just tell them you want to send a postcard oversea. they will ask you what country and give you the right amount of stamps.


As people have answered plenty, I only went around to answer the questions I knew and have experience in. Hope it helps your trip planning
 
A few questions please! We go in early October..

General Japan:

1) We are going to Kyoto by train during our trip. Are taxis available at every station to get to the hotel or other areas?

2) What is the best way to get from our Tokyo hotel in Asakusa to Disney Tokyo?

Disney:

1) I have not been able to buy tickets online due to credit card issues. Can I buy easily at Hotel Okura Tokyo Bay? Do I need to worry about tickets being sold out?

2) Do I need to pre-book dining reservations? I heard it was needed for character dining but what about standard restaurants?

3) Where do I call to pre-book dining? 30 days in advance?

4) How far are the parks and Downtown Disney from Hotel Okura Tokyo Bay?

Thank you!
 
A few questions please! We go in early October..

General Japan:

1) We are going to Kyoto by train during our trip. Are taxis available at every station to get to the hotel or other areas?

Yes, but be warned that taxis in Japan are very expensive. Last I checked, it was almost 6$ US just to open the door, sit and drive half a mile down the road. Look at buses or other trains to get where you need to be and use an IC card like SUICA or PASMO to pay.

2) What is the best way to get from our Tokyo hotel in Asakusa to Disney Tokyo?

http://www.hyperdia.com/ is your friend. Put your departure train station and Maihama is where Tokyo Disney is. So from Asakusa subway station to Maihama, you'd switch metro once and then transfer to the JR Musashino line from Hatchobori to Maihama station. Else, you can look at taxis.


Disney:

1) I have not been able to buy tickets online due to credit card issues. Can I buy easily at Hotel Okura Tokyo Bay? Do I need to worry about tickets being sold out?

They have a ticket counter at the hotel, so you will be fine to purchase them there. They usually don't sell out in advance.

2) Do I need to pre-book dining reservations? I heard it was needed for character dining but what about standard restaurants?

You can prebook restaurants 30 days in advance, but unless you're staying at a Disney hotel, you will need to use the japanese website to reserve. I will go to the Blue Bayou and will use the english reservation site to book it since I am staying at the Celebration Hotel.

3) Where do I call to pre-book dining? 30 days in advance?

Here, in japanese only: https://reserve.tokyodisneyresort.jp/restaurant/search/ . Else, starting at 10am at each restaurant, they take reservation for that day if there are any left.

4) How far are the parks and Downtown Disney from Hotel Okura Tokyo Bay?

Tokyo DisneySea is one monorail stop away. Ikspiari and Maihama Station as well as Bon Voyage store at the Resort Gateway station two stops away. Tokyo Disneyland is 3 stops away and then its back to Bayside Station where your hotel is.

Ikspiari is NOT a Downtown Disney/Disney Springs like you'd expect. Its an excellent japanese mall with a huge Disney Store and ticket center for annual passes. For the best Disney music selection, head to museum lane on the 2F to Shinseido. They have a whole wall dedicated to park music CD's. The Disney Store is also on the 2F in the Theater Front area.

Thank you!
 
Thanks for the great information!

So if I do not worry about reservations ahead of time I should not have too much problem at most restaurants at least?

Is eating dinner around 6pm a good time to not miss the night entertainment?
 
Wow, this wasn't my thread but there is some great info in here, so THANK YOU to all those who have contributed!

Credit cards once INSIDE the parks... yay or nay? I never, ever carry cash here in the states, so the thought of carrying several thousand yen around with me is a bit scary, but I know the bulk of my souvenir buying will be done inside the parks, so I am trying to figure out how much I need to plan on having.
 

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