TDR in March or end of November?

[rtill]

Greetings. My wife and I and our 13yo son are planning a trip to Tokyo either the last week of November this year or the third week in March next year. We are not traveling to Tokyo for the sole purpose of visiting TDR, but being the Disney nuts we are, we plan on spending two days (during the week) there. From what I have read, that time in March looks insanely crowded. The crowd calendars suggest that mid week at the end of November is considerably less crowded. Does this sound right? Does anyone have any experience or advice they could share? Thanks!!

 

[Agent 86]

Yes, that sounds right to me. But, a "quiet" day in Tokyo Disneyland can still be "busy" in comparison to some other theme parks.

Is there any other factor in your decision making? For example, do you enjoy Christmas and therefore would you take extra delight in seeing the parks decorated for Christmas if you visited in November? Or do you have a preference for warmer or cooler weather, as that's another possible factor in your decision.

 

[planningjollyholiday]

yes this is right. In japan the new school year starts in April, so schools have some time off in March/beginning of April after they finish the year and start a new year, just like our summer vacation. This results in very crowded parks.

 

[gelatoni fan]

I would generally recommend November. The parks and city are decorated for Christmas so there's lots to do.

March could mean you experience cherry blossoms and Pixar Playtime. The crowds hit the thrill rides so if you primarily care about Pixar themed shows, this could be a good time. They might bring back Frozen Fantasy at that time also. If you go at this time, you need to be on top of your FP game because you won't want to wait 200+ minutes for rides.

 

[rtill]

Thanks for the responses! There are a few factors unrelated to Disney that will ultimately determine which month we go. If we end up going in March, I guess I'm just trying to figure out if it would even be worth visiting TDR. We are AP to WDW and visit frequently as it is about 1.5 hours away from our house so we would not feel the need to hit all the headliners. I think everyone is more interested in experiencing the Japanese version of everything, sampling the food, shopping around and maybe riding a few of the non-headliner classics. So multi-hour waits for TS Mania would likely not impact us but not being able to freely move around due to wall to wall people everywhere and endless overwhelming crowds definitely would.

 

[gelatoni fan]

Guest flow is quick in Tokyo because people know where they're going and follow instructions. Outside of the parades and rope drop, the crowds shouldn't get in your way. Magic Kingdom in WDW on a normal weekend will have worse guest flow because of all the strollers and wheelchairs.

I will note that you may have a bit of trouble finding the end of certain lines because on busy days, they can stretch into other lands. Lines for snack carts can reach 30 minutes in the afternoon so try to get them earlier or in the evening. If you end up going in March, make Disneyland your first day and DisneySea your second day. That way at DisneySea, you can feel good about watching shows, doing Fortress Explorations or shopping when lines for rides are at their longest.

 

[Agent 86]

Guest flow is quick in Tokyo because people know where they're going and follow instructions.

I strongly agree with this. Crowds in Tokyo Disneyland in no way, shape or form resemble "crowds" in say Disneyland LA apart from the number of people.

The locals move efficiently and with purpose and courtesy towards one another.

Of course, it's still nice to visit when it's less crowded for photo opportunities, character interactions, etc.

 

[rtill]

I appreciate the perspective. It actually looks like the decision has been made and we will be visiting the week of March 14-22 which apparently includes a national holiday on the 20th. We would likely visit the first part of that week - any firsthand experience anyone has for that same time would be great. We may opt for a package that includes FPs if we go (I am aware of how insanely expensive the packages are). At least we have more time to plan now. Thanks!!

 

[gelatoni fan]

I went this year on March 14, 15, 18-20. Pre-sale tickets for the weekend (16/17) sold out on the 13th. Crowds were not bad for 14/15 (Spring break didn't start for most students till the 16th).

From the 18th to 20th, lines for all E-tickets went 100+ within an hour of opening and went 200+ by the afternoon. Most of them closed their lines an hour before park closing. I did manage to do Big Thunder Mountain with 30 minutes wait right at park closing though. Ariel's Grotto and other children's rides became a walk on in the last hour. Character greeting times seemed like a lower weekday (I saw 50 minutes for ShellieMay and most major characters weren't consistently above 75). Shows generally had low wait so showing up half an hour before was fine. The exception was Let's Party Gras which was filling up 3.5 hours before the show. Gondolas were at 45ish and Canoes were 30ish for most of the day. Lines for many food carts were like 20 minutes but the Duffy restaurant had shorter wait than anticipated around 1PM (40 minutes). FP for most rides were running out by noon.

Some of my friends went on the weekend and said everything had elevated wait times. Their E-ticket lines seemed shorter than mine with lines that often dipped below 200 minutes. But their character greetings were up at 90 and shows necessitated at least an hour wait.

 

[LovesTimone]

We are in the planning stages for Japan for 2020... and we can't decide yet on when to go. There are alot of factors that are going to play into our decision for this trip... So we first started out looking at Mid March, or Mid May or November..

Mid-may is pretty much out now, due to the fact we really need the beginning of May and that's Golden Week, as well alot of family stuff happens in May...

So really putting in more thought to Mid-March or November... I had not even thought about Christmas decorations being up in the park, I was concentrating on the best time and when DH's job is slower, so its easier to take off for 2 full weeks... Christmas time is our favorite time in the parks... It would be really wonderful to see the parks decorated... so this is something that will definitely will tip the scales... Our plan is 4 days in the parks at the end of our trip...

Does anyone know when the Christmas decorations go up?

How is the weather in November?

 

[gelatoni fan]

Christmas starts Nov 8 this year and should be about the same time next year. I would not try to go into the parks the first week of the event though because you'll have a hard time getting spots for the event exclusive shows.

The weather in November is cold but not freezing. So maybe low 40s Fahrenheit at night but can go up to low 60s in the afternoon.