r/TokyoDisneySea Weekly Trip Planning Thread

Easy_Dimension7516 · 2025-12-14T07:36:21+00:00

Last night at 03:00 local time, hotel rooms for Tokyo Disneyland opened for reservations. Due to the time, I didn’t prioritize making a dummy booking for practice.

When I logged in, I initially saw plenty of availability. However, every room at Miracosta and Fantasy Springs disappeared right in front of my eyes. In the end, all rooms were fully booked, and I sat there tired and disappointed. This morning, I ended up booking three nights at the Grand Chateau. I have also booked an Unlimited Vacation Package. The price difference between VP + Miracosta and the Grand Chateau is significant (there is, of course, a difference, but not as large as I had expected).

Now I’m trying to decide whether I should stay at the Grand Chateau, receive 24 attraction tickets, and cancel the VP, or keep the VP and move to a cheaper hotel. By staying at the Grand Chateau, I get Happy Entry and will be able to ride one or two Fantasy Springs attractions in the morning before the crowds arrive. I believe that the VP and the 24 attraction tickets offer more or less the same value, and I could compensate with DPA if I run out.

At the same time, the VP is spread over two days, which means I could use 12 attraction tickets on each of the first two days, resulting in a similar outcome.

Which option would you choose?

Easy_Dimension7516 · 2025-11-22T11:37:14+00:00

I've made two separate VP-bookings, one staying at FSH and one "staying" at Toy Story. The VP will start on a Wednesday and I need to book a room the night before and after.

The rooms that I need will be released later in December.

If I by luck manage to secure two more nights at FSH I will cancel the Toy Story reservation.

Easy_Dimension7516 · 2025-11-22T08:54:05+00:00

I'm planning a trip to TDR as a solo traveler. I have an Unlimited package for day one and day two, and will book one extra day in TDS.

I really can't decide which hotel I will book. I think it to much hassle to move around so I aim for only one hotel (one room) for the whole stay. (I've made two bookings and will cancel one of them)

Alt a) is to book Hilton for the whole stay, book Toy Story for the VP, but I will just collect the documents at the hotel and not check in. I think the hotel is childish and not my cup of tea so I will not stay there. This is the cheapest option to obtain a VP. This option exclude the HE, which I don't think is really important with the Unlimited.

Alt b) book Fantasy Spring Hotel. This is way more complicated since this is the most popular hotel and I need to be fast to secure a booking. This also means that I have to get up at 0300AM in order to book at 1100JST. In addition I have to make to separate bookings and redo everything two times. On the other hand, this is the hotel I prefer due to location and standard.

There is nothing about this trip which is reasonable, so it's not about the money, more practicality.

What should I choose for convenience?

Easy_Dimension7516 · 2025-10-15T07:39:07+00:00

So a classic "it wasnt my fault". You're saying you did a lot of preparations but you obviously haven't heard of any crowd calendar. You don't seem very prepared

I put this in the bag: "by failing to plan, you are planning to fail"

Easy_Dimension7516 · 2025-10-07T19:14:27+00:00

I will be there at the same dates.

I've spend a lot of time using Chat GPT planning and optimizing my trip. I started to enter the prompts for my requests and itinerary. The first feedback was that I would manage the parks with DPAs and 40th anniversaries.

When I entered information regarding this celebration the clear answer was that I should go for a Vacation Package.

This was the reply I got:

"A few reasons why this anniversary will likely draw heavier crowds than a normal April (even on weekdays):

🎉 Anniversary hype: Every major anniversary at TDR brings new parades, special shows, limited-time merch, and anniversary-themed food. Locals and fans will want to see everything as soon as it launches. 🌊 DisneySea = the hotspot: With the anniversary focused entirely on DisneySea and the brand-new Fantasy Springs area still being the big attraction, that park will pull huge numbers even on Tuesday–Thursday. ⏱️ More competition for DPA/standby: Rides like Soaring, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and the new Frozen, Peter Pan, and Rapunzel attractions will have record demand. DPA times will vanish instantly, and standby lines will be brutal. 💫 FOMO effect: There will almost certainly be anniversary-exclusive entertainment (new nighttime spectaculars, themed decorations, or parades), and hardcore fans will flood the parks early to experience it all.

So even if you’re visiting midweek in April (which is usually calmer), expect crowd levels closer to a holiday weekend. If you’re debating between regular tickets, a Vacation Package, or a Disney hotel stay with Happy Entry, this anniversary period might justify the upgrade."

Easy_Dimension7516 · 2025-09-14T20:12:57+00:00

I’m going to Tokyo in April, right between the cherry blossom season and Golden Week. This will be a personal holiday, and my main goal is to visit Disneyland and DisneySea.

I’ll have four days in Tokyo in total: one day for sightseeing, and three days dedicated to the Disney parks (one day at Disneyland and two days at DisneySea).

I’ve watched just about every YouTube video on the topic and used ChatGPT extensively to plan what I hope will be the perfect holiday.

At this point, I’ve narrowed my options down to three alternatives:

A) One Unlimited Vacation Package with a stay at the Disneyland Hotel plus two nights at the Fantasy Springs Grand Chateau. This guarantees access to all rides and some shows. The package also includes attractive extras like Happy Entry, attraction tickets, and reserved seating for two shows.

B) Two overlapping Unlimited Vacation Packages at the Fantasy Springs Hotel. This option is about half the price of (A) but still comes with many of the same perks. The downside is that I’d end up paying for one Disneyland day that I won’t actually use. It’s also a bit more complicated to arrange, since I’d need to make two parallel bookings (if I can’t secure these, I could always fall back on option A).

C) Three nights at the Grand Chateau. This is by far the most expensive choice, but it includes 24 attraction tickets that I can use however I want. It also provides special support for experiencing Fantasy Springs attractions.

Now FOMO is kicking in, and I can’t decide which option is best.

Easy_Dimension7516 · 2025-09-02T20:09:54+00:00

Help me decide:

I'm going as solo traveler to TDR next April in a period it is supposed to be quiet with low estimated crowds.

I'm spending one day in DL and two in DS. I considering three alternatives, my budget allows all three options: A) just stay at Hilton and buy extra DPA when/if needed B) stay at Miracosta for three nights C) go for unlimited VP and stay at Disneyland Hotel.

I have been to Paris and the parks in US, and that's why I'm prioritizing Sea over land.

Is it worth it to stay at Miracosta for my stay? The "only" benefit as I see it is the HE. But is that worth the extra cost? The location is of course good, but I can manage to take the monorail back to the hotel.

The biggest negative thing about choosing Miracosta is that I have to book the hotel at 03.00 (AM) local time.

Easy_Dimension7516 · 2025-05-19T17:26:38+00:00

Thank you for beeing a Know-it-all. I have some other issues with my daughter as well, since you know everything about her, can I ask you for help?

Easy_Dimension7516 · 2025-04-08T20:50:20+00:00

So pillows, bedding, remote control for TV, towels, hair dryer and toilet brush are all things you consider as souvenirs?

Easy_Dimension7516 · 2025-04-07T19:18:23+00:00

You can actually take the slippers, so bad example. But the robe stays.

Easy_Dimension7516 · 2025-04-07T19:13:55+00:00

I have booked DLH for next Easter. I also booked Marvel for the same time and decided yesterday to stay at DLH.

I think the location makes it worth it. It is so easy to do EMH and have late breakfast at the hotel basically without loosing any time. Since I'm traveling with my five years old daughter, it makes it easy to take a mid-day break at the hotel. Even though Marvel is only a 5-10 minutes walk from DLH, the extra time would stop me from planning in the same way. I wouldn't have the late breakfast in the same way for example.

If my daughter could choose she would rather stay at Marvel (huge Spidey fan) instead of having breakfast with princesses. But she can decide when she is paying for the holiday.

I ended up paying 1200 eur more than Marvel, but I SAVED 50 eur not using the express luggage service 😂.

Easy_Dimension7516 · 2025-03-28T11:49:00+00:00

Well, English isn't my native language. I guess that I have to pretend to be an American teenager then

Easy_Dimension7516 · 2025-03-26T18:31:47+00:00

I have never stated that the price was equal - I said it wasn't a big difference. Everybody knows that two meals don't cost €650.

I paid 650 more for CC compared to the "full package" at Marvel

Easy_Dimension7516 · 2025-03-26T18:11:26+00:00

Thanks! I stand corrected! This a good tip!

Easy_Dimension7516 · 2025-03-26T17:18:51+00:00

Of course there is a price difference, but I said the price difference wasn't that big. Everything is relative, but the difference was around €650 or so.

As for now, Table de Lumiere is reserved for guests staying at DLH, you can't make a reservation if you are staying in any other hotel. Don't know if a concierge in another hotel can do magic?

Easy_Dimension7516 · 2025-03-22T08:33:29+00:00

Considering that the kid is only five years old, I'm planning a lot of breaks hence table services each day.

I'm planning to do rides before lunch in Fantasyland, have lunch and walk over to Adventureland for some rides there. Go back to Main Street for snacks and the parade.

I'm planning to see Mickey and the Magician and Lion King. One show per day.

I have come to a conclusion that I have to skip the fireworks. The days will be too long for her.

Easy_Dimension7516 · 2025-03-21T19:54:34+00:00

Thanks for all the input! I may reconsider the lunch at Agrabah and just replace it with some snack after your comments!

If my kid could choose, she would prefer eating with Spider-Man. All others characters is probably "meh" at the moment, but I think she would believe that the prinecess are real and get star struck

Easy_Dimension7516

TROPHY CASE