How to Plan a Family Trip to Tokyo DisneySea

Some of you may be wondering about the appeal of visiting a theme park in Japan when you can visit similar ones back in North America. I was on the fence about it myself during a March Break trip to Japan with friends – with so little time and so much to see, I was initially hesitant on spending a full day or two at a theme park.

At the same time, mixing in theme park time with visiting various cultural attractions gave the kids something to really look forward to. In the end, we went and had an enjoyable experience, and I don’t regret it at all.

Here are my thoughts on our visit to Tokyo DisneySea, which is one of two theme parks we visited on the trip. It’s not meant to be an exhaustive guide to the park, but should assist you in planning and maximizing your visit, with some information you may not easily find elsewhere. 

Tokyo DisneySea

Tokyo Disney Resort is comprised of two theme parks: Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. Both Disney parks are unique, but Tokyo Disneyland has many similarities to Disneyland in California, with the iconic castle and similar rides like Splash Mountain, It’s A Small World, and Space Mountain, just to name a few.

DisneySea, for the most part, is unique, with a marine theme. Given that we only had a limited amount of time, we settled for DisneySea this time.

Tokyo Disney Resort is located in the Tokyo Bay area, slightly removed from the downtown core. You can easily reach Tokyo Disney Resort on Tokyo’s extensive subway system, which connects directly with the Disney Resort Line.

From our hotel in Ginza, it took just under 30 minutes to get to Tokyo Disney Resort, and then another 15 minutes to hop on the Disney Resort Line to reach Disney Sea. 

General Tips

If you’re planning on going to Tokyo Disney Resort, consider purchasing your ticket beforehand. It’s not uncommon to see days that are sold out a week or more in advance.

If your plans are up in the air, it’s best to track ticket sales on the theme park’s webpage, as it will show which days are low in tickets or sold out. Keep in mind that special passes can sell out weeks in advance.

Be warned that theme parks in Japan are very busy. Expect line-ups for everything, including when waiting for rides, buying souvenirs, and purchasing snacks and meals.

In our case, travelling in a group of with other friends helped a lot, as the kids often kept each other entertained while…