:confused: I just found this board yesterday and I read all the trip reports and posts that I could. I'm going to visit my daughter in Okinawa, I leave from NY on 3/28/02 and then I'm returning to Tokyo on Thursday 4/4 and staying there to visit the parks on my own untill Sunday 4/7 I leave to return to NY.

This is all new to me I have been to WDW many times but this is my first trip out of the country. My son in law got me a room for the three nights at Keio Plaza Hotel. I've been told there's a shuttle form the Hadeda airport to the hotel and then a shuttle to TDL & TDS.

Now for my questions or concerns:

First question: In one of the posts I read that you have to stay at certain hotels to get tickets to the parks. Will this be a problem for me staying here? I'm going to visit the parks this is the only reason I'm staying the extra 3 days in Tokyo. If it would be a problem what should I do at this late a date? I don't want to get to TDS and then can't get tickets.

Second Question: I also read the post about the park ticket options. If I get a 2 day pass at TDS I realize I have to visit TDS the first day but what about the second, do I have to make up my mind when I buy the 2 day pass what park I will go to the second day? I'm planning one day in each park but if I don't have enough time in TDS the first day I might decide to just go there my second day.

Any hits or advise for an upsate New York girl traveling to TDl & TDS by herself?

Thanks Judy AKA Autumnsam@aol.com

Well, Judy, I have some help for you!

Read my trip report for tips about the resort itself. During my stay at Disney I stayed at the Tokyo Bay Hilton, but after that I stayed at the Keio Plaza for a week!

You question about the availability and pre-purchasing of tickets should be directed to Mr. Abe (pronounced Ahh-bay) at the Concierge desk. We found him to be very friendly and helpful during our stay. He will be able to secure your tickets, I am sure. You should call the hotel and talk with him.

The shuttle ride from the Keio Plaza hotel to the Disney Resort will be about an hour and perhaps more because of traffic. I would take the JR to the JR Maihama station, if you feel brave enough. That should only take about 30 minutes. The subway is easy to take. If you have a Japanese speaker with you, it would be even easier (I figured it out without a japanese speaker). But the bus might be easier when you're tired and wanna go back to the hotel!

As far as I understand the tickets, the multi-day pass you must choose at purchase time WHICH park you are visiting for each day.

I would normally tell people to allow for 2 days AT LEAST for Tokyo DisneySea. But Disneyland may be more your cup of tea.
I live near the real Disneyland and visit Florida often, so I skipped Tokyo Disneyland. If you aren't sure, just buy them one day at a time. Get your TDS ticket first, because Disneyland isn't selling out as far as I know. That should be easier to get tickets for.

Here's another tip to evade Japan's famous $30 breakfast.

Go to the Keio hotel website:

http://www.keioplaza.co.jp/english


Do this right now. Go to the website and click on their free Executive International Club. Sign up online. This is a free frequent-staying club for international visitors only. They will send you a member card in the mail, but I think you can still write down your confirmation number the website gives you.

Show this card or member number when you check in and you get a bunch of free benefits, including:

FREE American Breakfast for each person staying for each day of your stay.

They have two restaurants downstairs serving american breakfast, Jurin (a very pleasant coffee shop) and Chef's Hat (A buffet). And the breakfast is free. No tip required, either.

Any more questions?

If you decide to take the Japan Rail, I can post directions for you. It's pretty easy, but the ticket selling machines can be intimidating. Let me know.

:) Now I feel a lot better. I was really worried I wouldn't be able to get the tickets to the park. I will check the web site and make that call as soon as I get home from work today.

I think I would brave the Japan Rail, if you have directions that would be great. I will be traveling alone so I will have no help in English or Japanese. I like the idea of a half hour instead of an hour shuttle. As you suggested I might take the bus back.

Any other hits or tips?

Thanks Judy

Well, judy, here's some directions for you... hehe.


Since the streets in Tokyo usually have no name, I'll give you Japanese-style directions!


When in the Keio plaza hotel, go to the Jurin coffee shop. Just by the coffee shop is an exit for the hotel. Go out that door and turn right. You will see a long walking tunnel with an electric walkway. There are shops in that tunnel, like a mall. Just follow the walkway until you reach the Shinjuku JR station. (It ends at the station. There are some nice department stores above the station.)
PS. This place is safe from crime. Most of Tokyo is. Trust me, there's nothing seedy about the rail system like in some American cities.

Remember that walkway, it will bring you back to your hotel.


Here's a link to a printable pdf file of the JR lines in tokyo. Very good to have.

http://www1.oecd.org/dsti/sti/it/secur/act/tokyo/JRmap.pdf


(yes, it looks intimidating. Don't worry.)


Remember, your station is Shinjuku. It's the biggest station on the line, and most lines eventually get back to Shinjuku. As long as you remember Shinjuku, you can get back to your hotel.

You will have to make one change-over in your trip.

From Shinjuku you will take the Chuo line to Tokyo station (also a very prominent station, easy to remember).

From Tokyo you take the Keiyo line for Soga, but you get off before Soga at the Maihama station (DISNEY!).


(I'll post more later on dealing with the machines)

Kuzcotopia

I read your trip report and didn't see anything about the Keio Plaza. Now remember I'm knew to this board and don't quite have the hang of it yet. LOL

I read the report on TDS I think it was three pages. I saw the post on the Hilton. Did I miss it or is it in another post I missed?

Thanks for all your hits and tips thay are of GREAT help. I love your directions to the train without them I wouldn't have found it.


Thanks Again Judy

I didn't post anything about the Keio Plaza Intercontinental in my trip write-up because I only wrote up my 3 days on the Disney Property. The rest of my trip was two weeks in multiple cities. I wasn't about to write up the whole trip! ;-)



Certain things to note about taking the train to Disney. One is, this makes you self-sufficient for getting tickets. There may be some kind of ticket-and-bus-ride deal that the hotel offers that they do not if you are providing your own transportation. That is something to get clear.

If you are unable to buy tickets at the hotel for the park, you may have to get to the park before opening to buy your tickets.

Another thing to note is that the parks close at 10pm, so that makes sure that there are trains still running and you won't be stranded.



Anyway, as for buying train tickets....

What you need is tickets for the JR. This is light rail, and not the Shinkansen Bullet train.

The station is a hubbub of activity. Basically what you are looking for are the JR lines I noted in the above post. The entrance turnstyles for the JR are right by a bank of ticket-selling computers that look like ATM's. A big map of the JR system is on the wall above it, with prices for each station.

The main thing to keep in mind when using these machines: It is impossible to make a mistake when using them.

Buying one ticket or multiple tickets, putting the money then pushing the button for the amount, or pushing the button then putting in the money... exact change or no exact change... it doesn't matter. They are made to be so easy to use, you can't mess it up.

The pricing works like light rail in most american cities. Each rider must have his own ticket. You buy a ticket with some money on it. 120 yen is a typical amount (about a dollar). As you walk into the turnstile, you pass your ticket through and it comes out and you grab it as you walk through. Then when you get off the train, there's an exit turnstile and you pass your card through again as you walk through. If your distance traveled used up all the money on the ticket, it grabs your ticket and lets you walk through. If there's still money left on the ticket, it gives it to you to use next time. If there's not enough money it doesn't let you through, and you have to go to a machine to put more money on it before you can exit the station.

So here's how you can't mess up. You can always look at that big map and put exactly the amount on your ticket that the map says your destination costs. Or you can put more. Since light rail is SO CHEAP in japan, you could splurge and put $10 on it and just use it again and again. (all the way across town is about 2 bucks).

When facing the machines, I was nervous that I would do it wrong. Nothing to be nervous about, even though there is a lot of instructions in japanese on the screen. Just put in some money, push the button that says 120yen or whatever, and your ticket comes out with the change. It's that easy. You can also punch in to get multiple tickets at a time, but the easiest thing is to make those seperate transactions.



Good luck!

On Laughingplace.com, Marc Borrelli has a photo tour of the entire trip (almost) to Tokyo DisneySea. He starts from inside the Keiyo line train, and shows LITERALLY every step of the way.

http://www.laughingplace.com/News-PID505450-505450.asp

Another thing to note is that the JR Maihama station lets you off at IKSPIARI, which is the Downtown Disney of Tokyo Disney Resort. You will still need a monorail (Resort Liner) pass to ride the monorail to the park.

My Resort Line passes were complimentary, but you will need to buy one for each person. A two-day unlimited use pass is 600 yen. I think you can purchase individual rides on it for considerably less. I wouldn't recommend hoofing it. Check Marc Borrelli's photo-essay for information on buying monorail passes.