Tokyo Disney Tips: Guide for What to Know Before You Go

Last Updated on March 15, 2025 by Kay

Tokyo Disney Resort, which consists of Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, is undoubtedly a magical place in Japan. And Tokyo DisneySea is the only one of its kind in the world!

I’ve been visiting the Tokyo Disney parks almost every year for nearly twenty years now (I felt very old typing that), so I thought I would share my tips and tricks to help you make the most of your visit. These tips apply to those with small children as well.

Buy Tickets in Advance

You cannot purchase tickets for Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea at the gate. This is why you need to purchase your tickets online in advance.

You can buy tickets for Tokyo Disneyland from the following:

• Official website
• Official app
• Klook
• GetYourGuide
• Official Tokyo Disney Hotel*

And tickets for Tokyo DisneySea can be purchased here:

• Official website
• Official app
• Klook
• GetYourGuide
• Official Tokyo Disney Hotel*

You can purchase tickets online and from a Tokyo Disney Hotel on the day of your visit as well. (*You have to stay at a hotel to be able to purchase a ticket from it.)

Note that ticket prices change depending on when you’re visiting. For instance, weekends and holidays are more expensive than weekdays.

Children ages three and under are free.

Be Prepared for the Website to Crash Sometimes

During busy periods (events, etc), the Tokyo Disney website has the tendency to crash.

If this happens, consider using Klook and GetYourGuide, which are official Tokyo Disney partners, to purchase your ticket for Tokyo Disneyland and/or DisneySea.

Know Where Tokyo Disney is Located

Although the name has “Tokyo” in it, Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea are actually located in Chiba Prefecture, which is on the East side of the Greater Tokyo Area.

It takes about thirty minutes to an hour to get to the Tokyo Disney parks from downtown Tokyo using public transportation.

Both Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea are a 9-minute walk from Maihama Station.

However, you can also take the Disney Resort Line right to each park. This monorail runs every six minutes so you won’t be waiting very long for it and the inside is super adorable. If you have small children, I absolutely recommend taking this train!

They also decorate the inside very cutely during different seasons — check out what it looks like during Christmas!

It costs 300 yen for adults and 150 yen for children (ages 6-12) to ride this line one way. You can use an IC Card to ride the train.

However, you can also buy a day pass for 700 yen (adults) and 350 yen (kids), which is pictured below. You get to keep the pass, too!

The two day pass is 900 yen for adults and 450 yen for kids, which is more of a deal than the one day pass.

For Tokyo Disneyland, get off at Tokyo Disneyland Station and for DisneySea, get off at Tokyo DisneySea Station (pretty easy to figure out!).

Consider Staying at a Tokyo Disney Hotel

Now that I live in Osaka, staying at least one night at an official Tokyo Disney Hotel each time I visit is a must.

Why?

Well, you get cute Disney souvenirs that are only available to guests, beautiful rooms, amazing views of one of the parks, and — best of all — you get priority when it comes to entering either Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea using Happy Entry.

Happy Entry allows guests staying at an official Tokyo Disney hotel to enter the park fifteen minutes earlier than other visitors! And if you stay at the Fantasy Springs Hotel, you get to use a special entrance that will take you straight to Fantasy Springs. I was lucky enough to be able to stay at the Fantasy Springs Hotel and it was absolutely worth every yennie.

If you don’t want to splurge on a Disney Hotel, there are also lots of affordable accommodation options in the area, such as:

• Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel (only one stop away from Tokyo DisneySea)
• Hotel Dream Gate Maihama (very affordable and right outside Maihama Station)
• Comfort Suites Tokyo Bay (has a shuttle bus service to Disney parks)

You might also be wondering if it’s even worth staying near Tokyo Disney. Well, if you want to get there bright and early to beat the crowds and long lines, then it’s probably a good idea.

Try Not to Visit on Weekends and Holidays

Weekends and holidays in Japan are bonkers when it comes to theme parks.

Expect Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea to be packed during these times, especially during school vacation periods and during Golden Week.

If you’re not sure when will be a busy period at Tokyo Disney, consider using a crowd prediction calendar. This is in Japanese only so I made a quick English translation of the information you’ll find on the site.

Personally, I like going to Tokyo Disney on Tuesdays to Thursdays since I find those days the least busy. Rainy days are also less crowded than usual (make sure to bring a poncho!).

Download the Tokyo Disney App

It is essential that you have the official Tokyo Disney Resort App before you enter the park.

In fact, I highly recommend downloading it and taking a look through it well before your visit, even while you’re in your home country if you live outside of Japan.

By doing this, you will be familiar with the app and ready to go when it’s time to use it in the parks. You can also see how wait times change throughout the day, see which rides have longer wait times, and plan your visit better.

What you’ll find on the official Tokyo Disney app:

• Maps of Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea. Zoom in and you’ll see wait times for rides
  
• Your park ticket (make sure to scan your physical ticket if you didn’t purchase it using the app!)
  
• Show and parade times
  
• Character greetings and wait times
  
• Wait times for restaurants and food wagons
• Shops

What you can do using the app:

• Purchase a ticket for Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea
• Purchase Disney Premier Access (allows you to skip the line for certain rides and parades, so it’s like a Fastpass)
• Get a Standby Pass
• Make Entry Requests for shows
• Disney Mobile Order (for restaurants)
• Book restaurants
• Book hotels
• Purchase Vacation Packages

Download the Tokyo Disney Maps

Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea can be overwhelming. They’re both huge and there’s so much to see and do!

This is why I recommend downloading a PDF of the Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea maps and marking what you want to do. This way you’ll know exactly where you want to head first.

Here’s what you should look into carefully on the Tokyo Disney website before you go:

• Restaurants
• Souvenirs
• Hairbands
• Rides
• Greetings
• Shows and Parades
• Popcorn wagons and buckets

The reason why I emphasize this is because some items are only sold at certain stores. For instance, the Rapunzel and Anna hairbands can only be found at the Fantasy Springs souvenir store, which is at the very end of the park!

Similarly, Duffy and Friends souvenirs are only available from one store at Tokyo DisneySea (Galleria Disney).

Note Locations of Attractions and Parade/Show Times

You’ll want to have a game plan when it comes to your route for the day.

Popular areas such as Fantasy Springs at Tokyo DisneySea and rides such as Soaring: Fantastic Flight (DisneySea) and Beauty and the Beast (Disneyland) will have people heading to them fast.

For Tokyo Disneyland, my must-ride attractions* are:

• Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast ⭐️
• Pooh’s Hunny Hunt ⭐️
• Haunted Mansion ⭐️
• Big Thunder Mountain
• Gadget’s Go Coaster ⭐️

For Tokyo DisneySea, here are my favorite rides:

• Tower of Terror
• Raging Spirits
• Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey ⭐️
• Fairy Tinker Bell’s Busy Buggies ⭐️
• Flounder’s Flying Fish Coaster ⭐️
• Journey to the Center of the Earth
• Soaring: Fantastic Flight (okay, I haven’t been on this ride yet but it’s one of my closest friend’s favorite rides so I’m making it my mission to go on it next time!)

The rides I dislike at Tokyo Disneyland are:

• Pirates of the Caribbean (I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy)
• It’s a Small World
• Snow White’s Adventures
• Stitch Encounter (This is in Japanese only, and although I can understand the language, I find it kind of boring)

And as for DisneySea, I don’t recommend:

• Turtle Talk (Japanese only)

*I put a star next to the rides my daughter, age five, likes. I also have thorough ride reviews for those with toddlers and kids in my Tokyo DisneySea with Kids article and Tokyo Disneyland with Kids.

Rides become busier throughout the day, so it’s best to try to head to the ride you want to go on as soon as possible or, better yet, pay for a Disney Premier Access (DPA) pass OR use a 40th Anniversary Priority Pass. This will allow you to go on the ride at a designated time and skip the long line.

Disney Premier Access pass can cost as much as 2500 yen for popular rides such as Beauty and the Beast, but I think it’s absolutely worth it and I pay all the time.

Fantasy Springs is also very far from the entrance of Tokyo DisneySea — it takes almost 30 minutes to walk there! 

In general, Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea are HUGE and it can be hard, if not impossible, to see all the areas if you want to watch shows and go on rides.

You also want to know the times of parades and routes, especially at Tokyo Disneyland, because it will be very crowded. It’s seriously a mission to try to get anywhere along a parade route at Tokyo Disneyland so I recommend either watching the parade or going to eat at a restaurant.

Be Realistic About Wait Times

Average wait times at Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea range from around 10 minutes to an hour, but a lot of factors play into this such as weather and season (rainy days and mid to late January have shorter queues) as well as national holidays and school vacations (longer queues).

Sometimes wait times for popular rides are more than 200 minutes!

Below is what the wait time for Beauty and the Beast looked like at 9 AM on a weekday — yikes!

So please be prepared to wait. Bring something if you need it to pass the time, such as a Nintendo Switch or a good book. I also like to take turns with my husband waiting in line, although sometimes depending on the ride it can be a mission to find him again!

Consider Making a Reservation for a Restaurant

Although the Tokyo Disney app’s Mobile Order function is amazing, sometimes you just want to sit down and relax after walking around all day.

And as a mom of a young child, I also always make a restaurant reservation for lunch so that my child can rest and take a nap if needed. Restaurants at Tokyo Disney tend to be packed so I highly suggest making a reservation in advance.

However, if you can’t make a reservation, don’t worry! The app will let you know about wait times. Also keep in mind that Japanese people tend to have lunch from around 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM, so if you avoid this timeframe, you should be able to find a restaurant where you don’t have to wait too long to get a seat.

We went to the Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall just before 2 PM and only waited less than 10 minutes before we could order.

Note that if you have allergies, you have to tell the staff and order from another menu. You cannot substitute or omit ingredients from the regular menu at restaurants and food carts.

Adults Cannot Wear Disney Costumes

Although children are free to dress as their favorite Disney characters, adults are not allowed to dress in costumes except for the Halloween period (October).

This is to prevent children and other guests from being confused regarding who is a real cast member or not.

You can, however, wear a Disney T-shirt or sweater, which is what I always do! You can buy apparel at the Tokyo Disney parks as well.

What to Bring to Tokyo Disney

When it comes to what to bring to Tokyo Disney, here are my essential items:

• A compact umbrella or parasol that can fit into my bag
• Reusable bag
• Portable charger
• Plastic picnic mat (called a leisure sheet in Japanese). You can find these at convenience stores and sometimes at 100 yen stores.

Line Up Early

If you decide not to stay at an official Tokyo Disney hotel, I suggest lining up at least an hour before the Disney parks open.

You’ll have to line up twice. The first time is to get through security check and the second is for the gates. The security check line will look very intimidating but it moves rather quickly.

Bring some food and drinks from the convenience store, especially because there is nothing nearby. For the second area where you have to line up (right in front of the gates), bring a picnic mat to sit on if you have small children.

The washrooms outside of the Tokyo Disneyland entrance are to the right.

The official opening time for Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea is 9:00 AM; however, the parks tend to open 15 minutes before this so be prepared!

(If you stayed at a Disney Hotel and have Happy Entry, this means you’ll get in 30 minutes before the official opening time. There is a special entrance for Happy Entry guests so make sure to line up there! Ask a staff member if you’re not sure where it is.)

While you wait, you can eat breakfast or plan your day at Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea. I like to confirm our plan with my daughter, which really helps the time go by quickly.

Once the gates open, the line will start moving fast. Make sure you are ready to go (everything put away) because people will pass you if you’re scrambling to clean up. And don’t leave trash, please, take it with you.

One important tip is to keep an eye out for the signage above the gates. There are several gates where people will be lined up in front of but some gates, especially at the ends, will not open. This will lead to congestion, so I recommend lining up more towards the middle.

Save a Spot for the Parades

If you want to be able to see the parades, I recommend trying to secure a spot along the parade route as soon as possible or at least an hour before the parade starts. Bring a mat so you can do this and know that you need to sit down to watch the parade unless you’re at the back.

It’ll be easy to know where to save a spot because there will be lots of other people doing that first thing. (Some people in Japan go to Tokyo Disneyland just to see the parades!)

Do not leave your belongings unattended because someone might take something. Although Japan has a reputation for being safe, theft happens. I have had something stolen off my mat at Tokyo Disney before. (I’ve also had my wallet stolen directly from my bag but that’s another story…)

My husband and I take turns when saving a spot, so one of us will go on a ride with our daughter or get snacks using Mobile Order while the other waits.

The staff might also inform you that at least one person is supposed to stay with their mat at all times.

When it comes to the best spots to watch parades, I recommend the following:

Tokyo Disneyland

Harmony in Color and Seasonal Parades During the Day

Watch from Fantasyland. This way you can see the beginning of the parade and get it out of the way so you can go ahead with the rest of your day!

Reach for the Stars and Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade Dreamlights

The inner left and righthand sides of Cinderella’s castle or in front of the World Bazaar so you can see Reach for the Stars as well without having to move to another spot.

And you should absolutely see Reach for the Stars, which is less than an hour before the Electrical Parade. This show is only in Japanese and I’ve heard that it doesn’t compare to Walt Disney World etc., but I still thought it was fantastic.

Note that if you sit on the outer benches, for instance, closest to Toontown, the trees will block the latter half of the castle so you won’t be able to see the entirety of Reach for the Stars. As you can see in the image above, this happened to us!

My husband tried to get a spot over an hour before the show started but all the good spots were already taken.

(Also, try not to order food during this time because it will be next to impossible to get back to your seats!)

We had no trouble seeing the electrical parade, though, and it was absolutely magical. I loved it so much!

Tokyo DisneySea

All shows and parades take place around the Mediterranean Harbour.

If there’s a seasonal show during the day, I suggest staying on the left side (on the Lido Isle side) because the sun is quite bright and you’ll be squinting if you’re on the other side.

Believe! Sea of Dreams

I really loved this show, which has dazzling lights and music on the Mediterranean Harbor and the volcano. It was absolutely spectacular!

I recommend watching this show from Hotel/Park Gateway for the best view, although you can see it anywhere from the Mediterranean Harbour.

Sky Full of Colors

This is the 5-minute fireworks show that occurs after Believe! Sea of Dreams. Due to the strong winds at DisneySea, this fireworks show is sometimes canceled.

To find out showtimes, use the Tokyo Disney App.

If you don’t want to go through the trouble of securing a spot to watch a parade or show, you can splurge on a Disney Premier Access pass. This will allow you to sit in a special area that will give you the best view of the parade.

Rides Usually Fit Four People

Most rides at Tokyo Disney fit four people, so you will be seated with random people if you’re a two-person party or alone.

I’ve noticed when I go on rides with my husband and daughter, so three people, we don’t get seated with strangers.

Ask if You Can Sit in the Front

For certain rides, ask the staff if you can sit at the front. This way you’ll have the best view of the ride, especially if you’re with kids or short (like me).

Here are some rides where sitting at the front is best:

• Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey (DisneySea)
• Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival (DisneySea)
• Beauty and the Beast (Disneyland)

Japanese Language

Rides and shows at Tokyo DisneySea and Disneyland are in the Japanese language only. I mean, this is Japan, after all! Some rides will have screens with English subtitles but interactive talking ones, like Turtle Talk or Stitch, will not.

This also goes for Disney songs. So when you watch Reach for the Stars, all the songs and dialogue will be in Japanese.

Note Indoor Attractions

If it’s raining or way too hot or cold outside, you can escape to a restaurant, store, or an indoor attraction.

At Tokyo DisneySea, the best indoor area is the Mermaid Lagoon (the rides are mainly for little kids but it’s pretty and fun to look around).

Check Out the Soap!

The foam soap at Tokyo Disney at the little bathroom sinks for kids is super cute because it’s shaped like Mickey!

If there aren’t any kids waiting to wash their hands, why not try to see what it’s like?

Know What to Expect When You Shop

From morning to early afternoon, shops selling hairbands and apparel are absolutely bonkers, so just be prepared for the crowds.

My husband hates crowds so he always waits outside with our kid while I try to figure out where something I want is located. It feels like a rush-hour train!

However, shops selling souvenirs like snacks and stationery are less crowded during this time. On the flip side, those souvenir shops become super packed at night (although there’s a sweet period of about ten minutes right before Disney closes where there aren’t too many people. Unfortunately, you also don’t have very much time to shop).

Get Souvenir Medallions

You can get special souvenir medallions at certain stores in Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea, Tokyo Resort Line Stations, Tokyo Disney Hotels, as well as at Disney Stores outside the Tokyo Disney parks.

Get Capsule Toys

Select stores at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea also have capsule toys that you can’t find anywhere else! Note that some of the capsule toys require a Standby Pass, which you can get from the Tokyo Disney App.

Tips for Parents with Young Children

If you’re visiting with kids, I suggest reading my articles on visiting Tokyo DisneySea with kids and Tokyo Disneyland with kids.

Check Out Disney Stores

There are several Disney Stores right outside Maihama Station: Bon Voyage, The Disney Store Tokyo Disney Resort, and Festival Disney.

Like all Disney Stores in Japan, you can play rock, paper, scissors with the staff at The Disney Store Tokyo Disney Resort to win a special card!

My daughter absolutely loves doing this.

Wrap-Up: The Best Tokyo Disney Tips to Make the Most of Your Trip

I hope this extensive look at all my tips to enjoy Tokyo DisneySea and Tokyo Disneyland will be helpful for your trip! It might seem overwhelming at first but once you’re at the parks, everything will click and you’ll have the best time.

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