Why Disney’s #1 Park is Getting 1-Star Reviews
In response to one of our (many) posts effusively praising Disney’s best theme park in the world, a reader recently asked whether our review is still true. They expressed concern based on a huge number of negative reviews on TripAdvisor. We looked, and sure enough, they were correct: Tokyo DisneySea has seen a huge spike in 1-star and 2-star reviews there and on Google.
Tokyo DisneySea still maintains a respectable 4.5 score average across over 6,000 reviews on TripAdvisor and sterling 4.9 on Google with more than 90,000 reviews. But that actually speaks to the problem–the park’s score is still strong despite an influx of lower reviews because, prior to 2020, it was almost exclusively receiving 5-star reviews. And with over a decade of those in the bank, there’s only so much the new reviews can drag down the overall score.
It’s a simple math problem. The scores arguably exacerbate the issue, too. If you go in expecting a 4.9/5 experience and one of the top-ranked attractions in all of Japan, or read posts like ours calling Tokyo DisneySea the best theme park in the world, you might be more inclined to go in with high expectations. When your experience isn’t on par with those reviews, you might leave feeling frustrated and more disappointed than if you rolled the dice on a 3.5/5 offering.
So what are the new reviews saying? A lot of different things. Most common are complaints about lines, crowds, and wait times. I don’t make a habit of reading Google and TripAdvisor reviews of theme parks, but honestly, I would expect this to be the #1 complaint about any of them. No one likes waiting in lines and theme parks have a lot of them.
With that said, I suspect that the negative reviews for Disney theme parks revolving around wait times have been exacerbated by the loss of free FastPass. Although there’s still a free option in Priority Pass at Tokyo Disney Resort, it’s not nearly as robust as FastPass. Most worthwhile attractions, especially those in Tokyo DisneySea, now have paid line-skipping via Premier Pass.
Second-most common are complaints about accessing Fantasy Springs. Or rather, being denied access to this new port-of-call featuring Frozen, Tangled, and Peter Pan. This is understandable and unsurprising, as Fantasy Springs is not open-entry and the rides do not offer standby lines.
As a result, Fantasy Springs is exceedingly difficult to enter. It’s worse than any Walt Disney World or Disneyland attraction to ever use virtual queues, Lightning Lanes, etc. See How to Enter Fantasy Springs & Get On Rides: Good, Bad & Ugly Access Options for a rundown of how to gain entry into the land.
The bottom line is that if you simply show up after park opening, there’s a good chance you will not be able to enter Fantasy Springs, let alone ride any attractions. We’ve been warning guests of this since the new land opened, and cannot over-emphasize enough how important advance planning is for Fantasy Springs. The challenge of gaining access has only worsened since the land first opened.
While there are other reasons for the 1-star reviews, these are the big ones. So to those points, I wanted to share a recent experience we had at Tokyo DisneySea during Christmas 2024…
We arrived at the turnstiles to Tokyo DisneySea over 90 minutes before park opening. Our goal was to get there 2 hours in advance, but that simply wasn’t possible with a baby. Our bad, I guess? In any case, being experienced TDR guests, we’re aware that the turnstiles typically open well before the published park opening time as a release valve on crowds. So our thinking was that, more realistically, we’d be waiting for less than an hour outside the front gates.
Our logic was at least partially correct. Tokyo DisneySea did open security, or at least, the line began moving for some reason or another, before 8:30 am. (My apologies for not having precise times and poor quality phone photos–I was not expecting to write a post about this. I thought we were just visiting for fun.)
What we did not account for, but should have, was TDR’s glacially slow security screening. Nor did we take into consideration the fact that multiple makeshift lines were merging into one for each security checkpoint, meaning that the family with the stroller would be getting passed by other guests previously behind them as everyone jockeyed for positioning to have a better shot at getting into Fantasy Springs.
Obviously, this is only partly TDR’s fault. They can control the speed of their security but whether we use a stroller or not, and whether people pass us, is largely out of their hands. Although I would contend that having 4 makeshift lines merging into one is unduly stressful and destined to result in a negative experience for many guests, especially in a competitive scenario when typical Japanese courtesy goes fully out the window.
After what felt like an eternity waiting in the direct sunlight–thankfully this was not a rainy day, as the prior two had been, as the area where crowds congregate offers no shade nor shelter–we finally approached security. Naturally, our stroller or who knows what else set off the scanner, necessitating secondary screening that was somehow both cursory and time-consuming. (Seriously, I’d never attempt this again with a stroller–we would’ve been in a much better position without it.)
In any case, we were inside Tokyo DisneySea by 9:10 am. For those keeping score at home, that’s 10 minutes after official park opening. Surely this would be enough time to score either paid Premier Access or free Standby Pass for Anna & Elsa’s Frozen Journey, the best attraction in Fantasy Springs, right?
Wrong. On the day we visited Tokyo DisneySea, Anna & Elsa’s Frozen Journey ran out of both queueing options by 9:08 am. If you’re incredulous that this could happen so quickly, I’d encourage you to consult the @_fantasysprings fan account that tracks data for Standby Pass and Premier Access availability. This ride is regularly running out before 9:30 am–sometimes even before official park opening.
It might seem like we just barely missed it, and thus should’ve simply tried to arrive slightly earlier the next day or thrown sharper elbows to the guests who passed us in line. But in reality, it wasn’t that close at all. As soon as we got inside the park, I tried to buy/book one of these passes. Unfortunately, my phone had insufficient signal and, despite a heavy reliance on the app, Tokyo Disney Resort does not offer WiFi.
A couple of app crashes and moving to a part of Mediterranean Harbor with superior cell service later, and I was able to access free Standby Pass and Premier Access. At that time, both Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure and Fairy Tinker Bell’s Busy Buggies had Standby Pass availability. For whatever it’s worth, Never Land Adventure is an incredible attraction, almost on par with Frozen Journey. If this ride is your “ticket” into Fantasy Springs, you’re not doing too poorly!
If it were just me, I would’ve been perfectly happy with Never Land Adventure. But Sarah had issues with motion sickness on that previously and we’re a family with a small child, so that made Never Land Adventure a no-go. We opted for Busy Buggies, which punches above its weight and provided us the requisite access into Fantasy Springs. As good as that ride is for what it is, we definitely wouldn’t have arrived over an hour and a half early and dealt with the stressful pre-park opening entry process.
In the interest of balance, arriving so early did mean we were able to to have our pick of the free Priority Passes, and it’s sometimes the case that arriving later means getting shut out of Indiana Jones Adventure. So at least there’s that. I quickly booked us for that attraction. I then tried my hand at all of the show lotteries, and failed at every single one.
We also had our pick of Premier Access options outside of those in Fantasy Springs. Again, in the interest of fairness, if we were normal guests who visit infrequently, we would’ve bought a couple. Journey to the Center of the Earth, Soaring: Fantastic Flight, and Tower of Terror all would’ve been “worth it” for the 90 minute to 210 minute lines they skipped. Having a toddler, we opted against those.
Even around 9:30 am, most headliner attractions already had wait times above 90 minutes, so we opted for one of our favorite attractions–the Venetian Gondolas. The wait was completely manageable and the experience was fantastic. Most of our morning would be occupied doing transportation attractions–probably not everyone’s idea of a good time, but we were perfectly happy.
After one of these, we headed over to the Broadway Music Theatre to see if there was standby/overflow seating for Big Band Beat: A Special Treat. For those unfamiliar with this show, it’s the COVID modified version of the swinging jazz revue at Tokyo DisneySea. The full show is fantastic–one of the greatest pieces of live entertainment Disney has ever produced. The modified version is fine, but doesn’t hold a candle to the real thing. (Note: our visit was in Late 2024, not 2021–COVID closures and modifications are still a thing at TDR.)
Anyway, we were informed that standby/overflow seating is no longer available–the only options are the Entry Request lottery, which we lost, or the new Premier Access. We would’ve maybe considered paying for the full show, but Tokyo Disney Resort charging for seating–and having no other option–at a COVID modified show in the year 2024 is just beyond the pale. At this point, I was getting more than a little frustrated at my favorite place on earth, but that was the end of our issues for the day.
The rest of our day at Tokyo DisneySea was very enjoyable. This is in part because we’re experienced guests and minimized friction. We knew to place Mobile Orders early and make midday table service restaurant reservations, avoiding buffeterias and snack stands that tend to have long lines. We went deep into the park while it was still fairly early, accomplishing a decent amount before lines built at those attractions.
We also knew not to hassle with more Standby Passes and Premier Access for Fantasy Springs. For what it’s worth, there are ‘drops’ throughout the day at which times more availability is added. We’ve scored spots this way in the past. The problem, at least for us, is that our internet is slow throughout much of the park, which makes this tedious and frustrating.
The last time we did this, I felt like my head was buried in my phone for a good chunk of the day as I was preoccupied refreshing the app. Although I came up empty many times, I was able to score Standby Passes for both Never Land Adventure and Frozen Journey. Whether that was worth the screen time is debatable.
For this trip, we made the judgment call that it was not–hence the early arrival in the first place as opposed to just winging it with Fantasy Springs drops throughout the day. We were there to enjoy time as a family, see our daughter’s reaction to Sindbad and Chandu, let her play in Mermaid Lagoon, take transportation rides, and so forth. All things that we accomplished with ease, even on a reasonably busy day when the headliners averaged wait times of ~120 minutes.
Speaking of which, I could’ve even done a headliner (by myself) at the end of the night! Sarah and Megatron left early, leaving me with the opportunity to jump into 90 minute lines for Journey to the Center of the Earth or Soaring: Fantastic Flight. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do this with 1 minute on the clock, as you can in the U.S. parks, because TDR now cuts the lines when the wait time plus the current time more or less corresponds with park closing. (It’s not precise.)
In fact, I did briefly jump into that 90 minute line for JTTCOE before seeing how backed up the standby line was and noticing the steady stream of Premier Access guests. At that point, I realized the wait time probably wasn’t inflated, and I didn’t “need” to do Journey to the Center of the Earth badly enough to endure an hour and a half wait by myself. I’d rather walk around and soak up the incredible atmosphere of Tokyo DisneySea at Christmas.
Ultimately, our day at Tokyo DisneySea was frustrating but, in the end, very fun and memorable (mostly for the right reasons). It started off on the wrong foot and, for that reason, we opted against even bothering with rope drop of Fantasy Springs for the rest of the trip. As a result, our experiences were even better on subsequent days, and that was in spite of moderate-to-high crowd levels. If I were reviewing our visit, it still would’ve been 5-stars. Okay, maybe 4.5-stars.
Of course, as you’ve probably been able to gather, our circumstances are fairly unique. We’re former Tokyo Disney Resort Annual Passholders and have done everything in the park many times. At this point, simply being there is almost enough for us. We are also ‘path of least resistance’ people, so if something is clearly going to be a problem or stressful, our approach is avoidance.
To wit, if we had that rope drop to do over again, our solution would not be to arrive even earlier–it would be not doing it at all. Because of this, I almost hesitated to even share this story, as it sounds a bit like entitled whining. Hopefully that’s not how it comes across, as our goal is informing–so you know what to expect when you visit and can adjust your plans and expectations accordingly.
The reason I am sharing is because, if we were first-timers, our ‘review’ of that day in Tokyo DisneySea be totally different. It would’ve been starting the day on a sour note, and potentially waiting in a bunch of long lines or buying our way out of them. It would’ve meant committing time to playing the refresh game for Frozen Journey, or giving up and savoring the atmosphere. It probably would’ve meant not having the knowledge or expertise to avoid pitfalls and friction.
Maybe we would’ve still been so blown away by the lavish themed design and extravagant attention to detail, and still given the park a 4 to 5-star review, but I’m honestly not sure. What I do know is that it would’ve been a sharp contrast to our first day in the park over a decade ago, when we instantly fell in love with Tokyo DisneySea. Other Disney diehards not having a comparable experience and falling in love with the world’s best theme park–when it’s firing on all cylinders and operating normally–is why I’m still reticent to enthusiastically endorse a visit to Tokyo Disney Resort in 2025.
The good news is that the entry process for Fantasy Springs is almost certainly changing in Spring 2025. However, the core problem of a supply-demand imbalance will persist, as it’s not like switching from a virtual queue to standby will alter capacity. What Tokyo DisneySea needs–like a year ago–is more entertainment, longer hours, and better staffing to help soak up the current crowds. Here’s hoping all of that happens, but Tokyo Disney Resort’s lethargic pace to restore normalcy–even as crowds explode–is not reassuring.
Planning a trip to Tokyo Disney Resort? For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Tokyo Disneyland & DisneySea Trip Planning Guide! For more specifics, our TDR Hotel Rankings & Reviews page covers accommodations. Our Restaurant Reviews detail where to dine & snack. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money post. Our What to Pack for Disney post takes a unique look at clever items to take. Venturing elsewhere in Japan? Consult our Ultimate Guide to Kyoto, Japan and City Guide to Tokyo, Japan.
YOUR THOUGHTS
If you’ve visited Tokyo DisneySea since 2020, has your experience been positive? If you visited both before and after 2020, did the post-COVID visit measure up to the previous one? What are your thoughts on accessing Fantasy Springs and riding the rides? Have you been shut out of the new Peter Pan, Tangled, and Frozen land or were you easily able to access it? Thoughts on rope dropping Tokyo DisneySea, lines for security or the entrance, or anything else covered here? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
We’re visiting for the first time in April 2025, after a 12-night Tokyo-Tokyo cruise, It’s been a nightmare to reserve three nights: a room-only, then a 1-night VP (unlimited attractions), then another room-only. I’ve got the first two nights at Fantasy Springs Hotel, and the third at FSH in a different category (room change!) or MiraCosta Side Harbor view (room change also, of course). It’s rather ridiculous the hoops I’ve had to jump through (we were on a Caribbean cruise when the room-only bookings opened, and I had to be fastest fingers to get those, in the middle of the Caribbean Sea). I’m a lifelong Disney Parks nut (first trip at Poly in 1974 at age 8), but I”m 59 now and much less patient with having to “play the game.” I now have more money than time, which I should be grateful for, but what of those who don’t have a lot of either? It’s really not fair. I know one can have a great time without hitting all (or even, in this case, any) of the headliners without hours-long waits, but the bitterness I’d feel all day would negate any of the positives. I know we’ll have a good time in April because I’ve researched this to death, and I’m bound and determined to have a great time at one of my bucket list destinations.
I’ve always wanted to go to TDR and we finally are going to Japan in June 2025, but I’ve been following the TDR groups for months and it honestly sounds completely awful and stressful. People are getting there at 530am, still only able to book 1-2 rides ALL day, lives for snacks are too long so you can’t enjoy anything. I don’t understand why they don’t limit capacity a bit so you can actually enjoy it?? I’m really not sure what to do. The other issue is I’d be happy to but a vacation package to include some add ons, but so many guests have issues with the TDR website not even taking US credit cards and the entire thing selling out in minutes. It honestly just sounds like a nightmare. I feel like everything was fine before they opened Fantasy springs… almost seems as if they ruined the park 🙁 I honestly have no idea how to plan it. It’s a group of 7; all adults and older teens. They won’t be happy with one tinkerbell ride and a bear show I would honestly do a VIP tour but you have to stay in atop suite :/ however I’m actually still considering it. If the site even lets me buy it. It just doesn’t seem remotely possible to have a fun day there without crazy stress so I don’t even know if we should go.
That’s ridiculous. Sinbad is one of the best rides in the park and you’ll never wait more than 15 minutes for it.
Went in November! First, Japan is amazing!!! Best place we’ve been! however, we were very disappointed with DisneySea! if you want popcorn, just popcorn, expect a minium 30 minutes. Want another snack, nope, wait longer. There is also hardly any shops to buy t shirts or gifts. I mean yes it kind of had the disney magic, but overall, very let down :/
We’re going for our first trip to Japan next year, and plan to go to TDL and TDS in early June. The problem is we don’t have much time – just about 1.5 days at the end of our 2 week trip. Our timing is we’ll wake up in Osaka Thursday AM, take an early train, and get to Disney by late morning, and then have 1 night to stay, and then unfortunately have to leave mid afternoon Fri to catch a 6:30pm flight at Narita. Ideally, I want to spend more time at TDS than TDL, but with the limited time we have and the crowd and FS access issues, it seems we should do a Vacation Package (I might have considered spending both days at TDS but since you can’t get a 2 day, 1 park package, going w/o any advanced attraction tickets or ride reservations seems like a bad idea, since we certainly won’t get any on our own Thur arriving late, and w/ the limited time on Friday, seems to risky to chance trying to get passes at rope drop).
So I’ve been looking at the 2 Day Attractions or the Unlimited Ride Packages (assuming they’ll be similar to what’s available for April-May when June availability opens), but all of them have Day 1 at TDL and Day 2 at TDS (except for the Miracosta dining package which seems like the worst choice since we don’t care about a sit down dinner). Was even thinking of doing one of those packages, and buying the Weeknight after 5pm ticket too, so we could do TDL most of our Thur time, and then spend a few hours in TDS, not doing any rides since PP and Premier Access will likely be gone by then, allowing us to focus on rides – and using the advanced bookings from the Vacation Package at TDS again the next day. Given the limited time we have, it seems like a vacation package is a must, that the extra ~$700 (or 60% more) for a family of 4 for the Lots of Attraction package (say staying at the cheapest room at Toy Story hotel) vs. a stay at the Hilton and buying park tickets individually, right (and maybe another ~$140 for the after 5pm pass too)? Not sure though it’s worth an extra $1800 (150% more!) for the unlimited ride package though, especially since we won’t have complete opening to closing days either day to take full advantage.
I’d really welcome any thoughts or recommendations? Unfortunately, I don’t have the option to choose to come a different time – our trip is set, nor can I add extra days at Disney vs. the other things we’re doing in Japan, and I doubt we’ll have an opportunity to come back for at least 10+ years. So I’d really like to do as much as we can in the limited time, and ideally spend time in both parks.
Tom–love the site, working on a trip to Tokyo next summer with the family so I really appreciate the up to date news. One thing–any chance we can get you on Bluesky? I try not to give Twitter clicks if I can help it. Thanks!
Seconded! Would love to see you on BlueSky. I won’t use X and I find instagram to be difficult to find chronological order updates.
I visited in late November and had the same exact experience as you. no stroller, but our line seemed the slowest moving. We arrived at 7:10 and they opened at 8:50! By the time we entered the PP for what we wanted (Frozen or Rapunzel) were sold out, we got a standby pass for Tinkerbell and a PP for Peter Pan. We did a couple of single rider lines, a few rides of the trolley, we got lucky with the lottery for the show, still an OK day, but I was not enamoured like I was in 2016. This time we liked Tokyo Disneyland more than TDS, mostly because we were able to do much more there, with the free FP offering more options, a larger roster of attractions and a tad smaller crowds (or maybe they were just better redistributed). I would not enthusiastically recommend Tokyo Disney Resort to all my friends, even the non Disney ones, like I did in the past.
The problem is: I don’t see a possible solution. They have just added 4 attractions, they’re not going to build more overnight. Unless fewer people go, it’ll be the same middling experience for everyone going forward.
We played a game all day: with everyone buying a single day ticket, guess how many millions has the Oriental Company done today. And yet the earliest they could open was 8:50?
oh, it was a Friday, not the weekend. I cannot imagine what happens at weekends.
I’m curious since I only went to TDS one time and for one day which was summer of 2023. Is the park always like this since the opening of Fantasy Springs? My one day was a weekday in July, and I never waited over an hour (ToT was the only thing over 30 minutes) for anything and never bought a premier pass. Most of the day was spent wandering around the park, but I was still able to hit the major headliners (some twice) save for Soarin’ and Toy Story. I’m nervous about giving my advice to other people I talk to because I think I may have had an abnormal experience even for pre-Fantasy Springs.
I visited TDL, and TDS for the first time this past June – only about ten days after Fantasy Springs opened. I had an incredible 5-star experience at TDS, but I truly think Happy Entry was the key to that positive first impression. We booked one night at Miracosta before our first of two days at TDS so we would have HE at TDS. We didn’t have a vacation package, and I figured HE was our best chance of getting into Fantasy Springs. Happy Entry was incredibly useful at this park. It made for a more pleasant arrival and allowed us to book standby, priority access, and premiere access passes without a hiccup. We went to TDL the next day without Happy Entry and noted that, at least for now, that perk is much more valuable at TDS. Regular entry rope drop at TDL was a breeze, and no more chaotic than a busy day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Tom,
We are visiting 12/31-1/4 with 3 parks days, one day at Grand Chateau which gets us 8 attraction passes (anytime any ride) and FS Passport and the 2 day “even more” VP with the unlimited Premiere access.
Any advice what to use the attraction passes on? We have the FS passport so don’t need FS rides. We have 2 adults one kid and can buy more passes from the concierge at GC. We will buy at least one more to make it 9. We also get to reserve a time at big band beat. Any race there?
Also what rides without Premier access are priorities? Only have one day at TDL with the unlimited PA so not sure what we need to prioritize. This is for 2 adults and 9 yo female.
That’s all very frustrating, and part of the reason I just choose to go to Disneyland most of the time. Way less friction than WDW, way more accessible than TDR. Their process is their process, and they have a right to do what they want, but for me, even as one of the only people I know still taking Covid seriously, I’m just not interested in going for shows that aren’t running to their full potential, in going to a place without multiday tickets no matter how cheap the one day passes are (it’s the principle of the thing for me), and in going to a place where my access to one of the main reasons I’d be visiting is that up in the air and decided by minutes or seconds or paying a fortune for a package just isn’t appealing.
One thing I will note, though, is that closing popular rides with big waits early isn’t new-or at least, not new enough that it’s something that can be blamed on covid protocols. They were doing that all the way back during my first visit in 2010. The reason I’ve always heard is so that they can get the CMs home before the subways shut down at midnight.
Well this is depressing to read. I’ve long wanted to go to TDR, largely due to the effusive praise about it on this blog. A couple of years ago I was ready to prioritize it, but decided to wait until spring 2025 so that I could experience both Fantasy Springs and Sakura season as part of my first ever trip to Japan.
But everything about planning the Disney portion has been stress inducing and disheartening. To make it worse, after booking plane tickets I find out we will be in Japan right as they change over from the current procedures to whatever unannounced policy they’ll be using from April 1 onward. At this point I don’t even know if I would say I’m excited to go; I’m honestly wondering if I just skip it altogether.
Tom, give it to me straight: is it worth the hassle? Is there anything I can do to help other than just fork over the money for a vacation package? Do I go and just assume I won’t get into Fantasy Springs? It’ll likely be a good 5+ years before I can get to Japan again
Jared, I saw your note and felt compelled to respond. I grew up visiting Japan quite regularly, and still do every few years as I have extended family there. TDR is more of a hassle these days than it has been in the past, but I would still recommend Japan as a vacation destination. I am fairly confident that you will have a wonderful experience overall. Pack your patience for your park days, but even if you don’t manage to get into Fantasy Springs, you can enjoy the rest of the park. Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea have much to offer, especially for a first-timer. 🙂
Hi Jared. I’m sorry to hear you are feeling this way, but I get it. I’m in much the same boat but my trip is mid May (when sadly Frozen will be closed). I’ve done a lot of reading in a facebook group, which has helped be understand the insanity that has come with the opening of FS. We decided we’d break our budget for a vacation package for this once in a lifetime trip. I don’t know if you grabbed one or can afford to do so, but the unlimited vacation package that starts in April, seems like the best way to make sure this is going to be a good experience. I am confident that without much friction things are going to be awesome with it!
Even without a Vacation package showing early can do wonders but especially with Happy Entry. If you can’t swing the Vacation Package (or they are all sold out), I’d try to stay at a hotel the night before your DisneySea day that has Happy entry to DisneySea. You’ll almost certainly be able to book rides in Fantasy Spring in that case if you lineup an hour or so ahead of Happy Entry.
Don’t be disheartened! Like Melody said, you’re still going to have a great time!
Sometimes the technical complexity of visiting Disney parks takes all the fun out of it. While I’d still go to TDS, I’d also seek out the low-stress “wins” so that I don’t feel like I’m in an episode of Survivor. I hope that the scheduling and timing stresses won’t be the “forever” scenario at theme parks around the globe. And I hope someone will devise a solid long-term better way for those who remember the easier and lower-stress days of visiting Disney parks. It is, after all, intended by most to be a vacation and not another rat race.
Look, no matter how busy the park is, you can still lap Sinbad all day, every day. That right there is a 5-star experience.
Your scenario sounds very much like mine this past summer. Even after months of planning, I found myself out of luck and angry. Luckily, after hitting refresh, I nabbed the passes I wanted. I started enjoying the day once I felt that sense of relief. But that first half of the day instilled so much anger in me. Sadly, I can’t recommend the DisneySea experience in its current form.
Just there in November 2024, am so glad that I took your advice and went with the MiraCosta vacation package. As a frugal (ahem, cheap) person, it was a splurge, but w/the excellent exchange rate, it was still a steal, considering the saved time and stress and the free beverage/soup ticket! Also the Happy 15 entry was very useful, we lined up at 7:30am for a 8:30 a.m. entry and were pretty close to the beginning of the pack. Since we had the vacation package we didn’t need it to enter FS, but used it to run around and take pictures of the beautiful park with no people in the shot. lol. The main source of frustration was the app, we also had crappy cell service and it made getting fast passes, mobile ordering and restaurant reservations very challenging. Long way of saying, thank you for all your advice and antidotes!
Hmmm. My vacation package comes with breakfast at Oceano and trying to figure out what time I should be scheduling it for!
My friend and I went to Tokyo Disneysea for an evening and the following day in April 2019. My friend got very sick (upper respiratory) and had to stay in bed the day, so i went to Tokyo Disneysea myself. Pre-Covid, pre-Fantasy Springs. There are a lot of differences from the U.S. parks (like photos at character greetings), but i had a marvelous time. I thought Sinbad’s Journey (and its song) were so enthralling i could have ridden it all day long. The crowds were pretty heavy, and people queue or claim seating very early for shows. I sat on the ground in line almost two hours for BBB, and it was worth very second. The best show I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen Broadway shows numerous times! But i appreciate this heads up. My friend and i are returning in late October 2025, and i was really hoping to see some of Fantasy Springs.
That’s why we purchased a vacation package for May 2025. I want to make sure to see Fantasy Springs. The only bummer is that Frozen is under refurbishment when we are there.
Same with us Mary. So sad about Frozen! Sadly we can’t change our dates as everything else is already booked.
Thanks for this Tom! I am more thankful I decided to go over budget for our trip in May, and grab a one night/two day unlimited vacation package. We’ll do a second DS day after, and spend more time hanging out and doing the smaller rides with short lines, Mermaid Lagoon, etc. Maybe grabbing a pass or two. Lining up first thing in the morning TBD. But expectations are everything in life and you’ve helped me prepare.
Thinking for our extra day, do you think Happy Entry to DS would make a massive difference, and what time would you show up with Happy entry?
Thanks again!
I cringed at the extra cost of the Vacation Package versus what we normally book, but it was money well spent for everything we got done. Not something I’ll do again, but very happy to have done it once.
The early entry should be incredibly advantageous. Last time we did it was two weeks BEFORE Fantasy Springs opened, so I’m not sure that provides much presidential value. We got there 45 minutes early IIRC. I’d do at least an hour now, but that’s not advice—it’s just what I’d do.
Thanks Tom. For mine in May we don’t get unlimited FS rides, but unlimited for a list of others, along with the ability to buy passes for the 3 main FS rides ahead of time. So it’s def different than before. Seems to still be wildly valuable just in a different way. And then who knows what FS entry will be like in May anyway.
Our experience with pre-rope drop security lines at TDS was the complete opposite of yours – neat, orderly, and efficient. But we were there in June 2023 when the crowds were probably much lower than when you went. I have to admit, just looking at those pictures fills me with a bit of anxiety! We did find the lottery for the shows a bit annoying. Luckily, we got BBB twice (and didn’t know what we were missing with the full version), but missed the lottery for the show in TDL.
June tends to be one of the lightest months of the year and October through December is one of the busiest. So between that and the opening of Fantasy Springs, big difference!
We visited TDR for five nights in mid October and absolutely loved it. However, I did a lot of research ahead of time – knowing I hate early mornings (anything before 9 AM!) and standing around waiting in large crowds, we opted for vacation packages at the two resorts with special entrances into Disney Sea. Definitely pricier, but totally worth it for us – I am confident we would not have enjoyed our visit nearly as much if we had just bought tickets and showed up.
Agreed. We did the Vacation Package previously and HIGHLY RECOMMEND it for any Americans visiting while it’s still offered: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/over-20-rides-opening-day-fantasy-springs-unlimited-fastpass/
…you could AVOID all of this nightmare by simply going to a UNIVERSAL PARK….
There…problem SOLVED!
Ironically, we have done exactly that with visits to Universal Studios Japan. It’s also one of the busiest theme parks on the planet with even higher average wait times than TDS and its own entry processes for Super Nintendo World—that I assume will only get worse with the opening of Donkey Kong Country.
I love the park, but Universal Japan is much more crowded and hectic than Tokyo Disney Resort. It’s not even close.
universal was insane. No chance of entering Mario,world, even Jaws was an hour wait. Simple rides like Minions Freeze Ray sliders was 70 minutes.
Then it rained at night….all of a sudden what rides weren’t shut because of rain (Hippogriff, Donkey Kong& Hollywood dream all shut) suddenly started being available for decent waits, only 20 mins for most (not Harry Potter or anything in Nintendo world)
Jurassic Park flyer allegedly was only 20 mins for a single rider. So off went hubby to do that. And I waited, and waited and waited. 50 mins later he’s back. Once again, the “20 min wait” and single rider info was wrong as single rider is still not like the US where you just chuck a person in the empty seat…..no, they ask is it OK if this person sits next to you and the Japanese say no so you have to wait till someone says yes. Still a ridiculous policy and was long in place when we first visited in 2013 so thought maybe it’d be better by now. Nope, worse if possible.
only way to ride anything is if it rains or you book months in advance for the express pass which adds hundreds to your ticket price
The Japanese need to learn from the US parks re single rider ” rack ’em and stack ’em) and stop asking riders for permission to have a stranger next to them because they don’t care if they are in your face otherwise. And the idiots who just go in to pose and take instagram photos does your head in as in your way and don’t care.
No not from the US am Aussie and the US did theme parks right.
so no, universal is just as bad as was there 10 days ago at start of December 2024