Want to Recapture Disney’s Magic? Visit Tokyo
Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea are our favorite theme parks in the world. We’ve made that abundantly clear in previous posts. Since our first visit years ago, we’ve implored Americans to visit the Disney parks in Japan because we want others to share in the great experiences we’ve had at them.
More recently, we’ve shied away from the emphatic praise we used to heap upon Tokyo Disney Resort. That’s in large part because it was met with negative reactions from Walt Disney World fans. Many view a trip to Japan as impractical, and we didn’t want our attempts at useful advice to be perceived as useless boasting about our travels. After reading the deluge of negative comments about Walt Disney World from readers in response to a couple of recent posts, we feel the idea of encouraging readers to visit Japan is worth going over again.
Rather than re-treading ground we’ve covered, such as the beauty and how is this really a theme park?! design of Tokyo DisneySea (the world’s greatest theme park), we want to offer some new reasons it’s worth considering for your next Disney vacation. Namely, how in many ways, Tokyo Disney Resort is very similar to the Walt Disney World of the early to mid-1990s. The Disney magic is alive and well in Japan, and for many longtime fans, Tokyo Disney Resort is the Disney you miss.
We often discuss nostalgia, and a big part of the Walt Disney World experience is revisiting old memories. Reliving a moment in time when your kids (or you!) were younger, a goosebumps-induced feeling while watching the fireworks, a memory-evoking scent while walking down Main Street, reminiscing about the first time your kids did Space Mountain, and so on.
The fleeting nature of all things makes these moments difficult to recapture. The drumbeat of time marches on, Walt Disney World changes, and year by year, those feelings start slipping away. (I feel like I’m writing emo song lyrics here, but this is all totally apt.) In fairness to Walt Disney World, some of this has more to do with all of us and the passage of time than it does with changes to the parks. Not all of it, though.
With that said, if you’ve been visiting Walt Disney World for decades and remember when it was a different kind of place, you can go back home again. Oddly enough, that means a trip to Japan. Now, you could attribute our perception of Tokyo Disney Resort being a different kind of Disney experience as being due to the change of scenery and experiencing a new place that isn’t familiar.
We disagree. We’ve visited Tokyo Disney Resort well past the point of familiarity, and that special feeling has yet to wear off. For us, Tokyo Disney Resort has a familiar but different vibe. It’s a special place because it’s a special place, not because it’s new or different.
It’s tough to encapsulate the ‘magical’ feeling of Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea, but imagine chugging four cans of Red Bull, being named the “First Family” at Magic Kingdom, and visiting on a day when every single attraction just returned from refurbishment.
Think of how your senses would be heightened from the caffeine, the service you’d receive wearing those “First Family” buttons, and the excellent condition of attractions. You’re in a vaguely familiar setting and you can imagine those sensations, but they’re probably different than what you’re used to. Maintenance, operations, and service are all superior at the parks in Japan. That is just the tip of the iceberg at Tokyo Disney Resort.
In less abstract terms, you’ll find some of the Disney Parks best original attractions with things like Pooh’s Hunny Hunt, Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek, Sindbad’s Storybook Voyage, and Big Band Beat. Tokyo also has some of the best versions of more common attractions, including (arguably) Indiana Jones Adventure, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Tower of Terror, Toy Story Mania, and Jungle Cruise.
Then there’s entertainment. Tokyo Disneyland doesn’t just have a nighttime parade, it has far and away the best one in the world with Dreamlights. (If I set aside my nostalgia for SpectroMagic, I’d even concede that Dreamlights is objectively superior to Spectro.) Tokyo Disneyland also has exceptional seasonal daytime parades, and DisneySea has fun albeit quirky harbor shows. Again, this is all just the tip of the iceberg–I’m trying to keep this concise.
The usual caveats apply. Just as a trip to Walt Disney World is not feasible for everyone, the same is true for Tokyo Disney Resort. Among other things, airfare to Japan can be both cost and comfort-prohibitive. With that in mind, if it’s something you want to do, we’d encourage you to price out this trip before deeming it too expensive, as the actual cost just might surprise you.
Park tickets and Bayside Station monorail loop hotels are both considerably cheaper than Walt Disney World. Counter service meals are about the same, with table service meals being significantly cheaper in the Tokyo parks.
The greatest expense is going to be airfare, and even that might cost less than you think. We’d stress using airfare deal tools and being as flexible as possible. So many times when this topic comes up, we find people spend 2 minutes doing an airfare search for prices like a week from now to “prove” it’s too expensive of a trip.
Of course international airfare is going to be exorbitant on such short notice. If you’re looking for an excuse not to go, you’ll have no trouble finding one. It’s a new destination so you don’t have the same knowledge-base for scoring deals, but try to channel that same sense of deal savvy as you would when planning for a Walt Disney World trip. You still may find it’s too expensive for you, but at least you’ll know for sure.
The good news is that you’ll find yourself spending less on splurges or add-ons you might incur at the other parks. There is no Disney Dining Plan nor are there dessert parties. Easter, Halloween, and Christmas entertainment is all included with park admission–there are no seasonal hard ticket events or pay to play early or late night events. At Tokyo Disney Resort, up-charges are not a thing. You are not nickel and dimed for anything.
Well, we shouldn’t say up-charges are not a thing completely. You do have to pay for the monorail, but that’s due to all rail transportation being governed by Japan’s Railway Operation Act, which sets a fee structure. (This is also why Western River Railroad does not circle the park or provide point A to B transit.)
The upshot is that the Tokyo Disney Resort Line monorail is impeccably maintained, incredibly efficient, and never breaks down. You can walk out of the Hilton or Sheraton, get onto the monorail, and enter Tokyo DisneySea all in under 15 minutes door-to-door.
The bonus to visiting Tokyo Disney Resort is, well, Japan. We are huge fans of the country, having made numerous return visits since our first time several years ago. Kyoto is our favorite city in the world and in our regularly-updated Ultimate Guide to Kyoto, Japan, we make the same kind of emphatic plea for visiting that wonderful city as we have here for Tokyo DisneySea. We’ve also visited and enjoyed plenty of other places in Japan, including Mount Fuji, Hiroshima, Osaka, Kobe, Nagoya, and obviously, Tokyo.
Regardless of your interests, you’ll find something to do in Japan. Whether that be attending the zany Robot Restaurant, visiting one of Japan’s three mind-blowing railroad museums, chilling with snow monkeys on a mountain, seeing the floating torii of Miyajima Island, or simply slurping up some of the best ramen you’ll ever taste. We’ve written about all of these things and many other experiences we’ve had in Japan over on TravelCaffeine.com.
Even if you only like Japan one-tenth as much as we do, you’re in for the trip of a lifetime. It’s a place where the whole is more than the sum of its parts. Even though Tokyo Disney Resort is one very big part of the trip for most Disney fans, we’re convinced that most people will thoroughly enjoy themselves well beyond their park days.
Speaking of which, you’ve probably heard a lot of hype about Tokyo Disney Resort. So much hype, in fact, that you suspect it could never live up to it all. This is something we’ve heard from some readers, who had trepidation about visiting on account of the level of praise. With so many highly-hyped Disney things (Dole Whips, Le Cellier, arguably even Tokyo’s own Journey to the Center of the Earth), the reality does not comport with expectations.
We get this fear, and in light of that, we are kindly asking for anyone who has already been to Tokyo Disney Resort to please leave a comment about your experience.
We want to hear the good and, if there is any, the bad. Our goal is to provide readers with honest and unbiased opinions, and to that end, we might be biased. (We joke that we’re “biased towards excellence,” but who knows…maybe we have this one all wrong.)
As you can probably tell, we absolutely love Tokyo Disney Resort. It brings us an unparalleled sense of joy and makes us feel like kids again. We want to share this with all of you, whether that be by convincing you to take the plunge and start planning a trip to Japan, or just providing updates so you can live vicariously through our experiences. Even if you don’t visit Tokyo anytime soon, we hope you enjoy our updates from the parks!
If you’re thinking of visiting Japan for the first time and are overwhelmed with planning, definitely check out our Tokyo Disney Resort Planning Guide. It covers much more than the parks, from getting there to WiFi to currency and much, much more. For more photos and an idea of what we did day-by-day during our first visit, read our Tokyo Disney Resort Trip Report.
Your Thoughts
If you’ve visited Japan and the Tokyo parks, how would you rate the experience? Do you agree or disagree with our take on Tokyo Disney Resort? Are we overselling it? Any questions? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I’ve always wanted to visit Japan, but wasn’t really aware of the Disney parks until I started reading your blog.
Well, my visit last summer will not be the last (all being well of course ).
Not only is Japan a beautiful, safe, clean and efficient country, but the Disney parks are best in class. Tokyo DisneySea is just wonderful.
Go! Go! Go!
I am currently in the middle of a TDR trip. We never would have been here if it wasn’t for having read your posts and high praise of DisneySea. I was worried it wouldnt live up to the high expectations that had been set, but am excited to say they have been surpassed. DisneySea feels like WDW Tower of Terror level of theming across the whole park (might be underselling it). The cast are amazing, genuinely happy people who enjoy their work. I have traveled to Europe previously and travelling to Japan has hands down been my least stressful experience. No one should eliminate Japan as an option due to concern of a language barrier, the people are polite and physically expressive of direction, English menus are available, and with a WiFi connection Google translate and naps are readily available. Visiting DLR is magic.
Last fall we took a “once in a lifetime” trip to Japan (a delayed honeymoon), but I was already planning our return trip while we were there. Your blogs were crucial resources both for the Disney part of the trip and the touring after. Tokyo Disney exceeded even my high expectations, and my husband (who floated the idea of skipping the castle park entirely because he has been to the Magic Kingdom) was completely blown away. We got same day reservations at Blue Bayou. We used fast passes like we used to at WDW. We revelled in the magnificent details. The cast members treated us like VIPs. I only wish Japan were not such a long trip from the East Coast.
This may sound like a really stupid question but I have Celiacs and wondered if anybody can tell me how they are in accomodating food allergies? May be a trip I want to take in the future!
I visited Tokyo Disney Sea in December 2016 and it was awesome! Agree with everyone’s thoughts. But I have a question about a “show” that you’ve never mentioned before. The day I was there, a cast member dressed as a custodial worker was walking along the park while pushing what looked like a plastic garbage bin. But it was actually a contraption that played sound effects and music! He interacted with guests that passed by in quite amusing ways – nothing mean spirited of course, very playful, innocent and funny. Have you ever seen him there before? Or was I just lucky in witnessing a rare event?
It seems like just yesterday (but really almost eight years ago now) when you were posting on some MAGICal site about WDW and raving about how wonderful it was while I was wondering what kind of Pixie Dust you were smoking. I said, go to Disneyland, go to DLP and go to the Asian parks. And now … now you are the Disney Blogger to the Stars. And I can only add an ‘amen’ to the post you wrote. TDR blows away WDW on almost every level as far as quality. WDW simply can’t compete on any levels beyond number of parks, size and people who speak English fluently.
I doubt you will convince many people. You left out the part about how so many WDW addicts are afraid to even visit Disneyland, you know … Walt’s Park. WDW counts on American rubes with money to prop up a failing business model that requires constant price increases and nickel and diming Guests. You made sure to add that kicker about still loving WDW and never telling anyone they shouldn’t visit. But I don’t have a business dependent on sending people to vacation in the swamps, so I can.
The magic absolutely exists. The real Disney magic. It once resided in the swamps. It doesn’t anymore, no matter how much anyone wants it to. Nope. WDW is where people pay over $100 a day to visit parks with almost no attractions (Epcot, DHS) or overcrowded parks that have had their souls ripped out, while being overrated by nostalgic Guests who have no idea what the place was like 20 or 30 years ago. A place where upcharge Halloween Parties start in the middle of summer. A place where the selling of alcohol has become a primary focus. A place where the freaking SDMT had waits of 220 minutes this past week. … I could go on, but why? Rubes eat the crap up and think they are getting Disney quality.
You know what Disney quality is. You get it in Japan. I have loved my visits to TDR and can’t wait for the next one either next year or 2020.
But, hey, those Pop Century rooms sure are worth the $300 plus Disney will be asking for next year when those gondolas are open to easily connect them to Star Wars and its two attractions.
Looking forward to your thoughts on the 35th Anniversary additions. Have fun. TDR and Japan rock!
Hey everyone. Rube here. I too would love to visit some of the international parks, but I don’t think that will happen in the near future. Cost and time would make it very prohibitive. Admittedly, I very quickly researched flights and it would cost, at a minimum, 4-5 times as much as my round trip NY to Orlando flights. Add in lodging / park tickets / food and a Tokyo trip would be thousands more than my annual WDW vacation. But I don’t mind. I am just a simpleton and don’t know any better. I will continue to dump my money into the swamp. Overpaying for overcrowded parks, overpriced food, magic-less memories for my family. My only regret is that these vacations could be creating nostalgia for my little rubelet children, who may in turn continue the “tradition” of family vacations to that soulless swamp. But hey, ignorance is bliss. Am I right, fellow rubes?
Went for my 50th a few years ago and about 90% of the info I found on it, Kyoto and Japan in general was from your blog. It made our trip that much more enjoyable so thank you! I’m a huge Disney park nerd and always come here for your advice.
Tokyo Disney was amazing and we’ll be back. Thanks for all your help and advice. I live vicariously through you when I can’t get to a park myself.
I just returned from three days at Tokyo Disney Resort. As a lifelong Disney fan and former Disney Cast Member, I have to say it was the best theme park experience I’ve ever had – especially Tokyo Disney Sea. I thought Tom was kidding when he said you could spend a day wandering around without riding, and have an amazing experience – he was right!
That said, I do have to say I was *slightly* disappointed in Tokyo Disneyland. That’s not even the right word, because I still had an amazing time at that park (it is Disney after all!). My critique has to do with the parks layout – it felt like each ride was plopped next to each other without much of a sense of “discovery”. This felt most evident from the wall from Splash Mountain to Toontown. At any rate, the quality of the upkeep and the service more than made up for that minor critique.
Plus….the Electrical Parade!! (And not a “should have been retired 20 years ago” version trotted out simply for nostalgia.)
The first time I went to Tokyo Disney Resort was back in 2014. It was my second trip to Japan and I honestly didn’t intend to go at all because, as much as I wanted to, I was traveling with a friend who prioritized everything else over Disneyland (totally fair… we did travel halfway around the world). But she ended up leaving a day before me and the apartment we were staying at wasn’t particularly close to any of the train stations that go to Narita and I was trying to figure out how I was going to spend that last half day alone and deal with my stuff. After finding out that tickets to Disneysea actually aren’t that expensive and confirming that they do have luggage lockers and a bus directly to Narita from the park, I decided that I’d spend my last day at Disneysea.
I only had a vague idea of what to expect. Back then there weren’t quite as many online resources in English for TDR and I wasn’t as plugged into the Disney fan community as I am now, so I totally winged it. I got really lucky that it was a Monday in the beginning of December, so crowds weren’t too bad. I got there about 30 min after opening and I only had til 1:30 before I had to head to the airport. Still, without knowing anything or having any strategy, I managed to do most of the attractions save Toy Story (and the shows, didn’t have time for that). It was love at first sight. Disneysea is impeccably clean (like most of Japan) and very well maintained and it somehow just manages to transport you in a way that no other park does. You walk in the front gate, past the big globe and that first glimpse of the harbor and the volcano and you just can’t help but think “how is this a theme park?” It’s truly incredible and an experience worth having if you can afford it.
I went back two years later, tacking on 4 days in Tokyo (which were entirely spent at TDR) to a one week trip to Hong Kong, which made the air fare MUCH more affordable (seriously, it was like a $400 difference and I got to take the direct flight from Tokyo back home, which I never get to do because it’s obscenely expensive). I’ve been living in Hong Kong for the past 10 months and have only gotten one opportunity to visit since I’ve been here (priorities and I’m poor). I’m currently at Shanghai Disneyland and, honestly, as much as I wanted to make it to this park before I head back to the states next month, I kind of wish I’d just gone to TDR. It’s the best of the best and honestly worth the visit. You won’t regret it.
Tom, you can’t lay on the TDR praise thick enough! Your Tokyo articles (and the guides over on Travel Caffeine) are my favorite to read. When I read all the “I’m done with WDW” comments over the parking charges, etc. I wrote a comment encouraging WDW fans who missed the magic to go to Tokyo. Bam! Then you wrote one. Lol! We love Tokyo Disney Resort, it is everything you’d expect when planning a perfect Disney vacation. Just envision in your mind what a perfect Disney vacation would be like, then go to Tokyo and that vision will become a reality. The greatest compliment I can give to the resort is that the guests, yes, the guests, are as fantastic, polite, helpful and happy as the cast members.
I planned a last-minute, high season trip to Tokyo Disney Resort and it was shockingly affordable. Well, affordable plane tickets required me to go to Hong Kong for 36 hours first (a trick I learned here), but that’s another Disney park checked off my list. I thought I’d be checking off Tokyo as well, but now I’m desperate to visit again.
I teared up when I first walked into TDS and the volcano came into view. The park is jaw dropping. I saw a cast member see my reaction, and his unbridled joy at my amazement made it even more magical. The rides and food are innovative, and the theming is everything California Adventure wishes it could have. I mean, there’s a U.S. president-themed bar on a ship; why don’t we have that? TDL is nostalgic, yet forward-thinking. The thing that makes attractions even better is having no idea what’s going on, but seeing everyone love it. My one complaint is there are very few trees, and therefore very little shade–not great in August, but the water gun parades almost make up for it.
The cast members in TDR are wonderful, and language is not as much of a barrier as I thought it’d be. Everyone seems to genuinely love their work, and they will go out of their way to help in any way. Even the employees at the non-Disney neighbor hotels have a lot of Disney magic in them.
I highly recommend a trip for anyone who can swing it, but be prepared to want to return as soon as you leave.
Tokyo Disney is currently my plan for my 40th birthday in 4 years. Kids will be 10 and 5 and old enough to take a 14 hour plan ride and actually remeber the experience. Because for us it would like be a once in a lifetime trip unlike wdw. Just due to the travel time. I can be in Florida in 2 hours on a plane for like 60 bucks round trip on a discount airline. Tokyo is a much bigger commitment, I’m not going there for a long weekend.
Tdr sounds amazing, and the whole country and culture has always been fascinating to me. And my husband has always wanted to pet a monkey
I’ve been thinking more and more of doing an incredible trip such as this. Thank you for your insight!
In your opinion, what are the best times of year to go in terms of crowds and weather?
Also, I see you and Sarah ahve been in Japan for a while! Is there an article on TravelCaffeine where I can catch up on your plans, how long you plan on staying, etc.?
You do tend to lay it on a bit thick with your Japan DLR praise.
What percentage of your readers have (or ever will) visit DLR Japan?
But it’s your site.
And I still enjoy it very much.
I’m going this week 🙂
3-4 times a year for the last 10 years currently.
I am here now because of Tom’s posts 🙂
Going next year! Partially because of Tom’s posts.
Your several articles in praise of Tokyo Disney have piqued my interest, and as a long-time ani e fan I’d have an interest in seeing Japan as well (though from what I understand there are few giant robots or superheroes in sailor suits actually running around).
But I’m not all that daring a traveler. I worry about the language barrier, and I prefer blending in to standing out– and I’m 6’4” so I expect I’d stick out in more than one way in Japan. Still, your articles have interested me enough that I’ll need to check it out sometime.
Hi. I am a UK Disney fan who has been luck enough to visit Tokyo Disney on several occasions. I agree with Tom’s comments completely. The cast members are amazing, smiling and waving at you ( as indeed in my experience do many of your fellow visitors ) and are genuinely happy that you have chosen their country and Disney Park to visit. If you enter the Park feeling down I’m sure in minutes you’ll be on a Disney high that won’t leave you all day.
Tokyo Disneyland park may lack original rides but personally I think they have the best Jungle Cruise ( especially since they added the night time special effects), Haunted Mansion and I always enjoy the Western River Railroad that runs through Adventureland and Frontier Land. Tokyo DisneySea is amazing ( words cannot do it justice) with some great unique rides like Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Sinbad, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea and even their clones like Tower of Terror, Indianna Jones have unique characteristics. I enjoy Japanese/Chinese food and would urge visitors to give hot dogs/pizzas a miss and try the local fare. Some people complain about the size of meals but as a man who enjoys his food I have never gone to bed hungry. Though flights and Disney hotels are expensive especially for families ( There is now a cheaper Disney hotel, The Disney Celebration) Tom is correct that tickets/food prices are reasonable. Add the incredible amount of live entertainment and you have a experience worth every pound,dollar or yen you pay. A DisneyWorld/Disneyland holiday from the UK is so expensive now that you may find the extra required to visit Japan and Tokyo Disney will not break the bank. But the greatest asset is the people who truly create a feeling and experience Walt would be proud off.
I’m literally writing this post from our room at the Hilton Tokyo Bay Hotel! My husband and I absolutely love Tokyo Disney, so much that we were lucky to go twice last year (once for our honeymoon and then again). We also just spent the week between Christmas and New Years at WDW for the first time, which we also loved.
For us personally, Tokyo Disney is geographically and financially better for us because we live in Hawaii. Sometimes trips from HNL – HND/NRT are the same or are cheaper than HNL – LAX. Getting to and from Florida was hard for us. However, once we arrived at MCO and got on the Disney Magical Express our trip was… well, magical. Once someone has a direct flight from HNL – MCO we will be back in a heartbeat. Until then we will continue to keep coming back to Japan.
I think the best way to describe why I love Japan so much is because of the concept of “kikubari” which means to pay attention to others or anticipate someone else’s needs. For those who haven’t been to Japan, it’s just the little things that Japan does that makes the experience better. For example, when it’s raining there will be plastic bags to put your umbrella in so that you don’t drip water all over the store/restaurant.
But the concept of kikubari doesn’t only include Tokyo Disney, but EVERYWHERE in Japan. Everyone is so considerate, polite and friendly. I don’t think you guys are overselling Japan, it’s just that great.
Just wanted to thank you for all the fantastic posts and information on all things Disney. It really has made all of my trips to TDR and WDW a million times better than I could’ve imagined. Don’t ever stop doing it!
Sorry for all the rambling, time to go visit our pal Sinbad!
Thanks for writing this article. I have to say I am very envious of your travels but I can live vicariously through you as I am in the middle of raising three kids one about to head off to college! Your articles on Japan and the stunning pictures you take and articles on Tokyo Disneyland have placed this beautiful country and resort on my bucket list! I thoroughly enjoy your blog and the photos here and TravelCaffiene! Keep sharing even if we readers can’t do it all- I know I am one that enjoy the posts after your trips!
You’re welcome–hopefully it gives you some fodder for planning a future trip after the kids leave home! 🙂
We are going for the first time May 21-28! The flight was super cheap. We got a Black Friday deal on Singapore Airlines. Please post as much as possible from the resort this week. We are in full on TDR mode and can’t get enough first hand intel right now.
Have a great trip–Singapore is our favorite airline in the world. Unparalleled customer service (and tons of legroom!).
Stop getting people to go to TDR; I need to stay nice and non-crowded when I go in the off-season. 😉 I think TDR is well ahead of Walt Disney World in terms of dining, cast member hospitality and service, and merchandise. Tickets are much cheaper compared to Walt Disney World tickets, and the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel and Miracosta are worth every penny (unlike the Deluxe resorts at Walt Disney World that are incredibly expensive compared to what you should be getting for $500-$700 a night).
The largest rollercoasters and attractions are, however, generally less “thrilling” than at WDW and Disneyland/DCA — this can be both good and bad depending on your traveling party’s preferences.
Frankly, I think it’s just a different experience. Just like Disneyland CA is a different experience than WDW, TDR is just completely different than the US parks. I don’t like “comparing” them so much because they’ve all genuinely got a different “magic” and they cannot be substituted for one another. Even today, WDW has it’s own magic – the feeling of walking down the Boardwalk, seeing the Christmas trees at the resorts, Fort Wilderness, Animal Kingdom, Epcot – that can’t be replicated anywhere else. Disneyland CA – the stroll down Cars Land, New Orleans Square, the Red Car Trolley show. Tokyo Disney – seeing the fire erupt out of Mount Promethus, eating ALL THE SNACKS, seeing all the smiling cast members as you first enter the park – it’s all magical. We’re incredibly lucky to be able to experience it all
“Frankly, I think it’s just a different experience…Even today, WDW has it’s own magic”
Oh totally. This should not be construed as a “don’t visit Walt Disney World” post. The opening preface is more aimed at those people who have said they are “done with Walt Disney World” in response to parking and other upcharges. We still love WDW, and find its huge size and scale really compelling.
No matter what policy and price changes are announced and how I might feel about them, there’s a certain magic in strolling along the Boardwalk at sunset, walking into World Showcase, and slowly watching nightfall before IllumiNations. That–and so many other–experience is wholly unique to Walt Disney World, and something I love.