In keeping with one in all our (many) posts effusively praising Disney’s perfect theme park on the earth, a reader just lately requested whether or not our evaluation continues to be true. They expressed worry in keeping with an enormous selection of destructive opinions on TripAdvisor. We regarded, and certain sufficient, they had been proper: Tokyo DisneySea has noticed an enormous spike in 1-star and 2-star opinions there and on Google.
Tokyo DisneySea nonetheless maintains a decent 4.5 rating moderate throughout over 6,000 opinions on TripAdvisor and sterling 4.9 on Google with greater than 90,000 opinions. However that if truth be told speaks to the issue–the park’s rating continues to be robust regardless of an inflow of decrease opinions as a result of, previous to 2020, it was once virtually completely receiving 5-star opinions. And with over a decade of the ones within the financial institution, there’s best such a lot the brand new opinions can drag down the total rating.
It’s a simple arithmetic drawback. The rankings arguably exacerbate the problem, too. If you happen to cross in anticipating a 4.9/5 revel in and some of the top-ranked sights in all of Japan, or learn posts like ours calling Tokyo DisneySea the most efficient theme park on the earth, you may well be extra vulnerable to move in with excessive expectancies. When your revel in isn’t on par with the ones opinions, chances are you’ll go away feeling pissed off and extra dissatisfied than when you rolled the cube on a three.5/5 providing.
So what are the brand new opinions announcing? A large number of various things. Maximum not unusual are proceedings about strains, crowds, and wait occasions. I don’t make a dependancy of studying Google and TripAdvisor opinions of theme parks, however truthfully, I might be expecting this to be the number 1 criticism about any of them. Nobody likes ready in strains and theme parks have numerous them.
With that stated, I believe that the destructive opinions for Disney theme parks revolving round wait occasions had been exacerbated by means of the lack of loose FastPass. Even supposing there’s nonetheless a loose choice in Precedence Go at Tokyo Disney Lodge, it’s no longer just about as powerful as FastPass. Maximum profitable sights, particularly the ones in Tokyo DisneySea, now have paid line-skipping by the use of Premier Go.
2d-most not unusual are proceedings about gaining access to Myth Springs. Or quite, being denied get right of entry to to this new port-of-call that includes Frozen, Tangled, and Peter Pan. That is comprehensible and unsurprising, as Myth Springs isn’t open-entry and the rides don’t be offering standby strains.
Consequently, Myth Springs is exceedingly tough to go into. It’s worse than any Walt Disney International or Disneyland enchantment to ever use digital queues, Lightning Lanes, and so on. See Methods to Input Myth Springs & Get On Rides: Just right, Dangerous & Unpleasant Get right of entry to Choices for a rundown of the best way to achieve access into the land.
The secret is that when you merely display up after park opening, there’s an excellent chance you’re going to no longer have the ability to input Myth Springs, let on my own trip any sights. We’ve been caution visitors of this because the new land opened, and can’t over-emphasize sufficient how vital advance making plans is for Myth Springs. The problem of gaining get right of entry to has best worsened because the land first opened.
Whilst there are different causes for the 1-star opinions, those are the massive ones. With the intention to the ones issues, I sought after to percentage a contemporary revel in we had at Tokyo DisneySea all the way through Christmas 2024…
We arrived on the turnstiles to Tokyo DisneySea over 90 mins prior to park opening. Our function was once to get there 2 hours prematurely, however that merely wasn’t conceivable with a child. Our dangerous, I suppose? In the end, being skilled TDR visitors, we’re mindful that the turnstiles normally open neatly prior to the broadcast park opening time as a liberate valve on crowds. So our considering was once that, extra realistically, we’d be looking ahead to not up to an hour outdoor the entrance gates.
Our common sense was once no less than in part proper. Tokyo DisneySea did open safety, or no less than, the road started shifting for some reason why or some other, prior to 8:30 am. (My apologies for no longer having exact occasions and deficient high quality telephone footage–I used to be no longer anticipating to write down a put up about this. I believed we had been simply visiting for a laugh.)
What we didn’t account for, however must have, was once TDR’s glacially sluggish safety screening. Nor did we consider the truth that a couple of makeshift strains had been merging into one for every safety checkpoint, which means that the circle of relatives with the stroller could be getting handed by means of different visitors in the past in the back of them as everybody jockeyed for positioning to have a greater shot at entering Myth Springs.
Clearly, that is best in part TDR’s fault. They may be able to regulate the rate in their safety however whether or not we use a stroller or no longer, and whether or not other people go us, is in large part out in their arms. Even supposing I might contend that having 4 makeshift strains merging into one is unduly anxious and destined to lead to a destructive revel in for plenty of visitors, particularly in a aggressive state of affairs when conventional Eastern courtesy is going absolutely out the window.
After what felt like an eternity ready within the direct daylight–fortunately this was once no longer a wet day, because the prior two were, as the world the place crowds congregate provides no colour nor safe haven–we in any case approached safety. Naturally, our stroller or who is aware of what else activate the scanner, necessitating secondary screening that was once in some way each cursory and time-consuming. (Critically, I’d by no means try this once more with a stroller–we’d’ve been in a significantly better place with out it.)
In the end, we had been within Tokyo DisneySea by means of 9:10 am. For the ones holding rating at house, that’s 10 mins after professional park opening. Undoubtedly this is able to be sufficient time to attain both paid Premier Get right of entry to or loose Standby Go for Anna & Elsa’s Frozen Adventure, the most efficient enchantment in Myth Springs, proper?
Fallacious. At the day we visited Tokyo DisneySea, Anna & Elsa’s Frozen Adventure ran out of each queueing choices by means of 9:08 am. If you happen to’re incredulous that this is able to occur so temporarily, I’d inspire you to seek the advice of the @_fantasysprings fan account that tracks knowledge for Standby Go and Premier Get right of entry to availability. This trip is ceaselessly working out prior to 9:30 am–from time to time even prior to professional park opening.
It will look like we simply slightly neglected it, and thus must’ve merely attempted to reach quite previous the next day to come or thrown sharper elbows to the visitors who handed us in line. However in fact, it wasn’t that shut in any respect. Once we were given within the park, I attempted to shop for/ebook any such passes. Sadly, my telephone had inadequate sign and, regardless of a heavy reliance at the app, Tokyo Disney Lodge does no longer be offering WiFi.
A few app crashes and shifting to part of Mediterranean Harbor with awesome mobile provider later, and I used to be in a position to get right of entry to loose Standby Go and Premier Get right of entry to. At the moment, each Peter Pan’s By no means Land Journey and Fairy Tinker Bell’s Busy Buggies had Standby Go availability. For no matter it’s price, By no means Land Journey is an unbelievable enchantment, virtually on par with Frozen Adventure. If this trip is your “price tag” into Myth Springs, you’re no longer doing too poorly!
If it had been simply me, I might’ve been completely proud of By no means Land Journey. However Sarah had problems with movement illness on that in the past and we’re a circle of relatives with a small kid, in order that made By no means Land Journey a no-go. We opted for Busy Buggies, which punches above its weight and supplied us the needful get right of entry to into Myth Springs. As just right as that trip is for what it’s, we unquestionably wouldn’t have arrived over an hour and a part early and handled the anxious pre-park opening access procedure.
Within the hobby of steadiness, arriving so early did imply we had been in a position to to have our select of the loose Precedence Passes, and it’s from time to time the case that arriving later manner getting close out of Indiana Jones Journey. So no less than there’s that. I temporarily booked us for that enchantment. I then attempted my hand at the entire display lotteries, and failed at each and every unmarried one.
We additionally had our select of Premier Get right of entry to choices outdoor of the ones in Myth Springs. Once more, within the hobby of equity, if we had been standard visitors who discuss with every so often, we’d’ve purchased a pair. Adventure to the Middle of the Earth, Hovering: Implausible Flight, and Tower of Terror all would’ve been “price it” for the 90 minute to 210 minute strains they skipped. Having a baby, we opted towards the ones.
Even round 9:30 am, maximum headliner sights already had wait occasions above 90 mins, so we opted for one in all our favourite sights–the Venetian Gondolas. The wait was once utterly manageable and the revel in was once improbable. Maximum of our morning could be occupied doing transportation sights–most likely no longer everybody’s thought of a great time, however we had been completely satisfied.
After any such, we headed over to the Broadway Track Theatre to look if there was once standby/overflow seating for Giant Band Beat: A Particular Deal with. For the ones unfamiliar with this display, it’s the COVID changed model of the swinging jazz revue at Tokyo DisneySea. The total display is improbable–some of the biggest items of reside leisure Disney has ever produced. The changed model is okay, however doesn’t cling a candle to the actual factor. (Word: our discuss with was once in Overdue 2024, no longer 2021–COVID closures and changes are nonetheless a factor at TDR.)
Anyway, we had been knowledgeable that standby/overflow seating is now not to be had–the one choices are the Access Request lottery, which we misplaced, or the brand new Premier Get right of entry to. We’d’ve perhaps regarded as paying for the entire display, however Tokyo Disney Lodge charging for seating–and having no different choice–at a COVID changed display within the yr 2024 is solely past the light. At this level, I used to be getting greater than just a little pissed off at my favourite position on earth, however that was once the tip of our problems for the day.
The remainder of our day at Tokyo DisneySea was once very relaxing. That is partly as a result of we’re skilled visitors and minimized friction. We knew to position Cell Orders early and make noon desk provider eating place reservations, warding off buffeterias and snack stands that have a tendency to have lengthy strains. We went deep into the park whilst it was once nonetheless moderately early, undertaking a good quantity prior to strains constructed at the ones sights.
We additionally knew no longer to bother with extra Standby Passes and Premier Get right of entry to for Myth Springs. For what it’s price, there are ‘drops’ all through the day at which occasions extra availability is added. We’ve scored spots this fashion up to now. The issue, no less than for us, is that our web is sluggish all through a lot of the park, which makes this tedious and irritating.
The closing time we did this, I felt like my head was once buried in my telephone for a just right bite of the day as I used to be preoccupied refreshing the app. Even supposing I got here up empty repeatedly, I used to be in a position to attain Standby Passes for each By no means Land Journey and Frozen Adventure. Whether or not that was once definitely worth the display screen time is arguable.
For this shuttle, we made the judgment name that it was once no longer–therefore the early arrival within the first position versus simply winging it with Myth Springs drops all through the day. We had been there to experience time as a circle of relatives, see our daughter’s response to Sindbad and Chandu, let her play in Mermaid Lagoon, take transportation rides, and so on. All issues that we completed comfortably, even on a slightly busy day when the headliners averaged wait occasions of ~120 mins.
Talking of which, I may’ve even performed a headliner (alone) on the finish of the evening! Sarah and Megatron left early, leaving me with the chance to leap into 90 minute strains for Adventure to the Middle of the Earth or Hovering: Implausible Flight. Sadly, I couldn’t do that with 1 minute at the clock, as you’ll within the U.S. parks, as a result of TDR now cuts the strains when the wait time plus the present time roughly corresponds with park remaining. (It’s no longer exact.)
In reality, I did in brief leap into that 90 minute line for JTTCOE prior to seeing how sponsored up the standby line was once and noticing the secure flow of Premier Get right of entry to visitors. At that time, I noticed the wait time most likely wasn’t inflated, and I didn’t “want” to do Adventure to the Middle of the Earth badly sufficient to bear an hour and a part wait alone. I’d quite stroll round and take in the unbelievable environment of Tokyo DisneySea at Christmas.
In the long run, our day at Tokyo DisneySea was once irritating however, after all, very a laugh and remarkable (most commonly for the appropriate causes). It began off at the incorrect foot and, for this reason, we opted towards even bothering with rope drop of Myth Springs for the remainder of the shuttle. Consequently, our reviews had been even higher on next days, and that was once despite moderate-to-high crowd ranges. If I had been reviewing our discuss with, it nonetheless would’ve been 5-stars. K, perhaps 4.5-stars.
In fact, as you’ve most likely been in a position to collect, our instances are moderately distinctive. We’re former Tokyo Disney Lodge Annual Passholders and feature performed the entirety within the park repeatedly. At this level, merely being there is nearly sufficient for us. We also are ‘trail of least resistance’ other people, so if one thing is obviously going to be an issue or anxious, our method is avoidance.
To wit, if we had that rope drop to do once more, our answer would no longer be to reach even previous–it could be no longer doing it in any respect. As a result of this, I virtually hesitated to even percentage this tale, because it sounds just a little like entitled whining. Optimistically that’s no longer the way it comes throughout, as our function is informing–so what to anticipate when you discuss with and will regulate your plans and expectancies accordingly.
The rationale I’m sharing is as a result of, if we had been first-timers, our ‘evaluation’ of that day in Tokyo DisneySea be utterly other. It might’ve been beginning the day on a bitter word, and doubtlessly ready in a host of lengthy strains or purchasing our method out of them. It might’ve intended committing time to enjoying the refresh sport for Frozen Adventure, or giving up and savoring the ambience. It most likely would’ve intended no longer having the information or experience to keep away from pitfalls and friction.
Perhaps we’d’ve nonetheless been so blown away by means of the lavish themed design and lavish consideration to element, and nonetheless given the park a 4 to 5-star evaluation, however I’m truthfully no longer positive. What I know is that it could’ve been a pointy distinction to our first day within the park over a decade in the past, once we right away fell in love with Tokyo DisneySea. Different Disney diehards no longer having a related revel in and falling in love with the arena’s perfect theme park–when it’s firing on all cylinders and working generally–is why I’m nonetheless reticent to enthusiastically endorse a discuss with to Tokyo Disney Lodge in 2025.
The excellent news is that the access procedure for Myth Springs is nearly indisputably converting in Spring 2025. On the other hand, the core drawback of a supply-demand imbalance will persist, because it’s no longer like switching from a digital queue to standby will modify capability. What Tokyo DisneySea wishes–like a yr in the past–is extra leisure, longer hours, and higher staffing to assist take in the present crowds. Right here’s hoping all of that occurs, however Tokyo Disney Lodge’s torpid tempo to revive normalcy–whilst crowds explode–isn’t reassuring.
Making plans a shuttle to Tokyo Disney Lodge? For complete recommendation, the most efficient position to begin is our Tokyo Disneyland & DisneySea Travel Making plans Information! For extra specifics, our TDR Lodge Ratings & Critiques web page covers lodging. Our Eating place Critiques element the place to dine & snack. To economize on tickets or resolve which kind to shop for, learn our Guidelines for Saving Cash put up. Our What to Pack for Disney put up takes a novel have a look at suave pieces to take. Venturing in different places in Japan? Seek the advice of our Final Information to Kyoto, Japan and Town Information to Tokyo, Japan.
YOUR THOUGHTS
If you happen to’ve visited Tokyo DisneySea since 2020, has your revel in been sure? If you happen to visited each prior to and after 2020, did the post-COVID discuss with measure as much as the former one? What are your ideas on gaining access to Myth Springs and driving the rides? Have you ever been close out of the brand new Peter Pan, Tangled, and Frozen land or had been you simply in a position to get right of entry to it? Ideas on rope shedding Tokyo DisneySea, strains for safety or the doorway, or anything lined right here? Do you settle or disagree with our review? Any questions? Listening to your comments—even whilst you disagree with us—is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please percentage your ideas under within the feedback!
