19 Differences Between Tokyo Disney and the US Parks

Tokyo Disney Resort is VERY different from the experience of visiting Walt Disney World in Florida or Disneyland and California Adventure in Anaheim. You see the Tokyo Disney Parks aren’t actually run by the Walt Disney Company, meaning things work a little differently. So, here are the 19 major – and minor – differences I’ve spotted between the two parks.

Article by Helen Foster. Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. See our Affiliate Disclosure.

1. There’s No Rope Drop

The parks open at what seems a random, different time every day! I’m sure it’s not random, and there’s actually a formula relating to how busy the park is; this is Japan, after all. But if you turn up for a 9 a.m. official entry at 8.55 a.m. expecting to be ushered in by cast members holding a rope, you’ll be surprised to see the park already very full.

Article by Helen Foster. Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. See our Affiliate Disclosure.

A good rule of thumb is to arrive at least one hour before the official opening time – a bit earlier if you’re desperate to get into Fantasy Springs, and especially if you want the Frozen ride, which, as I type this, has normally totally sold out by 9.15 am.

If you don’t yet know how Fantasy Springs works, then you’ll want to head to my guide to entering the newest area of the park after you’ve read this, as that’s another big difference.

2. You Can Only Buy One Day Tickets

There are no park hoppers. If you want to visit both parks in one day, the cheapest way to do it is to buy a one-day pass for the park you want to visit in the morning, then the cheaper evening pass for the second park.

For more ideas on how that works, check out our guide to visiting Tokyo Disney on an evening pass.

3. The Atmosphere is Different

This is one thing I love about Japanese parks. Yes, the US Parks are fun; as a Brit, I always loved the way people whooped and hollered when commanded (that never goes well in the UK, where audience participation must be avoided at all costs), but the Japanese people love the parks in a totally different way.

The best word I can use to describe it is glee. They will audibly gasp when they see fireworks; they wave at the steam train and all the characters in the parades (even the adults), and you’ll often hear people saying ‘Sugoi’, which means amazing, as they spot something new.

The real Disney obsessives also know the dance routines of things like the Baymax ride, the parades, and shows like Jamboree Mickey, and happily join in – which makes me happy whenever I see them.

It’s a very different atmosphere that, to me, really reflects Disney Magic. People aren’t just happy in Tokyo Disney; they are enchanted by it.

4. The Outfits are Fancy

Japanese people are generally quite smartly dressed, which is also true when visiting theme parks. Also, you’ll see a lot of ‘bounding’ – themed outfits based around characters but not actually in costume (we’ve got 20 ideas for you to manage this with your vacation packing). Or people wearing matching outfits.

They also go all out for hats, headbands, ears, shoulder buddies, plushies and anything else cute you can stick on your person.

So, does this mean you must turn up in your Sunday best? No. We’re tourists. No one will expect you to rock up in a skirt and blouse — shorts and T-shirts are fine, leggings are fine, and jeans are a-okay.

If you do want to add a nod to local culture, just remember that the Japanese are quite conservative dressers. They tend not to show too much skin, especially shoulders and cleavage, or wear very tight leggings without a longer top over the top. Get more advice, and a few ideas of what to pack in your Disney day bag in our guide to What to Wear at Tokyo Disney.

5. There’s No Genie+

The system for reducing queueing times at Tokyo Disney is very different. You don’t organise it in advance. Instead, you can only book the two types of line-skipping passes once you have actually entered the park on the day you want to visit.

The two types of passes are Disney Premier Access, the paid option, and the 40th Anniversary Pass, which is free. This guide to Disney tickets and extras provides more details about which rides they apply to and how to use them.

6. You Can’t Book Things as Far Out

If you’re a plan-ahead person used to booking your trips to Orlando or Anaheim a year in advance, one of the big differences about arranging your Tokyo Disney trip is that if you want to stay in one of the official Tokyo Disney Hotels, bookings don’t even start opening until at least five months before you want to stay.

And that’s for the Vacation Packages. Hotel-only bookings don’t open until four months out and can sell out quickly.

If this makes you nervous, and you like to have your ducks in a row, a happy compromise is to book one of the Good Neighbor Hotels.

These include the Tokyo Bay Hilton, the Sheraton Tokyo Bay, and the Grand Nikko Toyko Bay Maihama. You can book these up to a year in advance at a refundable rate, ensuring you know you definitely have a room in the area—and then see what you get when it’s time to book the official Disney hotels.

To get an idea of other elements of the Tokyo Disney timeline, take a look at our Step-by-Step Guide to Booking your Tokyo Disney Trip which covers all the important dates to remember.

7. Disney and Universal are Not Near Each Other

This is something I see come up in my Disney FB group a lot. People think that the Japanese parks are concentrated in the same city like they are in Orlando and Anaheim/LA; but they are not. USJ is located in Osaka, about a 2-3 hour train ride from Tokyo Disney.

It’s possible to do both in one trip, but, you will need to stay a day or two in the Osaka area to make the most of the journey. See why I don’t recommend doing it as a day trip here.

8. And Disney is Not Near Much Else

Tokyo Disney Resort is located in Chiba, about a 20-minute train ride from central Tokyo. There’s not much to do here except visit the parks, stay in the hotels serving the parks, or visit the Ikspiari shopping and dining complex.

Do not expect to find a whole Disney ecosystem or a thriving tourist area nearby, like you do in Walt Disney World.

For this reason, if you decide to stay close to Disney, it’s a good idea to do so only on the days you’re visiting the parks and move hotels once you are done.

If you’re unsure about staying at Tokyo Disney, this post can help you decide if it’s a good idea or not.

9. The Rides Can Be Different

Which is a good thing, right? Let’s start with the ones you won’t find in the US Parks.

Tokyo Disneyland’s exclusive rides are The Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast, Pooh’s Hunny Hunt, the Happy Ride with Baymax, and Monster Inc: Ride and Seek.

In DisneySea, the unique rides include everything in Fantasy Springs, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Sindbad’s Storybook Voyage and Raging Spirits.

Other rides have familiar names but are slightly different from their US counterparts—Tower of Terror, for example, has a different backstory and there are some small differences in the Haunted Mansion. Splash Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean are the old, less PC-themed versions, while Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull is a different ride from the one in the Paris park.

10. Parades are Viewed Seated

As I am 5ft 4, part of me loves this; however, the part that can’t sit on the ground for long periods is not quite as enamoured.

If you also can’t sit on the ground, you can usually find a bench near the parade route, or there are a few places where it’s okay to stand – or at least get a seat where you can lean against a wall.

My top spot in Disneyland is the wall alongside the Tomorrowland Terrace restaurant.

In DisneySea, you can usually stand on the left-hand side to watch the evening show. It’s not the best view as the boats are in the middle of the lake – and that’s one reason why I prefer the evening parades at Tokyo Disney, where I can grab a last-minute spot standing and still see things well – but, if it’s painful to sit down, it’s better than nothing.

11. Queues are a Bit Different

A big part of the Japanese way of life is that the welfare of the group is more important than that of the individual – and this can matter when it comes to queuing.

It’s not the done thing for someone to arrive in the queue and hold a spot, and then the rest of the family arrive at the last minute. Many people ask about this when it comes to getting to the park early, as understandably, you might not want to queue for two hours with little kids before your day even starts. But Japanese families will wait that long, so it doesn’t give us tourists the best reputation not to do the same.

When it comes to the rides, queues can close before the park does. Because most of the cast members working in the park need to get home on public transport, the rides will close at the same time as the park does.

This means that if The Enchanted Tale of Beauty and The Beast queue is two hours long, and the park closes at 10 pm, you might not be able to join the queue after 8 pm. This differs from the US, where you can run into queues at the last minute.

12. You Can’t Do Pin Trading

It used to be allowed in Japan, but people got a bit carried away and so they stopped it.

There are pins available to buy in the shops – but where is a mystery to me as I haven’t ever seen them. I would say start at Emporium on Main Street in Disneyland, and if you can’t find them there, then go and ask Guest Services. Ideally, you should have a picture of a pin handy to explain what you’re after without confusion.

13. You Don’t Just Line Up For Shows

Tokyo Disney’s shows are very popular, so they have a different way to access them. You can apply for an entry request.

These are found in the app and you pick the show and then push request. Whether you are selected or not is random – I’ve got in once and been rejected twice. The annoying thing about it is that you only get one request per show per day – even though there are five or six different sessions.

One sneaky tip though, you can see Jamboree Mickey: Let’s Dance without a seat. Go to the walkway of the USS Columbia and you can view it from above. That’s where I snapped the picture above.

14. Hidden Mickeys Are Really Hard To See

Hidden Mickeys are configurations of round objects in the park that look like Mickey’s face and ears.

I’m used to spotting the classics in the US parks, like the padlock in Pirates of the Caribbean and the plates on the table in The Haunted Mansion, but they aren’t in the Tokyo rides.

This led me to, initially, think that there weren’t any Hidden Mickeys in Tokyo Disney, but then I did a quick search and found pictures of a few – and man, they are hard to find.

Clues: There are a few around Roger Rabbit and Minnie’s Style Studio in Toon Town. I also did spot the obvious one above in Fantasy Springs on my last trip.

I’ve also seen temporary ones made from leaves, and, quite often, custodians paint Mickey heads on the ground with water as they clean.

15. Characters Differ

If you don’t know who Duffy is, take a crash course before you enter Tokyo DisneySea, as he and his friends are the big stars of the park.

Conversely, some characters regularly appearing in the US parks aren’t as represented in Tokyo. I love Eyeore, but I have never found any merchandise with him on in the park itself (although I have managed to get something from the Tokyo Disney stores).

I’ve also never seen him in the park, although there is a super cute video showing him helping keep people calm during an earthquake warning, so I know he’s there. One day I will meet him there – and I will probably cry!

16. You Don’t Drink Your Way Around the World

You can buy alcohol in restaurants and from some of the food carts in Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea, but, walking around with themed drinks is not really a thing like it is in Epcot.

Also, note that the drinking age in Japan is 20, so teenage UK, European, Aussie, or Kiwi visitors might not be able to drink while they are there even though they can at home, while those from the US might be able to grab a normally forbidden beer!

You should always have your passport on you in Japan anyway, but if you’re in your twenties, you might get asked for ID if you’re trying to buy alcohol in the parks.

17. There is No Loungefly

Your bank balance might thank you for this one, but it’s not a thing there.

18. Bibbidi Bobbidi is Not as Gender Inclusive

The US Parks have Prince dress-up options, but that’s not yet available in Tokyo – it’s Princesses all the way, which might cause scheduling issues if you have both a son and a daughter.

19. The Burgers are Pretty Bad

Okay, this might be a personal opinion, but I have not yet had a good burger at Tokyo Disney resort, whereas the ones in the US parks are pretty good.

In addition, the food at Tokyo Disney is not your standard theme-park fare. It tends to cater a bit more to local tastes.

If you’re traveling with a picky eater, you might want to check out our guide to finding familiar food at Disneyland.

We also have one for DisneySea, so head here if you’re traveling to DisneySea with a more fussy eater.

Not all the food is as bad as the burgers though, the nicest meals I have had in the park are the curry at the Hungry Bear Restaurant, the Mickey-shaped rice and beef sandwich from Camp Woodchuck Kitchen, the Baymax curry at Eastside Cafe (both of which appear in my guide to Disney’s cutest food), the chicken at Vulcana in DisneySea and the Clam Chowder in Mermaid Lagoon.

So, I think that’s my list of the differences between Tokyo Disney and the US Parks – I’m sure there are more, so I might add some more as time goes on.

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