- Where to Stay in Hiroshima - 10 February 2026
- What to Wear in Japan: 15 Common Questions Answered - 9 February 2026
- Should You Tip in Japan? - 6 February 2026
Tokyo Disney Resort includes two parks, Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, and if you only have one day to spend at the resort, you might be wondering which one you should visit. The normal answer is DisneySea, as it’s the only one in the world, but I don’t think it’s that simple. So here are a few things you might want to ask yourself to help you decide which is right for you.
Article by Helen Foster. Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. See our Affiliate Disclosure.
Admittedly, this is a bit like asking me to choose between favorite children (if I had any), so, I’m trying to be impartial!
This post is checked and updated once a year, or when any opinions or facts change. The last update was January 2026.
Do You Want All the Disney Feels?
Then visit Disneyland.
I don’t think that the ‘go to DisneySea’ answer is right for everyone because, on one of my previous trips,I went to DisneySea first. Yes, it’s a great park, and I enjoyed every minute, but I hadn’t been to a Disney park for ages, and I wanted the Disney magic that I know and love – but because DisneySea is unique, I didn’t quite get the same magic there as I did when I went to Disneyland the next day and found things like Pirates of the Caribbean and the Tiki Room.
So, if you want the familiar Disney rides, characters from childhood, a traditional parade where you’re up close with the floats (and the Main Street Electrical Parade at that), and a castle… plus Beauty and the Beast which, in my opinion, is the most magical ride in the parks, head to Disneyland.
Do You Regularly Go to the US Parks?
Then, go to DisneySea – don’t pass go.
DisneySea is unique in its theming, and it has more rides and shows that you don’t find at the other parks… especially with the opening of the new Fantasy Springs section.
Yes, BATB and Pooh’s Hunny Hunt in Disneyland are unique and marvellous, but they’re not worth missing DisneySea for if you don’t have much time.
Do You Like Your Rides More Thrilling?
Then pick DisneySea
Both parks have some thrill rides. DisneySea has Tower of Terror, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Indiana Jones Adventure and Raging Spirits, the only park ride with an inversion.
Disneyland has Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Space Mountain, but, and it’s a big but Space Mountain is being revamped and won’t open until 2027.
For this reason, DisneySea wins for thrill rides. There are more of them, and they’re a bit more adrenaline-boosting. They also have the bonus of being mostly unique to Tokyo Disney Resort.
Don’t Forget to Buy Your Disney Tickets
If you’re within two months of your trip, why not order them now so it’s done? Unlike the Disney site, Klook takes all foreign credit cards. Plus, if you’re buying other tours or tickets, add the code JAPLANEASEKLOOK at checkout and you could save up to 10 per cent.
T&Cs apply; Tokyo Disney tickets and USJ tickets are not available for discounts.
Are You Traveling with Little Kids?
Deciding whether Tokyo Disneyland or Disneysea is better for families is tough for me to decide unequivocally for a couple of reasons, not least my lack of small people to test my theories on. So, let’s discuss…
Disneyland is made for little kids. It’s just magical. The park’s attractions are also a bit more kid-focused. The height requirements start lower in Disneyland—at above 81cm—and it has 39 rides and other attractions for those under this.
At DisneySea, the rides with a height requirement begin at 102cm, and DisneySea only has 27 rides for those below this.
Some of these included attractions aren’t going to be the most exciting for smaller children, though (I’m looking at you, Fortress Explorations), so now let’s look at rides in the areas I think are aimed directly at the smaller folk. The main kids’ area in Disneyland is Fantasyland, which has nine proper rides. There are also a lot of things small children can ride or climb in Toontown, like Donald’s Boat (above).
In DisneySea, you should hotfoot it to the Little Mermaid area, which has six rides, including a playground.
But we have to consider the Frozen factor. Only DisneySea has a Frozen ride in the new Fantasy Springs area. It’s not the easiest ride to get onto (see our guide to Fantasy Springs access here), but it’s magical, and every little Elsa and Anna fan will want to visit. It doesn’t have a height restriction.
It’s too hard to call, as it very much depends on each individual child’s likes and dislikes. Some kids will love Snow White’s Scary Adventures, while others will find the witch terrifying.
If you do have more fearful kids, the best option is to head to the Disney resort website and hit the attractions button. There, you can filter rides for height restrictions and things like ‘no scary characters’ or ‘no darkness’ and see which options are okay for babies to ensure you pick the park with the best options for your kids.
What About Teens?
In the absence of Space Mountain, I’d say pick DisneySea, as the rides are a bit more grown-up. But USJ might be a better choice than either Disney park – especially if your teens like anime or Nintendo. Our guide to Disney or USJ might help you make the final decision.
Which Disney Park is Better for Adults?
This is a tough one – the thing with the Tokyo Disney parks is that the crowd skews much older than the other parks, you’ll usually see more teenagers, young adults and actual adults than you will families with children.
So, the answer is both of them are great for adults – DisneySea probably has the more grown-up rides though, and things like the carving of Bambi and her mum in the fountain at Fantasy Springs will give adults all the feels but might pass little kids by completely!
Do You Want Smaller Crowds?
Disneyland usually has more visitors per day than DisneySea.
However, unlike US parks, which rely on visiting tourists, the Japanese parks’ main audience is locals, this means the crowd patterns can vary a lot depending on weather, Japanese holidays and launches of new things like parades or merchandise, which might bring in the more local visitors for the day.
Whatever park you choose, though, make sure you don’t go on one of the busy days, and try not to visit on a weekend if you can.
Need Extra Planning Help?
Our Japan trip planners can help. You might like our First-Timers Japan Planner, which will help you plan your trip to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka step-by-step, including tips on everything from picking hotels to sightseeing and dining. Or our super-duper Tokyo Disney Planner makes arranging your park trip MUCH easier. Find them in our Planners store – printable and digital versions are available.
Where are Your Favorite Characters?
If you have an absolute favorite Disney film or set of characters, you might want to pick the park that has rides, merchandise or a chance to meet them. So who is where…
- Little Mermaid – DisneySea
- Beauty and the Beast – Disneyland
- Aladdin and Jasmine – DisneySea
- Nemo – DisneySea
- Frozen – DisneySea
- Tangled/Rapunzel – DisneySea
- Peter Pan – in both
- Mickey and Minnie – in both
- Donald and Daisy – in both
- Duffy – DisneySea
- Toy Story – DisneySea
- Winnie The Pooh – Disneyland (although I have yet to meet Eeyore there, and I’ve only found his merch in the Disney store, not the park, both of which upset me.)
Do You Like Parades?
Unpopular opinion – pick Disneyland
Okay – this is where I get controversial. I don’t like the ‘parades’ (that’s in inverted commas as they are more shows than parades) at Tokyo DisneySea. It’s not that they aren’t spectacular – after all, the reason this opinion is controversial is that many people say the evening show at DisneySea is mindblowing and not to be missed.
But the ‘parades’ at DisneySea take place on the lagoon, which means that unless you have a very good position, you can’t get as up close and personal with the floats as you can at Disneyland, which is what I want from a Disney parade, as I like to see the characters.
So, in my opinion, Disneyland is easier for parade lovers to get a good view. Plus it has the Electrical Parade, which I love!
If you want the view above, it’s from the steps by the Tomorrowland Terrace restaurant. You can usually get there about 10 minutes before to snag this view. The other benefit of this spot is that if you’re not used to sitting on the floor, there’s a low wall you can lean against to give you a bit more back support.
Conversely, this is the clearest picture I have of Believe! Sea of Dreams. They were both taken on the same phone, and I arrived at both events about 20 minutes in advance and grabbed the best spot I could see.
Next time I go I will buy Premier Access for the ‘parade’ at DisneySea to see if this changes my opinion of it – I think it might. If you do pick DisneySea and the parade is important to you, I’d definitely consider budgeting for this. I don’t think you need it at Disneyland at all. You can easily get a great spot without lining up for hours
Oh, and if you didn’t know that most Disney parades are watched seated on the ground (weather permitting), check out our beginner’s guide to Tokyo Disney next, which will fill you in on the basics you need to plan your trip.
What About Viewing the Fireworks?
Neither park has great fireworks. The display can be seen from both parks, but they often get cancelled, and having seen them from the balcony of my hotel (the budget-friendly Mystays Maihama) and my room at the Grand Nikko Tokyo Bay Maihama, I would not bother hanging around or choosing my park, specifically for them.
Think of them as a nice bonus that might happen at the end of the day rather than a reason to visit either park.
There are fireworks as part of the Reach for the Stars show on the Disneyland castle, though, and that’s excellent.
Can You Visit Both Parks in One Day?
Theoretically, but don’t expect to cover everything in each park, as the queues for rides at Tokyo Disney can be very long. If you can make it work, a better solution would be to do one day and then one evening at the second park – see more about how this can work in our guide to visiting Tokyo Disney on an evening pass.
You’ll need to make the most of Premier Access to ride the most popular rides and do both parks in one day. You can do both if you’re visiting more to soak up the atmosphere than tick-off rides.
Visit the park that’s most important to you early, as this will give you the best chance of shorter queues and buying Premier Access passes to get more done.
If you can’t decide which matters most right now, I would suggest doing DisneySea first, as the passes to the Fantasy Springs rides run out early in the day. Then head to Disneyland in the afternoon (although be warned that the queues at Tomorrowland get busy in the evening, and a later arrival might mean you can’t get a Premier Access for Beauty and the Beast as they can sell out early on busy days).
If rides are your goal, it’s probably a better idea to choose one park and do it well than try to rush through two.
Your Next Steps
Made your decision? Here’s what to do now:
1. Book your tickets: If you’re within two months of your trip, order them through Klook now so it’s done (they accept all foreign credit cards, unlike the Disney site).
2. Plan your day: Read our Disney beginners guide to understand how Tokyo Disney works (it’s different from the US parks), then grab our Tokyo Disney Planner for step-by-step park strategies and planning sheets to keep you organised but not overwhelmed.
3. Still have questions? Join our Tokyo Disney planning group on Facebook, where thousands of travelers share real-time tips and park updates.
Bottom line: Choose one park and do it well rather than rushing through both. You’ll have a much better time, and trust me—you’ll want to come back for the other one anyway. That’s not a problem, it’s an excuse for another Japan trip.
