10 Things To Skip at the Tokyo Disney Parks

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Helen Foster is a Sydney-based author, journalist and content creator. She has traveled to Japan six times and is planning trip seven. Her articles on Japan have appeared in publications including Reader's Digest (Asia Pacific), RAC Horizons, Jetstar Magazine, the Japan National Tourism Organisation website and more. She is a digital publisher member of the Australian Society of Travel Writers.

1. The Magic Genie Theatre at Tokyo DisneySea

About two minutes after getting in here, I realised I’d made a big mistake. The wait time said five minutes, so I nipped in while waiting for my Fantasy Springs entry. Don’t believe them. Technically there’s no wait but you get stuck in the holding area and pre-show for AGES, and I admit, I was getting a bit stressed that I might be late for Fantasy Springs. But I figured the show couldn’t be that long, so I’d make it work.

And I was right, it’s not that long, but it feels like it.

Obviously, most of the shows and commentary in the Tokyo Disney parks are in Japanese. Generally, this doesn’t really affect your enjoyment of the attraction. This one it does. It’s an acted show that went totally over my head – and it wasn’t cute or funny enough to make up for that in other ways.

It’s good if it’s raining or you want to get out of the heat for a bit, but skip it if you’re tight on time.

2. The Repeat Rides in Disneyland

This will depend on how often you visit the US Disney parks and how much you love Disney. If you’re a regular, US Disneygoer, many of the Disneyland rides will seem familiar to you and, therefore, might be worth skipping if time is tight.

These include Jungle Cruise, most of the rides in Fantasyland, Toy Story Mania, Aquatopia, and the normal It’s a Small World (right now, it has a Groot overlay, which is very different).

Others have minor differences that, depending on your level of Disney knowledge/obsession, might make them a must-do so you can spot them – for example, Pirates is the old version with Red, Splash Mountain is Brer-Rabbit-themed still, Tower of Terror has a different backstory and inside area, there are a few subtle differences in Haunted Mansion. Soarin’ also ends differently, and apparently, Big Thunder Mountain is also slightly different at the end, but I didn’t spot that. Or, again, they might be ones you want to skip.

Generally, there are more unique rides and areas in Tokyo DisneySea than Disneyland. If you’re interested in other comparisons, check out this post on the 19 differences between the US Parks and Tokyo

3. Peter Pan’s Neverland Adventure in Fantasy Springs

But only if you have motion sickness.

This ride was the big surprise of my last visit. Everyone had talked about Rapunzel (cute but short) or Frozen (impossible to get on), but this had stayed under the radar. It’s amazing. If you don’t get motion sickness, it makes it onto my list of top attractions not to miss.

But it made me feel slightly queasy, and I had to shut my eyes briefly. If you get more serious motion sickness, it’s likely to make you feel rather ill. As a guide, if you feel sick on Star Tours, this will likely be worse.

Don’t Forget to Buy Your Disney Tickets

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T&Cs apply; Tokyo Disney tickets and USJ tickets are not available for discounts.

4. The Castle Walk Through

Yes, it’s exciting that you can go into a castle, but I’ve done this twice now because the first time I went, I wasn’t sure if I’d missed something as I was somewhat underwhelmed – but no. It’s basically a walk-through of the Cinderella story with some really odd artwork – not the screens below, they’re cute but there are some very worrying-looking mice in another bit!

There’s a nice bit at the end where you can pose on the throne, and during Halloween, it was fun to watch all the people in costume having pics taken with the glass slipper stool and against the windows. However, unless you have a princess-obsessed person traveling with you, it can easily be a skip, especially as it loads via a lift, so even a short-looking queue can take a while to get through.

5. Turtle Talk with Crush with DisneySea

Another one that suffers a bit from being lost in translation. Because it’s basically a Q&A session, it’s not great if you can’t understand Japanese. I have heard that people have been given translators, which makes it more enjoyable, but it doesn’t happen every time. If you’re pushed for time, it can be a skip.

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6. Stitch Encounter in Disneyland

Similar to Turtle Talk with Crush, this is an interactive exhibit where you can talk to Stitch through the screen – well, if you understand Japanese you do. Otherwise, don’t expect to understand a word of it, so, it’s also an easy potential skip.

I did enjoy the Tiki Room with Stitch, though. Again, my comprehension level was zero, but it’s cute and there’s enough singing and other things going on with him and the birds for that not to really matter.

7. The Leonardo Challenge, DisneySea

This is one of the things to do in the Fortress Explorations area of DisneySea and again it’s totally in Japanese. The idea is that it’s a set of challenges based upon four different maps; upon completion of all the challenges, you become a member of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers.

Now, if that sounds like fun for your family, forget everything I just said. There is a site that has explained how the maps work and translated one of the challenges into English so, with the help of that page and Google Translate you can take part.

8. The Happy Ride With Baymax

This is one of the longer queues in the park, and you can buy a DPA for it, so it’s obviously very popular why is it on my list of things to skip?

Well, it’s basically just a waltzer ride, and it’s very short. As a ride I enjoyed it, but as this can be one of the longest queues in the park, I feel a bit like you deserve more from it than it actually delivers.

But there again the queue is also the reason not to skip this. Each time the ride goes, there is a different song, and each song has a different dance. If you get there on the right day, the ride attendants, the queue, and the Disney superfans standing outside watching are doing the dances, and it’s adorable.

So, if you’re just there for the rides, you can probably skip this one, but if you’re there for the Disney experience, at the very least, watch the queue for a bit, even if you choose not to stand in it for too long.

9. The Evening Fireworks

The evening fireworks in the US parks are impressive. The Tokyo Disney ones, not so much. And, they often get cancelled, so, you might wait around for them for nothing. If you’re in the park late and they happen, excellent. But you’re wondering if you should stick around especially for them, I wouldn’t bother as they might not happen anyway.

In my opinion, Reach for the Sky, which launched in Tokyo Disneyland in 2024, has some fireworks and is far more impressive.

And talking of shows, I’m about to get controversial with my last choice!

10. Believe! Sea of Dreams

Okay, this is where I might get yelled at. I am not a fan of Believe! Sea of Dreams. I think it’s an impressive show – but I’ve never seen any of it very well because it takes place in the middle of the lake, and everything is miles away.

I’ve tried watching it twice. Once, I even went back to the hotel for a nap first so I would be fresh and enthusiastic. Both times, I got grumpy and bored—and I normally love a Disney show. The fact that it didn’t make me cry is also a bad sign – I cry at everything in Disney because it’s all so magical, and this just didn’t do it for me.

Other people, though, will say it’s the best Disney show in the world, so what I’m going to say is, if, like me, the thing you like most about the Disney parades is watching the characters and the detail on the floats up close, this might not be the show for you. Make the most of the shorter queues for the rides while it’s on.

If you do want to see it, book yourself a DPA so you can get one of the seats closer to the lake so you can enjoy the experience without being really, really far away.

So, that’s my list of things you can skip if time is tight. If you have enough time in the parks though, try and do everything you can. Pretty much all of them have something fun about them.