Essential Tips For Your First Tokyo Disney Visit

Tokyo Disney Resort doesn’t work exactly like the other Disney parks. Here’s what you need to know before you visit.

If it’s your first visit to the Tokyo Disney resort, there are a couple of things you need to know even if you’ve been to the US parks a few times. The different culture in Japan, and the fact that Tokyo Disney isn’t run day-to-day by the Disney corporation, means that Tokyo Disney has a few quirks.

Here are the essential tips we think will answer most of your questions, or that you just need to know, before your first visit to Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea.

Post first written March 2024. The latest update and fact check were in January 2026. Advice, prices and park information are based on personal experience from recent visits (last one in Nov 2024) and the Tokyo Disney website.

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

Buying Tickets

It’s the first step to your visit, and while it sounds simple, it can sometimes get a bit frustrating… here are the basics.

1. You Must Buy Tickets in Advance

As it stands right now, you can’t buy tickets at the gate for Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea, you have to book beforehand.

They go on sale two months before the day of entry, and while they do sell out on very busy days, unlike trying to book Universal Studios Express Passes or snagging a seat for dinner at the Pokémon Cafe, you do not have to be online the second they go on sale.

You can buy tickets through the Tokyo Disney website, the Tokyo Disney app, or third-party sites like Klook.

2. There Aren’t Always Park Hoppers

This used to say there are no Park Hoppers, but TDR has started bring them back for limited periods. However, to be honest, they probably aren’t that helpful to the average tourist (see our guide to why here).

Outside of Park Hopper season, you can only buy one-day passes, or, there is an evening ticket that allows entry from 3 pm at weekends or 5 pm in the week (only available directly from the Disney website or app) for a slightly lower price.

You also can’t buy multi-day passes right now.

3. The Disney Website Doesn’t Always Like Foreign Cards

Admittedly, buying tickets isn’t always easy – the Disney website requires your credit card to have a security system called 3D Secure enabled, or it won’t work – and even then, it can throw up an error. It particularly hates VISA cards.

If you have trouble, the easiest solution is just to buy one-day passes on Klook. They cost the same as buying from Disney and, have all the same perks as tickets bought directly from Disney.

If you don’t want to do that for some reason, check the error code you’re given when the screen below appears. If it’s 01155, the error is at Disney’s end, and they can unblock your account if you call them.

See our longer guide if you have more questions about the best ways to buy your Disney tickets.

4. You Still Get Happy 15 With Klook

Happy 15 Entry allows people staying in the hotels run by Tokyo Disney to enter the park 15 minutes before the other guests. You still get this even if you bought your tickets from a third party, as it’s a hotel perk, not a Disney ticket one.

Update: Maintenance work on the gate at DisneySea is causing some changes to Happy Entry timings the hotels that include Happy Entry to DisneySea throughout 2026 and beyond. Make sure you check the official rules before booking or visiting so you know the latest situation.

Entering the Park

If you’re used to rope drop at the US Parks, things work a little differently here, so here’s what you need to know…

5. Opening Times Mean Nothing

The park might say it opens at 9 am, but chances are it will actually open somewhere between 8.15 and 8.45. Ideally, you want to be in the queue about an hour before the park opens if you want to beat the crowds.

6. Happy 15 Guests Get a Heads Up

People often wonder what this means for those with Happy 15 – what time should you arrive?

Your hotel will tell you what time to arrive for Happy 15 Entry the night before, allowing for the variable opening hours. The entrance is off to the side of the normal queues. Cast members will guide you, so ask if you can’t find it.

Related Read: If you are hoping to stay at Tokyo Disney hotel, then you might want to read our beginners guide to Disney hotels after this.

7. You Can Leave and Come Back

They used to stamp your hand to do this, now they adjust your ticket, so make sure you speak with a cast member. This benefit is one reason why staying near the park can be worth it (especially if you have kids, tired legs or jetlag and might need an afternoon break).

8. Forget the Turn Left Rule

When I used to visit the US Disney parks, the rule was always to go left when you entered the parks as, most people turn right out of habit.

Most people are also going to veer off the right at Tokyo Disney, but it’s not just habit – it’s a conscious decision. The most popular rides, the ones with the longest queues that you’re aiming to beat by getting there early – Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast and Baymax in Disneyland and Soaring: Fantastic Flight or the Fantasy Springs area at DisneySea – are all accessed via the right-hand path!

So chances are you’re going to want to go right.

Going left, though, at Disneyland will take you to the rides you might already be familiar with – Pirates of the Caribbean or Jungle Cruise at Disneyland, these tend to have low queues throughout the day, so aren’t a good use of any morning advantage. If you don’t want to join the rush for Baymax or Beauty and the Beast, you might also want to head back to Splash Mountain to beat the crowds there.

Going left at Tokyo DisneySea, however, will bring you to Toy Story Mania and Tower of Terror – this is worth doing as these are both rides that get longer queues. This was where I headed as soon as I got through the gate, and I was on Tower of Terror by 9.30, and I bought my Premier Access for Toy Story Mania to ride straight after in the queue – and I still managed to get on the Venetian Gondola ride in between!

Another good first destination would be to head to Journey to the Centre of the Earth at DisneySea, as that also has longer queues.

NEED EXTRA HELP: Find more ride planning strategies in our Tokyo Disney planner. It will talk you through all the steps of planning the perfect visit from day one – and it costs less than a set of Mickey ears. Blog readers get a discount at checkout. Use the code BLG25 to get 25 per cent off it or any of our other planners.

Waiting Times and Queue Skipping

If you only have one day in each park and rides are your priority, trust me, you’re going to want to know your way around the various queue-skipping services…

9. Expect Long Queues

Don’t underestimate the queues at Tokyo Disney parks – 2-3 hour waits are not unusual for the most popular rides.

The parks can be extremely busy, and Tokyo parks have an extremely high percentage of local guests. Japanese Disney guests are very calm and patient, so they don’t mind standing in a queue for hours for one ride. This combination can make for some very long queues.

10. Pick your Day Carefully

Generally, weekends are busier than weekdays, and you should definitely try to avoid any public holidays, and, where possible, the Japanese school holidays.

Check your schedule against our guide to specific dates to try and avoid at Tokyo Disney.

11. They Don’t Have One Queue Jumping Pass

Unlike Universal Studios Japan, Tokyo Disney does not sell one pass that allows you to skip the queues on lots of different rides, instead, they offer two types of skip-the-queue passes.

Premier Access is a paid-for pass that covers three of the biggest rides, two shows and the main parades, at Disneyland. At Tokyo DisneySea, it includes seven rides, including three in Fantasy Springs, the main evening show – Believe! Sea of Dreams and two daytime shows.

Priority Pass is free and covers five of the other rides at Disneyland and six experiences at Tokyo DisneySea. The two passes don’t cross over, and in most cases, a ride is either paid or free, not both.

See more details about which rides are included in our longer guide to Disney tickets and add-ons.

12. You Cannot Buy Either Pass Outside the Park

Unlike the US parks, where you can use Genie+ to plan your day before the gates open, you can only book Premier Access Passes and Priority Passes once your ticket has been physically scanned into the gates.

It should be one of the first things you do when you enter the park, as they can run out as the day goes on.

RELATED READ: 19 Differences Between the US and Japanese parks.

13. The Rides with the Longest Queues Are

In Disneyland: The Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast, Pooh’s Hunny Hunt, Monsters Inc Ride & Go Seek, The Happy Ride with Baymax and Splash Mountain.

In DisneySea: Anna & Elsa’s Frozen Journey, Soaring: Fantastic Flight and Toy Story Mania are the longest. Indiana Jones, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, and Tower of Terror come next.

Those are the ones to prioritise for skip-the-line passes.

14. You Can Have a DPA and a PP at the Same Time

So, snap up as many as you can! The rules are you can buy a second Premier Access pass once the time for your current one starts, or after one hour – whichever comes first.

For Priority Passes, you can buy again once your entry window has opened, or two hours after you bought the last one if you haven’t used it yet.

You can also have a Premier Access pass for a show and a ride at the same time.

15. Get Yourself Some Internet

Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea do not have public wifi outside of the area around the main gate, so, if you want to get either of the skip-the-line passes, you’ll need some way of getting online.

I used an Ubigi eSIM as it meant I could keep my phone number live for text messages from my credit card company, but, if you’re not sure an eSIM is right for you, check out our guide to getting online in Japan here.

16. More Cards Work in the Park

Don’t ask me why, but, VISA cards tend to be fine for buying Premier Access passes once you’re there. I used my WISE VISA card which, as you can see by the big error message above, did not work to buy tickets! But do make sure you can receive text messages from your credit card company if they send them.

All cards also work fine in the shops and restaurants.

17. Guest Services Also Sell Passes

If you do have trouble buying passes online, then you can get them from Guest Services. In Tokyo Disneyland this is at Main Street House, at Tokyo DisneySea this is at DisneySea Plaza.

18. There are Now More Single Rider Rides

These can be another way to help reduce queueing time if you’re traveling solo, or, don’t mind splitting up your party, and Disney just added some of THE most popular rides to the list.

At Disneyland, The Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast now has a Single Rider queue. In DisneySea, you can use it for Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey, Peter Pan’s Neverland Adventure, Raging Spirits and Indiana Jones.

Remember that your party will be split up with Single Rider, so don’t use this queue unless you’re happy for that to happen. Children may have to ride alone.

19. There is Child Swap

If you are traveling with a child that is too small to ride a ride, or doesn’t want to, you can use the Child Swap service where one adult rides the ride and the other waits with the child – and then you can swap.

To access this, head to the ride queue and say that you want to use Rider Switch. The first guest will join the normal queue, and whoever is waiting with the child will get time to return to the ride, at which point, they can use a shorter queue.

Things to Know About Rides

If I’ve counted correctly, there are 27 rides in Disneyland and 24 in DisneySea – these range from rollercoaster thrill rides to boats or trains – and here’s what you need to know about them.

20. The Commentary Isn’t Always in English

Not surprisingly, as this is a Japanese park, most of the rides have commentary and backstories in Japanese.

If you’ve been to the US Parks, you’ll probably know most of the stories, even if there are a few little differences. Others are completely different – like the backstory of the Tower of Terror, which concerns the curse of a stolen artifact – but not being able to understand the Japanese certainly doesn’t spoil any of the rides.

The attractions it can mess with are the interactive experiences and one of the shows. Find more details on these in our guide to things you can skip at the Disney parks.

21. But Signs and Instructions Are

While we’re talking about things in English, there is more English elsewhere in the park—signs, menus, emergency announcements, and anything else important are all in English.

If the language barrier is worrying you, though, then check out our guide to how much English you’ll find in Japan for some reassurance.

22. You Can Be Too Tall For Some Rides

Yes, that’s right – you’re used to the idea that children might be too short to ride a ride, but at Tokyo Disney, you can also be too tall for a couple.

Raging Spirits has a height restriction of under 195cm.

Ladies, Raging Spirits can also be a bit tricky if you have a larger chest. You might also get checked if the over-the-shoulder restraints fasten safely.

Most other rides in Disney are okay if you’re a bit more Pooh-sized, though. This is different from USJ, where ride seats run smaller. See a list of USJ rides where you might hit problems in our Express Pass guide.

23. Rides/Attractions That Are Similar to the US

If you regularly go to the US Parks, some of the rides are the same, so, if time is tight, you could cut these out – they include Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Dumbo, Haunted Mansion (there are some tiny differences, but, not enough to change the ride itself), Star Tours and a few others.

DisneySea has more unique rides, although Toy Story Mania is the same. Soaring: Fantastic Flight is similar – but the ending is different.

How often you go to the US Parks is one of the things I think you should look at if you can only visit one park and are deciding whether to visit Disneyland or DisneySea. See the rest of them in the post.

24. Some Things Can Be a Bit Old School

Some of the rides are copies of those in the US – but without their recent updates. So, Pirates of the Caribbean still has ‘Red’ and, Splash Mountain has the Southern theme.

This might be something that appeals to your sense of nostalgia, but, if you didn’t like those elements of those rides in the US Parks, you might want to skip them.

25. Check the Closure Calendar

This is always a good idea, but some big rides are down for a long period in 2026.

In Disneyland…

Dumbo – January 5 to July 31

Haunted Mansion – January 13 to February 18

Splash Mountain – January 12 to February 14

Jungle Cruise – January 19 to February 19

Mickey’s Philharmagic – February 20 to March 23

Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast – 27 February to March 3

Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin – March 24 – May 22

Peter Pan’s Flight – March 24 to May 22

Minnies House – April 1 to April 14

Pirates of the Caribbean – May 11 to 17 June

Big Thunder Mountain – 22 May to June 15

Pinocchio’s Daring Journey – June 8 to June 26

It’s a Small World – June 29 to August 3

In DisneySea…

Indiana Jones closed in August 2025, with no current reopening date as I type this.

Raging Spirits – 27 January to February 20

Peter Pan’s Neverland Adventure – March 2 to March 6

Sindbad’s Storybook Voyage – March 17 to 30 April

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea – April 2nd to May 11th

Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey – May 12 to June 3

Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival – July 1 to July 24

Some smaller rides also have closure dates during this time. You’ll find the full closure calendar here.

26. The ‘Scary’ Rides Are…

This does depend on your definition of scary, so I’m just going to list the potentially scary features of different rides.

Rides with an inversion: Raging Spirits

Rides with a large drop: Tower of Terror, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain

Rides that go fastest are: Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Indiana Jones, Raging Spirits, Journey to the Center of the Earth

Rides with Dark Bits: Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Snow White’s Adventure, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (this might also not be great if you’re claustrophobic), Journey to the Center of the Earth.

The warnings on Soaring: Fantastic Flight suggest not riding it if you’re scared of heights. I am, but, I don’t find it scary at all.

You can filter the rides on the app for elements like ‘spinning’, ‘speed’ and ‘darkness’

27. Don’t Miss Sindbad’s Storybook Adventure

This ride in the Arabian Coast section of Tokyo DisneySea is an absolute joy. It’s kind of like It’s a Small World with a song that’s less likely to send you homicidal by the time you get off.

How to Handle Fantasy Springs

This gets its own section as it’s new and a bit confusing! Fantasy Springs is a new area of Tokyo DisneySea, which opened in June 2024. A lot has changed about it since then, so, this is the latest situation.

28. There Are Four Attractions in Fantasy Springs

These are Peter Pan’s Neverland Adventure, Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival, Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey and Fairy Tinkerbell’s Busy Buggies.

29. You Can Now Queue For the Rides

This didn’t used to be the case, but now you can either buy a DPA for the Rapunzel, Frozen and Peter Pan rides in this area, or, use the main queue.

Fairy Tinkerbell’s Busy Buggies is only available through queuing.

30. Frozen is the Hardest Ride to Get

When the old system was in place, getting a spot on any ride in Fantasy Springs was stressful. That’s no longer the case. Rapunzel and Peter Pan have manageable queues, and the DPA’s are available until lunchtime.

Frozen, however, is a whole different ballgame. The queue is regularly over two hours, and the DPAs sell out by around 9.15 in the morning.

If you are desperate to ride Frozen without a long queue, you need to get to the park early, have Happy Entry or, book one of the Vacation Packages that allow you to book it in advance. The Single Rider might make things easier – or, it might just be another long ride – we shall see.

31. All the Restaurants Use Mobile Ordering

You also can’t just wander into the restaurants. You need to order your meal in advance and pick it up at a set time. Don’t stress about this, though. You can literally order outside the restaurant to pick up in 5-10 minutes. See more about mobile ordering in our guide here.

32. The Fantasy Springs Hotel is Guests Only

Fantasy Springs also has a hotel attached, but this is currently only open to hotel guests; you can’t just go and look around. However, dining at the Fantasy Springs restaurant inside can sometimes be included as a perk in some Vacation Packages.

However, it’s always worth asking. A small note on the TDR website says, that ‘depending on the conditions of the day’ the Fantasy Springs Hotel restaurant may be open to people visiting Tokyo DisneySea. It says to use the restaurant entrance in the park. I’m guessing that if they have tables free, they might let you in.

Eating and Drinking

As ever with Disney, you’re not going to starve in the parks, but at Tokyo Disney, the food is an attraction in itself.

33. The Food is Next Level Cute

If they can make it into a character shape, they will – even the eggs in the noodle dishes have Mickey Mouse middles (HOW?).

There are many themed seasonal offerings, but some of the cutest foods you’ll find in the park year-round include the Baymax Curry from Centre Street Coffeeshop, the Mike Melon Pan from Mama Biscotti’s Bakery, and the Green Alien Mochi. I got mine at Plazma Ray’s Diner.

34. Try Mobile Ordering

There are so many restaurants and counter service spots in the parks, you’re never going to starve even if you don’t make any restaurant reservations, but, on very busy days, the queues for food at peak times can be long, so mobile ordering can save you time.

You order on the app for a set time, and when that time comes, you alert the restaurant that you’re there (on the app), then you’ll pick your food up at the window at your designated time.

For more details of exactly which restaurants have it, and tips on how to use it, check out our guide to jumping the food queues at Tokyo Disney.

35. If You Want Priority Seating

Priority seating allows you to dine with the smallest possible wait. You book this online at the Tokyo Disney website, or, on the app.

For non-hotel guests, reservations open at 10.00 am a month before the date you want to dine.

The hardest ones to get are Magellan’s, dinner at the SS Columbia, Blue Bayou, and Oceano and Bella Vista Lounge. Both of these are technically in the MiraCosta hotel but, they overlook the Mediterranean area of DisneySea and so, can offer views of any shows on the lagoon.

It’s also always worth trying on the day – I booked my 2pm seat at the Centre Street Coffeeshop while in the queue for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad!

Don’t miss the tip below for finding slots more easily during your stay.

36. Show Restaurants Book Out Fast

In these fun dining experiences, you get a show by the characters while you dine.

There are three show restaurants in the parks – The Diamond Horseshoe and Mickey’s Rainbow Luau (at the Polynesian Terrace) are both in Disneyland, and Duffy and Friends Wonderful Friendship at Cape Cod Cookoff is DisneySea.

Reservations are essential. Like Priority Seating, you can book these a month before your visit – but, they go on sale slightly earlier at 9 am. They all sell out even faster than the normal restaurants.

37. Use the All Button

If the exact time you planned to dine at any of the above isn’t available, and you can be a little bit flexible, don’t give up yet.

When you’re booking you’ll see the option to show ‘Available Only’ or ‘All’ – switch the toggle to All. Then, when the screen changes, change the selection to ‘All Week’ – this will show you every free spot for the restaurant that week, including any free spots open for different times on the day you wanted.

It’s much quicker than picking random times and hoping you find one.

38. There’s More Vegetarian Food Now

You still won’t find vegetarian main meals at every restaurant, but the number of dishes is growing. Look for the Vegetable Curry at the Casbah Food Court, and the Vegetarian version of the Baymax Curry at the Centre Street Coffeehouse.

You’ll also find vegetarian main meals at Eastside Cafe at Disneyland and Cafe Portofino
Zambini Brothers’ Ristorante and Ristorante di Canaletto in DisneySea.

Officially, Disney says there are no vegan dishes in the park. However, the Vegetarian Curry and Vegetable Stew with rice that’s available on the specialist menu in many restaurants, do not contain meat, fish, eggs or dairy.

We have a full list of vegetarian options on the standard menus in our guides to Tokyo Disneyland with a fussy eater (with apologies to all veggies and vegans for calling you fussy) and Tokyo DisneySea with a fussy eater.

The best resource I’ve found for keeping up with the park’s vegan options and seasonal offerings is the Instagram of TDRVegan.

39. Eating With Allergies

There is a page on the Tokyo Disney Website that allows you to filter meals by allergen at every restaurant.

At many restaurants, they also offer Vegetable Curry and Vegetable Stew from the Special Dietary Menu, which is free from five major allergens: wheat, dairy products, eggs, buckwheat, and peanuts.

People with allergies are also one group who are allowed to bring their own food into the park.

40. If You Don’t Like Your Popcorn

The park is famous for its amazing popcorn buckets – and the unique flavours of popcorn within them – but, if you don’t like the flavour that comes in your bucket, you can ask for a voucher to use at another popcorn stand.

41. There is Free Water in the Parks

If you’re never knowingly parted from your water bottle, you might wonder if you’ll be able to fill it in the parks, and the answer is yes. There are water fountains all over. Check out our guide to drinking water in Japan for more tips on staying hydrated.

Parades and Shows

There is at least one actual parade (or boat parade at DisneySea) a day in the parks and several different shows. The shows particularly require some extra planning than you might be used to.

42. Shows Need an Entry Request

As with Priority Passes and Premiere Access, you book these in advance on the app. They run on a lottery system, so not everyone who makes one will get in.

Sometimes, on a quieter day, you might get into the first show of the day by just turning up, but this is unlikely to work for later shows.

You can now also book Disney Premier Access for all of the permanent shows in Disneyland, and Believe! Sea of Dreams and Dreams Take Flight at DisneySea.

43. People Sit Down For Parades

Most locals will bring a mat or blanket to sit on – some even have cushions (I’m packing the blow-up one I use on the plane!).

You might be allowed to stand right at the back in certain areas, but follow cast member instructions if they move you on.

If it’s hard to sit on the floor, the Tomorrowland Terrace is a good place to watch from with chairs – or step seating, but you’ll need to get there early. You can also get a view from some seats in the Plaza Pavilion.

You will find other benches and walls along the route, which tend to get snagged early.

44. Know the Route

The parades start between Fantasyland and the Haunted Mansion and loop around the castle before heading out by Toontown.

45. Things Change in Rain

Sometimes the parade will be completely cancelled if it rains, or, in the case of the evening Electrical Parade, Nightfall Glow, a smaller parade with characters has been presented instead. This goes the opposite way from the route shown above. It’s actually very cute so don’t leave early just because the Electrical Parade is off.

Sadly, Nightfall Glow is ending on March 31st.

46. Fireworks Often Get Cancelled

Never promise your kids that they will see the fireworks! They get cancelled if the wind gets up – and, as Tokyo Disney is waterfront, that happens a lot. To be honest, they aren’t great – and, if you’re staying at nearby hotels you might see them anyway, I’ve had a view from the outside corridor at the Mystays Maihama and from my balcony at the Grand Nikko Maihama.

47. Reach for the Stars is Fabulous

This new show started in September 2024 and it’s fantastic. It has fireworks, projections on the castle and one of those stirring songs and uplifting Disney messages that makes you cry. Don’t miss it.

Accessibility

If you need a little extra help around the park, Disney tries to make things easier in lots of ways. Like these…

48. Cheaper Tickets Might Be Available

Tokyo Disney Resort offers discounted tickets to those with disabilities and one carer. However, tickets can only be bought directly from the Tokyo Disney website or app, which can cause credit card issues.

Note though, the rules for ‘proving’ a disability are a bit ambiguous, so, just be a bit cautious about using these if you’re not certain that you meet the criteria – the difference in price is only about 1400 yen, and the saving might not be worth the hassle of being turned away.

49. If You Can’t Wait in a Queue

The Disabled Access Service and Separate Wait Service allow people who can’t spend long physically waiting in a queue to wait elsewhere and then join the queue close to the ride loading point.

The systems work a bit differently from the US system, so read our in-depth guide using DAS at Tokyo Disney Resort for all the details you need.

50. Some Rides Have Wheelchair Access

A number of attractions have direct wheelchair access including Toy Story Mania, the Caravan Carousel, and Jasmine’s Flying Carpets.

Other rides might require you to transfer to a designated wheelchair—these include Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters and Sindbad’s Storybook Voyage.

Other rides have designated wheelchair boarding areas where extra time can be given for someone to transfer to a seat in the ride – Monsters inc and Poohs Hunny Hunt are on this list.

Speak to the cast member at the attraction, who will help you gain access.

If you are visiting the park in a wheelchair, I’d definitely suggest reading this post on visiting TDR in a wheelchair from Jodie at Learners and Makers. It has some excellent tips, including a few useful phrases that helped her explain things in the park.

I’d also suggest downloading the Disney Accessibility booklet, which explains exact ride accessibility and access to the monorail and other elements of the resort for wheelchair users. It also lists the locations of toilets with wheelchair-accessible stalls and other useful facilities. It is much more useful than the website itself.

51. Check the Braille Models

If you are traveling as or with a blind, or visually impaired person, then, Tokyo Disney offers tactile maps (in Japanese) and scale models of rides and characters that they can check out before experiencing the attractions in the park. You’ll find these in Guest Services in DisneySea and Main Street House in Disneyland.

52. You Can Bring in Special Meals

Food can be brought into the park for those with specific medical dietary requirements – and, many of the restaurants offer facilities to warm meals or allow for pureeing or mincing. The Accessibility booklet above lists the locations and their facilities.

53. Assistance Dogs Can Enter the Park

There’s also a list in the Accessibility Booklet about which attractions your dog can enter with you.

Merchandise and Shopping

54. Some Shops Need a Booking

It’s not that common now, but, on days when new merchandise is released, some shops will work on the entry request or Standby Pass system to reduce queues.

As ever you book these on the app and you’ll be given a specific time to come back to the store when you can shop.

55. You’re Going to Want Some Ears

So many people wear ears, cute headbands, giant character hats, and more that you’ll feel left out if you don’t have them on! If you want to take things even further, check out our guide to 20 Disney-bounding ideas for some fun character-inspired outfits that suit the Tokyo Disney dress aesthetic.

56. This is Duffy & Friends

Japanese people go nuts for them!

Duffy and Friends are some of the most popular characters in the park. Duffy is actually Mickey Mouse’s bear bought for him by Minnie Mouse – and he has his own set of companions which include a cat, a fox, a rabbit and a female bear.

You’ll find most of the Duffy merchandise around the Cape Cod area of the park, which is also home to the Duffy and Friends show restaurant.

But also keep your eye out for the cute photo stops around the park with special backdrops for people to photograph their Duffy and Friends toys. You’ll see lots of people carrying them.

57. Buy Things as You See Them

Talking of merchandise, it can sell out, so, if you see something you really like, don’t wait until the end of the day as it might be gone.

There are lockers in the park if you don’t want to carry your souvenirs all day – but note, they are one access only so if you open them up to add more you’ll have to pay again.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a package shipping service to your Disney hotel room like there is the US.

58. They Do Pins – But Not Trading

If you’ve been to the US you might have swapped pins that you own for those on cast members, you can’t do that in Japan. They used to do it but people got a bit carried away so it was stopped!

Pins are available to buy in the parks though.

59. Buy a Pink Patch if You See Them

Chances are after a day or two in the parks, your feet and legs are going to ache – and, the pink patches are the solution. You’ll find them in shops at some of the Disney hotels – and if you want to see more about them, check out our guide to the Magic Pink Patch and thank me later!

So, there you have it – our guide to the tips that answer the questions we’re asked most by people visiting Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea for the first time. If it didn’t cover your question, then please head over to our Tokyo Disney and USJ planning group on Facebook where someone should be able to answer that for you.

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