Is a Tokyo Disney Resort Vacation Package Worth It?

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Booking a holiday at Tokyo Disney can be a bit tricky. Trying to navigate hotel rooms that sell out quickly, plan which park to visit when and negotiate ways to beat the queues, makes the idea of booking a package that includes all those things sound very tempting – but, is a Tokyo Disney Vacation Package really worth it? We took a look…

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

What Do The Tokyo Disney Vacation Packages Include?

Exactly what’s included depends on which Tokyo Disneyland package you book. But, generally, here’s what can be included in the plans…

Hotel Room: Vacation packages are available for five of the six official Disney Hotels – Disney Ambassador Hotel, Tokyo Disneyland Hotel, Toy Story Resort, DisneySea Miracosta Hotel, and the new Fantasy Springs Hotel. Celebration Hotel is excluded.

Park Tickets: You get to visit either Disneyland or DisneySea on each day of your stay. Exactly which park is determined by your package and the days are set.

Attraction Tickets: These are the Vacation Package version of Premier Access and Priority Pass (if you have no idea what they are, then read our guide to Disney Extras when you finish this) – but, they allow you to get into an attraction with less queuing. Exactly how many you get depends on the package you book.

Character Greeting: Tokyo Disney Resort Vacation Package guests skip queues for character greetings in some packages.

Goodies: You get a gift with each package.

Breakfast: On day two (and three if applicable) of your stay

Free Soft Drinks: In the parks

There are also a few added extras to the new Fantasy Springs packages which I’ll explain below in their own section.

Exclusive Popcorn Bucket: For those who don’t know, popcorn buckets, and popcorn flavors, at Tokyo Disney are next-level inventive, and you get an exclusive bucket as part of your package.

Plus…Happy Entry: It’s not really a Vacation Package benefit as this comes as standard if you’re staying at an official Disney hotel even if you don’t buy a package, but it is a bonus. Happy Entry means you can enter certain parks 15 minutes earlier than the rest of the crowd on certain days of your stay.

We’ll explain each benefit in more detail further down.

Details of the Specific Vacation Packages

There are four types of Vacation Package that you can book at Tokyo Disney Resort and they vary by how many nights you want to stay – and very slightly by what they include. The packages run for either one night or two nights and you can book either an Enjoy Lots of Attractions package or, an Enjoy Attractions and More package.

We’ll break them down specifically below but…

Want Specifics? Here’s what each package contains.

One-Night Package Details

Package: Enjoy Lots of Attractions – 2 Days

Includes Per Group

One night stay at any of the four Vacation Package hotels – different category rooms are available (a full list is here) but some of the special rooms you can book (if available) include

The Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Stitch, and Donald Duck rooms in the Disney Ambassador Hotel and the Tinkerbell, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast rooms, and the Magic Kingdom Suite at Tokyo Disneyland Hotel

One voucher for the popcorn bucket per room

Then you get the following per person

Two one-day park tickets – Day One is spent at DisneySea, Day Two is at Disneyland

Three Attraction Tickets for DisneySea and three to use at Disneyland

One voucher for free soft drinks in the park

One voucher to pick up the included free gifts

It Doesn’t Include

Character Greeting Tickets

Package: Enjoy Attractions and More – 2 Days

Includes

Same as the above EXCEPT

You also get one Character Greeting Ticket for Mickey or Minnie (this is for the group)

You only get two Attraction Tickets for DisneySea and two to use at Disneyland

Two-Night Stay Package Details

Enjoy Lots of Attractions – 3 Days

Includes Per Group

Two-night stay at any of the four Vacation Package hotels – different category rooms are available (a full list is here) but some of the special rooms you can book (if available) include

The Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Stitch, and Donald Duck rooms in the Disney Ambassador Hotel and the Tinkerbell, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast rooms, and the Magic Kingdom Suite at Tokyo Disneyland Hotel

One voucher for the popcorn bucket per room

Then you get the following per person

Three one-day park tickets – Day One is DisneySea, Day Two is Disneyland, Day Three is DisneySea

Six attraction tickets for DisneySea (three for each day) and three to use at Disneyland

One voucher for free soft drinks in the park

One voucher to pick up the included free gifts

It Doesn’t Include

Character Greeting Tickets

Package Name: Enjoy Attractions and More – 3 Days

As above EXCEPT

You also get a Character Greeting Pass to meet either Mickey or Minnie

You only get two attraction tickets for Disneyland and five to use at DisneySea (over two days)

The Fantasy Springs Vacation Packages

I’m adding this section to the piece in February 2024 as these new packages vary very slightly and have one huge bonus. If you want to be one of the first people to visit Fantasy Springs, the new area at Tokyo DisneySea, booking one of the special Vacation Packages is one of the few ways to get into Fantasy Springs.

How is Fantasy Springs Going to Work

Fantasy Springs opens on June 6 2024 and right now, you won’t be able to just wander in there like you can the rest of DisneySea.

Instead, you’ll either need to get a free standby pass or buy a Premiere Access pass for one of the rides in Fantasy Springs via the app once you enter the park. You will be able to get these in the park, but it’s going to be like Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Japan and competition will be fierce.

I’d expect the day’s slots to fill up within 30 minutes of the doors opening at first – plus, even if you snag a ticket for one of the attractions, it seems to read like you can’t go on any of the other rides in the area without also getting separate passes to those, although you will be able to wander around the lands. I’m not quite sure if that’s lost in translation or actually the way it’s going to be. I guess we’ll find out in June!

However, none of this matters if you have the new 1-Day Passport – Fantasy Springs Magic. This gets you into DisneySea, lets you into Fantasy Springs, and you get a wristband that allows you to ride the rides as many times as you like. Right now you can only buy this as a stand-alone ticket, if you’re staying in the new Fantasy Springs Hotel. 

Or, you can book a Fantasy Springs Vacation Package at any of the included Disney Resort Hotels (again Celebration Hotel is not one of these)  that includes the Fantasy Springs Magic Ticket. That bit is important, just booking on a normal Vacation Package does not guarantee you access to Fantasy Springs – you must have the extra ticket included.

I don’t think it will be like this forever. But for the first few months, thousands of local visitors will be trying to get into this area of the park alongside all of us international tourists so they need to contain the crowds.

What’s Included in the Fantasy Springs Vacation Package

Fantasy Springs – 2 Days Enjoy Attractions and More Package includes 

Your Hotel Room

1 Day Entrance ticket to Disneyland

1 Day Entrance ticket to DisneySea

1 Day Fantasy Springs Magic Ticket, giving you access to all the rides as many times as you like

2 Attraction Tickets for rides at Disneyland – including BATB

1 Attraction Ticket for another ride at DisneySea

Character Greeting

The chance to advance book 2 lunches or dinners at either one of the selected park restaurants which include popular choices like Magellan’s and the SS Columbia Dining Room. Or, at a hotel restaurant including Chef Mickeys – Lotso Cafe is still only for Toy Story Guests though.

Character Greeting

Original gift, tote bag, and beverage package.

Artist’s impression. Fantasy Springs press image @Disney

Fantasy Springs – 3 Day Attractions and More Package includes

Your Hotel Room

1 Day Disneyland Ticket

1-Day Fantasy Springs Magic Ticket

1 extra day at DisneySea – but not guaranteed entry to Fantasy Springs

2 Attraction Tickets for Tokyo Disneyland

4 Attraction Tickets for DisneySea

Character Greeting

Three restaurant bookings for lunch and dinner

Original Gift, Tote Bag, Beverage Ticket, Popcorn case voucher (one per room)

This is where everything stands right now with dates of booking open until July 30th 2024. Things might change after that date if Disney expects things to calm down. I will try and keep an eye on things and amend this if they change, but do always check the website as things change fast when new areas open and if I’m off gallivanting around Japan (which I will be shortly), I might not get to update this immediately.

I will attempt to post up-to-date advice on my Tokyo Disney Facebook Group though so, join that for news as it happens.

Which Type of Package is Best For You

So, which of the above is best for you? Well, first decide how many days you want to spend at the parks, but from then…

If you have people in your party who want to meet Mickey or Minnie, you might be better off choosing the ‘Enjoy Attractions and More‘ package as you’ll be able to jump the queue to this and it can be long.

If you aren’t bothered about meeting Mickey or Minnie and are all about the rides, pick the simple Enjoy Lots of Attractions Package

If you want to do both, pick the Enjoy Attractions and More package as you can always buy another Premiere Access pass or two, but you can’t pay to skip the character lines.

If you want to go to Fantasy Springs, then you need a package that contains the Fantasy Springs Magic Ticket.

How Do the Costs Compare?

Normally buying a Vacation Package is a cheaper way of visiting a destination, so it might surprise you to find out that this isn’t the case with a Disney Vacation Package.

Let’s walk you through an example of the costs…

How Much Does a Disney Vacation Package Cost?

The One-Night Disney Enjoy Attractions and More Vacation Package staying at Disney’s Ambassador Hotel in a Minnie Mouse Room on November 1st, 2023, would cost 285,200 yen for a family of four with two kids aged 6 and 8 – both with their own bed.

This includes all Attraction Tickets as those with paid-for Premier Access Passes – so, The Enchanted Tale of Beauty and The Beast, The Happy Ride with Baymax, Soarin’, etc.

How Much Would That Cost to Book Yourself?

This is how much it will cost to pay for everything in the package yourself for the same date, hotel, and number of people.

Hotel Room – 77,000 yen

Park Tickets x 8 – 56800 yen (roughly)

Six Premiere Access Passes per person – 42,000

Popcorn Bucket – 2400 yen (roughly)

3 x soft drinks per person per day in the park (24 total – average 300 yen per drink as prices vary) – 7200

Breakfast for four – 10,000 yen

One Present each – 6000 yen (roughly)

Total Cost – 191,400 yen

Difference in Price

So, you’d be paying around 93,800 yen (roughly US$647, AU$1000 or £510) more for booking a package than if you tried to book it all yourself.

It was also more expensive to book for a couple with no kids.

As every package is priced individually, exactly how much difference there is between the package vs just a hotel room for you will vary depending on your date, the hotel and room you choose, how many people there are, and the different extra choices – but, generally you won’t save money booking a vacation package.

It might, therefore, seem silly to book the package, but, there are a couple of things to keep in mind before you discount the idea.

Benefits of Booking a TDR Vacation Package?

They Can Go on Sale Earlier

From Nov 1st, Tokyo Disney hotel rooms go on sale four months before the date of check-in, but packages go on sale for the whole month on the 1st of the month four months before check-in, which gives you more options.

This makes a package potentially easier to secure – and that might be important if you’re really trying to get a specific date for, say a birthday, or a specific themed room.

Fantasy Springs Access

It’s by far the best way to get into Fantasy Springs at the moment simply because it lets you ride every ride more than once. Even I might have to buy a package for that.

Less Stress

Possibly because they are more expensive, I could also book all sorts of different room types for November 1st (I’m writing this August 11th) when researching this, but, very few hotel rooms were available for that same day.

During my research to add the Fantasy Springs update, I could buy packages for July 1st on February 7th with a few minutes wait- the hotel crashes the website when it goes on sale!

Admittedly July is also one of the quieter times at the Disney resort.

Booking a Tokyo Disney Hotel room can mean being online the minute they go on sale for your date Japanese time (even if that’s 4 am where you are), or getting lucky when people have changed their minds – it’s stressful.

Booking a package has less competition and more flexibility.

Might be Better for Bigger Families

Typing in a few different dates and configurations, it seems like if you have two or more kids over four, you may have more chance of finding a room on a Vacation Package than booking individually.

Planners Will Love It

I was surprised to discover that everything is done during your initial booking.

You even book your Premier Access passes ride times – this reduces a lot of stress for the day itself and allows you to plan your day well in advance.

And don’t worry, you can make minor changes to things like pass times if you suddenly realize you booked your Attraction Ticket for Baymax during a parade!

Dining Reservations

It’s not mentioned on the list of official benefits, but, I’ve been told that if you’re a package guest you can make all your dining reservations for your stay in one go.

So, if you’re staying from say, December 10-13, you will be able to make all your bookings on November 10th. Non-package guests will need to log on daily to book dining. This could be helpful if you want to get into very popular restaurants like Chef Mickey or Magellan’s.

Downsides of Booking a TDR Vacation Package?

Budget

It’s very likely to cost you more than booking everything yourself. Celebration Hotel, the Park’s value offering, is also not included in packages.

Limited Nights

You can only book a maximum of two nights – if you want to stay longer, you’ll have to make a separate booking for a hotel room which could see you getting stuck in the hotel lottery anyway.

Inflexibility

You can’t change your park tickets. So if you want to stay for one night, but spend two days at DisneySea and skip Disneyland (or vice versa) you can’t do that on a vacation package.

You also can’t swap park days. So if you’d prefer to visit Disneyland first, but your package has DisneySea as your first park you can’t swap.

So Many Decisions

If you’re not a planner, trying to work out what type of Attraction Ticket you want and what time you might want breakfast could be a level of detail you’re not ready for if you haven’t even sorted out your hotel yet!

That’s what we think are the main pros and cons, but, before you make your choice there are a few other things to note…

Anything Else to Be Aware Of?

Kids Details

Vacation Package prices vary by the number of people in your party, but children three and under are free. If you have children over four you must choose the ‘own bed’ option during the booking process.

Watch Breakfast Time

You might not want to use the inclusive breakfast as it can clash with the time for Happy Entry (see below if you don’t know how this works in Tokyo as it’s not quite the same as in the US parks), yet you can’t remove the cost from the package.

Also, watch the dinner and lunch bookings on the Fantasy Springs packages – these add a fair bit to the cost so only select these if you know you’re going to use them. If you’re not sure, just select no restaurant when you’re making up your package.

Ticket Guarantee

It can be reassuring to have your park tickets confirmed, but, if you are staying in an official Disney Hotel, you are guaranteed to be able to book park tickets anyway.

Shut Off Time

You can’t leave booking a Vacation Package until the last minute. Vacation sales close ten days before your date of arrival.

Credit Cards

Disney’s website can be tricky with foreign credit cards. They’ve got better, but your card must use 3D Secured for it to work – so check with your card issuer and make sure you pick the right one to secure your booking – you don’t want to get thrown out at the last minute.

Get Organised

You choose your Attraction Ticket choices before you enter the park. This can be great to help you plan your day for those where you also select a time but do your research carefully as to which types you’d like to include – see our Vacation Package Dictionary below for more advice here.

International Packages

The perks in the international packages aren’t the same as those for Japanese guests, who also get things like special parade viewing areas, which is a bit unfair.

So, hopefully, that’s given you enough information to help you decide whether a Tokyo Disney Vacation Package is worth it for your trip – and, if you have decided to buy one, you’re going to need to understand how a few things work before you go to book – and for that, you’ll need our dictionary.

The Vacation Package Dictionary

Like many theme parks, Tokyo Disney Resort has its own phrases it uses to describe things, so, for clarification, here’s what the different terms mean and any important points you need to know about them when booking a Vacation Package.

Attraction Tickets Explained

These are the equivalent of the paid-for Premier Access passes and the free Summer Priority Pass (explained here), but they work a little bit differently. For starters, there are three types

Type One: Pick Ride and Time

For some rides (including The Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast, The Happy Ride with Baymax, Toy Story Mania! and Soaring: Fantastic Flight, you will pick both the ride you want to go on and a designated time to enter the ride. And you do this as you book your hotel – so, you’ll need to have an idea of roughly which you want and what time you want to ride.

Type Two: Choose a Ride But Use Any Time

Includes Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror, and Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Here you pick the ride but you can go on at any time during your day in the park.

Type Three: Any Ride, Any Time

Includes most of the other ‘big rides’ – you don’t need to decide on these and can use these on any included ride at any time throughout the day.

Attraction Ticket Tactics

There are two schools of thought on how best to use Attraction Tickets.

One group says to book as many of the Premier Access rides as your package allows to avoid the risk of Premier Access selling out. They are also slightly cheaper than booking them in the park – adding two BATB passes puts a package up by just 2400 yen, it would cost 4000 to buy them in the park.

The other group says to book rides that don’t allow any kind of queue jumping to people not on a package to save more time as you can always buy extra Premier Access passes once you enter the park.

Greeting Tickets Explained

You can pick a time to visit either Minnie’s Style Studio or Mickey’s House to meet Minnie and Mickey with a short queue.

This is a pretty cool perk as you can’t pay to jump queues here otherwise.

Happy Entry Explained

As we said, this isn’t a specific Vacation Package benefit, it’s open to anyone staying in one of the official hotels, but it does mean you get into the parks 15 minutes earlier than the crowd through a special entrance.

Exactly which park you get Happy 15 Entry to depends on which hotel you’re staying in.

If you’re staying at any of the five official hotels, Happy Entry to Disneyland is included. However, Happy Entry is only available for DisneySea if you’re staying at the Deluxe Resorts – Tokyo Disneyland Hotel, Disney Ambassador Hotel, and Tokyo DisneySea Miracosta Hotel.

Note: From June 6th 2024, Happy Entry to DisneySea will only be available for guests of Miracosta and Fantasy Springs Hotel – this may not be permanent, it might only be while the Fantasy Springs crowds are expected to be at their highest.

One thing to be aware of here is that the Tokyo theme parks tend to open earlier than the time they specify – if the park says it opens at 9 am and you rock up at 8.45 expecting to get a head start you’ll be sadly disappointed. This was the queue the day I went and I arrived about 7.45 am for a 9 am opening -the gates opened just after 8 am.

So, even with Happy Entry, you’ll still need to get to the park at least an hour and 15 minutes earlier than the specified opening time, ideally 90 minutes before – then head toward the special entrance for Disney guests.

Happy Entry is not available on your check-in day. Occasionally Disney also stops Happy Entry on specific days – they do publish these dates three months in advance though so check here before you book to ensure you’ll be able to take advantage of it.

How to Book a Tokyo Disney Vacation Package?

You book them via the Tokyo Disney Resort’s official website.

As I said, packages tend to be put onto the site in one-month clumps, and this usually happens four months before the date of the first date in the package – ie December went on sale in August.

If they follow this pattern, then the next pack released will be for January 2024 and this will go on sale September 1st, 2023. Then February will go on sale October 1st – and so on.

I have noticed that March is on sale October 31st which is a break from the norm, so I’d start checking the last day of the month just in case this is the new plan going forward.

This all happens at 3 pm Tokyo time.

You can log on to book a package here.

Tips for Booking a Tokyo Disneyland Vacation Package

It will help to have your Disney account already set up, make sure your credit card company knows you’re likely to be making a foreign purchase, and, ensure you use a card with 3D Secure enabled.

Know what hotels you would like and the type of room you’re hoping for. Have a few alternative options ready just in case the one you want has already been booked. This is particularly important for the cheaper rooms and Toy Story Hotel which tends to sell out the fastest.

Remember, if your children are over four you need to select the own bed option when asked to choose bed share or own bed.

Also, have an idea of which Attraction Tickets you want to book and roughly what time you’ll want to use any of the ‘Type One’ style as you’ll book these now.

Also, think about what time you’re going to have breakfast – remember, you’re aiming for as early as possible if you want to use Early Entry. Early slots do go early though.

If you don’t get a package, do try again as people do change their mind. And don’t forget that even if you don’t manage to book a Vacation Package, or, a room at one of the official Disney hotels there are lots of other hotels very close to Disneyland and DisneySea – see more in our post on Hotels with Disney Shuttles.

If you’re still in two minds about whether you should stay at Tokyo Disney Resort in the first place, then you’re going to need our post spelling out the things to consider.

If you have any more questions then head over to our Facebook Group and ask them there.