8 day help - where to start

bearette · Aug 15, 2015

I have twins who are three as well as my husband traveling. I'm planning a potential trip near Easter 2016 of around 8 days. I would like to spend three or four days in the park but my kids would turn 4 on the 24 th so to save money I would need to do Disney before then and avoid weekends as I see that is a crowded time. Looking at arriving around 7:30pm March 18 on the flight I'm looking at. I would need to leave on Easter Sunday. We are pretty adventurous so public transit and local areas are right up our alley. My kids have already been to Spain, Paris and Rome amoung other areas so they are good little travelers.

Trying to decide if I should just stay in Tokyo and/or near Disney and maybe venture out to Kyoto or just stay in Tokyo/Disney. As I understand it three day tickets must be used consecutively and no parking hoping the first two days so this would limit my travel options.

My budget isn't set in stone yet but I'd like to stay under $1500 for a weeks accommodations. I looked into renting an apartment in Tokyo but the idea of three days of two hours of traveling may not be the best idea. Is there apartments near Disney to rent to keep to my budget?

Initial planning and just so overwhelmed! Thanks for your help and suggestions!

aussie shaz · Aug 15, 2015

Hi there. I just read your post on the Japan TripAdvisor page too LOL.
I'm also planning at trip for just after yours (arriving Easter Sunday). I too thought about going to Kyoto, but decided there just wasn't enough time. We'll do 2 days at Disney. Probably 4-5 days in the Tokto areas, and a day trip down to Hakone, so we can experience the Shinkansen and a bit of Japanese nature.
I'm looking at staying at the Sheraton Tokyo Bay in a Quad room. It's about $300 Australian per night, so a bit less USD. There a couple cheaper around I think. One is the Palm and Fountain Terrace Hotel. Looks like it has a shuttle, but not much else nearby. You could probably get away with 2 queen size beds (we couldn't because my kids are 12 and 15).
We are looking at Shinjuku in Tokyo. It looks pretty expensive though. More like $400-$500 per night. Again, that's 2 rooms or a quad room, so you may be able to half that price.
Good luck and have pun planning.

bearette · Aug 16, 2015

aussie shaz said:
Hi there. I just read your post on the Japan TripAdvisor page too LOL.
I'm also planning at trip for just after yours (arriving Easter Sunday). I too thought about going to Kyoto, but decided there just wasn't enough time. We'll do 2 days at Disney. Probably 4-5 days in the Tokto areas, and a day trip down to Hakone, so we can experience the Shinkansen and a bit of Japanese nature.
I'm looking at staying at the Sheraton Tokyo Bay in a Quad room. It's about $300 Australian per night, so a bit less USD. There a couple cheaper around I think. One is the Palm and Fountain Terrace Hotel. Looks like it has a shuttle, but not much else nearby. You could probably get away with 2 queen size beds (we couldn't because my kids are 12 and 15).
We are looking at Shinjuku in Tokyo. It looks pretty expensive though. More like $400-$500 per night. Again, that's 2 rooms or a quad room, so you may be able to half that price.
Good luck and have fun planning.

I think my option was Disney or Kyoto but not both in such a short time. I agree, too short of time. I post in both trip advisor and here because I figured I'd get better disney advice here and Tokyo city advice there.

bc7ate9 · Aug 27, 2015

The cherry blossoms in Tokyo and Kyoto may be in bloom during your trip - I'd definitely plan some time to enjoy that. It's the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen.

It will NOT take you 2 hours to get from Tokyo to Disney if you take the trains (I can't speak to buses). From Tokyo Station, it's maybe 20 minutes, at most!

We stayed at a hotel that was a train station away from Disney and saved a TON of money so that's what I'd recommend. We used www.booking.com for all our reservations.

We took lots of photos at the Disney Resort - including many of the menus and things like that - they may be useful for your trip planning:

Disneyland - https://m.facebook.com/bc7ate9/albums/651425498325153/

DisneySea - https://m.facebook.com/bc7ate9/albums/650433725090997/

Disney Resort (Ikspiari, Disneyland Hotel) - https://m.facebook.com/bc7ate9/albums/646012995533070/

This link should take you to all our albums - they're separated by day right now which isn't especially useful, but we're happy to try to answer any questions! - https://www.facebook.com/bc7ate9/photos_stream?tab=photos_albums . We went to Hakone, Kamakura, Yokohama, Hello Kitty Land (Sanrio Puroland), Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, and spent lots of time in Tokyo. We have pictures and info about our very reasonably priced hotels in our FB albums too.

bearette · Aug 27, 2015

Thanks I read your review which was very informative. My only issue now is wondering if the time we have is enough. We are looking at options now, but we won't be confirming anything until December when then time off is finalized. We may end up doing something else but we keep coming back to this. I like the idea of being there for their birthday even if we avoid the actual day so mama can save money.

bc7ate9 · Aug 28, 2015

bearette said:
Thanks I read your review which was very informative. My only issue now is wondering if the time we have is enough. We are looking at options now, but we won't be confirming anything until December when then time off is finalized. We may end up doing something else but we keep coming back to this. I like the idea of being there for their birthday even if we avoid the actual day so mama can save money.

With only 8 days, I would stay in the Tokyo area and skip Kyoto. There is SO MUCH to do in Tokyo - you definitely can't do it all! I wouldn't limit myself to just DIsney, though - Tokyo is an amazing city.

ChrisFL · Aug 28, 2015

bc7ate9 said:
With only 8 days, I would stay in the Tokyo area and skip Kyoto. There is SO MUCH to do in Tokyo - you definitely can't do it all! I wouldn't limit myself to just DIsney, though - Tokyo is an amazing city.

Absolutely....there's TONS of cool things to do in Tokyo.

Terapin · Aug 28, 2015

We recently (May) went to Tokyo as a family. We stayed about 11 days including travel days, so 9 real days. We took a bullet train to Kyoto for the day and did a day tour with Backstreet Guides. Was awesome. Felt we saw enough to make the day trip worthwhile.

We did 3 days at Tokyo Disneyland and stayed on DVC points. We stayed 5 nights prior at the Tokyo Hilton, and 3 nights afterwards at Tokyo Hilton Bay. Rooms for 4 are hard to come by we found. We hired a guide (Mari) from Backstreet Guides while in Tokyo as well, and it was well worth the money. We used them our first day to help get acclimatized and it was really helpful to have her assistance navigating the subway system and how to get a Pasmo card, and a little about how things are done. She also took us to really great places and it gave us an idea of what we wanted to do on our own.

My advice: don't underestimate the jet lag. It really affected us, mostly in not being able to sleep the whole night through. I recommend a hotel with a breakfast if possible, as it was somewhat hard to find breakfast places early in the morning. The Tokyo Hilton's breakfast buffet was amazing!

FYI, we had 6 kids and 3 adults on our trip (17, 16, 15, 9, 9, and 8).

bearette · Aug 29, 2015

I keep looking at hotels but keep going back to apartments because most won't take four for the price I want. What area do you recommend staying in so that we have easy access to Disney but are still in a decent location for Tokyo site seeing? I want to just pick one place to stay.

I don't like guides because I can never hear them because I am chasing kids all the time. I looked into the day trip but it was a little to pricey for me. There are some other areas I may look into for a closer day trip. I figure this trip would be a taste of Japan with some Disney fun thrown in.

Terapin · Aug 29, 2015

Our guide was amazing. She mostly spoke to me and my partner and was great when any of the kids needed attention. She wasn't like a museum tour guide. We got to see so much more than we would have on our own because she was able to navigate and knew her way around. I can't recommend enough - seriously, especially if you have limited time.

Because the subway system is so good any central hotel will be on a subway line and you can get to Disneyland from there. It's just a matter of how long it takes. I used google directions before I left to see how far things were apart as it gives you a transit option, and how complicated. I used that to group activities together in the same, or near, neighbourhoods. I really recommend Tokyo-Edo museum (kid friendly!), Meiji Shrine, Asakusa and Sensoji temple to start.

ChrisFL · Aug 30, 2015

For the best area to stay in, I highly recommend the Shinagawa area. It is right next to Haneda airport, is on the Yamanote train line which has direct access to most of the larger parts of Tokyo that you'd want to visit, and IIRC only one major train transfer to Disneyland (though I'd recommend giving yourself about 45 mins or so for travel time to Disneyland). It also is the main Shinkansen (Bullet Train) station and is close to Yokohama if you decide to go there for a day.

That area also has a lot of western restaurants if you prefer those, Outback, TGI Fridays, etc.

podgirl · Aug 31, 2015

We are in Tokyo right now, just packing up after an 8 day stay (2 days only at Disney). You can definitely find enough to do just in Tokyo. Here's what we did that our kids really liked:

Note---a trip to the toy store Kiddyland in Harajuku is a MUST! We also LOVED Tokyu Hands.

Day 1) walking tour of Asakusa neighbourhood (while staying in a family room at a hostel)

- Senso-ji Temple Complex

- Kaminari-mon (Thunder God Gate)

- Nakamise-dori (Street of Inside Shops)

Day 2) downtown Tokyo

- Kiddyland Toy Store

- Shibuya (scramble) crossing

- Tokyo Hands Store- Shibuya Station, exit 6

- Omotesando architecture walk

Day 3) National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation $16/family (where ASIMO is!)

Funeno-Kagakukan Station

Day 4) Ginza/Shinjuku

- Itoya Paper Store, Ginza Station

- Isetan Dept Store, Shinjuka Station, east exit

-get lunch in basement for takeout

- Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden $8/family, Shinjuka Station, south exit

Day 5) Edo-Tokyo Museum (dioramas), $18/family

-sumo wrestling stadium nearby

bc7ate9 · Aug 31, 2015

bearette said:
I keep looking at hotels but keep going back to apartments because most won't take four for the price I want. What area do you recommend staying in so that we have easy access to Disney but are still in a decent location for Tokyo site seeing? I want to just pick one place to stay.

I don't like guides because I can never hear them because I am chasing kids all the time. I looked into the day trip but it was a little to pricey for me. There are some other areas I may look into for a closer day trip. I figure this trip would be a taste of Japan with some Disney fun thrown in.

We like Ueno - it's right on the JR line and near the major subway lines too. Shinjuku can be EXTREMELY overwhelming - we liked it, but I'd avoid it with 3 year olds. On our most recent trip, we spent our first 4 days in Yokohama, a few steps from the Sakuragicho Station, and really enjoyed that. It's about a half hour train ride from Tokyo and much quieter and calmer than the BIG city.

I recommend Kamakura for a day trip from Tokyo. There are some beautiful temples and shrines - include the big Buddha - and you can walk along the beach and do some shoppping at the many shops aimed at tourists.

Hakone was nice, but for me, it was a transportation nightmare. I think all the different types of transportation is supposed to be a highlight of visiting Hakone...to me, though, it felt like we spent the whole day getting in one line to the next to squeeze ourselves into yet another over-stuffed vehicle of some sort...

Tanzanite · Aug 31, 2015

Terapin said:
We recently (May) went to Tokyo as a family. We stayed about 11 days including travel days, so 9 real days. We took a bullet train to Kyoto for the day and did a day tour with Backstreet Guides. Was awesome. Felt we saw enough to make the day trip worthwhile.

We did 3 days at Tokyo Disneyland and stayed on DVC points. We stayed 5 nights prior at the Tokyo Hilton, and 3 nights afterwards at Tokyo Hilton Bay. Rooms for 4 are hard to come by we found. We hired a guide (Mari) from Backstreet Guides while in Tokyo as well, and it was well worth the money. We used them our first day to help get acclimatized and it was really helpful to have her assistance navigating the subway system and how to get a Pasmo card, and a little about how things are done. She also took us to really great places and it gave us an idea of what we wanted to do on our own.

My advice: don't underestimate the jet lag. It really affected us, mostly in not being able to sleep the whole night through. I recommend a hotel with a breakfast if possible, as it was somewhat hard to find breakfast places early in the morning. The Tokyo Hilton's breakfast buffet was amazing!

FYI, we had 6 kids and 3 adults on our trip (17, 16, 15, 9, 9, and 8).

Iagree about jetlag my daughter wanted to go clothes shopping in Shibuya day after arrived we got in 2 stores she wanted to go to hotel within an hour my 2 boys didnt get it .It took me a week to sleep well .

Tanzanite · Aug 31, 2015

bearette said:
I keep looking at hotels but keep going back to apartments because most won't take four for the price I want. What area do you recommend staying in so that we have easy access to Disney but are still in a decent location for Tokyo site seeing? I want to just pick one place to stay.

I don't like guides because I can never hear them because I am chasing kids all the time. I looked into the day trip but it was a little to pricey for me. There are some other areas I may look into for a closer day trip. I figure this trip would be a taste of Japan with some Disney fun thrown in.

Tanzanite · Aug 31, 2015

I booked 2 rooms one for my 2 boys one for my daughter and i it worked out expensive but rooms were small and we dont like be cramped.IDlove to stay in a apartment next time so we could be together.

bearette · Sep 7, 2015

Tanzanite said:
I booked 2 rooms one for my 2 boys one for my daughter and i it worked out expensive but rooms were small and we dont like be cramped.IDlove to stay in a apartment next time so we could be together.

My kids are way to young to do two rooms, unless we each took a child which would defeat the purpose.

I like the idea of google mapping to see how far apart things are. I think I'll look more at which apartments I like then finalize the decision to stay based on how easy it is to get to the places we like.

Tanzanite · Sep 8, 2015

bearette said:
My kids are way to young to do two rooms, unless we each took a child which would defeat the purpose.

I like the idea of google mapping to see how far apart things are. I think I'll look more at which apartments I like then finalize the decision to stay based on how easy it is to get to the places we like.

I hope you can find an apartment four people will not fit in most Tokyo rooms May go back next year and if you find nice one may be interested in using it let us know.

tinibee · Sep 8, 2015

Have you considered staying at a hostel? At many of them you can get family rooms so you aren't sharing the room or bathroom with others. They aren't generally fancy, but usually clean and do the job and save a lot of money! I stayed at one in Kyoto with my family of four because we were having a hard time finding affordable places that would accommodate our family. Its nice because then I can use the extra money towards my true passion - eating my way through vacation!

pandv_2000 · Sep 9, 2015

We have stayed in 3 different hotels that slept 4 in a room but unfortunately none of them were cheap. We stayed at the Hilton Tokyo Bay which is on the doorstep for Disney, The Tokyo Hilton in Shinjuku and the Hotel Metropolitan Edmont in Iidabashi, which is a good neighbour hotel and provides a bus service. All were good hotels (the Tokyo bay one was actually our least favourite). I have booked flights this week for our return next year (We have fallen in love with Japan) and are looking for apartments.

8 day help - where to start

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