wanderlust7
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2015
Thank you! DH took them - he took A LOT of pictures of the Gundam!
A Kid-Centric Trip to Japan and TDR - Trip Report (Completed - copied to blog)
- Thread starter wanderlust7
- Start date
Thank you! DH took them - he took A LOT of pictures of the Gundam!
wanderlust7
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2015
Day 4 – Yokohama
Part 1 – CupNoodles Museum
Today we went to the CupNoodles Museum in Yokohama. The train took about an hour with 2 transfers (at Shimbashi and Yokohama) and we got off at Minatomirai Station. The station is connected to Queen’s Square, a huge shopping and office complex. After we exited the station, we went up a really long escalator to reach ground level. From there, it was less than 10 minutes to CupNoodles Museum.
The entrance, very modern and stark:
This is their mascot. DS and I called him Ducky Momo after the duck in Phineas and Ferb. I thought it was fitting since the museum is all about the inventor of instant ramen - MOMOfuku Ando. But I'm pretty sure that's not the duck's name...actually, I don't even know if he's a duck or a chick.
First we got admission tickets (500 yen for adults, anyone high school age or younger is free) and a time slot for the My CupNoodles Factory where you design your own Cup Noodles. At the activity area, there are vending machines to buy the cups for 300 yen each. First decorate the cup, take it to the station where they put the noodles in, pick the soup base and 4 toppings, then they vacuum seal it.
The "Ducky Momo" (not his real name) topping is so cute! I think it's made of fish cake?
To the left is a counter where you can put your Cup Noodles in an inflatable bag:
After this, we were starving and went to the food court where they have noodles from around the world. It's very retro in contrast to the modernism of the rest of the museum. All the portions are fairly small so you can try different ones. There is a ticket machine near each stall.
This one is the original chicken flavor ramen with the pork topping (there were other toppings, which I can't remember now). It was 300 yen.
Korean cold noodles, I think it was 500 yen - very good.
We also had the Thai one, which was good, and some delicious shaved ice.
DS and I then had to rush off to the Chicken Ramen Factory where we made the actual ramen noodles from scratch. It’s only for elementary school kids and above, so DD had to stay behind with DH. It was 300 yen for DS and 500 yen for me, plus we each got a “Ducky Momo” head scarf to keep. I think this is the only activity that you can make a reservation for online, which is what I did. It’s only in Japanese though, but I was able to do it using Google translate and reading kanji. It was a Wednesday, but I was worried about the Yokohama Port Festival going on that day, I didn’t know if it would affect the crowd at all. The class wasn’t full, so I actually didn’t need to do that. Weekends or school holidays, a reservation probably would be a good idea.
The class is entirely in Japanese, but they gave us a laminated sheet with the instructions in English. There were 3 long tables where we sat to decorate the instant ramen bag and listen to instructions. I understood none of it of course, but at one point, the instructor looked at me and pointed to her wrist, so then I realized she had said to remove watches. Each table has a couple of instructors for the actual hands on stuff. We came last and ended up at our own table with our own instructor. He spoke very little English, but it was fine with demos, gestures, and the instruction sheet.
Noodle making counters:
This guy fried our noodles for us:
DS had fun making the noodles. The kids actually had never had instant ramen before, so I was a little worried they would ask me for it after all this instant ramen propaganda, but luckily then didn’t. We then moved on to the actual museum.
Wall of noodles – a little Andy Warholesque?
Instant ramen inventor – Momofuku Ando:
Hmm...comparison to Einstein, a little much maybe.
The exhibits were all about inspiration and innovation. There was one wall about how different inventions were inspired – like the hypodermic needles were inspired by mosquitoes, helicopters were inspired by dragonflies, etc. There was a display with a model of a forest and a light that moved on a track, when you look at the shadow that is projected on the wall, it looks like you are moving through the forest.
Last, we went to the CupNoodles Park. There are time slots again since they only let a certain number of kids in. It’s 300 yen/kid for 30 minutes, at least one adult needs to follow them in (no charge).
The yellow rope course is supposed to look like ramen noodles, at the end, the kids jump into a ball pit, yellow and orange balls only, to look like instant ramen ingredients.
Slide with the structure made out of instant ramen boxes. The slides have factory rollers, I tried it once – very weird sensation! The gigantic upside down cup, you go in and the walls rotate around you, like you’re in a Cup Noodles.
The kids had so much fun they went in twice.
Part 1 – CupNoodles Museum
Today we went to the CupNoodles Museum in Yokohama. The train took about an hour with 2 transfers (at Shimbashi and Yokohama) and we got off at Minatomirai Station. The station is connected to Queen’s Square, a huge shopping and office complex. After we exited the station, we went up a really long escalator to reach ground level. From there, it was less than 10 minutes to CupNoodles Museum.
The entrance, very modern and stark:
This is their mascot. DS and I called him Ducky Momo after the duck in Phineas and Ferb. I thought it was fitting since the museum is all about the inventor of instant ramen - MOMOfuku Ando. But I'm pretty sure that's not the duck's name...actually, I don't even know if he's a duck or a chick.
First we got admission tickets (500 yen for adults, anyone high school age or younger is free) and a time slot for the My CupNoodles Factory where you design your own Cup Noodles. At the activity area, there are vending machines to buy the cups for 300 yen each. First decorate the cup, take it to the station where they put the noodles in, pick the soup base and 4 toppings, then they vacuum seal it.
The "Ducky Momo" (not his real name) topping is so cute! I think it's made of fish cake?
To the left is a counter where you can put your Cup Noodles in an inflatable bag:
After this, we were starving and went to the food court where they have noodles from around the world. It's very retro in contrast to the modernism of the rest of the museum. All the portions are fairly small so you can try different ones. There is a ticket machine near each stall.
This one is the original chicken flavor ramen with the pork topping (there were other toppings, which I can't remember now). It was 300 yen.
Korean cold noodles, I think it was 500 yen - very good.
We also had the Thai one, which was good, and some delicious shaved ice.
DS and I then had to rush off to the Chicken Ramen Factory where we made the actual ramen noodles from scratch. It’s only for elementary school kids and above, so DD had to stay behind with DH. It was 300 yen for DS and 500 yen for me, plus we each got a “Ducky Momo” head scarf to keep. I think this is the only activity that you can make a reservation for online, which is what I did. It’s only in Japanese though, but I was able to do it using Google translate and reading kanji. It was a Wednesday, but I was worried about the Yokohama Port Festival going on that day, I didn’t know if it would affect the crowd at all. The class wasn’t full, so I actually didn’t need to do that. Weekends or school holidays, a reservation probably would be a good idea.
The class is entirely in Japanese, but they gave us a laminated sheet with the instructions in English. There were 3 long tables where we sat to decorate the instant ramen bag and listen to instructions. I understood none of it of course, but at one point, the instructor looked at me and pointed to her wrist, so then I realized she had said to remove watches. Each table has a couple of instructors for the actual hands on stuff. We came last and ended up at our own table with our own instructor. He spoke very little English, but it was fine with demos, gestures, and the instruction sheet.
Noodle making counters:
This guy fried our noodles for us:
DS had fun making the noodles. The kids actually had never had instant ramen before, so I was a little worried they would ask me for it after all this instant ramen propaganda, but luckily then didn’t. We then moved on to the actual museum.
Wall of noodles – a little Andy Warholesque?
Instant ramen inventor – Momofuku Ando:
Hmm...comparison to Einstein, a little much maybe.
The exhibits were all about inspiration and innovation. There was one wall about how different inventions were inspired – like the hypodermic needles were inspired by mosquitoes, helicopters were inspired by dragonflies, etc. There was a display with a model of a forest and a light that moved on a track, when you look at the shadow that is projected on the wall, it looks like you are moving through the forest.
Last, we went to the CupNoodles Park. There are time slots again since they only let a certain number of kids in. It’s 300 yen/kid for 30 minutes, at least one adult needs to follow them in (no charge).
The yellow rope course is supposed to look like ramen noodles, at the end, the kids jump into a ball pit, yellow and orange balls only, to look like instant ramen ingredients.
Slide with the structure made out of instant ramen boxes. The slides have factory rollers, I tried it once – very weird sensation! The gigantic upside down cup, you go in and the walls rotate around you, like you’re in a Cup Noodles.
The kids had so much fun they went in twice.
Last edited:
wanderlust7
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2015
Day 4, Part 2 – Cosmo World and dinner
We then headed to Cosmo World, which is diagonally across from the CupNoodles Museum. The kids saw this and wanted to go on. We bought a ticket from a machine (they have a ticket booth too) and picked the option for 3500 yen for 2800.
It’s a dark ride where you sit in a little cart with a handheld device and tap on the screen to kill the monsters (see the thing the squirrel is holding). The problem was the monsters have nothing to do with the things in the ride. It’s not like you’re using the device to find monsters IN the ride. DS just held it in his lap so that it was just a black background and tapped at the screen the entire ride and didn’t even look at anything else. I paid 600 yen/person for the kids to play an app for 5 minutes….
It was seriously the worst money I spent in Japan. You have been warned.
The kids then played on some coin operated machines. Here’s Pikachu, there was also Doraemon and Anapaman.
There were a bunch of capsule toy vending machines outside the arcade and the kids got a couple. At home, I usually say no, but the ones in Japan are cute, well made, and seem worth the money (most of them were 200-300 yen). DH wanted to go on the Ferris wheel after dark, so we went to have dinner first at the shopping mall across the street (Yokohama World Porters). We ate at a conveyor belt sushi place - I can’t seem to find an English name. I liked all the different tea cups they have going around on the lower level of the conveyor.
We ordered kappa maki (cucumber rolls) for DS and the chef put a cute seaweed dog on it.
The variety on the belt wasn’t great. We probably should have ordered more. The total came to 3900 yen (credit cards accepted). When we headed back out to Cosmo World, we realized we had just missed a bout of rain. The Ferris wheel was closed - not sure if it was due to just rain or if maybe there had been lightening. But we still had money on our ticket! We walked around trying to decide what to use it on. Then we noticed more people standing around, so we figured the Ferris wheel will probably reopen and it did (yay!). It was 800 yen/person.
Views from the Ferris wheel:
We headed back and DD fell asleep on the train again. Luckily, we were able to wake her up this time and DH didn’t have to carry her up all those stairs and back to the hotel again.
We then headed to Cosmo World, which is diagonally across from the CupNoodles Museum. The kids saw this and wanted to go on. We bought a ticket from a machine (they have a ticket booth too) and picked the option for 3500 yen for 2800.
It’s a dark ride where you sit in a little cart with a handheld device and tap on the screen to kill the monsters (see the thing the squirrel is holding). The problem was the monsters have nothing to do with the things in the ride. It’s not like you’re using the device to find monsters IN the ride. DS just held it in his lap so that it was just a black background and tapped at the screen the entire ride and didn’t even look at anything else. I paid 600 yen/person for the kids to play an app for 5 minutes….
It was seriously the worst money I spent in Japan. You have been warned.
The kids then played on some coin operated machines. Here’s Pikachu, there was also Doraemon and Anapaman.
There were a bunch of capsule toy vending machines outside the arcade and the kids got a couple. At home, I usually say no, but the ones in Japan are cute, well made, and seem worth the money (most of them were 200-300 yen). DH wanted to go on the Ferris wheel after dark, so we went to have dinner first at the shopping mall across the street (Yokohama World Porters). We ate at a conveyor belt sushi place - I can’t seem to find an English name. I liked all the different tea cups they have going around on the lower level of the conveyor.
We ordered kappa maki (cucumber rolls) for DS and the chef put a cute seaweed dog on it.
The variety on the belt wasn’t great. We probably should have ordered more. The total came to 3900 yen (credit cards accepted). When we headed back out to Cosmo World, we realized we had just missed a bout of rain. The Ferris wheel was closed - not sure if it was due to just rain or if maybe there had been lightening. But we still had money on our ticket! We walked around trying to decide what to use it on. Then we noticed more people standing around, so we figured the Ferris wheel will probably reopen and it did (yay!). It was 800 yen/person.
Views from the Ferris wheel:
We headed back and DD fell asleep on the train again. Luckily, we were able to wake her up this time and DH didn’t have to carry her up all those stairs and back to the hotel again.
Last edited:
MomoMama
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2013
Another great day, great report!
It's a baby chick, as it all started with the chicken noodle. Its name is Hiyoko-chan. Hiyoko means baby chicken.
The cup noodle museum looks and sounds so much fun! If my kid did not have allergies, we would definitely visit there!
This is their mascot. DS and I called him Ducky Momo after the duck in Phineas and Ferb. I thought it was fitting since the museum is all about the inventor of instant ramen - MOMOfuku Ando. But I'm pretty sure that's not the duck's name...actually, I don't even know if he's a duck or a chick.
It's a baby chick, as it all started with the chicken noodle. Its name is Hiyoko-chan. Hiyoko means baby chicken.
The cup noodle museum looks and sounds so much fun! If my kid did not have allergies, we would definitely visit there!
wanderlust7
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2015
Another great day, great report!
It's a baby chick, as it all started with the chicken noodle. Its name is Hiyoko-chan. Hiyoko means baby chicken.
Thanks for the name and for the correct species!
wanderlust7
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2015
Day 5 – Nikko
Part 1 – Tobu World Square
Today we were heading to Nikko for 2 nights. I checked out of the hotel with the same nice lady and asked her to help us with takuhaibin to send our big luggage to Sheraton Tokyo Bay. She asked me for my hotel confirmation to double check how my name is spelled and called the hotel to confirm our stay. It was 1400 yen, which was a little cheaper than I expected. I love the takuhaibin delivery service in Japan – so convenient, inexpensive, and reliable! We used it for our first trip as well, sending the luggage from Tokyo to Kyoto and bypassing Hakone and Miyajima.
Our first stop was Tobu World Square, which is a theme park with miniature 1/25 scale models of famous sites around the world. We took the Tobu Skytree Line Section Rapid train from Asakusa (the station entrance is in the same building as Matsuya department store). I also looked into the Limited Express SPACIA trains (Kegon/Kinu), which are nicer and a little faster, but it was more expensive, there’s an extra step to get the reserved tickets (it’s all reserved seating), AND there would be an extra transfer for the time I wanted. The section rapid train was fine and had seats facing each other with a little pull out table in between. It was a Thursday and not crowded, so the unreserved seating wasn’t an issue either. We should have arrived directly at Kosagoe Station (the station nearest to Tobu World Square), but Tobu Nikko station was end of the line. I’m still not sure where I went wrong. When everyone got off and we saw the cleaning crew, I asked the conductor and he pointed me to another train. Eventually, we got to Kosagoe Station. We then had to walk maybe 10 minutes, but it felt longer with our backpacks and small luggage. There is a coupon on their website for 500 yen off adults and 200 yen off children, so admission ended up being 2000 yen for adults and 1000 yen for the kids. They define children as age 4 or above (I had to read the kanji on the Japanese page to figure that out). Strollers and wheelchairs are free to borrow. I asked DD if she wanted a stroller and warned her about a lot of walking, but she refused.
First stop was lunch! Cute pyramid rice:
I got this Japanese style pasta for the kids and I thought it was the stand out – yum!
Total came to 3400 yen, not bad at all. We then set off to tour the park. I got the kids a “play card” (I think it was 1000 yen), which they used to activate action at certain models. I didn’t realize this until later, but the card comes with 15 points, each action is 1 point except for the canal lock (the biggest and coolest one) which is 2 points. It’s enough to do each action exactly once. The smaller actions are things like a marching band or street performers. DS was more into it than DD, but they took turns putting the card in the machines.
The now obligatory photo of Tokyo Skytree, but no golden turd! I’m not sure if we missed it or they don’t have it at all.
Airport (Narita probably), the planes did not look to scale to me.
It was cool seeing them painstakingly paint the little details of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona (very high on my wish list! Waiting for the kids to get a little older).
Miyajima, one of my favorite places in Japan:
Taipei 101, where we would go a couple weeks later:
Various other sites:
The kids were marginally interested in all this. DS just wanted to find the next action spot. DD complained about being tired of walking, but kept refusing a stroller. I was a little bummed about that since I have fond memories of visiting miniature worlds (in Holland and Taiwan) when I was a kid.
I will end this post on a somber note. Their miniature New York still has the World Trade Center Twin Towers with a plaque in Japanese and English about what happened. I had a moment of silence in remembrance….
Part 1 – Tobu World Square
Today we were heading to Nikko for 2 nights. I checked out of the hotel with the same nice lady and asked her to help us with takuhaibin to send our big luggage to Sheraton Tokyo Bay. She asked me for my hotel confirmation to double check how my name is spelled and called the hotel to confirm our stay. It was 1400 yen, which was a little cheaper than I expected. I love the takuhaibin delivery service in Japan – so convenient, inexpensive, and reliable! We used it for our first trip as well, sending the luggage from Tokyo to Kyoto and bypassing Hakone and Miyajima.
Our first stop was Tobu World Square, which is a theme park with miniature 1/25 scale models of famous sites around the world. We took the Tobu Skytree Line Section Rapid train from Asakusa (the station entrance is in the same building as Matsuya department store). I also looked into the Limited Express SPACIA trains (Kegon/Kinu), which are nicer and a little faster, but it was more expensive, there’s an extra step to get the reserved tickets (it’s all reserved seating), AND there would be an extra transfer for the time I wanted. The section rapid train was fine and had seats facing each other with a little pull out table in between. It was a Thursday and not crowded, so the unreserved seating wasn’t an issue either. We should have arrived directly at Kosagoe Station (the station nearest to Tobu World Square), but Tobu Nikko station was end of the line. I’m still not sure where I went wrong. When everyone got off and we saw the cleaning crew, I asked the conductor and he pointed me to another train. Eventually, we got to Kosagoe Station. We then had to walk maybe 10 minutes, but it felt longer with our backpacks and small luggage. There is a coupon on their website for 500 yen off adults and 200 yen off children, so admission ended up being 2000 yen for adults and 1000 yen for the kids. They define children as age 4 or above (I had to read the kanji on the Japanese page to figure that out). Strollers and wheelchairs are free to borrow. I asked DD if she wanted a stroller and warned her about a lot of walking, but she refused.
First stop was lunch! Cute pyramid rice:
I got this Japanese style pasta for the kids and I thought it was the stand out – yum!
Total came to 3400 yen, not bad at all. We then set off to tour the park. I got the kids a “play card” (I think it was 1000 yen), which they used to activate action at certain models. I didn’t realize this until later, but the card comes with 15 points, each action is 1 point except for the canal lock (the biggest and coolest one) which is 2 points. It’s enough to do each action exactly once. The smaller actions are things like a marching band or street performers. DS was more into it than DD, but they took turns putting the card in the machines.
The now obligatory photo of Tokyo Skytree, but no golden turd! I’m not sure if we missed it or they don’t have it at all.
Airport (Narita probably), the planes did not look to scale to me.
It was cool seeing them painstakingly paint the little details of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona (very high on my wish list! Waiting for the kids to get a little older).
Miyajima, one of my favorite places in Japan:
Taipei 101, where we would go a couple weeks later:
Various other sites:
The kids were marginally interested in all this. DS just wanted to find the next action spot. DD complained about being tired of walking, but kept refusing a stroller. I was a little bummed about that since I have fond memories of visiting miniature worlds (in Holland and Taiwan) when I was a kid.
I will end this post on a somber note. Their miniature New York still has the World Trade Center Twin Towers with a plaque in Japanese and English about what happened. I had a moment of silence in remembrance….
wanderlust7
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2015
Day 5, Part 2 - Tsurukame Daikichi
We left Tobu World Square a little before 4 PM in order to make the 4:23 train to Tobu Nikko station. I booked the ryokan Kozuchi no Yado Tsurukame Daikichi (full name) through JTB (japanican.com) and I e-mailed JTB to arrange for the ryokan to pick us up from the station. It was 35,700 yen/night (11,900 yen/adult and children 50% of adult cost). This was for the most inexpensive option – regular room (no in-room onsen) and no upgrade on meals. If figuring out the children policy for hotels in Japan was confusing, figuring it out for ryokans was even more confusing! JTB has categories for Child A to D, but not many details about what ages qualified for which categories. I eventually figured that booking Child B rates for my kids would be pretty safe – this was bedding and children’s meals provided. From Tsurukame Daikichi’s website in Japanese only, it seems DD might be less than the 50% rate since she’s not school age yet, but I wasn’t sure and I figured she would probably feel left out if she didn’t get a kid’s meal like her brother. It was A LOT of food though! The adult meal was already a lot of food, and then we would eat some of what the kids’ didn’t eat. DH especially – he hates wasting food. Food coma every night! It was expensive, but given we got a kaiseki dinner (usually pretty expensive) and a very abundant breakfast, it seemed like a decent deal.
When we arrived at the station, the driver from the ryokan was already there. He spoke decent English and was very nice, pointing out some of the sights along the way. We sat in the lobby area during check-in and got some tea, little snack (something pickled), and a cool towel. Dinner time options were 6 or 7 and we picked 7 PM. Breakfast was 7:30, 8, or 8:30 and we picked 8:30 AM (we’re not early people!).
Someone then walked us to the room. He showed us the yukatas (casual Japanese robes) and the instruction sheet (the different colors corresponded to the different sizes by height). As he left, he put all our shoes in the shoe cabinet by the door and set out the slippers. The room was clean and comfortable. It had a very slight musty smell, but I think that’s common in the older buildings. We stayed in a ryokan in Hakone last time and it had that smell too. We slept on futons and found those comfortable enough. Our room was at the end of the hall and I would find out later (on a map of our floor) that our room was one of the bigger ones.
View out our window:
The kids got this cute toiletry kit:
We settled in and got cleaned up. 15 minutes before 7 PM, we got a call saying our dinner was ready. Dinner wasn’t in our room like many ryokans, but on the first floor in a small private room (our room that night had a regular table and chairs). I liked not having to worry about DD getting the tatami dirty.
The food! All beautifully presented in gorgeous dinnerware.
The empty plate was for this grilled fish that was served later. Every meal had a grilled fish, even breakfast. When we walked in, they would show us the fish (still raw) and ask us to choose. I always just chose whatever looked smallest. Too much food!
Here's the kid’s meal. They got sashimi too, which DH and I ate. They liked everything else though.
We left Tobu World Square a little before 4 PM in order to make the 4:23 train to Tobu Nikko station. I booked the ryokan Kozuchi no Yado Tsurukame Daikichi (full name) through JTB (japanican.com) and I e-mailed JTB to arrange for the ryokan to pick us up from the station. It was 35,700 yen/night (11,900 yen/adult and children 50% of adult cost). This was for the most inexpensive option – regular room (no in-room onsen) and no upgrade on meals. If figuring out the children policy for hotels in Japan was confusing, figuring it out for ryokans was even more confusing! JTB has categories for Child A to D, but not many details about what ages qualified for which categories. I eventually figured that booking Child B rates for my kids would be pretty safe – this was bedding and children’s meals provided. From Tsurukame Daikichi’s website in Japanese only, it seems DD might be less than the 50% rate since she’s not school age yet, but I wasn’t sure and I figured she would probably feel left out if she didn’t get a kid’s meal like her brother. It was A LOT of food though! The adult meal was already a lot of food, and then we would eat some of what the kids’ didn’t eat. DH especially – he hates wasting food. Food coma every night! It was expensive, but given we got a kaiseki dinner (usually pretty expensive) and a very abundant breakfast, it seemed like a decent deal.
When we arrived at the station, the driver from the ryokan was already there. He spoke decent English and was very nice, pointing out some of the sights along the way. We sat in the lobby area during check-in and got some tea, little snack (something pickled), and a cool towel. Dinner time options were 6 or 7 and we picked 7 PM. Breakfast was 7:30, 8, or 8:30 and we picked 8:30 AM (we’re not early people!).
Someone then walked us to the room. He showed us the yukatas (casual Japanese robes) and the instruction sheet (the different colors corresponded to the different sizes by height). As he left, he put all our shoes in the shoe cabinet by the door and set out the slippers. The room was clean and comfortable. It had a very slight musty smell, but I think that’s common in the older buildings. We stayed in a ryokan in Hakone last time and it had that smell too. We slept on futons and found those comfortable enough. Our room was at the end of the hall and I would find out later (on a map of our floor) that our room was one of the bigger ones.
View out our window:
The kids got this cute toiletry kit:
We settled in and got cleaned up. 15 minutes before 7 PM, we got a call saying our dinner was ready. Dinner wasn’t in our room like many ryokans, but on the first floor in a small private room (our room that night had a regular table and chairs). I liked not having to worry about DD getting the tatami dirty.
The food! All beautifully presented in gorgeous dinnerware.
The empty plate was for this grilled fish that was served later. Every meal had a grilled fish, even breakfast. When we walked in, they would show us the fish (still raw) and ask us to choose. I always just chose whatever looked smallest. Too much food!
Here's the kid’s meal. They got sashimi too, which DH and I ate. They liked everything else though.
wanderlust7
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2015
Day 6 – Edo Wonderland
Today we were going to Edo Wonderland, aka the ninja theme park. But first, breakfast! The empty plate is for the fish again. There was also tofu, soup, and yogurt.
This was the kids' meal. They also got eggs and sausage. The white cup to the left is natto (fermented soybeans). Do Japanese kids really eat this stuff? It must be an acquired taste. DH ate both the kids’ natto because he eats everything.
We then headed across the street to the Fujiya Kanko Center to catch the free bus to Edo Wonderland. We were surprised to see no pedestrian crosswalks, but then we found the underground walkways. As I was getting on the bus, the driver asked me if we had tickets – we didn’t yet since I was planning to buy it at the gate. He said “I have a good idea”, and had me follow him into the Fujiya Kanko Center to buy tickets. It was even cheaper than with the 10% off coupon online (4000 yen for adults, 2000 yen for children if I remember right, 5 and under is free). Problem was - cash only! I knew that the ticket counter at Edo Wonderland would accept credit cards, but I thought we needed them to ride the bus. Once I got on the bus and thought about it, I realized that the bus driver just wanted to save us money (we saved about 600 yen total). So now we were seriously short on cash! I really should have exchanged more money back in Asakusa, there was a bank right nearby the hotel, but just got too caught up with everything else.
The bus driver was actually super nice, he circled on the map all the things we should see. First we went to the Karasu Yashiki Ninja show. It’s in an Edo period house and the seating was on benches. The show was about a ninja with a very important scroll and bad guy ninjas trying to steal it. There was sword fighting and the ninja hiding behind a secret compartment in the wall only to reappear out of another compartment elsewhere. The show atmosphere was very intimate, a little intense, and at one point it went completely dark. I thought it was pretty cool, maybe too intense for DD but she was okay. We also saw the show at the Grand Ninja Theater. This was more a typical theater environment, so less intense being more removed from the action. It’s a bigger production with 2 good ninjas and lots of bad guy ninjas (a bunch of minions and one head honcho). It’s about a ninja (who happened to be a woman, but it didn’t seem pertinent to the plot) who paid another ninja for a scroll. The bad guys then come and try to kill her to get it. The ninja who gave her the scroll comes back and helps her. The two fight all the bad guys, eventually killing the head honcho. It had a lot of sword fighting and ninja acrobatics. The last show we saw was the water show, Mizugei-za. Seating was on the floor and it was performed by ladies (I don’t think they’re geisha?). Streams of water came out of the edges of paper fans, knife blades, cups, flowers, lights, and even from someone’s forehead. It was also tossed and passed from one hand to another and also between the ladies. I kept trying to see where the water came from (very thin tubes?). The park map says that Edo people enjoyed this art form - I’m surprised how they could do this without modern technology!
We also went in the Karakuri Ninja Maze, which is a maze but with a ninja twist. It has walls that are really panels you can slide open. Of course, you have to figure out which ones are the trick walls. Somehow DH led us out. Then we went into the Kai Kai Ninja House. It’s a house that is all slanted and the floors are all slanted. We walked in, going through a hallway with slanted floors. Once in the house, I felt like I was standing at a 45 degree angle. It was the weirdest feeling. Then a minute later, I start feeling like I’m going to tip over! I quickly left the house. DH and the kids stayed a little longer and felt fine. I guess I’m not cut out to be a ninja!
There are different Edo period snacks around the park. I tried the grilled soy sauce mochi (rice cake) – it was very good! I would have had another if we hadn’t been so cash poor.
I don’t think the snack places take credit cards, although I didn’t ask. I would have felt weird using a credit card to pay 500 yen.
Lunch was cold soba noodles (the sit down restaurants take credit cards). The dipping sauce is in the covered cup at the bottom. The bowl is grated mountain yam. It’s sticky and kind of slimy, but I like it. We also ordered a soba with tempera and a plain one for the kids to share. Total came to 3600 yen. Everything was yummy and great for a hot day.
Some pictures from around the park:
This is an Edo period hotel. The dog is the park’s mascot Nyan-mage.
We were waiting for the bus. This was part of the closing ceremony at the entrance.
The last 2 buses leaving Edo Wonderland only go to JR Nikko station and not back to Fujiya Kanko Center. We took the very last bus and it was the same super nice driver. I thought I’d just double check that he wasn’t going back to Fujiya Kanko. Surprisingly, he said he would make a “special stop” for us! I was so grateful! Especially because I was only 95% (?) sure we had enough money left for the bus….
When we got back to the ryokan, I went to the front desk to ask if the post office was open tomorrow (Saturday). I explained that I needed to exchange money. He wasn’t sure and asked me to wait. When he came back, the answer was no. Bank open? No. 7-11 nearby? No, but there’s a Lawson. I wasn’t sure if the ATMs at Lawson take foreign ATM cards. I thanked him and went back to the room to do some serious googling. I had hardly started when there was a knock on our door. It was the same guy and he told me that the Nikko Kanaya Hotel does foreign currency exchange. He gave me a map and circled where it was. I was so grateful and relieved!
Dinner pictures:
The kids’ meal, DH and I ate the sashimi again.
Today we were going to Edo Wonderland, aka the ninja theme park. But first, breakfast! The empty plate is for the fish again. There was also tofu, soup, and yogurt.
This was the kids' meal. They also got eggs and sausage. The white cup to the left is natto (fermented soybeans). Do Japanese kids really eat this stuff? It must be an acquired taste. DH ate both the kids’ natto because he eats everything.
We then headed across the street to the Fujiya Kanko Center to catch the free bus to Edo Wonderland. We were surprised to see no pedestrian crosswalks, but then we found the underground walkways. As I was getting on the bus, the driver asked me if we had tickets – we didn’t yet since I was planning to buy it at the gate. He said “I have a good idea”, and had me follow him into the Fujiya Kanko Center to buy tickets. It was even cheaper than with the 10% off coupon online (4000 yen for adults, 2000 yen for children if I remember right, 5 and under is free). Problem was - cash only! I knew that the ticket counter at Edo Wonderland would accept credit cards, but I thought we needed them to ride the bus. Once I got on the bus and thought about it, I realized that the bus driver just wanted to save us money (we saved about 600 yen total). So now we were seriously short on cash! I really should have exchanged more money back in Asakusa, there was a bank right nearby the hotel, but just got too caught up with everything else.
The bus driver was actually super nice, he circled on the map all the things we should see. First we went to the Karasu Yashiki Ninja show. It’s in an Edo period house and the seating was on benches. The show was about a ninja with a very important scroll and bad guy ninjas trying to steal it. There was sword fighting and the ninja hiding behind a secret compartment in the wall only to reappear out of another compartment elsewhere. The show atmosphere was very intimate, a little intense, and at one point it went completely dark. I thought it was pretty cool, maybe too intense for DD but she was okay. We also saw the show at the Grand Ninja Theater. This was more a typical theater environment, so less intense being more removed from the action. It’s a bigger production with 2 good ninjas and lots of bad guy ninjas (a bunch of minions and one head honcho). It’s about a ninja (who happened to be a woman, but it didn’t seem pertinent to the plot) who paid another ninja for a scroll. The bad guys then come and try to kill her to get it. The ninja who gave her the scroll comes back and helps her. The two fight all the bad guys, eventually killing the head honcho. It had a lot of sword fighting and ninja acrobatics. The last show we saw was the water show, Mizugei-za. Seating was on the floor and it was performed by ladies (I don’t think they’re geisha?). Streams of water came out of the edges of paper fans, knife blades, cups, flowers, lights, and even from someone’s forehead. It was also tossed and passed from one hand to another and also between the ladies. I kept trying to see where the water came from (very thin tubes?). The park map says that Edo people enjoyed this art form - I’m surprised how they could do this without modern technology!
We also went in the Karakuri Ninja Maze, which is a maze but with a ninja twist. It has walls that are really panels you can slide open. Of course, you have to figure out which ones are the trick walls. Somehow DH led us out.
Then we went into the Kai Kai Ninja House. It’s a house that is all slanted and the floors are all slanted. We walked in, going through a hallway with slanted floors. Once in the house, I felt like I was standing at a 45 degree angle. It was the weirdest feeling. Then a minute later, I start feeling like I’m going to tip over! I quickly left the house. DH and the kids stayed a little longer and felt fine. I guess I’m not cut out to be a ninja!There are different Edo period snacks around the park. I tried the grilled soy sauce mochi (rice cake) – it was very good! I would have had another if we hadn’t been so cash poor.
I don’t think the snack places take credit cards, although I didn’t ask. I would have felt weird using a credit card to pay 500 yen.Lunch was cold soba noodles (the sit down restaurants take credit cards). The dipping sauce is in the covered cup at the bottom. The bowl is grated mountain yam. It’s sticky and kind of slimy, but I like it. We also ordered a soba with tempera and a plain one for the kids to share. Total came to 3600 yen. Everything was yummy and great for a hot day.
Some pictures from around the park:
This is an Edo period hotel. The dog is the park’s mascot Nyan-mage.
We were waiting for the bus. This was part of the closing ceremony at the entrance.
The last 2 buses leaving Edo Wonderland only go to JR Nikko station and not back to Fujiya Kanko Center. We took the very last bus and it was the same super nice driver. I thought I’d just double check that he wasn’t going back to Fujiya Kanko. Surprisingly, he said he would make a “special stop” for us! I was so grateful! Especially because I was only 95% (?) sure we had enough money left for the bus….
When we got back to the ryokan, I went to the front desk to ask if the post office was open tomorrow (Saturday). I explained that I needed to exchange money. He wasn’t sure and asked me to wait. When he came back, the answer was no. Bank open? No. 7-11 nearby? No, but there’s a Lawson. I wasn’t sure if the ATMs at Lawson take foreign ATM cards. I thanked him and went back to the room to do some serious googling. I had hardly started when there was a knock on our door. It was the same guy and he told me that the Nikko Kanaya Hotel does foreign currency exchange. He gave me a map and circled where it was. I was so grateful and relieved!
Dinner pictures:
The kids’ meal, DH and I ate the sashimi again.
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wanderlust7
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2015
Day 7 – From Nikko To TDR
Part 1 –Shinko Bridge and Toshogu Shrine
Today we were leaving Nikko and finally heading to TDR! But first we would do some NOT kid-centric things and visit some of the famous sites around Nikko. But of course, breakfast first.
Big pot…
…full of this:
DH certainly tried to finish the whole pot, but I don’t think he was successful. Kids’ meal (cute plate!):
We left our luggage with the ryokan and went to get CASH! Luckily, the Nikko Kanaya Hotel is very close to Shinko Bridge, which we were going to go see anyways. It was a short walk from the ryokan.
We then went to Toshogu Shrine. It was a bit of a trek. Admission was 1300 yen/adult, I think DS (school age) was 50% of adult price, and DD was free (cash only).
Detail:
I didn't make a point to find the famous see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil monkey carving. There was a tour group blocking one of them, I assumed that was the one and didn't feel like waiting. Here's a random one:
The sleeping cat is another famous carving.
I didn’t realize this was the beginning of the path to Ieyasu’s Tomb until I checked the map at the top of the stairs. DD started complaining about the walk about halfway along the walkway after the first stairs and there was more stairs coming up, so I decided to head back with the kids and DH would go take pictures. But then DS heard “tomb” and then suddenly he wanted to go. Hmm…not quite sure what he was expecting to see, but he saw this:
The kids weren’t interested at all and some areas were pretty crowded (not surprising for a Saturday), so we didn’t stay long. We then found the shortcut stairs down the hill that would put us very close to the ryokan. We wandered into a family run place for lunch because one of the owners (sweet elderly lady) kept telling us it was “oishii” (delicious). She gave the kids some cookies stamped with the see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil monkeys. They were yummy, so we bought some too.
Top left corner is yuba (tofu skin), which is a Nikko specialty. It was very oishii. Top right is yuba sashimi (raw tofu skin). I had no idea something vegetarian could be called sashimi. It was good (a little slimy), but I preferred the cooked yuba. We also got a tempura donburi (rice bowl) for the kids. It was cash only, so I don’t remember what the total was, but it was inexpensive.
Part 1 –Shinko Bridge and Toshogu Shrine
Today we were leaving Nikko and finally heading to TDR! But first we would do some NOT kid-centric things and visit some of the famous sites around Nikko.
But of course, breakfast first.
Big pot…
…full of this:
DH certainly tried to finish the whole pot, but I don’t think he was successful.
Kids’ meal (cute plate!):
We left our luggage with the ryokan and went to get CASH! Luckily, the Nikko Kanaya Hotel is very close to Shinko Bridge, which we were going to go see anyways. It was a short walk from the ryokan.
We then went to Toshogu Shrine. It was a bit of a trek. Admission was 1300 yen/adult, I think DS (school age) was 50% of adult price, and DD was free (cash only).
Detail:
I didn't make a point to find the famous see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil monkey carving. There was a tour group blocking one of them, I assumed that was the one and didn't feel like waiting. Here's a random one:
The sleeping cat is another famous carving.
I didn’t realize this was the beginning of the path to Ieyasu’s Tomb until I checked the map at the top of the stairs. DD started complaining about the walk about halfway along the walkway after the first stairs and there was more stairs coming up, so I decided to head back with the kids and DH would go take pictures. But then DS heard “tomb” and then suddenly he wanted to go. Hmm…not quite sure what he was expecting to see, but he saw this:
The kids weren’t interested at all and some areas were pretty crowded (not surprising for a Saturday), so we didn’t stay long. We then found the shortcut stairs down the hill that would put us very close to the ryokan. We wandered into a family run place for lunch because one of the owners (sweet elderly lady) kept telling us it was “oishii” (delicious).
She gave the kids some cookies stamped with the see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil monkeys. They were yummy, so we bought some too.Top left corner is yuba (tofu skin), which is a Nikko specialty. It was very oishii. Top right is yuba sashimi (raw tofu skin). I had no idea something vegetarian could be called sashimi. It was good (a little slimy), but I preferred the cooked yuba. We also got a tempura donburi (rice bowl) for the kids. It was cash only, so I don’t remember what the total was, but it was inexpensive.
wanderlust7
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2015
Day 7, Part 2 – Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay
After lunch, we went back to the ryokan to pick up our luggage. They have a free shuttle to the Nikko train stations (Tobu or JR), but it is only at 9, 9:30, or 10 AM. They are strict about that (even though the van was sitting out front), so we asked the front desk to call us a taxi. I think the fare was about 1500 yen. We could have taken the bus, which I think is 310 yen/adult (so 775 yen total with DS being 50% and DD free), but the savings didn’t seem worth it to me having to deal with the luggage and the kids. We arrived at the station just in time to catch the Tobu Skytree Line Section Rapid train (the same line we took to Nikko and the cheapest option). Transfers were at Kita-Senju and Hatchobori (Tokyo) before we arrived in Maihama. There is also a Shinkansen option, which I thought the kids would like. But with a difference of 3710 yen/adult for unreserved seats and only a 50 minutes ride, it did not seem worth it at all. When we got to Maihama, we took the free shuttle to Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay. We didn’t see any signs and had to ask, but all the “official” hotel (i.e. non-Disney but within TDR) shuttles are outside the station, walk out a bit and you should see the Disney Resort Cruisers which are white and grey with a big Mickey shape on the side. There is a sign above the windshield for which hotel it goes to. The shuttle took us to the lower level of the Sheraton and I got a little confused looking for the front desk, which is one floor up.
We booked the Ocean Dreams room directly with Sheraton. I selected 2 adults since children 17 and under sleep free in existing bedding. If I put in the kids, then the website thinks I want separate beds for them and only show me the expensive quad rooms. It really paid off for me to keep checking the price. I originally booked refundable rates through JTB when they were cheaper. The price would drop, so I would cancel and rebook. About 2 weeks before our stay, the Sheraton direct rate dropped again and since it was getting close I booked the nonrefundable rate. I thought they would charge my credit card soon after, but they didn't until I checked out. Saturday night was expensive at 35,000 yen, but Saturdays are just expensive everywhere around TDR. Sunday was 19,000 yen. Monday night was 15,300 yen. Oddly, Tuesday never really dropped and Wednesday was sold out. My guess is there was a conference. I had 2 reservations and it was not a problem combining them. Since I booked direct and had signed up for SPG rewards, wifi was free. Not that we needed it since we had the data SIM, but DH did try to use it (I guess he wanted to stream and was worried about the 1 GB limit), but it was very slow.
When we got to our room, our luggage (sent from Gate Hotel) was already in the room. Yay! The room was spacious by Japanese standards, clean, and newly remodeled (last year I think). I loved the modern, ocean-themed décor.
View from our balcony:
After I unpacked, we set out to look for dinner in the hotel. DH got sticker shock! I was already mentally prepared. My original plan was to go to Ippudo Ramen in Ikspiari, I even printed out the mall map to find where it was, but once we go to Maihama, I felt all sticky from the humidity and weighed down with the luggage that I just wanted to get to the hotel. We looked at the menus outside - the Japanese restaurant (Asuka) had adult sets for about 5000 yen and kids’ sets for 2900 yen. Teppanyaki Restaurant Maihama was 9000 yen/adult, although I did see an option online for a family meal (2 adults, 1 kid) for 14,000 yen, additional kid would be 3600 yen (I didn’t see this option posted outside though). The buffet (Grand Café) was 5400 yen/adult (can’t remember what the kids’ price was).
We decided to walk around and find the coin laundry first. The coin laundry is a small room in the Annex building on the second floor next to the arcade. But to get to the Annex, I think you can only go from the first floor (the floor below the front desk) and through a corridor that connects the buildings. There is a convenience store in the Annex and we decided to just grab some things there. We got a sandwich sampler pack, some onigiri (rice balls), and a curry flavor Cup Noodles (I was curious - it was a flavor choice at the design your own ramen at the CupNoodles Museum, but the kids didn’t want to pick it). I was a little wary because the selection of prepared food was very small (only one small case), but like other convenience stores in Japan, it’s actually decent food. The seaweed on the onigiri is separated from the rice by plastic, so it was still crunchy. It was a very cheap dinner at 1590 yen (charged to the room – very convenient!).
We went back to our room to eat and then DS and I set out to do laundry. I think it was 300 yen to wash (400 yen with detergent) and 100 yen per 15 minutes to dry. DS played in the arcade while we waited. There was a coupon for some free games in the room key folder. When I gave it to the attendant, he asked me to pick one of the options. So I’m not sure if I can only do one option per day or if I just needed to go back and ask again. When the laundry finished washing, I put them in the dryer for 45 minutes and went back to our room. DH went back later, I’m not sure how much longer he dried for (30-45 minutes probably), but when he came back all the clothes were still damp to varying degrees. I’d read about this in reviews, so I wasn’t surprised. There’s a laundry line in the bathroom, so we hung some stuff there, some in the closet, and some on the chairs. I was most worried about my jeans since I’d washed both pairs, but they were okay to wear the next morning with some blow drying.
After lunch, we went back to the ryokan to pick up our luggage. They have a free shuttle to the Nikko train stations (Tobu or JR), but it is only at 9, 9:30, or 10 AM. They are strict about that (even though the van was sitting out front), so we asked the front desk to call us a taxi. I think the fare was about 1500 yen. We could have taken the bus, which I think is 310 yen/adult (so 775 yen total with DS being 50% and DD free), but the savings didn’t seem worth it to me having to deal with the luggage and the kids. We arrived at the station just in time to catch the Tobu Skytree Line Section Rapid train (the same line we took to Nikko and the cheapest option). Transfers were at Kita-Senju and Hatchobori (Tokyo) before we arrived in Maihama. There is also a Shinkansen option, which I thought the kids would like. But with a difference of 3710 yen/adult for unreserved seats and only a 50 minutes ride, it did not seem worth it at all. When we got to Maihama, we took the free shuttle to Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay. We didn’t see any signs and had to ask, but all the “official” hotel (i.e. non-Disney but within TDR) shuttles are outside the station, walk out a bit and you should see the Disney Resort Cruisers which are white and grey with a big Mickey shape on the side. There is a sign above the windshield for which hotel it goes to. The shuttle took us to the lower level of the Sheraton and I got a little confused looking for the front desk, which is one floor up.
We booked the Ocean Dreams room directly with Sheraton. I selected 2 adults since children 17 and under sleep free in existing bedding. If I put in the kids, then the website thinks I want separate beds for them and only show me the expensive quad rooms. It really paid off for me to keep checking the price. I originally booked refundable rates through JTB when they were cheaper. The price would drop, so I would cancel and rebook. About 2 weeks before our stay, the Sheraton direct rate dropped again and since it was getting close I booked the nonrefundable rate. I thought they would charge my credit card soon after, but they didn't until I checked out. Saturday night was expensive at 35,000 yen, but Saturdays are just expensive everywhere around TDR. Sunday was 19,000 yen. Monday night was 15,300 yen. Oddly, Tuesday never really dropped and Wednesday was sold out. My guess is there was a conference. I had 2 reservations and it was not a problem combining them. Since I booked direct and had signed up for SPG rewards, wifi was free. Not that we needed it since we had the data SIM, but DH did try to use it (I guess he wanted to stream and was worried about the 1 GB limit), but it was very slow.
When we got to our room, our luggage (sent from Gate Hotel) was already in the room. Yay! The room was spacious by Japanese standards, clean, and newly remodeled (last year I think). I loved the modern, ocean-themed décor.
View from our balcony:
After I unpacked, we set out to look for dinner in the hotel. DH got sticker shock!
I was already mentally prepared. My original plan was to go to Ippudo Ramen in Ikspiari, I even printed out the mall map to find where it was, but once we go to Maihama, I felt all sticky from the humidity and weighed down with the luggage that I just wanted to get to the hotel. We looked at the menus outside - the Japanese restaurant (Asuka) had adult sets for about 5000 yen and kids’ sets for 2900 yen. Teppanyaki Restaurant Maihama was 9000 yen/adult, although I did see an option online for a family meal (2 adults, 1 kid) for 14,000 yen, additional kid would be 3600 yen (I didn’t see this option posted outside though). The buffet (Grand Café) was 5400 yen/adult (can’t remember what the kids’ price was).We decided to walk around and find the coin laundry first. The coin laundry is a small room in the Annex building on the second floor next to the arcade. But to get to the Annex, I think you can only go from the first floor (the floor below the front desk) and through a corridor that connects the buildings. There is a convenience store in the Annex and we decided to just grab some things there. We got a sandwich sampler pack, some onigiri (rice balls), and a curry flavor Cup Noodles (I was curious - it was a flavor choice at the design your own ramen at the CupNoodles Museum, but the kids didn’t want to pick it). I was a little wary because the selection of prepared food was very small (only one small case), but like other convenience stores in Japan, it’s actually decent food. The seaweed on the onigiri is separated from the rice by plastic, so it was still crunchy. It was a very cheap dinner at 1590 yen (charged to the room – very convenient!).
We went back to our room to eat and then DS and I set out to do laundry. I think it was 300 yen to wash (400 yen with detergent) and 100 yen per 15 minutes to dry. DS played in the arcade while we waited. There was a coupon for some free games in the room key folder. When I gave it to the attendant, he asked me to pick one of the options. So I’m not sure if I can only do one option per day or if I just needed to go back and ask again. When the laundry finished washing, I put them in the dryer for 45 minutes and went back to our room. DH went back later, I’m not sure how much longer he dried for (30-45 minutes probably), but when he came back all the clothes were still damp to varying degrees. I’d read about this in reviews, so I wasn’t surprised. There’s a laundry line in the bathroom, so we hung some stuff there, some in the closet, and some on the chairs. I was most worried about my jeans since I’d washed both pairs, but they were okay to wear the next morning with some blow drying.
Jade-Elise
MrsLlante
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2016
Hi lovely, just wondering what you meant with 'money on our ticket?' I think I missed something?
Jade-Elise
MrsLlante
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2016
Oooo you have changed my mind! We are booked for Okura, but I think I might book with Sheraton knowing now I don't have to book 2 x twin rooms!!!
Were the beds comfortable? As in not hard as rocks? The Okura has several people saying they are very hard, just like Japanese people like them. I have several back and hip issues, a hard bed after a day of walking is going to literally ruin my holiday!
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Dormouse.
Enchanted Tales With Elle
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2015
Hi lovely, just wondering what you meant with 'money on our ticket?' I think I missed something?
Not OP, but I believe the tickets her family purchased had a certain amount of currency to be used for entrance onto attractions. It's fairly common for non-Disney theme/amusement parks in Japan to require money for admission onto attractions.
wanderlust7
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2015
Hi lovely, just wondering what you meant with 'money on our ticket?' I think I missed something?
Hi!
We had bought a ticket with a value of 3500 yen (we paid 2800 yen since they have those buy more get more deals). So we had value left from that, plus we added just enough money to the ticket for us to ride the Ferris wheel before we realized it was closed! Very glad it reopened!Oh, I should add that Cosmo World doesn't have an entrance fee into the park, it's pay for each attraction.
wanderlust7
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2015
wanderlust7
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2015
Day 8 – Tokyo Disneyland!
Part 1 - Because otherwise it would be too long
Today, we were finally going to Tokyo Disneyland! But first we got some breakfast at Toastina, a counter service place in the hotel. They have seriously delicious and flaky croissants and fruit puff pastries (ranged from 220-280 yen each). Coffee was expensive at 570 yen for a large, but it was very good. They are takeout only for breakfast because their seating area is used for the breakfast buffet. We ate at a seating area in the lobby, but DD made a mess (I tried to clean up best as I could). We would get breakfast here the next 2 days as well, but I would come down to buy it and then take it back to our room. It was much easier to contain the mess that way.
After breakfast, I went to buy park tickets from the hotel counter (next to the front desk). There was a small line, but it wasn’t too bad. I could have used a credit card, but I charged it to the room (not that it makes much difference; I would pay by credit card when I check out anyways). We then took the hotel shuttle to Bayside Station to take the monorail, but only because we hadn’t gotten our bearings yet and weren’t quite sure how to walk there. The station is literally across the street from the Sheraton. It actually baffles me why they even have a shuttle at all.
That night, we took the shuttle again…I don’t actually know why…because it was there?? But it was crowded and some people had to stand. Parents lug their strollers on with the kid still inside…it seems like more work than just walking across the street…. The next night, we had a race with the shuttle. Okay, the shuttle won, but not by much!
We used our Suica cards for the monorail and then realized it would have been cheaper to buy the 2 day pass (the Disney hotels we would stay at later would give us free monorail passes, so we only needed 2 days). But since we already paid, the pass was no longer cheaper, so we just used our Suica the rest of the time. So – moral of the story, price it out in advance.
This was one of the first pictures we took at Tokyo Disneyland. The time stamp says 10:30 AM. Yeah – we are REALLY not early people! In fact, over 4 days, we never made rope drop or used the Happy 15 that came with the Disney hotels stays (kind of a waste).
Easter decorations, some of those are real cabbages and lettuce:
Today was a Sunday and the most crowded day over our 4 day visit. First thing I did was to get Fastpasses for Monsters Inc. (the return time was 7:30 PM) and try the lottery (located left of Space Mountain in Tomorrowland). I was really hoping for the reserved area of the night projection show Once Upon a Time, so that’s what I tried first – no luck. Then I tried One Man’s Dream II and struck out again. But we ended up seeing it on Tuesday standby.
Then it was time for the Easter parade - Hippity-Hoppity Springtime. We sat somewhere in the Hub, which is significantly bigger than at Disneyland Anaheim or Magic Kingdom in WDW. Everyone sits (except the very back), so even though we were 4-5 rows behind, we could still see. It was cute and colorful, but I kind of felt like all the floats were very similar just with different characters on them.
After the parade, we went to get the Easter Egg Hunt map for the kids (510 yen each). There are a few locations, but we found it at the ice cream place in World Bazaar, at the corner close to Tomorrowland. We went to DL for a short visit over spring break and just missed the egg hunt there, so I was happy to find that the one at TDL last so much longer. We got the beginner level one and it wasn’t hard at all. We just looked for them as we went to each area over the 2 days we were at TDL. In the picture are the prizes the kids got (Minnie and Daisy are made of metal). They are wrapped and come out of a prize box, so no choosing which one. I warned the kids beforehand – you get what you get and you don’t get upset. Too bad for DS that they were both “girly”.
We then went to Cinderella’s Fairy Tale Hall inside the castle. Here are some castle shots first, amazing DH got almost no people:
Then it was time for lunch. We decided on Grandma Sara’s Kitchen even though the line looked pretty long. DS and I went to get Fastpasses for Big Thunder Mountain, by the time we got back, DH and DD had gotten to the entrance of the restaurant. The line goes into the restaurant, so we waited a little more. It didn’t seem too bad though, but maybe because I didn’t wait the whole time.
Here are all the souvenir options. I got the cup and the plate. I went a little crazy with the souvenir cups (got a total of 3). They’re actually too small to be practical. This is my favorite one though because it has a lot of cute details, especially on the back. They give a bubble wrap pouch with every souvenir cup, so it was easy to wrap it up and put it in our backpack. The plate is plastic (not ceramic like we thought it would be), but it’s well made and the kids use it often. The food is on a separate plate, so it comes already bubble wrapped.
I got the omelet rice (yum):
DH got the chicken cream casserole (it was okay, I prefer the omelet rice):
Here’s the kids’ meal. One thing I really liked about the kids’ meal at TDR was that they gave little portions of many different things, so the kids would usually find at least one thing that they liked.
When we came out from Grandma Sara’s, we realized the regular parade (Happiness is Here) was coming. We were very late though and in the second standing row, so DH carried DS and I carried DD. She is heavy and I’m not strong so that always greatly affects my enjoyment of anything. I thought it was a better parade than the Easter one, more wow factor. I would have seen it again in a more comfortable spot, but nobody else was interested. Phooey.
Part 1 - Because otherwise it would be too long
Today, we were finally going to Tokyo Disneyland! But first we got some breakfast at Toastina, a counter service place in the hotel. They have seriously delicious and flaky croissants and fruit puff pastries (ranged from 220-280 yen each). Coffee was expensive at 570 yen for a large, but it was very good. They are takeout only for breakfast because their seating area is used for the breakfast buffet. We ate at a seating area in the lobby, but DD made a mess (I tried to clean up best as I could). We would get breakfast here the next 2 days as well, but I would come down to buy it and then take it back to our room. It was much easier to contain the mess that way.
After breakfast, I went to buy park tickets from the hotel counter (next to the front desk). There was a small line, but it wasn’t too bad. I could have used a credit card, but I charged it to the room (not that it makes much difference; I would pay by credit card when I check out anyways). We then took the hotel shuttle to Bayside Station to take the monorail, but only because we hadn’t gotten our bearings yet and weren’t quite sure how to walk there. The station is literally across the street from the Sheraton. It actually baffles me why they even have a shuttle at all.
That night, we took the shuttle again…I don’t actually know why…because it was there?? But it was crowded and some people had to stand. Parents lug their strollers on with the kid still inside…it seems like more work than just walking across the street…. The next night, we had a race with the shuttle. Okay, the shuttle won, but not by much!We used our Suica cards for the monorail and then realized it would have been cheaper to buy the 2 day pass (the Disney hotels we would stay at later would give us free monorail passes, so we only needed 2 days). But since we already paid, the pass was no longer cheaper, so we just used our Suica the rest of the time. So – moral of the story, price it out in advance.
This was one of the first pictures we took at Tokyo Disneyland. The time stamp says 10:30 AM. Yeah – we are REALLY not early people! In fact, over 4 days, we never made rope drop or used the Happy 15 that came with the Disney hotels stays (kind of a waste
).
Easter decorations, some of those are real cabbages and lettuce:
Today was a Sunday and the most crowded day over our 4 day visit. First thing I did was to get Fastpasses for Monsters Inc. (the return time was 7:30 PM) and try the lottery (located left of Space Mountain in Tomorrowland). I was really hoping for the reserved area of the night projection show Once Upon a Time, so that’s what I tried first – no luck. Then I tried One Man’s Dream II and struck out again.
But we ended up seeing it on Tuesday standby.Then it was time for the Easter parade - Hippity-Hoppity Springtime. We sat somewhere in the Hub, which is significantly bigger than at Disneyland Anaheim or Magic Kingdom in WDW. Everyone sits (except the very back), so even though we were 4-5 rows behind, we could still see. It was cute and colorful, but I kind of felt like all the floats were very similar just with different characters on them.
After the parade, we went to get the Easter Egg Hunt map for the kids (510 yen each). There are a few locations, but we found it at the ice cream place in World Bazaar, at the corner close to Tomorrowland. We went to DL for a short visit over spring break and just missed the egg hunt there, so I was happy to find that the one at TDL last so much longer. We got the beginner level one and it wasn’t hard at all. We just looked for them as we went to each area over the 2 days we were at TDL. In the picture are the prizes the kids got (Minnie and Daisy are made of metal). They are wrapped and come out of a prize box, so no choosing which one. I warned the kids beforehand – you get what you get and you don’t get upset. Too bad for DS that they were both “girly”.
We then went to Cinderella’s Fairy Tale Hall inside the castle. Here are some castle shots first, amazing DH got almost no people:
Then it was time for lunch. We decided on Grandma Sara’s Kitchen even though the line looked pretty long. DS and I went to get Fastpasses for Big Thunder Mountain, by the time we got back, DH and DD had gotten to the entrance of the restaurant. The line goes into the restaurant, so we waited a little more. It didn’t seem too bad though, but maybe because I didn’t wait the whole time.
Here are all the souvenir options. I got the cup and the plate. I went a little crazy with the souvenir cups (got a total of 3).
They’re actually too small to be practical. This is my favorite one though because it has a lot of cute details, especially on the back. They give a bubble wrap pouch with every souvenir cup, so it was easy to wrap it up and put it in our backpack. The plate is plastic (not ceramic like we thought it would be), but it’s well made and the kids use it often. The food is on a separate plate, so it comes already bubble wrapped.
I got the omelet rice (yum):
DH got the chicken cream casserole (it was okay, I prefer the omelet rice):
Here’s the kids’ meal. One thing I really liked about the kids’ meal at TDR was that they gave little portions of many different things, so the kids would usually find at least one thing that they liked.
When we came out from Grandma Sara’s, we realized the regular parade (Happiness is Here) was coming. We were very late though and in the second standing row, so DH carried DS and I carried DD. She is heavy and I’m not strong so that always greatly affects my enjoyment of anything.
I thought it was a better parade than the Easter one, more wow factor. I would have seen it again in a more comfortable spot, but nobody else was interested. Phooey.
Last edited:
aussie shaz
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2011
Great to see Australia front and centre in Mickeys left ear on the plate! (I think maybe they were trying to show Japan, but Australia just overshadowed it LOL)
wanderlust7
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2015
What an interesting observation! I didn't even notice that. I was thinking the plate doesn't have anything specific to TDR, except for the label on the bottom, so that adds another thing.
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