First post-COVID visit WITH toddler - multiple questions

[Agent 86]

Hi all,

We were lucky enough to visit Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea multiple times pre-COVID and pre-parenthood.

We've now booked our first return trip for July 2023 and I have many questions given all the changes in the parks (and in our family structure) since our last visit in 2019.

1. Masks - I generally understand that locals still wear face masks most of the time - is that correct? If so, are young children also expected to wear face masks? And is it acceptable / common to remove face masks for photos?

2. Shows / Entertainment - I understand that pretty much every show is now "lottery" based (through the app). Do they still allow "standby" access? I can't remember the details, but I recall missing out the lottery (through the machines) for Big Band Beat and then waiting in some kind of "standby" line at a designated time and we were allowed access.

Our daughter would love to see Mickey and friends performing, but I know we've previously had very little luck when it comes to the lotteries.

It also appears that some previously free shows also now cost money. For example, I vaguely recall there being a free Duffy show at Cape Cod in DisneySea, but this now appears to be a paid ticketed show? Are the only "free" and "guaranteed" entry shows now the parades and fireworks?

3. Roaming characters - Are there still roaming characters or do they now only appear at the designated character meets? If there are still roaming characters, is it still possible to ask a cast member if particular characters will appear that day? My daughter would enjoy meeting some of the princesses if that's still possible.

4. Character meets - Do any of the designated character meets typically have shorter wait times, for example, the Mickey and Minnie character meets in Toon Town (Disneyland)? Previously, these have never been a priority, but I vaguely recall seeing wait times of 60+ minutes for the character meets in DisneySea. Again, my daughter would love to meet some of the costumed characters, but entertaining a toddler in a slow moving line for 60+ minutes would be impossible. I'm hoping that the Mickey and Minnie meets in Toon Town might be a bit quicker since they are there all day and are in their "standard" costumes?

5. Changing facilities - Any recommendations for changing facilities? Do they have gender neutral parent rooms or are their changing facilities in the men's toilets?

6. Other recommendations - Any other recommendations for visiting with a toddler? We know we have to dramatically change our expectations for what a trip to Disney entails, especially with the removal of the Fast Passes which will make it extra challenging to do any rides with wait times beyond 10 to 20 minutes.

7. Heat and humidity in July - I've been reading horror stories about the heat and humidity in Tokyo in July, however I'm not sure where the authors of those stories live. Have any Aussies (particularly those from Queensland) visited in July / August and, if so, was the heat and humidity any worse than an Aussie summer?

8. Hilton Tokyo Bay - Does anyone know how to identify the "Celebrio select" rooms which allow access to the Celebrio lounge in comparison to the regular "Celebrio" rooms? I can only seem to identify "Celebrio" rooms, not "Celebrio select" rooms?

9. Activities for toddlers in Japan - Any other recommendations for activities with toddlers in Tokyo, Osaka or Nagoya? We'll aim to do the three big theme parks - Disney, Universal and Lego, but would appreciate any other recommendations.

Thanks in advance for any assistance!

 

[gelatoni fan]

1. As of February, everybody was wearing masks in the park. For the meet & greets, the few seconds could be roughly split into 3 parts: During the initial greeting, you say hi and a couple sentences to the character who will react. Then the CM will instruct you to take off your mask to pose. After the photo, they instruct you to put your mask back on and say goodbye. Roaming characters were all separated by a rope or line that you should not cross and people could take selfies while wearing masks. I don't know if anything has changed since then but I did notice a massive influx of foreigners in March who weren't masking which led to some Japanese people to abandon masks. Didn't go into the parks since February though.

2. The first show should be standby except on super busy days. You can tap the show in the app and most of the showtimes will say "Entry Request experience". If that text isn't there, it's standby for that particular time.

The "free" Cape Cod show you are talking about always required you to purchase a meal at the restaurant. The new show will require a reservation and given that it debuts July 4, it'll likely be very hard to get a reservation. You still get a meal but, they will have different prices based on how close you are to the stage. Some of the other shows have premier access which allows you into that specific viewing area. You can still watch the show but the amount of good standby viewing may be limited.

3. In Japan, CMs will generally say that characters appear randomly unlike CMs in the US who sometimes are instructed to actually pull out their schedules. Princesses mostly come out in Fantasyland and the front area of Disneyland. Ariel's greeting at Disneysea is currently suspended.

4. Characters may have like 30 minute waits in the first hour or two of park opening before getting longer later on. The wait time also tends to go down during the parade and at the end of the day. Some characters will have entry request in the app such as Mickey in the front of Disneyland. The summer event starts on July 4 so it is highly likely that Minnie will get new clothes in Style Studio as well as Duffy and ShellieMay in DisneySea. I'd expect all of their waits to be quite long at the start of July and I would not be surprised if Duffy and ShellieMay were entry request only.

5. I believe there are changing stations in most of the restrooms but since I never used them, I may be mis-remembering.

6. A lot of young kids like playing around in the little playgrounds in Toontown in Disneyland and Ariel's area in Disneysea.

7. Never been to Australia but I never felt that the heat in Tokyo was that bad compared to tropical areas or even Orlando where Disney World is.

8. Just going off the website, I know the Celebrio Suites have lounge access as well as the executive rooms. It's possible they remodeled or renamed the rooms?

9. Maybe your toddler would like aquariums? Nagoya's has some of the best shows and Osaka's has the best exhibits in pretty much all of Japan. Japanese aquariums also have white-sided dolphins which are rare in aquariums outside of Japan (most have bottlenose).

 

[Agent 86]

Thanks gelatoni fan!

Bummer about Minnie's Style Studio, but we'll just keep an eye on the wait times if it's busy due to a new costume. I think she'd also like to "meet" Duffy and Shellie Mae, but they always seemed crazy popular.

Hmmm ... yes, Celebrio "suites" may be the new "select"?

We'll definitely be going to the Osaka aquarium and I'll have a look at the Nagoya one too.

Thanks again.

 

[sophy1996]

In Tokyo, Kyoto, and TDR in April, masks were “do as you like.” The majority of people were wearing them, but some did not. No one seemed to care either way.

 

[DahliaRW]

Last time we were in Japan my kids were 3, 5, and 7. They LOVED SCMAGLEV and Railway Park in Nagoya. So much that they asked to go again when we go to Japan in June! https://museum.jr-central.co.jp/en/

They loved the Osaka Aquarium too. It's a really great one.

Unfortunately the museum they loved best in Tokyo is closed for renovations until the end of 2024.

 

[Agent 86]

Thanks DahliaRW - the train museum is on our list!

It was in the "maybe" category, but you've tipped it over the edge into the "must do" category.

 

[SPSRAS]

https://tdrexplorer.com/character-hugs-return-tokyo-disney-resort/

This post from TDR Explorer says masks are no longer required and hugs are back!

 

[Agent 86]

A couple of other questions:

1. Kids on shoulders - IF I stand at the very back, is it socially acceptable for me to put my daughter on my shoulders to view parades, etc? Or is that a big "no no" even if we're not blocking anyone's view?

2. Luggage on bullet trains - I'm still trying to figure it out, but I've read that you can no longer take luggage (i.e. suitcases) on bullet trains (e.g. from Tokyo to Osaka). Does anyone know of a "plain English" guide to figuring this out? We had planned to move between cities by bullet train, but we obviously need to take our luggage with us!

 

[wanderlust7]

Large luggage you need a reservation. Link

We always use a delivery service for our checked luggage. It's inexpensive and reliable.

 

[sophy1996]

A roll-aboard that you could carry on an airplane doesn’t need a reservation for the Shinkansen. There are overhead racks for that size luggage. If you have bigger suitcases, then you need to look into reservations.

We used luggage delivery and it worked really well. The only issue is that it takes a day to get there.

I don’t remember seeing any kids on shoulders at TDR. But it’s common for several rows of people to be seated on the ground for parades, so may not be necessary anyway.

 

[gelatoni fan]

A couple of other questions:

1. Kids on shoulders - IF I stand at the very back, is it socially acceptable for me to put my daughter on my shoulders to view parades, etc? Or is that a big "no no" even if we're not blocking anyone's view?

2. Luggage on bullet trains - I'm still trying to figure it out, but I've read that you can no longer take luggage (i.e. suitcases) on bullet trains (e.g. from Tokyo to Osaka). Does anyone know of a "plain English" guide to figuring this out? We had planned to move between cities by bullet train, but we obviously need to take our luggage with us!

1. Kids on shoulders are not OK. A cast member may even tell you to stop. TDR is well designed so that the ground slopes logically to face the parade route and it is very clear what sections are for sitting and which are for standing. If you arrive late, you can try a sitting spot in the back but the best thing to do is to arrive early.

2. You can take luggage on bullet trains and I took a pretty big one on the train from Tokyo in February (almost 70 cm tall) without a reservation. If your suitcase is larger than a normal big checked bag, you should reserve a seat with oversized baggage. Just be aware that if your bag is super heavy or bulky but not oversized, you may have to keep it by your feet which restricts legroom.

 

[Agent 86]

Large luggage you need a reservation. Link

Thanks. Okay, that doesn't sound too complicated. Especially if most locals use the delivery service.

 

[Agent 86]

Kids on shoulders are not OK. A cast member may even tell you to stop.

I suspected as much, but glad I double checked!

 

[CanucksRock]

I was just in Japan for 2 weeks in April and we did not wear masks at all. We didn’t feel out of place doing so. While the majority still do wear, it’s a personal choice.

I don’t have kids…but I swear if anyone with a Toddler goes to Disney Sea …the kid will not let them leave the Little Mermaid area That place was wow!

 

[Agent 86]

I don’t have kids…but I swear if anyone with a Toddler goes to Disney Sea …the kid will not let them leave the Little Mermaid area

Yes, I anticipate spending a lot of time there!

 

[Agent 86]

Another question! We have foolishly been talking about the fireworks at Disneyland and our daughter is very excited at the thought of seeing them. But, they’re closed during our visit!

Does anyone have any experience attending the local fireworks festivals in Tokyo in July? Is there any we could watch from a nice park area or similar which is suitable for a toddler - space to move, no extreme crowds, etc?

 

[Agent 86]

Another question! Is it possible to “combine” single rider and child swap at Disney and Universal?

So, we’d enter the single rider line (IF available) with our toddler - Parent A would ride alone (single rider) while Parent B watches the toddler. Then Parent B would ride alone (single rider) while Parent A watches the toddler / exits the attraction.

I can’t seem to find an answer. As we’ll still both be “single riders”, it seems possible to me?

 

[afan]

Another question! Is it possible to “combine” single rider and child swap at Disney and Universal?

So, we’d enter the single rider line (IF available) with our toddler - Parent A would ride alone (single rider) while Parent B watches the toddler. Then Parent B would ride alone (single rider) while Parent A watches the toddler / exits the attraction.

I can’t seem to find an answer. As we’ll still both be “single riders”, it seems possible to me?

Wouldn't it make more sense to do this without rider swap. The person not riding and the toddler could be out doing something.

 

[Agent 86]

Wouldn't it make more sense to do this without rider swap. The person not riding and the toddler could be out doing something.

I guess I was thinking if single rider line is say … 20 minutes, then we can both keep her occupied in the line for 20 minutes and it would probably be only another 10 minutes for us to each ride, so a total of 30 minutes.

If we did it separately, then Parent A has to keep her busy for approximately 30 minutes while Parent B rides - without doing anything that Parent B doesn't want to "miss out" on. Then Parent A has to line up and Parent B has to keep her busy for another 30 minutes, again without doing anything that Parent A doesn't want to "miss out" on. So, total time would be 60-ish minutes. Possibly more if the parent and toddler have gone off to another area to keep the toddler happy and occupied.

The first option seems easier and more efficient (at least in theory).

 

[afan]

I guess I was thinking if single rider line is say … 20 minutes, then we can both keep her occupied in the line for 20 minutes and it would probably be only another 10 minutes for us to each ride, so a total of 30 minutes.

If we did it separately, then Parent A has to keep her busy for approximately 30 minutes while Parent B rides - without doing anything that Parent B doesn't want to "miss out" on. Then Parent A has to line up and Parent B has to keep her busy for another 30 minutes, again without doing anything that Parent A doesn't want to "miss out" on. So, total time would be 60-ish minutes. Possibly more if the parent and toddler have gone off to another area to keep the toddler happy and occupied.

The first option seems easier and more efficient (at least in theory).

Talked with a friend that's done rider switch at wdw. You'll need to ask there because if the toddler isn't tall enough they won't be allowed in the line.

You mihht make a new thread just for your rider swap question and not everyone may read through all threads and might get a better answer. Also maybe try the Tokyo disneyland sub reddit.