Asia

Disney Adventure Singapore Cruise Tips

October 14, 2026 / Asia, Cruising, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Travel, Singapore, Travel / 0 comment

Tips for Planning Your Disney Adventure Singapore Cruise

The Disney Adventure is Disney Cruise Line’s largest ship. The first of the Disney Cruise Line fleet to homeport in Asia, it sails 3- and 4-night round-trip voyages from Singapore.

Disney Adventure is one of the largest cruise ships in the world, constructed by Genting Hong Kong for its Dream Cruises brand. Disney purchased the vessel in 2022, estimated to be 60–80 percent complete, for €40 million (far below its original €1 billion valuation). After the acquisition, the interior was fitted by Disney with a reduced passenger capacity compared with the original plan, with her maiden voyage taking place on March 10, 2026.

The massive 18-deck vessel accommodates roughly 6,700 guests. Differing from traditional Disney Cruise Line layouts, the ship is divided into seven immersive themed areas.

Disney Adventure Themed Areas

Disney Imagination Garden: The central open-air heart of the ship, the garden features a castle structure, a Mickey Mouse statue, and a large stage for daily character events and shows like Avengers Assemble.

Disney Discovery Reef: Adjacent to the Imagination Garden, the reef is a retail and dining hub inspired by aquatic stories like The Little Mermaid and Finding Nemo.

Marvel Landing: An action-packed zone featuring rides at sea, including the Iron Cycle Coaster.

San Fransokyo Street: A Big Hero 6-themed family entertainment space with cinemas, arcade games and shops, plus home to the Baymax meet and greets.

Toy Story Place: An interactive water play, water slide and pool area, plus where you’ll find the popular Pizza Planet.

Town Square: The centre of the ship, featuring a Snow White statue, mural ceiling, guest services and a celebration area for Disney royalty meet and greets as well as daily entertainment and home to the Walt Disney Theatre and world-class stage shows.

Wayfinder Bay: An open-air oasis inspired by Moana designed for relaxation with a pool that doubles as a stage and bar area.

Tips for Enjoying Your Cruise

Choosing the best cabin

And by “best”, I mean what’s best for you. We chose a deluxe ocean verandah room, midship on deck 18. The ship is so large that the location is probably not as important as on other ships regarding the movement of the ship and seasickness, however the deck is important.

I would avoid decks with facilities on them as they are busier and you will get more foot traffic past the room, which is quite noisy. I also chose an ocean facing room vs a room facing the internal garden as I wanted a quieter room and to see the ocean vs other people on their balconies.

it is worth noting however if you have a balcony room overlooking where the entertainment happens you can watch from your balcony.

Join your cruise Facebook Group

You can find this by searching for the date of your cruise in Facebook. Once you join the group you can be added to your cruise WhatsApp group, which is useful for getting alerts while on the cruise for things like character spottings and booking openings. First time cruisers can also get a lot of tips and ask experienced cruisers questions.

Download the Disney Cruise App

Make sure to download the Disney Cruise Line app well in advance. You can complete your official check in on the app and when you board your cruise connect to the DCL wifi network to see the daily schedule of events and book character meet and greets.

When you check into your cruise there will be print out signs on how to connect to the DCL wifi on board. Make sure you read this carefully as it was trickier than we expected.

Check in on your allocated day

Your opening date for your online check-in window depends on your Castaway Club membership level or if you are a first-time cruiser:
• First-Time Cruisers: Opens 30 days before your sail date.
• Silver Castaway Club: Opens 33 days before your sail date.
• Gold Castaway Club: Opens 35 days before your sail date.
• Platinum Castaway Club: Opens 38 days before your sail date.
• Pearl Castaway Club: Opens 40 days before your sail date.

You can complete your check-in via the Disney Cruise Line Website or the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app up until 1 day before departure. I recommend checking in as soon as your window opens to lock in the earliest Port Arrival Time and secure any activities you are keen on such as the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Activities do book out if they are popular, such as the BBB.

Weren’t able to get the rotational dining time slot you were after, or an activity booking you wanted? Speak with guest services on boarding and they will do their best to help.

Be an early bird

On a ship this size, planning is helpful to ensure you don’t spend a lot of your cruise waiting in lines. If you plan to be on the early side to everything, it’s an easy way to avoid crowds.

This especially goes for the buffet dining at breakfast and lunch in Pixar Market, the casual dining spots (due to their small size they get really crowded fast and have minimal seating), San Fransokyo Street (if you go straight after breakfast you will find it largely empty), the Moana Wayfinder show (sit in the covered bar area for a shaded view) and the live theatre shows in the Walt Disney Theatre.

Many activities are simply walk in at the time. Popular activities such as the drawing classes however need arrived at early to secure a table.

Enjoy San Fransokyo Street without the crowds

This section of the ship is so unique and well themed. It also gets really busy as the day goes on, so visit San Fransokyo Street early in the morning or late at night. It is open 24 hours so is a great option before and after everything else opens / closes. The arcade games are all free to play!

Try all the included food

When booking your cruise you will be allocated rotational evening at three different restaurants. You can choose to go to these seatings every evening or you can also just head to any of the other quick service food outlets if you prefer. We chose to try our rotational dining each night even if we didn’t eat much there as the experiences of the restaurants are really fun.

Mickey churros waffles are available on the final sea day of each sailing so be sure to look out for them at the breakfast buffets.

We really enjoyed the food at the quick service restaurants so highly recommend trying them all, especially the pizza (you can order by the slice or entire pizzas). You can take any of the quick service meals back to your room or to another area to sit if you like.

Get room service

At least once, get some room service! There is a small fee now which largely covers the service of the delivery and it’s so nice to have even something small like the cheese plate or cookies and milk waiting in the room.

Try some of the add-on food and drinks

While most of the food is included and most of the basic drinks, there are a few add-on options such as premium dining (we didn’t try this as there were so many options already!), bars and the tea and coffee shops.

The pay-extra areas on the ship were so much quieter than the other “included” areas, so they are a really great idea if you want a bit of a break from the crowds. You can also sit in these bars and lounges without purchasing anything if you just need some quiet time.

We tried the TWG ice tea and bought some Disney Cruise Line specially made tea to take home.

Our absolutely favorites were the Tiana’s Bayou Lounge and Bewitching Boba and Brews.

Both are beautifully themed and quiet at all times of the day, making them perfect places to stop for a snack and avoid the crowds.

Tiana’s Bayou Lounge has amazing (and very reasonably priced) beignets, with an option to purchase a really cute porcelain plate to take home.

Bewitching Boba and Brews is an Ursula-themed teen magnet. The drinks are exxy but absolutely delicious.

Beat the heat

We found the heat being outside on the ship extremely hard to deal with so we largely stayed inside where the air conditioning was excellent.

The pool areas were extremely busy most of the time so if this is important to you, I advise using them early or late and avoiding the busiest times of the day and instead doing indoor activities, watching a movie in the theatres or even taking a break in your room.

Watch all the live shows

The shows on Disney cruises are all fantastic, in fact they are one of the best things about the Disney Adventure Singapore Cruise. You will be allocated a time to see the biggest show, Remember, but can attend any viewing of any other live show as you like.

The Marvel Avengers Assemble show is outdoors and in the evening when it’s much cooler outside. There is a massive space to sit for this show so it’s not as critical to be early to see it. It’s an unmissable show and includes lots of action.

There is a Duffy and Friends show for the first time on a Disney cruise and it’s absolutely adorable.

If you miss a live show, you can watch a filming of it in your cabin on the TV.

Book character meet and greets

Book character meet and greets on the app. Bookings open each day for the next day. The times for these change so it’s helpful to check regularly in your app, particularly in the late afternoons and evenings.

Watch Fireworks at Sea

Disney Cruise Line is the only cruise line to offer fireworks on the open ocean! The Disney Adventure features an exclusive nighttime fireworks show titled The Lion King: Celebration in the Sky.

Sample the soft serve

One of the things kids love about the Disney Cruise Line ships is the unlimited soft serve machines they can use to serve themselves. It’s included in the overall cost of the cruise and a great way to beat the Singaporean heat.

Put the kids in clubs

The Disney Adventure Singapore Cruise has excellent kids clubs as well as a nursery for babies.
“It’s a small world” nursery (Ages 6 months to 3 years)
Disney’s Oceaneer Club (Ages 3 to 10)
Edge (Ages 11 to 14)
Vibe (Ages 14 to 17)

Enjoy family time at the all-ages activities

Opening up the Disney Cruise Line app you can see the days activities, with a full day schedule of things like trivia, towel folding, drawing and arts and crafts that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

Get a princess makeover

The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique on the Disney Adventure cruise ship offers magical transformations for children ages 3 to 12, guided by Fairy Godmother’s Apprentices.

Transform into a super hero

At the Marvel Style Studio, guests of all ages can get superhero-themed hair styling, face painting, makeup, and apparel inspired by icons like Iron Man, Spider-Man, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Thor, Ghost Spider, and Black Panther.

Ride the Iron Cycle Rollercoaster

The rollercoaster was a highlight for us! It was a long wait to get on, but well worth it. We lined up on embarkation day, immediately after we boarded, however the wait was still quite long – and extremely hot.

You can also try lining up first thing in the morning or in the evenings when most people are dining or at a show. It’s one of the most unique things to do on the Disney Adventure Singapore Cruise so is worth lining up for.

Shop for cruise merch

The shops on board feature a really fun range of merch that is specific to both Disney Cruise Line and some to the Disney Adventure boat itself.

From little trinkets like pins and magnets to mugs, clothes and even luggage, cruise merch is a fun way to take a piece of your holiday home with you.

Admire the details

The Disney Adventure is a stunning ship. Every detail is carefully planned out, so keep your eyes peeled for the beauty in tiny elements everywhere, from the carpets to the framed art, statues and even the carpets.

Our favourite areas included the Enchanted Summer restaurant, Pixar market and Tiana’s Bayou Lounge.

Get more information on booking your Disney Adventure Singapore Cruise.

Find more things to do in Singapore with teens and kids.

19 Fun Things To Do in Singapore with Kids and Teens

August 26, 2026 / Asia, Singapore, Travel / 0 comment

19 Fun Things to do in Singapore with Kids and Teens

Singapore is a tropical island city-state in Southeast Asia. A busy trading port that turned into a global hub for many businesses, Singapore has a vibrant combination of cultural heritage from its blend of Chinese, Malay, Indian and European immigrants. Visitors will love Singapore’s lush greenery, ritzy shops, exotic heritage and delicious food.

We recently visited Singpore again for a few days and while we barely scratched the surface of what there is to see and do in the city, we do have some tips on things to do in Singapore with kids – both little and big!

Things to do in Singapore with kids and teens

Sentosa Island

Sentosa Island is where Singaporeans go to play. The resort island is is located a out 15 minutes off the coast of Singapore and features theme parks, restaurants, beaches and luxury hotels.

To get to Sentosa, you can take the Sentosa Express Monorail (Board from Level 3 of VivoCity on the mainland), Cable Car (this is the exiest but most scenic option – board from Mount Faber or HarbourFront Centre), walk across the Sentosa Boardwalk or drive via the Sentosa Gateway.

Skyline Luge

On our previous outing, we took the kids on the Sentosa Skyline Luge, which was a big hit. The luge ride goes downhill, then, after the ride, a chairlift brings riders, luge carts, and the helmets back to the starting point..

Palawan Beach

Cool down at Palawan Beach – the most kid-friendly beach on Sentosa. it can get very busy on weekends, but it’s a great spot regardless. Clean bathroom facilities, shallow, calm water and play equipment.

Universal Studios Singapore

Universal Studios Singapore is located within the Resorts World Sentosa integrated resort on Sentosa Island. Featuring 24 rides, shows, and attractions in seven themed zones, it’s a huge day out for families who love theme parks.

Get more info on visiting Universal Studios Singapore here.

Singapore Oceanarium

Singapore Oceanarium is a state-of-the-art ocean institute that reopened on July 24, 2025, following the rebranding and expansion of the former S.E.A. Aquarium.

It features one of the world’s largest sea jelly habitats in its Ocean Wonders zone.

Get more info on visiting the Singapore Oceanarium here.

Sentosa shopping and dining

While on Sentosa, check out the shops and dining! We enjoyed the LEGO Store, Popmart and Pierre Herme Paris store, which has incredible desserts and ice cream.

Chinatown

A walk through Chinatown is a colourful experience. Market stalls assault the senses and kids can choose cheap trinket souvenirs.

You might have a monk-sighting like we did, and try some local food.

We stopped by the Noodle Man, renowned for his authentic, hand cut noodles.

Kids can watch him make noodles from scratch. They taste so good you’ll order a second bowl.

Get more info on visiting Chinatown.

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum

A Tang Dynesty-styled Chinese Buddhist temple in Chinatown that gets its name from the Sacred Buddha Tooth Relic it houses. The temple overwhelms the senses with colour, incense and the chanting of buddhist monks. Underneath the temple is a famous vegan foodcourt.

Get more info on visiting the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum.

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay is an unmissable experience in Singapore and requires at least three hours to see everything.

The attraction of three large garden areas, the main, and most popular, being Bay South garden, which houses the Flower Dome, Cloud Forest, Supertrees Grove and Children’s Garden.

The Flower Dome is an indoor hothouse bursting with manicured gardens right out of a storybook.

The Cloud Forest takes visitors up an indoor mountain through a circular path, behind a waterfall.

The “mountain” is clad in beautiful epiphytes such as orchids, ferns and peacock ferns.

The Supertrees Grove is filled with tree-like structures with heights that range between 25 metres (82 ft) and 50 metres (160 ft).

They are vertical gardens at the top of which is an elevated walkway, the OCBC Skyway, between two of the larger Supertrees, giving a panoramic aerial view of the Gardens.

While kids will enjoy all of the features of Gardens by the Bay, a trip to the Children’s Garden will be a highlight of your trip. Perfect for kids aged one and up, the children’s garden is renowned for its fabulous water play area.

There is a toddler zone for kids under 5, and a larger area for children 6 and over. With clean bathroom facilities and a shaded amphitheater, it’s obvious why this is a hot spot for families. Kids aged 6 -12 will also enjoy the Rainforest Tree Houses and the Adventure Trail nearby. You can visit this area for free, which is an added bonus in very pricey Singapore. Read more about our experience here.

This Family Zone also features fun play equipment for kids to enjoy.

Get more info on visiting Gardens by the Bay.

Mandai Wildlife Reserve (Singapore Zoo)

The Mandai Wildlife Reserve is a nature and wildlife destination that is home to the following major attractions:

Singapore Zoo: Famous open-concept zoo housing free-ranging animals.
Open daily from 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM.

Night Safari: The world’s first nocturnal wildlife park, featuring tram rides and walking trails. Open daily from 6:00 PM to 12:00 AM.

River Wonders: Asia’s only river-themed wildlife park, home to giant pandas and manatees. Open daily from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Bird Paradise: Asia’s largest bird park which replaced Jurong Bird Park.
Open daily from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Rainforest Wild: Adventure-based wildlife parks split into East and West zones.

Indoor Play & Edutainment: Includes Curiosity Cove (playscape for children) and Exploria.

Get more info on visiting Mandai Wildlife Reserve.

Read Busy City Kid’s review of Singapore Zoo here.

Afternoon Tea at Raffles

The Raffles Singapore is a historic, luxury colonial-style hotel, opened in 1887 and named after Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore. Their afternoon tea is an elegant affair, both for the ambiance of the extremely refined hotel, and the delicious food on offer.

The Raffles afternoon tea includes delicate finger sandwiches, home-baked scones, exquisite cakes and seasonal treats, elegantly served on a silver stand with curated teas and champagnes. They offer a vegan menu and are happy to accomodate dietary requirements.

There is no special kids’ version of the afternoon tea, so I would suggest sharing a stand if you are visiting with a younger child, and if they are a bit of a picky eater, contact the hotel in advance and ask for substitutions that are simpler than what is offered on the menu.

Get more info on afternoon tea at Raffles.

High Tea at the Swissotel The Stamford

High tea at Swissôtel The Stamford in Singapore is available at SKAI, Singapore’s highest restaurant, on the 70th floor and featuring panoramic city views.

The current theme of the high tea is “Tea with a Little Hunny” celebrating Winnie the Pooh’s 100th anniversary. Check before booking to see if this theme has been updated with a new one.

The Swissotel do not offer a kids’ menu for their high tea, however the menu on offer is heavily discounted for kids, so I suggest checking the menu before booking to ensure your kids will eat it.

Get more info on current high tea offerings at the Swissotel Stamford.

ArtScience Museum

The ArtScience Museum past of the Marina Bay Sands resort in downtown / central Singapore. It features exhibitions that blend art, science, culture and technology through hi-tech exhibits that engage and immerse visitors through innovative and often interactive installations.

Their permanent exhibition, teamLab Future World, is a highly interactive world of art, science, magic and metaphor.

teamLab was an incredible hit even with a teenager. We spent hours exploring this hands-on interactive exhibit, including a slide, climbing a rope bridge and creating our own creatures which then came to life and joined digital worlds in front of our eyes.

The ArtScience Museum is one of our top picks for things to do in Singapore with kids and teenagers.

Get more info on visiting the ArtScience Museum here.

Merlion Park

Merlion Park is a famous Singapore landmark. The Merlion is a mythical creature representing the nation’s traditional name, “Lion City” and humble origins. The lion head honors Singapura (“Lion City” in Sanskrit and Malay), inspired by a legendary prince who reportedly saw a lion when he first landed on the island and the fish’s tail represents Singapore’s historical roots as a fishing village.

Disney Adventure

The Disney Adventure is Disney Cruise Line’s largest ship and its first to homeport in Asia, sailing 3- and 4-night round-trip voyages from Singapore.

Read about our experience and get tips for sailing on the Disney Adventure here, or more info on booking your own Disney Adventure cruise here.

Changi Airport

Ranked the world’s best airport airport, Changi has a lot of attractions to make the must-see list itself of things to do in Singapore with kids! The most famous being the Jewel Rain Vortex, but there are so many other things to do such as playgrounds, the bouncing net, cactus, bamboo and butterfly gardens, plus a movie cinema!

Get more info on attractions at Changi Airport.

Getting around Singapore

The best way to navigate Singapore is by train and bus. You can tap on and off with your phone if you have a bank card in your wallet. If travelling with kids who don’t have their own bank card, you can visit any SimplyGo Ticket Office located at MRT stations or bus interchanges to pick up a physical card.

Kids under 7 and under 0.9 meters tall ride Singapore‘s public transport for free when accompanied by a fare-paying adult (you will need to get them a Child Concession Card from the SimplyGo Ticket Offices). Use Google Maps to navigate public transport.

Climate

Sitting just one degree north of the equator, Singapore is hot all year round, with average temperatures around 27°C to 28°C – although, with high humidity, it usually feels a lot hotter. Not surprisingly, it rains a lot in Singapore throughout the entire year, with heavy storms common from November to January.

Pack light, breathable clothes, a hat and sunscreen. The locals spend a lot of their leisure time in pools for a reason! I also advise taking a light, foldable umbrella with you at all times for both sun protection and also frequent storms. It’s best to go out in the mornings and then evenings when it’s cooler.

Where to stay in Singapore

Swissôtel The Stamford

On this visit we stayed at the Swissôtel The Stamford which is located inside the Raffles City Shopping Centre. The location is excellent – right on top of a shopping centre with plenty of dining options as well as a major train station making it very easy to get on a train without going outside in the heat.

The Swissôtel The Stamford is also walking distance to several attractions and has several restaurants inside serving delicious high tea and an incredible buffet breakfast.

Get more info on the Swissotel The Stamford.

First-timers’ Tips for Visiting Shanghai Disneyland Resort China

August 25, 2026 / Asia, China, Disney Travel, Disneyland, Theme Parks, Travel / 0 comment

Shanghai Disneyland Resort China

Shanghai Disney Resort opened on June 16, 2016, in Pudong, Shanghai, China. It’s the first Disney resort in mainland China and features the the largest castle of any Disney park, the world-first Zootopia-themed land, two themed hotels (with a third currently being built), and the shopping/dining district, Disneytown.

While the Shanghai Disneyland Resort China only consists of the one park, it is absolutely massive, at 225 acres in size. This makes making Shanghai Disneyland Resort bigger than both Disneyland Park (California) and Disneyland California Adventure Parks combined (157 acres).

Ride-wise, the park has 18 rides, compared to Disneyland California’s 35 (the park with the highest number of rides in it). You can guess from this that you will spend a lot of your day walking as it’s quite a distance between each ride, however not actually that many rides to do overall.

We spent two days in the park and devoted our time to exploring the unique features of the park as well as the top rides we had on our list to experience.

Key Features & Attractions at Shanghai Disneyland Resort China

Shanghai Disneyland Park

The main theme park, which features unique rides like Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure and a Zootopia-themed land, as well as the called the Enchanted Storybook Castle.

Accommodation

Official Disney accommodation includes the luxury Shanghai Disneyland Hotel and the family-friendly Toy Story Hotel. A third hotel is currently under construction.

We stayed at the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel (See below for more info on the hotel).

Disneytown

Disneytown is a shopping, dining, and entertainment district featuring international places to eat and shop. Located adjacent to the park, Disneytown is also the location of the early entry access point for hotel guests.

Shops include LEGO, Pandora and Pop Mart. Dining includes the Cheesecake Factory. The huge inflatable Donald is a must-see for cute photos.

Wishing Star Park

Wishing Star Park is a large public recreational area featuring a lake with a bird sanctuary, walking paths and a bridge that connects to the start of the Disneytown district.

Unique Attractions at Shanghai Disneyland Resort China

Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure

This ride is mind blowing! It starts similarly to the other Pirates rides around the world, but then morphes into an engineering masterpiece using massive wrap-around screens and advanced animatronics.

Zootopia Land and Zootopia: Hot Pursuit

The world’s first Zootopia-themed land, this is a very popular section of the park and is full of adorable photo ops. Zootopia: Hot Pursuit is the only ride in this “land”. It is a trackless, dark ride, putting guests into a police-car chase through the city’s districts.

Voyage to the Crystal Grotto

This is a slow boat ride that sails underneath the massive Enchanted Storybook Castle.

Camp Discovery Challenge Trails

The “trails” is very unique in that it is an interactive, rugged ropes course, set inside Adventure Isle featuring hidden ruins and waterfalls. It involves harnessing up and doing some active climbing.

Roaring Rapids

A river raft water ride that is centered around a mysterious cavern, and involves an encounter with a massive crocodile-like beast named Q’araq. This ride was closed in winter when we visited.

Top Attractions at Shanghai Disneyland Resort China

TRON Lightcycle Power Run

The original Tron ride, this is a fast, thrilling motorbike-style steel roller coaster that launches riders straight into sci-fi world of TRON. This ride is incredible and super popular so definitely needs early entry or a DPA to avoid a long wait.

Seven Dwarves Mine Train

Seven Dwarves Mine Train is an eternally popular family-friendly roller coaster featuring rocking mine cart vehicles, some lightly thrilling outdoor drops through a rocky landscape, and an indoor dark-ride scene with some very cute audio-animatronics of the dwarfs (singing in Mandarin). Similar to the other Mine Train rides around the world, this is a must-do ride for us in every country.

Parade

The Mulan float in the daily “Mickey’s Storybook Express” parade is only place in the world where you can see Mulan in her armour rather than her traditional princess dress!

Fireworks

Shanghai Disneyland’s nightly nighttime spectacular is called ILLUMINATE! A Nighttime Celebration. It takes place at the Enchanted Storybook Castle, typically starting between 8:30 PM and 9:30 PM (most often around 9:00 PM), featuring projection mapping, lasers, water fountains, flames, and fireworks.

The fireworks can be watched from across the Wishing Star Lake. A great view point is from the back side of the Disneyland Shanghai hotel, which is another reason the hotel makes for an excellent accommodation choice.

Unique Architectural & Walk-through Highlights

Enchanted Storybook Castle and Once Upon a Time Adventure

Representing all of the Disney princesses, the Enchanted Storybook Castle is the largest castle in any Disney park. The castle houses a royal restaurant, a boat ride, and the Once Upon a Time Adventure walk-through.

Alice in Wonderland Maze

The maze is a whimsical, large-scale walkthrough hedge maze, themed to Tim Burton’s live-action Alice in Wonderland film.

Merchandise

A special mention for the adorable Duffy and Friends mech that is available in Shanghai! These characters are only available to purchase in Asia and Shanghai Disneyland Resort China has an excellent range in shops outside of the park in Disneytown as well as inside.

What you need to know when visiting Shanghai Disneyland Resort China

Early entry

Early entry at Shanghai Disneyland Resort China lets guests into the park an hour before general admission. There are two types of early entry: one is a benefit that comes with staying at one of the Disney hotels, and the other can be purchased online. One of the biggest perks to staying at an official Disneyland hotel is not just the early entry benefit, but the access into the park.

The early entry location for hotel guests is seperate from the main entry – it’s located across from the Cheesecake Factory restaurant in Disneytown, which takes you right into the middle of the park, near the castle area. This is hugely beneficial to getting into the park ahead of the crowds lining up at the front gate and we found we could easily knock out at least two main rides during early entry, before the main gates opened.

App / park wifi

Shanghai Disneyland Resort has the trickiest app system we have used at any park, as the app only works while on the park Wi-Fi. You cannot use your own roaming sim and VPN and also access the park app at the same time. We had to ask a cast member how to actually get this working and she showed us how to turn off our roaming, connect to the park Wi-Fi and how to access the app.

We had issues with connectivity due to the spotty Wi-Fi which can be stressful as the park tickets and DPA (fast passes) are all inside the app. You can however also use your paper ticket that is issued at the gate when you first enter the park and this is what we ended up doing for most of our visit to avoid any stress with the app.

Highly suggest downloading the app before entering the park (we downloaded all apps we might need before leaving Australia just to be safe).

Disney Premier Access / Fast Passes

Since there aren’t a huge amount of rides and the park is huge, you can guess what that means – lots of people queuing for rides.

While early access helps with a few rides in the morning, Disney Premier Access (DPA) helps with rides throughout the rest of the day. There are two ways they can be purchased: in advance as a bundle, or on the day as a single ride.

DPA is digital only and must be purchased inside the official Shanghai Disney Resort app.

Buying a bundle in advance is cost effective if you want broad coverage of rides. The biggest benefit is that the rides have no fixed return time, so you can redeem them whenever you like. The downside of the bundles is they usually include a ride that doesn’t need a DPA so you do end up with at least one pretty useless DPA that you’ve paid for.

Buying a single ride is great if you just want to do one or two rides and can be purchased on the day. The downside is you will be given a fixed return time and must redeem the DPA during that time window.

Communicating

We used Google Translate with mixed results in China. We were lucky to find quite a few of the staff at Shanghai Disneyland Resort could speak English. Staff who were English-speakers had a special badge designating their ability to converse in English and were often summoned at the hotel or guest services locations when we had questions.

The majority of staff didn’t speak English and we were extremely grateful for their kindness in assisting us even when they couldn’t understand a word of what we were saying.

We had several cast members fixing our phones for us to help us with connecting to the park Wi-Fi, for example, or showing us how to us the local payment apps that were all in Chinese. A huge thank you to the wonderful cast members at every location throughout the park!

Where to stay: Shanghai Disneyland Resort

We had an incredible stay at the Shanghai Disneyland Resort. The Art-Bouveau-themed resort sits across the Wishing Star Lake from Shanghai Disneyland Resort, making it the closet hotel to the park.

Featuring 420 rooms and one restaurant, Lumière’s Kitchen, it’s a great base to explore the park and be able to return to the hotel to rest quickly or for a break to then go back again later to either the park or Disneytown.

We also enjoyed the cute little gifts that were included with the room.

The hotel offers water taxi or shuttle services to the theme park, however it’s only about a 15 minute walk, so we chose to walk to ensure we were at early entry as soon as possible and also to return again afterwards without waiting for a shuttle bus or water taxi to arrive.

Special Dining Mentions

Donald’s Dine ‘n Delights

Donald’s Dine ‘n Delights is a Donald Duck-themed casual bistro located in Disneytown just outside the main gates of Shanghai Disneyland. The menu features Western dishes with a twist and the food is the best we have eaten at a themed restaurant.

The CookieAnn Bakery Café

The CookieAnn Bakery Café is a 1950s vintage-styled lifestyle cafe located on Mickey Avenue at Shanghai Disneyland. They serve adorable baked goods and excellent crepes, which you can eat with a gorgeous castle view.

Lumière’s Kitchen

Lumière’s Kitchen is a Beauty and the Beast-inspired restaurant located on the ground floor of the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel. The restaurant is buffet-style and features a character dining experience for breakfast.

Cheesecake Factory

This is just a standard Cheesecake Factory but it’s worth noting that its an easy dining option when traveling with people with dietary restrictions or picky kids who just want simple food.

Il Paperino

This Italian-style gelato and ice cream parlor located on Mickey Avenue inside Shanghai Disneyland Park is absolutely adorable.

We picked up a The Donald Duck Gondolier Sundae here, which is a delicious ice cream assortment inside a detailed, reusable plastic gondola boat complete with a small figurine of Donald dressed as a Venetian gondolier.

Get more tips for visiting Shanghai and China with our Three Day Shanghai Itinerary First Timer’s Guide.

Get more tips on planning your trip to Shanghai Disneyland Resort China.

Shanghai in three days: A first timer’s family-friendly itinerary

August 17, 2026 / Asia, China, Travel / 0 comment

Shanghai in three days: A first timer’s family-friendly itinerary

Shanghai is China’s most populous city. It’s a vibrant blend of old and new, with archaeological remains dating back 4,000 to 6,000 years, colonial buildings from the British and French trade that began i 1842, and modern, even futuristic, architecture of today. Shanghai in three days is an easy way to get an overview of what this incredible city has to offer travellers of all ages and backgrounds.

Shanghai in Three Days: what to see and do

The Bund and Oriental Pearl Tower

The Bund is an iconic waterfront promenade in old town Shanghai. It stretches along the west bank of Huang Po river and is lined by colonial buildings. Its spectacular to see both day and night. The the famous Oriental Pearl Tower is also bestviewed from the Bund. We suggest walking from the start of the Bund along the river and over the bridge into North Bund to the North Bund Gardens to the very popular reflective egg installation.

Yu Gardens

Yu Garden (or Yuyuan Garden) is a traditional Chinese garden located beside the City God Temple in the northeast of the Old City of Shanghai at Huangpu District. Yu Garden was first built in 1559 during the Ming dynasty and is a beautiful place to explore in any season (even winter!). We particularly enjoyed watching the wildlife in the ponds, seeing species of birds we had never seen before.

Visit again at night to see the surrounding shops and markets lit up.

Hanfu hire and photoshoot

We booked in advance through a small business in WeChat, however there are many places you can walk into off the streets around Yu Garden where you can hire a hanfu and have a photographer take photos of you on the spot. We chose to do this during the day when there were less people. It was much more popular at night. It does take a while to do the traditional hair and make up, so allow a few hours if you choose this activity (and we highly recommend that you do!).

Nanjing Road

Nanjing Road is one of the world’s busiest shopping streets. It spans about 5.5 kilometres from People’s Square in the west to the historic waterfront known as the Bund in the east. There are so many stores we visited twice to see everything.

A few highlights for us on Nanjing Road:
Pop Mart
Chocolate Museum
White Rabbit Store
Qingzhi (famous hand cream with free engraving)
Miniso
MnM Store
Sanrio Gift Gate
Louis Vuitton Boat (at the end of the road)
Starbucks Roastery (next to the LV boat)

Tip: Save your feet by taking the Nanjing Road sightseeing trolley (often called the Dangdang tram). This open-air, electric mini-train carries passengers along the Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street east-west between the The Bund (near East Nanjing Road Station) and People’s Square. Tickets Cost: 5 RMB per person for a one-way trip (about 1 AUD). Operating Hours: Daily from 8:30 AM to 10:00 PM. Where to Board: Dedicated stations are located at both the east and west ends of the pedestrian zone.

Anfu Road

Anfu Road is a trendy 850-meter-long street located in the former French Concession of Xuhui District, Shanghai. Known for its leafy, plane tree-lined sidewalks and historic architecture, it has evolved into a vibrant cultural hub famous for independent designer boutiques, concept stores, and specialty coffee shops.

A few highlights for us:
13DE Marzo Cafe bear drinks
Adidas Originals Store (decorate your own pair of sneakers)
RAC Coffee & Bar (Shanghai-meets-Paris vibe)
Wiggle Wiggle (Korean store)
LookNow & Flow (great range of Jellycat)

Xuhui District / French Concession

Wukang Mansion (a famous mansion where locals go nuts trying to get a photo at the crossing)
Apoli Itabakery (a Harry Potter-vibed bakery)

Shanghai Disneyland Resort China

We also visited Shanghai Disneyland Resort China. You can read our tip tips for visiting here.

More places to see:

Shanghai Natural History Museum
snhm.org.cn/

Shanghai Museum
shanghaimuseum.net

Temples
Jade Buddha Temple, Jing’an Temple, Longhua Temple

Zhujiajiao Water Town
Zhujiajiao is the most famous ancient water town in Shanghai, located in the Qingpu District. Easily reached via Shanghai Metro Line 17 in about an hour, this 1,700-year-old town features Ming and Qing dynasty architecture, 36 ancient stone bridges, and narrow canal-side streets.

General Shanghai information

Shanghai in three days felt like a good amount of time for us. I could have done with one extra day, but overall, I think three days is pretty good for a taster of the city.

We felt incredible safe everywhere, probably largely due to the surveillance cameras set up all over the city. I don’t think it’s possible to commit a crime in Shanghai anymore.

Getting around: download the DiDi app to use to get cheap taxis all over the city.

Google maps does not work in China. Download Baidu Maps instead.

Paying: credit cards are not widely accepted. Download Alipay or WeChat and set these up in advance for easy payment everywhere.

Internet: we used Telstra global roaming and thinking it would be easier than setting up a new sim and activating it while travelling. While this worked seamlessly, I didn’t count on the WiFi in Shanghai being so bad in our hotels, so we quickly burned through the daily allowance.

VPN: Telstra roaming includes a vpn so that was taken care of with our phones, however we needed to download a VPN to our laptops/ iPads to be able to access certain websites. We used LetsVPN which was very easy to set up and use.

Communication: we used Google Translate and it was honestly not great. Thankfully the locals were very kind and helped us out whenever we needed assistance.

Entering China: At time of writing, Australian ordinary passport holders do not need a visa to enter China for stays of up to 30 days.

Where we stayed

The Waldorf Astoria on the Bund

We had an amazing stay at the Waldorf Astoria on the Bund. 10/10 location, room size and quality and service. The hotel is located right on the Bund and walking distance to many attractions including Nanjing Road and Yu Garden. The buffet breakfast was next level incredible.

Hong Kong Disneyland Trip Planning Guide

June 13, 2024 / Asia, Disney Travel, Disneyland, Hong Kong, Theme Parks, Travel / 0 comment

Hong Kong Disneyland Trip Planning Guide

Hong Kong Disneyland was the second Disneyland in Asia, opening in 2005 on Lantau Island, Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Disneyland is owned and managed by Hong Kong International Theme Parks.When building the resort, Disney attempted to avoid problems of cultural backlash by incorporating Chinese culture, customs, and traditions, including adherence to the rules of feng shui. Notably, a bend was put in a walkway near the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort entrance so good qi energy would not flow into the South China Sea.

The park consists of eight themed areas: Main Street, U.S.A., Fantasyland, Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point, Toy Story Land, World of Frozen and Stark Expo.

There are single tickets and annual passes, called Magic Access, that are available for tourists who visit Hong Kong Disneyland. The theme park’s cast members speak Cantonese, English, and Mandarin.

Make the most out of your trip with this Hong Kong Disneyland guide.

Transport to the park

The park is easy to reach via train (MTR service) on the purpose-built Disneyland Resort line, a themed shuttle train service between the Disneyland Resort station adjacent to the park, and Sunny Bay station, where passengers can transfer to the Tung Chung line for access to Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, or Tung Chung.

Tips for visiting Hong Kong Disneyland Resort

Stay onsite in a Hong Kong Disneyland Resort Hotel

While the park is easy to access via public transport, we highly recommend staying at one of the Disneyland hotels onsite for the full Disney experience. There are three hotels: Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Explorer’s Lodge and Disney’s Hollywood Hotel. We stayed at Disney’s Explorer’s Lodge (read the review here) and thought it was the most immaculate of all of the Disney hotels we have stayed thus far.

While guests of the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort hotels do not receive any special perks regarding park access, they do have access to the free shuttle bus that runs between the hotels and the parks each day, plus the bonus of being able to use the facilities at any of the three hotels.

Each hotel has a range of beautiful facilities such as pools, shops and restaurants that extend the Disney experience beyond the parks.

Try the Disney Dim Sum

The Disney-themed dim sum is only available at Hong Kong Disneyland! Anyone can book a table at the Crystal Lotus restaurant inside the Disneyland Hotel to enjoy the special Disney-themed dim sum. We were even able to order special vegetarian dim sum in advance by emailing the restaurant.

The dim sum are so cute and shaped like Disney characters – an absolute must in our opinion!

Read more about the Disney Friends Dim Sum here.

Book a table to experience the dim sum here.

Book an Early Park Entry Pass

Anyone can book an Early Park Entry Pass, which lets guests enter the park an hour before the offical park opening time. Most visitors to the park tend to come later in the day, which means if you arrive early you will be able to get on rides without any queues as well as score some great park photos with no one else in them.

With early park entry, we found it possible to ride all of the rides we wanted to without any queues – so no need for the additional Premier Access paid passes.

Find out more about the Early Park Entry Pass here.

Premier Access Passes

If you’re not an early bird and don’t want to queue for rides, considering purchasing a Premiere Access Pass. The passes can be purchased for 3 or 8 rides, or individual rides (this is the most expensive option) and works like a fast pass, giving an alternative entry point to rides to skip the majority of the queue.

Find out more about Premiere Access Passes here.

Meet the characters

Character meet and greets are possibly even more popular at Hong Kong Disneyland than the rides, and attract massive queues. There are generally always characters in the entry plaza area, so if this is important to you, I would recommend meeting characters early in the day before the queues get too long and then having the option of purchasing Premiere Access Passes for popular rides afterwards if the park is busy.

We made it a priority to meet LinaBell, one of the Duffy and Friends characters that is exclusive to the Asian parks. The Duffy and Friends characters are hugely popular and have a designated area to line up and meet them. I highly lining up for this as soon as possible if it’s a priority, or purchasing an access pass to meet one character, which is what we did to meet LinaBell.

Visit the Castle of Dreams

Castle of Magical Dreams is the centrepiece castle of Hong Kong Disneyland. The castle replaced the park’s previous Sleeping Beauty Castle as part of the park’s 15th anniversary celebration, with a brand new design that pays tribute to the 12 Disney Princesses and 2 Frozen queens: Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Anna, Elsa, and Moana.

Walk through the castle to the special princess meet and great area.

Enter the Magic World of Frozen

The Frozen-themed land in the world opened in 2023 in Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. The land includes two rides, Frozen Ever After, a boat ride through animatronic scenes from Frozen, and Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs, which is a short rollercoaster ride. Frozen Ever After is the longer and more popular ride, so we suggest doing this ride first.

The other entertainment option in the World of Frozen is the Playhouse in the Woods, which is a live show playing constantly all day where visitors can be part of the Frozen story with Anna and Elsa.

Shop the unique merchandise

A high priority for us was shopping the unique Duffy and Friends merchandise, which is specific to Asia. There are so many shops throughout the park featuring Asia-specific merchandise, especially the Duffy and Friends characters.

Eat all the snacks

Hong Kong Disneyland has some incredible snacks! Cakes, donuts, churros, ice cream, popcorn, and they’re all so cute!

Watch the fireworks

The fireworks occur every night over the Castle. The show when we visited was “Momentous”, an evening spectacular that included projection mapping, lasers, and searchlights, as well as pyrotechnics and water fountains. Spectacular! We purchased tickets to watch the fireworks from the prime location at the front of the castle, which meant we were able to enjoy the park and rides until closer to the fireworks began and then take our spot.

Find out more about visiting Hong Kong Disneyland.

Disney Explorers Lodge Hong Kong Disneyland Review

June 13, 2024 / Asia, Hong Kong, Travel / 0 comment

Disney Explorers Lodge Hong Kong Disneyland Review

Immerse yourself in the Disney magic with a stay at the Disney Explorers Lodge at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.

The Disney Explorers Lodge was the 3rd hotel to open at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, on 30th April, 2017.

The hotel has an “adventure” theme with rooms themed to the four unique tropical climates of Asia, Oceania, South America and Africa, and serving international cuisines from the five continents. The Disney Explorers Lodge has the motto “ad explorare et somniare” (“to explore and dream”).

The three hotels in Hong Kong Disneyland Resort are all in a row, making transport between the three and the park extremely easy. Guests are able to use the free resort shuttle bus to enjoy the facilities at all three hotels.

While the parks contain more than enough entertainment, if guests wish to extend their stay for some additional relaxation time, the hotels each provide Disney-themed recreational activities such as handicraft classes, poolside activities, ball games, and indoor exploration activities.

Examples of activities run at the hotel include tai chi, yoga, board game rental, badminton, mini golf, movie screenings and crafts.

Rooms

The rooms at the Disney Explorers Lodge are extremely spacious and well equipped with amenities including international power adaptors and toiletries.

In-Resort Transportation

Complimentary shuttle service is available between the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Hollywood Hotel, Disney Explorers Lodge and the Hong Kong Disneyland Park. Departing every 10 to 20 minutes depending on the time of day, the shuttle can be picked up in front of the hotel to the right of the main lobby. Between the hours of 1am and 7am, shuttle service can be arranged by contacting the Bell Desk in the main lobby.

Raindrop Pool

At the edge of the Pool Garden is the Raindrop Pool, a large swimming pool surrounded by stone walls and paving. The Raindrop Pool is open 8am-10pm.

Resort Gardens

The Disney Exploers Lodge has four uniquely themed gardens: Kevin Garden, the South American garden; Little Squirt Garden, the Oceania garden; Hathi Jr. Garden the Asian garden and the Rafiki Garden, the African Savannah garden. Explorers will find elements of the different animations that are associated with the names of the characters that these gardens are named after.

Dining Options

Dragon Wind
A taste of ancient Chinese wisdom where guests can dine on rural and authentic Cantonese and provincial delicacies seasoned with classic herbs and spices in a harmony of the five elements.

World of Color Restaurant
World of Color Restaurant brings together the food cultures from across the seas, islands and continents along the old spice trails for a symphony of textures and flavors that is fresh and light.

We dined at the World of Color Restaurant and loved the food.

Chart Room Cafe
Chart Room Cafe is a quick service cafe with snacks and casual dining options. Food can be eaten in the seating area near by or taken back to your hotel room.

In-Room Dining
Choose from a variety of American and Asian favorites, as well as specialty items unique to the Disney Explorers Lodge. An 10% service charge will apply to all delivery orders.

Get more info on the Disney Explorers Lodge Hong Kong Disneyland here.

Disney Friends Dim Sum at Crystal Lotus Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel

Hong Kong Disneyland Trip Planning Guide

Disney Friends Dim Sum at Crystal Lotus Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel

June 3, 2024 / Asia, Hong Kong, Travel / 0 comment

Disney Friends Dim Sum at Crystal Lotus Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel

Enjoy Disney Friends dim sum shaped like adorable Disney and Pixar characters, exclusive to the Crystal Lotus restaurant inside the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel.

An absolute must when visiting Hong Kong Disneyland is sampling the special Disney-themed dim sum! These cute treats are not available at any other Disney park in the world.

The Disney Friends dim sum are not just cute, they’re extremely tasty, too. At the time of our visit, the options included:

Duffy & ShellieMay Steamed Sweet Bun
Winnie The Pooh Milk Custard Bun
Eeyore Red Bean Puree Bun
Piglet Seafood and Chicken Bun
Tigger Pork and Vegetable Bun
Mickey’s Double-Layer Turnip and Taro Pudding

Disney Friends Dim Sum is available daily for lunch and must be ordered at least 24 hours prior to your visit.

Book your Disney Friends Dim Sum visit here.

Read our Hong Kong Disneyland Trip Planning Guide here.

Best Tokyo DisneySea Tips

May 26, 2023 / Asia, Disney Travel, Japan, Tokyo Disney Resort, Travel / 0 comment

Best Tokyo DisneySea Tips

Get Tokyo DisneySea tips to make your trip fun and memorable.

Tokyo DisneySea is located in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, about an hour from the centre of Tokyo, Japan. It opened on 4 September 2001. Tokyo DisneySea is owned by The Oriental Land Company, with intellectual property licensed from The Walt Disney Company. Tokyo Disneyland and its companion park, Tokyo DisneySea, are the only Disney parks in the world not owned or operated by The Walt Disney Company in any capacity.

As of 2019, Tokyo DisneySea is the fourth-most visited theme park in the world and the second-most visited in Japan behind its sister park Tokyo Disneyland.

Upon opening, Tokyo DisneySea became the ninth park of the twelve worldwide Disney theme parks to open. It has an overall nautical exploration theme.

Getting to Tokyo DisneySea

The park is easily accessed by train. Catch the train to Maihama Station and then the resort monorail to the Tokyo DisneySea Station.

Stay Onsite

One of the biggest reasons for this is because hotel guests get early entry into the parks and their own special entry gates. The early entry was only 15 minutes at time of writing (May 2023) however this combined with a special entrance for hotel guests only meant we were able to get inside the park quickly and ahead of the general crowd and had ridden our first ride before most people were able to pass through the entry gates.

Offical hotel guests receive a special paper pass at check in that grants early access for each subsequent day of their stay (not available on day of check in). You will need to nominate at check in which park you wish to enter each day to be given a pass specific to the park.

We stayed at the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel and loved it. You can read about our stay here. If you stay at the MiraCosta, the hotel is actually inside the park, the closest location you can get to Tokyo DisneySea. Photo above of the hotel from inside DisneySea!

Buy your tickets in advance

The tickets can be tricky to buy from the direct Japanese website, so I suggest if you are struggling to buy them from a third party like Klook (which is what we did). Klook also often has sales and you can purchase the park passes a bit cheaper through them.

At the time of writing (May 2023) single day passes are all that is available to each park, and you must choose which park to visit – no park-hopper tickets are available. The parks can sell out so I highly suggest booking tickets well in advance. If you stay at a Disney hotel, you are guaranteed entry to the parks however even if the parks sell out.

Arrive Early

The reason getting into the park as quickly as possible matters so much at Tokyo DisneySea is the lack of any kind of fastpass system. The only ways to skip queues are either to take the single rider line where offered and ride by yourself, or to purchase Premier Access for the most popular rides where offered. More on Premier Access further into this article!

Photo of our special entry and line above, when the general entry was a good 50 people long at the same time.

So the best way to avoid spending most of your day lining up is to get into the park as quickly as you can and getting to the most popular rides early in the day.

If you do not have early hotel access then I would advise arriving REALLY early like an hour early. If you can’t arrive that early than you’re best off arriving later in the day and just preparing yourself queue for rides and not get on many of them. Even with early entry I advise arriving at the gates about 45 minutes before the park opens.

Visit on a weekday

As the majority of visitors to Tokyo DisneySea are locals, weekends, school holidays and public holidays are the busiest times to attend. If you can visit the parks on a typical weekday, the parks are much less busy.

Make a plan for your day

Research what rides you want to get on in advance, look at the map of the park and plan where you are going to go first and subsequently. I advise knocking out all of the popular rides that you want to do first thing in the morning in an orderly fashion – pick the ride you want to start with and then the next that is closest to it and so on so you are moving around the park in a circle vs trekking back and forth and walking needlessly.

The food places get busy as the day goes on so I advise starting your day early and breaking for an early lunch.

If you wish to dine at a restaurant in the park, bookings open at 10am (JST) one month in advance. You can also try to book at 10am once you are inside the park.

Download the Tokyo Disney Resort App

I highly recommend doing this in advance. The app is useful for its map alone. You can also scan your tickets into the app as soon as you enter the park and then purchase Premier Access to certain attractions and events to reduce your wait time for popular rides and entertainment. See below for more details on Premier Access.

You can also use the app to lock in a time to visit popular shops like the ones that sell Duffy & Friends merch.

Have a ride strategy

If you have been to other Disney parks or plan to do so soon, then I highly recommend prioritising the rides that are unique to Tokyo DisneySea.

The unique rides not to miss are:

Journey To The Center of the Earth (a Jules Verne-inspired attraction that uses a similar ride system to Test Track at Epcot, with guests boarding “steam-powered” mine vehicles before embarking on trip to the planet’s core.)
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (a submarine ride based on the Jules Verne book)
Sindbad’s Storybook Voyage (a boat ride similar to It’s a Small World, based on the popular Sinbad stories)

We also enjoyed Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull (which is similar to the Anaheim version but themed to the Crystal Skull movie (and entirely in Japanese), the two story carousel in the Arabian area and Sourin’, which is also almost identical to the version in Anaheim except for the entry which has cool projections / animations on the walls and the end of the Sourin’ video which flies over Tokyo.

The most popular rides in the park are:

Toy Story Mania (basically identical to other versions)
Sourin’
Journey to the Center of the Earth

If you have been to the other parks I wouldn’t pay for the Premier Access passes to Sourin’ or Toy Story Mania, nor would I line up for the crazy wait times to ride them. If you must, however, then I suggest heading to these rides early or purchasing them on Premier Access.

Buy Premier Access

Premier Access is currently the only way to skip queues for rides at Tokyo DisneySea. This service, available for a fee, will allow guests to select designated times to be admitted to and enjoy certain experiences. Premier Access best accessed through the Tokyo Disney Resort mobile app, which I highly recommend downloading in advance.

Each park ticket can be used to purchase one Disney Premier Access at a time.
Guests ages 3 and under will be able to access the experience with an accompanying person who has purchased Disney Premier Access.
You will be able to purchase Disney Premier Access for another attraction 60 minutes after purchasing Disney Premier Access, or after the start time of your purchased Disney Premier Access, whichever is earlier.
If you would like to purchase Disney Premier Access for the same attraction again, you may do so after using the Disney Premier Access you have purchased or after the designated time to use your Disney Premier Access has passed.
Disney Premier Access can be purchased by using the Tokyo Disney Resort App.
Only credit cards are accepted as method of payment. Please see here for information about the credit cards accepted.
Guests who do not have the Tokyo Disney Resort App or a credit card will be able to purchase Disney Premier Access at Main Street House (at Tokyo Disneyland) or Guest Relations (at Tokyo DisneySea).
Disney Premier Access is available in limited numbers and may sell out. Please check the Tokyo Disney Resort App in advance for availability.
To make bookings and purchases you must log in with a registered Disney Account. If you do not have a Disney Account, please register from here (user registration on the bookings/purchases page).

Using Premier Access to View a Parade / Show

Guests can select a designated time for admission in advance, and enjoy parades or shows from a designated viewing area.

You will be able to purchase Disney Premier Access for another parade or show 60 minutes after purchasing Disney Premier Access, or after the admission time of your purchased Disney Premier Access (for parades or shows,) whichever is earlier.
For certain parades and shows, the location for viewing performances within the viewing area will be specified in advance. On your day of visit, please view the performance from the specified location with a corresponding number at your feet. (The number indicating your specified location will be displayed on the screen of your device after you have completed your purchase of Disney Premier Access.)

Toy Story Mania!
Tower of Terror
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Soaring: Fantastic Flight

	Disney Premier Access Experience	Price
Parade/Show	Believe! Sea of Dreams	2,500 yen per access
Attractions	Soaring: Fantastic Flight	2,000 yen per access
	Toy Story Mania!	2,000 yen per access
	Tower of Terror	1,500 yen per access
	Journey to the Center of the Earth	1,500 yen per access

How to buy Premier Access

Premier Access is available once your tickets have been scanned upon entry into the park. Most tickets need to be printed and presented on arrival for scanning, such as those purchased through third party vendors such as Klook (which is what we did).

Once your paper ticket has been scanned and you are in the park, one person in the party should scan all the tickets into their mobile app and control the Premier Access bookings for the entire party. It’s easy enough to scan the tickets into the app while walking to your first ride, then select from the Premier Access menu which attraction or show you wish to purchase.

Tokyo DisneySea

Visit the Mermaid Lagoon

While this is very much geared towards younger children, I highly suggest checking it out even if you have older kids or no kids. The exterior facade is made to look like the Palace of King Triton, with the inside designed to resemble an underwater world with rides, play areas and places to eat. The detail in this area is incredible and visitors of all ages will enjoy a stroll around the lagoon.

Tokyo DisneySea

Try the popcorn

Popcorn is the most popular snack at Tokyo Disney Resort! Not only is the popcorn unique and available in crazy flavours found nowhere else, but Disney’s popcorn buckets are also pretty special and worth taking home as a souvenir. They are often ‘limited’ and only sold at specific locations within a park, with most buckets not likely be found at other Disney parks.

The buckets are typically pretty pricey, with an average cost of ¥2,600 to ¥3,400. You can buy popcorn without a souvenir bucket for vastly less. Flavours on offer include Honey, Strawberry Milk, Cookies & Cream, Matcha White Chocolate, Curry, Garlic Shrimp.

Eat all the food

While the green mochi Toy Story Aliens are the most instagrammed snack at Tokyo Disney Resort, I highly recommend trying a bit of everything!

We loved the churros, which are also available in a wide variety of exciting flavours, and the celebration drinks, which come with cubes of jelly in them.

We also loved the tropical ice blocks! They are amazing.

When it comes to dining, you can make a reservation at a restaurant or you can play it by ear at a quick service food spot. This is what we chose to do since we don’t like being tied to reservations and we had a fantastic quick service lunch at Zambini Brothers’ Ristorante squeezed in between rides.

Try a vending machine

The Tokyo Disney Resort vending machines are insanely cute! The drinks inside are themed to the parks.

Meet or watch the characters

The characters are typically available in large numbers towards the front of the park rather than being scheduled for short periods allover the park.

It’s possible to see and meet a huge number of characters all in the one area. We were so excited to see characters we’ve never seen at any other park including the entire cast from Pinocchio.

Buy the all Merch

The merch at Tokyo Disneyland is definitely different to the American parks! The Duffy and Friends line is only available at the Asian parks (you will need to use the app to reserve your spot to enter the store inside the park, it is so popular).

The ears are also different and extremely cute (and cheaper than the American ones!) as are the souvenirs like little bento and cutlery boxes. There are also cute pins that are stamped Tokyo Disney Resort so unable to be bought anywhere else.

I also loved the tote bags specific to the park and cute little plushes that are bought to hang off them. You will see locals with their bags covered in these plushies.

Use the Disney photographers

The photographer system works differently in Tokyo. You cannot get a digital copy of a photo unless you have a Japanese mailing address (do not ask me why). The photographers will take a photo on their cameras and give you a paper ticket to collect the print later in the day to purchase if you choose to do so. The photographer will also take photos for you on your own camera.

Watch the parades and shows

Tokyo DisneySea is not just about rides, it’s also about the entertainment. I highly recommend looking at the schedule and seeing at least one parade or show during your time at the park.

The Japanese locals love the shows and parades and get a spot a good 30-60mins before they start, so I highly suggest doing the same if you want to be able to see well. You can also book a time and seat for some entertainment using the app after entering the park.

Get Tokyo Disneyland Tips here.

Get more info on visiting Tokyo Disneyland.

Best Tokyo Disneyland Tips

May 24, 2023 / Asia, Disney Travel, Japan, Tokyo Disney Resort, Travel / 0 comment

Best Tokyo Disneyland Tips

Get Tokyo Disneyland tips to make your trip fun and memorable.

Tokyo Disneyland is located in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, about an hour from the centre of Tokyo, Japan. It was the first Disney park to be built outside the United States, it opening on April 15, 1983.

Tokyo Disneyland is owned by The Oriental Land Company, which licenses intellectual property from The Walt Disney Company. Tokyo Disneyland and its companion park, Tokyo DisneySea, are the only Disney parks in the world not owned or operated by The Walt Disney Company in any capacity.

The park is known for its extensive open spaces to accommodate the large crowds that visit the park. It is definitely very noticeable how well the park is designed to accommodate people comfortably compared to its American counterparts.

As of 2019, Tokyo Disneyland is the most visited theme park in Japan and the third-most visited theme park in the world behind Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Park at the Disneyland Resort.

Getting to Tokyo Disneyland

The park is easily accessed by train. Its main gate is directly adjacent to both Maihama Station and Tokyo Disneyland Station.

Stay Onsite

We stayed at the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel and loved it. You can read about our stay here.

Buy your tickets in advance

Arrive Early

The reason getting into the park as quickly as possible matters so much at Tokyo Disneyland is the lack of any kind of fastpass system. The only ways to skip queues are either to take the single rider line where offered and ride by yourself, or to purchase Premier Access for the most popular rides where offered. More on Premier Access further into this article!

So the best way to avoid spending most of your day lining up is to get into the park as quickly as you can and getting to the most popular rides early in the day.

Visit on a weekday

As the majority of visitors to Tokyo Disneyland are locals, weekends, school holidays and public holidays are the busiest times to attend. If you can visit the parks on a typical week day, the parks are much less busy.

Make a plan for your day

The food places get busy as the day goes on so I advise starting your day early and breaking for an early lunch.

If you wish to dine at a restaurant in the park, bookings open at 10am (JST) one month in advance. You can also try to book at 10am once you are inside the park.

Download the Tokyo Disney Resort App

You can also use the app to lock in a time to visit popular shops like the ones that sell Duffy & Friends merch.

Have a ride strategy

I highly recommend prioritising the rides that are unique to Tokyo Disneyland – these are also the most popular rides:

Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast (this ride is next level amazing)The Happy Ride with Baymax (Super cute but not worth lining up for a long time to do)
Pooh’s Honey Hunt (Super cute and gets busy)
Monsters, Inc. Hide & Go Seek (Incredible animatronics and also gets very busy)

We also enjoyed
Space Mountain (Basically identical to the one in Disneyland Anaheim, much less jerky than the version in WDW Florida)
Big Thunder Railroad (Our favourite of the Big Thunders out of Tokyo, Anaheim and WDW.)

Our ride strategy was to purchase Premier Access to the Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast for 12pm since most people head there at park opening, and instead to head to Pooh’s Hunny Hunt which is not available on Premier Access.

After Pooh’s Hunny Hunt we head to The Happy Ride with Baymax, then Monsters, Inc. Hide & Go Seek, Space Mountain and Big Thunder Railroad, knocking out all the main rides by lunch time with a max of 15-20 min queuing per ride. We ate at a quick service restaurant and then head to Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast.

Buy Premier Access

Premier Access is currently the only way to skip queues for rides at Tokyo Disneyland. This service, available for a fee, will allow guests to select designated times to be admitted to and enjoy certain experiences. Premier Access best accessed through the Tokyo Disney Resort mobile app, which I highly recommend downloading in advance.

Each park ticket can be used to purchase one Disney Premier Access at a time.
Guests ages 3 and under will be able to access the experience with an accompanying person who has purchased Disney Premier Access.
You will be able to purchase Disney Premier Access for another attraction 60 minutes after purchasing Disney Premier Access, or after the start time of your purchased Disney Premier Access, whichever is earlier.
If you would like to purchase Disney Premier Access for the same attraction again, you may do so after using the Disney Premier Access you have purchased or after the designated time to use your Disney Premier Access has passed.
Disney Premier Access can be purchased by using the Tokyo Disney Resort App.
Only credit cards are accepted as method of payment. Please see here for information about the credit cards accepted.
Guests who do not have the Tokyo Disney Resort App or a credit card will be able to purchase Disney Premier Access at Main Street House (at Tokyo Disneyland) or Guest Relations (at Tokyo DisneySea).
Disney Premier Access is available in limited numbers and may sell out. Please check the Tokyo Disney Resort App in advance for availability.
To make bookings and purchases you must log in with a registered Disney Account. If you do not have a Disney Account, please register from here (user registration on the bookings/purchases page).

Disney Premier Access Experience	Price
Parade/Show	Disney Harmony in Color	2,500 yen per access
Parade/Show	Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade Dreamlights	2,500 yen per access
Attractions	Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast	2,000 yen per access
	The Happy Ride with Baymax	1,500 yen per access
	Splash Mountain	1,500 yen per access

Using Premier Access to View a Parade / Show

Guests can select a designated time for admission in advance, and enjoy parades or shows from a designated viewing area.

You will be able to purchase Disney Premier Access for another parade or show 60 minutes after purchasing Disney Premier Access, or after the admission time of your purchased Disney Premier Access (for parades or shows,) whichever is earlier.
For certain parades and shows, the location for viewing performances within the viewing area will be specified in advance. On your day of visit, please view the performance from the specified location with a corresponding number at your feet. (The number indicating your specified location will be displayed on the screen of your device after you have completed your purchase of Disney Premier Access.)

Tokyo Disneyland

How to buy Premier Access

Try the popcorn

Popcorn is the most popular snack at Tokyo Disney Resort! Not only is the popcorn unique and available in crazy flavours found nowhere else, but Disney’s popcorn buckets are also pretty special and worth taking home as a souvenir.

They are often ‘limited’ and only sold at specific locations within a park, with most buckets not likely be found at other Disney parks.

Eat all the food

While the green mochi Toy Story Aliens are the most instagrammed snack at Tokyo Disney Resort, I highly recommend trying a bit of everything!

We loved the churros, which are also available in a wide variety of exciting flavours, and the celebration drinks, which come with cubes of jelly in them.

We also loved the tropical ice blocks! They are amazing.

Try a vending machine

The Tokyo Disney Resort vending machines are insanely cute! The drinks inside are themed to the parks.

Meet or watch the characters

The characters are typically available in large numbers towards the front of the park rather than being scheduled for short periods allover the park.

It’s possible to see and meet a huge number of characters all in the one area. We were so excited to see characters we’ve never seen at any other park including Marie.

Watch the glass blowers

Inside the Cinderella Castle is a shop where you can purchase glass souvenirs.

What is even more special is that the glass blower works inside the shop so you can watch him while you’re browsing.

I highly recommend taking home a glass souvenir if you have the luggage space.

Buy the all Merch

The ears are also different and extremely cute (and cheaper than the American ones!) as are the souverniers like little bento and cutlery boxes.

There are also cute pins that are stamped Tokyo Disney Resort so unable to be bought anywhere else.

I also loved the tote bags specific to the park and cute little plushes that are bought to hang off them. You will see locals with their bags covered in these plushies.

Use the Disney photographers

Get more tips on visiting Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea.

6 Reasons To Stay at the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel

May 8, 2023 / Asia, Japan / 0 comment

6 Reasons To Stay at the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel

When we travel to a Disney park we love to stay at the official Disney hotels where possible. The added benefits of staying at a Disney hotel plus being in the Disney “bubble” for our entire stay makes every trip that big more magical.

There are different perks to staying at each Disney resort around the world: here is why you should stay at the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel on your next trip to Japan (if your budget allows).

The closest hotel to Tokyo Disneyland

Tokyo Disneyland Hotel is the closest hotel to the entrance of Tokyo Disneyland. The ease of walking out of the doors and straight through security and then the entrance gate, and then also how fast and easy it is to get back to the hotel again at the end of a day at the park is a huge perk that can’t be underestimated in my opinion. To us, this alone makes it worth the stay.

It’s also very easy to get to Tokyo DisneySea. The monorail is a few steps from the door and takes you directly to DisneySea in 7 minutes.

Adorably Themed Rooms

While the standard room is Victorian-themed in-line with the theming of the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel, there are ultra adorable themed rooms as well. Choose from Tinker Bell, Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella.

We chose the Alice in Wonderland room for our stay. While it did cost significantly more for a themed room, we had no regrets.

Our room was filled with Alice in Wonderland-themed furniture and motifs of the Queen of Hearts, the Card Soldiers, the White Rabbit and the Cheshire Cat. In addition to two regular beds, this room has a trundle bed that can be pulled out.

Free room amenities to take home

I looooove the free hotel-themed take home items! Each day these items were replenished as well so we had plenty to take home as souvenirs and gifts.

Toothbrush
Room slippers
Amenity kit (cotton swabs, cotton balls, hair elastic)
Re-usable hotel-themed shopping bag
Complimentary Mineral Water
Children’s slippers
Children’s toothbrush
Children’s mug

You can use the complimentary pyjamas (for adults) in the room and request children’s sizes, however these must stay at the hotel.

Disney Hotels Exclusives

Special products are available for purchase to Guests staying at a Deluxe Type Disney Hotel (Tokyo Disneyland Hotel, Disney Ambassador Hotel, Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta). I bought one of these tote bags and clip on toys as a special momento of our stay.

Guaranteed admission to the Parks

One major benefit if you visit in peak season is that guests of the hotel are guaranteed admission to Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, even when admission is being restricted due to high attendance.

“Happy Entry” Early Park Entry

Guests staying at a Disney hotel are be eligible for “Happy Entry,” a Disney hotel benefit that allows Guests to enter Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea through a Special Entrance for Disney hotel guests 15 minutes earlier than other Guests.

When checking into the hotel you will be asked what days you have purchased park tickets for and be given a little paper slip per person per day for 15 minute early admission to the parks. Note that not every park is available for early entry each day and the schedule is not published anywhere that we were able to find, and also that this benefit is not available on the day of check-in but is available on the day of check-out.

Park admission time for Guests staying at a Disney hotel is shown on the Special Entrance Pass.

Good to know before you go

How to book a Tokyo Disneyland Resort hotel

Bookings are open from 11am (JST) three months in advance through the Tokyo Disney Resort Online Reservations & Tickets website. Up to five consecutive nights and three rooms can be booked per booking.

Go here to reserve your room.

A helpful guide to booking your room is here.

Hotel information

Check-in: 3pm Checkout: 12pm. You will not be able to check in early so there is no point in asking.

The hotel features restaurants which need to be booked in advance of your stay for optimal days and times. It is difficult to book on arrival as the restaurants are busy and book up well in advance.

There is a small convenience store with very basic food items and necessities however the prices are high. There is a 7-Eleven a 15 min walk from the hotel that is well stocked and reasonably-priced.

You can purchase quick meals from the convenience store and ask the staff to heat them up for you at the counter after payment.

Room categories

All 706 guest rooms feature designs of the Disney Characters. Guest rooms are divided into four categories. Rooms with a view of Tokyo Disneyland are categorized as Park View, and the ones with a frontal view of Tokyo Disneyland as Park Grand View.
Concierge Rooms and Suites come with breakfast, and also include access to an exclusive lounge offering check-in/checkout and beverage services.

Themed rooms are located at the back of the hotel and do not have a view of the park. Ours had a view of this beautiful garden.

Cancellation fees and booking changes

This was confusing to us so it’s worth mentioning. If you want to start your stay earlier than dates you have already booked, you must cancel your existing booking and book a new room from scratch. You cannot add dates onto the start of your booking.

You may cancel your booking and have your deposit refunded as per these conditions:

・If a cancellation is made prior to the following dates when a cancellation fee will be charged, the full amount of the deposit paid will be refunded.
・If a cancellation is made after the following dates when a cancellation fee will be charged, the deposit minus the cancellation fee will be refunded in accordance with the conditions of accommodation contract of each hotel.

Tokyo Disneyland Hotel
Disney Ambassador Hotel
Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta
-14 to 8 days before your stay: 10,000 yen per room
-7 to 2 days before your stay: 20,000 yen per room
-Day before, on the day of your stay, or no-show: 30,000 yen per room

Tokyo Disney Resort Toy Story Hotel
Tokyo Disney Celebration Hotel
-14 to 8 days before your stay: 5,000 yen per room
-7 to 2 days before your stay: 10,000 yen per room
-Day before, on the day of your stay, or no-show: 15,000 yen per room

https://www.tokyodisneyresort.jp/en/hotel/tdh.html