Tokyo Disney Family Trip Day 2 (2009.12.09)

On the second morning, the value of staying at the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel finally became very real.

Hotel guests could use the special entrance and enter the park 15 minutes early. Fifteen minutes may not sound like much, but with two kids and Tokyo Disneyland crowds, it felt meaningful. Even though it was a Monday, the regular entrance already had a long line. Seeing that, I suddenly felt that paying JPY 41,000 for one night was not completely unreasonable after all.

The only pity was that Tokyo was not like Hong Kong Disneyland, where lots of characters were right there at the entrance for photos. Otherwise, we would have made the room rate back right away...

What 15 Minutes Bought Us

Once we entered, we followed the plan. My wife took the kids to line up for Monsters, Inc. Ride & Go Seek, while I went to get the FastPass for Pooh's Hunny Hunt. It sounds like a military operation, but that was honestly what the atmosphere felt like. No exaggeration: the people who entered early were all running to claim their spots @.@'"

While speed-walking, I still managed to take two photos of the park before it filled up. That kind of quiet scene disappears quickly at Tokyo Disneyland, so the empty paths and castle in the photos became the best proof that getting in early made a difference.

A mostly empty Tokyo Disneyland walkway shortly after early entry. — A rare quiet moment in the park while everyone is still rushing toward the popular rides.

Cinderella Castle at Tokyo Disneyland on a cloudy morning. — Cinderella Castle before the crowds fill the paths around it.

The strategy worked. We got to ride the two attractions we wanted most right away, and after that the pressure dropped. Once the big rides were done, we could finally slow down and wander a little.

Family walking through Tokyo Disneyland after finishing the first planned rides. — After the first two must-ride attractions, the morning finally slows down.

The Popcorn Incident

The things that stay in a Disney diary are not always the rides. Sometimes they are the little situations the kids create along the way. This morning's episode was Belle accidentally spilling her popcorn.

A child looking at spilled popcorn on the ground at Tokyo Disneyland. — Belle's spilled popcorn became the small family incident of the morning.

We told her there was only a little left, so maybe we could give it to the birds. And of course...

A child watching birds gather around spilled popcorn in Tokyo Disneyland. — The remaining popcorn was handed over to the birds, which made the accident easier to accept.

From the Castle to the Daytime Parade

After the rush for the popular rides, the day shifted from sprinting to strolling. Tokyo Disneyland's castle is Cinderella Castle... p.s. Hong Kong Disneyland and Disneyland Paris both have Sleeping Beauty castles.

Cinderella Castle at Tokyo Disneyland seen from inside the park. — Tokyo Disneyland's Cinderella Castle became the next slower stop after the ride rush.

Inside the castle were pretty wall tiles, and the entrance led into a souvenir shop. Without kids, maybe we would have looked around slowly. With kids, it became another quick cycle of taking photos, watching the children, and moving on.

Decorative wall tiles inside Cinderella Castle at Tokyo Disneyland. — Inside the castle, the wall tiles and souvenir-shop entrance made another quick photo stop.

Then the daytime parade began. At the time, there were two showings, one at 10:30 a.m. and one at 3:30 p.m.; anyone planning a visit now should still check the latest official schedule. For us that day, the parade was more like a natural pause after a very busy morning.

A Tokyo Disneyland daytime parade float moving through the park. — The daytime parade gave everyone a reason to pause after the busy morning.

Performers on a flower-covered Tokyo Disneyland parade float. — Another parade float passes by before the family breaks for lunch.

Retreating to the Hotel at Noon

Ugh... with two kids, by noon we were already exhausted. Every restaurant had a line stretching outside at lunchtime. That was really something.

Fortunately, Tokyo Disneyland Hotel guests could make restaurant reservations in advance... ha. Unfortunately, by the time we hurried over, we were already past the reservation time @.@'"

This was when staying at the hotel showed another advantage: it took only three minutes to walk back, rest for a while, and eat a bowl of instant noodles. By then the morning had already drained both the adults' energy and the kids' patience, so lying down in the room was much more practical than forcing ourselves to keep hunting for seats in the park. At 3 p.m., we returned for round two.

Back Again Until the Night Parade

After re-entering in the afternoon, we slowly filled in the parts of the park we had not reached in the morning. The final stretch was the Tokyo Disneyland night parade, and that was when the day finally felt complete.

And just like that... we played from 8:45 a.m. all the way to 10:00 p.m.