I am a huge amusement park junkie – which my friends and family can fully attest to. If a country / city is well-known for a certain amusement park (whether Disney, Universal Studios, Six Flags, or one of the local brands), you can be sure I’ll try my best to fit it into the itinerary! So… it’s actually a bit weird that I only managed to go to Tokyo Disney Sea on my 3^rd visit to Tokyo. To be honest, it was because I’d heard so many horror stories about the long queues ESPECIALLY because I was always in Tokyo during the cherry blossom season – which, unluckily for me, also coincides with school spring break aka extra extra long queues. Having said that, I figured I had dilly-dallied enough, and this time, I made sure I’d finally get the chance to enjoy the ONLY Tokyo Disney Sea in the world, and by enjoy – I mean ride all the attractions I want without killing myself queuing. Was I successful? Yes! And so, this blog post is for all you readers who are…

• Adrenaline junkies who want to make sure they get to experience the BEST rides Tokyo Disney Sea has to offer (if you only have one day for amusement parks, I would 100% recommend Tokyo Disney Sea over Disneyland – after all, there are loads of Disneylands in the world and only one Disney Sea)
• Willing to strategize upfront, wake up early, and run a bit to get fast passes – all for the love of amusement park attractions (or just to get the most bang for your buck)
• Not visiting with kids (as I am unsure they will appreciate / or be allowed onto some of the rides)

So, let’s get right to it, shall we?

Table of contents

• How should I prepare for my Tokyo Disney Sea adventure beforehand?
  • When’s the best time to go to Tokyo Disney Sea?
  • Do I need to buy tickets to Tokyo Disney Sea?
  • What should I bring to Tokyo Disney Sea?
  • How do I get to Tokyo Disney Sea?
• What are key strategies used to minimize Tokyo Disney Sea queuing time?
  • Fast Pass strategy
  • Lottery system
  • Single rider lane
• It’s D-Day, how do I maximize my Tokyo Disney Sea experience?
  • What are my top 3 must-try attractions?
  • What’s the proposed strategy?

How should I prepare for my Tokyo Disney Sea adventure beforehand?

When’s the best time to go to Tokyo Disney Sea?

Obviously the best time would be the off-peak season, but if you’re reading this blog, I’m assuming you’re planning to go during the peak season and therefore it’s a matter of choosing the BEST date among all the not-so-good options

Tip #1: Do NOT go on weekends (Friday to Sunday) or during a Japan public / school holiday. Going to the park the same time as students is the WORST, because these guys want to ride the same attractions as you, and they’ll be staying at the park the whole day (unlike families who tend to arrive later and leave earlier, once their children gets tired)

Tip #2: Use the Tokyo Disney Sea congestion forecast calendar to get a preliminary view of how bad the crowds could be based on data analytics (of what the crowd in previous years were like during those dates) as well as the weather forecast. Unfortunately, the calendar site is in Japanese but you can easily ask Google to translate it to English

Do I need to I buy tickets to Tokyo Disney Sea beforehand?

Yes, 100% yes! Of course, you can buy tickets on the day itself BUT that means you’ll need to queue up for the tickets THEN queue up to enter Disney Sea which is a huge waste of time. There’s also the possibility that they run out of tickets, which would make your entire trip to Disney Sea a waste…

My suggestion? Book online via Klook – they sell 1-day and 2-day passes here. I LOVE Klook so much – to be honest, their ticket prices are typically quite similar to the actual rates of the sites (especially since you pay in USD, which they then convert to your local currency), but…

• Buying from Klook is hassle-free – I just book online, print out the tickets and voila! I can now enter the attraction immediately
• I trust Klook – been using them for years now, and it’s been a great experience every single time
• Klook rewards you with points for every transaction made (equivalent to USD spent), which you can then use to pay for your next purchase (as good as cash, my friends!)
• Klook typically has some promotion going on – e.g., discount if you use their mobile app for the first time / Buy 3 get 1 free promo / Japan Sakura season discount [just some examples of the discounts I’ve used when booking via Klook]. Pro tip: Google first to check if there’s a Klook promo (especially partnerships with credit cards!) that you can take advantage of

Once you’ve bought your tickets, make sure to print them out (you’ll need the physical copy to enter the park) as they’ll be scanning the QR code not just at the entrance, but also every time you obtain a fast pass or if you wish to enter the lottery system (more on this later). If you forget to print it out, don’t worry! You can still do so at the Disney Sea information center (it’s just a waste of time as that’s an additional step you’ll need to take before entering the park). Likewise, if you want to have your printout exchanged for an actual ticket on the day itself, you may do so at the information center for a fee (unsure how much as I didn’t bother to have mine exchanged)

What should I bring to Tokyo Disney Sea?

#1

I recommend you download the TDR Dash app which is SUPER useful – as it helps you gauge the queuing wait times for each attraction (both for the normal lines, as well as for the fast pass distribution lines). This will help you determine whether you should stick to your current strategy or change midway because a certain attraction’s queues got longer or shorter

#2

If you’re a hardcore amusement park fan like me, I suggest you bring snacks and water with you, so you can munch on them while queuing – which allows you to make good use of your lunch hour in the queues while everyone else is off having lunch

Technically, the official rule is they don’t allow food inside the park BUT it seems what they meant were the bento-style food / food that requires utensils to eat. My family brought sandwiches, cookies, and bread ++ water bottles into the park, and the attendants checking the bags didn’t even bat an eye (note: they also didn’t really check our bags that carefully)

#3

Bring something to occupy your time. My tips below will help make sure you manage to ride the best attractions, but you’ll still have to queue for some attractions unfortunately. Have your phone, ready wifi, and a power bank ready. Consider bringing a book or a handheld game console too, if you want!

#4

Dress appropriately. The sun can be glaringly hot – although thankfully, most queues are indoors or have roofs. Still, it never hurts to be prepared!

How do I get to Tokyo Disney Sea?

There are two ways:

• Take the train to Maihama Station. After which, walk over to the Disney Resort Line (~5-10 mins walk) and take the train from there to Tokyo Disney Sea (or you can walk the whole way IF you have time). You can use your Suica card, even for the Disney Resort line
• If you’re staying in the Shinjuku area, the most direct way is to take the bus from the Shinjuku Express Bus Terminal which will drop you off at Tokyo Disney Sea directly. This option is quite convenient, especially if you’re traveling with kids or old people. The bus departs every 20 minutes, and the schedule can be found here. Only downside here is it’s more expensive than the train (by ~350 yen), and they don’t allow you to stand in the bus so you’ll have to wait for the next one if the bus you want has reached its seating capacity

Personally, I prefer taking the train not just because it’s cheaper, but also because I have greater control over my schedule this way

What are key strategies used to minimize Tokyo Disney Sea queuing time?

Fast Pass strategy

If you’ve ever been to Disneyland before, you might be familiar with the term Fast Pass. Essentially, Fast Pass holders will be able to access the attraction through a separate (much shorter queue). In other amusement parks, they sell these Fast Passes for a hefty sum – thankfully, at Tokyo Disney Sea, they give it away for free, albeit only a limited amount for each time slot

Note – only the top attractions will have Fast Passes, which is fine because I assume those are the most important ones anyway. Below is the list of attractions where Fast Passes are available:

• Toy Story Mania
• Tower of Terror
• Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull
• Journey to the Center of the Earth
• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
• Raging Spirits
• Mermaid Lagoon Theatre
• Magical Lamp Theatre

How does it work? Essentially, each of the above attraction will have Fast Pass ticket machines near its entrance (which is a separate queue!) To obtain a Fast Pass, you simply need to scan the QR code of your ticket (so DO NOT LOSE YOUR TICKET) and out pops the Fast Pass

Each Fast Pass will indicate two things:

• The time you can use the Fast Pass, which will be in 1-hour periods. Example, if the pass states 1-2PM, you can enter the attraction anytime within that period
• The time you can get another Fast Pass, which is typically ~1.5-2 hours after. Example, if you got a Fast Pass at 8:30AM, you can only get another Fast Pass at the stated time (say 10:30AM) unless you’ve already used your Fast Pass before then. So, once the clock hits 10:30AM, you can go get another Fast Pass EVEN if you haven’t used your previously claimed Fast Pass yet. The only thing to note is, you can’t have two unused Fast Passes for the same attraction. Example, if you hold a Tower of Terror Fast Pass for 11:30AM, you can’t get another Tower of Terror Fast Pass before then

Note, even if you’re alone, you can scan the QR code of everyone in your party. Handy, because this means you can send the fastest person to run and get a Fast Pass for everyone while the slower ones can go queue for other rides. Likewise, if you’re with people who don’t really want to ride the attractions, you can also use their QR code to get additional Fast Passes for yourself

Also, keep in mind that the Fast Pass queues can be quite long as well – and this is where the TDR Dash app comes in handy! Use that to check the normal queue times AND the Fast Pass queue times for your top attractions – it’ll give you a better idea of when you should queue and where

Lottery system

This is a fairly new concept, and to be honest, I’ve never seen this in other amusement parks before. Essentially, at Tokyo Disney Sea, you can win reserved seating tickets for Big Bad Beat (the super popular jazz show) and other shows via the lottery system.

How it works:

• Head to Biglietteria (which is near the Venetian Gondola). Honestly, we had a difficult time finding it, and we ended up just asking the Big Bad Beat guys where it was. He kindly brought us all the way to Biglietteria (~2 minute walk from Big Bad Beat Theater)
• Similar to the Fast Pass, you simply have to choose the show times when your group wants to watch, then scan your entire group’s ticket QR codes. Note, you need to scan them altogether to make sure the machine knows you’re a group and will therefore seat you guys together
• Immediately after scanning, the machine will either congratulate you for winning reserved seats for your entire group (essentially 1^st floor seats) or tell you you’ve lost and will therefore need to wait in the standby line at least ~30minutes before the start of the show
• Couple of things to note:
  • You can only enter the lottery system once. So, if you’ve lost, you can’t actually enter again for a different show time
  • The first performance of the day does not utilize the lottery system and is standby only
  • No one has really figured out how the lottery system allots winners and losers. If you’re a relatively small group (e.g. less than 3), some folks recommend you go try your luck ~45 minutes before the show time you’re aiming for, as the system will be trying to fill up the reserved seats as much as possible. Obviously, this might not work if you’re a large group. Other tips I’ve heard includes choosing a later show time, as these are less popular, therefore there’s a higher chance of winning

Fairly cute concept. Unfortunately, our family didn’t manage to get any reserved seats so we ended up queuing up for ~40 minutes for Big Bad Beat

Single rider lane

I won’t bother explaining this in detail as the single rider lane is a fairly normal concept for most amusement park goers – essentially, there’s a separate queue for folks who’re willing to ride the attraction on their own (essentially acting as gap fillers so each ride can optimize the capacity ised). My family ALWAYS utilizes the single rider lane as we don’t really see the point of waiting in line for ~2+ hours just so we can all ride together…  I mean, the ride only lasts for ~2-5mins tops anyway

Sadly, Tokyo Disney Sea only has single rider lanes for select rides, which they open up depending on how bad the crowd is. On the day we were there, only the Indiana Jones ride had a single rider lane; while other blogs I’ve read up on indicated the Raging Spirits and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea should also have single rider lanes open

Anyway, the best way to find out is to just ask – the park attendant will typically point you to the Fast Pass lane (which is equivalent to the Single Rider lane if open) or they’ll shake their head and tell you there isn’t one. Either way, if there is a Single Rider lane, I highly encourage you to make use of it as it allows you to cut the queue (imagine, queues equivalent to a Fast Pass but without the timing restrictions of the Fast Pass!)

It’s D-Day, how do I maximize my Tokyo Disney Sea experience?

What are my top 3 must-try attractions?

Quick disclaimer – my rankings below are purely qualitative and based on what I value in a ride (adrenaline filled and / or novel). Many people will disagree with my assessment, and so I would recommend you check them all out for yourself as well! Anyway, here goes…

#1: Toy Story Mania

I knooow, lots of blogs will tell you this ride is SUPER overhyped and that it’s extremely similar to the one found in Disneyland Anaheim. So if you’ve tried this ride before and are unwilling to queue for it, then you definitely shouldn’t. For me though, I thoroughly enjoyed this ride (it was my first time to try it), and thought it was a very novel and more competitive version of the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters / Marvel interactive shooting rides

#2: Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull

This is no ordinary roller coaster, and while it doesn’t have any of those hair-raising spins and death-defying loops, its sheer unpredictability from start to finish and the easy to follow story despite it being Japanese definitely captured my heart and vaulted this ride to my #2 spot. Indiana Jones enthusiasts (which I am not) will also definitely appreciate all the details captured in the ride. Do note, while there is also a Indiana Jones Adventure ride at Disneyland Anaheim, there are subtle differences between that one and this one, so you should definitely still try it!

#3: Tower of Terror

Again, this ride (which is an accelerated drop tower ride) can be found in other Disneylands around the world. To be honest though, it doesn’t quite seem to pack the same punch. Maybe I was more excitable when I was younger, but I distinctly remember it being scarier before (the ones I’ve tried in the US), and my brother agrees with me…

Runner-ups: Journey to the Center of the Earth & 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Okay, I was thoroughly unimpressed with both rides as they weren’t exactly “exciting,” BUT they are both beautiful and intricately designed. And if you’re a huge fan of Jules Verne, then you will absolutely love these rides because they really bring to life the beauty and grandeur of his books. The other reason why I wasn’t overtly impressed was also because I’ve never read both books + everything was in Japanese, therefore I actually had no idea what was the back story / context of both rides

Besides the rides though, one other show I would highlight would be Big Bad Beat – which is a jazz extravaganza of extraordinary proportions! So, my whole family actually fell asleep during the first half of the show (whoops), we were just so tired (combination of the heat and long queues) + the theater seats were so comfortable + the jazz voices crooning were so soothing… We woke up by the 2^nd half though which is when the action truly happens as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald and Daisy Duck as well as Goofy came out to tap dance and perform as well! Plus the entire show was in English, which was music to my ears after hearing all Japanese the whole day!

Likewise, this isn’t specific to any rides or shows, but I thoroughly enjoyed people watching (while queueing up) as people really dress up at Tokyo Disney Sea – ranging from couples / friend groups with matching head-to-toe outfits to kids (and adults) dressed up as their favorite Disney characters – it’s really amazing to see how much planning people do to coordinate their outfits beforehand

What’s the proposed strategy?

Now that we’ve got all the prep out of the way, it’s Tokyo Disney Sea day and below is my proposed strategy for you (which you should of course revise depending on the crowd that day!)

STEP ONE: Wake up early and be sure to be at Tokyo Disney Sea at least 30 minutes before the park opens

These Japanese guys are really willing to queue, and even if you arrive 30 minutes before the park opens, you’ll be astonished to see how long the queue is just to enter the park… Having said that, I’m not sure you’d want to come any earlier as I don’t think lining up for more than 30 minutes just to enter the park is a good way to start the day

STEP TWO: As soon as you enter the park…

• Give all your tickets (with QR codes) to your fastest runner so he can rush to Toy Story Mania and get Fast Passes for everyone in the group
• The rest of the group should start queuing for Journey to the Center of the Earth

Key thing to note here, after getting the Fast Pass, the runner should quickly head to Journey to the Center of the Earth so he can jump into queue with the rest of the group. There’s a portion of the queue that snakes around the mountain and therefore allows you to easily slip in, BUT once the group enters the “underground” queue, you won’t be able to slip in anymore! Tip to the group, if you’re about to enter the underground queue and the runner hasn’t returned yet, let others go first and hold your current position

Also, be careful of where you queue up for Journey of the Center of the Earth, as we made the mistake of queuing in the Fast Pass queue at first…

STEP THREE: After you’re done with Journey to the Center of the Earth…

• Again, get the fastest runner (with all your tickets) to grab a Fast Pass for Tower of Terror (which is right beside Toy Story Mania) – note, only do this if you’ve reached the allotted time when you can get another Fast Pass
• The rest of the group should start queuing for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (which is right beside Journey to the Center of the Earth)

STEP FOUR: Time to use your Fast Passes (assuming the allotted time period has arrived!)

• Make sure to queue up at the Fast Pass lane of the respective rides (Tower of Terror, Toy Story Mania)
• After the Fast Pass rides, drop by Biglietteria to enter into the Big Bad Beat lottery. I’d suggest a late afternoon show, to increase your chances of winning the lottery + give you a good excuse to rest after a long day of rushing around and queuing

If you didn’t win the lottery, you’ll need to queue up ~30-40 minutes before the show time start for Big Bad Beat! Do note, once they reach seating capacity, they no longer allow people to join the queue

STEP FIVE: Head over to Indiana Jones and Raging Spirits

• At Indiana Jones, indicate that you want to line up at the Single Rider lane and they should direct you to the Fast Pass area
• After the Indiana Jones ride, head over to Raging Spirits (right beside Indiana Jones) and ask for the Single Rider lane as well

Note: The Single Rider lanes are not always available. If that’s the case, I suggest you still do Indiana Jones but skip Raging Spirits (which is what we did when we found out there was no single rider lane available). Else, you can consider grabbing a Fast Pass for one of the two rides if you want

STEP SIX: Check out the Sinbad Adventures ride / show

Sinbad Adventures isn’t WOW, but it typically has short queues (~15mins for us, despite it being high peak season); and the ride itself is extremely relaxing and quite intricately detailed. Think “It’s a Small World,” Arabic version

STEP SEVEN: Appreciate the beauty of the Mermaid Lagoon

At this point, it’s getting quite hot – so why not take shade at the Mermaid Lagoon. Inside the palace is a play area for kids, which you can also squat in! It’s air-conditioned (which is the most important thing!) but it also allows you to marvel at the beautiful details of the palace interior – now you can imagine what Ariel was giving up when she traded her voice for legs just to meet Prince Eric (the power of love…?)

STEP EIGHT: Make your way slowly to Big Bad Beat and grab some food along the way

I’m sure you’re starting to get hungry by now despite all the snacks you’ve been munching on along the way (if you packed any!). As you make your way to Big Bad Beat, buy turkey legs (the quintessential Disney park food) which can be found at a kiosk near Journey to the Center of the Earth. Sorry, I can’t remember the name of the kiosk as we just kept asking the attendants where we could buy turkey legs – and they just pointed us along haha!

Once you’re at Big Bad Beat, grab your seat, sink into the plush chair and let the soothing jazz notes carry your worries away!

STEP NINE: Shopping / Picture taking time!

You have now tried all the major attractions Disney Sea has to offer. Depending on your interests, you can opt to start shopping (major stores can be found near the entrance!) or take your time experiencing the park and taking lovely photos (which you weren’t able to the whole day because you were rushing around so much!)

STEP TEN: Cap off your day at the happiest place on Earth with the Fantasmic show

This isn’t your typical fireworks galore ending of most Disneylands, as the Fantasmic show makes use of lights, lasers and sounds to tell an intricate story of good fighting against evil (or so I assume as everything was in Japanese LOL). My brother was unimpressed (aka he didn’t manage to get any good Instagram shots), but I personally enjoyed the storytelling

And that’s it, hope you enjoyed your time at Tokyo Disney Sea! Some reflections on my end, people tell me Disney Sea is geared more towards adults (similar to Epcot) as opposed to Disneyland which is geared more towards children. I suppose that’s true if you’re comparing Disney Resorts, but of course amusement parks like Six Flags are definitely more adrenaline inducing no matter what Disney Sea has to offer. Having said that, what sets Disney Sea apart is really the SHEER attention to detail of each and every aspect of the park – from the beautifully created rides, to the exhibit setups that keep you occupied as you’re in the queue, and even the cutesy store concepts – and so I’d highly recommend you take the time to actually explore the park, even beyond the rides on offer!

For my other Japan blogs, please do check out the following:

Everything you need to know about Tokyo (as a DIY tourist)

Eating my way through Tokyo – top picks!

What to see and do in Okinawa

TOKYO 7-DAY OFF-THE-BEATEN PATH DIY ITINERARIES

• Day 1: Tokyo Day trip to Kawagoe
• Day 2: Tokyo Disney Sea adventure
• Day 3: Tokyo Day trip to Yokohama
• Day 4: Tokyo Day trip to Hakone
• Day 5: Tokyo Day trip to Kamukara and Enoshima
• Day 6: Tokyo shopping day!
• Day 7: Imperial Palace Walking Tour + Odaiba