October 8, 2019
This trip had been over four years in the making, ever since our Europe trip in 2015, during which we attended Rugby World Cup. This year, the tournament was in Japan, so our destination had been set for quite some time (for what it's worth, this also means we're heading to France in 2023!)
We (Lizzy and I) had spent many months in ramped-up detailed planning mode, watching lots of videos deciding what to do, where to eat, etc. We had carefully planned our days, including one "free" day where we intentionally didn't schedule anything, in case there was anything that we ended up wanting to do again, etc. This day came in handy later (more on that shortly!)
It was a VERY early morning, waking up before 4:00 am to get ready. We began shooting portions of an epic Dancing Freddy video a little after 4:30 am (the shooting of this video continued the entire trip, as she had carefully planned it out!). Our driver came to get us around 4:45, and we were OFF TO JAPAN!!!
As always, after security, we got our obligatory photo with the race car.
This trip had been over four years in the making, ever since our Europe trip in 2015, during which we attended Rugby World Cup. This year, the tournament was in Japan, so our destination had been set for quite some time (for what it's worth, this also means we're heading to France in 2023!)
We (Lizzy and I) had spent many months in ramped-up detailed planning mode, watching lots of videos deciding what to do, where to eat, etc. We had carefully planned our days, including one "free" day where we intentionally didn't schedule anything, in case there was anything that we ended up wanting to do again, etc. This day came in handy later (more on that shortly!)
It was a VERY early morning, waking up before 4:00 am to get ready. We began shooting portions of an epic Dancing Freddy video a little after 4:30 am (the shooting of this video continued the entire trip, as she had carefully planned it out!). Our driver came to get us around 4:45, and we were OFF TO JAPAN!!!
As always, after security, we got our obligatory photo with the race car.
Before we boarded, we posed for a photo in our matching Ja-PAN (get it?) shirts.
By 7:25, we were on board our quick flight to Detroit. Let's gooooooo!
The attendant gave Liz some wings (like, her twelfth pair? I've lost count - ha!), and a yummy pack of shortbread and chocolate. They were seriously tasty.
Then we had a few hours to kill at SkyClub, courtesy of Mr. Frequent Flier.
After having some snacks and relaxing, it was time to board the long flight to Tokyo. For weeks, I had been watching the seat map, seeing that seat next to Liz and me remain open. No one ever sat there, so we had A ROW TO OURSELVES the whole flight to Asia! Except for that hour or so that Daddy came and joined us for a visit ;o)
(Crossing the International Date Line, it is now) October 9, 2019
We managed to each get several hours of sleep, and awoke to this pretty scenery somewhere over Siberia.
We managed to each get several hours of sleep, and awoke to this pretty scenery somewhere over Siberia.
Liz watched a 2 hour documentary on the making of Game of Thrones which ended right before we spotted the coast of Japan. Our 13.5 hour flight was nearly over!
We landed, and deplaned. About half the plane split off immediately to transit onward through Narita. The other half of the plane then split further, with about 70% of the remaining passengers being Japanese nationals, who went through their own customs and immigration section. This left us and only a few other passengers as foreign nationals with Japan as their final destination. As such, we were processed through the customs and immigration line in about 5 minutes. Hooray for efficiency!
We were welcomed by some wonderful friends on the escalator down to baggage claim, welcoming us to Japan! (She was much happier to see the welcome by Bowser.)
We were welcomed by some wonderful friends on the escalator down to baggage claim, welcoming us to Japan! (She was much happier to see the welcome by Bowser.)
We had arranged for motorcoach transportation to take us from Narita to our hotel, the Tokyo Hilton. True to the reputation, the motorcoach arrived precisely on time, and we were on our way for the 40 minute drive to Shinjuku.
We arrived at the hotel around 4:30, tired but not completely exhausted. We got all checked in and were delighted to find we'd been put on the top floor (37) in one of the nicer executive rooms, with some extra space to enjoy. The view was spectacular!
We got showered to wash off the airplane germs and get a little bit of a refresh (and spent ample time trying out all of the settings on our toilet), then we hopped in the hotel shuttle which took us to Shinjuku station.
We wandered around Shinjuku for a bit, amazed at the lights and energy and assault on the senses. It was wonderful!
We wandered around Shinjuku for a bit, amazed at the lights and energy and assault on the senses. It was wonderful!
We weren't going to come all the way to Tokyo without seeing GODZILLA!
After surviving Godzilla (he wasn't very rampage-y this evening), we decided to make our first meal in Japan sushi. Sadly, no one would order the salted squid guts. While we ended up having MUCH better sushi during our stay, we were starving and it was fine for a first meal in Tokyo!
After dinner, we were fading pretty fast, so we headed back to the hotel to get some well-earned sleep. But first, Lizzy wanted to get a post-dinner photo of us with Godzilla.
Back to the room for this gorgeous view. Goodnight, Tokyo.
October 10, 2019
Since Liz and I had gone to sleep pretty early (Dad stayed out and met some friends from England, so he came home a bit later), we were up and at 'em around 6:00 am. We showered and got dressed, then headed out to get some snacks for the room. We had read SO MUCH about how amazing Japanese 7-11s are, so we were eager to find out for ourselves. There was one about a 5 minute walk away, so off we went!
Since Liz and I had gone to sleep pretty early (Dad stayed out and met some friends from England, so he came home a bit later), we were up and at 'em around 6:00 am. We showered and got dressed, then headed out to get some snacks for the room. We had read SO MUCH about how amazing Japanese 7-11s are, so we were eager to find out for ourselves. There was one about a 5 minute walk away, so off we went!
We got several bags of snacks for the room, and walked back to the hotel. We went ahead and had breakfast in the Executive lounge, which became our breakfast venue for the next 6 mornings. It was such a fantastic breakfast, with omlettes, fresh OJ, endless bacon, pastries, etc. Every single morning, Liz chose:
Miso soup (sometimes 2 bowls), white rice, bacon, a croissant with nutella, apple juice, and orange juice. Every day. Without fail.
We hung up in the lobby for a bit playing Mario Party (to give Dad a chance to sleep), and while we were in the lobby, the England Rugby team returned from a workout (they were also staying at the Tokyo Hilton!)
Miso soup (sometimes 2 bowls), white rice, bacon, a croissant with nutella, apple juice, and orange juice. Every day. Without fail.
We hung up in the lobby for a bit playing Mario Party (to give Dad a chance to sleep), and while we were in the lobby, the England Rugby team returned from a workout (they were also staying at the Tokyo Hilton!)
We went upstairs to get Dad, and then headed off to Harajuku for the first part of the day. The Hilton Tokyo was SUPER conveniently located, with two separate subway stations connected via the basement of the hotel. You'd descend an escalator in the hotel lobby, into an underground shopping mall which was connected to the two different subway station/lines. It is truly amazing how there is a subterranean city beneath Tokyo!
Anyhow, we took the subway to Harajuku, and the subway lines in Tokyo are SPOTLESS and efficient. Yes, they are completely punctual to the minute, and incredibly clean. People do not speak on them, so it's very quiet, there is no litter or trash. It is surreal to see such a busy, populous city that is so impeccable.
We started our time in Harajuku by getting some boba smoothies at Wendy's of all places. USA! USA! (King of Bacon! King of Bacon!)
Anyhow, we took the subway to Harajuku, and the subway lines in Tokyo are SPOTLESS and efficient. Yes, they are completely punctual to the minute, and incredibly clean. People do not speak on them, so it's very quiet, there is no litter or trash. It is surreal to see such a busy, populous city that is so impeccable.
We started our time in Harajuku by getting some boba smoothies at Wendy's of all places. USA! USA! (King of Bacon! King of Bacon!)
Our next stop was the candy shop to get a giant cotton candy. The process to make it was so much fun!
After we had eaten most (but not all) of the cotton candy, it was onward to our next priority, a hedgehog cafe. We did an hour, so we would get to sit at a table with the hedgehogs instead of at the counter. We managed to get the table with the biggest (and sweetest!) hedgehog. We had such fun holding them, feeding them, and of course, she chose to purchase a little stuffed hedgehog, which she named Spikel. Spikel came nearly everywhere with us throughout the rest of the trip.
After hedgehog time, the four of us (can't forget Spikel) went to find some lunch. We ended up on the sixth floor of a building, that had lots of sit down restaurants. We chose a tempura place that was SO YUMMY. We had lots of tempura choices, and had a pretty great lunch.
Next, we walked to Shibuya to see the famous crossing. When we approached the crosswalk, we were greeted by Mario Karters (a site we saw quite often!)
Next we saw the Hachiko Statue, erected in memory of the loyal canine who waited at the station every day for his owner to return. After his owner died at work, the dog would go to the station every day to see if he would return that day.
We took the subway back to Shinjuku, to pop into the Rugby World Cup popup store across from our hotel shuttle bus stop.
We headed back to the room for a bit of rest. Our lovely room was 3817 on this map. We LOVED this room!
After we awoke from our nap, we decided to find some dinner pretty close to the hotel, so we went to the subterranean shopping complex beneath our hotel/subway, and found an udon noodle place. It was a warm and yummy end to a very fun first full day!
October 11, 2019
We had been keeping a pretty close eye on Super Typhoon Hagibis in the days leading up to our departure, knowing that there was a chance it would possibly impact a day of our trip. By Friday morning, it was pretty clear Saturday was going to be a wash out. Good thing I had built in that "flex" day to our plans! The flex day got moved to Saturday, I reordered some of our reservations and plans, and we were all set to have our first typhoon experience the following day. However, that wasn't going to stop our Friday in any way!
We had been keeping a pretty close eye on Super Typhoon Hagibis in the days leading up to our departure, knowing that there was a chance it would possibly impact a day of our trip. By Friday morning, it was pretty clear Saturday was going to be a wash out. Good thing I had built in that "flex" day to our plans! The flex day got moved to Saturday, I reordered some of our reservations and plans, and we were all set to have our first typhoon experience the following day. However, that wasn't going to stop our Friday in any way!
After another delightful lounge breakfast at the hotel (miso, bacon, rice, croissant...), we headed to the subway, stunned to find we were the ONLY ONES ON THE TRAIN! At 7:16 am on a Friday morning, we expected it to be much busier.
Truthfully, the subway cars headed the other direction were completely packed, but these tourists weren't heading the direction of work, so off we went.
Truthfully, the subway cars headed the other direction were completely packed, but these tourists weren't heading the direction of work, so off we went.
We started our day in Asakusa, visiting the famous "everything" shop Don Quixote. While we visited several "donqi"s during our visit, this particular one ended up being our favorite. Inexplicably, there was an incredible aquarium outside the entrance, with some amazing eels and fish within.
This is representative of the sort of merchandise inside, from the Halloween department. This got Lizzy laughing super hard.
After we'd made a few small purchases (including, naturally, a hedgehog toothbrush holder), we walked onward to the famous temple. We started by drawing our fortunes. If they are unlucky, you tie them on the rack and they will not come true. We all had drawn unlucky fortunes, so onto the rack they went!
After the temple, we headed over to Akihabara. We were so excited to see all of the little electronics and anime shops. But first, a stop at the convenience store for a roe onigiri snack.
Onward to a gigantic (8 floor?) electronics store, where part of the Dancing Freddy video was recorded.
Some Mario stuffed toys were purchased.
And what's an electronics store without rows and rows of arcade games and gachapon?
Next we went to a store called Super Potato, which houses classic game cartriges and systems dating back to the 80s. It was amazing! Of course, Lizzy does NOT like the fat plumber, so she gave him what-for.
After some reminiscing about all the old games, we decided it was a good idea to get some lunch. So, we found the nearest touch-screen order ramen place.
It was WONDERFUL ramen.
Next we did something very silly and touristy, and we visited a Maid Cafe. For about 45 minutes, we kept asking ourselves "what is happening", as very maids sung and entertained us. A bizarre and memorable experience, indeed!
After the surreal maid experience, we went to a cosplay store, which was equally surreal. It was starting to get a little windy and rainy, and we were ready for a little bit of a mid-afternoon rest, so back we went.
Typhoon update as of Friday afternoon:
Typhoon update as of Friday afternoon:
That afternoon, the hotel slid a notification under the door regarding the incoming typhoon. It stated that the hotel was built the withstand such situations without issue, and that during Friday night and all day Saturday, the hotel restaurants would be offering meals at a 25% discount. Nice! So, we had dinner at the hotel buffet. Lots of crab legs were eaten.
October 12, 2019
The 1:30 am typhoon update pretty much solidified the plans for Saturday being a "hotel day!"
October 12, 2019
The 1:30 am typhoon update pretty much solidified the plans for Saturday being a "hotel day!"
To be precise, the maximum impact to Tokyo would be around 8:00 pm Saturday night. Surely, this would be the lowest mb of pressure any of us had ever experienced!
After our typical lounge breakfast, we decided to head to the Tokyo subway to shoot some Dancing Freddy scenes. The subway wasn't yet shut down, but was very desolate, so it made for a great backdrop.
After shooting quite a few clips for the video, we headed back to the hotel to do some swimming...for HOURS and HOURS!
After becoming quite pruny, we went back up to the room to get changed, and then to the nice restaurant at the hotel for lunch.
After a brief wait...
After a brief wait...
we were treated to some of the most amazing, ruby red tuna we'd ever had, among other amazing courses in our set lunch meal.
There was also some Wagyu.
Best typhoon lunch ever.
After lunch, we went up to the lounge to see what was going on. They had snacks and drinks set up, so we hung out up there for awhile. Notice Spikel was there too.
After lunch, we went up to the lounge to see what was going on. They had snacks and drinks set up, so we hung out up there for awhile. Notice Spikel was there too.
Around 5, we went back to the room to hang out. Apparently, right before the typhoon made landfall a little Southwest of Tokyo, there was a 5.7 magnitude earthquake (which we didn't even feel, although others in other hotels did). The extent of the typhoon for us was we heard the wind blow twice, and it was rainy. We slept through most of it, even though the eye passed right over Shinjuku.
October 13, 2019
The day after the typhoon was probably the most beautiful weather day we had the entire trip! The streets were completely dry, and the sun was shining. We started our day, as always, with breakfast in the lounge. The skies were so clear and beautiful, that Mt. Fuji joined us for breakfast.
October 13, 2019
The day after the typhoon was probably the most beautiful weather day we had the entire trip! The streets were completely dry, and the sun was shining. We started our day, as always, with breakfast in the lounge. The skies were so clear and beautiful, that Mt. Fuji joined us for breakfast.
Back to see Godzilla, this time in daylight. You will notice a bit of debris on the street, from the hurricane less than 12 hours prior. This was cleaned up completely by mid-day.
We visited the Shinjuku branch of Don Quixote, and Liz was utterly delighted to find a hedgehog bag, which was then named Smikel. Spikel could be attached to Smikel, thereby eliminating the need to separately carry Spikel everywhere we went.
Now, at long last, it was time to visit Godzilla up close and personal. He is on the rooftop terrace of a hotel. When you go up the elevator, you are greeted by movie posters of every Godzilla film since the first in 1954. Here you see Lizzy, Smikel, and Spikel showing them to us.
We then went through the hotel lobby and to the rooftop terrace to meet GODZILLA! He was really fun. You could rub a part on his back and he would roar at the terrified citizens on the streets below.
After our fun visit with Godzilla, we walked around for a bit. We were hoping to visit Shinjuku Goyen park, but it was closed due to the typhoon the day prior. Even though it was sunny and beautiful. Drats! The upside was that was Lizzy spotted some hilarious graffiti in which the n'er-do-well misspelled an English swear word, which caused her to laugh and laugh. I so which I'd gotten a photo of it!
We headed by subway onward to Shibuya again, grabbing some lunch on the street, getting some gachapon, and then ending up in a cat cafe. For a few yen, we got to feed and play with some cats in a super clean facility. No cat dander or smell at all. Liz was very happy!
We headed by subway onward to Shibuya again, grabbing some lunch on the street, getting some gachapon, and then ending up in a cat cafe. For a few yen, we got to feed and play with some cats in a super clean facility. No cat dander or smell at all. Liz was very happy!
We visited another Don Quixote, walked around Shibuya for a long while, did some shopping at a famous souvenir shop in Ginza, and headed back in the late afternoon to the hotel. Dinner was, funny enough, at the Denny's next to our hotel!
October 14, 2019
This was one of the MOST FUN days of our entire trip. Actually, the next 5 days were simply amazing in one way or another. The day started by donning our Godzilla garments, acquired the day before at the Godzilla gift shop.
This was one of the MOST FUN days of our entire trip. Actually, the next 5 days were simply amazing in one way or another. The day started by donning our Godzilla garments, acquired the day before at the Godzilla gift shop.
Of course, executive lounge breakfast a la Lizzy. Not yet in the shot is the apple juice she was getting. I would guess 2 additional bowls of miso were enjoyed after this bowl was finished. In the small package are the seaweed strips for the miso.
After finishing breakfast, we hopped on the subway to head over to the Tokyo Bay area, which would become our primary area of focus for our last few days in Japan.
Today's plan: THE ONSEN!
The onsen was so much fun. Once you arrive and get checked in, you choose a yukata (summer robe) for the day, changing into it and leaving your clothes behind in a locker.
Once you have finished changing, you rejoin your family members in the midst of what can best described as an idealized village during a festival, with games, treats everywhere you looked (ice cream, crepes, etc.), plenty of restaurants, and of course the onsen experiences themselves. Once we had gotten changed into our yukata, we looked around for a bit before deciding on our first fun activity.
Today's plan: THE ONSEN!
The onsen was so much fun. Once you arrive and get checked in, you choose a yukata (summer robe) for the day, changing into it and leaving your clothes behind in a locker.
Once you have finished changing, you rejoin your family members in the midst of what can best described as an idealized village during a festival, with games, treats everywhere you looked (ice cream, crepes, etc.), plenty of restaurants, and of course the onsen experiences themselves. Once we had gotten changed into our yukata, we looked around for a bit before deciding on our first fun activity.
We headed outside to the foot baths and they were beautiful! This area consisted of outdoor winding paths, of hot water and rocks of various size and shapes. Lizzy and I had no trouble with some of the sharper/pointier ones, but Dad was very slowed down by them. She was laughing at him quite a bit!
Next, Liz and I went over to get our fish pedicure while Mr. Ticklish feet watched.
After doing another circuit of the foot bath path, we headed back inside to have some lunch. We chose a yakitori place, and it was super yummy.
After lunch, we went our separate ways. He went to get a massage and to the gentlemen's baths, and Lizzy and I went to the ladies baths. We planned to meet back up in a few hours. Obviously, there aren't any photos of the baths but we had so much fun! We sat outside in the hot spring baths for several hours, in a lovely cool drizzle and it felt amazing. We went back and forth from the lukewarm tubs indoors to the hot springs outside. It was a great experience!
After we got changed back into our yutaka, we met up to have some dinner. He had been wanting to try fugu, and coincidentally, one of the locations in the onsen was certified to serve it. Certification translation courtesy of Google Translate, which had us laughing each time we used it.
After we got changed back into our yutaka, we met up to have some dinner. He had been wanting to try fugu, and coincidentally, one of the locations in the onsen was certified to serve it. Certification translation courtesy of Google Translate, which had us laughing each time we used it.
Saying farewell to Dad, in case the fugu preparation went wrong.
The fugu arrived. Very thin, and it didn't taste like much. But he survived!
After dinner, we had some more treats and played some games. We did a little bit of shopping, then changed back into our real-world clothes to head back to the hotel. The onsen was an utterly delightful day, and remains one of her favorite memories of Japan.
October 15, 2019
As usual, after lounge breakfast, we headed down to the subway to another thing we had been looking forward to, TeamLab Planets! This interactive art installation was a hard-to-get ticket, and an even harder-to-reschedule because of the Typhoon, but I managed to move things around just in time to get us in on Tuesday. Whew!
We arrived a few minutes before our scheduled entry time.
October 15, 2019
As usual, after lounge breakfast, we headed down to the subway to another thing we had been looking forward to, TeamLab Planets! This interactive art installation was a hard-to-get ticket, and an even harder-to-reschedule because of the Typhoon, but I managed to move things around just in time to get us in on Tuesday. Whew!
We arrived a few minutes before our scheduled entry time.
The exhibition consisted of numerous rooms/experiences, involving your body in some way. The first one immediately required us to roll our pant legs as high as they would go, as we walked up an incline as ankle-deep warm water cascaded downward from a waterfall at the top of the incline. The whole area was very dark, with the exception of two strips of light on either side of you as you walked. Such a fun way to start our experience.
This very blurry photo of Tommy is the best visual I captured. We all LOVED it!
This very blurry photo of Tommy is the best visual I captured. We all LOVED it!
The next room had us giggling like lunatics. A very long room, with black walls and ceiling. The floor was fluffy black...lump interconnected pillows? They were all connected, so when one person moved, you (a few feet over) moved as well. People would flop down and you would feel the ripple/bounce from their action. You really couldn't stand, the best you could do was crawl.
Again, it was so dark that I couldn't capture it well, but here's the attempt. We were giggling for 5 minutes.
Again, it was so dark that I couldn't capture it well, but here's the attempt. We were giggling for 5 minutes.
The third room blew our minds. It was mirrored on the floors and ceilings, and the room was packed with thousands and thousands of floor-to-ceiling strips of lights. These dazzling lights would change colors, sometimes shutting off entirely. There were pretty clear paths to follow, one of which led to a large clearing in the corner of the room. It was mesmerizing, and we didn't want to leave.
It was absolutely amazing, but after awhile it did become a little disorienting (as Lizzy points out in this video), so we moved on.
The next room was knee-deep warm water, with interactive projections. There were projected koi swimming around, that would turn into flowers when you would touch them. Those flowers would further break upon touching, which would then reassemble into koi. It was amazing, but again, didn't photograph well. Here's the best I could capture.
The next room was knee-deep warm water, with interactive projections. There were projected koi swimming around, that would turn into flowers when you would touch them. Those flowers would further break upon touching, which would then reassemble into koi. It was amazing, but again, didn't photograph well. Here's the best I could capture.
As fun as the preceding rooms had been, this next room was our ABSOLUTE FAVORITE!
Imagine a space so large you can't see the other side of it, filled with gigantic rubber balls everywhere you look. Some on the floor, some suspended seemingly in midair. They are in front of you, around you, and above you. When you touch them, the whole room changes color.
IT WAS LIKE A DREAM!
Imagine a space so large you can't see the other side of it, filled with gigantic rubber balls everywhere you look. Some on the floor, some suspended seemingly in midair. They are in front of you, around you, and above you. When you touch them, the whole room changes color.
IT WAS LIKE A DREAM!
Eventually, after some very fun hide-and-seek in this room, we moved on to the final room. The last room was a black floor to lay on, which a dome above you. Onto the dome were projected gorgeous images of flowers, petals, butterflies, etc. We lay on the floor for probably 20 minutes, taking it all in.
While we could have stayed at TeamLab Planets all day, we had to get some lunch, and we knew just where. The fish market!
We arrived shortly before noon, an easy bus ride away from the art installation. We found a lovely stall with some amazing oysters, and sat down to enjoy our lunch there. Lizzy asked them to make her a bowl of nothing but tuna and roe. She was over the moon!
We arrived shortly before noon, an easy bus ride away from the art installation. We found a lovely stall with some amazing oysters, and sat down to enjoy our lunch there. Lizzy asked them to make her a bowl of nothing but tuna and roe. She was over the moon!
We walked around more, seeing lots of interesting things at the fish market. She chose some enormous grapes as a snack.
Then Dad got some wagyu on a stick, so she had that as well.
After our time at the fish market, we headed to the Pokemon center. So much fun, and so much shopping!
Next, we went to a department store nearby to check out the food court, and see the famous perfect fruits for obscene amounts of money. While there, we managed to pick up some treats, but not $200 cantaloupes.
Our very busy day ended with a meal at the sumo restaurant. While we managed to get a table directly in front of the sumo exhibition ring, there were unfortunately no sumo matches being held that night. We did enjoy the chunko nabe (sumo stew) though!
Our very busy day ended with a meal at the sumo restaurant. While we managed to get a table directly in front of the sumo exhibition ring, there were unfortunately no sumo matches being held that night. We did enjoy the chunko nabe (sumo stew) though!
We headed back to the hotel by subway, having asked to do bathroom breaks before leaving the restaurant. But nooooooo, she insisted she did not have to go.
However, one stop before the hotel, she proclaimed that if we did not get off at the next stop to use the bathroom, she was going to pee on the subway seat. Ha!
This photograph is called "Lizzy had to pee, so we stopped at Ushigome-yanagicho Station"
However, one stop before the hotel, she proclaimed that if we did not get off at the next stop to use the bathroom, she was going to pee on the subway seat. Ha!
This photograph is called "Lizzy had to pee, so we stopped at Ushigome-yanagicho Station"
October 16, 2019
Our last day in Tokyo before changing hotels started like all others, with our lounge breakfast. We then did some Dancing Freddy filming before heading out for a few hours. We started at Meiji Jingu Shrine.
Our last day in Tokyo before changing hotels started like all others, with our lounge breakfast. We then did some Dancing Freddy filming before heading out for a few hours. We started at Meiji Jingu Shrine.
The we returned to Harajuku, and found a gachapon shop. We may have gotten a few.
Shiba Inu cafe? Sure!
After our dog cuddles, we went to get some bullet train sushi. She was delighted when she ordered an apple juice, and the juice box came out by train. Ha!
After lunch, we walked around for a bit.
After lunch, we walked around for a bit.
We couldn't leave Tokyo without trying some famous Japanese pancakes. They were so fluffy and delicious.
One final shuttle bus ride back to the Tokyo Hilton from Shinjuku station, and she finally got to sit in the tall seat right behind the driver!
We grabbed our bags from bell services, said goodbye to the wonderful Tokyo Hilton (how quickly 7 nights has passed!), and loaded into a cab to head to Tokyo Disney, and the beautiful Hotel Miracosta, the only Disney hotel in the world that is inside a theme park.
This is the view from our room, of the DisneySea entrance area.
This is the view from our room, of the DisneySea entrance area.
A few photos of the room, and the gorgeous lobby of the hotel.
After getting settled, we headed over to Ikspari, which is Tokyo Disney's version of a Downtown Disney or Disney Springs. We took the monorail over, for which we had included monorail passes as part of our stay at the Miracosta. As clean as the Tokyo subways were, this privately operated monorail, with a fee to ride, was impeccable. The theming had us so excited for our adventures the following days!
The exterior of the hotel was beautiful.
October 17, 2019
DisneySea day dawned, with this beautiful view from our room.
DisneySea day dawned, with this beautiful view from our room.
Tokyo Disney's version of an Extra Magic Hour is the "Happy 15", which is a whopping 15 minutes for on-site hotel guests to enter the park early. While it may not seem like much, it let us bypass hundreds and hundreds of guests queued up for hours, pre-park opening.
We were indeed allowed in early, about 20 minutes (gasp!) See the two windows directly above the "N" in the Halloween sign? That was our room!
Once through the gates (beneath the hotel), we were greeted by Mount Vesuvius. Note how people were already claiming their spots for that day's parades and shows held on the waterfront. During Happy 15. Rather than riding rides, getting a good spot for the events seemed to be a huge priority for the park guests.
One difference in the Tokyo parks is that the characters are just out and about. You needn't get a fast pass to meet them, or stand in long lines. Just be in the right place at the right time. The park guests are very kind, respectful, and orderly, so this setup completely works here.
One difference in the Tokyo parks is that the characters are just out and about. You needn't get a fast pass to meet them, or stand in long lines. Just be in the right place at the right time. The park guests are very kind, respectful, and orderly, so this setup completely works here.
We chose to use our Happy 15 to ride Soarin', which is newly opened in Tokyo and therefore is very popular. While it's very similar to the one at Epcot in terms of the ride and video (the final scene is Tokyo specific), the queue and building are unique, celebrating exploration and SEA (the Society of Explorers and Adventurers.) It was wonderful, and after we had finished the ride, we grabbed fast passes for later in the day, and found the return time to be already the hour before park closing. Wow, those fast passes went quickly! They were completely out of fast passes about 10 minutes later. We were happy we got them when we did, which guaranteed us one more ride on Soarin' later.
After Soarin' we did Aquatopia, which ended up being Lizzy's favorite ride. We rode it 3 times this day.
Next, we walked over to the Indiana Jones ride, which we split up and rode separately since Liz didn't want to ride. On the walk over, we found this little Easter egg. There were such surprises all throughout the park.
Next we rode the Magic Carpets of Aladdin (while he rode the Raging Spirits coaster), followed by the delightful Sinbad's Voyage. Such a wonderful dark ride.
Next we went to Triton's castle, which was filled inside with so many rides and activities. We ended up spending a ton of time here, and returned several times throughout the day.
We managed to coax her out of Triton's castle, to ride Scuttle's Scooters and then the wonderful 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Back to Aquatopia...
Lunch was onboard the SS Columbia, at the beautiful Roosevelt Lounge.
Next, we grabbed some of the famous flavored popcorn for dessert. We got strawberry and it was absolutely delicious.
Next we went to Fortress Exploration, an enormous building of seemingly endless rooms and curiosities to explore. We spent over an hour poking around every interesting room, finding hidden delights and interactive activities.
How about some Alien Mochi? Cute and delicious!
After mochi, we had another trip on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, then back to Triton's castle, then we went back to the hotel room for some room service for dinner. It was quite a setup - they brought in a large table, which Lizzy thought was delightful!
After dinner, we walked back into the park just in time for Fantasmic, then did Triton's Castle again (we found lots of hidden Mickeys!), watched the fireworks, and of course, did Aquatopia AGAIN. We ended the evening back at Soarin', using the fast pass we had picked up at the beginning of the day. DisneySea did not disappoint!
October 18, 2019
Daddy flew out this morning to Oita, to go to a Rugby World Cup match. Lizzy and I went to Tokyo Disneyland. We were, once again, so delighted to get to utilize the monorail from the Miracosta over to Disneyland.
Daddy flew out this morning to Oita, to go to a Rugby World Cup match. Lizzy and I went to Tokyo Disneyland. We were, once again, so delighted to get to utilize the monorail from the Miracosta over to Disneyland.
The crowd of people waiting to get into Tokyo Disneyland were MEASURABLY less than those at DisneySea before. It turned out that this day was incredibly light crowds at Disneyland. Woo hoo!
We still utilized our Happy 15, and we were in the park by 8:37 am (for a 9:00 am opening.)
We still utilized our Happy 15, and we were in the park by 8:37 am (for a 9:00 am opening.)
Off to Pooh's Hunny Hunt, which we were SO EXCITED to ride. It did not disappoint, and was absolutely our favorite ride at Disneyland.
After our joyous ride, we grabbed some Fast Passes for later in the day. Next door is it's a small world, and it may be even better than the one in Orlando, because PERFECTLY PLACED AND CUTE CHARACTERS!
Next was Pinocchio's Daring Journey, possibly the only ride we didn't really enjoy. It was a very straightforward ride through, but was a walk-on so only about 5 minutes invested.
Next, we grabbed some Haunted Mansion fast passes for later, and then hopped in line. We were so excited to experience one of our favorite rides with Nightmare Before Christmas overlay.
After Haunted Mansion, we got some caramel popcorn, and then stood and watched one of the Halloween parades. There seemed to be constant parades at Disneyland throughout the day, and it amazed me how orderly the park attendees would sit in nice lines and patiently wait the parades, rather than trying to elbow into a standing-room-only situation as at WDW.
Next we went to Swiss Family Treehouse, which we never seem to be able to make time to do at Magic Kingdom. We were the only people on it, and saw some great views. We could even see DisneySea from up there, easily able to spot Mount Vesuvius and the Tower of Terror.
Look at those sparse crowds!
Next up, we did Jungle Cruise, which was completely in Japanese. The timing of the jokes felt the same, and the inflections of the skipper when speaking was even the same as at Magic Kingdom. The back side of water is funny in any language!
Next up, we did Jungle Cruise, which was completely in Japanese. The timing of the jokes felt the same, and the inflections of the skipper when speaking was even the same as at Magic Kingdom. The back side of water is funny in any language!
Next she wanted to ride the carousel, and then proceeded to be very serious the entire time.
Lunch at the Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall was very fun, and quite yummy. She had steak and I had a baked chicken. It was a ton off food for about 1500 Yen ($15), which for theme park food, is really good pricing.
Look, another parade is starting!
However, we had our fast pass for Haunted Mansion again. Yippee!
Next, teacups.
As we left Fantasyland to walk to Toontown, we passed yet another parade. Toontown was so much fun! We saw Pluto, went into Minnie's House (all of the characters have walkthrough houses), played on Donald's ship, and did the activity at Goofy's Paint 'N' Play House. Toontown was a delight.
Next, a purple sweet potato churro. This snack food at Tokyo Disney is legit!
Next, back to Pooh's Hunny Hunt again to use that fast pass.
We emerged to find...another parade!
We decided to head back to the room for a break (from all the parades? Ha!) We hopped on the monorail, and were back in our room in about 15 minutes.
She grabbed my phone to get some photos at Miracosta, both of the beautiful hotel itself and some hidden Mickeys she had found.
After a bit of rest, we headed back around 5:30. The sun sets early in Tokyo this time of year, so it was all lit up for our return.
We had dinner reservations at Blue Bayou, which was yummy. Lizzy loved the corn chowder especially.
There was a 5 minute wait for Peter Pan's Flight (unheard of in WDW!) so we hopped aboard. The ride is virtually identical to that at Magic Kingdom, but as it's a favorite of ours, we couldn't pass it up.
We emerged to find...the nighttime parade. It was lovely to hear the music of the Electric Light Parade again!
We emerged to find...the nighttime parade. It was lovely to hear the music of the Electric Light Parade again!
We rode Dumbo, before deciding to call it a night. We walked out along Main Street, very slowly to enjoy the projection show on the buildings. One final ride on the monorail.
The monorail arrived back at the DisneySea/Miracosta station just in time for us to see Mount Vesuvius erupting. I can see our room!
Can you spot Liz, on the other side of the atrium?
October 19, 2019
So quickly it seemed, although it had been 11 days, that it was time for us to head home. We went to the hotel window to wave goodbye to DisneySea.
So quickly it seemed, although it had been 11 days, that it was time for us to head home. We went to the hotel window to wave goodbye to DisneySea.
The motor coach came to get us right on time at the hotel, and whisked us off to Narita.
Farewell, Tokyo skyline!
Farewell, Tokyo skyline!
One final bowl of ramen, at the airport.
All settled in, ready for our flight home. While we didn't have a row to ourselves this time, we still had a lovely and comfortable flight. Spikel was a very calm traveling companion.
We had a stress-free layover in Detroit, and were very pleased we only had a short flight home. We Japan'd really hard for 11 days, but our heads and hearts are filled with wonderful memories.