Tackling Tokyo Disney

In June 2025, we decided we were “going to try to make Disney work” during our trip to Tokyo. Prior to our trip, we reached out to some friends and neighbors that are Disney travel agents. However, we quickly found that they couldn’t book any Disney packages for us because Tokyo Disney is not actually owned by Walt Disney Company, but a Japanese corporation called Oriental Land Company. We were on our own.

I do have to admit the booking experience is not the most intuitive. To book Disney park, hotel, or vacation packages, go to the official Tokyo Disney website and navigate to the “Reservations & Tickets” tab. For ease, we decided to move forward with one of the vacation packages which included a 2-night stay at a Disney hotel, 3 days of park passes (1 day at Disneyland and 2 days at DisneySea), priority passes for select rides, and dinner reservations at select restaurants. Just do better than us and read the fine print.

We made the mistake in seeing “happy entry” for Disney hotel guests, but when we arrived at the hotel to pick up our vacation package, found we didn’t get happy entry…at all. Upon closer look at our package, the Disneyland hotel only had “happy entry” for Disneyland with the caveat that it didn’t apply to check in day. Unfortunately for us, the vacation package we selected applied the Disneyland tickets to exactly that: check in day.

When it was all said and done, we opted out of waiting in line prior to the park opening times. We saw horror stories about needing to be in line 2 to 3 hours early only to gain entry to the park an hour or two after the park opened. We took our time, sat down for breakfast at 8:30 AM, and easily walked right into the park around 9:45-10:00 AM.

Believe it or not, at the time of this post, Tokyo Disney was our girls’ first and only Disney park experience. It was everything we hoped for and more. The park was extremely clean, so much so we saw someone inadvertently drop a piece of trash and a cast member pick it up in less than 30 seconds and throw it away, as well as cast members sweeping water off pathways into drains within minutes of a break in rainfall. Additionally, everyone we interacted with, guest and cast member alike was so kind and accommodating; cast members not interacting with guests constantly waved and had a smile on their face at ride entrances and throughout your time on the ride.

In this post, we are breaking down our experiences with each of the rides, dinner, and hotel experiences throughout our trip so you have a loose guide on which rides/experiences are good for little ones, which ones are not great for people that experience motion sickness, and which ones may be a little overhyped.

Disneyland: rides you can’t miss

No height restrictions

Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast: this was our favorite ride between both parks. You are taken through the entire story of Beauty and the Beast while riding in dancing teacups. The animatronics were incredible, and the ride makes you feel like you’re actually living in the movie. Try to get a premier (paid) or priority (free, but limited) pass to ride this ride as the lines varied between 1 1/2 to 2 hours throughout our time at the parks. Highly, highly recommend!

Pooh’s Honey Hunt: this was the very first ride we experienced at Tokyo Disney and it’s one we recommend you don’t miss! In our books, this is a top 5 ride between the parks. During this ride, you hop inside a honey pot and move your way through the bright, exciting story of Winnie the Pooh. This ride also incurs some long wait times so this is one we also recommend getting either a premier or priority pass to ride.

Haunted Mansion: on this ride, you hop inside a vehicle that takes you through a dark mansion full of ghosts. Although this ride could be scary for little ones, we feel the Haunted Mansion is one of the staple attractions to go on if you’re visiting a Disney park.

Monster’s Inc. Ride & Go Seek!: this is a great ride that has you searching for Boo through different offices and streets of Monstropolis. Within the vehicle, there are dimly lit flashlights you can use to look around for Boo. We didn’t think these added to the ride and you could honestly ride without using them.

Pirates of the Caribbean: if you like the movies, you’ll enjoy this ride. If you haven’t seen the movies like our kids, you’ll still enjoy the ride. Hop aboard a boat and sail your way through towns on fire, pirates shooting at each other, and pirate ships shooting canons. Your kids may even jump and then laugh a little afterwards when they realize the canons aren’t actually real.

Gadget’s Go Coaster: if you’re looking for the thrill ride/roller coaster experience at Disneyland, this is a really fun one for kids and adults alike.

81 cm (~32”/~2’ 8”) or above

The Happy Ride with Baymax: this was a kid favorite! This is another ride you either need to get a premier or priority pass for. Get ready for a lot of fun music, dancing, and riding along in a motorcade with Baymax. Highly recommend experiencing this ride at Tokyo Disney.

90 cm (~35.5”/~2’ 11.5”) or above

Splash Mountain: another Disney staple and a ride you just cannot miss. The storytelling throughout the ride is cute but the big drop and splash (get it?!) towards the end of the ride gets the perfect amount of adrenaline pumping. Be prepared to get wet! We always save this ride for the end of the day when the lines have died down and we don’t have to get on other rides soaking wet.

Disneyland: rides kids love, but you can skip if don’t have time

No height restrictions

Dumbo the Flying Elephant: this is one of your typical rides that take riders around in a circle, but you can adjust how high the elephant flies throughout the ride. The kids always love these rides and the wait time is typically pretty short (between 15- to 20-minutes).
Pinocchio’s Daring Journey: eh, this one was okay. The kids enjoyed it but it’s just a slow ride that takes you through different scenes of Pinocchio. To be honest, we only remembered the high level points of the story so some of it, we were a little lost. If you have 15-20 minutes to spare (line and ride are fairly short), this is a good filler but otherwise, we think this one can be skipped.
Snow White’s Adventures: we’re going to be honest with you. Trying to think back about what this ride was like, we can’t tell you much other than we remember it being creepier than we expected. This one can honestly be skipped.
Peter Pan’s Flight: not to be confused with Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure at DisneySea. This is a pretty tame ride and typically has a pretty short wait. If you have time, try this one. If not, you’re not missing anything big.

Disneyland: rides to skip if you get motion sickness

No height restrictions

Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin: this is one of those rides where the vehicle you’re in spins throughout the ride. This ride was full of neon colors and some very odd scenes that were hard to follow. Our kiddos said they enjoyed it (but we can’t think of any rides they didn’t like…), but mom and dad weren’t huge fans. This is definitely a ride we think you can skip.
Alice’s Tea Party: spinning tea cups while also spinning around the attraction. Not a great ride if you get motion sickness. The girls always want to do these kinds of rides so Austen and I usually play “nose goes” to see who draws the short stick to ride with the girls.

Disneyland: other experiences/attractions

Minnie’s Style Studio: this was an experience that we could select as part of our vacation package. If you could care less about waiting in line just to get a few pictures with Minnie Mouse in a poorly-lit room, skip this.

Parades: people start saving spots for these parades, which happen fairly frequently, an hour or more in advance. In our opinion, just watch them as you’re walking by. They’re still cool to experience in passing and as you’re making your way to a ride in the park. Parade time also means some of the lines have shorter wait times than normal so a perfect time to hop in line for one of those!

East Side Cafe: if you’re looking for a decent, sit down restaurant in the park, this is a good stop. Just be prepared to wait in line around peak times if it’s not included in your vacation package.

Fireworks in front of the castle at night: this is a must. From all the previous experiences we (Austen and Kristen) have had, this surpassed any Disney fireworks show we’ve seen. It may be because things have changed over the past 10-20 years, or it could be that Tokyo Disney just knows how to put on an incredible show.

DisneySea: rides you can’t miss

No height restrictions

Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey: as you can imagine, this is one of the star attractions at DisneySea. Just don’t be like us and see if you can “squeeze in” the 80-minute Tower of Terror line prior to your given time for this ride. The two rides are on the complete opposite sides of the park. We booked it and even after running, made it to this ride in 15 minutes and barely made our time slot. Now, this ride does have crazy lines; we saw anywhere between 2- and 3-hour waits. Get the premier or priority pass for this one. Although we LOVED this ride, there is absolutely nothing that would have convinced us to wait in those lines to experience this. Highly recommend this ride only, and really only if you have a pass to cut the line.

Toy Story Mania: fair warning: you’re given 3D glasses but don’t worry, this one doesn’t mess with those that get motion sickness too much! This is a fun, interactive game where you shoot balls at different targets. Kids and parents loved this game and wish we could have gone back for round 2!

Sinbad’s Storybook Voyage: maybe an unpopular opinion, but we actually really enjoyed this ride. And what was even better? 5-minute wait! The length of this ride is actually longer than expected, and you’re taken through different scenes about Sinbad. Although we’re not super familiar with the story, you really don’t need to be to enjoy this ride.

Scuttle’s Scooters: although this ride is a spinning ride, we didn’t feel nauseous from it. We’ve been on several of these types of spinning rides that go really fast kind of up and down hills on a big circular track at several different theme parks and they’re always fun. The line was short and we had a blast. This is a must in our book.

90 cm (~35.5”/~2’ 11.5”) or above

Flounder’s Flying Fish Coaster: short, but fun coaster if your kiddos are big enough! Our 4-year old is a big thrill-seeker and was begging to ride the “big kid” rides. This one allowed her to throw her hands up and get the adrenaline rush she was itching for!

102 cm (~40”/~3’4”) or above

Soaring: Fantastic Flight: although this ride may be difficult for some if you get motion sickness, it really is one of those rides you can’t miss. Without giving too much away, you’re taken on an adventure throughout the world. You feel like you’re really flying, weightless above the clouds. Highly recommend this one!

Tower of Terror: a Disney staple, this is a ride we will always recommend. This is a great ride if you’re itching for an adrenaline rush. However, just be weary the backstory, especially the backstory of this Tower of Terror ride in Tokyo, is pretty scary. I (Kristen) have been on the Tower of Terror in Florida a few times and although the backstory was a little scary, can attest to this one being scarier and even looked at Austen mid-story and said “whoops” as our oldest was clinging onto my shoulder shaking. After we got to the ride part, everyone in the family was talking about how fun it as. We even went back later in the day for round 2!

117 cm (~46”/~3’10”) or above

Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull: another Disney staple, you have to ride this if your child(ren) is tall enough. Although it scared our 6-year old a little, she enjoyed it when it was all said and done.

Raging Spirits: this ride did take some coaxing to get our 6-year old to ride it. This roller coaster has a 360° loop but after showing her a YouTube video of the ride, she was all in. Good thing because this ended up being a “top 2” ride of her Disney park experience. After riding it, she asked multiple times if she could ride it again. If you can, try to get a priority or premier pass for this ride as lines can build.

Journey to the Center of the Earth: this is another one of those rides that had a pretty scary lead up story, but the ride was fun when it was all said and done. Our 6-year old had fun but she didn’t want to ride it again. If you’re looking for a thrill-seeking ride, there are very few across both parks so if this is a must if you need a small adrenaline rush.

DisneySea: rides kids love, but you can skip if don’t have time

No height restriction

Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival: now, we may be eaten alive for saying this but seriously…unless you have a premier or priority pass for this one, this can be skipped. This is similar to the Frozen ride in that you hop on a boat and are taken throughout different scenes of Rapunzel. However, it’s a circular route with no changes in direction, just a static boat ride through the story. It’s pretty short too. The lines for this ride were pretty ludicrous throughout our entire time there (90 minutes to 2 hours). Knowing what we experienced from the ride, there’s absolutely no way we would have waited in the line without a pass to cut it. This video shows the best part of the ride. You’ve seen it now. You’re welcome. Skip it.

Jasmine’s Flying Carpets: this is another one of those rides that you can control the height of your vehicle while you spin around in a big circle. This was a great ride to go on with our 4-year old when one of us parent’s went to some of the bigger rides with our 6-year old. A great filler ride with a short line that our 4-year old just loves!

Jumpin’ Jellyfish: not really a thrill ride, but the girls enjoyed this ride along with all the other little rides for within the mermaid lagoon. If you’re hitting up some of the other rides in the lagoon, you might as well go on this one as well but if you’re not in the area, just skip it.

DisneySea: rides to skip if you get motion sickness

No height restriction

Nemo and Friends’ SeaRider: we really wanted to like this one as much as the girls did. This is a virtual reality ride where you jump on board a vessel, “shrink”, and move around in the ocean with the fishies.
Aquatopia: hop aboard a vessel that takes you around whirlpools and close to waterfalls. We did this ride immediately after Nemo and Friends’ SeaRider which made mom and dad pretty nauseous beforehand, so the spinning on this ride didn’t really help our cause. The girls loved this one, but just be weary if you don’t do well with rides that stop abruptly and spin occasionally.
Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure: this was honestly an enjoyable ride, but just be aware that it does fly you through some virtual reality scenes within Neverland which can be an issue for people that experience motion sickness. Mom and dad were a little queasy after this ride but the girls loved it. Wait times for this ride were typically under 15 minutes.
Blowfish Balloon Race: on this ride in the Mermaid Lagoon, you hop in a hot air balloon and go fast in a big circle. I don’t know if it was the poor lighting in the area or what, but this is one ride I (Kristen) could not handle. I had to keep my eyes closed to keep myself from throwing up.

DisneySea: rides/experiences that just aren’t worth the wait

Turtle Talk: this was one of those rides that popped up to get with a priority pass. Unless you speak Japanese, skip this. This experience has a cast member asking audience members questions and Crush (turtle from Finding Nemo is projected on a screen) responds. This is not a ride. It is only questions and responses.

Fairy Tinker Bell’s Busy Buggies: we waited for about 45 minutes in line for this ride and I have no idea why. It was probably one of our least favorite rides that we experienced that was unrelated to motion sickness or not understanding the language. You hop in a cart that takes you on a short ride around different things that appear oversized.

DisneySea: other experiences/attractions

Ariel’s Playground: this indoor playground is in Mermaid Lagoon with a lot of the other kids rides that are great for smaller kiddos. However, we questioned this playground and its location. You get the dark lagoon feel with all the other attractions in this area, but this playground is dark and even has an area with sharks. If we’re being honest, a little scary for the ages of the kids they’re targeting for this playground. Our 6-year old was terrified and sat with us while our fearless 4-year old ran off and played for a little bit.

Magellan’s: we ended our DisneySea experience at the Magellan’s restaurant located near Journey to the Center of the Earth. This restaurant is a great place to sit down and have great quality food. This restaurant was selected as part of our vacation package and included a 3-course meal. It was well-balanced and delicious for both the kiddos and the adults. We recommend stopping here if you’re planning a visit.

S.S. Columbia Dining Room: if you’re looking for a nice restaurant to sit down and get a good meal, this is good one. Between this one and Magellan’s, we had a good experience and meal at each. It’s hard to pick which one we preferred if you only have one sit down restaurant to choose from.

The Snuggly Duckling: this is a good stop if you’re looking for a place to sit down, but want a quick bite to eat.

How does this Disney stack up to others?

We loved Tokyo Disney! Although we’re not huge virtual reality fans, we were able to mostly navigate our way through the parks without hitting up too many of these. If you’re looking for thrill rides, this isn’t the park for that. Throughout both parks, you can count on just about one hand how many will get your adrenaline pumping. This park is more about the amazing animatronics and storytelling.

You have classic Disney rides like Indiana Jones, Splash Mountain, and Tower of Terror, but you also have rides unique to the park like Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey and Beauty and the Beast. Although you’ll be doing the park planning yourself or through vacation packages, we recommend looking into options ahead of time for both priority and premier passes. These will be a lifesaver when fighting those 2-to-3 hour wait times.

Read the fine print of the vacation package you’re booking and make sure you understand which packages offer “happy entry”. If your package does not include it, we recommend you don’t get to the park before opening time and battle the potential hours’ long waits to get inside. Take your time in the morning and get to the park around 9:30-10 AM. If you’ve played it right with the priority and premier passes and have planned for one day at Disneyland and two days at DisneySea, you’ll be able to tackle most of these parks. We were able to knock out everything we wanted to (sometimes even twice or more!) even with 1+ hour nap times thrown into both days.

We hope you get a chance to make it out to one of the happiest places on earth, Tokyo Disney!