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Hello everyone,
Chef Mickey is a buffet service character dining restaurant located at Disney's Ambassador Hotel at Tokyo Disney Resort.
Reservations are always required, but sadly can only be made on the Japanese Tokyo Disney Resort website or by calling their reservation line, both of which are in Japanese language only. Fortunately we have some very good Japanese friends who are able to make the reservations for us.
If you are able to get someone to make reservations for you, or you can read Japanese (which if you're reading this report is unlikely), then you should ensure that you do it well in advance of the date and time you want. In our experience, reservations for table service and buffet dining at Tokyo Disney Resort sell out virtually instantly, unfortunately.
On the plus side, the respectful and thoughtful nature of the Japanese means that if they cannot make their reservation they usually call to cancel it, which means times can show up at any moment. We have actually gotten several reservations this way in the past, so it's definitely worth checking back everyday before your trip to see if the venue you want has any availability.
The Japanese are very particular about details, and so once you have your reservation there is no need to show up any more than a minute before your scheduled time. You won't be allowed in at least until your time, and in our experiences here, you'll nearly always have to wait ten minutes anyway for a table even once you check in.
The restaurant is located on the ground level of the Ambassador Hotel and can be reached by bus from the two theme parks, by walking from Tokyo Disneyland through Ikspiari, or via the bus station and across the street from Tokyo DisneySea.
The restaurant has some elements that I find reminiscent of Cafe Mickey at Disneyland Paris, as well as the Hollywood Hotel (and indeed its own Chef Mickey) at Hong Kong Disneyland.
Once you have checked in and eventually got to your table, you'll be served your drinks, which are refillable, and you can start on the buffet.
The variety of food here is actually pretty good. There's a wide variety to chose from, with the desserts selection being especially generous.
While you dine Mickey, Minnie, Pluto and Donald will make their way around the tables, dressed in their cute Chef Mickey outfits.
The restaurant closes at 10pm, but if you have a late reservation and are already inside, the food will not be taken off until 10.30pm and the characters also stay until this time.
The good thing about character dining in Tokyo is that the characters are very efficient at getting around the tables. Even when they go to take their quick break, they are only gone for a moment and return to the table they left and carry on with excellent time keeping. This past trip when we ate here, we had a late reservation and I was thinking that the characters would not get to us before 10.30pm, but the cast members were doing a great job at pacing the greetings and we were one of the last tables before the characters had finished everybody left in the dining room, minutes before their set ended at 10.30pm.
If you are vegetarian, there are a few options, such as vegetables, potatoes, rice etc, but unfortunately nearly every menu item in Japan has some sort meat, seafood or poultry in it. Chef Mickey was no exception to this, and so we asked a manager about what options were available to us, and what we could eat (as the signs aren't always clear, and even something that shouldn't normally contain meat, for some reason does in Japan!).
The restaurant cast were amazing to say the least. We were walked around the buffet by the manager and the chef, and they told us what was in every item, pointing out what we could and could not eat. They were very helpful and friendly, and to cap it all they offered to custom prepare a pasta bowl with vegetables for us, and a vegetable pizza each! We were there pretty late and it was about 25 minutes before closing, yet they still cooked for us a huge bowl of pasta and a vegetarian pizza each! I cannot thank them or commend them enough on their efforts to accommodate us!
One final note; you pay at the end of the meal at the cash register. At time of writing, it costs 4740 Yen per adult. Your server will bring the bill early in the meal usually, but they aren't trying to get rid of you! The servers don't accept payments, and nor should you leave them a tip as this is actually against custom in Japan. Simply take the bill to the desk at the end and pay what is owed.
Overall our experience this time at Chef Mickey was excellent. The food was very good, and we were exceptionally impressed with the service we got when asking about vegetarian options. The characters are always fun and we love their costumes here. If you can make a reservation then I'd definitely recommend it, just remember that to do so will require someone who reads or speaks Japanese.
Dan.
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Hello everyone,
The Crystal Palace is a restaurant at Tokyo Disneyland that for some reason is technically listed as being in Adventureland. However, the only way to access the restaurant is from the front entrance on Central Plaza, just the same way the Crystal Palace is located in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida.
First thing in the morning the restaurant offers character dining with the 100 Acre Wood friends. There are no reservations for the Crystal Palace, and it is only offered on a stand and wait basis. Although it doesn't get immediately full, if you wish to dine here them you should definitely get here right after park open to ensure you actually get in. When we were here this past trip we were in line right after park open at 8am, and it still took us 20 minutes to get seated, and by the time we were eventually at a table, the line I think was closed and guests were being turned away. The restaurant only offers the characters for 90 minutes, and only on days that the park opens before 10am. No character dining is available if the park opens at 10am, as this would conflict with their preparations for lunch (which does not feature characters).
Their setup is interesting, and is not a system which I've seem anywhere else before.
Once you enter the restaurant you will have to pay right away. Once you have paid you enter a line to collect your food - you cannot get a table as this has to be assigned by a cast member.
When you get to the serving area you are personally attended to by a cast member for your group. The odd thing is that there are no options. Everything is a set menu item, and while it's prepared in front of you, everybody gets the same things.
Pancakes, fruit, eggs, sausage, potatoes, orange juice, salad and a hot drink.
We are vegetarian and asked our cast member to tell the person preparing the plates to leave the sausage off, which they did with no problem.
Once the cast member has your tray in hand (yes, they carry it all for you), then they show you to a table. From here you are left to dine in peace (as much as one can have peace at a character meal!). If you want water there are taps with cups in the corners of the dining rooms where you can help yourself.
The seating arrangement is odd though, and I can't seem to fathom why this system is in place. You don't chose your own food, it's a set menu, so why have your entire party stand in a long line with all their bags while the characters bypass empty tables? Surely it'd be easier to seat you, then while they are getting the food for you, you could at least be settling in (taking jackets off etc), and possibly saving time by meeting a character who may be passing by.
Anyway, odd setups aside, the food is pretty good, though the eggs were a little runny (which seems to be the case in Japan in general, to be honest), and the overall service was friendly and efficient. The cast had no problem in accommodating our "no sausage" request, and there was plenty else on the plate so we weren't completely wasting our time or money.
Characters in attendance are always the same. Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, Tigger and Rabbit will make their way around to you with the usual Tokyo speed and efficiently. It should be noted though that they seem to rotate through entire dining rooms all at once, and it you just miss the rotation then all five will move to the other room, and you'll have to wait for all of them to finish on that side before they all come back to your side (by which time you'll probably be sitting with an empty plate, but the cast know you're there for characters, so don't panic - it just feels odd!).
The meal costs 1850 Yen per adult, which is about US$19 (making it one of the cheapest character meals we've ever had anywhere!), and this is the only time you will need money as tips are not accepted in Japan. As I mentioned above, you pay upon entering the restaurant and should not leave a tip at your table as this is not Japanese custom - you wouldn't want to offend them.
Overall we had a pleasant experience at the Crystal Palace, and because there are no reservations it is one of the easier character dining experiences to get into at Tokyo Disney Resort.
Dan.
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Hello everyone,
Earlier I showcased Disney's Easter at Tokyo Disneyland, which you can view here. Along similar lines, until the 23rd June this year you can experience Mickey and Duffy's Spring Voyage at Tokyo DisneySea, the second theme park at Tokyo Disney Resort, Japan.
Here is a roundup of what you can expect to find at the park during this time. All photos here were taken just last week (end of May 2014).
Lido Isle Welcome to Spring
Mickey and friends have arrived in the Mediterranean to a wonderful celebration of spring. Presented several times per day at the Lido Isle area, it fills up quickly and people will wait all day for the show, so be prepared!
Springtime Surprise
Mickey and friends have arrived in the Middle East to an enchanting, magical celebration of spring. There are some neat tricks in this show! Presented several times per day at the Arabian Coast courtyard, it fills up quickly and people will wait all day for the show, so be prepared!
Easter in New York
Mickey and the gang visit New York and discover the more contemporary music and dance styles of America. Although it's unlike any New York I've ever seen, it's definitely a lovely show! Presented several times per day at the square in front of the Tower of Terror, and as with the other shows, it fills up quickly and people will wait all day for the show, so be prepared!
Village Greeting Place - Duffy and ShellieMay
During Mickey and Duffy's Spring Voyage at Tokyo DisneySea you can meet Duffy and ShellieMay in really cute spring outfits. This year they got new outfits.
ShellieMay is there for the first half of the day (usually from park opening until around 3pm), and Duffy arrives after ShellieMay finishes, and stays until park closing.
They do not greet together, sadly (because if they did the line would be five hours long all day).
It should be noted that Tokyo Disney Resort strictly enforce a "one photo per family" rule for all set greeting locations. This means that you will only be able to get one photo of the character with your own camera, whether that be you taking a photo of them, or you being in the photo.
However, there is a slight quirk to this rule. If you purchase their PhotoPass photo then you can take your own photo (still only one), and they will take your photo, which then you can purchase later.
So, if you want a picture of the character and with the character, take your own and ask to be in theirs.
Spring Decorations
The park is decorated with colourful spring decorations, including many plants and flowers.
Spring Merchandise
The Japanese just love all things cute and spring brings the perfect opportunity to sell a wide variety of colourful merchandise.
Spring Treats
Just like the merchandise, the Japanese love to eat food that is "kawaii". The Japanese love little themed tins filled with chocolates and sweets, so you'll find tons of Spring Voyage ones everywhere!
Ok, that's everything! If you have any questions please go to the forum discussion for this entry and ask there.
Dan. |
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 | Disney's Easter at Tokyo Disneyland | |
| DisneyDan
Wednesday, June 4, 2014 4:59:56 AM |
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Hello everyone,
After being on hiatus last year, Disney's Easter season is back at Tokyo Disneyland. Until the 23rd June you can experience Disney's Easter celebration at Tokyo Disneyland, the first theme park at Tokyo Disney Resort, Japan.
Here is a roundup of what you can expect to find at the park during this time, from entertainment, merchandise, treats and more! All photos were taken just last week (end of May 2014).
Hippity-Hoppity Springtime Parade
With elaborate floats, cute costumes and a great soundtrack Hippity Hoppity Springtime Parade is energetic and a lot of fun.
Easter Decorations
The park is decorated with colourful Easter decorations, including some cool Disney character themed Easter Eggs.
Easter Egg Hunt
You may have noticed the vast amounts of Easter Egg photos above. Aside from being decorative there is a pay-to-play Easter Egg hunt game offered in the park, that when completed gives you a cute prize.
Easter Merchandise
The Japanese just love all things cute and Easter brings the perfect opportunity to sell a wide variety of bunny related merchandise.
Easter Treats
Just like the merchandise, the Japanese love to eat food that is "kawaii". Tins of chocolates with elaborate designs are a big thing.
You'll notice that there are no character greetings listed above. Sadly Tokyo Disneyland does not offer any special greetings for Easter.
Stay tuned later today for a similar roundup of Mickey and Duffy's Spring Voyage at Tokyo DisneySea!
Dan.
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Hello everyone,
While we were in Japan last week, Jon and I got to see the premiere of Tokyo Disneyland's brand new nighttime castle projection show, Once Upon a Time.
The show uses the same technology as Disney Dreams! at Disneyland Paris, and follows Mrs Potts and Chip through some classic Disney stories. Unlike Disney Dreams! there are no fountains or water screens. There are also nowhere near as many pyrotechnic effects as Dreams.
The show is currently being presented twice per night, which at time of writing is 8.50pm and 9.40pm. The show is visible from many places around Central Plaza and at the end of World Bazaar, however, there is a random lottery system in place for the best seats in the Central Viewing Area (that's its official name!).
For anyone who hasn't been to Tokyo, the parks operate a ticketed system for their most popular shows, including One Man's Dream and Big Band Beat. The idea is that it prevents people from camping out all day in Central Plaza to get the best view. It means that those who are selected can wait until right before the show and take their seats with an excellent view.
This does of course present its own problems, with people waiting all day anyway in other areas to get the next best, non ticketed spots, often causing lots of crowding and congestion, which in Tokyo Disneyland is something that is a huge problem at the best of times.
For the first night we actually did win the lottery for the second showing, and so we decided to wait for the first show up at the end of World Bazaar, then head down to the entrance to the Central Viewing Area after, ready for the second show.
I can say with absolutely no doubt that it was the most insane scene I had ever seen. The number of people was mind boggling. The entire of Central Plaza and all the way down World Bazaar to the end of the street was wall to wall people. After the first show it took us around fifteen minutes to get from Refreshment Corner to just in front of the castle!
If you stand further away, you actually get a fairly good view. The music is played throughout World Bazaar, and even with the glass canopy the Castle is clearly visible. The only problem we found with standing at Refreshment Corner (and I know it would be just the same further back) is that the projections at the bottom of the Castle are lost, which actually, is a lot of them. For some reason much of the show takes place on the bottom half of the Castle, and while you can see the whole Castle from further back, the doorway is obstructed by the Partners statue and if you have anyone tall or holding up a camera, it can further obscure it.
The following nights were no better with the crowds, and although we braved it one last time on our final night, in some ways I'm not sure it was worth the hassle.
Once Upon a Time is a good show, don't get me wrong, and I did like it, but having seen Disney Dreams! (on many, many occasions), Once Upon a Time does not compare. Disney outdid themselves with Dreams, and I don't think they'll be able to match it any time soon.
I did enjoy it - I love the music - but I felt that there wasn't enough emotional attachment to it, and it simply didn't have the same impact. They tried to copy Dreams' finale, even down to using the Catherine wheels and flame throwers, but without Dreams' powerful score, projections right up until the last moment and the fountains, it loses something.
I want to point out though, that as well as loving the music the projections were really high quality. They were crystal clear, which is amazing given the uneven surface of the Castle. Disney did a really good job of the utilising the latest projection mapping technology.
Although it is an enjoyable show, it's not worth the time commitment to get a good view, especially since people were waiting everyday for at least three hours for it! Having said all that, if you get the chance to go to Tokyo Disneyland and you win the lottery or crowds are light for some reason (unlikely), then definitely see it, as it is a good show - it's just that I couldn't help but compare it to Dreams, which will always be number one.
If you do want to stand and watch it, I would suggest skipping the first showing and holding back in the park somewhere, then heading to Central Plaza as people filter out, as many leave after the first show. There are still thousands of people in Central Plaza, but nowhere near as many as there are for the first. We did this on our last night and were surprised how much closer we could get than the first night (on Central Plaza itself, as opposed to squashed next to Refreshment Corner).
I'll leave you with some more photos I took of those first two shows (I videoed the third one we watched).
Dan.
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Hello everyone,
As many of you are aware, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit made his grand debut at Tokyo DisneySea last month - the first time he has ever greeted fans at a Disney park.
We were there this past week and managed to meet him three times! His greeting area is behind the Cape Cod Cook-Off restaurant in American Waterfront, and has a nice little set up with the idea being that he's on a farm selling eggs.
Oswald looks absolutely amazing, and is a real pleasure to see and meet. He has some really funny movements and gestures that hark back to the early days of hand drawn animation which really gives him a distinctive personality and appeal.
Oswald does sign autographs, in case you were wondering.
It should be noted that Tokyo Disney Resort strictly enforce a "one photo per family" rule for all set greeting locations. This means that you will only be able to get one photo of Oswald with your own camera, whether that be you taking a photo of them, or you being in the photo.
However, there is a slight quirk to this rule. If you purchase their PhotoPass photo then you can take your own photo (still only one), and they will take your photo, which then you can purchase later.
So, if you want a picture of Oswald and with him too, then take your own and ask to be in theirs. Their PhotoPass pictures are actually very good. They aren't as expensive as you'd imagine, and come in excellent commemorative folders complete with stickers.
While we were there the wait time for Oswald was very short. Early morning it was always less than twenty minutes, and later in the day I never saw the line surpass seventy minutes, with sixty being the most often time.
Oswald is cute, fun and an honour to finally meet, having waited for so long for him to be brought into the magical worlds of the Disney parks.
I'll leave you with a few more photos of our greetings with Oswald.
Dan. |
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Hello everyone,
First of all, apologies for being absent recently, we have had a lot going on here (real life) and so I haven't had chance to keep as up to date as I would like. Anyway, there are some cool new things I want to talk about today.
First of all the big event of the week will be the 24 hour event, "Rock Your Disney Side", coming to Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom and both Disneyland Resort theme parks on Friday this week (23rd).
Details are a bit sketchy right now though, sadly, as Disney seem to want to keep tight-lipped about which characters will appear, when and where. Of course, this doesn't make planning easy, especially since it is likely to be exceptionally busy like the previous events!
I have highlighted below some of the key moments (mainly character experiences) for Disneyland Resort, as per the Disney Parks Blog:
Event operating hours: 6 a.m May 23rd until 6 a.m May 24th.
At Disneyland Park:
In terms of characters, that's pretty much all that has been announced for DLR, sadly. Of course everyone anticipates that there will be a lot of characters out and about, and there is speculation floating around that some characters - villains in particular - may replace the princesses at Royal Hall, but that has not been confirmed publicly by Disney yet.
Over in Walt Disney World, the Disney Parks Blog reported the following (again, I've only highlighted the important moments and character experiences):
Event operating hours: 6 a.m May 23rd until 6 am May 24th.- Everything kicks off with a special edition of the Welcome Show, as heroes and villains make their way to Magic Kingdom Park.
- The Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party will feature Disney heroes at 10 a.m and Disney villains at 1:30 p.m. When it comes to the 5:45 p.m. performance, though, exactly who makes an appearance will be determined by your votes throughout the day! (More information on how you can vote will be posted on Friday morning on the Disney Parks Blog).
- Magic Kingdom Park parades will each have two performances. “Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade” will be at 12 p.m and 3:30 p.m, and Disney’s Main Street Electrical Parade at 11 p.m and 1 a.m.
- Wishes Nighttime Spectacular fireworks at 9 p.m
- Prior to each presentation of Disney’s Main Street Electrical Parade, the Disney villains roll through Magic Kingdom Park in a pre-parade, celebrating how “It’s Good to Be Bad!”
- Starting at 11 p.m half of Princess Fairytale Hall becomes Scary Tale Hall, where you can meet Maleficent and the Queen. The other side of the hall will still feature favourite royals Anna and Elsa.
- Around 1:45 a.m, the villains will take over the rest of the park’s character greeting locations. Where Aladdin and Jasmine appear in Adventureland during the day, expect to find Jafar. Dr. Facilier takes the place of Princess Tiana in Liberty Square, Captain Hook replaces Peter Pan in Fantasyland, and more!
- In Tomorrowland, the INCREDIBLES Super Dance Party rocks the Rockettower Plaza Stage from 4:30 p.m – 10 p.m, and is expected to feature characters from 'The Incredibles'.
- Disney’s “Up All Night” Dance Party at Cinderella Castle and the Frontierland Dance Party will run from 2 a.m – 5:45 a.m, and may (or may not...) feature Disney characters (no official confirmation, yet)
- The event concludes with a special “Kiss Goodnight” at 5:50 a.m at the Railroad Station in Town Square on Main Street, U.S.A.
The Move It Shake It heroes line up is likely to include Hercules, who has been seen out and about at EPCOT the past few weeks in preparation for his starring role in this event!
It should be noted that for both WDW and DLR there were more things announced such as bands, food and merchandise, which you can find out about if you search the Disney Parks Blog. Here at Character Central our main focus is of course characters!
Staying with Walt Disney World, and this year's Star Wars Weekends Celebrity Welcome and Motorcade saw the debut of three new characters to the Disney Parks! Sabine, Ezra and a grumpy droid named Chopper have all landed on Earth for the special weekends this year, from their new Star Wars TV show, 'Star Wars Rebels'.
Check out this video below from Attractions Magazine, which features the new characters in the Motorcade!
At the Magic Kingdom, Tinker Bell and her fairy friends have left the Nook in Adventureland, and sadly all the fairies have now left Florida and are heading back to Pixie Hollow. Tinker Bell has found a new home at Town Square Theatre on Main Street USA, filling the empty space left by the princesses when they moved into the new Fairytale Hall.
Other recent character changes in Walt Disney World include the Pooh characters leaving Animal Kingdom, and Donald and Daisy replacing them - just in regular outfits, sadly (I wonder what happened to their special DAK costumes from when they met in Camp Minnie-Mickey?).
Taking the heat off the summer at Disneyland Park in California, the Disney Parks Blog announced the other day that Anna and Elsa from the ever-popular Frozen will feature in a brand new pre-parade addition to Soundsational. At the moment no other details are known except they will feature from "mid-June".
Keeping with Frozen, and the big news this week was that there will be a brand new Disney On Ice show this autumn featuring the characters from Frozen! You may recall that I actually reported about this way back in January, when I even suggested that characters such as Olaf and Sven would appear, and now it has come true! The video below was posted by Disney On Ice and shows some great concept art for the new show.
The description on the Disney On Ice website also specifically mentions Olaf, Kristoff, Sven and the magical trolls, leading us to believe they will all feature in the new show!
Finally for news, and Hong Kong Disneyland finally announced today that their new nighttime parade will debut in October, ending long running speculation that it would start in the autumn. The brand new electric light parade will use innovative new technology and will be interactive, too, whereby guests can use a mobile app to control the colour changes on the floats!
Don't forget that Disney's Swing into Spring season continues at Disneyland Paris until the 22nd June, and features a fabulous new show-parade, characters and other offerings. You can read my review of it here, and visit our dedicated guidebook page to it here.
You can also continue to meet Spider-man at Disneyland Paris until the 10th July. The Walt Disney Studios is the only place in the world you can currently meet the webbed hero! You can read my review of our meeting with him here, and visit our dedicated location page here for more photos and information.
Finally, don't forget that the Halloween and Christmas party dates for WDW were released less than two weeks ago. You can check all the dates on my previous blog post, here.
Ok, that's everything for today,
Dan.
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 | Happy Mother's Day! | |
| DisneyDan
Sunday, May 11, 2014 11:34:13 AM |
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Today in the US, Canada and some other countries it is Mother's Day. Let's celebrate the occasion with some photos of some of our favourite Disney mums!
Some are not actual mothers, but take on the role in one way or another, like Wendy Darling for example.
Happy Mother's Day to all the mums out there, have a great day!
Dan. |
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Hello everyone,
Today Walt Disney World released the dates for their popular Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Parties and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Parties at the Magic Kingdom.
Dates are as follows.
MNSSHP:
September 1, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 26 and 28
October 2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 13, 16, 17, 19, 21, 23, 24, 26, 28, 30 and 31
MVMCP:
November 7, 10, 13, 14, 16, 20, 21 and 30
December 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 19
Today, 5th May, is also the day that Doc McStuffins finally comes to Disney California Adventure, having already been at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida for quite some time now.
If you're planning a trip to Disneyland Paris in the coming weeks, remember that they have lots of exciting things going on right now, such as their brand new Swing into Spring season and Meet Spider-Man at the Walt Disney Studios!
Dan. |
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