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Hello everyone,
On our most recent trip to Tokyo Disney Resort we had the pleasure of dining at the Polynesian Terrace for Mickey and Minnie's Polynesian Paradise dinner show. The Polynesian Terrace is a table service dinner show venue that offers two different shows daily (the other being Lilo's Luau and Fun at lunchtime).
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.
On the day of your reservation you will need to go to collect a ticket for the meal at the will call window at the side of the restaurant. This must be done at least half hour before show time, I believe, but it might be more than that. You will not be allowed to enter later on without the ticket. Once you have the reservation ticket you simply come back later at the time specified (printed on the ticket). The Japanese are very particular about details, and so once you have your reservation there is no need to show up any more than about 5 or 10 minutes before the specified time. There will be a line outside the restaurant, but once the doors open everyone is let in very quickly, and your table is preassigned which means that you do not stand any better chance of a better table than if you were in line half hour before opening.
There are three categories of seating available for the shows, "A", "B" and "S", which all increase in price the closer you are to the stage (with "S" being the closest to the stage). The most expensive category was just short of US$50 per person. Prepayment is required and is non-refundable.
The restaurant is located at the back of Adventureland near the Western River Railroad and Enchanted Tiki Room.
Once you have entered the restaurant and taken your seat dinner is served and the show begins shortly after.
The food is a set menu and is very difficult to change, however, being the awkward westerners that we are, we are vegetarian, which is non-existent in Japan. We had a Japanese friend with us who was able to call over the manager, and after some discussion they said that they could prepare something just for us! We have to say that we were exceptionally impressed with their willingness to accommodate us and the fact that we actually got something fairly decent to eat, despite their restaurant not being equipped for vegetarian diners.
For starter on the regular menu, there is ham, salad, cheese and various mixtures of seafood cocktails. The regular set main item is a pork steak with rice.
For dessert the regular menu was yellow and soft, but honestly, I don't know what it was! It was served with fruit, sauce and a cracker of some sort. It's probably best you see the photo below! Drinks are included, and are refillable.
For our vegetarian selection they prepared us some rice, carrot, broccoli and potatoes, with fresh salad. For dessert we had mixed fruit. The vegetarian option was a bit lacking, but honestly, this is a country where everything has some sort of meat product in it, so by all accounts we were grateful for their efforts! Next time I think we would make sure to have something else in the park beforehand, as the food we received was not substantial enough. Otherwise it tasted good, and it's not their fault we are vegetarians in a country that doesn't know that means!
The show doesn't really have a story, but is more a wonderful showcase of Polynesian style dancing and music, which is beautifully presented. The show features Mickey, Minnie, Chip and Dale who all dance and play along with the performers and musicians. There are several costume changes for the characters and performers, which include some really amazing ones for Mickey and Minnie. The entire show from start to finish is a delight to watch and really adds something enchanting and magical to their Adventureland.
During the show there is an audience participation section. The hula dancers will come to tables and invite the men in your party up onto the stage for what appeared to be a dance off competition! I have to say, without any disrespect to the men who were brave enough to do it, it was an odd sequence, and almost fascinating to see how competitive Japanese men are when presented with a hula dancing competition at a Disney dinner show!
Overall we really enjoyed the show and the food, even if it was a little limiting for us. The cast members were amazing and went out of their way to help us with our needs and our food was very nice.
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,
On our most recent trip to Tokyo Disney Resort we had the pleasure of dining at the Diamond Horseshoe for the Mickey and Company dinner show. The Diamond Horseshoe is a table service dinner show venue that offers two different shows daily (the other being the Horseshoe Roundup at lunchtime).
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.
On the day of your reservation you will need to go to collect a ticket for the meal at the will call window at the side of the restaurant. This must be done at least half hour before show time, I believe, but it might be more than that. You will not be allowed to enter later on without the ticket. Once you have the reservation ticket you simply come back later at the time specified (printed on the ticket). The Japanese are very particular about details, and so once you have your reservation there is no need to show up any more than about 5 or 10 minutes before the specified time. There will be a line outside the restaurant, but once the doors open everyone is let in very quickly, and your table is preassigned which means that you do not stand any better chance of a better table than if you were in line half hour before opening.
There are three categories of seating available for the shows, "A", "B" and "S", which all increase in price the closer you are to the stage (with "S" being the closest to the stage). The most expensive category was just short of US$50 per person. Prepayment is required and is non-refundable.
The restaurant is located on the left hand side of the entrance area to Westernland (Tokyo's equivalent of Frontierland), and looks very similar to its sister restaurants in Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom (both inside and out).
Once you have entered the restaurant and taken your seat, the show will begin very promptly. There is a warm up part which introduces some of the characters (not Mickey and friends, they come later!) and dinner service begins soon after.
The food is a set menu and is very difficult to change, however, being the awkward westerners that we are, we are vegetarian, which is non-existent in Japan. We had a Japanese friend with us who was able to call over the manager, and after some discussion they said that they could prepare something just for us! We have to say that we were exceptionally impressed with their willingness to accommodate us and the fact that we actually got something fairly decent to eat, despite their restaurant not being equipped for vegetarian diners.
The regular set items are potato wedges, sausage, grilled vegetables, pumpkin, chicken, corn on the cob and I think shrimp, but since I didn't eat it I can't remember exactly (the picture below shows the food, but I can't make out what is on the back of the plate).
For dessert the regular menu consisted of a fun cake that looks like Donald Duck's bottom! Drinks are included, and are refillable. Bread is in a basket on the table and can be refilled upon request. There is a bowl of salad on the table also, which is prepared and has salmon and eggs in it.
For our vegetarian selection we had basically the same, except we were given rice, and potatoes shaped like stars! For dessert sadly we only got strawberries, but it's nice that they made the effort to find out that the dessert had gelatine in it. Strawberries aren't even on the menu, so they must have put some effort in to obtain them, which we appreciate.
The show involves Mickey and his friends helping a hapless young romantic gain the affections of Slue Foot Sue. There are some really great scenes, including Mickey playing the drums! It's a great show and has a nice happy feel to it. It's something which I really wish that the other parks would bring back to their Horseshoe venues. It adds a life and vibrance to Westernland that sadly the other Frontierland's lack.
Overall we really enjoyed the show and the food. The cast members were amazing and went out of their way to help us with our needs and our food was very nice.
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,
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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 | Happy International Day of Happiness! | |
| DisneyDan
Thursday, March 20, 2014 1:07:01 PM |
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Today is International Day of Happiness, and so I thought I would share some photos of Disney's happiest parade, Happiness is Here from Tokyo Disneyland!
Happy International Day of Happiness everyone!
Dan. |
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Hello everyone,
This week we start our updates in Disneyland, where the Disney Parks Blog announced that Marvel hero, and God of Thunder, Thor would start making appearances at the park in the winter (no confirmed date as of yet)!
Currently it is unclear as to how long Thor will stay at the park once he starts appearing, but it will mark the first time a Marvel character will greet guests inside a Disney Park.
Captain America, Iron Man and Spider-Man previously appeared at D23 (which was not inside the park), and Captain America is due to appear on the DCL Disney Magic from the autumn.
To mark the end of summer, just across the esplanade from Disneyland, Disney California Adventure is holding an End of Summer Party at the Pier.
All this week, until next Monday inclusive, Paradise Pier will host variety acts and the Disney Characters in beach wear. The LTM website doesn't make it clear whether the characters will be meeting, or part of the acts and other entertainment. Technically it did start yesterday, but I haven't yet seen any photos yet of who is starring - I guess we'll find out soon enough!
Similarly over at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, Tomorrowland's regular dance party will add Dug and Bolt into the mix for a special Dog Days of Summer party, also running through next Monday.
Other dogs in attendance will be Goofy, Pluto and honorary dog, Stitch. Basically Chip and Dale are being replaced with Dug (who is over at DAK daily anyway), and Bolt. Hosts are also handing out bone shaped character autograph cards (similar to how all previous LTM events have had character autograph cards).
Staying with WDW, and the Parks Blog released an image of the marquee going up at the new Princess Fairytale Hall in Fantasyland. They also confirm that the new princess meet 'n' greet is set to open in the fall.
Looking to next month's LTM offerings, and Friday the 13th at both Disneyland and WDW looks set to be a blast, with special villainous events.
As we already know, at WDW they are holding a dance party at Hollywood Studios. Disneyland will run the same hours (8pm - 1am) for the event, but will instead have what appears to be various activities scattered throughout the park.
Interestingly, both resorts will apparently have 13 villains in attendance. All other details right now are sketchy, and of course anything could change. I'll be very interested to see what Disneyland has up their sleeves for this one!
Finally, moving ahead to Christmas season, and the Parks Blog announced some of the seasonal offerings taking place this year at Tokyo Disney Resort. When I say some, I really mean very little, because as you read below, you'll see a lot of the previous years offerings were missing from the announcement.
Tokyo Disneyland will be host to the Christmas Fantasy celebration, featuring Santa's Village, complete with a toy workshop, and the Santa's Village Parade. The Santa's Village itself I expect will be home to Santa Claus while he is visiting Tokyo. There are no other details, so we shall wait and see!
Last year TDL had a small nighttime projection show at Cinderella Castle titled Twinkling Christmas Castle. It has not been stated whether this will return this year yet.
Also, in the past, up to last year, during the park's electrical parade Dreamlights Mickey and Friends would wear sparkling Christmas outfits. Again, no mention as to whether they will do this again this year.
At Tokyo DisneySea the Christmas Wishes celebration will feature Colors of Christmas, which is a nighttime Christmas Tree lighting show on the Harbor, and stars Mickey and Friends. There will also be Holiday Greeting From Seven Ports, a daytime show on the Harbor waterfront featuring Mickey and Friends.
Last year, the American Waterfront show A Table is Waiting had a Christmas overlay, titled Christmas Cuisine. It has not been mentioned whether this will return this year yet.
In the past Duffy and ShellieMay have greeted guests in special Christmas outfits, Santa Claus has appeared in American Waterfront, and fireworks at both parks usually changes over to the Starbright Christmas version. Again, we'll have to wait and see if any of this returns this year.
Both parks will of course have special merchandise, decorations and menu items.
Apologies if all the Tokyo stuff seemed like a lot of non-news, you can blame the Parks Blog for their lack of information! It was interesting nonetheless to see what is definitely confirmed, and what else we might expect based on previous years, despite not being announced yet.
UPDATE: A Japanese friend of mine posted on our forum after I had written this article, saying that a recent Japanese press release had revealed a few more details about this years happenings. I really wish Disney would release everything in multiple languages as so that we can avoid confusion! Anyway, he tells me that A Table is Waiting, Big Band Beat, Super Duper Jumpin' Time and Dreamlights will all receive their Christmas overlays this year. Also, as well as Duffy and ShellieMay wearing Christmas outfits, Ariel (greeting at her grotto in Mermaid Lagoon), also has a festive costume.
Ok, that's everything for today. We are actually off to Disneyland on Friday for four days, so be sure to follow our Facebook and Twitter pages for live updates from the resort!
Dan. |
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Hello everyone,
Yesterday Oriental Land Company, the operating company behind Tokyo Disney Resort, released a press statement that revealed some changes to the entertainment line-up at the Resort from next year.
At Tokyo DisneySea, the long running Legend of Mythica will end on September 14th 2014. This seems a long way off, and no replacement has been announced for the epic harbour spectacular, but with over a year until its last performance, there is a lot of time for OLC to announce something new.
It is a very popular show, but by the time its last performance rolls around, it will have been at the park for over eight years, which is especially long for a Tokyo production (entertainment in TDR tends to change fairly frequently compared to the other Disney Parks. A maximum of about four years isn't uncommon).
Also in TDS, in Mermaid Lagoon, the Little Mermaid show will be given a compete overhaul, and will feature some new technology such as digital displays. Although the press release mentions characters such as Sebastian, Flounder and King Triton, it is not known whether they will be actual characters, or just digital versions or puppets.
The current show will have its final performance on 6th April 2014, and will be closed for about a year (no definite opening date announced yet - just 'spring 2015').
Finally for TDR, although not character related, OLC also announced that a new night time projection show would be coming to Tokyo Disneyland's Cinderella Castle. The press release talks about projection mapping technology to bring it all to life, which is what the ridiculously popular Disney Dreams! at Disneyland Paris uses - they even used a picture of DLP's Sleeping Beauty Castle in the release to illustrate their intention. Hopefully they won't lift directly from Dreams though, and instead have their own show. Disney Dreams! is a truly awesome show in every respect, and it really belongs uniquely at DLP.
Over in California, the DCA Today Facebook page yesterday announced (rather suddenly) that Dancin' with Disney is reopened at Hollywood Land.
There is no word as to which characters are appearing, but I will keep my eye out, and post on the Blog as soon as I hear anything.
Ok, that's all for today.
Dan. |
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Hi all,
Yesterday I reported on the random happenings in Tokyo Disneyland, including Donald’s Funny Harmony. Since then a cavalcade of videos have made it onto YouTube, and so I have chosen this one to show you. It looks a really cute little show, and I love Sorcerer Donald! [ Read More... ] |
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