Trying to plan first trip

[AntonyJ]

Arrive and stay at Disney - Hilton Tokyo Bay 5nts (arrival night plus 4 more) this will give us 3 full days at Disney to do all the parks. Is that enough?
Hard to advise others on if that is enough, I would say so for me but for you and your family... ? In Japan (pre COVID, the tickets situation now is very different! ) you had to specify the parks for days 1 and 2, and then park hop on day 3.

Then move to Kyoto for 6 nts. So night we move plus 5 full days. This will give us 4 days sightseeing and one day Universal. Does that sound enough?
As put elsewhere, we did a day in Kyoto and that was fine for us, Universal is a small park so a day should be fine, but it is a small park by comparison and you add in the footfall and the Japanese ability to queue for hours without an issue... we are thinking of playing it by ear but paying for the additional fast passes that cost at Universal. They do not sell them every day am told, but I still need to read up on that...

Then back to Tokyo. I like the sound of Shibuya so we can walk places. For 3 nts. Takes me to 14 nts in all.
AntonyJ - where do you recommend in Shibuya to stay? We might have to go for two rooms as really don't want to be too squashed.
We have only stayed in one place and it was the JR METS HOTEL in Shibuya - just inside the station at the New South Exit.

hotelmets.jp/en/shibuya/stay.html
We had Superior Single room.
There was always someone on reception who spoke English, it was spotlessly clean, but lordy those rooms were compact.

I was worried we might not find this exit (am used to Euston type station which has like 4 or 5 exits, not one with 30 or 40!) but the train from Disney / Miahama stopped on the platform and there was a sign for the exit / hotel on the lift door 7 foot away. Another reason we picked this was outside the door was the Shibuya Stream redevelopment with places to eat etc. There was 2 convenience stores, McDonalds (we only ate there once, to try it!) right outside the New South Exit. We found the miracle sun spray in one of those continence stores...

To be honest I have no problems recommending it but for next trip we are looking at pushing boat out a bit more and looking at places like Cerulean Tower, still in the area, or the Sequence Hotel in the new area at Miya≈≈≈≈a Park - lots of time to decide on that though

[AntonyJ]

Here are people I follow on YouTube and help me plan or get my bearings on things:

TDR Explorer – the main man on English speaking channels on the them parks in Asia, he recently moved to the area where Tokyo Disney is, alas then COVID hit ….. But he has been to Universal many times also.
... /UCMt...RN5Qwz8WybfXvA

Rion Ishida – Japanese guy but speaks English, he is a bit of a ……. Character but lives in Kyoto and done many videos of there and nearby Osaka. Also travels to Tokyo quite often.
... /UCl7...fIyEfCpHevrK1w

this Natasha – lady who has been to Tokyo / Japan many times (lucky swine! ) and was my personal bible for my first trip, she got me over my fears about food and language and I love her style. Just do not play a drinking game to whenever she says “amazing”
... /UCfZ...-3OBFBRwNQ-cgQ

L & R Dreaming – pretty famous YT folks for trips to Disney parks, they have been to Tokyo Disney twice. I like their style to and they appear to be great guys to boot.
... /UCUt...lv7ua8ilOxwuuA

Paolo From Tokyo – does guides on places to eat in different parts of Tokyo, things to see and done a series on Day In The Life Of…. Jobs in Japan
... /UCix...DxzGNiPC_fgHyA

Cakes With Faces – English lady who has been a few times and I like her guides and reports.
... /UCsD...wz1kYjtabt8nxQ

Japan 4K – super high quality videos of walks around Tokyo, interesting to see what connects to what “oh you leave Shibuya and 20 mins later you arrive in Shinjuku!”. Also good for showing you what is around an area, his walks around Shibuya found us things we added to our list of things to see and do.
... /UCZ0...106vBdvd4PK_sA



These next ones are Japanese YouTubers who appear to visit the park several times a week, they are 99% Japanese in speech and text but I like them as they wander round and I get my bearings on the parks, or they show you that new food that has just appeared or the new parade. Some of the videos I just fast forward through but often I find useful gems. One of them has recently added QR codes to their videos when they visit the food places, scan the code and that place menus comes up on your phone. Alas in Japanese but hey!
... /UCml...tuofIseK12pu6Q
... /UCiS...IkafneIimbWh1g
... /UCW9...ixRy5Fy3z_mTVA

[Blue nose]

Thanks so much for all the info and links. I'll do more research this weekend.

[AntonyJ]

Originally Posted by Blue nose

Thanks so much for all the info and links. I'll do more research this weekend.

See more...

How did your weekend research go?

[Blue nose]

Originally Posted by AntonyJ

How did your weekend research go?

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I'm no nearer to be honest.

I've a few pages of notes of places to consider from hotels or things to see.

I really want just a package where it's all done for me but proving impossible.

We're away next week so hopefully more time to read up but tempted just to go to Plan B of a beach holiday somewhere special.

[AntonyJ]

Originally Posted by Blue nose

I'm no nearer to be honest.

I've a few pages of notes of places to consider from hotels or things to see.

I really want just a package where it's all done for me but proving impossible.

We're away next week so hopefully more time to read up but tempted just to go to Plan B of a beach holiday somewhere special.

See more...

There is a very nice lady on here called Helen Knowles (I cannot remember her Dibb name) who is a Travel Counsellor and sure could help you out, she has been advising me on things for my trip, will drop you a PM with her email.

[Blue nose]

Thanks Antony. I've reached out to Helen.