Monster Hunting in Japan

"Oh my gaaaawd the crowds are massive and we have to wait forever!" Just means you failed to use your time as a tourist effectively.

Tokyo DisneySea has a reputation for long lines but we never waited longer than 20 min managed by observing the following rules:

1. Don't be a cultural imperialist - learn the local holiday times, don't base them off your own.

Sounds obvious, but the number of gaijin who rock up at a Japanese attraction in Golden Week on a Saturday or Sunday and complain about lines is crazy. It only takes a few minutes online to avoid hours of impotent rage, they even have apps for this stuff. Unless impotent rage is your thing, in which case avoid public places in general.

2. Cost and value aren't the same thing - if you are time poor it actually works out better to stay at a Disney hotel.

It costs more to stay at a Disney hotel, and the MiraCosta at DisneySea is at the higher price range of them - but if you are a tourist, it's totally worth it.

Not only do you skip the starting line mosh pit/running race, in DisneySea the 15 minute head start is enough to get a coveted Toy Story Mania Fastpass and walk on to Tower of Terror with not wait before the first sprinters get there*

3. Fastpass as much as you can, standby lines are for chumps.

Get on the Fastpass cycle as soon as possible, claim your next one as soon as you can. Wander around in between and only go on rides opportunistically when times are low. DisneySea is the best themed park in the world - wandering around letting the awesome sink in is part of the attraction.

Observations: *Japanese people seem to run or jog a lot. All ages, no exceptions. But it's a totally cool excitement factor rather than some misguided competiveness. E.g. they will totally get excited about a parade.

Kaiju Collections: Might have been a little "too" successful, totally wasted by the end of it.

American Watetfront: Toy Story Mania, Tower of Terror (x2), Electric Railway

Mysterious Island: 20,000 Leagues, Journey to the Center of the Earth

Port Discovery: Aquatopia (x2)

Lost River Delta: Crystal Skull (x2), Raging Rapids

Arabian Coast: Sinbad

Mermaid Lagoon: Ariel's Flip Show (not real name)

Mediterranean Harbour: Fantasmic and lunch at the CanalletoLeer más