We just got back from a trip to Japan and Cambodia that included two days at TDR. Thanks to all for the help I got from "lurking" here.
We were there on September 11 and 12. The weather was hot and humid, with some rain on the 11th. But it was a great time to visit. The crowds were very light.
Neither of us is a big Disney fan, and my partner had never been to a Disney park, so this was really different for us. I had been to Disneyland in California as a kid, Disney World in Florida in college, and TDL when just out of college when performing there with a singing group - it had just opened. But both of us had a great time.
We made limited use of FastPass at TDL, only for Space Mountain and Astro Blasters. No FastPass at all at TDS. The longest wait in standby was about 25 minutes for Peter Pan during the rainstorm, but averages were about 5-10 minutes. Even for Pooh - we headed there when the park opened and walked right on. Oddly, we were kind of nonplussed - it was a bit of a letdown. It was cool technology but zipping around a warehouse stopping at signs wasn't my idea of a great time. We thought it was actually put to better use with Aquatopia, which we rode 4 times - there was never a line at all. Other faves were Journey to the Centre of the Earth, which we rode twice with only 5 minute standby waits; Pirates, which we rode twice with no waits at all; Sindbad, which we also rode twice with no waits at all; and Spash Mountain, which we rode in the evening with no wait at all. Small World was as nighmarish as I remembered it. 20,000 Leagues, Raging Spirits, Star Tours and Haunted Mansion were all closed for rehab - we missed riding all of them except Raging Spirits, which we wouldn't have done anyway (my partner gets motion sickness, so we also avoided Big Thunder Mountain and I got to ride Space Mountain on my own).
We ate lunch at both parks just before leaving mid-afternoon. Hokusai at TDL was fine. The only food at the parks that was truly awful was lunch in the Sailing Day Buffet at TDS. An odd seating system, and food that just wasn't at all good. Dinner we limited to snacks at fast-food type stalls.
We stayed at the Sheraton on Starwood points. It was highly recommended to stay at the parks - both days we completely pooped out around 2 in the afternoon so we went back to the hotel for a nap, then came back from 5 until about 9 at night. Not a great hotel, but ok, and the price was right. Also because we booked on the club floor there was a free buffet breakfast, which was nice. The lobby was beautiful, and the short walk to the monorail was great. Unfortunately all of the pools were closed, and the "spa" was an attached family-style Japanese bathhouse that looked (and smelled) like it hadn't been renovated since the '80s. If I were paying I would definitely have chosen the Miracosta for the views inside TDS. I thought the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel was odd and the location not so great.
Thanks again, and happy travels, everyone!
