Hi everyone,

In this part I shall talk about the Resort's theming and layout, and our overall impressions.

First off, I just want to say that despite me previously saying I would make part three the final part, after writing it, I think we shall have to have a couple more instalments! When I was writing it got incredibly long, and I do not want to lose people’s interest. So this is part three of, probably five - but we’ll see how it goes!

If you want to catch up or re-read the previous reports, Part One can be read here, and Part Two can be read here.

Tokyo Disney Resort (TDR) is set on the bay in the industrial port area of Chiba, just east of the main city of Tokyo. To get there from the airport you either need to get a train into Tokyo, then back out to Chiba, or a shuttle bus from the airport to your hotel, then whatever means that the hotel provides or is nearby (either local train or shuttle bus most likely). If you’re staying in Tokyo then a train is easy enough to catch, and the more local hotels to TDR nearly all have shuttles or are all very close to the train station, which is usually no more than one or two stops from TDR. Local buses are also a good way of travelling, as they are generally efficient, clean and run a full schedule every day. They go from all surrounding areas of TDR, and most stop at TDR.

If you are staying at TDR (either at a Disney Hotel, or onsite partner hotel) then you have a number of options depending on the hotel, which I shall discuss later.

So, you have boarded the train, probably from the Chiba / Urayasu area, and you area headed towards Maihama Station, which is the train station at TDR. When you arrive, and you exit the platform and enter the main station area, it consists mainly of a couple of shops and the ticket windows. When you exit the main doors, you are presented with a large walkway. Built into the station, now behind you (since you have exited), there are a number of shops, cafes and restaurants, and a small compact hotel - all built into the arches and underside of the station. You find yourself under a large canopy, and to the left you have Ikspiari, and to the right a large, unusual shaped store, and an elevated walkway that appears to vanish over the horizon. You can also see the Disneyland Hotel to the right, in the distance.

In front of you is mostly trees, but if you walk to the edge of the walkway, you will discover you are raised up from the ground, and you are in fact up above a number of roads, the bus station and sidewalks.

There are steps to get down to the ground level, and if you have arrived by bus - like we did sometimes - you will arrive down here and have to come up the stairs to be able to get around TDR. You see, the thing with TDR is that get around you have to use the elevated walkways. To get to and from any of the train station, monorail stations, Tokyo Disneyland Park, Bon Voyage, or Ikspiari, you have to use the large raised walkway.

I can’t really say much else about that, except as a first impression it is kind of strange, and does not give off the typical “I am now in Disney” feel. It all comes across as being very industrial and cluttered. In fact, if you walk along the walkway further as though you were headed towards Tokyo Disneyland Park (TDL), you can see the highway to the right, some of the industrial areas that you pass on the train, and the actual railway lines that go in and out of Maihama Station. It certainly is not very magical. In all the other Resorts once you arrive at the Resorts you do at least get that “enclosed” feeling, like you have entered a new world. Despite this, the Resort overall is very clean, and very well kept. I have no issues with maintenance as it appears to be impeccable in every aspect - it's just the setting and theming I don't like!

So where shall we go first? Well if you a foreign visitor (which if you are reading this then there is a 99% chance that you are), then you actually will need to collect your tickets, if you have gone to the trouble of purchasing them online first (advisable given the lines at the park entrances in the mornings. To read the report that contains info about ticketing, click here. To read the report that contains info about the insane lines at the park entrances, click here).

To collect you tickets you will need to head left out of the train station towards Ikspiari, and then straight ahead to the first building on the right. Here you will find a flight of stairs and a sign informing you have to go down to the lower level. Note that the collection office does not open before the parks - that would be all too helpful - it opens when the parks open.

There is normally a rope up preventing you from going down until the opening time. A Cast Member will come up and open it. Once inside, the CM’s speak English, and you will need to present your reservation number and the credit card you used to book the tickets. The process is very quick and easy, and you will have your tickets within minutes.

Back up the stairs to the main (raised) level, and now to which park first? If you’re as big a Disney fans as us, you’ll probably want to go to the more traditional park first - Tokyo Disneyland (TDL).

To get there you have to head back along the walkway, past Maihama Station, and towards the huge gold and blue hotel you can see on the horizon, the Disneyland Hotel. All the while above you, running from Ikspiari, and following your route to the park, is the monorail line. On your left you will encounter Bon Voyage (BV) which is a large store, similar to that of the World of Disney Stores in FL and CA. It has been themed to look like a giant suitcase and hat box sitting side by side, and inside the theming all revolves around travel and things that are in the suitcase. The store is fairly large, but not as big as you would hope, and contains a lot of the main merchandise lines from the parks. It is also, to my knowledge, and in our experience, the only place in the entire of the Resort that you will find pins (for Disney Pin Trading). Pins are not very popular in Japan, much to my disappointment.

Bon Voyage is normally open before the parks, and stays open after they close.

You keep walking, past BV, with the monorail line running above you, and follow the walkway to the left, under an unusual structure with a sign telling you that you are now entering TDL. The TDL Hotel will be on your right, growing ever bigger as you approach. You will notice the Resort bus drop off area (not the public bus station - that’s further round near the train station) to the left. You continue down the ramp, and you will see the unmistakable Disney Parks entrance area - ticket booths and a large open area - probably with huge lines to get in the park - leading up to turnstiles. It is a weird feeling arriving here in this manner; down a ramp onto a large concourse. Somehow it is very un-Disney. But nonetheless, here we are. You will also notice ahead of you, and situated in front of the TDL Hotel, the TDL Monorail Station. I will discuss the monorails in more depth later.

Even from the concourse area, while lining up it is hard not to notice the large structure ahead of you once in the Park. Once entered, it will become clear that TDL is immediately very different to all the other Magic Kingdom’s of the world. There is no train station at the entrance for a start, no Town Square, and the Mickey Mouse flower bed is set alone in front of the large glass housing you see before you. This is World Bazaar.

In my next part I will discuss my thoughts and feelings, and overall impressions of Tokyo Disneyland Park. As promised above (see, I haven't forgotten!), I shall also be writing about using the monorails and getting between the Resort Hotels and the Parks (this can be quite the experience in itself!).

Dan.