Tag: Japan

Japan is well known for themed cafes and kawaii packaging, but did you know that their Disney Resorts have themed rooms? I decided to investigate and booked two different character themed accommodations and compared them side by side. I booked an “Alice in Wonderland” themed room (Yelp Review) at the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel and a Toy Story room (Yelp Review) in the new Toy Story Hotel, they just celebrated their 1st anniversary last month!

If you’d like to see a Room Tour of each click here for the Alice in Wonderland room and here for the Toy Story one. But without further ado lets check ’em out side by side!

Price

Alice in Wonderland: A Monday Night stay for two in June was ¥58,000 ($400.81 USD) and required a ¥20,000 deposit ($138.23). This is definitely a high end luxurious stay.

Toy Story: A Tuesday Night stay for two in June was ¥30,000 ($207 USD) and required a ¥15,000 deposit ($103.66 USD). This is a more moderate priced resort experience. Between the two the availability of rooms went faster for this one (I think because it’s a newer hotel and it’s more moderately priced)

Similarities: You’ll need to make your online reservation 3 months to the day on when you’d like to stay there. Call your credit card company in advance to let them know you’re going to Japan and to allow for foreign transactions. I was so stressed when my card wouldn’t go through. Both required a deposit to secure a reservation.

Lobby

Alice in Wonderland: All are welcome to this hotel. It’s very spacious and grand. It kind of evokes a Club 33 taste to me and the ceilings are very tall. At the center of the hotel is a big fountain and since they are celebrating Disney’s 40th Anniversary there are several banners and statutes of Mickey and friends throughout the hotel lobby area. On one side of the lobby there’s a very elaborate dollhouse that is also Disney themed.

Toy Story: Only Toy Story Resort guests are allowed on property. Be sure to have proof of reservation at all access points. The lobby itself is very colorful and the ceiling of the lobby looks like a board game with Bo Peep and her sheep. There are also other details such as Colored pencils as the pillars. There are two elevator entrances depending on which side of the hotel you’re staying on. One side is space themed, and the other is cowboy themed.

Similarities: The checkin desk is near the back, and there’s ample places to rest and relax. Also, both have very clean bathrooms on the 1st floor.

Courtyard

Alice in Wonderland: This courtyard is located next to the Hotel entrance, valet side. It’s very pristine and classy. The shrubbery is all geometric shaped and the shrubbery is designed just like the card suits.

Toy Story: There are two courtyards and both are very playful. Between the RC Racer Garage and Hotel Entrance there’s a playground with giant Jessie, Buzz, and Slinky Dog’s Doghouse. Between two of the hotel towers is another courtyard with Woody and Bo Peep. Both courtyards have ample spaces for kids to run around, and there were a lot during my stay.

Hotel Restaurants & Gift Shops

Alice in Wonderland: There are two restaurants (one buffet style, and one fine dinning) inside this hotel; however, since my friend and I did not want to splurge on calories and dough we ate off the hotel property. They have one large gift shop that featured many items from Tokyo Disneyland. Sorry I forgot to take photos – opps!

Toy Story: This hotel has one buffet styled restaurant called Lotso Garden Cafe (Yelp Review), which can only be accessed by Toy Story Resort guests. I made a reservation online, but since you pay at the vending machine outside I don’t think you need to make a reservation. The cafe is only open for Breakfast and Dinner. This hotel also has a gift shop that’s on the smaller side; however, they have a couple of Toy Story Hotel exclusive items such as a handkerchief, bag, and Lotso plush.

Similarities: They both also have a convenience store so if you forgot something or would like to have a bento box for breakfast or ramen for dinner this could be an option.

Checkin/Checkout

Alice in Wonderland: This counter reminded me a lot of any high end Vegas hotels. The staff on a whole spoke very fluent English and were very proper. There were a lot more foreigners from all over the world here. A gentlemen I spoke to in the checkin line was a diplomate stationed in Greece. I believe there were 10+ cast members helping with checkin. I do believe this is a much larger hotel.

Toy Story: The counter was incredibly playful and the staff here as a whole spoke slightly more limited English, but were really friendly and kind. I saw a lot more Japanese local tourists here as well as kids. I think if memory serves me right there were maybe 4 cast members helping with checkin.

Similarities: The check-in stations were all located near the back of the hotel entrance, and you can drop off your hotel key in the box when you’re ready to checkout. A perk of staying at a Disney Resort is that they will hold your luggage/shopping bags after you checkout and play at the park, which was a BIG relief!

Room Space & Stay

Alice in Wonderland: The room very whimsical and about twice the size as the Toy Story room, and probably more similar to what you might expect at a US hotel. There’s a closet as well as a vanity for guests to do their makeup. Additionally there is a full bathtub. I believe this was also carpeted.

Toy Story: There is no closet in this room. Instead they have an area where you can hang your clothes against the wall. They have a pushpin detail which is kind of clever and the TV looks like an etch-a-sketch! In the bathroom they have a half bathtub. The floor in this room is wood.

Similarities: Both had twin size beds and were equally comfortable. They both had separate rooms for the toilet and shower/tub, and a mini fridge in the main room. The shower water pressure and temperature were the same at both resorts, which were wonderful, and both had bidets.

Amenities

Alice in Wonderland: On the table they provided two eco-friendly reusable bags with the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel design and souvenir cups. They offered slippers inside the closet and I believe there were 6 pairs. All had Mickey Mouse designs on it.

Toy Story: The house slippers all had Andy written on the bottom of the shoes – so on theme! There were three pairs of slippers here.

Similarities: Both offered nightgowns to wear (can’t take home), and house slippers. Additionally, they both had wash cloths, toothbrush/toothpaste, and cups. Both had tvs, though all the channels were in Japanese.

Theming

Alice in Wonderland: The room itself blew my socks off. It was so whimsical and I really felt like it was a luxurious getaway. I think if I wanted to only stay at the hotel I would a book a nice to pamper myself in this room.

Toy Story: Everything is Toy Story themed! and honestly I cannot think of anything to make it even more thematic. They understood the assignment!

Resort Perks

Alice in Wonderland: Happy Entry for either parks (Disneyland or DisneySea). It’s directly across from Disneyland and they have a separate entry to in essence cut in front of the general public line.

Toy Story: Happy Entry for Tokyo Disneyland only. You can take the monorail to both parks as it’s directly across from the hotel.

Similarities: Buying Disney park tickets is a pain because it’s all in Japanese. If you stay at the resort all of the staff can help you purchase a ticket and depending on which park you want to visit you can earn a “Happy Entry” voucher which entitles you an extra 15 minutes head start in front of general admission, which doesn’t’ sound like a lot, but it makes a HUGE difference.

Summary: I really enjoyed both stays, but I had the biggest smile across my face when I went to the Toy Story Resort since everything was the same theme. At the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel I felt that it was somewhat disjointed since the theme wasn’t consistent across the resort, but it did feel a lot more luxurious. If you can only stay at one I’d recommend the Toy Story Resort, since it really brought a magical element that made you feel like a kid again. But if you want all the bells and whistles Tokyo Disneyland Hotel has three different themed rooms: Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast, and Pixie Hollow – and I wouldn’t mind staying there either!

Which stay would you prefer? Tokyo Disneyland Hotel or Toy Story? Let me know!

Until Next Time,

Irene