In an exciting announcement this month, Oriental Land Co., Ltd., which is the parent company for the Tokyo Disney Resort, announced that they’ve reached an agreement with the Walt Disney Company to develop a new themed port at Tokyo DisneySea. The new port will also introduce another Disney Hotel on property!

This newly planned expansion will create an 8th themed port in Tokyo DisneySea, which will be inspired by a magical spring that leads visitors to a world of fantasy. There will be three distinct areas in the new port that recreate three iconic Disney films:

Frozen
Tangled
Peter Pan

It’s interesting to see Peter Pan being referenced at Tokyo DisneySea given that there is already a Peter Pan attraction in Tokyo Disneyland. I was not aware the movie was so popular in Japan that it warranted representation in both parks. I’m sure the theming will be incredible, and I can’t wait to see more detailed photos once additional information is released.

Tokyo DisneySea’s new hotel will feature a one-of-a-kind luxury wing that will become the most luxurious accommodations available at the Tokyo Disney Resort. I’m guessing that this also means a new park entry location if there is going to be an additional hotel on the Tokyo DisneySea side.

The expansion of Tokyo DisneySea will also create four new attractions to begin operating in 2022. OLC is investing 250 billion yen in this new project, which is the largest additional investment to date for existing facilities. This will all coincide with a large scale enhancement of Tokyo Disneyland, which is scheduled to start operations in 2020.

Here is what has been announced regarding the expansion so far.

Overview of the Tokyo DisneySea Expansion Project

The development area will be in the guest parking area between Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. That parking will be relocated. There will be four attractions, three food facilities, one shop, and one hotel. The tentative completion date is the fiscal year 2022.

Klook.com

Overview of Tokyo DisneySea Themed Port

Once you enter the new themed port, you’ll see Anna and Esla’s Arendelle kingdom, the forest and tower that Rapunzel calls home, and Never Land, which of course is home to Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, and the Lost Boys. The new attractions and hotel are exclusively designed for Tokyo DisneySea, which means you won’t see these at any of the other Disney Parks. The new port will be connected to the rest of Tokyo DisneySea via a pathway that will run between Arabian Coast and the Lost River Delta.

Frozen Themed Area

The Arendelle themed area will feature an attraction that tells the story of Elsa and Anna. Guests will hop on boats that take you through a storybook tale while enjoying the movie’s iconic songs, and the press release says there will be some surprising thrills. The new restaurant will be located here, set inside Arendelle Castle.

Tangled Themed Area

In the Tangled themed area, guests will see Rapunzel’s tower and an attraction that follows Rapunzel to a lantern festival. There will also be a restaurant inspired by the hideout of the band of thugs from the film. Guests will board gondolas and take a romantic boat tour of Rapunzel’s “best day ever” as she heads to the Lantern Festival with Flynn. Look for flickering lanterns to illuminate the attraction’s climactic scene and Rapunzel and Flynn will sing one of the film’s iconic songs.

Peter Pan Themed Area

The Never Land area will have two attractions and a restaurant. Captain Hook’s ship and Skull Rock are the focal points. This reminds me quite a bit of Disneyland Paris actually.

One attraction here will fly guests over the jungles of Never Land and into a battle with Captain Hook and his crew of pirates. Guests will join Peter Pan as he attempts to rescue Wendy’s younger brother, John. Guests board boats and follow the Lost Boys down the river where Tinkerbell sprinkles pixie dust on the boat. Then guests will find themselves flying through Never Land on an epic adventure that includes 3D imagery from the film and iconic music.

The second attraction takes guests to the oversized world of Pixie Hollow where Tinkerbell and her friends live and work. The restaurant here is inspired by the Lost Boys and their hideout. It will have great views of Never Land that guests can enjoy while eating.

Booking.com

Overview of the New Tokyo DisneySea Hotel

The new hotel will have a Disney fantasy theme and it will be located inside the park! It will surround the magical springs that serve as the core of the new themed port’s story. Park facing rooms will feature beautiful views of the port’s stunning landscape, which gives guests an exclusive experience.

There will be 475 deluxe and luxury guests rooms, with the latter offering the best accommodations at the Tokyo Disney Resort. It is here you will find the merchandise shop that helps share the story of the magical springs found on the hotel’s first floor. Given the prices of official Disney hotels at TDR, I am guessing these will be shockingly expensive. I’m going to need to purchase some lottery tickets in hopes of affording a night here I’m guessing!

Exciting times for both Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea! We can’t wait to watch the changes over the next few years — it will certainly change the views from the nearby Hilton and Sheraton properties that overlook the parking lot where the expansion appears to be going!

Photos Courtesy of Oriental Land Co., Ltd. 

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Are you planning your first trip to Tokyo and wondering how to get to the Tokyo Disney Resort from the airport? First off, it’s important to start off by explaining that there are TWO international airports in the greater Tokyo area — Narita and Haneda.

Should I Fly Into Haneda or Narita Airport?

Both airports receive international flights, so it really comes down to cost and schedule for what’s cheaper and most convenient for you to get into Japan itself. When I’m coming from the US or Europe, Narita is typically cheaper despite its high airport taxes. When I’m coming from within Asia, I prefer to fly low cost carriers that land in Haneda, which is significantly closer to Tokyo and Tokyo Disney than Narita. I recently saw one well-known US Disney blogger say that Narita is closer, which couldn’t be further from the truth. It takes me about 30 minutes to get to the Disney Resort from Haneda whereas it’s 1.5 hours from Narita in most cases.

If you’re staying at one of the official Disney Hotels or Partner Hotels in Tokyo Bay, you need to figure out how to get to the Disney Resort itself.

Airport Limo Buses

My preferred method of transportation is the Airport Limo Buses. There are counters in both Narita and Haneda airports, and it’s relatively painless to get back and forth — provided your flight arrives within the window of service. Unlike more popular destinations in Tokyo, the limo buses to the Disney Resort area end relatively early in the day.

My usual routine flying Delta or KLM into Narita is to walk out of the customs area and head straight to the limo bus counter and then to the ATM (which I also highly recommend). The limo bus is impossible to miss and usually never has too much of a line. Reservations don’t need to be made in advance, as they don’t allow advance call in, etc. You can pay with credit card (American Express included) and the representatives all speak English so they can help you get on the right bus.

There are schedules posted on the website that tell you the buses that depart from each airport and what time they will arrive at your desired hotel. For example, my usual schedule from Narita to the Hilton Tokyo Bay is:

Here is the timetable for Haneda to the Hilton Tokyo Bay:

It’s the same bus that makes the runs to the entire Tokyo Disney Resort area so it’s just a matter of confirming your final destination. You can even choose to buy a ticket that will take you directly to the resort or Resort Gateway as well. The rep will tell you which numbered stop you need, and the stops are all right outside of the terminal doors and are easy to locate. Don’t freak out if you’re early and your bus is not showing yet – they run 3-4 buses minutes apart from each spot. The guys will look at your tickets, and tell you where to stand while waiting. You should plan to be out by your stop no later than 10 minutes before your bus is scheduled to depart, but I will admit that I’ve bought a ticket for a bus leaving in 5 minutes and sprinted out there so I didn’t have to wait hours for the next one.

When it comes to booking your return ticket, you book it directly at the hotel at least 24 hours in advance. Important things to note — many of the hotels require cash — Japanese Yen — to purchase the return ticket. This is why I prefer to get money at the airport, as most of the ATM’s at Tokyo Disney do not take international cards. The 7-11 branches used to, but they no longer work with my European Maestro-branded ATM card. I hear there may be one in the Ikspiari shopping area, but I’ve yet to try it (I will report back when I’m there later this month). If you don’t have Yen, you can try to plead with your hotel to let you purchase your ticket and put it on your room, but they may not be able to. I had the Hilton do it for me once, but we also have Diamond status with them and the girl recognized me as I’m there every few months, so I wouldn’t rely on that strategy necessarily.

Also, when booking your return, tell them your flight time. You want to ensure you allow plenty of extra time if you’re returning to the airport on the limo bus as traffic in Tokyo is chaotic and unpredictable. Pick a return time that still gets you to the airport at least two hours ahead of your flight time, especially for flights out of Narita.

Tip: Make sure to have your passport handy on the bus back to the airport as officers come on to check ALL passports before the bus enters the airport itself. 

What do you do if your flight arrives after the latest bus? Depending on your flight origin, you may miss the last bus to Disney. If you are still determined to take the Airport Limo Bus, ask the representative what is the closest stop — I’ve found several in the Tokyo Bay area that run later at night. Get off the bus and catch a cab — my last trip was around $20 US in cab fare, which was easier since I was traveling with my 68-year-old mother and splitting the fare.

Narita Airport Express Train – N’EX

Another option departing Narita airport is to buy a ticket for the Airport Express train that stops at  select stations in Tokyo itself. The best option is to get off at Tokyo Main Station and change trains to the Keiyō line, which takes you to the Tokyo Disney Resort Gateway (Maihama Station). Some people prefer this option, but here’s my reasons for not taking it.

If you carry a lot of luggage (especially rolling bags) Tokyo metro trains aren’t the easiest to navigate, especially for me as a solo traveler sometimes. I’ve found the elevators and escalators closed at the most inopportune times — and have been stuck hauling 50-lb roller bags up stair by stair. If you’re not familiar with navigating Japanese trains, the nearly-mile walk between the Airport Express and Keiyō trains can double after a few wrong turns. For people carrying only backpacks, small duffels, or carry-on-size roller bags, the train may be a preferable option, but I’ll gladly take the limo bus service every time if I’m staying at the Tokyo Disney Resort.

For those times I stay in town, the Narita Airport Express Train is awesome — usually I’m staying near Shinagawa or Shinjuku Stations, which are stops on the express train.

Haneda Airport Trains

If you’re planning to take the train from Haneda, here’s the basic map showing you which trains you need to take to get to the Tokyo Disney Resort. I’ve never taken the train from Haneda, so I can’t honestly tell you how easy or what the length of connection is once you reach Tokyo Main Station.

Important Info about Haneda

Whether you’re taking the train or Limo Bus from Haneda International Terminal, it’s important to know that which escalator you take down matters! If you purchase the Limo Bus tickets, they should tell you which escalators to take. Follow the signs for “route buses.” Don’t mess it up or you’ll wind up on the street, unable to access your bus, and have to go back up. There is only one early morning bus from the International Terminal, which is great for me when I take a cheap red eye flight from Hong Kong. I arrive at 5am and have two hours to kill. But, if you’re in a hurry, taking the wrong escalator can be a costly mistake. If you take the train, you can see the escalators are first and then the route buses are next.

Arriving at Tokyo Disney Resort’s Maihama Station

Ok, so you’ve opted to take the train from either Haneda or Narita Airport and you get off at Maihama Station, but now what? There are buses at the station for some hotels, and if you’re staying at an official Disney hotel, you can check in near the station and drop your bags (before a certain time). Otherwise, if you’re at a partner hotel, the easiest thing to do is walk to the Disney Resort Line Station just inside the Ikspiari shopping area and buy a ticket for the Disney Monorail. You’ll want to look into multi-day passes as it often works out cheaper, and they are a collectible souvenir in Japan.

NOTE: Tickets are only available using cash, which is another reason I get money at the airport ATM first!

The second stop (after Tokyo Disneyland itself, which you should use if you’re staying at the Disneyland Hotel) will be Bayside Station, and you will want to exit here for the shuttle buses to the partner hotels. Once you get down the escalator, you’ll find several numbered stops that correlate to which hotel you’re staying at. The Sheraton is literally across the street and the easiest to walk…except when it’s pouring rain or freezing cold out! Buses run every few minutes throughout the day.

Taxis

Don’t take a taxi from the airport to the Tokyo Disney Resort unless you’re rich and don’t mind throwing money away. The rumors about taxis being expensive in Tokyo are not exaggerated, and a trip from Narita to Disney can easily top $100. The starting fare (the last time I was in a taxi) was 810 yen, which at the time was around $8 US, which is why taxis in town can be expensive as well. I had to take a taxi from the nearby Chiba area to Disney and it was still nearly $85 one time — lesson learned.

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In exciting news today, Disney Pixar announced the official release dates for a number of upcoming movie releases scheduled through 2019.

What do you think about the sequels? Excited for Toy Story 4 or Cars 3? I think a lot of people are counting down towards the Dinosaurs release this fall and the far off Incredibles 2 in 2019, while Coco is a bit unknown, except for many of the D23 Expo attendees who got an in depth look at the new project.

As the logo might suggest, Coco is centered around the Mexican celebration of Dia de los Muertos. The main character is a 12-year-old boy, Miguel, who finds himself in the “fantastical realm of the dead.” For more on Coco, see the Disney Insider.

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It’s October 1st and that means the 2015 Halloween event kicked off at Disneyland Paris today. I’ll be headed to Paris tomorrow, and I’ll be reporting in from Disneyland on Saturday to see what is happening this year.

According to Disneyland Paris’ official release, this year’s event takes place from October 1 to November 1, with a special separate ticket event on Halloween night. I’ll be missing that in exchange for spending Halloween week at both Tokyo and Hong Kong Disney Parks!

For Halloween 2015, Disneyland Paris has:

• Villainous musical presentation at Royal Castle Stage, followed by meet-and-greet
• Villains at Maleficent’s briar bush at the Castle Courtyard
• Mickey and Friends dressed in their Autumn best parading along Main Street, U.S.A.
• Halloween decor around the Park, with Jack-o’-lanterns and ghoulish ghosts
• Other Autumn themed meet-and-greets at various places within the park

Hoping for some new Halloween merchandise and themed foods for 2015!

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Snapchat

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If you missed Tomorrowland in the theaters this year, there’s good news! Walt Disney Studios announced October 13 as the release date for the Blu-Ray Combo Pack, Digital HD, and Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA).

Tomorrowland stars George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, Britt Robertson, and Raffey Cassidy.

The movie takes inspiration from Disneyland’s themed Tomorrowland. It follows Clooney, who plays a jaded genius inventor, and Robertson, a teenage science enthusiast, who venture off to find out what happens in Tomorrowland, a place that exists in in their collective memory.

Pre-order TOMORROWLAND on Blu-Ray or TOMORROWLAND on DVD. 

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From June 11 to August 30, 2015, visitors to Hong Kong Disneyland can enjoy this year’s new summer event, Frozen Village.

Look for special menus and themed foods and desserts. I’m curious to see if they are debuting new foods in addition to the Frozen themed goodies they already had during my last visit in April.

There will be a special musical performance featuring Queen Elsa, Princess Ann, and Kristoff, which will feature the “Let It Go” anthem.

Hong Kong Disneyland’s themed Frozen Village will provide a wintery atmosphere to help guests cool off from the summer heat. There will be different snow activities, including a snow play area where you can build your own snowman or ride a toboggan!

The Frozen merchandise line is expanding, and the latest news from Hong Kong Disneyland is there will be even more new merchandise for the summer Frozen Village.

Unfortunately, I’m currently working in Europe and headed back to Belize for the remainder of the summer, so it’s doubtful I will make this event. If you attend and post photos, let me know — I’m curious to see all the merchandise, food, and park decor.

Here’s a look at some of the Frozen decor and merchandise available during my last several visits:

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This weekend marks the end of Hong Kong Disneyland’s 2015 “It’s Springtime” Celebration. Many of the Disney characters were dressed in their Spring best and beautiful fresh flowers filled Main Street. Unfortunately, it was pouring rain nearly the whole time I was there this trip so we battled less than ideal photo conditions. A couple times I didn’t even bring my camera into the park as the rain was so bad.

Here’s a look at some of the Spring decor at Hong Kong Disneyland for 2015:

If Hong Kong Disneyland holds another Spring event in 2016, expect it to start early March and run through the end of May.

Which one is your favorite Disney character in the “It’s a Springtime Celebration?”

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Being obsessed with Disney-related food items, I’m excited to hear the announcement of special dessert truffles for the Disneyland 60th Anniversary celebration.

Three restaurants will feature the special truffles, all inspired by their location.

First up is Blue Bayou adjacent to the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction:

Blue Bayou Restaurant Truffle Flavors

• Crème Brule – crème, brown sugar and vanilla
• Bananas Foster – banana, vanilla ice cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, dark rum and banana liqueur
• King Cake – confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice
• Mint Julep – sugar, lime juice, lemon juice and crème de menthe

Next up is Carthay Circle inside Disney California Adventure (note: you must be over 21 to purchase these due to alcohol content)

Carthay Circle Restaurant Truffle Flavors

• Carthay Manhattan – American whiskey, sweet vermouth, Angostura bitters and Luxardo maraschino cherries
• Brown Derby – bourbon, fresh grapefruit juice and honey
• B52 Coffee – Grand Marnier, Kahlua, Irish cream, coffee and whipped cream
• Hazelnut Tiramisu – classic tiramisu with hazelnut

Lastly, Steakhouse 55 is also featuring a special truffle set. Steakhouse 55 is located inside the Disneyland Hotel. Like the Carthay Circle truffles, you must be over 21 to purchase these due to alcohol content by volume.

Steakhouse 55 Truffle Flavors

• Cosmopolitan – vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice and lime
• Kahlua – coffee, brown sugar, vanilla
• 24-Layer Chocolate Cake – milk chocolate, hazelnut and a hint of vanilla
• Primitivo – raspberry, blackberry, cherry, plums and raisin

Which Disneyland Diamond Celebration truffles sound most appealing to you?

The Blue Bayou box is by far my favorite flavors. When it comes to the others, I’m torn between the B52 Coffee and Brown Derby at Carthay Circle,  and the 24-Layer Chocolate Cake and Primitivo at Steakhouse 55.

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If you were following my Disney blog several years ago when it was active, you’ll probably remember it was called Pooh’s Travels — after my nickname and one of my favorite characters. Sadly, my blog has been dormant for several years as my freelancing career started gaining serious momentum. I barely had time to write the Disney pieces I was commissioned to do, let alone post on the blog.

Since things have taken off, I’ve hit some milestones in my career that I’m extremely proud of. I’ve traveled to over 60 countries and still visited the Disney Parks at least several times a year. I’ve spoken at conferences in Belize and Mexico about blogging and social media, worked as an English language editor on a renowned chef’s second cookbook, and authored half of Belize’s official visitor magazine in 2013. I passed my Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) exam in 2014 and most recently became AFAR Travel Magazine’s Belize expert, curating their Official AFAR Guide to Belize.

Although I haven’t published on the blog, I never lost my love for Disney — I still try to maintain annual passes to all the Disney Parks worldwide and visit as often as I can. Despite living so far away now in Belize and the Netherlands, I managed to visit Tokyo four times in the last year, and Hong Kong three. I’m blessed that I’ve been able to combine my passion for Disney with my regular travel and food writing as well. I am now covering Disney Travel for Roam Right Travel Insurance, and had a few Disney-related posts on travel and hotel sites like Trivago and Hipmunk. I’m also a blogger for Viator, a tour company that I absolutely love working with. I maintain a number of their destination blogs, including Hong Kong, which allows me to cover Disney periodically as well.

I’ve enjoyed keeping up with all my Disney travels, but I have missed utilizing an outlet on which to share them. General Disney articles are great for travel sites, but only Disney addicts will go crazy over decorative details, a new food item, or the latest merchandise releases. And, while many of my regular travel writing colleagues don’t share the same passion for Disney, they have been pushing me to restart the site. I am one of the very few people who travel to all the Disney Park Resorts worldwide on a regular basis, and I should be using that knowledge and experience to help others plan their Disney vacations. So, for the last six months or so, I’ve been working on a rebranding plan that more closely aligns with my other work and websites.

Welcome to the new Disney Globetrotter!

The site is still undergoing a number of design changes and updates, but it’s updated and mobile-friendly now. If you want to keep connected on my Disney-specific social media, I am finally launching new dedicated accounts on Instagram and Pinterest as well.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/disneyglobetrotter

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/disneyglobetrotter

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/poohstravels

Thank you for following, and I hope to see you on our Disney globetrotting adventures soon!

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Halloween is my favorite holiday and I am eagerly awaiting my visit to Tokyo and Hong Kong Disney Parks in early September for all the new merchandise, but in the meantime, I got a pleasant and unexpected surprise while at Disneyland in California for a brief visit yesterday.

I had been hearing rumors of new Halloween merchandise coming out featuring my favorite attraction, Haunted Mansion, and I knew a new Duffy pin was released recently as well.

What I didn’t realize though was that Disney released a new smaller, beanie-sized Halloween Duffy the Disney Bear ($15) to match the pin AND that Duffy was making a pretty sly appearance in some of the Haunted Mansion merchandise. I was so excited that the Hitchhiking Ghosts and the Hatbox Ghost were included on the merchandise, I failed to spot this adorable little bear I love peeking out on the popcorn tin, one of the t-shirts, the yard flag, and the seasonal bag!

Not all the Halloween merchandise has been released yet, but if you are at Disneyland in the next few days, definitely check in the Disney Showcase on Main Street, U.S.A. and I have heard reports there was some Halloween merchandise released at Pooh Corner as well.  (See photos of all the Halloween merchandise here:  Disneyland releases all new merchandise for Halloween 2012)

So excited to see Duffy make an appearance on the seasonal merchandise at the U.S. Parks — now to prep for Tokyo in two weeks with the big Halloween merchandise and Duffy costume release!

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