We debated lengthy and arduous about how we’d strategy the debut of Fantasy Springs. It was a day we’ve dreamed of for five years, and had each intention of being there to expertise. However we additionally deliberate on attending opening day of Enchanted Story of Magnificence and the Beast in addition to the Tokyo Olympics, and life had different plans.
As soon as once more, life had different plans that made us second-guess doing the opening of Fantasy Springs. Prior to now, we’d’ve merely gotten up early, rope dropped the brand new port-of-call, and completed as a lot as potential that means. Nonetheless, there have been two points with this strategy when it got here to Fantasy Springs.
The primary is that TDR followers are rabid (non-derogatory) and solely appear to be dialing that up of their interval of pent-up demand. We’ve attended many a gap day festivity there within the parks, and the Japanese locals make Disneyland followers appear tame. They’re up on the break of day for even pretty mundane issues, prepared to attend hours—all evening and all day, if essential. This has gotten worse since 2019, and it appeared Fantasy Springs would take it to a completely new stage.
The second and far larger means that life has had different plans, for us at the very least, is that we now are mother and father. Accountable adults (allegedly) who can’t simply rise up at 3 a.m. or no matter ridiculous time to camp out for the opening of a brand new theme park land. We transfer at a slower tempo and infants are unpredictable. Exhausting to imagine, I do know.
There have been so many occasions we’ve needed to get out the door by a sure time, however that simply wasn’t possible “as a result of child,” which has develop into shorthand for us. (On the plus aspect, it’s additionally a handy excuse once we simply don’t wish to do one thing!) We’ve already discovered this when visiting Walt Disney World and Disneyland, and figured throwing within the ‘minor’ wildcard of a 16-hour time distinction may exacerbate issues.
When Tokyo Disney Resort introduced that friends of Fantasy Springs Lodge or Trip Packages would have the ability to buy a particular Fantasy Springs Magic ticket, that had us intrigued. That is one in all three choices for accessing the brand new port-of-call, and by far the “best” possibility. (See our Information to Fantasy Springs at Tokyo DisneySea for full rationalization of free vs. paid entry–we’ll be updating that very quickly as there’s a ton extra to know now that we now have firsthand expertise spending a number of days within the new land.)
Properly, the Fantasy Springs Magic Ticket is the “best” possibility when you handle to get it booked. Minor element. It took spending over a dozen hours on the Tokyo Disney Resort web site (technically ~8 hours of that was spent in digital queues) simply to guide within the first place.
For quite a few causes, we’ve been vehemently anti-Trip Packages for years. Readers often ask about them, and our recommendation has at all times been that they’re a waste of cash and provide nothing you may’t do your self for cheaper. For my part, that was the proper perspective on the time.
The opening of Fantasy Springs has modified the sport. We’ll have a full evaluation and suggestions for taking advantage of the Tokyo Disney Resort Trip Packages within the coming weeks, however this publish kind of solutions the query of whether or not they’re price it.
The Fantasy Springs Magic Ticket is greater than double the price of a standard Tokyo DisneySea ticket, but it surely supplied large peace of thoughts. As soon as introduced, we knew that the Fantasy Springs Magic ticket was going to be the important thing for us to entering into the brand new port-of-call at Tokyo DisneySea. So we begrudgingly waited untold hours in digital queues, reserving and rebooking Trip Packages as higher choices opened up.
Our concern was that with out this ticket, it might take a number of days to full expertise Fantasy Springs. That the very best case situation can be getting a Standby Go for one trip and Premier Entry for an additional. The worst case situation can be arriving too late and being shut out utterly. Given the entire child factor, we feared the latter enjoying out repeatedly.
Even after shopping for the Trip Bundle, we weren’t 100% positive how the Magic Passport would work. Whereas the official TDR web site states “there isn’t a restrict to the variety of occasions friends can expertise points of interest,” we have been nonetheless considerably skeptical. Their Trip Packages are pretty stingy with entry, and the Tokyo parks are inclined to take a extra egalitarian strategy to attraction capability allocation. This felt very very similar to the other of that. So we puzzled whether or not it might work as marketed, or if there can be a catch of some type.
Quick-forward to the evening earlier than the opening of Fantasy Springs. Certain sufficient, it was the roughest of our journey. Issues had been going so nice previous to then. Too good to be true, in actual fact. It felt like there needed to be a bump within the street…and I assume this was it.
At round 3 a.m. throughout that marathon evening, I turned my alarm off. Needless to say that is the time we in all probability would’ve been getting as much as head to camp out for park opening however for the Fantasy Springs Magic Passport. Fortunately, it was the final time we’d get up till morning correct.
We lastly left Toy Story Lodge and arrived inside Tokyo DisneySea shortly after 8:40 a.m. This was nonetheless technically early, however to borrow a phrase from my military-man father, “should you’re technically early to a gap at Tokyo Disney Resort, you’re late.” By the point ~20 minutes earlier than park opening rolled round, the turnstiles had been open for some time. We encountered no crowd by any means to enter.
We additionally encountered an indication warning friends that each one Standby Passes had been distributed and all Premier Entry slots bought out for Fantasy Springs. At the least in response to this signal, there was no technique to enter Fantasy Springs on that day should you have been coming into “solely” 20 minutes earlier than official park opening. (The signal was flawed–that’s not how distribution truly works.)
After breezing by means of the entrance gate and stopping for a few fast photographs, we made a beeline for Fantasy Springs. Strategically, this was a mistake—in any case, we had the Fantasy Springs Magic Passport that allowed for open entry. However technique is one other matter for an additional day.
Throughout our lengthy stroll (friends of Toy Story Lodge can’t use the Fantasy Springs entrance to enter or exit the park, which means a ~5 minute commute with minimal strolling turns right into a monorail trip plus a mile-plus stroll) from the entrance entrance, we made our first Cellular Order of the day.
As Trip Bundle friends, we’d not want Cellular Orders to enter the eating places…however we made them anyway. A part of the method was determining how every little thing would work, and I used to be curious how briskly the slots would refill.
We entered Fantasy Springs with ease and—since Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey was down—opted for Rapunzel’s Lantern Competition. Even with an prolonged queue spilling out the attraction’s entrance entrance for standby, the Premier Entry line was just about empty. We have been on the attraction inside 5 minutes of coming into the road.
Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey was again up, so we did that subsequent. Identical story, with a lower than 5 minute wait within the Premier Entry line. This attraction blew Sarah’s thoughts, so we looped it. There’s rather a lot happening on this attraction that’s simple to overlook–multiple trip is certainly ideally suited. Within the span of beneath 20 minutes, we had accomplished Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey twice. With out this ticket, I’d’ve been completely satisfied to simply do it as soon as all day.
From there, we knocked out the 2 points of interest in Peter Pan’s By no means Land. As soon as once more, it was lower than a 5 minute wait from the time our ticket QR codes have been scanned till we have been on the trip or within the pre-show. In a nutshell, this was principally the story of our day.
All advised, we did at the very least 20 points of interest in Fantasy Springs on opening day. I’m undecided of the exact quantity, as we weren’t protecting shut rely. I do know that we did the next:
- Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey – 10 occasions
- Fairy Tinker Bell’s Busy Buggies – 5 occasions
- Peter Pan’s By no means Land Journey – 2 occasions
So it actually comes all the way down to what number of occasions we did Rapunzel’s Lantern Competition, and I do know the reply to that’s greater than 3 occasions. (At the least 5 that I can recall.) I additionally did a few points of interest exterior Fantasy Springs utilizing our anytime Precedence Passes.
Along with this, we additionally dined at Royal Banquet of Arendelle, The Snuggly Duckling, and Lookout Cookout. That’s all three of the principle eating places in Fantasy Springs—I point out this each as a result of it’s an accomplishment (all require Cellular Order, which we succeeded in acquiring) and since consuming takes time—greater than a trip.
Just a few issues to notice earlier than you make any probably misguided assumptions about replicating our success. First, you’ll discover that Peter Pan’s By no means Land Journey is barely on right here twice. That’s as a result of it’s the one trip with a peak requirement, making it the one we are able to’t do collectively as a result of child.
Peter Pan’s By no means Land Journey can be the longest whole minimal time dedication because it’s the one trip of the bunch with a pre-show. Had we needed to do that extra, it might’ve taken extra time, consuming into what else we may accomplish.
Second, we had already spent a number of days at Tokyo DisneySea, which included delicate openings of Fantasy Springs and time in the remainder of the park. We already purchased merchandise and received a ton of photographs.
Accordingly, the Fantasy Springs rides and eating places have been our deal with opening day. Whereas we had the prospect to do them beforehand, we hadn’t gotten our “fill” of them. I’d by no means say that I’ve gotten my “fill” of the remainder of Tokyo DisneySea…however nearer to it on this journey up till this level than Fantasy Springs. Level being—photographs, buying, and having fun with the remainder of the park all would’ve eaten into our trip rely.
Lastly, we don’t know the way operations for Fantasy Springs will proceed to evolve. Just a few mates thought it was loopy of us to go opening day—and it positively was of venture! However we needed to be there for the spectacle and pleasure, even when there have been points alongside the way in which.
And as I advised them on the time, I assumed it was equally doubtless that Oriental Land Firm would steadily ramp up capability for Fantasy Springs, making opening day the very best time to go to—not the worst. With the advantage of hindsight, I believe this angle was appropriate. I’ve a tough time imagining that OLC doesn’t improve capability—making attraction strains longer—within the coming weeks and months.
Actually, I hope this occurs. It felt slightly unfair for us to be doing points of interest on loop as we noticed different friends camped out at eating places enjoying the “refresh recreation” within the Tokyo Disney Resort app for hours. They usually have been the fortunate ones, who managed to enter Fantasy Springs within the first place. Journey capability is a zero-sum recreation, and extra of it needs to be allotted to common friends.
Regardless, the Fantasy Springs Magic Passport ought to nonetheless be implausible–nonetheless basically an infinite FastPass—however the stats you might’ve put up on opening day may not be potential in a number of months or someday in 2025.
With that stated, we weren’t singularly targeted on pumping up our numbers. (If we have been, I’d have a precise trip rely!) As talked about, we’re mother and father now and function on Child Time. She calls for sure issues of us at sure occasions, and that slowed us down.
By round late afternoon, we additionally have been beginning to have our fill with a few of the rides. We stopped looping them, and took a extra leisurely strategy. We did get a second wind as soon as sundown rolled round—eager to expertise the 2 points of interest with out of doors sections at evening. However nighttime additionally meant extra time slowing all the way down to savor the land and take photographs.
Level being, even when the Fantasy Springs Magic Passport turns into much less enticing as a consequence of operational adjustments or longer strains, you continue to may have the ability to put up numbers like this. This rely isn’t as nice because it sounds—a decided fan in all probability may’ve clocked 40 rides. (I’d think about you might do Fairy Tinker Bell’s Busy Buggies or Rapunzel’s Lantern Competition ~8 occasions in an hour.)
We left Fantasy Springs very glad due to the Magic Passport. Properly, and since the port and its points of interest are superior. That’s in all probability a not-so-minor element. If this have been an infinite FastPass for Dino-Rama…let’s simply say, we wouldn’t be writing a glowing report about it.
Sarah stated that opening day of Fantasy Springs was her finest Disney day ever. I’m not fairly positive about it being #1 for me (recency bias and all that), but it surely’s very shut—positively within the working for finest Disney day ever. That positively wouldn’t have been the case if we didn’t have the Fantasy Springs Magic Passport.
Actually, greater than anything, I used to be relieved. We had been build up the opening of Fantasy Springs a lot over the course of the final 5 years. We started dreaming of today again in 2019 when strolling previous the development web site and seeing progress from our lodge window over the course of a pair journeys. Then 2020 occurred, and watching YouTube movies of Japan is without doubt one of the issues that received us by means of the pandemic, as we anxiously awaited having the ability to return to our completely satisfied place.
That didn’t occur till November 2022, simply after the nation reopened. It was a bittersweet homecoming. We deliberate to return once more final 12 months however cancelled these plans for the very best motive ever–discovering out we have been anticipating a child lady! And now slightly over one 12 months after that cancelled journey, we received to take her to Japan for the primary time. That itself was mildly terrifying–particularly after a a lot simpler and shorter journey to Walt Disney World wasn’t with out points–but it surely turned out to be the very best journey of our lives.
Suffice to say, the opening of Fantasy Springs was a full circle second for us. My concern entering into was that it may by no means probably dwell as much as expectations even when issues went effectively, and can be an enormous letdown if issues went off the rails. And with any new Disney theme park opening of one thing that pulls large crowds, the latter is at all times a risk.
Our expertise on opening day of Fantasy Springs exceeded expectations, and was one in all–if not the–finest Disney days we’ve ever had. There was completely no friction due to the Fantasy Springs Magic Passport–to the felt that it felt like experiencing Tokyo DisneySea with a cheat code (anybody keep in mind GameShark?!)–and it was only a flawless go to.
Seeing this new port-of-call in our favourite theme park on the earth was one thing particular. (Particularly since, except Mermaid Lagoon, Tokyo DisneySea has much less to supply babies than Tokyo Disneyland.) Her face gentle up when seeing the spectacular Sven Audio Animatronics and the glow of the lanterns in Rapunzel’s Lantern Competition.
Her wide-eyed pleasure when recognizing a larger-than-life Cheese, a personality I didn’t even know existed till like a month in the past however is now one in all my favorites. Her uncontrollable giggles in response to the Misplaced Children hats, which I assume are hilarious. It was a extremely big day.
That Golden Ticket didn’t simply present us with limitless FastPass to do 20+ points of interest. Clearly that’s an excellent trip rely but it surely isn’t actually the purpose. I in all probability would’ve been glad with 4 stress-free rides, and that’s what it gave us–peace of thoughts. It allowed us to enter the brand new port-of-call within the first place with out fear. It enabled us to sleep in, as an alternative of getting up on the break of day and being zombies all day. It allowed us to have a carefree day, somewhat than being glued to our telephones.
I’m undecided what the worth of the Fantasy Springs Magic Passport is to us, however positively far more than we paid for the Trip Bundle. We went from by no means doing the bundle to, at this level, by no means not doing it (at the very least till the preliminary pleasure of Fantasy Springs dies down…so like for the subsequent decade?). We’re already strategizing about how you can use it subsequent journey. If you happen to’re touring internationally to expertise Tokyo DisneySea (presumably anybody studying this), making the splurge is very really helpful.
Planning a visit to Tokyo Disney Resort? For complete recommendation, the very best place to start out is our Tokyo Disneyland & DisneySea Journey Planning Information! For extra specifics, our TDR Lodge Rankings & Critiques web page covers lodging. Our Restaurant Critiques element the place to dine & snack. To save cash on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash publish. Our What to Pack for Disney publish takes a novel take a look at intelligent objects to take. Venturing elsewhere in Japan? Seek the advice of our Final Information to Kyoto, Japan and Metropolis Information to Tokyo, Japan.
YOUR THOUGHTS
Will you be doing the Tokyo Disney Resort Trip Bundle to effectively expertise Fantasy Springs? Ideas on ‘limitless FastPass’ for Fantasy Springs points of interest by way of the Magic Passport? Questioning how any facets of visiting work? Interested by crowds or anything? What do you consider the Peter Pan’s By no means Land, Rapunzel’s Forest, and Frozen Kingdom? Excited for this blockbuster addition to Tokyo DisneySea, or do you not care? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions? Listening to your suggestions—even while you disagree with us—is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
