There are good & unhealthy instances to go to Tokyo Disneyland & DisneySea in 2025. Some days have low crowds, whereas others have 45 minute wait instances only for popcorn! Extremes in climate and seasonal leisure are different essential elements to think about when planning your Japan journey. (Up to date January 5, 2025.)
In our newest replace to this information to the very best instances to go to Tokyo Disney Resort, we’re wanting ahead to 2025. This follows fairly a bit of reports and modifications, together with the opening of Fantasy Springs final summer season. That blockbuster new $2 billion growth is the eighth themed port of name at Tokyo DisneySea, and has had a huge effect on attendance patterns and crowds.
Fantasy Springs is a large addition that’s drawing company from across the globe. It put Tokyo Disney Resort on the radar of many extra People and different overseas vacationers. Nonetheless, it’s removed from the one issue for shifting attendance and crowd developments at TDR. On the contrary, it’s not even the greatest issue.
This will likely come as a shock, however in combing by quarterly monetary reviews from Oriental Land Firm (OLC), the proprietor and operator of Tokyo Disney Resort, there have really been two greater elements. The primary is extreme warmth, which has drastically diminished attendance in the summertime. That is very true amongst home vacationers inside Japan and repeat guests. That is such a difficulty for OLC that they’re exploring climate countermeasures, together with the set up of extra air-conditioners, shade constructions, beverage merchandising machines, and prolonged summer season programming.
The second is a sharper than anticipated decline in journey demand on the again of a slowdown in post-pandemic “revenge spending.” That is hardly shocking, as Walt Disney World and Disneyland have seen this actual situation play out within the U.S. parks. The one distinction is the timeline being delayed as a consequence of Japan’s slower and extra cautious strategy to reopening.
The extent as to if pent-up demand continues to exhaust itself (or doesn’t) among the many Japanese is the largest variable on 2025 crowd ranges at Tokyo Disney Resort. Regardless of the existence of English-language websites like this one, Japanese guests make up the overwhelming majority of holiday makers to TDR in regular years. Worldwide guests solely accounted for 13% of all company at Tokyo Disney Resort final 12 months, which was a brand new file excessive. Whereas that was the fastest-growing demographic, it was nonetheless a small share of all park attendees.
For what it’s value, OLC at present is forecasting annual attendance of 28 million for the 2025 fiscal 12 months, revised down from an preliminary forecast of 29 million. That is up from roughly 27.5 million within the final fiscal 12 months, which isn’t a lot of a rise contemplating that Fantasy Springs opened within the present fiscal 12 months. (In equity, Tokyo Disneyland’s fortieth Anniversary was an enormous attendance driver within the prior fiscal 12 months.)
With that mentioned, not all timeframes have been impacted equally. For starters, there was a lull within the lead-up to Fantasy Springs as locals and vacationers alike postponed visits till the brand new port-of-call opened. This made for a slower few months pre-Fantasy Springs, as in comparison with the prior 12 months. That wasn’t a lot of a shock to OLC, per its quarterly reviews.
As famous, final summer season was slower than anticipated as a consequence of excessive warmth regardless of the opening of Fantasy Springs. We query whether or not that is completely because of the extreme climate–Tokyo has had some actually sizzling summers within the final ~5 years, and it stands to motive all would’ve been (roughly) equally impacted. We strongly suspect company additionally stayed away within the opening months of Fantasy Springs, fearing colossal crowds.
As a substitute, that heavy attendance confirmed up within the fall through the Halloween and Christmas seasons. We additionally strongly suspect value sensitivity was a contributing issue, as we anecdotally skilled heavier congestion and better wait instances on dates when tickets had been cheaper final 12 months. (For what it’s value, we “strongly suspect” this stuff because of years of expertise with Walt Disney World and Disneyland, which have seen the very same dynamics.)
To that time, we had an terrible expertise trying to enter Fantasy Springs through the vacation season, which just about soured the day in Tokyo DisneySea for us. You’ll be able to learn Why Disney’s #1 Park is Getting 1-Star Opinions for a full recap, however suffice to say, we’re removed from alone in having these points. This got here after fairly easy and seamless experiences with Fantasy Springs through the (slower) summer season season.
Wanting ahead, it looks as if a really secure wager that attendance numbers by Might 2025 shall be increased than they had been this 12 months. That is partly as a result of final 12 months’s numbers had been artificially low within the lead-up to Fantasy Springs because of the aforementioned postponed visits (making for a straightforward comparability), and due to the flip facet of that: locals are returning now to expertise Fantasy Springs.
One remaining, much less vital wild card is that park capability remains to be beneath 2019 ranges. We skilled this primary hand with our final journey to Tokyo Disney Resort. The parks had been filled with among the worst ‘looks like’ crowds we’ve ever encountered.
Staffing shortages are an ongoing concern, eating places and retail stay closed, leisure is diminished or modified, hours are shorter, and extra. All of this stuff are individually minor, however are an enormous concern in combination. The underside line is that the Tokyo Disney Resort of at the moment remains to be very completely different from the Tokyo Disney Resort of 2019. (Once more, a really comparable dynamic to the U.S. parks in 2021 and 2022.)
Our honest hope is that this capability is restored in brief order, as it will likely be wanted if attendance continues to extend. Tokyo Disney Resort has already introduced the return of a present to the Hangar Stage in Tokyo DisneySea with “Desires Take Flight” debuting on July 16, 2025. Moreover, the scaled-back Huge Band Beat: A Particular Deal with will finish on September 30, 2025…and hopefully one thing will substitute it earlier than the tip of the 12 months.
It is a step in the best route, however it’s only a begin. Extra is about 2 years overdue–it appears virtually like OLC is asleep on the wheel to simply be addressing these points in mid-2025.
With that slightly vital preface out of the way in which, we’ll do our greatest to foretell crowd developments right here based mostly on previous precedent in a traditional 12 months. All issues being equal, these normal patterns ought to repeat themselves once more in 2025 and past.
Narrowing issues right down to the season throughout which you wish to go to is an important first step from our perspective. This isn’t California and even Florida. The variations between January and April, for instance, are vital. In January, you’ll actually discover chilly climate and may even be greeted by snow in several components of Japan, together with Tokyo Disneyland. In April, climate is delicate, the cherry blossoms begin blooming, and the parks are celebrating spring.
To that finish, let’s begin by taking a month-by-month have a look at what you possibly can encounter by way of seasonal choices, crowds, and climate. Let’s begin with the particular occasions, that are shaping as much as be completely different in 2025 than earlier years…
2025 Particular Occasions at Tokyo Disney Resort
- Disney Pal-Palooza: Vanellope’s Candy Pop World (Tokyo Disneyland) – January 15 to March 16, 2025
- Duffy & Buddies twentieth Anniversary (Tokyo DisneySea) – April 8, 2025 to March 19, 2026
- Disney Pal-Palooza: Donald’s Quacky Duck Metropolis (Tokyo Disneyland) – April 8 to June 30, 2025
- Meals & Wine Pageant (Tokyo DisneySea) – April 8 to June 30, 2025
- Summer time Packages (Each Parks) – July 2 to September 15, 2025
- Halloween (Each Parks) – September 17 – October 31, 2025
- Christmas (Each Parks) – November 11 – December 25, 2025
As in comparison with a traditional (2019 and earlier) 12 months, this lineup of 2025 particular occasions remains to be slightly meager. There’s no winter occasion at Tokyo DisneySea and no Easter at both park. Whereas the Disney Pal-Palooza has been a pleasant addition within the final two years, among the different choices could also be substantively missing.
We’re each stunned and unsurprised by this. As in comparison with the previous couple of years, it is a marked enhance. There’s additionally the sensible actuality that Tokyo Disney Resort is manner behind the curve in resuming operations, getting again to regular virtually 2 years behind the U.S. parks. That has meant well being security protocol and constraints, each onstage and off, in addition to staffing shortages.
That’s to not excuse this lineup or what’s been supplied the previous couple of years. The sluggish tempo of getting again to regular is according to Japan as a complete, however it’s additionally a straightforward pretense for cost-cutting. It’s additionally to be anticipated that leisure can be diminished as capital investments (new rides and lands) will increase; that’s the Disney playbook.
Right here’s a rundown of what to anticipate every month. Observe that these are regular developments with previous particular occasions preserved for posterity so you possibly can see what would usually be supplied:
January
- Seasonal Occasion: New 12 months’s at Each Parks
- Seasonal Occasion: Minnie Bestie Bash at Tokyo Disneyland
- Seasonal Occasion: Duffy’s Heartwarming Days at Tokyo DisneySea
- Climate: 35-50° F with principally sunny days and little precipitation.
- Crowds: Low after New 12 months’s week.
February
- Seasonal Occasion: Minnie Bestie Bash at Tokyo Disneyland
- Seasonal Occasion: Duffy’s Heartwarming Days at Tokyo DisneySea
- Climate: 35-50° F with principally sunny days and little precipitation.
- Crowds: Low to average, growing in direction of the tip of the month.
March
- Particular Occasion: Minnie Bestie Bash at Tokyo Disneyland
- Seasonal Occasion: Duffy’s Heartwarming Days at Tokyo DisneySea
- Seasonal Occasion: Disney’s Easter at Each Parks
- Climate: 40-55° F with principally sunny days and lightweight precipitation.
- Crowds: Average crowds the complete month getting worse in direction of the tip of the month, each in Tokyo Disneyland and Japan generally (blossom season).
April
- Seasonal Occasion: Disney’s Easter at Each Parks
- Climate: 50-65° F with average sunny days and lightweight precipitation
- Crowds: Low exterior of potential holidays on the finish of the month (keep away from days round Golden Week).
Might
- Seasonal Occasion: Disney’s Easter at Each Parks
- Climate: 60-75° F with average sunny days and lightweight precipitation.
- Crowds: Low after Golden Week journey concludes.
June
- Particular Occasion: Duffy Sunny Enjoyable at Tokyo DisneySea
- Seasonal Occasion: Disney’s Easter at Each Parks
- Climate: 65-75° F with some sunny days and average precipitation.
- Crowds: Usually low.
July
- Seasonal Occasion: Duffy Sunny Enjoyable & Pirates Summer time in Tokyo DisneySea
- Climate: 75-85° F with some sunny days, some precipitation, and excessive humidity.
- Crowds: Average till the final week, which is heavy.
August
- Seasonal Occasion: Duffy Sunny Enjoyable & Pirates Summer time in Tokyo DisneySea
- Climate: 75-90° F with average sunny days, mild precipitation, and excessive humidity.
- Crowds: Heavy.
September
- Particular Occasion: Halloween in each parks
- Climate: 70-80° F with average sunny days and a few precipitation.
- Crowds: Low at the start of the month, growing to heavy on the finish.
October
- Particular Occasion: Halloween in each parks
- Climate: 60-70° F with average sunny days and lightweight precipitation.
- Crowds: Heavy.
November
- Particular Occasion: Christmas in each parks
- Climate: 50-65° F with principally sunny days and lightweight precipitation.
- Crowds: Average.
December
- Particular Occasion: Christmas in each parks
- Climate: 40-55° F with principally sunny days and lightweight precipitation.
- Crowds: Low till Christmas week; heavy thereafter.
Observe that this month by month look is a excessive stage overview, and makes generalizations about crowds and climate. For actual dates of Tokyo Disney Resort seasonal occasions, seek the advice of their official month-to-month calendar.
Along with the occasions on this calendar and that official one, Tokyo Disneyland has opened its large growth that features the brand new Enchanted Story of Magnificence and the Beast attraction and the indoor Fantasyland Forest Theatre. In Toontown, the brand new Disney Character greeting facility Minnie’s Model Studio can also be open, and the Glad Journey with Baymax has debuted in Tomorrowland.
By way of climate, it will get chilly within the winter after which more and more hotter till peaking through the spring months. Late-June by early-August are the worst instances to go to from a climate perspective phrases of each precipitation and debilitating humidity.
Pre-closure, we visited throughout a number of instances of 12 months. Most noteworthy for the needs of this publish had been our summer season visits. Whereas we loved the summer season festivities, the climate bordered on depressing. Japan’s sweltering temperatures made world information as a consequence of temperatures over 100F and a record-breaking warmth wave that has killed dozens. Temperatures this intense have gotten more and more widespread in Japan, and that’s one thing to think about when planning.
We’d strongly advocate avoiding the summer season months of mid-June by late August. Might by early June are usually “secure” and will be nice instances to go to (a candy spot with pleasant-enough climate and decrease crowds), however do dates deeper into the summer season season. The decrease crowds aren’t value it–take heavier crowds however higher climate!
Round September, the climate begins to chill once more within the fall resulting in colder climate once more within the winter. From September by November, issues are usually nice. December by February are as soon as once more “climate wild playing cards” with freezing temperatures and even snow doable. In case you’re averse to chilly climate, you must keep away from these months.
Climate as soon as once more turns into extra temperate within the spring, with April and Might being fairly good. Our calendar above covers in-park crowds, and signifies that April is usually off-season for Tokyo Disney Resort. Observe that April is cherry blossom season in Japan, so you might be more likely to encounter heavier crowds exterior the parks throughout peak sakura instances. (Ditto that with mid to late November and fall colours season.)
As for crowds, you undoubtedly wish to seek the advice of one thing extra exact than our overview. Japanese nationwide holidays and to a lesser extent nationwide holidays in China and South Korea (the biggest demographics of abroad guests to Japan) can have impression crowds on sure dates, and crowds can activate a dime from being mild to heavy when college is out of session.
For a bit extra precision, we advocate consulting Crowd Calendars for Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea. These are extremely nice sources for selecting which days to go to the parks when you’ve narrowed down your tough journey dates based mostly upon the season or particular occasions you wish to expertise. There’s lots of information within the crowd calendars, they usually have by no means steered us flawed.
One factor to notice is that crowds fluctuate extra at Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea greater than some other parks on this planet. We’ve been on “low” days in the midst of the weeks which can be lighter than mid-January at Disneyland, and we’ve been on weekends that really feel like New 12 months’s Eve in Magic Kingdom.
Lots of people of apprehensive about visiting Tokyo Disneyland as a consequence of photographs that flow into of humongous traces to get into the park and loopy congestion, and whereas the previous is true on daily basis (the Japanese like to point out up early!) the latter is simply true on the busiest days of the 12 months. I wish to underscore this as a result of the notion of crowds in these parks has taken on a lifetime of its personal and is, frankly, overblown.
With that mentioned, it is extremely essential to decide on your journey dates properly to keep away from weekends and holidays, in any other case you threat being caught in one among these ‘loopy congestion’ instances. Our 3 favourite instances to go to the parks are mid-Might, early to mid-September, and early-November.
In case you go in mid-Might, you keep away from the the Golden Week crowds, get higher climate than earlier within the 12 months, and can be capable of see Disney’s Easter, which is superior. In our expertise, that is the candy spot by way of climate, crowds, and seasonal occasions.
In case you go to in early to mid-September, you’ll give you the chance once more have milder climate and you’ll beat the Halloween crowds (which get unhealthy!) whereas nonetheless having the ability to benefit from the Halloween festivities.
We’ve dubbed going for the final two days of Halloween and the primary week of Christmas as “HalloXmas at Tokyo Disney Resort.” That is our absolute favourite time of the 12 months to go because of seasonal choices. Observe that Halloween itself is unhealthy crowd-wise, however the next days are mild. Climate ought to be temperate all through the journey, however you may want a light-weight jacket.
We love Tokyo Disney Resort, however we predict it could be form of excessive (and never EXTREME! in a great way, like chugging a bunch of Mountain Dew and hanging out with Chuck Norris) to go to Japan with out seeing different components of Japan, so you must undoubtedly seek the advice of a calendar of happenings across the nation earlier than finalizing your dates.
As famous above, cherry blossom and fall colours seasons are going to be busy all through the nation. That is notably true in Kyoto, Mt. Fuji, and different areas recognized for seasonal magnificence. In case you’re simply visiting solely Tokyo in your first journey to Japan, this shouldn’t be as a lot of a priority.
When you’ve decided what time of 12 months you wish to go to, it’s essential to plan the actual days you may be visiting. A very powerful takeaway you possibly can glean from this text is don’t go to Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea on weekends. That’s actually essential, so let me reiterate with some dramatic emphasis: DO NOT VISIT TOKYO DISNEY RESORT ON WEEKENDS!!!
That is true it doesn’t matter what time of 12 months you go to, even through the lowest seasons, weekend crowds are unhealthy. Like Occasions Sq. on New 12 months’s Eve (minus the B.O. and vomit) unhealthy. It’s because Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea are locals parks greater than even Disneyland in California, that means they get crowded with Annual Passholders on the weekends when they’re off college and work.
Saturday is absolutely the worst day of the week, with Sunday a detailed second (till round 5 p.m. when locals begin heading house). Friday is the third worst day, particularly within the afternoon and night, as individuals head to the parks to kick off their weekends.
By way of the remainder of the week, we will’t actually say we’ve seen a major distinction amongst Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, save for Monday arguably being barely busier with just a few locals doing lengthy weekends and vacationers kicking off the beginning of their trip head to the parks. This distinction is negligible at finest, and we might not advocate avoiding Monday because of this.
The above isn’t at present correct as a consequence of date-based pricing that has increased costs on weekends and, extra importantly, because of the ongoing suspension of Annual Passes. Vacation weekends are nonetheless busier, however we now purposefully go to on Sundays as a result of we’ve discovered they are usually slower than most days of the week (Sunday nights are particularly good).
One remaining factor to think about is the power of the yen as in comparison with the greenback. The yen is hovering round its weakest ranges since 1998, with the Japanese foreign money falling about 25% within the final couple of years. The power of the greenback means higher buying energy when touring overseas, and to Japan specifically.
The Financial institution of Japan has intervened by promoting dollar-denominated belongings to purchase the yen in an effort to prop-up the Japanese foreign money’s free-fall, however that hasn’t carried out a lot. The Financial institution of Japan has reaffirmed a dedication to ultralow financial coverage, whereas the U.S. Federal Reserve and different central banks within the West have hiked rates of interest repeatedly–and have signaled intent to proceed doing so.
These divergent approaches will imply the results of the yen intervention may be restricted, until the BOJ modifications its dovish stance. Seek the advice of conversion charts whereas planning your journey to Tokyo Disney Resort to see the place issues stand previous to your go to, however you ought to have extra buying energy with regards to airfare, resorts, park tickets, and outfits on your Duffy plush–you realize, all the necessities.
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 Resort Rankings & Opinions web page covers lodging. Our Restaurant Opinions element the place to dine & snack. To save cash on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Suggestions for Saving Cash publish. Our What to Pack for Disney publish takes a novel have a look at intelligent gadgets to take. Venturing elsewhere in Japan? Seek the advice of our Final Information to Kyoto, Japan and Metropolis Information to Tokyo, Japan.
Your Ideas
In case you’ve been to Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea, what did you suppose had been the very best or worst instances to go to? Interested by visiting at any explicit instances of 12 months? Different ideas on avoiding crowds at Tokyo Disneyland? Share your ideas or questions within the feedback beneath!
