LEGO Build: The Great Wave, Our Pathway to Tokyo Disneyland

In preparation for our upcoming trip to Tokyo Disneyland (TDL) and Tokyo Disney Sea (TDS), we decided for inspiration to purchase and build one of the most famous works from Japan, The Great Wave off Kanagawa. This piece was created by Katsushika Hokusai in 1831 and serves as his first piece in a series named Thirty-six Views of Mt Fuji. What better way to get into a Japanese way of thinking than by building this masterpiece?

First things first, we are going to Japan to visit Tokyo Disneyland and Disney’s Tokyo Sea. If you have ever wondered how easy it is to plan such a trip, we are here to give you some early pointers we have learned. While this article is centered around the Lego set, The Great Wave off Kanagawa, we figured it wouldn’t hurt to let you know where we are at on planning our overseas trip. As we travel through our planning you will watch this wonderful Lego set come to life.

The most obvious hint is to plan! Check immigration requirements. Do you need a visa? Currently, US citizens do not need a visa to visit Japan, making it very easy to visit. Next, figure out what you are centering your trip around. In our case, it is Disney Parks, but with so much to see in Japan, the next thing to consider is how long?

Our priority is the Disney Parks and two days in each one of those. That starts our trip at four days, and we aren’t going to those parks four days in a row. Second on our list to visit is the city of Kyoto, and to get there by bullet train!

Already our trip is well over seven days, and when you travel over an ocean somewhere, it is better to stretch out the trip if you can. Also on the list is to figure out lodging. The two most obvious options are your traditional hotel, or Airbnb.

Tokyo Disneyland & Tokyo Disney Sea

Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea are on plenty of Disney fan’s bucket lists. In fact, a lot of fans argue that Tokyo Disney Sea is the best Disney Park in the world. It will be hard for us to say anything beats the original in Anaheim, but we will let you know our thoughts after we return! Currently, Disneyland is our favorite Disney theme park.

Buying tickets to Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea requires timing. If you opt for a hotel on-site in Tokyo Disneyland, you will have a guaranteed spot to purchase tickets for your visit. Meanwhile, if you stay off-site at a hotel or Airbnb, you must buy your tickets in advance and for specific days, like here in the states.

Through thorough research, we decided to use an app named Klook. Klook is considered an extremely trustworthy and proven site for Tokyo Disneyland tickets. Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea currently do not allow park hopping and tend to sell out. Be sure to grab your tickets for your dates as soon as you know when you will visit. You can start purchasing your park tickets 60 days in advance.

Tokyo Lodging

Another big decision is where to stay while you are visiting the land of the rising sun. The two main options are, hotels, or sites like Airbnb. Each one of these offer their own benefits. We will share what went into our thought process as well as which one we picked.

Hotels offer you all the amenities you could ever ask for, from reliable name brands such as Disney, Hilton, and many others. With these brands comes a proven method for traveling and a piece of mind for more traditional travelers. Even staying at Disney resorts gives you the peace of mind knowing you can buy a ticket to TDL and TDS. however, hotels come with a higher price, and for us that would have shortened our trip.

We opted for Airbnb, which allowed us to extend our trip well beyond what we could have done with a hotel. By booking through Airbnb, we saved over 60% on our lodging budget, which allows us more budget while in Japan. Of course, Airbnb lifestyle is not for everyone, but it is something we highly suggest considering. Remember to do a lot of research on the places you are renting by reading reviews, and even contacting the hosts directly before booking.

Considerations and Thoughts For Visiting Japan

While building out your trip, consider other destinations you would like to see in Japan. Outside of TDL & TDS, we will visit Kyoto and view Mt Fuji. For Kyoto we will travel by bullet train and even get an Airbnb while visiting Kyoto. For Mt Fuji, we will book an excursion for the day. There are many websites to help you plan, but again I suggest you use incognito browsing to do it and research the sites you are visiting before handing out your credit card information.

As we near the end of our LEGO build, we hope you enjoy a little peek into our trip planning for Tokyo Japan. While we are still planning away, we did want to throw out some tips and tricks as well as share our enjoyment of building the LEGO kit, The Great Wave off Kanagawa.

What are your thoughts about visiting Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea? Is it on your bucket list? Is Japan itself on your list? Do you have suggestions for us to try out while in Japan? Let us know in the comments! If you liked this article check out one of our favorite restaurants in Walt Disney World here!