Postcard from Japan

Top highlight - Staying at the Disney Toy Story Hotel. 

It was worth its weight in gold because of all the extra benefits. The main one being entry into the parks 15 minutes before other guests. We did this using “Happy Entry”.  There was a line over 1000 people long, and we just walked right to the front of the line and into the park. After the night parade with the fireworks, we had a short 2min train trip and walk, and we were back at our hotel. Bonus was having a view of Mt Fuji from our window! 

Food -
We spent so much on accommodation and attractions; we were keen to save on food. We found amazing value by purchasing street food, eating a lot of noodle soup, and buying onigiri at the 7/11. With breakfast included at our hotel, we could feed our family of three for around $40-50NZD per day. 

Favourite place visited - 

Everything was amazing, so it’s a hard call. Kidzania was an incredible experience and a favourite for our daughter (just turned 6). It was an absolute dream destination for our daughter who adores playing make believe. Kidzania is an amusement park set up so children can try out grown-up jobs. But it’s done sooooo well. Every single part of Kidzania is taken seriously by all involved.  So that makes it feel real! I would recommend it as a must do for any family with kids aged 5 -10.  Not much English is spoken, but if you pre book a Wednesday they have selected activities in English. 

Tip: Arrive early! People were lining up about 1.5 hours early. We were changing hotels on that day, so we had our suitcases with us. They had storage facilities available to make it easy. 

Special memory - 

So many to choose from! The whole trip was so special, and we enjoyed every day.  Probably a day visiting Odaiba. Escaping the hustle and bustle of Tokyo for a visit to Ehukai Beach Bar. It was surreal to sit with a Hawaiian beer, on a sunny terrace overlooking Tokyo City. It’s a great place for a day trip and a great place to relax and unwind. Odaiba is also home to Legoland, the Trick Art Museum, The giant Gundam robot, SEGA Joypolis (virtual reality rides, arcade games, and interactive experiences), a fantastic retro arcade (Y100 per game) and loads more kids’ attractions.