Review: Disneyland, Disney Sea & USJ (Japan)

If you are going to Japan, and visiting both Tokyo and Osaka, you might be in a dilemma. Which theme park do you visit if you only had budget for one? Well, I've been to all 3 so here is my review on them. Now bear in mind that I didn't take all the rides as my husband is not fond of too-violent rides and I don't really enjoy taking rides alone so this review may not be as complete as you might like. Nonetheless, hope my review will help you make a decision. :)

Disclaimer: This is gonna be a looooooong post so please bear with me. 

Tokyo
This metropolitan city has 2 theme parks under Disney: Disneyland and DisneySea. In other words? Land and Sea. They both have their own charms but Disneyland has been often described as a more suitable option for family with kids while Disneysea seems to attract more couples and adults.

My personal favourite? Disneysea with its beautiful Disney-inspired architecture, awesome live shows, and the limited edition Duffy Bear and friends.

Disneyland

OPENING HOURS:
8 or 9am, depending on the schedule. Make sure you check the timing before you go.

ATTRACTIONS:
There are several attractions in the land where dreams come true, which are divided into several zones like World Bazaar, Adventureland, Westernland, Critter Country etc.

RIDES:
Since my husband is not a big fan of rides, I can only give you a preview of what the rides entail through some of the videos uploaded on YouTube. Most are kiddy rides (read: not too scary) that I'm sure your kids will love, but be prepared for loooooooooooooong queues. You can circumvent that by running (yes, I mean literally run) to get your FASTPASS from the various ticketing machines located near the attraction you want to ride on. More on this later.

Exciting, right? Jeez, writing about it makes me want to go back again. >.< I really miss walking through the beautiful park and eating cute snacks.

SHOWS:
Disneyland Tokyo also has a Cinderella's Fairy Tale Hall, which is soooooooooooooooooooo beautiful. There's even a throne at the end of the tour where you can pretend to be royalty for a few seconds! Hehe.

PARADES:
I love love love the parades in Disneyland. They are so full of life and there is not a single boring minute as the gorgeously costumed dancers pranced past in their respective fairy tale theme. I will encourage you to catch both the day and night shows as they bring different elements to the table. They switch off all lights for the night show, but that's only to bring out the full beauty of their lights-adorned Disney floats. Check the videos below for a preview.

DisneySea

OPENING HOURS:
The timing varies but can be 8am, 9am or 10am. Check the timing here before you go.

ATTRACTIONS:
The attractions here are super awesome because they appear to take things a little further where imagination is concerned. Also, because it's DisneySEA, all of the attractions are water-based. You can look forward to several zones like Mediterranean Habor, American Waterfront, Port Discovery, Lost River Delta etc.

RIDES: 
As mentioned, my husband is not very fond of violent rides so we limited ourselves to tamer rides (tamer, not kiddy...LOL). One of the rides we took was the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, only because the queue for the FASTPASS ticking machines was pretty non-existent. =x

Anyway, it was supposed to be a ride that takes you deep underwater where you can then experience the wondrous sea wonders that you will only get to see if you go really really deep. It was an interesting experience because you can then pretend to be Captain Nemo on one of his seafaring adventures. Cool, right?

Another ride I took was the Indiana Jones® Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull. My husband didn't join me coz a) he was feeling out of it with the flu and b) he really really didn't like violent rides so he asked me to go ahead on my own. :x

I joined the extremely long queue but on hindsight, I should have joined the single rider queue because I WAS alone and it would have made things faster for me. If you are doing this as a couple, you MIGHT want to join the single rider queue but bear in mind that you may be assigned different seats. Anyway, the purpose of the single rider queue is so that the theme park employee can slot you in any time they have a seat that cannot fit a group.

Now this ride is reminiscent of the Revenge of the Mummy ride at Universal Studios Singapore because it involves similar jerks and jolts during the ride. It's damn scary but damn fun at the same time! I only wished I had time to try other rides but it was getting dark and the husband was, well, sick. T.T

SHOWS:
Okay, one of the shows that you ABSOLUTELY MUST catch is the Mermaid Lagoon Theater (King Triton's Concert). This is a live-action show that involves 'mermaids' dancing through the air and telling the story of Ariel, the little mermaid before she met Prince Eric. It is superbly well-done and I cannot emphasize how much you should catch this show. It's totally in Japanese, of course, but hey, their actions should pretty much say out loud what the story is all about. :)

Another show that I REALLY love is The Magic Lamp Theater. Remember our beloved genie? He's here in a live action show featuring that mysterious merchant you saw at the beginning of the animated movie. Super awesome.

PARADES:
If you love the parades in Disneyland, then you will love the ones in DisneySea. But instead of rumbling on, I will leave the following video to show you just how beautiful they are:

Okay, now that I've pretty much covered as much as I can remember, let's move on to how you can maximise your stay at the Disney theme parks.

• Read this on how to utilise FASTPASS at both Disneyland and DisneySea. FASTPASS is basically a ticket that allows you to avoid the longer queue and advance faster to the ride at a particular timing. Only a limited number of tickets are available but it doesn't mean that you don't have to queue. You STILL have to queue, except you get to the ride a lot faster than a normal queue.
• If you want to get your hands on the FASTPASS for popular rides, then you need to arrive early at the venue coz people will be there earlier for the same purpose anyway. 30 minutes before opening hours ought to be sufficient.
• Bring a picnic mat unless you don't mind sitting down on the ground during one of the parades.
• Bring an empty that you can refill from the strategic water coolers scattered throughout the park. If you are on a budget, this will go a long way.
• Selfie sticks are a no-no in both theme parks. Your bags will be searched at the entrance so don't try your luck. You can also read more about their notice here. 
• If you can only buy ONE souvenir from Disneyland or Sea, the consider getting the Duffy bear from DisneySea coz it's limited edition and can't be found anywhere else outside the theme park. 
• Above all, behave like the courteous, civilized being that you are. LOL.

Osaka

OPENING HOURS:
It depends, it can be 830am or 930am so make sure you double check the timing before you go.

ATTRACTIONS:
USJ (Universal Studios Japan) is one of the most well-known theme parks in Osaka, probably due to the ever-popular Hogwarts that it houses within its grounds. Harry Potter fans will make it a point to visit this beautiful spot and stock up on wands/uniforms but to be honest, I found it a little lacking. While you get to visit the shops that you could only read about or watched on the HP movies, Hogwarts was smaller than I expected. Their merchandise was awfully expensive too...I don't know why but I didn't feel very motivated to spend. Except on the butter beer that was much hyped about in the books. LOL.

How does the butter beer taste like? Well, it's sweet but nothing to shout about unlike how it was described in the books. :/

I'm very tempted to buy the wands, of course, but whatever will I do with them? LOL. I can't use a wand to magick my way out of trouble or help me win TOTO sooo...it's a no for me. Now bear in mind that Hogwarts is an extremely popular place on high traffic days, so you are recommended to get a Timed Entry pass. Wednesdays and Thursdays are presumably the best days to go since the crowds only get bigger from Friday to Tuesday. I went on a Thursday so I was able to enter Hogwarts without a timed entry pass.

Other attractions include the Minion Park, Universal Wonderland and Snoopy Studios.

RIDES:
USJ also has a FASTPASS system like Disney, except it's called Yoyakunori and is only available for rides like Elmo's Go-Go Skateboard and The Flying Snoopy--all kiddy rides. An alternative is getting the Universal Express Pass, which is of course makes it more expensive. Some rides you can look forward to include:

I didn't take any of the rides back then coz I had hurt my foot and I didn't think it was a good idea to go on any exciting rides. :x

SHOWS:
I didn't manage to catch any of the shows..(don't know why I was so unenthu when I really love theme parks)...but here are a couple of shows you can catch:

PARADES:
I didn't stay for the night parade because by then, I was tired from hobbling around and the weather was too cold for me to continue staying. Dinner was out of the question too as my husband felt that the food was too expensive and it was more worth it to splurge on good food that was more justifiably priced near our hotel. Plus, it was SOOOO crowded that I couldn't even find a place to sit down to wait for the parade. >.<

Okay, I must admit that this review is not very complete and perhaps a little biased because I wasn't in top form that day. I had hurt my foot while in an onsen previously. I didn't know it then, but I had in fact dislocated a bone. To make matters worse, my travel insurance refused to let me claim, citing that I had to seek medical advice in Japan and then come back to Singapore for a follow-up before I can claim anything. *rolls eyes* I didn't seek medical treatment in Japan coz I didn't know the language very well and I was worried that something might get lost in translation.

Anyway, despite the hype, I didn't enjoy my visit to USJ. I found it a tad 'soul-less' and too commercialized. Of course, I'm well aware that theme parks are technically 'tourist traps' but I didn't feel that way in Disney Tokyo. I guess they did it in a more subtle and effective manner? I don't know. Just my personal feeling. :)

Klook has a rather comprehensive article on how to enjoy Universal Studios so do have a read. 

End of the day, I really really love Disney in Tokyo and I really really hope to return one day. If I had to choose between Disney and Universal Studios, I will go for DisneySea, hands down. Hehehe.

Get your tickets here:

Disneyland

• Klook (New to Klook? Sign up using my link here to get $4.20.)
• KKday
• ChangiRecommends

DisneySea

• Klook
• KKday
• ChangiRecommends

USJ

• Klook
• KKday
• ChangiRecomends

You can also book from alternative vendors on Qoo10 although you MUST be sure to compare prices and read the reviews to make sure you are buying from an honest vendor. Have fun planning your trip!

Review: Soak in an Onsen! (Japan)

One of the experiences that you shouldn't miss out when you go Japan is the onsen, otherwise known as the Japanese hot spring. The reason? Well, it's relaxing as hell and soothes tired muscles after a whole day of exploring, of course. The first time I went to Japan, I went to an onsen called Oedo Onsen Monogatari Odaiba Hot Springs and then when I was in Osaka, I visited Spa World. I will do a review of both onsens in this post. Do note that both onsens have women only and men only baths so no worries about showing off your inner assets to the opposite gender. =)

Oedo Onsen Monogatari Odaiba Hot Springs
An onsen theme park in Tokyo, it's a pretty popular for both locals and tourists. In fact, it's so popular that it was even featured in a Digimon Adventure anime!

Okay, it's not obvious from the scene in the video but if even anime characters are making it a point to visit the place, you know it's a must-visit spot! In fact, it's much like an amusement park where you can wander around in a festival-like place and pay with a number tag on your wrist. You can settle the bill upon leaving but don't go too crazy or you might find yourself running out of yen before the trip ends! LOL.

To give you a better idea of what it's like inside this onsen amusement park, here's a vid to get a preview:

Looks fun, right? I thoroughly enjoyed myself in this amusement park because there are quite a few things to do aside from soaking in the baths (indoor or outdoor with hot and cold springs to balance out the experience). Tired of soaking? There are a few sauna rooms for you to sweat it out.

You can even go out to enjoy the foot bath or fish spa outside. Aching muscles? No worries, because there are additional services such as full body massage and head spa available for an additional fee. After soaking in a hot spring, you are bound to be hungry so head on to the indoor Edo Town for some delicious nom noms like sushi, ramen and yakitori.

There are many arcade games to entertain you but if that's not your cup of tea, you can always head upstairs to the relaxation room where there are loads of recliners for you to relax on. Each recliner comes with a mini TV of its own so that's pretty swell.

What I liked: Everything! I love that you can stay for as long as you like until 9am the next day. It's one of the most relaxing places I've been to and it helps that the Edo town theme they have going on is so festive and fun-filled. The food is reasonably nice too. You will definitely want to spend the whole day there just relaxing!

Click here for directions.

Spa World
This is another spa that's located in Osaka. Similar to Oedo Onsen Monogatari Odaiba Hot Springs, Spa World has both hot and cold springs that you can relax in. The design is much like a Roman bath, where there are various ways to relax. For instance, you can lie in a shallow pool of warm water or you can chill it out in a tub. As for entertainment, there aren't many options. There are a few restaurants but nothing too exciting. Families with young kids may like this place though because it has a amusement pool like Wild Wild Wet where kids can go wild.

You can get a beauty treatment or full body massage but when I was there, nearly everything was closed so I didn't find it as fun as Oedo Onsen Monogatari Odaiba Hot Springs.

What I liked: The design for the baths is quite unique and you definitely can spend a long time in there. But other than that, there isn't much going for it in terms of entertainment. There are full body massages etc. although I think they close quite early around 9 pm. They do have an interesting entrance with all the life size action figures though and there is a security room with security cameras where you can place your valuables.

Click here for directions.

If you ask me, I definitely prefer the Oedo Onsen Monogatari Odaiba Hot Springs because it has so many things to do and eat. Spa World is okay for me but you can still drop by to soak away your aches after walking all over the place! =)

Some tips to remember:

• You are expected to be naked but don't be shy! Everyone will be naked and there are all shapes and sizes of people enjoying the baths so don't feel too embarrassed. Chances are, they won't even notice your flabby arms or rounded posterior while they are soaking. Just be yourself.
• Don't forget to wash your body and hair before entering the baths. It's much like going to the swimming pool that way. 
• Don't stay in the hot baths for too long. Take short breaks after a while because it's not good to stay in there for extended periods of time.
• Be careful! I slipped and fell while I was entering a bath. I hurt my foot in the process and it was excruciating. Luckily I didn't hit my head. >.<
• You can put a small towel on your head or on the rocks nearby but if it falls into the bath, be sure to wring it outside the bath. 
• Tattoos are not allowed, not even a small one because the Japanese associate them with the Yakuzas or gangster ties. You might be able to use a water-proof bandage to cover up but the establishment might deny you entry if you have many tattoos on your body. 

Have fun soaking!

Review: Namba Oriental Hotel (Japan, Osaka)

Booking a hotel has got to be one of my most favourite things to do when planning a trip. I'm not much of a hostel/AirBnB person so I often turn to hotels to provide accommodation. In this review, I'm gonna talk about Namba Oriental Hotel that's located in Osaka where I travelled to on my last vacation.

First off, its address:

2-8-17, Sennichi-Mae, Chuo-Ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka 542-0074, Japan



I gotta say I'm really pleased with my choice this time because:

1. the room was more spacious than I expected, it even had a sofa where my husband happily napped on from time to time
2. close to railways and MRTs like Namba Station
3. smack in the middle of a shopping district and walking distance to Dōtonbori
4. near to food places (there were many restaurants just downstairs) and Kuromon Ichiba Market
5. walking distance from a limousine bus service that you can take from the Itami airport 
6. quite clean and tranquil 
7. beautiful water fountain for Instagrammable moments
8. not very important but it had an ice machine that we could get ice from when I hurt my foot

What I didn't quite like:

1. the lift we took to go to the lift lobby was a little smokey, probably due to the Pachinko arcade that was located in the same building on a lower floor
2. it didn't have a safe to keep our valuables
3. no cable channel that we could watch, you had to purchase a movie card for 1200 yen in order to access additional content
4. WiFi was a little slow so I resorted to using my own WiFi egg for Internet access
5. sometimes the chambermaids forget to clear an ice bucket or replenish our toothbrushes, but not a biggie...

But other than that, the hotel was pretty great. Wouldn't mind staying at it again next time. Here are a few pictures I took of the hotel and room:

Review: Our stay at this hotel was extremely pleasant. I loved its central location and proximity to shopping districts, food places and transportation. It's A LOT OF WALKING but still considered quite close. The lift heading up to the hotel lobby was a little smoky due to a Pachinko arcade on a lower floor. Wouldn't mind staying at this hotel again. The front desk and chambermaids were all very friendly, and it's surprisingly tranquil despite being located in the middle of a shopping district. I also LOVE the fact that the shopping district is sheltered so you never have to worry about unpredictable weather! 

Visit Japan with HELLO KITTY

Love travelling to Japan? Then you probably shouldn't miss out on this cute little app that was launched by the Japan Tourism Agency last year. It "introduces great places to visit in all of Japan's 47 prefectures and enables users to take a picture at each location with HELLO KITTY".

Muiee Phan, a Singaporean blogger, tried out the app during her trip to Tokyo last year and wrote all about it on her blog. Do check it out if you want to know what it's like. =)

It looks rather cute...although Muiee mentioned that you need 3G or connection to the local wifi in order to access the AR Camera, which is a camera function that comes with a location specific HELLO KITTY stamp. For instance when you launch the AR Camera upon reaching Nagano, you'll get a HELLO KITTY that represents the local culture. =)

Keen to try it out? You can download the "Visit Japan with HELLO KITTY" iPhone app on iTunes for free! Muiee has generously offered to share some photos that she took with the app but for more details, but DO visit her website!

PS: It's in Mandarin. But here's the official website in English for you, just in case!

If you've tried the app too, then I'll love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments below. XD