Pre-Trip Report: Kristina’s Trip to Tokyo (July 2024)

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VIRGINIA: Welcome to Where I Long To Be, a Magical Trip Report Podcast.

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VIRGINIA: My name is Virginia, and I am your host.

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VIRGINIA: Today, you will hear my conversation with Kristina.

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VIRGINIA: While she has been on a mission to try to get into a Club 33 location in any of the Disney parks, I'd say she's already living the dream by being able to plan this trip to Tokyo.

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VIRGINIA: So many of us Disney fans have a goal for ourselves to visit all the parks around the world.

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VIRGINIA: So hopefully, this will help you start to think about how you might make that dream a reality, too.

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VIRGINIA: And with that, here's Kristina.

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VIRGINIA: Hello, Kristina.

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KRISTINA: Hi, Virginia.

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VIRGINIA: I am so excited to have you here.

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VIRGINIA: Listeners, you may know Kristina from Instagram where she is Destination Club 33.

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VIRGINIA: So Kristina has a very special trip coming up that we're going to get into.

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VIRGINIA: But before we do that, why don't you just share with our listeners where you're coming to us from in the world?

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VIRGINIA: What is your backstory?

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VIRGINIA: How did you come to love Disney?

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VIRGINIA: Maybe how you decided on the Instagram handle Destination Club 33.

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KRISTINA: Yeah.

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KRISTINA: So I'm located in New Jersey.

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KRISTINA: I've pretty much been going on Disney trips my entire life.

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KRISTINA: My parents raised me on Disney movies.

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KRISTINA: Then actually in college, I was in a Disney club.

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KRISTINA: I think that was when I really cemented my love for Disney and eventually I started to realize I'm getting close to the age of 33.

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KRISTINA: There's a very special club called Club 33 in Disney.

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KRISTINA: I decided to start a whole Instagram about my wish to get into Club 33 at Disney, since it's such an exclusive club.

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VIRGINIA: Do you care whether it's at Disneyland or Disney World?

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KRISTINA: No, I mean, I'll take anywhere in the world, really, or go to more than one.

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VIRGINIA: That's true.

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VIRGINIA: I don't think I would say no if I were offered an invitation.

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VIRGINIA: I have a couple of friends who have been able to eat at the Club 33 in Disneyland.

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VIRGINIA: I have lived vicariously through them, but I think all of us Disney fans have certain things on our bucket list, and one of them is usually going to Club 33 if you are deep in the Disney rabbit hole where you even know what that is.

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VIRGINIA: I guess I should say specifically what that is for listeners who may not be aware.

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VIRGINIA: It is a club.

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VIRGINIA: It's a very exclusive club.

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VIRGINIA: It's a very expensive club.

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VIRGINIA: From what I know about it, to become a member, there are wait lists that are sometimes years long.

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VIRGINIA: If you are able to join, there is some membership joining fee that I want to say is in the $15,000 or more range and then there are annual fees on top of that.

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VIRGINIA: But with that money, however much it actually is in real life, you get access to the Club 33 restaurant, access to special merchandise, and it's just like the most exclusive club, Mickey Mouse Club, I guess I would say.

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VIRGINIA: Anything else that I have missed about that?

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KRISTINA: No.

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KRISTINA: That's what my whole Instagram account is about.

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KRISTINA: It's not even just Club 33, but just Disney bucket list items.

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KRISTINA: I think I've been a fan for long enough, so I've done the basic level of going to the parks and experiencing things.

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KRISTINA: I guess I'm always just building on my Disney bucket list of things that are more interesting and exciting to experience.

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VIRGINIA: Yeah.

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VIRGINIA: That's a perfect segue into your upcoming trip.

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VIRGINIA: You're headed to Tokyo Disneyland.

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KRISTINA: Yes.

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VIRGINIA: How exciting is that?

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VIRGINIA: I am beyond thrilled for you.

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VIRGINIA: I cannot wait to see how all of this goes.

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VIRGINIA: Who for this trip will you be traveling with?

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KRISTINA: Yeah.

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KRISTINA: I'll be traveling with my husband and a bit of a backstory is that we got married in 2022, and originally we wanted to go to Japan for our honeymoon.

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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KRISTINA: But at the time that we got married, the country was still not open yet.

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KRISTINA: We just did the generic Walt Disney World honeymoon and celebrated that way.

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KRISTINA: I told my husband, I was like, within five years of marriage, though, I really want to make this trip happen.

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KRISTINA: We're going to go to Japan.

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KRISTINA: And so this is finally us going to Japan and making that possible.

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KRISTINA: So it's kind of like the honeymoon is happening now.

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VIRGINIA: Yeah.

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VIRGINIA: But you know what?

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VIRGINIA: It doesn't have to absolutely happen within the first months of marriage.

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VIRGINIA: In fact, I would say if you have the opportunity to go on an amazing bucket list trip like this, even if it's years down the road, like this, this is your honeymoon.

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VIRGINIA: This is the real honeymoon.

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VIRGINIA: So very, very exciting.

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VIRGINIA: And for both of you, this is your first trip to Japan, correct?

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KRISTINA: Yes.

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KRISTINA: Yes.

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KRISTINA: First trip to Asia, really.

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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VIRGINIA: Do either of you speak any Japanese?

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KRISTINA: No, we've been learning a lot from Duolingo and trying to pick up some very basic Japanese, so we're not just completely lost.

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KRISTINA: It's a very complex language.

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VIRGINIA: Yes.

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VIRGINIA: Yes.

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VIRGINIA: It must be.

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VIRGINIA: Anything that uses a different alphabet than we do, to me, it's that extra level of difficulty for those of us who are English speakers to learn.

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VIRGINIA: I was trying to learn a little bit of Spanish with Alex recently through Duolingo, and it was really fun because it turned into a game.

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VIRGINIA: But it also guilt chipped me when I had not looked at it in long enough, which is a little disconcerting.

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KRISTINA: Yeah.

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VIRGINIA: Anybody who doesn't use Duolingo, your app starts to look sad if you haven't used it in a while.

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KRISTINA: Yeah.

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KRISTINA: I usually try to get myself to do at least one lesson a day.

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KRISTINA: So I have my streak at 800 and something days now.

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KRISTINA: But that was one lesson a day.

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VIRGINIA: Well, I mean, that's better than me.

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VIRGINIA: Obviously, I let my owl get sad.

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VIRGINIA: Do you and your husband get competitive with it?

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VIRGINIA: Because there are points and stars and all this stuff that you can do to add a level of excitement to your language learning.

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KRISTINA: Actually, he ended up surprising me on the fact that he was also learning Duolingo.

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KRISTINA: So he started probably a couple months back.

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KRISTINA: Then suddenly was just like, oh yeah, I've been learning Japanese in the background too.

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VIRGINIA: That is funny.

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VIRGINIA: All right.

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VIRGINIA: Well, I hope that you're able to put at least a little bit of that to use on your trip.

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VIRGINIA: Did you use a travel planner for any of this or did you do all of your planning yourself?

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KRISTINA: So I ended up doing all of my planning myself.

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KRISTINA: I'm also very research oriented, so I'm essentially like my own travel planner where I will talk to people who have done the trips.

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KRISTINA: I will try to learn as much about what is a good deal, what's not a good deal, kind of research everything I can do in a place and kind of get an understanding of what I don't want to miss.

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KRISTINA: So I've also, like I said, been prepping pretty much since I got engaged to be married.

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KRISTINA: So I've been prepping this trip for a long time.

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VIRGINIA: How did you decide what kind of division of your days you're going to be doing?

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VIRGINIA: So like Disney days versus touring Japan?

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KRISTINA: Yeah.

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KRISTINA: So we kind of went into this trip being like, this might be our one and only time going to Tokyo.

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KRISTINA: And my husband said, this is like your one and only time going to Tokyo Disney.

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KRISTINA: So I want you to take as many days as you want to get to experience this, because it might be your one and only time.

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KRISTINA: So we kind of gave the bulk of the trip to Disney.

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KRISTINA: We've been telling all our friends that we're going to Japan, but mainly Disney is how we've been marketing our trip.

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KRISTINA: But we kind of left a couple of days up in the air to be, okay, these are the cities in Tokyo that we want to experience.

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KRISTINA: And we've kind of narrowed down just to Tokyo, just to keep it simple.

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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VIRGINIA: Yeah.

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VIRGINIA: So what kind of resources, as you've been doing this planning after all these years, I'm sure you have loads of great resources for people who might be thinking about a trip on their own.

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VIRGINIA: But if you had to think of a couple that were like, these were invaluable, if you're going to be thinking about a trip to Tokyo, start here.

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KRISTINA: Yeah.

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KRISTINA: So probably the number one name most people will hear is TDR Explorer.

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KRISTINA: He has a YouTube channel.

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KRISTINA: He writes a book.

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KRISTINA: He is pretty much everyone's go-to guide for Tokyo Disney.

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KRISTINA: He has a website blog, so he keeps it up to date with small tidbits too.

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KRISTINA: So he's probably the best for that.

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KRISTINA: And other than that, I've been talking to people who've gone to Japan in my life that I've known, and I've been just kind of using the Tokyo Disney website itself.

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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VIRGINIA: Is that website easy to navigate based on your knowledge of the US websites?

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VIRGINIA: Like, is it similar or are there differences within the site that are just enough different that it could be a little bit confusing?

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KRISTINA: Yeah.

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KRISTINA: I would say that overall, the experience is the same where you have a section to read about attractions.

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KRISTINA: There's a map you can look at.

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KRISTINA: You can download the map.

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KRISTINA: I think where it gets slightly different is that, unlike the US parks where you could probably decide a week before you're going to go to Walt Disney World to book your vacation, Japan books up quick.

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KRISTINA: If you want a Tokyo Disney Hotel, you have to know the day that that booking is going to open up and the time that it's going to open up and you need to book it then because the next morning it's going to be gone.

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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VIRGINIA: When you're thinking about that, are you also having to take into account what the time is in Tokyo for your time to get onto the computer here?

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KRISTINA: Yes.

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KRISTINA: In fact, when I was booking my trip, it was one or two days after daylight saving.

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KRISTINA: I had thought it was one time and then it was actually an hour later because Tokyo doesn't have daylight savings.

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KRISTINA: So I had to keep that into account as well.

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KRISTINA: So yeah, that's definitely a little tricky.

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KRISTINA: But if you know the time, then you pretty much know which time to log in.

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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VIRGINIA: I would always rather it be an hour later than to show up and realize I'm an hour late.

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VIRGINIA: So yeah.

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VIRGINIA: All right.

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VIRGINIA: Well, speaking of your hotel and making those arrangements, which hotel or hotels have you decided to stay in, and how did you come to that decision?

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KRISTINA: So I ended up choosing the Toy Story Hotel.

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KRISTINA: I just loved how the theming looked like online.

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KRISTINA: I love super themed hotel rooms, and it looks exactly like Andy's room, and it's just well-themed.

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KRISTINA: Overall, it's close to the parks.

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KRISTINA: It has monorail access.

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KRISTINA: So overall, it was the one I wanted.

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KRISTINA: Like I mentioned, since booking can book up quick, I had decided that if I didn't get the Toy Story Hotel, I'd try maybe one of the other smaller Disney hotels as well.

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KRISTINA: Also, when you're booking a Tokyo hotel, you can only book, I think it was three to four days at a hotel before you'd have to make another booking.

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KRISTINA: So there was the possibility I'd get like the first four days in Toy Story, and then I'd have to pick a different hotel if it booked up.

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KRISTINA: But thankfully, I got every single day that I needed in the Toy Story Hotel.

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VIRGINIA: So technically, do you have two reservations or you are able to add on after those days, and it's now one reservation?

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KRISTINA: Yeah, currently I have two reservations, and I think my game plan will be when I get there on the first day, just seeing if they could confirm that we could stay in the same room, or if the room has to be swapped.

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KRISTINA: But because they have this policy on their website, it does say that if you were switching hotels, that they'll easily transport your bags to the next hotel stay.

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KRISTINA: So that was really useful to know.

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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VIRGINIA: What kind of pricing do the Disney, Tokyo hotels have?

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VIRGINIA: I know they have a number of them to choose from.

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VIRGINIA: Do they have levels, and how do they compare when you think about value moderate and deluxe here in the US?

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KRISTINA: Pretty much in Tokyo, there's not a lot of hotel options, and primarily about 80 percent of them are considered deluxe.

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KRISTINA: So the Toy Story Hotel is considered moderate, and I think there's one other, I think it's called the Celebration Hotel, is considered their other moderate.

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KRISTINA: Pretty much majority of the other ones are deluxe, and then there's one other hotel that's slightly off property, and is also still technically a Disney hotel, and that one's again probably moderate to value.

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VIRGINIA: Okay, do they have good neighbor hotels like we do here that people could have additional options?

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KRISTINA: They have a Hilton that's like right on property and a few other hotels.

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KRISTINA: The only difference with the good neighbor hotels, and one of the keys for me was that if you stay at a Disney hotel, you are guaranteed entry tickets.

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KRISTINA: You don't have to try to book them in advance.

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KRISTINA: You can book them when you're in Japan and say, today I want to go to DisneySea, tomorrow I want to go to Disneyland.

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KRISTINA: If you stay at a good neighbor, you would have to make sure you booked your tickets in advance.

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VIRGINIA: That is really good to know because worst case scenario, you get over there and you're not able to get in.

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VIRGINIA: Can you imagine?

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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VIRGINIA: All right.

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VIRGINIA: So in terms of getting the tickets for the parks, you can make that decision when you're over there, but I know that here in the US., the more days you're going to the parks, the cheaper it gets per day.

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VIRGINIA: So how does that work if you're making that decision on the fly once you land in Tokyo?

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KRISTINA: Yeah, I guess that's another big distinction.

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KRISTINA: So for a standard booking, it's not really packaged together.

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KRISTINA: There are vacation packages on the website, but those are a different booking altogether, and those are even shorter than a normal hotel stay.

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KRISTINA: So I think you can only do like a two to three day vacation package, and that would come bundled with like free package fast passes, maybe exclusive merch to your room, whatever that is.

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KRISTINA: Otherwise, everyone just has a standard fee for tickets, and it is on a schedule-based pricing, so certain days can be more expensive than other.

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KRISTINA: But overall, especially right now, Tokyo is very cheap.

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KRISTINA: The yen is very weak, unfortunately, for them, but for me means it's very cheap.

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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VIRGINIA: Good for you.

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VIRGINIA: What kind of weather are you expecting for your trip?

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VIRGINIA: And do the Disney hotels have pools like we see here in the US that you would be able to take advantage of in good weather?

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KRISTINA: Yeah.

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KRISTINA: So unfortunately, our hotel does not have a pool.

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KRISTINA: I was actually looking into this recently because I was curious, and there is one or two hotels that do have pools, but the majority of them really don't.

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KRISTINA: Overall, most people say, don't go to Tokyo in July because it's hot and humid.

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KRISTINA: And honestly, as a person who's vacationed at Walt Disney World in August, I said, I think I can handle hot and humid and a little bit rainy.

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VIRGINIA: You're like, I've been training for this my entire life.

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VIRGINIA: I'm fine.

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KRISTINA: Exactly.

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KRISTINA: So I was willing to take the chance on the hotter weather.

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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VIRGINIA: All right.

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VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:17:06.763 --> 00:17:07.323
VIRGINIA: I agree.

00:17:07.323 --> 00:17:15.703
VIRGINIA: If you've ever been to Orlando in the high heat of the summer, you've probably experienced the worst already.

00:17:15.743 --> 00:17:16.983
KRISTINA: Exactly.

00:17:16.983 --> 00:17:17.623
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:17:17.623 --> 00:17:21.163
VIRGINIA: Do they have FastPass or anything like that there?

00:17:21.163 --> 00:17:25.343
VIRGINIA: And if so, is it something you purchase?

00:17:25.343 --> 00:17:31.723
VIRGINIA: Do you get to choose to do it in advance or is it kind of an on-the-fly decision you'll need to make?

00:17:31.723 --> 00:17:32.083
KRISTINA: Yeah.

00:17:32.083 --> 00:17:40.943
KRISTINA: So they're in an interesting time right now where, so their FastPass, they had Ticket FastPass up until the pandemic.

00:17:40.943 --> 00:17:43.503
KRISTINA: So they were still printing those out.

00:17:43.503 --> 00:17:47.583
KRISTINA: But then when the pandemic hit, they stopped doing FastPass.

00:17:47.583 --> 00:17:51.643
KRISTINA: And then it was the 40th anniversary of Tokyo Disney.

00:17:51.643 --> 00:17:59.983
KRISTINA: So they came out with something called Priority Pass, which is essentially FastPass, but on the phone, but with a different name.

00:18:01.443 --> 00:18:05.503
KRISTINA: They're still doing this Priority Pass service.

00:18:05.503 --> 00:18:09.003
KRISTINA: So you do have FastPass for free.

00:18:09.003 --> 00:18:18.323
KRISTINA: And then there's something called Premiere Access, which is basically the Genie Plus, or I guess now the Multipass equivalent.

00:18:21.183 --> 00:18:27.143
KRISTINA: It's more like the Lightning Lanes, where you buy the day of is Premiere Access.

00:18:27.143 --> 00:18:31.103
KRISTINA: And so you buy into those individually.

00:18:31.103 --> 00:18:31.843
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:18:31.843 --> 00:18:32.203
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:18:32.203 --> 00:18:35.503
VIRGINIA: So you can take a look at the crowds and make a decision.

00:18:35.503 --> 00:18:44.763
VIRGINIA: I would imagine that based on the length of your trip, you may not need to use any of that because you'll have so much time to get anything done that you want to get done.

00:18:45.703 --> 00:18:46.043
KRISTINA: Yeah.

00:18:46.043 --> 00:18:59.803
KRISTINA: Primarily, I think the only place where I may use that is for Fantasy Springs because I didn't purchase a vacation package and I didn't try to get any special tickets for that.

00:18:59.803 --> 00:19:10.883
KRISTINA: And in order to get into the new land currently, you actually need to get an attraction priority pass or premiere pass to get into the land.

00:19:11.423 --> 00:19:15.603
KRISTINA: So if you don't have any ride tickets, you can't go into Fantasy Springs.

00:19:15.603 --> 00:19:19.223
KRISTINA: So I might just buy my way in.

00:19:19.223 --> 00:19:22.743
VIRGINIA: There's no shame in that, especially if you're saving money in other parts of your trip.

00:19:22.743 --> 00:19:23.983
VIRGINIA: Right?

00:19:25.043 --> 00:19:28.823
VIRGINIA: Is Fantasy Springs in Tokyo DisneySea?

00:19:28.823 --> 00:19:29.263
KRISTINA: Yes.

00:19:29.263 --> 00:19:32.563
KRISTINA: So it's the new expansion to Tokyo DisneySea.

00:19:34.363 --> 00:19:36.423
VIRGINIA: Forgive my ignorance.

00:19:36.423 --> 00:19:40.723
VIRGINIA: But what is the premier attraction within this new land?

00:19:40.723 --> 00:19:42.443
VIRGINIA: Is it the Frozen land?

00:19:42.443 --> 00:19:48.003
KRISTINA: It's a Frozen slash Peter Pan slash Tangled area.

00:19:48.003 --> 00:19:54.223
KRISTINA: So just overall fantasy and whimsy, I guess, is the theme they're going for.

00:19:54.223 --> 00:20:11.503
KRISTINA: So it's hard to say which one is the pin ultimate because they have a Peter Pan ride that's similar to something you would ride at Universal Studios with the screens or similar to Remy's Adventure.

00:20:12.643 --> 00:20:14.663
KRISTINA: So that's one ride they have.

00:20:14.663 --> 00:20:24.323
KRISTINA: Then the other ride they have is a Frozen ride, which is essentially what we have at Epcot, but done better with extra scenes.

00:20:24.323 --> 00:20:26.383
KRISTINA: So that's their other one.

00:20:26.383 --> 00:20:33.743
KRISTINA: Then they have a Tangled boat ride, which is I know something that all the Walt Disney World fans really want instead of a bathroom.

00:20:33.743 --> 00:20:37.743
KRISTINA: So yeah, it's hard to say which one's top.

00:20:37.743 --> 00:20:43.863
KRISTINA: Then the only other ride in that entire area is a Tinkerbell experience.

00:20:43.863 --> 00:20:48.303
KRISTINA: It's like a kid little train situation.

00:20:48.303 --> 00:20:53.543
KRISTINA: So that's definitely not one of the major attractions but attraction nonetheless.

00:20:53.543 --> 00:20:54.403
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:20:54.403 --> 00:20:55.143
VIRGINIA: Well, that's exciting.

00:20:55.143 --> 00:21:01.243
VIRGINIA: I did see some of the Frozen Rides animatronics and they did look a lot better.

00:21:01.243 --> 00:21:07.243
VIRGINIA: You know how ours can, it almost looks like they're wearing a mask or their makeup colors are totally off.

00:21:07.243 --> 00:21:09.083
VIRGINIA: Theirs did not look like that at all.

00:21:09.083 --> 00:21:12.543
VIRGINIA: So I was like, why can't we have that?

00:21:12.543 --> 00:21:13.723
VIRGINIA: We deserve nice things too.

00:21:15.903 --> 00:21:21.923
VIRGINIA: All right, well, let us talk now about other attractions.

00:21:21.923 --> 00:21:26.303
VIRGINIA: So you've been to Disney World a million times.

00:21:26.303 --> 00:21:34.443
VIRGINIA: What are the things in Tokyo that are unique to Tokyo that you are most excited about, I guess, outside of Fantasy Springs?

00:21:35.223 --> 00:21:35.983
KRISTINA: Yeah.

00:21:35.983 --> 00:21:41.123
KRISTINA: And I will also say it, so I've been to Disneyland twice in my life.

00:21:41.123 --> 00:21:45.623
KRISTINA: So there's some Disneyland stuff and some Walt Disney World stuff in Tokyo.

00:21:45.623 --> 00:21:48.783
KRISTINA: But yeah, very exclusive, only Tokyo.

00:21:48.783 --> 00:21:56.183
KRISTINA: Probably top of the list is Journey to the Center of the Earth, which is completely unique to Japan.

00:21:56.183 --> 00:21:59.883
VIRGINIA: That's the one that's sort of in a volcano, right?

00:22:01.003 --> 00:22:02.663
KRISTINA: Yes, yes, that is.

00:22:02.663 --> 00:22:06.463
KRISTINA: I don't know if it's in the volcano, but it's definitely by the volcano for sure.

00:22:06.463 --> 00:22:07.123
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:22:07.123 --> 00:22:07.563
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:22:07.563 --> 00:22:08.383
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:22:08.383 --> 00:22:12.603
VIRGINIA: Sort of like the stuff in the Tree of Life, the Bugs Life thing.

00:22:12.603 --> 00:22:14.743
VIRGINIA: It's like, is it in it?

00:22:14.743 --> 00:22:16.123
VIRGINIA: I'm not sure.

00:22:16.123 --> 00:22:17.843
VIRGINIA: They make it seem like it is.

00:22:18.903 --> 00:22:21.343
VIRGINIA: Let's map out your days then.

00:22:21.343 --> 00:22:34.303
VIRGINIA: So your trip is Monday, July 15th, which is less than a week away at this point, because we are talking here on July the 10th, and you come back on Friday, July the 26th.

00:22:34.303 --> 00:22:36.063
VIRGINIA: Did I get all those dates correct?

00:22:36.063 --> 00:22:37.043
KRISTINA: Correct.

00:22:37.043 --> 00:22:37.863
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:22:37.863 --> 00:22:52.803
VIRGINIA: So Monday, July 15th, what time of day are you leaving from presumably Newark, I would imagine, based on where you are in Jersey, and what time are you landing there?

00:22:52.803 --> 00:22:53.283
KRISTINA: Yeah.

00:22:53.843 --> 00:22:59.883
KRISTINA: And I'm going to help with, I have the conversions for the time travel that we're going to do.

00:22:59.883 --> 00:23:04.183
KRISTINA: So yeah, so we have a flight at a Newark at 9 a.m.

00:23:04.183 --> 00:23:08.183
KRISTINA: and we're actually going to layover into Toronto.

00:23:08.183 --> 00:23:13.183
KRISTINA: So we'll be arriving in Toronto around 10.45 ish.

00:23:13.183 --> 00:23:17.403
KRISTINA: And then we have about almost a three-hour layover.

00:23:18.423 --> 00:23:21.943
KRISTINA: So we'll spend some time in the Toronto airport.

00:23:21.943 --> 00:23:24.943
KRISTINA: We will get on a flight at 1.30.

00:23:25.883 --> 00:23:31.663
KRISTINA: And then it's a 13-hour and 20-minute flight.

00:23:31.663 --> 00:23:36.543
KRISTINA: So we will be landing what would be our 2 a.m.

00:23:36.543 --> 00:23:38.023
KRISTINA: Eastern time.

00:23:38.023 --> 00:23:42.403
KRISTINA: But we will be arriving at 3:45 p.m.

00:23:42.403 --> 00:23:50.523
KRISTINA: So our trip starts on Monday, but we'll be landing on Tuesday, even though a full day hasn't passed.

00:23:50.523 --> 00:23:51.303
VIRGINIA: Got it.

00:23:51.303 --> 00:23:52.723
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:23:52.723 --> 00:23:53.063
VIRGINIA: Perfect.

00:23:53.243 --> 00:23:53.543
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:23:53.543 --> 00:23:56.083
VIRGINIA: So now we're going to talk in Tokyo time.

00:23:56.083 --> 00:24:02.263
VIRGINIA: So Tuesday, July 16th, you're landing that afternoon.

00:24:02.283 --> 00:24:08.303
VIRGINIA: I can't imagine you're going to do much that first day other than recover from your flight.

00:24:08.303 --> 00:24:09.343
VIRGINIA: But correct me if I'm wrong.

00:24:09.343 --> 00:24:13.463
VIRGINIA: Are you doing anything exciting on Tuesday, July 16th?

00:24:13.463 --> 00:24:20.083
KRISTINA: Yeah, I think I originally had larger goals to go to essentially the Disney Springs of Ispiyari.

00:24:20.083 --> 00:24:42.683
KRISTINA: But I think my husband and I have decided that we'll probably see once we get to the hotel, get our Disney tickets in order, get to our room, probably get some food from the convenience store in the hotel, and probably crash at that point in time to get ready for the full experience we have ahead.

00:24:42.683 --> 00:24:43.243
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:24:43.243 --> 00:24:43.683
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:24:43.683 --> 00:24:44.803
VIRGINIA: Sounds like a good plan.

00:24:45.863 --> 00:24:50.543
VIRGINIA: For Wednesday, July 17th, is that your first Park Day?

00:24:50.543 --> 00:24:51.383
KRISTINA: Yes.

00:24:51.383 --> 00:24:56.943
KRISTINA: So I have an outline of what parks I want to do each day.

00:24:56.943 --> 00:24:59.643
KRISTINA: As I mentioned, I haven't bought the tickets yet, but-

00:24:59.643 --> 00:25:00.083
VIRGINIA: Right.

00:25:00.083 --> 00:25:04.263
VIRGINIA: Things can always change, and Where I Long To Be Podcast loves changes.

00:25:04.263 --> 00:25:09.803
VIRGINIA: So we'll say what you intend to do now, and then we'll hear how it actually played out in real life.

00:25:09.803 --> 00:25:11.943
VIRGINIA: So Wednesday, July 17th.

00:25:12.703 --> 00:25:12.943
KRISTINA: Yeah.

00:25:12.943 --> 00:25:20.823
KRISTINA: So I put DisneySea on a Wednesday because I figured the more popular park probably should just do a weekday if I can.

00:25:20.823 --> 00:25:26.823
KRISTINA: So we'll see if we're willing to wake up early, and we'll try to do Fantasy Springs that day.

00:25:26.823 --> 00:25:35.163
KRISTINA: But if we're so exhausted, we'll do Fantasy Springs the next day because it's essentially one of those like rise of resistance.

00:25:35.163 --> 00:25:35.523
KRISTINA: All right.

00:25:35.523 --> 00:25:37.963
KRISTINA: Time to get up early at 6 a.m.

00:25:37.963 --> 00:25:43.683
KRISTINA: and stake our claim and get our fast pass in so we can get in for that day.

00:25:43.683 --> 00:25:44.803
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:25:44.803 --> 00:25:45.483
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:25:45.483 --> 00:25:52.723
VIRGINIA: So Thursday, July 18th, you're planning a DisneySea day regardless of the Fantasy Springs situation?

00:25:52.723 --> 00:25:53.163
KRISTINA: Yes.

00:25:53.163 --> 00:25:53.863
KRISTINA: Yes.

00:25:53.863 --> 00:25:54.923
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:25:54.923 --> 00:25:55.503
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:25:55.503 --> 00:26:00.363
VIRGINIA: So Friday, July 19th, does that mean that you're going to Disneyland that day?

00:26:01.083 --> 00:26:01.523
KRISTINA: Yes.

00:26:01.523 --> 00:26:02.323
KRISTINA: Yes.

00:26:02.323 --> 00:26:03.003
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:26:03.003 --> 00:26:05.203
VIRGINIA: Saturday, July 20th.

00:26:05.203 --> 00:26:05.583
KRISTINA: So yeah.

00:26:05.583 --> 00:26:09.383
KRISTINA: Saturday, July 20th, we have Disneyland.

00:26:09.383 --> 00:26:16.963
KRISTINA: And then later that evening, I made us reservations at the Lazo Cafe in our hotel.

00:26:16.963 --> 00:26:19.863
VIRGINIA: Oh, tell me about the Lazo Cafe.

00:26:19.863 --> 00:26:20.223
KRISTINA: Yeah.

00:26:20.223 --> 00:26:27.203
KRISTINA: So the Lazo Cafe is themed to the Strawberry Bear in Toy Story 3.

00:26:27.203 --> 00:26:28.943
KRISTINA: It's exclusive to hotel guests.

00:26:29.063 --> 00:26:32.443
KRISTINA: So if you're not staying at the hotel, you actually can't book it.

00:26:32.443 --> 00:26:34.443
VIRGINIA: Oh, that's kind of nice.

00:26:34.443 --> 00:26:35.203
KRISTINA: Yeah.

00:26:35.203 --> 00:26:36.303
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:26:36.303 --> 00:26:45.643
KRISTINA: And I'm doing it out of a bit of irony too, because I'm actually allergic to strawberries, but I thought it'd be funny to go to a strawberry themed buffet.

00:26:45.643 --> 00:26:50.203
KRISTINA: But they obviously have other foods and exciting options.

00:26:51.323 --> 00:26:52.463
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:26:52.463 --> 00:26:57.043
VIRGINIA: As long as you're not taking your life into your own hands like that.

00:26:58.423 --> 00:27:00.623
VIRGINIA: Don't tempt fate.

00:27:00.623 --> 00:27:00.943
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:27:00.943 --> 00:27:02.923
VIRGINIA: So that's a dinner reservation, you said?

00:27:02.943 --> 00:27:03.403
KRISTINA: Yes.

00:27:03.403 --> 00:27:04.163
KRISTINA: Yeah.

00:27:04.163 --> 00:27:05.723
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:27:05.723 --> 00:27:09.063
VIRGINIA: Sunday, July 21st.

00:27:09.063 --> 00:27:09.303
KRISTINA: Yeah.

00:27:09.303 --> 00:27:16.623
KRISTINA: So then we'll head back to DisneySea, and then we have a afternoon.

00:27:16.623 --> 00:27:18.103
KRISTINA: It's kind of lunch.

00:27:18.103 --> 00:27:28.423
KRISTINA: It's kind of dinner reservation at a place called Canaletto's, which is their Italian restaurant in DisneySeas.

00:27:28.423 --> 00:27:35.303
KRISTINA: I ended up with a 3:50 PM reservation because that's how quickly things book up.

00:27:35.823 --> 00:27:40.603
KRISTINA: As I was clicking on reservation times for dinner, they were slowly disappearing.

00:27:40.603 --> 00:27:43.803
KRISTINA: So I figured 3.50 would not disappear.

00:27:43.803 --> 00:27:45.703
VIRGINIA: That's probably a good guess.

00:27:47.923 --> 00:27:49.083
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:27:49.083 --> 00:27:51.903
VIRGINIA: Monday, July 22nd.

00:27:51.903 --> 00:27:52.203
KRISTINA: Yeah.

00:27:52.203 --> 00:27:57.523
KRISTINA: So that will be another DisneySea day or maybe a Disneyland day.

00:27:57.523 --> 00:28:01.223
KRISTINA: I guess we'll see what we haven't filled up at that point.

00:28:01.223 --> 00:28:02.143
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:28:02.143 --> 00:28:02.383
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:28:02.383 --> 00:28:03.703
VIRGINIA: We're nearing the end of your trip.

00:28:03.703 --> 00:28:08.023
VIRGINIA: So I'm guessing that the remaining days might be Tokyo exploration.

00:28:08.023 --> 00:28:09.263
VIRGINIA: Is that correct?

00:28:09.263 --> 00:28:09.603
KRISTINA: Yeah.

00:28:09.603 --> 00:28:16.483
KRISTINA: So Tuesday the 23rd is when we check out of Disney and go to a hotel in Tokyo.

00:28:16.503 --> 00:28:19.103
VIRGINIA: What hotel did you pick just out of curiosity?

00:28:19.103 --> 00:28:30.283
KRISTINA: I'm staying at a hotel called the Mitsui Garden Hotel Otemachi, which honestly, I got from a coworker who has stayed in Japan before.

00:28:30.283 --> 00:28:32.243
KRISTINA: She recommended the hotel to me.

00:28:32.243 --> 00:28:36.403
KRISTINA: It seems like the Mitsui Garden Hotel is just a chain in Japan.

00:28:36.883 --> 00:28:37.743
KRISTINA: Okay.

00:28:37.743 --> 00:28:42.963
KRISTINA: It was recommended because it's very close to Tokyo Station.

00:28:42.963 --> 00:28:43.743
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:28:43.743 --> 00:28:44.123
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:28:44.803 --> 00:28:52.743
VIRGINIA: Does that mean that you'll be taking a train from the Disney area over to Tokyo Station?

00:28:52.743 --> 00:28:54.923
KRISTINA: Yes.

00:28:54.923 --> 00:28:58.623
KRISTINA: There's a monorail loop around the Tokyo Disney Resort.

00:28:59.383 --> 00:29:09.123
KRISTINA: You get off at Ispiyari, which is like the Disney Springs, and there is a train station inside of Ispiyari that connects to all the trains all throughout Tokyo.

00:29:09.123 --> 00:29:10.943
VIRGINIA: That is really convenient.

00:29:10.943 --> 00:29:12.643
KRISTINA: Yeah.

00:29:12.643 --> 00:29:13.103
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:29:13.103 --> 00:29:22.423
VIRGINIA: On Tuesday, July 23rd, when you are checking into that new hotel, what are some highlights of that area that you're going to be exploring?

00:29:22.423 --> 00:29:27.783
KRISTINA: I kind of left the day to be whatever we want to, because also it's like a transitional day.

00:29:29.263 --> 00:29:38.983
KRISTINA: But that will be in the Choda City area, and that includes the Imperial Gardens and a giant park.

00:29:38.983 --> 00:29:44.563
KRISTINA: So yeah, outside of the Imperial Garden, there's some shrines in the area.

00:29:44.563 --> 00:29:49.763
KRISTINA: There's a Gashupan Street, which are the little vending machines where you can get toys.

00:29:49.763 --> 00:29:59.683
KRISTINA: So I put that on the list, put an arcade on the list, maybe checking out a Kit Kat store, because Kit Kats are really popular in Japan.

00:29:59.943 --> 00:30:01.783
VIRGINIA: They have a million flavors.

00:30:01.783 --> 00:30:03.323
KRISTINA: Yes.

00:30:03.563 --> 00:30:10.543
VIRGINIA: We are very lucky in my neighborhood here in the city to have a Japanese market, literally two blocks from me.

00:30:10.543 --> 00:30:17.323
VIRGINIA: So we go there a lot and it's very similar to the Japan Pavilion and all of those unique candies.

00:30:17.323 --> 00:30:22.823
VIRGINIA: And that's something they have plenty of is every flavor Kit Kat you can ever think of.

00:30:23.183 --> 00:30:29.243
VIRGINIA: So I'll be interested to hear if there are any really cool flavors that you see there that I haven't seen yet.

00:30:29.243 --> 00:30:29.543
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:30:29.543 --> 00:30:33.783
VIRGINIA: Wednesday, July 24th, you're still at the Mitsui Garden, correct?

00:30:33.783 --> 00:30:34.323
KRISTINA: Yes.

00:30:34.323 --> 00:30:37.823
KRISTINA: And we're going to stay there for the remainder of the trip.

00:30:37.823 --> 00:30:38.423
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:30:38.423 --> 00:30:44.223
VIRGINIA: Anything else then that you're planning to do on that Wednesday or Thursday specifically?

00:30:44.223 --> 00:30:44.603
KRISTINA: Yeah.

00:30:44.603 --> 00:30:49.163
KRISTINA: So I kind of highlighted four areas of Tokyo.

00:30:49.163 --> 00:30:55.943
KRISTINA: So as I mentioned, we're staying in Choda and I kind of left it for us to explore even more on Thursday.

00:30:55.943 --> 00:31:04.323
KRISTINA: But on Wednesday, I have Sumida City and Koto City listed down as the two areas of Tokyo to check out.

00:31:04.323 --> 00:31:07.643
VIRGINIA: How are you going to get around from your hotel?

00:31:07.643 --> 00:31:12.063
VIRGINIA: Is everything easy to get to by public transportation?

00:31:12.063 --> 00:31:16.243
VIRGINIA: Or will you need to use a taxi or an Uber service?

00:31:16.243 --> 00:31:16.423
KRISTINA: Yeah.

00:31:16.423 --> 00:31:18.903
KRISTINA: So Tokyo is very similar to New York.

00:31:19.023 --> 00:31:24.083
KRISTINA: We're pretty much, you know, the whole subway takes you anywhere you need to go in New York.

00:31:24.083 --> 00:31:32.623
KRISTINA: And so Tokyo is pretty much the same, where you could just get a train to whatever area of the city you need to go to, which is really convenient.

00:31:32.623 --> 00:31:33.083
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:31:33.083 --> 00:31:43.483
VIRGINIA: And I imagine that that will be fairly easy for you to navigate as long as there are enough English instructions given your experience with the New York City subway.

00:31:43.483 --> 00:31:48.383
KRISTINA: So yeah, I mean, we're definitely relying heavily on Google Maps.

00:31:48.383 --> 00:31:48.863
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:31:48.863 --> 00:31:57.703
VIRGINIA: And have you used Google Translate, which I think a lot of people, I think you can like scan a photo of something in writing and it will translate it for you.

00:31:57.703 --> 00:31:58.103
KRISTINA: Yes.

00:31:58.103 --> 00:31:58.303
KRISTINA: Yes.

00:31:58.303 --> 00:32:03.583
KRISTINA: So we'll also be using definitely even around the parks, around the city.

00:32:03.583 --> 00:32:08.583
KRISTINA: You can use Google Translate to even translate verbally what you're hearing to.

00:32:08.583 --> 00:32:11.843
KRISTINA: So we'll probably heavily rely on Google Translate.

00:32:11.963 --> 00:32:16.343
KRISTINA: And Google Maps to get us around and understanding everything.

00:32:17.603 --> 00:32:21.663
VIRGINIA: I think this probably means that your phone is going to get a workout.

00:32:21.663 --> 00:32:26.863
VIRGINIA: So I hope you are packing lots of portable chargers for your on the go time.

00:32:26.863 --> 00:32:27.363
KRISTINA: Yeah.

00:32:27.363 --> 00:32:33.983
KRISTINA: I mean, I have my go to portable charger and pretty much that gets me through the day when I'm at Disney.

00:32:33.983 --> 00:32:37.403
KRISTINA: And so I'm pretty sure it'll keep me through the day in Tokyo.

00:32:37.403 --> 00:32:39.143
VIRGINIA: Anything else for that Wednesday and Thursday?

00:32:39.763 --> 00:32:40.103
KRISTINA: No.

00:32:40.103 --> 00:32:49.423
KRISTINA: And I mean, I guess things of note is so in Sumida City is where the Tokyo Skytree is and the Sumida Aquarium.

00:32:49.423 --> 00:32:51.563
KRISTINA: And there's also a Pokemon Center.

00:32:51.563 --> 00:32:55.403
KRISTINA: So those are kind of the highlights of those areas.

00:32:55.403 --> 00:32:55.943
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:32:55.943 --> 00:33:02.283
VIRGINIA: You know, my son Alex is obsessed with Pokemon, anime, all of that kind of stuff.

00:33:02.283 --> 00:33:04.803
VIRGINIA: And at some point, we will be taking a trip.

00:33:04.803 --> 00:33:07.323
VIRGINIA: So he will be really excited to listen to this episode.

00:33:07.803 --> 00:33:15.523
VIRGINIA: And here, that something like that is right there, so that we could potentially do that when we ever get a chance to go.

00:33:15.523 --> 00:33:15.803
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:33:15.803 --> 00:33:20.343
VIRGINIA: So Friday, July 26, that's your departure day, correct?

00:33:20.343 --> 00:33:21.043
KRISTINA: Yes.

00:33:21.043 --> 00:33:21.403
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:33:21.403 --> 00:33:24.783
VIRGINIA: What time are you leaving from Tokyo?

00:33:24.783 --> 00:33:32.883
KRISTINA: We're leaving at 5:25 PM Japan time from Narita Airport.

00:33:33.203 --> 00:33:46.083
KRISTINA: Then we have a 12 hour and 15 minute flight back to Toronto, where we will arrive at 4:40 PM on Friday.

00:33:46.083 --> 00:33:49.043
KRISTINA: So we're time traveling backwards now.

00:33:50.223 --> 00:33:56.363
KRISTINA: And then we have a two hour and 30 minutes layover.

00:33:56.363 --> 00:34:04.763
KRISTINA: And then we're going to depart Toronto around 7 o'clock and get back to Newark at 9 PM on Friday.

00:34:04.763 --> 00:34:05.723
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:34:05.723 --> 00:34:07.683
VIRGINIA: Time travel.

00:34:07.683 --> 00:34:08.463
VIRGINIA: Crazy.

00:34:08.463 --> 00:34:08.803
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:34:08.803 --> 00:34:12.603
KRISTINA: I will say that's the hardest part about planning a Tokyo trip.

00:34:12.603 --> 00:34:18.403
KRISTINA: You kind of nailed it on the head with when you're trying to book things, you have to think about two different time zones.

00:34:19.563 --> 00:34:25.603
KRISTINA: And again, it's always like they're like almost a day ahead of you with like the 12 to 13 hour time difference.

00:34:25.603 --> 00:34:27.643
KRISTINA: So a lot of conversion.

00:34:28.543 --> 00:34:28.783
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:34:28.783 --> 00:34:35.903
VIRGINIA: But before we say goodbye, will you be posting about your trip on your Instagram?

00:34:35.903 --> 00:34:36.943
VIRGINIA: I'm imagining yes.

00:34:36.943 --> 00:34:38.283
VIRGINIA: But if so, when?

00:34:38.283 --> 00:34:43.483
VIRGINIA: In the moment, when can listeners look forward to seeing all of the highlights from your trip?

00:34:43.483 --> 00:34:43.923
KRISTINA: Yeah.

00:34:43.923 --> 00:34:55.123
KRISTINA: So I normally wait till post trip, kind of was raised up in a family where they said, you know, you shouldn't post while you're away, you know, for personal security and safety.

00:34:55.863 --> 00:35:02.763
KRISTINA: So I will probably post as if I'm not in Tokyo to give the illusion that I'm still in the US.

00:35:02.763 --> 00:35:10.623
KRISTINA: And then the second I'm back in the States, you will expect a plethora of Tokyo Disney posts.

00:35:10.623 --> 00:35:15.863
KRISTINA: It'll probably be like a couple of months of just exclusively Tokyo.

00:35:15.863 --> 00:35:16.363
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:35:16.363 --> 00:35:21.263
VIRGINIA: So anyone who has listened to this specific pre-trip episode will be in it on the secret.

00:35:21.263 --> 00:35:32.063
VIRGINIA: And obviously your trip will be done by the time anybody hears this, but you will know what Kristina is up to being tricky over there.

00:35:32.063 --> 00:35:33.303
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:35:33.303 --> 00:35:37.443
VIRGINIA: I think that's all we need to map out for your trip.

00:35:37.443 --> 00:35:39.943
VIRGINIA: I cannot wait to hear all about it.

00:35:39.943 --> 00:35:54.203
VIRGINIA: I hope that you have the most magical time and I hope that everything goes smoothly and that you stay safe and just, I hope that this feels just as magical as it sounds like it's going to.

00:35:54.203 --> 00:35:54.723
KRISTINA: Thanks.

00:35:54.723 --> 00:35:55.183
KRISTINA: Yeah.

00:35:55.183 --> 00:36:01.363
KRISTINA: I mean, we'll see how things go and I mean, I'll just have fun no matter what I'm doing.

00:36:01.363 --> 00:36:02.063
VIRGINIA: That's you.

00:36:02.283 --> 00:36:04.103
VIRGINIA: You always do, right?

00:36:04.103 --> 00:36:05.163
KRISTINA: Yeah.

00:36:05.163 --> 00:36:05.643
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:36:05.643 --> 00:36:06.843
VIRGINIA: We will talk very soon.

00:36:06.843 --> 00:36:08.283
VIRGINIA: Thank you so much, Kristina.

00:36:08.283 --> 00:36:08.603
KRISTINA: All right.

00:36:08.603 --> 00:36:09.303
KRISTINA: Thank you.

00:36:09.303 --> 00:36:11.183
KRISTINA: Bye.

00:36:11.183 --> 00:36:16.183
VIRGINIA: Thank you so much to Kristina for taking the time to chat through all the plans.

00:36:16.183 --> 00:36:25.863
VIRGINIA: If you liked what you heard today, please make sure you have clicked the follow or subscribe button on your podcast app so that the latest episode will always be ready for you.

00:36:25.863 --> 00:36:30.283
VIRGINIA: If you are already following the show, please share it with a friend.

00:36:30.283 --> 00:36:31.823
VIRGINIA: That's all for today.

00:36:31.823 --> 00:36:36.063
VIRGINIA: Have a wonderful week and keep daydreaming about where you long to be.