I'm Here For A Long Time, So Let's Spend All My Money
Alternative subject line: The Key to the Kingdom is Mine
Yesterday, I sort of got to live out a dream I've had ever since I first came here back in 2007. My birthday is coming up next week, and as a birthday present, I got myself an annual passport to the two Tokyo Disney parks. If you dislike Disney or their theme parks, I suggest you abandon this journal now.
I looked at the map, and realised that I currently live a 15-ish minute walk and four stops away from Tokyo Disney, how crazy is that?
The process of getting the annual passport was a little different than what I had imagined. I could have sworn you would be able to buy it at the cute Disney store in Shibuya, but that's not the case. You need to go to the Tokyo Disney Resort Ticket Center to get one.
So I made my way to Etchuujima station (the most deserted and Silent Hill-like train station I've ever encountered, ever!) and took the train four stops to Maihama.
The ticket center is inside Ikspiari, which is a fancy shopping mall (with a seriously confusing layout) connected to the Tokyo Disney Resort and hotels. I guess this is the equivalent to the Downtown Disney areas in other parks (???). I grabbed a floor guide and I'm sure I'll explore the place further at some point. They have a cinema and themed restaurants! XD; Lots of fun to be had.
But yes, the ticket center. There was a long line. For some reason I wasn't expecting a long line at the ticket center, but it makes sense since this is where people buy their Disney tickets (this is also where you go to exchange tickets if you've changed your mind and want tickets for DisneySea instead of Disneyland, etc.). So I stood in line, staff were working the line asking people what tickets they wanted and filled out a little sheet that you could hand over once it was your turn. This made the wait seem shorter, and it made the process easier when you reached the counter. I paid, was given a choice between three different designs for my passport (!!!!), and was handed a form to fill out.
You have to have Japanese identification in order to get an annual passport at Tokyo Disney. Student ID is not sufficient, wow! I'm glad I had my resident card in order, they accepted it as ID.
I was showed into a back area (huge, bright, fancy!, walls covered in mirrors!!) where there were desks so you could fill out the form and read the terms and conditions. Then it was off to another line to have your picture taken.
I was so shocked when I entered the photo booth and was faced with only a camera and a screen...??? I'd clearly heard someone talking, but there was no one in there??? Then I noticed a tiny little opening down to the right of the camera. A pair of hands sticking out and a voice going "your form please~~~" hahahahhaha. So you didn't see the person printing your passport or taking your picture. It was such an odd experience, I kept laughing all through it, and I look so flustered/weird in my picture. I thought it looked okay when it was shown on the screen, but hahaha. Maybe I should have asked for a do-over. XD
Your Annual Passport is now being printed.
Hahaha! I chose the design with as many characters as possible XD I could also choose a design that only had Mickey and a design that only had Minnie. Honestly, the designs for the DisneySea annual passport were much better, but .... I'd kick myself if I only got a passport to one of the parks.
The passport has my picture, my name, and a QR code. I was wondering if I had to show my passport and exchange it for a paper ticket in order to get FastPasses, but nope, I can just scan my passport at the FastPass machines. Wow! I am good to go~~~!
But not today.
I had to go home and do laundry ......
Thankfully there's a coin laundry in the building next door, wash cycle takes 38 minutes (which is a lot faster than I thought it would be!!), dry cycle takes 10 minutes.
I've never used coin laundry service in Japan before. I was sort of dreading it, but it was OK! I even bumped into some locals and remembered to do my polite greetings instead of doing the usual European "I AM IGNORING EVERYTHING AROUND ME". So that felt like a small victory somehow.
I'll leave you with this picture I took a couple of days ago in my neighbourhood. My flat may have its flaws, but I am in love with the location I'm in.
Yesterday, I sort of got to live out a dream I've had ever since I first came here back in 2007. My birthday is coming up next week, and as a birthday present, I got myself an annual passport to the two Tokyo Disney parks. If you dislike Disney or their theme parks, I suggest you abandon this journal now.
I looked at the map, and realised that I currently live a 15-ish minute walk and four stops away from Tokyo Disney, how crazy is that?
The process of getting the annual passport was a little different than what I had imagined. I could have sworn you would be able to buy it at the cute Disney store in Shibuya, but that's not the case. You need to go to the Tokyo Disney Resort Ticket Center to get one.
So I made my way to Etchuujima station (the most deserted and Silent Hill-like train station I've ever encountered, ever!) and took the train four stops to Maihama.
The ticket center is inside Ikspiari, which is a fancy shopping mall (with a seriously confusing layout) connected to the Tokyo Disney Resort and hotels. I guess this is the equivalent to the Downtown Disney areas in other parks (???). I grabbed a floor guide and I'm sure I'll explore the place further at some point. They have a cinema and themed restaurants! XD; Lots of fun to be had.
But yes, the ticket center. There was a long line. For some reason I wasn't expecting a long line at the ticket center, but it makes sense since this is where people buy their Disney tickets (this is also where you go to exchange tickets if you've changed your mind and want tickets for DisneySea instead of Disneyland, etc.). So I stood in line, staff were working the line asking people what tickets they wanted and filled out a little sheet that you could hand over once it was your turn. This made the wait seem shorter, and it made the process easier when you reached the counter. I paid, was given a choice between three different designs for my passport (!!!!), and was handed a form to fill out.
You have to have Japanese identification in order to get an annual passport at Tokyo Disney. Student ID is not sufficient, wow! I'm glad I had my resident card in order, they accepted it as ID.
I was showed into a back area (huge, bright, fancy!, walls covered in mirrors!!) where there were desks so you could fill out the form and read the terms and conditions. Then it was off to another line to have your picture taken.
I was so shocked when I entered the photo booth and was faced with only a camera and a screen...??? I'd clearly heard someone talking, but there was no one in there??? Then I noticed a tiny little opening down to the right of the camera. A pair of hands sticking out and a voice going "your form please~~~" hahahahhaha. So you didn't see the person printing your passport or taking your picture. It was such an odd experience, I kept laughing all through it, and I look so flustered/weird in my picture. I thought it looked okay when it was shown on the screen, but hahaha. Maybe I should have asked for a do-over. XD
Your Annual Passport is now being printed.
Hahaha! I chose the design with as many characters as possible XD I could also choose a design that only had Mickey and a design that only had Minnie. Honestly, the designs for the DisneySea annual passport were much better, but .... I'd kick myself if I only got a passport to one of the parks.
The passport has my picture, my name, and a QR code. I was wondering if I had to show my passport and exchange it for a paper ticket in order to get FastPasses, but nope, I can just scan my passport at the FastPass machines. Wow! I am good to go~~~!
But not today.
I had to go home and do laundry ......
Thankfully there's a coin laundry in the building next door, wash cycle takes 38 minutes (which is a lot faster than I thought it would be!!), dry cycle takes 10 minutes.
I've never used coin laundry service in Japan before. I was sort of dreading it, but it was OK! I even bumped into some locals and remembered to do my polite greetings instead of doing the usual European "I AM IGNORING EVERYTHING AROUND ME". So that felt like a small victory somehow.
I'll leave you with this picture I took a couple of days ago in my neighbourhood. My flat may have its flaws, but I am in love with the location I'm in.