Itinerary - Click to jump to specific date.

introduction

Our planning for this land adventure began about a year before we departed.  Unfortunately, most Japanese hotels do not accept reservations until four to six months ahead of your arrival, which is a bit of a problem for people who like everything in line ahead of time.  In addition, getting a reservation at a Japanese hotel, the Tokyo Disney hotels in particular, is a nightmare.  We tried our usual travel agent, agencies in Japan, booking through the internet and any other combination one can imagine.  Obviously it works out in the end, but it really appears that they'd simply rather not deal with foreign visitors at all.  We were told more than once that a ryokan or hotel was sold out, but had no problems getting a reservation once we found an agency with an inside track to the property.  The whole procedure is set up for the convenience of the establishment rather than the guest.  Our advice is to be prepared to be flexible and have several choices in mind for each city where you plan to stay.  Do your research and be persistent!

The Tokyo Disney hotels make it very difficult for a foreigner to make a reservation from outside the country.  Not only do you have to start calling for reservations exactly six months to the day of when you want to stay, but you are allowed to reserve only two days at a time.  You then have to call back two days later to add two more days, etc.  On top of that, there is a limit of five days, after which you will require "special permission" to add more days.  The explanation for all of this was that if they didn't do it this way, "All of the rooms would be taken."  Isn't that the whole point of running a hotel, to fill rooms?  Is it really that unusual for anyone to stay in one place for seven days?  Oh, be prepared to do your own legwork unless you have an especially generous travel agent.  The Tokyo Disney hotels do not pay commissions!

Another glitch we kept running into was in trying to book a traditional Japanese ryokan in Takayama.  Apparently, the agencies in Japan do not believe foreigners want a truly traditional experience because no matter what we asked for, they always suggested a contemporary version of a ryokan.  Yes, these are nice, but if we're going to stay in a modern hotel, why sleep on the floor and eat fried fish heads?  If you're going to feed us stuff like that, it had better be authentic!  We're game for anything, so let's go for it.  We kept trying through our own travel agent and contacts in Japan, but every request to "try again" turned up yet another modernized version of a ryokan.  After being told that all of the traditional ryokans we suggested were "fully booked" (six months in advance in the off season???), we went the direct route and got what we wanted right away at our first choice (see below for details).  Well, the second choice since we were told twice that our original choice (which has been in business for 250 years, by the way) is going out of business the end of 2008.  I guess they REALLY don't want us to stay there!

If Crystal Cruises had cooperated, we would have avoided two airplane flights during this trip.  We had intended to stay on board the ship for an additional four days and disembark in Japan, then we would have taken another cruise from Japan to Los Angeles.  Alas, it was not to be.  Crystal wouldn't book us for the extra few days unless we paid for the entire cruise.  So, we cancelled the return trip and will fly home.  Hey, it saves us about $40,000.00, so we're not complaining too much.  Crystal's loss is our gain!  If the economy keeps going the way it is right now Crystal may be begging us to book those four days.

So far we are leaning toward not purchasing a Japan Rail Pass because the cost of the pass doesn't work out to our advantage.  While it would be a lot simpler to have the pass and avoid buying tickets for each train, we figured that if we have to make seat reservations anyway, why not just buy the tickets then?  Our plans are laid out so that we don't have a strict schedule to keep, so if we miss a train or two it won't matter too much.  We don't have to make a final decision on buying a rail pass until the month before we leave, so there is plenty of time to change our mind.

If you are new to this site, you may feel it is a bit shallow of us to go all the way to Hong Kong and Japan, then skip the major sites and go to Disneyland.  Rest assured we have been to this part of the world before.  We have been to Hong Kong several times.  We visited Japan as part of the 2002 World Cruise and toured the areas around Hiroshima, Kyoto, and Tokyo with private guides.  The point is, we aren't missing anything, but will be filling in the gaps with some lesser cities and sites this time around.  None of these places are particularly off the beaten path, but they aren't usually the primary focus of a visit, except perhaps on a day trip from Tokyo or Kyoto.  Of course, the real purpose of the trip is still the two Disneyland Resorts, but we'll manage to travel around the country a bit in between.  If you'd like to catch up on what we visited in Japan previously, click here.

October, 2008:  We thought it might interest some of our readers to know what is involved in making your own travel arrangements to Japan.  So, from this point onward we'll add the dates that certain things were changed, booked, etc.  Our planning began several months before this, obviously, but most Japanese hotels do not take reservations more than six months ahead, so we are only now getting into the thick of it.  Everything written above took place prior to October, 2008.

This month it became apparent to us that if we want a traditional ryokan experience in Takayama that we're going to have to book it ourselves.  Even the Japanese agency we contacted kept trying to place us in modernized (read that Westernized) versions of a ryokan.  We were told that 250-year-old inns were going out of business or were fully booked.  Undaunted, we contacted www.japanican.com and booked exactly what we wanted for the same dates we had been told were "fully booked"  Guess who will get the rest of our business?  This site has short videos of most accommodations, so check it out if you want to see where we are staying.  We also highly recommend www.tripadvisor.com for first-hand reviews of hotels around the world.  It is an invaluable tool for us.

October 14, 2008:  This was the first date that coincided with open bookings at the Tokyo Disney Resort on our itinerary.  Our travel agent was instructed to start calling Central Reservations on the fourteenth, which she did.  We had already given her information regarding calling the resort that we obtained from the book, "Tokyo Disney Made Easy" by Kevin Yee.  First off, heed this advice: Do NOT rely on this book!  The only accuracy so far is the telephone number for Central Reservations!  Otherwise, the booking information given is useless.  That said, our agent did manage to reach an English-speaking agent (in spite of the incorrect telephone tree codes from the book).  She booked what she could at the time, two days, the 14th and 15th of April, 2009, at the DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta, Porto Paradiso Side Harbor View.  That would have been great except we are arriving there on the 15th!

No problem, the arrival date was corrected when she called to book the next available day, which was Friday, April 17.  This was where things went terribly wrong.  In spite of our very clear instructions to call the resort on Saturday, she neglected to do so and didn't follow up until Monday, October 20, 2008, which is Tuesday in Japan.  By this time, the weekend was sold out for Harbor View and the only rooms available were on the Venice Side of the hotel.  Rather than move twice, we planned to keep the Venice Side room for the duration of the stay.

Dave, not one to sit idly by when his anal-retentive plans are going awry, called the Tokyo Disney Reservations Center himself on October 21, 2008, which is when he found out that our travel agent had dropped the ball and hadn't called until Tuesday.  Although furious, he couldn't do anything about it now, so he asked the fluent English-speaking reservations agent if there was anything at all available with a Harbor View on the Porto Paradiso Side of the hotel.  Nope, nothing until after the weekend.  Well, OK, we could have booked a suite at $1,500 per night, but even we don't care that much.  She did say to try calling back periodically in case there is a cancellation, but that they do not take names for a waiting list nor will it be remotely possible to stay in the Harbor View room we have booked for the first three days unless we succeed in reserving it.  Lessons learned:  Rules are rules in Japan and MAKE THE CALL YOURSELF.  By the way, if you aren't a Disney geek and you want to know what the heck we're talking about, click here.

October 22, 2008:  Dave made his displeasure with the situation known to our travel agent, who did, to her credit, admit that she didn't believe him when he had told her the hotel would book up overnight.  Nevertheless, it was time to pull in the reins on this booking situation and take control of it ourselves.

October 25, 2008:  A decision was made to push our stay in Japan out by a few days and arrive at Tokyo Disney Resort on Friday, April 17, 2009, stay at the new Disneyland Hotel until Monday, and then move to a Harbor View room at the Hotel MiraCosta for the duration.  These changes would be easier said than done, however.  On this day, Friday (Saturday in Japan), the final days of our new itinerary would open up for reservations in Japan, so Dave called Tokyo again, pushed all of the numbers on the phone that supposedly gets an English-speaking agent, and got someone who was very nice, but who said, "I do not speak English, one moment please."  A few minutes later, she came back and said, "I cannot speak English.  I am reading from a paper.  Please call back later."  Later today or later meaning another day?  Who knows?  He decided to wait several hours and tried again.  "I do not speak English, one moment please."  Then another person came on the line, "I cannot speak English.  The English speaking operator is not here now.  Please call back later."  OK, apparently there is no one there on Saturday who speaks English.  We figure that calling on Sunday isn't the best idea, so we'll wait and try again to reach them on Monday.  Sigh.

Quite the contrary to the experience at the Tokyo Disney Resort, we were able today to book our stay at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel via the internet.  It took all of about five minutes and we had a confirmation emailed to us within ten minutes of sending the reservation request.  In addition, the cost of the room at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel was about one-third that of a lesser class of room in Tokyo (or Orlando for that matter).

At this time, we decided to start investigating the reservation process at some of the other hotels in our plans.  To say that booking a Japanese hotel is unusual is quite an understatement.  Hotels in the same chain do not accept reservations for the same time periods.  For example, the Nikko hotel at Kansai Airport is taking reservations now, while the Nikko Hotel Himeji claims there are no rooms available at this time.  Back to Japanican.com to verify that there certainly are rooms available.  Oh well, we're not quite there yet with the exact dates for the stays, so they can be as vague as they like, for now.  We're still waiting for reservations to open up for the Hotel Kajikaso in Hakone Yumoto, but we're definitely watching every day because it is another hotel that books up with the speed of light.  You haven't lived until you have tried to use one of the Japanese hotels' English websites.  Talk about incoherent!  We have yet to get one to work properly, but we're still holding out some hope it will work when we need it to.

October 27, 2008:  After calling Japan three times during the day and again being told there were no English-speakers available, we finally reached an English-speaking operator at Tokyo Disney Resort when we called at midnight our time.  She was extremely helpful and made the changes for both the DisneySea MiraCosta Hotel and added the stay at the Disneyland Hotel.  Ordinarily one would have to call a special reservations desk for the Disneyland Hotel, so there is some advantage to requiring the English-speaking agent.  We were not able to get the Harbor View we originally wanted, but when the agent was asked whether she would take the Porto Paradiso Piazza View or a room on the Venice Side, she immediately said the Piazza View is better.  Then added, "You don't want the Tuscany or Venice Side rooms unless all of the Porto Paradiso Side is sold out."  As far as the Disneyland Hotel goes, they do not guarantee any of the views, so she suggested taking the Standard Superior Room and hoping for the best when we arrive.  There is a preferred "Park Side" to the Disneyland Hotel, but we honestly don't care that much and certainly not enough to pay a premium for it.  The view of DisneySea is another thing entirely since the Hotel MiraCosta is inside that park.  Fifteen minutes after this fruitful telephone conversation, we received a confirmation by fax.  Check the updated itinerary below.

November 5, 2008:  Heard from our travel agent today with a price for all of the hotels we haven't booked yet, but the price is so low we know there is a mistake somewhere.  We're not sure what company she is dealing with in Japan to put this together, but nothing that has come from them has been acceptable so far.  In other words, no progress to report.

November 7, 2008:  Our travel agent confirmed that the price for the hotel package was the per person price, as we had guessed.  Doubling the quoted price to adjust for two people makes the price too high according to our calculations, so we're still not sure where these prices are coming from.  At this point, we have not booked anything and are still researching prices and availability.

November 25, 2008:  One of our readers (thanks Leah!) pointed out that the Tokyo Disney website is now offering online reservations in English for their hotels and park tickets.  We checked it out and it shows all of the "good" rooms as fully booked, so we're guessing that they are using the site to push rooms that aren't selling as well, such as those at the Disney Ambassador Hotel.  However, if you don't want to brave the calls to Tokyo, now you have another option.  We're sure the site will improve over time and anything is better than nothing.  As of today, park tickets can be purchased only two months ahead of time, but this would be the way to go during the busy season if you aren't staying at one of the Disney hotels.  Here is the link to the Tokyo Disney Resort website where you can find links to reservations and information:  http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/index_e.html

No other progress has been made as far as reservations go.  We did contact Hotel Kajikaso directly and were told, "Please call back in two weeks."  Boy, are they sticklers for rules or what?  Rest assured we'll be busily booking everything left to reserve the first week of December.  We did get a quote from our travel agent for a couple of the hotels we're not confident doing ourselves, but we're still waiting to determine if that's the best way to handle it.

December 1, 2008:  True to their word, the Hotel Kajikaso reservations opened up this morning precisely as they told us two weeks ago.  We were able to reserve the room type we wanted through their website with no problems.  It was important for us to book this hotel directly if possible because of the limited number of rooms with the Japanese/Western combination and the private onsen.  We are still waiting for a few other hotels to begin accepting reservations for April, 2009, but none of them are important to us and there are plenty of other options just in case.

Friday, March 27 - Hong Kong, China - Disembark Crystal Symphony - Transfer to Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel

Saturday, March 28 - Hong Kong, China - Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel

Sunday, March 29 - Hong Kong, China - Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel

Monday, March 30 - Hong Kong, China - Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel

Tuesday, March 31 - Depart Hong Kong - Fly to Kansai International Airport, Osaka, Japan - Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport

Kansai International Airport (KIX) is Japan's second most important international airport.  Located on a man made island about 50 km south of Osaka, Kansai Airport was opened in 1994, taking over all international and some domestic air traffic formerly handled by Osaka's Itami Airport.

Located within the airport's Aeroplaza a short walk from both passenger terminal and train station, the Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport combines superb convenience with world-class facilities and the famed hospitality of Nikko Hotels International.  With its seafront setting and harmonious design, this is a hotel with the ambience of a resort, yet with direct access to Osaka and the entire Kansai region.  The Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport represents an entirely new concept in airport hotels and a fitting welcome to Japan's newest international gateway.

Wednesday, April 1 - Depart Osaka, Japan - Bus to Nara, Japan - Nara Hotel

Nara Prefecture is situated in the west central section of Honshu. The formation of an ancient nation started around mid-3rd century, with the Yamato district as its center, and was completed by the late 6th century. The capital was placed in Asuka, in the southern part of the Nara Basin, located in the northwestern part of present-day Nara Prefecture, and it prospered as the political and economic center of Japan until the early 8th century. After the capital was relocated to Heijo-kyo (now Nara City) in 710, many temples and shrines were built there under the direction of the imperial family and aristocrats, and temple towns soon developed. Such temples and shrines include Todai-ji Temple, which has the Daibutsu, the world's largest Buddha statue, made of copper and gold, it is enshrined in the world's largest wooden structure, Daibutsu-den (Great Buddha Hall). Other famous temples include Yakushi-ji Temple, which has wonderful old wooden architecture and a statue of Buddha, and Toshodai-ji Temple which was founded by the Chinese priest Ganjin, who came to Japan after difficult journeys and spread the principles of Buddhism.

Horyu-ji Temple, which is said to have been built in the early 7th century, is known as the oldest existing Buddhist temple in Japan. The temple boasts of the world's oldest wooden architecture, and there are many paintings and sculptures in its possession. The temple is also inscribed as a World Cultural Heritage Site.

Tourists visit Nara Prefecture throughout the year to see scenic spots such as Mt. Yoshino-yama, known as the best cherry blossom viewing point in Japan, and Nara Park, with its friendly deer which have been treasured as messengers from the gods.

Since establishment in 1909, the historic Nara Hotel has offered the warmest welcomes and sophisticated services to her guests. Located on a hill adjacent to Nara Park, the hotel provides an excellent view of historical sights in Nara such as the Great Buddha Hall of Todai-ji Temple, the Five-Storied Pagoda of Kofuku-ji Temple and so on. Guests can walk around these famous temples. A glimpse of the history and beauty surrounding Nara Hotel will certainly take you back to the glorious past.

Thursday, April 2 - Nara, Japan - Nara Hotel

Friday, April 3 - Nara, Japan - Nara Hotel

Saturday, April 4 - Depart Nara, Japan - Train to Himeji, Japan - Hotel Nikko Himeji

The Himeji Castle is located in Himeji City in the western Hyogo. It was constructed in the mid-14th century, and after a three-layer castle tower was built by the order of the man of power Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the 16th century, Ikeda Terumasa, a feudal lord of the castle rebuilt it further in the 17th century. Its figure was likened as a white heron spreading its wings, and thus called the Hakuro-jo, or White Heron Castle. It was designated as a national treasure in 1931, and as the World Cultural Heritage in 1993.

Hotel Nikko Himeji offers the best location for sight-seeing in Himeji city. This hotel has 257 guest rooms, and it is 15 stories high. You can enjoy the view of Himeji Castle (The world cultural heritage) from the north side rooms on high floors.  Conveniently located just steps from the Shinkansen side of JR Himeji Station.

Sunday, April 5 - Himeji, Japan - Hotel Nikko Himeji

Monday, April 6 - Depart Himeji, Japan - Shinkansen to Kyoto, Japan - Granvia Hotel Kyoto

Tuesday, April 7 - Kyoto, Japan - Granvia Hotel Kyoto

Wednesday, April 8 - Kyoto, Japan - Granvia Hotel Kyoto

Thursday, April 9 - Depart Kyoto, Japan - Shinkansen & Scenic Train to Takayama, Japan - Tanabe Ryokan

A hundred years after Japan was modernized, travelers discovered a small village hidden high in the Japanese Alps.  Cut off from the modern world, Takayama had lain unaffected by the modernization of Japan.  Today Takayama can be accessed by an express train from Nagoya.  Your journey will take you through the most magnificent mountain scenery.  The center of town is still lined with traditional homes, shops, inns and sake breweries from a time gone by.

A custom built modern building houses the Festival Floats for which Takayama is famous.  These are huge mobile shrines - spectacular creations with flamboyant carvings, metal and lacquer work with complex marionettes and puppets that perform amazing feats.  Nearby is the Lion Mask Exhibition Hall displaying over 800 Lion Masks and antique musical instruments.

Just outside Takayama is the Hida Folk Village, a large open air museum displaying dozens of traditional houses which once housed farmers and craftsmen in the region.  These houses have been relocated here and preserved in their original condition.  From the Hida Folk Village are magnificent views of the Japanese Alps.  Made even more breathtaking during the colder months when the autumn leaves make an almost unreal display of colored foliage covering square kilometers of the mountainside.

Tanabe Ryokan. Situated in the heart of Takayama, this Traditional Ryokan has been in business for 80 years and is very popular with artists and writers. There are 17 traditional Japanese-style rooms at Tanabe Ryokan, and they all have their own private bath and toilet. There is also a beautiful shared rock bath and an elegant shared wooden bath. Tanabe Ryokan specializes in serving its guests the best of the local Takayama cuisine. Guests can feast on such delights as locally grown potatoes, river fish, hoba miso, Hida beef, and home-made pickles.

Friday, April 10 - Takayama, Japan - Tanabe Ryokan

Saturday, April 11 - Takayama, Japan - Tanabe Ryokan

Sunday, April 12 - Depart Takayama, Japan - Scenic Train to Nagoya, Japan - Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel

Nagoya is the capital of Aichi Prefecture. A leading industrial city, Nagoya is especially noted for its chinaware, timepieces and machinery. Surrounded by beautiful valleys and attractive historical sites, it is home to Nagoya Castle, built in 1612 and reconstructed in 1959, and Atsuta Shrine, one of Japan's most sacred Shinto shrines.  Visit the original Noritake factory museum and the nearby Port of Nagoya Aquarium.

Often regarded as one of the best hotels in Japan, the Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel is ideally located in the heart of the city center, easily accessible from the all-new Central Japan International Airport. Served by a wide array of transportation network, it is right above 11 floors of JR Takashimaya Dept Store and 2 floors of gourmet outlets. Our own 10 outstanding restaurants and 17 function rooms are a stand-alone state-of-the-art convention center (total of 4,200sq m)! We have the largest, luxuriously-appointed guest rooms in Nagoya, featuring complimentary high-speed internet-access and panoramic views in all its 774 regular rooms, Concierge rooms and suites. It is no wonder that this is the most popular and convenient hotel for both business and leisure visitors!

Monday, April 13 - Nagoya, Japan - Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel

Tuesday, April 14 - Depart Nagoya, Japan -train & Shinkansen to Hakone-Yumoto, Japan - Hotel Kajikaso 

Hakone is one of the most popular sightseeing areas in Japan.  With Mt. Fuji as its backdrop and featuring Ashino-ko Lake, intriguing museums and traditional hotels and ryokan, Hakone's varied geographical features and famous hot springs (onsen) are must experiences for all travelers.

Since the Meiji Period, Hakone has been a hot spring resort area for domestic and overseas tourists.  During the Edo Period, Hakone prospered as a bridge town connecting the east and west of Japan.  It was one of the fifty-three Tokaido stations operating from Edo Nihombachi in Tokyo to Sanjou-oohashi in Kyoto.  Prominent visitors to the area have included the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Helen Keller.  With one of the most famous hot spring resort areas and amazing views of Mt. Fuji, Hakone is a must-experience destination for tourists from around the world.

Hotel Kajikaso is proud to offer a wide range of Onsen Hot Springs facilities including, an open-air bathing area, a rock-lined bathing area, and a large bathing spa with wooden bathtubs made of Hinoki (Japanese cypress). We also provide guest rooms with open-air bathing facilities, so you can enjoy the luxurious and relaxing Onsen experience in private.  Exceptional Japanese cuisine is also another outstanding feature of Hotel Kajikaso, where you can enjoy traditional Japanese cuisine with fresh seafood from Sagami Bay.

Wednesday, April 15 - Hakone-Yumoto, Japan - Hotel Kajikaso

Thursday, April 16 - Hakone-Yumoto, Japan - Hotel Kajikaso

Friday, April 17 - Depart Hakone-Yumoto, Japan - train & Shinkansen to Tokyo Disney Resort - Disneyland Hotel

You can have fun, stay, dine, shop and much more at Tokyo Disney Resort.  You'll find two theme parks, unique dining, a variety of shops, and accommodations including the three Disney Hotels.  Come stay at Tokyo Disney Resort, and experience and multitude of fun and excitement in this place where dreams come true.

Stay in beautiful Victorian rooms with the Disney touch.  Located directly across from the entrance to Tokyo Disneyland, the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel has 705 guest rooms featuring designs of Mickey Mouse and other Disney Characters.  A number of rooms are specially designed around specific Disney characters such as Peter Pan and Cinderella. 

Saturday, April 18 - Tokyo Disney Resort - Disneyland Hotel

Sunday, April 19 - Tokyo Disney Resort - Disneyland Hotel

Monday, April 20 - Tokyo Disney Resort - DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta

Welcome to Tokyo DisneySea - Where Adventure and Imagination Set Sail!  Come and explore seven exciting ports of call filled with adventure, discovery, romance and fun in Disney's first park themed to the myths and legends of the sea. 

Step into the main lobby of the DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta as sunlight streams in through the towering atrium.  Everything from the spirits of the themed ports of call decorating the ceiling to the inlaid compass on the marble floor, and even the bronze galleon centerpiece call out for the start of a magical adventure.  Located inside Tokyo DisneySea Park, the hotel is filled with the magic of Disney.  The hotel has three distinct sides each offering a different view and ambience.

Tuesday, April 21 - Tokyo Disney Resort - DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta

Wednesday, April 22 - Tokyo Disney Resort - DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta

Thursday, April 23 - Tokyo Disney Resort - DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta

Friday, April 24 - Tokyo Disney Resort - DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta

Saturday, April 25 - Depart Tokyo, Japan - Fly to Los Angeles, CA, USA

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