Tokyo Disney Magic: a family friendly adventure guide
Visiting Tokyo Disney with toddlers, babies, and young kids can be equal parts magical and unpredictable, but that is all part of the adventure.
If you are planning Tokyo Disney with toddlers or babies, searching for the best Tokyo Disneyland rides for toddlers, or wondering how to balance naps, queues, and overstimulation, this guide will help you make the most of your visit. From realistic expectations to practical tips for navigating Tokyo Disney Resort with kids, it is all about finding the right rhythm so the whole family can enjoy the magic.
Your experience at Tokyo Disney will vary hugely depending on your child’s age, temperament, and confidence with rides. If you are still in the early planning stages, you might find my guide on visiting Japan with kids or exploring Tokyo with a toddler in tow helpful for mapping out your itinerary.
Planning a visit to Tokyo Disney with toddlers, babies or young kids
Best time of year to visit Tokyo Disney
Tokyo is very much a year-round destination, however the summer months do get hot and humid. If standing in the long queues for the attractions in the muggy sunshine doesn’t sound like fun with a toddler in tow, then perhaps plan your Japan trip at a slightly cooler time of year.
I’ve visited Tokyo Disney in June, November and January. June was very hot, but we still enjoyed our time. We just made sure we had plenty of water and shade breaks and things were manageable. November and January were ideal to visit as temperatures were cooler. We also used a crowd prediction calendar to choose days to visit when the crowds were anticipated to be lighter.
I will say, even on a day with smaller crowds, you will need to manage your expectations. After all, you’re in Tokyo which is the most populated city in the world, so it is going to be crowded at any time of year.
Where to stay to visit Tokyo Disney
Honestly, Tokyo is one of the most well-organised and best-connected mega cities I have ever visited, which can make this decision feel overwhelming. If you are travelling to Japan with toddlers, babies, or young kids, I would now recommend approaching this with the utmost importance.
While it is absolutely possible to stay centrally and visit Tokyo Disney as a day trip, if you are planning a full day in the parks, or visiting both Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, it is often far more enjoyable to stay in the Tokyo Disney Resort area. Being close to the parks makes a huge difference when little ones are tired at the end of the day or if you need a midday break.
Stay in central Tokyo and day trip to Disney
If you’re staying in Tokyo city and daytripping to Disney, then I would still always choose to stay around the Shibuya, Harajuku or Shinjuku areas as there’s so much to see, do and eat. Ginza is another great option, particularly for shopping and food lovers.
We found the Hilton Tokyo had a great family suite with a sofa bed in the living room for our toddler and even a little seperate alcove for the baby cot to go so everyone got their own sleeping space. This is a HUGE thing for us. Also, the buffet breakfast at the Hilton is the best I’ve had in Tokyo.
On another recent visit I stayed near the Imperial Palace at the Ascott Marunouchi, which felt a little less hectic but was incredibly convenient with a young kid in tow being a 10 minute walk from Tokyo Station. The one bedroom apartment was absolutely lovely, but it wouldn’t work for us now we’ve added an extra kiddo to the tribe.
Staying centrally in Tokyo works really well if Disney is just one part of a broader Tokyo itinerary, and these neighbourhoods are fantastic for exploring the city with kids. It’s also fine if your kids are older and don’t mind commuting back and forth.
If navigating baby and toddler sleep while travelling feels overwhelming, you might find my guide to making kids’ sleep less stressful on holidays really helpful.
Staying in the Tokyo Disney Resort area (recommended)
My recommendation is to spend several days staying in central Tokyo to experience the city and see the sights and then to transfer to a hotel in the Tokyo Disney Resort area for your Disney days. We did this on our last visit where we spent two magical days at Disney and Disney Sea and it was so much easier than commuting in from the city.
If you want to stay in the Tokyo Disney Resort area but don’t want to pay the exorbitant amounts for an official Disney hotel, then I can highly recommend the Hilton Tokyo Bay hotel, which has stunning Mt Fuji views across the water.
Cheaper than a Disney alternative, the Hilton Tokyo Bay is one monorail stop from Tokyo DisneySea and two from Tokyo Disneyland, making it incredibly easy to get to the parks for opening and to return quickly when travelling with little kids. You can also duck back to the hotel to give the kids a nap if needed.
How to decide between visiting Tokyo Disney or Tokyo DisneySea
The Tokyo Disney Resort is made up of two parks: Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, and both offer plenty to do for toddlers and young kids. You really cannot go wrong with either, but if your itinerary allows, I would highly recommend setting aside two days to experience both parks at a relaxed pace.
One of the biggest surprises for us was just how many rides are suitable for little ones. At Tokyo Disneyland, toddlers can ride around 70% of the attractions, as long as they can sit upright unassisted.
There is a huge variety of gentle, colourful rides like the carousel, train rides, and interactive areas. We even found that babies could enjoy a handful of rides while sitting on a parent’s lap, which makes it a very accessible park for families travelling with younger children.
For our princess-obsessed three-year-old, the standout was definitely the Beauty and the Beast ride, which completely lived up to the hype and was suitable for both her and our baby. It was easily one of the highlights of our trip.
Tokyo DisneySea is also a fantastic option with young kids, particularly if your little one loves The Little Mermaid or Frozen. The Mermaid Lagoon area in particular is incredibly toddler-friendly, with rides, play areas, and a sheltered indoor space that works well in all weather.
Having visited both parks, we found there was no shortage of rides and experiences for our baby and toddler children at either, making both parks equally worthwhile.
Getting tickets for Tokyo Disney
Now that you’ve decided which Tokyo Disney park to visit, it is time to get tickets booked. Like many main attractions these days, it is far better to secure your tickets early by booking online in advance. You can book tickets up to two months in advance.
The best part of travelling to Tokyo Disney with toddlers, babies and young kids? Children under 4 receive free entry to Disney parks!
Download the Tokyo Disney Resort App
This app is a must have to ensure that you not only have a map of the park and a list of everything happening on that day, but also to give you a chance to secure priority passes for busy rides. I’ll explain more about the express pass system when we get to the rides!
The app is where your tickets will be stored and to enter the park, you’ll just scan your tickets in your App.
How to get to Tokyo Disney from Tokyo city
Catch the train
Japan is renowned for its public transport system and its no surprise that Tokyo Disney has its own dedicated train station at the park. From Tokyo Station, take the JR Keiyo line to Maihama Station and follow the signs (and crowds) to Tokyo Disney. If you have a Japan Rail (JR) pass, then your ride is covered by the rail pass and there’s no need to pay any extra.
From Tokyo Station, the travel time is 24 minutes and six stops. The cost per person is 230 JPY and children up to six years old travel free on Tokyo trains.
My only caution is that the platform to board the train at Tokyo Station is a LONG walk from the entrance to the station – allow plenty of time to walk through the station and try to avoid peak hour due to the crowds.
Drive or Taxi
If you have access to a car, then you may choose to drive to Tokyo Disney, though I would certainly recommend public transport as the simplest and easiest option. From the Tokyo Station area, it is around 20 minutes drive out to Urayasu. Parking is located nearby the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel and costs 3000 JPY for the day.
A taxi takes the stress out of having to find a park, however is an expensive option costing between 4000 – 7000 JPY depending on traffic. Japanese taxis don’t have seats for your toddler or baby, so you also need to hold them on your lap so please carefully assess the safety of this option for your family.
What rides at Tokyo Disney are suitable for toddlers, babies and young kids?
Baby-friendly rides at Tokyo Disney
- Jungle Cruise: a relaxing boat ride through the jungle. There is a little bit of darkness, but it is totally kid friendly. Babies can sit on your lap, so the whole family can ride.
- Western River Railroad: a gentle steam train ride suitable for all ages. Babies must sit on your lap.
- It’s A Small World: you either love it or you hate it but this Disney staple is quite fun to do when its sung all in Japanese. Our baby and toddler loved the bright colours and the song. The other bonus of this ride is that often the lines are not too long. Babies need to be on your lap.
- Castle Carousel: on our first visit this was our then 1.5 year old’s saving grace. After a scary show experience, I think we rode this carousel about 10 times that day. Even returning as a 3.5 year old, she was still super keen to ride this again and again. Babies can also ride sitting in the carriage on your lap.
- The Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast: if you do one ride at Tokyo Disney, let it be this one. A stunning adventure for the whole family where you ride in a spinning teacup through the Beast’s castle and watch Belle and the Beast fall in love. It’s just beautiful. Babies can sit on your lap for this one, so do it as a family and enjoy. You’ll need to secure a Disney Premiere Access (DPA) pass for this one or endure wait times that can be over two hours long.
- Tom Sawyer Island Rafts: ride a raft out to Tom Sawyer’s Island. You can see Tom Sawyer’s famous treehouse among other things.
- Omnibus: an olden-style bus that takes you on a tour around the park.
- Mark Twain Riverboat: a large paddlesteamer that tours around the Rivers of America part of the park. Great for a bit of relaxing downtime.
Toddler-friendly rides at Tokyo Disney
Toddlers can ride all the above baby-friendly rides, plus here’s a couple more that I wouldn’t take a baby on that they might like.
- Alice’s Tea Party: the classic spinning tea cup ride. You can technically have a baby on your lap for this one, but honestly the spinning is quite intense and I think my bub would lose her mind on this ride… and not in a good way. Perfect for toddlers and pre-schoolers.
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant: a gentle spinning ride that soars in the air. This one is perfect for young kids wanting a bit of a thrill but in a gentle manner. No babies on laps on this ride.
Pre-schooler friendly rides at Tokyo Disney
Pre-schoolers (3-5 years) can ride all the above rides, plus here’s a few more that they might like.
- Pooh’s Hunny Hunt: ride a hunnypot with Winnie-the-Pooh and friends and meet the animals of the Hundred Acre Wood. This technically can be ridden by toddlers, too, however the ride happens in darkness and when she was under 3 that would have been too scary.
- Pinocchio’s Daring Journey: this one can be a bit scary for younger kids as it is in darkness. it follows the story of Pinocchio. Ride with caution if your little one doesn’t like the dark.
- Peter Pan’s Flight: if your kiddo is worried about darkness, then maybe skip this one. Fly to Neverland with Peter Pan all the way from London with a little bit of pixie dust. Our 3.5 year old mostly enjoyed it but was a little unnerved by the Captain Hook bits.
- Monster’s Inc Ride and Go Seek: join Boo, Sully and Mike on a game of Hide and Seek, travelling through Monstropolis. The ride does go through darkness, but it’s pretty tame. This ride sells DPA to skip the line.
- Snow White’s Adventure: though technically pre-schoolers can ride this, I suggest to ride this one with caution. Though it is called Snow White’s Adventure, there is very little Snow White in this ride and it mostly focuses on the Evil Queen. Even at 3.5, my daughter was freaked out to the max on this ride and screamed that she wanted to get off for the whole time. It actually scarred her for the rest of the day at Disney.
What else is there to do at Tokyo Disney with kids?
Toddler-friendly shows
Tokyo Disney has a heap of shows to experience, though they can be quite overwhelming for little kids. of course, the park-wide lunchtime parade is a great one to watch because it is out in the open and less intense than some of the others that are behind closed door in the theatres. Our daughter loved sitting on her dad’s shoulders and watching the characters go past, dancing to the music.
On the other hand, our daughter was completely overwhelmed in the Country Bear Theatre and Mickey’s PhilharMagic. She was totally freaked out by the darkness and the loudness of both the shows and we had to make a swift exit. The content itself is totally kid-friendly, but our girl is a bit sensitive to loud noises – it was a bit too much.
Character Meet & Greets
One of the joys of visiting Tokyo Disney with toddlers is seeing their amazement at coming close to the characters they know and love. We did meet and greets with Daisy Duck and Minnie Mouse, both of which our daughter still talks about 6 months later. We also came across roaming characters such as Goofy and the Incredibles on our walk around the park.
Other Toddler-Friendly Activities
Toon town is a great area for toddlers and small kids as it features several attractions that allow kids to wander through and have a play. Our daughter’s highlight was visiting Minnie Mouse’s house and cooking in her kitchen. She also loved playing on Donald Duck’s boat and climbing the Chip and Dale Treehouse. Toon Town also has a great little play area by way of the Toon Park – perfect to let the kids out of the stroller for a run around.
Cinderella lovers will enjoy visiting the interior of Cinderella’s castle where you can see her glass slipper and the throne room. Cinderella’s Fairy Tale Hall is also stroller friendly.
Where to eat at Tokyo Disney with toddlers
There are food options galore at Tokyo Disney. If you’re travelling with a toddler you’ll want to bring plenty of snacks to keep them occupied for the day – this will help save money as well as the food at Tokyo Disney isn’t cheap. Technically, I don’t think you are meant to bring in outside food, but the team at the gate were OK with us bringing in items for our daughter. We brought some blueberries, rice crackers and a banana along with us and then we purchased lunch at the big food hall in the Tomorrowland area. We also treated Grace with an ice cream later in the day as it was very hot!
There are heaps of restaurants at Tokyo Disney and they’re all very kid friendly. A few that seemed really popular when we were there was the La Taverne de Gaston, Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall and the Camp Woodchuck Kitchen. Most restaurants have pre-order available via the App, so that you can avoid a hangry toddler.
In summary: visiting Tokyo Disney with toddlers, babies and young kids
Tokyo Disney is a great choice for an outing with kids and toddlers. Whether your kiddo is a daredevil wanting to try all the rides or more into the shows and character meet and greets, Tokyo Disney will have plenty to occupy them all for the day. Though it may not be the cheapest day out, your kids will love the day and you’ll create core memories of happiness and fun for a lifetime.
FAQs for visiting Tokyo Disney with toddlers, babies and young kids
Is Tokyo Disney suitable for toddlers?
Yes! Tokyo Disney is very family-friendly and offers many attractions, parades, shows, and character meet-and-greets that are perfect for toddlers. While some of the more intense rides may not be suitable, there are plenty of gentle rides, playgrounds, and interactive experiences tailored to young children.
What to pack to visit Tokyo Disney with young kids?
Snacks, water bottle, nappies, wipes and a change of clothes. We visited in summer, so we also packed a hat and sunscreen and a light muslin to clip onto our pram so that our daughter could have a nap in the park. A portable phone charger can also be helpful if your phone tends to run out of battery. Everything else, you can buy at Tokyo Disney.
Is Tokyo Disney stroller friendly?
Absolutely. We travelled around the whole day with our BabyJogger City Tour 2 stroller. Every show and ride has stroller parking and there were no parts of the park that were difficult to navigate. Tokyo Disney even offer stroller rental for those who may need one.
Are there height restrictions for rides?
Yes, there are height restrictions for some attractions. However, many rides in Tokyo Disneyland are designed for smaller children and don’t have height limits. It’s always a good idea to check the specific attraction’s height requirements on the official park map or website before you go.
Are there parent facilities and baby change rooms?
Yes, Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea have baby care centers. These centers are equipped with changing tables, nursing rooms, bottle-warming stations, and even small play areas. It’s a great spot for parents to take a break if needed.
Can I stay at Tokyo Disney?
Yes, there is a hotel at Tokyo Disney and it is possible to stay. However, it is also very easy to visit on a day trip via the amazing Japan Rail train system.
What’s the best way to navigate around Tokyo Disney?
Download the Disney App and use the map and other features to navigate and plan your day. It’s a fabulous one stop shop for planning your Disney adventure. The app also includes information about ride and attraction wait times.
What other kid-friendly activities are in Tokyo?
Tokyo is honestly full of great kid friendly experiences. TeamLabs Planets is a wonderful installation that all ages will enjoy. The Tokyo Toy museum is a great place to spend a few hours, and particularly fabulous on a rainy day. Tokyo also has a Fire Museum and a Police Museum where kids can go and dress up in uniforms, see fire trucks and even play on a helicopter!
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