Tokyo and Disney Vacation Club

[MickeyMoose]

I am thinking about going to Tokyo, and was wondering if I can use my Disney Vacation Club membership there. I see it listed on the offical site, but I was just wondering if anyone has used it here and what they thought about it.

[TDLFAN]

Re: Tokyo and Disney Vacation Club

I am not a DVC member so I can't help you on that. I believe they were trying to make some rooms available for DVC members there but am not sure what the specifics are. Sorry I can't help.

[DisneyMickey]

Re: Tokyo and Disney Vacation Club

I know that it isn't the same as Paris because you always see Paris advertised with the DVC but never Tokyo.

[The Goddess Mara]

Re: Tokyo and Disney Vacation Club

For the least expensive time of the year at the Miracosta hotel, a room costs 46 points per night during the week, and 69 points per night on weekends. (It's a few points less at the Ambassador Hotel.)

So, to stay for one week at the Miracosta during the least desirable part of the year will require 368 points, or roughly $3,680 worth of points (if you wanted to rent your points to someone else, for example, at the going rate of $10 each). If you wanted to actually pay cash for your room at the Miracosta, assume you could get a room for the lowest price available of $350 x 7 = $2,450. The difference is $1,220. In other words, if you rent your points to someone else you can make $3,680, then spend $2,450 on your hotel room at the Miracosta and still put $1,220 in your pocket! Enough to pay for all of your park tickets and some of your food over the course of a week at the Tokyo Disney Resort.

Is staying at the Tokyo Disney Resort a bad way to use your points? I think so--it's designed to make you spend more points to get less.

Contrast this to the Grand Californian Hotel at Disneyland in California (another hotel that's a non-DVC resort outside Walt Disney World): they require only 29 points per night in the least desirable time of year and for the least desirable view. So it will cost you 203 points for a week. (And that drops to 23 points at night at The Disneyland Hotel.) That's $2,030 if you were to rent your points. If you were to pay $200 a night for a room, then the total is $1,400 for a week. You're still tossing $500 down the toilet by using your points, but it's much easier to justify in your mind.

The ONLY really economical way to use your DVC points is by staying at one of the DVC resorts.

[MickeyMoose]

Re: Tokyo and Disney Vacation Club

I see. So there is no special benefit for using Disney Vacation Club at Tokyo. Thank you for the replies. I hope to visit Tokyo Disneyland Resort one day but for now I am going to wait. Maybe 2008. Isn't that the 25th anniversity celebration?

[TDLFAN]

Re: Tokyo and Disney Vacation Club

I see. So there is no special benefit for using Disney Vacation Club at Tokyo. Thank you for the replies. I hope to visit Tokyo Disneyland Resort one day but for now I am going to wait. Maybe 2008. Isn't that the 25th anniversity celebration?

Yes, TDL's 25th will be celebrated beginning in spring 2008. And in regards to NOT having any special benefit for using DVC... don't feel bad. TDR is worth every single penny you spend there. The resort is *that* good overall. Besides... not even having a TDR Premium AP affords you extra perks.. so I feel your pain.

[larry_poppins]

Re: Tokyo and Disney Vacation Club

I have used DVC points for Tokyo Disney. I spent 5 nights at the Mira Costa for 46 points per night. I had a Venetian view. It was incredible! They gave me free passes for the monorail. I did not stay there on the weekend. I spent my weekend nights at the Tokyo Hilton. I figure the room was easily $350 to $400. Don't forget I did not have to pay the 15% resort taxes.

Tokyo Disney is the best Disney on the planet. This is my second trip to Tokyo Disney. My first I stayed at the Tokyo Bay Hilton on Hilton HHonors points. I will be there again in 2008. My current plan is to go every even year (2004, 2006, 2008...) I am very glad I can use my DVC points there. It is just another option I am glad DVC members have. It was also nice to make a Tokyo reservation by calling Member Services as opposed to calling the Mira Costa in Japan!

[TDLFAN]

Re: Tokyo and Disney Vacation Club

Tokyo Disney is the best Disney on the planet.

HELLO!!!!! CAN YOU REPEAT THE QUOTE ABOVE ONE MORE TIME????? MOST PEOPLE ON THIS AND OTHER SITES DO NOT BELIEVE ME AFTER HAVING TOLD THEM THE SAME EXACT THING FOR OVER A DECADE. THANK YOU.:thumbup:

[larry_poppins]

Re: Tokyo and Disney Vacation Club

TDLFAN most people are in denial when it comes to the quality of Tokyo Disney. It is also hard and embarrassing to admit that something as American as Disney is done better by another country and culture. I avoided visiting Tokyo for years. I told myself that it could not be worth the effort. Hadn't I already done Disney here and in Paris. The answer is that it is no effort at all. Japan is less expensive than I feared, particularly if you are used to WDW inflated prices. AND I had not done Disney until I had gone to Tokyo Disney.

Now that I have gone there all I want to do is go back. The DVC points give me another option on how to visit. Money I use to spend at DL and WDW is now earmarked for Japan.

Larry

[TDLFAN]

Re: Tokyo and Disney Vacation Club

So happy for you Larry P. Our fans in the US simply do not know how good a Disney park can actually be until they experience the TDR difference. The disparities between TDR and WDW are so vast... and you can see why this is a very frustrating point with me.

[SuperDry]

Re: Tokyo and Disney Vacation Club

It was also nice to make a Tokyo reservation by calling Member Services as opposed to calling the Mira Costa in Japan!

Were they able to confirm your reservation while you were still on the phone? Or did they have to check with TDR and call you back?

[larry_poppins]

Re: Tokyo and Disney Vacation Club

They have to check with TDR and call you back. However with the new dvcmember.com you could just check under my points and see if you have a ressie in Tokyo. However, it is crucial that you bring DVC reservation confirmation letter with you when you check into the hotel. They give you length of stay monorail tickets for free when you check in!

Larry

[SuperDry]

Re: Tokyo and Disney Vacation Club

it is crucial that you bring DVC reservation confirmation letter with you when you check into the hotel. They give you length of stay monorail tickets for free when you check in!

It may be crucial to have the confirmation letter for other reasons, but the MiraCosta and Ambassador hotels give length-of-stay monorail tickets to all guests in the normal course of business.

[larry_poppins]

Re: Tokyo and Disney Vacation Club

I did not mean to imply that the confirmation letter gave you the monorail tickets. You just need the letter for check-in.

Larry

[TDLFAN]

Re: Tokyo and Disney Vacation Club

Even the Official hotels around TDR's perimeter used to give out lenght-of-stay monorail passes, but that I understand has been discontinued.

[The Goddess Mara]

Re: Tokyo and Disney Vacation Club

Yes, the Hilton no longer gives passes for the monorail. Not sure if I got them last year or the year before, but definitely had to buy them this year. You really can't complain--I think it cost $10 for the week.

[Malin]

Re: Tokyo and Disney Vacation Club

We should just count ourselves lucky WDW hasn't caught on to the fact TDR charges guest to use its Monorail service yet.

[TDLFAN]

Re: Tokyo and Disney Vacation Club

We should just count ourselves lucky WDW hasn't caught on to the fact TDR charges guest to use its Monorail service yet.

A transportation fee is automatically added to the admission price of every pass sold at WDW, which you pay regardless of using the monorail/busses/ferry boats...etc etc. So YES, you ARE paying for the use of transportaion at WDW. This has been done since day 1 in 1971, where the ABCDE ticket booklets used to come with a monorail coupon that had to be redeemed to get on the monorails.

At TDR, you pay to use the TDR Line if you want to... and you are never charged extra if you don't. So that makes for more value for TDR guests. Plus... the TDR Line is more efficiently operated by the resort and havinga fee there can only assure a better maintained operation. As opposed to WDW's monorails where the transport service fee seems to be for somthing else other than maintaining the monorails in top form.

[Malin]

Re: Tokyo and Disney Vacation Club

So because WDW decided to build a massive lake across from the car park to the park we are now having to pay extra to ride a monorail.

Atleast TDR has a escuse to charge people to use the monorail.

[MickeyMoose]

Re: Tokyo and Disney Vacation Club

We should just count ourselves lucky WDW hasn't caught on to the fact TDR charges guest to use its Monorail service yet.

At one time WDW did charge to ride the monorails now it is free.