Tokyo Disneyland Guide 2026: DPA, Open Run & Dining Tips

At Tokyo Disneyland, I rode 8 attractions, including the incredible Beauty and the Beast,

and guess what? Every single one had either

no waiting time at all or just a 5-10 minute wait!

Today, I'm going to break down everything for you, from my 'open run' experience to ticket booking,

DPA and insider tips, and even restaurant recommendations. Get ready to explore!

Disneyland vs. DisneySea

In Tokyo, there are two parks:

Disneyland and DisneySea.

Disneyland

✔️ Themed around classic characters we've always known,

like Mickey Mouse, Beauty and the Beast, and Winnie the Pooh.

✔️ Features Cinderella Castle, Disney's iconic symbol.

✔️ Plenty of attractions focused on childhood wonder.

DisneySea

✔️ The only DisneySea park in the world, exclusive to Tokyo.

✔️ Themed around newer characters like Rapunzel and Frozen.

✔️ Features many thrill-focused attractions.

➡️ You can choose based on your preference, but

DisneySea has been a bit more popular recently!

Ticket Booking, Prices

First off, if you just buy a basic admission ticket for Disneyland,

you can enter and ride all the attractions.

I heard that buying tickets on the official website would automatically register my credit card,

making it quicker to purchase DPA, so I ended up paying a bit more

to buy through the official app.

To my surprise, upon arriving for the 'open run', I found that even with tickets purchased via the official app,

my card wasn't pre-registered, and I still had to manually enter all my card details!

📌Discount Codes

Klook : 세시간전26001 / 세시간전26002

(save ~$1 / ~$2)

Trip.com : trippa07 (7% discount)

Don't bother buying from the official site at a higher price;

enter a discount code and buy affordably!

Currently, Klook is the cheapest, but prices vary depending on exchange rates and seasonality,

so check each platform before purchasing!

Registering Your Ticket

After purchasing tickets, you need to register them on the official app.

While you can still enter without doing so, it's essential if you want to use features

like DPA purchases, the 40th Anniversary Pass, or mobile ordering.

After downloading the app labeled 'Disney Resort', scan your pre-purchased tickets to register your admission.

Then, create a group to manage all your party's tickets

from a single phone.

That way, you can purchase DPA and the 40th Anniversary Pass all at once.

DPA, 40th Anniversary Pass

​

DPA is short for Disney Premier Access,

a pass that lets you skip the lines and ride popular attractions straight away.

It's similar to Universal's Express Pass,

but the difference is that you can't reserve it in advance;

you can only purchase it after entering Disneyland.

DPA is available for popular attractions:

Splash Mountain: ¥1,500

✨Beauty and the Beast: ¥2,000

The Happy Ride with Baymax: ¥1,500

You can purchase these three, and for **Beauty and the Beast, DPA is practically essential.**

"Planning an open-run, do I really need to buy it?"

Yes, I absolutely recommend getting it...

unless you want to wait for over two hours!

The 40th Anniversary Pass is a Priority Pass, a free version of DPA, launched for Disneyland's 40th-anniversary event.

✨✨✨Pooh's Hunny Hunt

✨✨✨Monsters, Inc. Ride & Go Seek!

✨Big Thunder Mountain

Haunted Mansion

Star Tours: The Adventures Continue

You can choose one of these five attractions.

I highly recommend **Pooh's Hunny Hunt or Monsters, Inc.!**

The bottom two are less recommended because their wait times

are generally shorter compared to other attractions.

Open-Run Review

First off, while the official opening time is 9 AM, it's actually

**common for the park to open early, between 8:00 AM and 8:30 AM.**

(During the off-season, it often opens at the official time.)

I arrived at the station at 6:40 AM on a weekday,

and while the entrance to DisneySea was already bustling,

Disneyland was surprisingly quiet.

I stored my suitcase in a locker next to the entrance,

and by around **6:50 AM, I was in line**, quite far up front!

At 7:30 AM, security checks began. I was right at the front,

so I just stood in line 4. However, lines 5 and 6 are the **Happy Entry lines**, so

they get in about 15 minutes faster, and the queue moves quickly.

(But don't stand right at the very front; you need to be slightly behind in the regular queue.)

Security checks were early, but entry was still at the scheduled 9 AM... ugh. ㅠㅠ

You'll be waiting for over an hour, so a mat and a parasol are absolute musts!

I brought a shopping bag to wait with.

Once you've scanned your ticket and entered the park,

immediately go for the **40th Anniversary Pass - DPA purchase - Show entry**.

You absolutely must follow this order!

Since the 40th Anniversary Pass is free, the most people try to get it,

so it's best to select it first.

Times are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. As soon as 9 AM hit,

I got in and was assigned a slot from 10:25 AM to 11:25 AM.

Next, when purchasing DPA, you can choose your time slot.

I chose Beauty and the Beast for 2 PM to 3 PM,

but an earlier slot would also be fine.

And finally, don't forget the Entry Request show lottery!

This lottery often covers shows like Club Mouse Beat or Mickey's Magical Music World.

These are the most commonly featured shows, but when I visited, only Music World was available.

It's a seated lottery system, so if you're lucky enough to win, you'll snag a reserved seat and

can watch comfortably!

Even if you don't win, don't worry, entry is still possible, but

the wait time will be long, and you'll likely be watching from the second-floor seats.

Phew! Once you've got all that sorted, it's finally time to dive into the attractions and have some pure fun!

After entering, I made a beeline for Big Thunder Mountain and

got right on without any waiting!

I kept an eye on the official app's wait times as I moved around the park,

but they're not always perfectly accurate, so just use them as a guide.

Next up, I managed to hop on the Haunted Mansion with no wait whatsoever! Score!

Having skipped breakfast, as soon as the clock struck 10 AM,

I grabbed a meal at the Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall.

Eating when the restaurant is still blissfully empty? Pure perfection! ❤️

After finishing my delicious meal, it was perfectly timed for Pooh's Hunny Hunt.

My designated entry time had arrived, so I headed over.

The regular line was absolutely massive; if I hadn't snatched a 40th Anniversary Pass,

I would've been looking at at least an hour's wait..

The moment I scanned my 40th Anniversary Pass QR code, I swiftly secured my next one,

choosing Monsters, Inc. for 5 PM.

Next, I blasted off on the Star Wars attraction, then

took photos in front of Cinderella Castle, and finally

rode the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction.

For Pirates of the Caribbean, the wait was only about 10 minutes – a real win!

After fueling up with some snacks and enjoying a much-needed break, before I knew it,

it was already time for my Beauty and the Beast DPA slot.

The regular wait time was showing a whopping 120 minutes at that point, but thanks to DPA, I waltzed right in!

💡Hot tip: For DPA (Disney Premier Access) and 40th Anniversary Passes, you can actually enter

5 minutes earlier than your designated time!

Scanning your QR code a little early to snag your next pass quickly is a genius move,

and definitely one of my top tips!

With about 40 minutes to spare until the parade kicked off, I made my way to a prime viewing spot and settled in.

(Keep in mind, the areas in front of Big Thunder Mountain and Cinderella Castle Garden are absolute prime locations for parade viewing!)

Since parade times can change, always be sure to

check the official app for the most up-to-date schedule.

Next up, I made my way to Splash Mountain, though

to be honest, I had already purchased DPA for it as soon as 10 AM hit!

While I was heading to grab lunch, I happened to glance at the regular queue for Splash Mountain, and it was

unbelievably long;;

I'd estimate a good 1 to 1.5 hours of waiting for those without a pass!

Let's just say I made a strategic investment to buy myself some precious energy and time..^^;;

And for this one, I got right on with absolutely no wait!

After watching the Mickey Mouse musical performance,

I rode Monsters, Inc., which I'd picked with my 40th Anniversary Pass,

and had planned to stay for the fireworks, but due to energy issues,

I gave up on them and exited!

Restaurant and Snack Recommendations

The restaurants I recommend at Disneyland are

Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall and Hungry Bear Restaurant.

I highly recommend these two places.

Queen of Hearts is so popular that there's a line even before it opens,

so it's best to go earlier than peak lunch hours.

For the menu, I recommend the Salisbury steak with rice!

Plus, if you order a dessert, you can get a cup

for free 🩷!

Hungry Bear Restaurant sells curry topped with cute Mickey Mouse-shaped

eggs, and it's quite delicious.

You can also order in advance via mobile order,

so wait times are short.

For snacks, the Mickey Mouse ice cream and

Alien Mochi are the most popular.

The ice cream is sold in various places.

I bought mine near Beauty and the Beast,

and I ordered the mochi via mobile order

in Tomorrowland.

It's filled with chocolate, strawberry, and other flavors inside,

but I don't like sweet things, so personally, mochi isn't my favorite!

I've tried to write down everything from A to Z about Tokyo Disneyland,

and it's quite long, so it might seem a bit overwhelming.

However, if you organize it once, you can save hours,

so I highly recommend saving it and reading it thoroughly!

If you have any questions, please leave a comment :)

🔗 Buy Disneyland Tickets on Trip.com

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🔗 Klook Disneyland Best Price Link

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