TDR Now Travel Podcast

Totally Minnie Mouse is the first event at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea in almost two years! We discuss what we think of this event and thoughts on the food, entertainment, and merchandise.

We talk about unlimited travel to the western part of Japan in the Kansai area for about $100 for 3-days using the JR Rail Pass. I talk about what I did with this pass in three days, from sand dunes in Tottori to the Hello Kitty bullet train. You can check out the pass over on Klook.

Happy New Year, Explorers! Our first episode of 2022 is all about Universal Studios Japan! Chris talks about his time at the park during New Year and what the crowds were like, what food he ate, and how the wait times were!

In episode 244, we discussed what's new at Tokyo Disney Resort. In this episode, we shift gears to Universal Studios Japan! From Cool Japan 2022 to Donkey Kong Country, there's a lot to look forward to at Universal in Osaka.

There's been a lot happening at Tokyo Disney Resort in November and December 2021. We go over everything you may have missed, from a brand new Minnie Mouse event at the Parks to Japan's largest Disney Store opening!

Japan loves its Winter Illuminations and is always something to look forward to in the winter months. This year over at the Sagamiko Resort Pleasure Forest (yes, that name is something), they're offering a special Sailor Moon illumination event based on the 2021 film "Sailor Moon Eternal"! We share our experience visiting this fantastic event by talking about the food, merchandise, and of course, the lights. You can check out the event over on our YouTube channel too!

Disney's FROZEN, the hit Broadway musical, opened in Japan on June 24, 2021. Join us as we discuss "Anna and the Snow Queen" and the experience of visiting a musical in Japan. From what it's like to the type of merchandise available.

Trish finally got to visit Tokyo Disneyland for the first time in forever. We talk about all the changes that have been happening in the last few months and what it's like visiting the Park in 2021.

We cover the latest news for theme parks here in Japan! From McDonald's coming to Tokyo Disney Resort to the Pokémon Company partnering with Universal Studios Japan. We recap everything that's happened to keep you in the know.

Tokyo DisneySea is celebrating its 20th anniversary until September 2022 with a special event. Well, we all know what's been happening for the last year and a half. As a result, this led to a less-than-ideal celebration at Tokyo DisneySea for this milestone. We discuss the food, entertainment, decorations, and merchandise, to give you an idea of what it's really like.

We talk all about the hit-anime Demon Slayer event at Universal Studios Japan along with the park's annual Halloween Horror Nights! From food to merchandise to the new limited-time VR Demon Slayer coaster, we cover it all.

Hey Explorers! Going to the movies, or cinema depending on where you're from, is an experience on its own. In this week's episode, we share with you what it's like going to the movies here in Japan! From popcorn, food, merchandise, and etiquette.

We spend 30-mins in theme park heaven in our new segment, where we discuss what we love about the parks right now! Sometimes, you need a little bit of positivity to get through the day.

We're discussing how and where you can find CHEAP merchandise from Tokyo Disneyland. Whether or not that's a good thing for your luggage limit, we're telling you anyway! Here's where you can find LaLaport Tokyo Bay and Vivit Minami-Funabashi.

The Disney Fan magazine is a monthly publication showcasing Tokyo Disney Resort and Disney in Japan. The magazine is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and we discuss why we love this magazine and why you should get it.

The Tokyo Disney Resort monorail turned 20 years old this year! The resort has a special limited-time exhibit to celebrate this milestone. We talk about why the monorail is so beloved and share fond memories.

Tokyo Disneyland does things its own way, which sometimes throws people for a loop when they visit. We discuss a few of the things that you can't do at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea! Please read our article that also lists what we talk about!

Starbucks Japan released 47 limited-time Frappuccinos. We're talking about the ones we've tried and what our must-try flavours are! Each flavour is only available at its respected prefecture, which means you'd have to travel to every corner of Japan to try them all. Check out our video on YouTube too! Here's a list of all the different flavours (this list is from this excellent blog): Hokkaido Creamy CornAomori’s Buzzing Apple StrawberryIwate Matcha and Black SesameMiyagi’s Zunda MatchaAkita Salted CaramelYamagata’s La France PearFukushima Full of FruitsIbaraki Melon CreamyTochigi Flashing ChocolateGunma Yogurt MangoSaitama Strawberry and CitrusChiba Mitarashi Coffee and CreamTokyo Coffee Jelly and CaramelKanagawa Summer Blue CreamBeautiful Niigata Kaki no Tane ChocolateToyama WatermelonIshikawa HojichaFukui Puffed RiceYamanashi!! Grape and White Chocolate CreamNagano Apple Butter CaramelGifu Matcha and Coffee JellyShizuoka Mikan CitrusAichi Anko CoffeeMie Isecha CitrusShiga Biwa Blue Citrus CreamKyoto Matcha KinakoOsaka a Lot of Fruits CreamHyogo Dark ChocolateNara Hojicha White ChocolateWakayama Mikan CitrusTottori Creamy CaramelShimane Creamy Matcha Coffee GoenOkayama Fruit SunshineHiroshima Setouchi Lemon and CitrusYamaguchi Sesame MatchaTokushima Juicy CitrusKanagawa Wasanbon MatchaEhime Amazing! Kiwi FruitKochi Ginger CitrusFukuoka YamechaSaga Crispy Sugar and ChocolateNagasaki Castella Coffee and CreamKumamoto Crunchy Biscuit and ChocolateOita Exciting Kabosu Citrus TeaMiyazaki Sparkling HyuganatsuKagoshima Black Honey CreamOkinawa Chinsuko Vanilla Caramel

There's been a lot of theme park news here in Japan in the last little while. We'll go over what's happening at Tokyo Disney Resort, Universal Studios Japan, and the future Studio Ghibli theme park!

Did you know that the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel has an Alice in Wonderland-themed hotel room? Chris got to stay in the room and shares his experience with this character room at Tokyo Disney Resort! Is it worth your hard-earned money? You can also check out a video room tour over on YouTube.

Did you know Tokyo Disney Resort's version of "Disney Springs" is called Ikspiari? We break down the best places for you to eat and shop when you take a little break from the Parks! Including Guzman Y Gomez, Chubby Airlines, and Ippudo Ramen.

With more people receiving their COVID-19 vaccine, many are beginning to think about international travel again. We talk about the latest information on planning a trip to Tokyo Disney Resort because a lot has changed.

Join us as we look back at the Spring Carnival event at Tokyo DisneySea from 2007 to 2010, including the gorgeous daytime show "Fairies Primavera." We'll talk about the displays, decorations, and what we loved about this event that's now part of the history of Tokyo DisneySea!

While international travel is slowly opening up, Japan won't open its borders anytime soon. We discuss why we think you should wait until 2023 to visit Tokyo Disneyland if you're planning that once-in-a-lifetime trip. Support the Podcast & Website Make your trip planning to Tokyo Disney Resort & Universal Studios Japan with our premium ebook travel guides! If you want to plan a stress-free vacation, then these are a must. Buy your park tickets through Klook and save $4USD off your first order (with a minimum of USD 50) with code KLKTDREX. Any purchases made through our affiliate links help keep us going and don’t cost you anything extra. Thank you so much for listening and remember to rate and subscribe to us on iTunes and Stitcher! If you enjoy the podcast, we’d love it if you could support us on Patreon. Once we reach our goal of $500, we will record an extra 30-minute episode per month where we answer your questions! Even $1 a month will help us immensely.

The largest expansion ever to come to Tokyo DisneySea is set to open in 2023. We discuss in detail what's coming to Fantasy Springs when it opens in the next few years!

Mickey's Magical Music World is the newest stage show at Tokyo Disneyland inside the beautiful Fantasyland Forest Theatre. We discuss the show and give our review!

Tokyo Disneyland has stepped up its snack game! There's new Beauty and the Beast snacks made by a famous Japanese Chef Patissier, Sadaharu Aoki. In this episode, we talk all about these delicious snacks!

We're doing something different in this episode! We're taking a look back at past shows at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea in our new segment called "Retro Tokyo Disneyland." Where we'll go over shows that are nothing but a memory. We're starting off with one of Trish's favourites, Rock Around the Mouse. A 1950s diner-themed castle show from 2005 and lasted for less than a year!

Universal Studios Japan is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2021 with its "NO LIMIT" anniversary event. If you've seen out Twitter lately, you'd have seen some of the food is quite, well, phallic. We'll discuss all the hilarious and strange food for the anniversary along with all the awesome-looking merchandise.

In our previous two episodes on Super Nintendo World, we covered the rides and food. Now, in our final part, we're discussing the accessory you'll need to enjoy the new land to its fullest, the Power-Up Band. We'll also dive into all the different merchandise too! For more on Super Nintendo World check out all our other content on the merchandise, photos of the land, and of course Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge. For more on Super Nintendo World check out our full guide.

In our previous episode we spoke about Mario Kart, Yoshi's Adventure, and our overall thoughts about Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan. In this episode, we talk for an hour about all the different Nintendo-themed food you're able to enjoy! From Kinopio's Cafe to Yoshi's Snack Island and even popcorn. We cover it all. Don't listen to this on an empty stomach! For more on Super Nintendo World check out all our other content on the merchandise, photos of the land, and of course Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge.

We talk everything about Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan in part one of our multi-part podcast episodes. We'll go over the rides, the land itself, interactivity, food, and of course the merchandise! There's so much to cover that we had to split it over multiple episodes for you to enjoy!

The entertainment is one of the main reasons to visit Tokyo Disney Resort. The parades are unmatched and the stage shows are over-the-top. In this episode of the podcast, we talk about the "Golden Age" of entertainment at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. Looking back at all the different shows that have since ended like the Bonfire Dance, Mysterious Masquerade, The Legend of Mythica, and many more.

Tokyo Disneyland has gone through a number of changes this past year. One is the introduction of the Standby Pass for specific attractions at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. In this episode, we go through the specifics of how to use the Standby Pass through the official Tokyo Disney Resort app. Check out the official Tokyo Disney Resort website for more about the Standby Pass.

Japan still has its travel ban in place for international tourism. Meaning, unless you're a resident of Japan, you're unable to enter the country. We discuss when we think travel could resume to Japan in 2021, if at all. Also what to do for those who already have trips booked and whether or not you should book that cheap airfare you find. For updates on what's happening with the border restrictions to Japan please refer to your Government's website and the JNTO website.

We're split on what we think about the new Castle of Magical Dreams at Hong Kong Disneyland. Trish and I dive into what we both think about Hong Kong Disneyland's new Castle that opened only a few months ago. Hear what we think and argue why we like/dislike the castle in episode 213 of the TDR Now Podcast!

The Fantasyland Expansion at Tokyo Disneyland has been opened since September 2020, after being delayed since April. In our last episode of 2020, we go in-depth on Beauty and the Beast, Baymax, and Minnie Mouse at Tokyo Disneyland. We discuss Enchanted Tales of Beauty and the Beast and the new Gaston restaurant plus everything else. Even talking about what we think about the new lottery system used for wanting to ride Beauty and the Beast.

Are there any Kingdom Hearts fans out there? Right now until March 2021, there are a few Kingdom Hearts pop-up cafes in Tokyo and Osaka! We headed to the cafe in Shibuya, Tokyo, to give it a try. Listen to our experience of eating the cute food and the merchandise. We'll also talk about how you can book these types of themed cafes when you're travelling to Japan. Watch our video on YouTube to see what all this fun food looks like! Kingdom Hearts also showed up at Tokyo Disney Resort last year with a limited-time themed room and desserts at the Disney Ambassador Hotel.

Want to see a different part of Japan that's not talked about much? In our continued side-trip series of podcast episodes, we venture down to the southern island of Kyushu! We venture out of the theme parks into a different part of Japan. Especially, if you're a fan of the massively popular anime, Attack on Titan. The author of the original manga, Hajime Isayama, is from Oita, Japan, in Kyushu (southern part of Japan). There are a number of things to do in Hita for fans of the anime. https://shingeki-hita.com/ Trish also talks about the different thermal pools and even the Burning Fields where Mount Yufu is set on fire! Yes, fire. This is a place in Japan that needs to be on your list for your next trip!

Both Tokyo Disney Resort and Universal Studios Japan are offering a trimmed-down version of their Christmas events, which we're dubbing as "Christmas Lite." In this week's episode of the TDR Now Podcast, we let you know what both of these major theme parks in Japan are doing for the holidays. Tokyo Disney Resort isn't offering their typical Christmas event this year, since all events for the fiscal year were cancelled, but they're offering a few seasonal things in the Park. Meanwhile, Universal Studios Japan is full-on having a Christmas event. Even though it's on a smaller scale.

Over on Awaji Island in Japan is a brand new Godzilla Zipline that's inside the Nijigen no Mori (anime park). In this episode, Chris shares his experience getting to Awaji Island (near Kobe and Osaka in Kansai) and how not to miss your bus stop cause that'll ruin your day. This is the perfect day trip if you're spending time in the Kansai area including Universal Studios Japan! We're trying a new format out with having episodes focused on easy day-trips from the major theme parks. Let us know what you think.

Recently, the Japanese government has mentioned plans to reopen the borders to the country in spring 2021. While this is only a trial basis, this week in the podcast we discuss what this means for you and your potential trip in 2021. For details check out our blog post.

Universal Studios Japan surprised everyone with the announcement of a new Mario cafe and shop. While the Super Nintendo World at the Park doesn't open, now, until spring 2021. I headed on over to Universal Studios Japan to try all new Mario-themed goodies in the cafe. Trish and I discuss everything you need to know about wanting to experience this at Universal Studios Japan in this week's episode!

Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea reopened the parks on July 1, 2020. Since then there have been so many changes in how things work in the Parks. It's dizzying, confusing, and frankly overwhelming. Trish and I discuss all these changes and help make sense of them. "Entry Request" system for Beauty and the BeastStandby PassLess entertainment and more photo opsReservations for restaurants and storesPark tickets

Japan is currently boosting domestic travel with their Go To Travel campaign. I take advantage of the discounts and travelled from Chiba to Osaka to visit Universal Studios Japan, Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, and Himeji Castle! We talk about how to get these deals and how cheap I got the hotel rooms. Along with a discussion of how Universal Studios Japan is doing since its reopening in June. If you live in Japan, book your hotels through Agoda to take advantage of the Go to Travel discounts.

Visit any of the Disney Parks in Tokyo, Hong Kong, or Shanghai, and you'll see Duffy and his friends dominating the Parks. From his fumbled beginnings in Walt Disney World to have a presence in every Park in Asia. Duffy and his furry, and now reptile, friends are here to stay. In this week's episode, we ask the question "Why are Duffy and friends so popular?" Join us as we tackle this question head-on!

It's no secret that the year 2020 has been, well, I don't think it needs any more rehashing. We know how the year has gone. Over at Tokyo Disney Resort, there's a lot of confusion with how the merchandise is working now. Some items are only at Tokyo DisneySea, Tokyo Disneyland, or even only at Bon Voyage (which you need a reservation for). Trish and I clear the confusion and discuss what this year means for merchandise at the resort.

An extension of our 200th episode where we dive deep into Tokyo Disney Resort. Trish and I discuss the changes we've personally experienced over the past 10 years at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. Epic Halloween shows that are a thing of the past to the increase in English within the Parks. Come and join us and learn more about Tokyo Disney Resort!

We're celebrating 200 episodes of the TDR Now Podcast! We started the podcast over 5 years ago and we cannot thank you all enough for joining us on this journey. To celebrate, we go over our favourite moments from Tokyo Disney, Hong Kong Disneyland, Shanghai Disneyland, Universal Studios Japan, and other theme parks over the past 5 years. You can listen to all our past episodes right on our website (iTunes only goes back 100 episodes).

Tokyo Disney Resort reopened both Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea on July 1, 2020. Trish and I talk about how the Parks work now with the new health and safety measures as Japan navigates the COVID-19 pandemic. We were so close to having this as our 200th episode! Make sure you stay tuned for our upcoming 200th episode in a few weeks.