Misconceptions About Tokyo Disneyland (that social media exaggerates)

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Hey, explorers. Welcome to episode 334 of the TDR now podcast. We're the first English speaking podcast about the Asian theme parks like Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea, Universal Studios Japan Universal Studios Beijing, Shanghai, Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland. All those places. You can find us everywhere on the Internet under TDR Explore. I'm one of your hosts, Chris, and I'm the one that you see on camera all the time on YouTube, usually stuffing my face and washing, you know, washing a mochi down with. I was gonna say green apple tea soda. That's not it. Apple tea soda. [00:00:38] Speaker B: Green apple tea soda. Sounds like it would be really good. [00:00:40] Speaker A: That actually does sound really good. Yeah. And joining as always, as you hear, is the wonderful Patricia. [00:00:47] Speaker B: Hi. I am the one braving the sleet. It snowed today? Kind of. Yeah. Oh my gosh. Like, I know, like last year people were pretty pictures of like, I don't know if it was plum blossoms or like the Kawazu sakura, the early blooming cherry blossoms with like snow. It's like kind of like one of those weird March days. But I braved the sleet to get some doll festival goodies like Shirashi Zushi and some sakura mochi. [00:01:23] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. [00:01:24] Speaker B: Tried to stay festive in the bad weather. [00:01:28] Speaker A: I didn't go anywhere. I went to 7 11. That was it. [00:01:31] Speaker B: Even. That's a lot today because today was miserable. [00:01:34] Speaker A: Well, it was windy and cold. Like yesterday was 19 degrees Celsius yesterday. [00:01:39] Speaker B: It was beautiful. Yesterday. Well, it was the Tokyo marathon too. [00:01:42] Speaker A: So really perfect weather. It was clear, sunny, and then today got down to like 0 degrees and it felt like minus 7. It said at one point. Yeah, it tried to snow. Like, for me as a Canadian, that is not snow. I'm sorry. [00:01:58] Speaker B: That is not really wet. [00:02:02] Speaker A: It was just a wet sleet as like. Part of me was like, okay, if it gets cold enough, it might start to snow a little bit and you know, maybe, maybe I'll run to the park or something. But as soon as I saw it, I'm like, yeah, that's not sticking. That's. [00:02:15] Speaker B: No, no, no, no, that's not happening. It was like heavy. Heavy, like rain, snow, whatever. [00:02:21] Speaker A: Yeah, like when it's heavy, it's like, no, that's not fun because you get cold. [00:02:26] Speaker B: No fluffiness ever. [00:02:28] Speaker A: No, not. Not at all. No, no, no, no. Well, I was trying. I was trying to tie that story into what we're talking about today. [00:02:40] Speaker B: Misconceptions about spring. Beautiful. [00:02:44] Speaker A: Yeah, I guess that's a good. Maybe that's a bonus One, we didn't include that in here, but misconceptions of like. [00:02:53] Speaker B: That, like the seasons, right? [00:02:55] Speaker A: Yeah, like the seasons. Yeah, I guess. That's a good one. [00:02:57] Speaker B: You think you come during the cherry blossom in quotation mark season, but the cherry blossoms aren't blooming because it's, it can be very unpredictable. [00:03:07] Speaker A: Yeah. Cherry blossoms, you know what, I don't know why we didn't have that in there, but yeah, that's actually a really good one. Is. Yeah. Cherry blossoms, they bloom differently, like different time, like roughly around the same time. But it's not always the same. Sometimes it's later, sometimes it's earlier in this part of Japan anyway because it's different where you go in Japan. More south you go. It's gonna probably, it's probably already started like down in like the Okinawa, Kyushu area, or it's about to start and then kind of moves along and then around this area. It's usually like end of March, beginning of April. And then the further north you go, the later it is like Sapporo up in Hokkaido is like maybe is when cherry blossoms happen, but that all depends on the weather. We've had years in this area where it was really early and then some years where it's really late. [00:04:01] Speaker B: They're saying this year, though, you might luck out if you come this year because they're saying it's going to be a really, really long cherry blossom season. [00:04:08] Speaker A: That's what I was reading too. Yeah. [00:04:10] Speaker B: Do you think it'll happen? I'm kind of excited if that's the case. [00:04:13] Speaker A: I hope so, because I remember, I don't remember what year this was exactly. This is probably like, I don't know, 2016, 2017, something like that. Tell me if you remember this. Like it was full bloom, like cherry blossoms went to full bloom in this area. Then we had a massive storm come through and just wipe out everything. [00:04:34] Speaker B: Yes. It lasted like, like almost no days. [00:04:38] Speaker A: Yeah, it was like a day like full bloom. And then, yeah, weather came by and I was like, yeah, no, not, not happening. [00:04:48] Speaker B: It was so sad that year. I was like, oh, no. Why? [00:04:53] Speaker A: Yeah, so I, I, I guess. Yeah, this is a, that worked out really well for misconceptions about Tokyo Disney. Well, I guess that's not really Tokyo Disney specific, but good enough. Just because something is in season or supposed to be happening that time of year doesn't mean it's going to. Yeah, everything's unpredictable. Especially, especially the weather. [00:05:17] Speaker B: It can be, it can be. You know, sometimes you luck out and it's like perfect and sometimes, you know, but the one good thing is as long as you go in with like a good attitude, like even like you're, if it's like terrible weather, like you'll, you can still have a good time. And like sometimes like having that unlucky weather kind of works out like it gives you the best memories because you can look back and like laugh, you know, about it. Like I remember that time it was like raining all day. We were like running and doing whatever. And you, you'll really remember those days when maybe if it was like a regular day, you wouldn't, you know, as much. [00:05:57] Speaker A: Yeah, it's a really good, good way to look at it. It just kind of roll with the punches. Right. You never know what's going to happen. Yeah, yeah. This, this topic was submitted by one of our wonderful listeners on Patreon, talking about, like asking us to talk about misconceptions at Tokyo Disney. So we got it. We got a nice list here because I see a lot of this stuff all the time. This is usually, these are the points that people hit on social media because it gets clicks, it gets views, it gets reactions. And nine times out of the, at a 10, there's not enough context or people are pinpointing at a very certain like time frame. [00:06:44] Speaker B: Yeah. And also, you know, it's social media, like the more extreme it is, the more clicks it gets. And it's like the same with like those camera trick, like camera tricks, like when people take pictures of like the crowds in Tokyo and they use like a specific lens and like a specific way of shooting that. If you took it another way, it wouldn't look as crowded. But if you took it one way, oh my God, it's like you can't even move for all the people you know. But it gets more attention because it's like more shocking. Right. So whenever you use social media, be a little careful. Right. Because you know how it works, you know, like the psychological tricks. So it's, it's the extreme things. If something's really extreme, like second guess it a little bit. [00:07:29] Speaker A: Take everything you see on social media with a grain of salt and don't use it as your. [00:07:34] Speaker B: There's always a grain of salt in it. You know, grain of truth, but like salt. What am I saying? Grain of truth in it. But like it's. If it's like super extreme, like it might happen, it might not happen, but probably it's not like that all the time. It's probably like an extreme case. Like maybe they, maybe they, the people that went, had the misfortune of going during a merch release day or something like that, you know, so like you, you never know what the situation was when they were there or how they're portraying it, you know. [00:08:04] Speaker A: Exactly. There's all like. And don't use social media as your only source of information. [00:08:11] Speaker B: Yeah, get like a varied, like, varied information. Go to like message boards, go to. Yeah, do go to social media because it's kind of fun and you get hyped up. Right. Go to the official website, go to TDR Explorer everywhere. [00:08:26] Speaker A: Well, and speaking of that, I'm going to plug our book. [00:08:31] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [00:08:32] Speaker A: The 2025, 2026 version of the TDR Explorer Tokyo Disney Resort book is now out. So I'm sure most of you that are listening already know, you've probably seen it. You probably even bought your copy if you did. Thank you so much. Yeah, we just released it this past week and it's on sale right now. So if you want to head on over to txspor.com books, it's there. You can get just the one guide itself for 21.99 or if you want to bundle it with our snack guide that we put out in November, you can get it. You can get both of them for 26.99. It's like the best way to plan your trip. Seriously. Like, we went through the book, we updated a bunch of stuff, we refreshed the vacation package section, we refreshed the fantasy spring stuff and we just went through it and did like some house cleaning. You know, it's giving a nice refresh. So make sure you go and check it out because it is the best way to plan your trip. Seriously. Like, and I'm not saying that because we made it like my, my goal with the, the our guidebooks has always been I want to be the most comprehensive thing out there. Because social media is so prevalent, a lot of people try to get all their information from social media. And I want to help, I want to help people have the right information, you know, relevant information. Because sometimes, just like what we were saying, social media, it's all about excitement and you know, the clickbaity stuff and the emotions and all that kind of stuff. [00:10:02] Speaker B: And like it's information and you do a lot of fact checking. Like you go and you research the information and you check with the sources. So I think it's really useful. [00:10:13] Speaker A: And some of the stuff in it, like the information we provide, some of it, you know, there's no other way to say It. Some of it is boring. Like, it's not exciting to put on social media. Right. Like, it's. It just doesn't lend itself to it. So that's why you don't see it on social media. But you should know it. So it's kind of, you know, it's almost like school in a way. Like there's stuff that's like, okay, yeah, this is boring, but like, it's good. It's stuff you need to know, right? [00:10:38] Speaker B: I Love it. Like TDR101. [00:10:41] Speaker A: Pretty much. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. [00:10:42] Speaker B: There will be a test at the end of this. No, there won't. Don't worry. The test is you having a smooth trip. [00:10:50] Speaker A: Exactly. And more often than not, people do after they read our stuff because it's. It can be confusing. Trust me, I know. We know it's. It can be confusing. But. Yeah, go get the book, if you haven't already. Please go get it. Link is in the show notes. Just go to the website. You'll see a link for guidebooks, all that. Yeah, go get it. So let's talk about. I guess, well, we were talking about lines or like crowds. Why don't we talk about the first misconception? The lines are always long or it's always crowded. And so I guess it's kind of. [00:11:28] Speaker B: I mean, compared to kind of true. Because I feel like that's at all the parks now. Like, I feel wherever you go, it's busy. Guys, any Disney park has long lines now, right? [00:11:39] Speaker A: Yeah. Hong Kong, not so much, but depends on when you're. [00:11:44] Speaker B: Hong Kong is the delightful exception. [00:11:47] Speaker A: Yes. Pro tip, go to Hong Kong, Disneyland, it's great. It's a fantastic park. But we're talking about Tokyo Disney. But yeah, this is where we see the stuff with social media and all that, where people exaggerate everything with the lines and whatnot. So I guess the answer is yes and no. It all kind of depends on the time you're going, when you're going, like what day you're going and what's actually happening. Because let's. Let's face it, the Tokyo area and just Japan, there's a lot going on, so you're not going to be able to know everything that's happening. Like, I bet you I forgot to check, but I bet you anything the marathon weekend caused it to be busy yesterday because people probably went to the park afterwards if they could still walk after a marathon, you know. But like, things like that happen all the time, like these events and stuff, right? So a day that you think like, oh, it should be, it shouldn't be too bad. But no, it's slammed and you don't know why. [00:12:49] Speaker B: And you also have like, you know, like it's interesting because like if you're coming from the outside, there's like things that you wouldn't notice, like not living here. Like. So for example, like a lot of young people going to the parks now, like, like young adults and teenagers and they have like a totally different like ride preference than like your normal day guests. Right. Or like if for example, it's like in spring or autumn and there's those three day weekends and the kids have off because they did their sports day and then you have a lot of really young kids and families and they're, you know, like going towards special like specific rides. Right. Or like it'll be a certain holiday for like, for example, like Lunar New Year and you'll have a lot of people visiting from overseas from like around Asia or you know, like, and it affects like the different crowds that show up and the different crowds are interested in different things. So the lines for some things in particular might be longer during some seasons and really short during other seasons, you know. So it really, really depends. [00:14:00] Speaker A: Yeah. And there's just a lot of factors. A lot of factors. But yeah, like for lines like always being like always long, I guess, like if you want to talk about lines into the park, because I know like that's the one that a lot of. [00:14:16] Speaker B: People tend to like, they love to show that on social media to show that so much. [00:14:21] Speaker A: Like, yes, it does look long and it like physically, yes, it is long to get into the park. And I know you've seen these videos on social media where people are showing the line getting into Tokyo Disneyland. It's up on the bridge past Bon Voyage. But context, they never show it. [00:14:38] Speaker B: Like they Never show it 10 minutes after when it's completely empty. [00:14:41] Speaker A: Yeah. So like for context for what's happening there, that line is first thing in the morning before security is open. So there's nobody waiting at the front gates of Tokyo Disneyland in particular. No one's waiting there yet because security is not open. So space is limited. So that's why it looked like the line just looks incredibly long because they. No one has gone into the past security to wait in front of the park gates. But yeah, like you just said, once that opens, things move pretty quickly. [00:15:14] Speaker B: And also people tend to show up on time for park opening. And I think that's because a lot of people come like they do stay at the hotels and even the people staying at the hotels, they're usually there at park opening. They're not doing necessarily like breakfast or whatever, or a lot of people come for a day trip. It's not like the resorts where people might be like, oh, let's go have a character breakfast, and we'll show up around like whatever o'clock, you know what I mean? They are there from the beginning of the day. So basically you have everybody who's going to enter the park mostly there at that time already. And then once they're through the gates, there's no line, like at all, you know, like, I would say 10 minutes after opening, it's like fairly empty. So if you don't want to wait in line, which a lot of the times in the summer we don't because it's really crowded and there's a bit of a bottleneck. So it does take time for like the line to like, work through, but like, we'll show up like 15, like 20 minutes after, and there's no way, you know. [00:16:13] Speaker A: Exactly. Yeah. If you wait, like, if you're not. If you're not concerned about, you know, getting that first DPA or getting to into line right away for other attractions, like, right first thing in the morning. Yeah. You can come half an hour after park open. There'll be almost no one in. In line going into the park. It's almost. I. I don't want to say always like that, but it happens a lot. And. Yeah, so those lines, they're deceiving, I guess, is the best way to put it. [00:16:46] Speaker B: And I would say like, in, like, again, I would be careful. Like in seasons, like summer, where it does get dangerously hot, I would take precautions. I would bring like, like a parasol, a lot of sunscreen, lots of things to drink to stay hydrated, like little salt candies. Because in the morning, it is long. The lines are long, you know, and especially if you're there really, really early, which I guess we're going to talk maybe about next. But like, like, it's not like the lines don't exist, but there's things that you can do to get around that like, either show up later if you have to get there early, be prepared, you know? [00:17:26] Speaker A: Yeah. And I guess like a good tip is like, if you're someone on a vacation package, you're paying for convenience. Don't put yourself through that. [00:17:34] Speaker B: Just come later if you have the fast passes. This is, this drives me. Okay, this is one that drives me crazy because I see it like on like discussion groups. Or whatever. All the time. They're like, I have the vacation package with all the attractions included. How early do I have to line up? I'm like, you bought the vacation package with the attractions included. You don't have to. That's the whole point. It's that you can take it easy and enjoy your day. You know, Like, I don't understand it. [00:18:06] Speaker A: Yes. Show up at 9:30, show whenever you want. [00:18:10] Speaker B: Have that nice leisurely breakfast. [00:18:12] Speaker A: Exactly. Yeah, I see that. And I just. I always tell people, you don't have to because that's what your. Your. The vacation package is for, that convenience. So don't stress yourself out. Yeah, it's fine. Like, you'll be fine. Trust me, you'll be fine. Well, I guess, yeah, that kind of leads to the next thing. Another misconception is you need to line up at 4am to get anything done. [00:18:36] Speaker B: No, no. Especially not now. Because, like, now you don't have to worry about entertainment anymore. So, like, all you have is attractions and maybe some atmosphere, Parades or shows or whatever. So it's not like you have that much in your day to do that. Like, it's gonna. Like, it's. You're not gonna be able to get in or whatever. You know, it's. You don't have to. [00:19:00] Speaker A: Don't do it. And there's always people that do line up at that time. Don't worry about them. [00:19:06] Speaker B: Those people have very specific reasons, and they're totally different from yours. They're either like a super fan of some kind of dancer or they have some kind of routine that they do which is totally not even on your radar. So don't worry about it. Those people have, like, very, very specific reasons because they're in very, very specific parts of the fandom within the Disney fandom. [00:19:30] Speaker A: Yeah, exactly. So don't worry about that. You don't have to be up at 4am like, it's fine. You don't have to. [00:19:38] Speaker B: You want to experience it, go ahead. Because it is an experience, you know? But no. [00:19:46] Speaker A: You don't have to do that. You definitely don't have to. Like, if you feel like you need to get there early one, one, one and a half hours before park open, that's perfectly fine. [00:19:56] Speaker B: If you want to do that, 100% agree. [00:19:59] Speaker A: That's more than enough. And same thing with Happy entry. If you have a happy entry hour before it says the time, you get to go in and you're usually fine. So, yeah, yeah, you don't need to be in line for four at 4am Even with the fancy spring stuff. Now you don't have to like, don't. You don't have to do that. Don't stress yourself out. Another one is picky eaters will starve. [00:20:23] Speaker B: No, no, no. [00:20:29] Speaker A: There are, there's burgers, there's fries, there's chicken nuggets. Just like other theme parks. Like, you can find that stuff too. There's a. There's a lot of quote unquote non Japanese food, I guess, like the. And like, they do have some strange foods, I guess, compared to other parts of the world. But like, you're not supposed to eat. [00:20:48] Speaker B: It if you don't want to. I mean, it would be nice if you. It might be really good, you know? [00:20:54] Speaker A: Yeah. And there's restaurants have steaks. Steaks and like, steak and potatoes, pasta, like all that kind of stuff. It's not just, dare I say it, there's not just fish, because I know that's a huge thing that people seem to have in their mind. It's kind of wild fish and seafood. [00:21:10] Speaker B: Yeah. It's like there's like a really diverse culinary culture here. And like, there's so many foods to try, but I've gotten that so many times. It's like, I don't eat fish. What am I going to do? I'm like, there's other foods here. There's like a ton of other foods here. Go and try other stuff, then, you. [00:21:26] Speaker A: Know, try something else. Yeah. [00:21:29] Speaker B: And kids in Japan say, if you don't like fish, I would say give some different dishes a try. Because people that say they don't like fish sometimes, like, it's. It's a very specific kind of fish. And if they try a different kind, they might actually really like it. So. [00:21:46] Speaker A: Yeah, no open minded. I was the same way. Like back home, like, fish is kind of like a couple of things. Right. But here it's very. Like there's so many different types of seafood. Right. [00:21:58] Speaker B: And there's so many ways of preparing it and like different flavors and like it's. Yeah. Be adventurous. You're on vacation. But if you don't like, if you really, really don't like fish, don't worry, you're fine. There's other stuff. [00:22:13] Speaker A: And just like I was gonna say, children in Japan are like the same everywhere else in the world. Kids love chicken nuggets. You know, kids are just as picky here in Japan just like anywhere else. So yeah, there's. If you want to eat French fries, go ahead. You know, like, it's there. You're gonna Be fine. And you know, there's also outside of the parks at expire, there's a McDonald's too. Like if you, if you need to, if you need to go there, you know, like no judgment, I understand. But yeah, that, like, that's also there. So like, long story short, you'll be fine. You're going to be fine in terms of food. [00:22:55] Speaker B: 100%. [00:22:56] Speaker A: Yeah. Like they're like the parks are even getting better with plant based stuff, which. [00:23:02] Speaker B: Is a good thing finally. Yeah, that's good to see. [00:23:05] Speaker A: Yeah. So things, yeah, things are looking good in that regard. Next misconception is you need a vacation package. No, you don't have to do a vacation package. Does it make things easier? Like we mentioned? 100%. That's what they're designed for, but they also cost. I think I did a calculation once. It's like 30 some percent more. [00:23:30] Speaker B: Yeah, you're. [00:23:31] Speaker A: By itself. [00:23:32] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [00:23:34] Speaker A: Like you're definitely paying for. It's a convenience thing. That's what you're paying for. That's how these things work. You're paying for a convenience. If you don't, if you want to kind of like just throw money at it and not have to think about it all that much, then cool, go for it. That's totally fine. But don't think you have to get one because I see a lot of people stressing about that, thinking they absolutely have to get one and then stress out when they can't. You don't. [00:23:58] Speaker B: Oh my God. [00:23:59] Speaker A: You really don't. You can. These parks are manageable. Yes, they work very differently than the US Parks. But I'm just going to plug the book again. Get the book, because the book will tell you exactly how everything works. And you can manage these parks perfectly fine without a vacation package. You just have to, you know, plan a little bit more, of course, and kind of just get familiar with things a little bit more closely and have a, just a, just a plan in place so you can do it on, you know, whatever, whatever works within your budget. Like you don't have to break the bank to go to the parks here. [00:24:36] Speaker B: Not at all. [00:24:36] Speaker A: Definitely do it. [00:24:37] Speaker B: You can get so much done like without, like I would say even without any planning, you could get a lot done in a day as long as. [00:24:47] Speaker A: You have like the, the biggest thing I tell people is look ahead of time and like prioritize like the top three things. You have to do top three things and make those your priority. And then everything else is, you know, it's gravy after that, you know, it's just like a nice little thing. So. [00:25:05] Speaker B: And I think sometimes that's the best way to enjoy the parks. Like, do your top three and then just go and explore and find like, those little delightful things that you just happen to bump into, like a cast member arranging autumn leaves or cherry blossom petals into like a character image or something like that, you know, and just go and have fun. Like, just enjoy your day, you know? [00:25:28] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, that's what these parks are for. And I've just, I've seen how things have changed and every, like, again, kind of going back to social media, everyone feels fomo, right? And like, they have to do all these things and it's like, you don't have to, like, yeah, like, if you want to do it, that's perfectly fine, but you don't need to do it. You're not going to be able to do it all. So don't stress yourself out. Just prioritize what is important to you. Like, maybe you don't care about beating the Beast and that's perfectly fine. Maybe we won't be friends, but that's perfectly fine. Beating the beast is a. Like, I don't know, if you go to Tokyo, don't do, don't do be in the Beast. Why are you even going? That's my opinion. But hey, if you don't want to do it, that's perfectly fine too. [00:26:12] Speaker B: But like, if you've done it before, like, I can. Like, if you do it first time, you should do it. [00:26:18] Speaker A: You should do it. You should do it. But yeah, I'm just going to keep telling people, prioritize top three things or even top five things that you need to experience and then kind of go from there. Like, our parks aren't like Disney World, where Disney World has so many. Like, there's four parks, right, And a million resorts and then the water parks and then all these other things. Like, you don't need to go to that level of planning for Disney World compared to here. But here, obviously, everything just works very differently. So if you're going in blind, you're probably going to drive yourself nuts. [00:26:57] Speaker B: But I feel like the Disney World one in particular is so convoluted. Like, it's, it's, it is. Like, yeah, there's different systems in place here, but I feel like compare comparatively, it's much easier because, yeah, I guess. [00:27:10] Speaker A: If we want to talk about, like, the DPA stuff, Disney praxcess standby pass entry request. Like, the names are all convoluted. Like that's probably the most confusing. But once you. Once you kind of read through it and understand what they're all for, it's pretty straightforward after that, and it's all done. All that stuff is done on the day of your visit. You don't have to, like. Because I know at Disney World, it's like, oh, if you're staying at a resort, you can start, like, how many months in advance attractions at this time? And, you know, all these kind of strategies. Like, I don't even bother reading them because it's just. I don't want to do that. But for here, it's just like, okay, again, know what your priorities are once you're in the park. It's like, okay, I'm just gonna use Disneyland as an example. You go in, you're like, okay, you know what? I know. I want a DPA for Beauty and the Beast, and I want a priority pass for Pooh's Honey Hunt. Okay, well, while we're doing that, we're gonna get in line for Monsters Hunt, Monster Hunter, Inc. Wow. Monsters, Inc. I was thinking about Monster Hunter World, that game that just came out, like, getting a standby line from Monsters, Inc. Buy yourself the DPA for Beauty and the Beast for sometime later in the day, and then get the free priority pass for Pooh's Honey Hunt. Boom. There. You got three attractions done within 10, 15 minutes of stepping in the park. [00:28:26] Speaker B: Oh, my God. Can we talk about that for a minute, too? I feel like that's another, like, misconception. That's, like, when influencers cover, like, Tokyo Disney Resort or, like. Or, I guess, like, anything. It's like, this is the one that you have to do. But, like, you just mentioned Monsters, Inc. And, like, Monsters, Inc. Is delightful and it's original. It's not, like a recap of the movie. It's, like, got a really cute concept, and it's. It's great, and it's got tons of animatronics. Like, I think that's, like, really amazing, and nobody covers it. You know what I mean? [00:29:02] Speaker A: And, like, yeah, like, everyone says to go to being the Beast, which, you know, I've said before, too, but I've. [00:29:07] Speaker B: Changed because, yes, it's a. [00:29:09] Speaker A: What? It's. It's a phenomenal ride. Like, don't get us wrong. It is a phenomenal ride. You have to do it, but it's just, like, you know, just tweak how you do things. Like, yeah, you can run to be in the Beast first, but if you want to buy the dpa, then Go for it, you know, and then you can get in line for something else that doesn't have a pass. Right. [00:29:29] Speaker B: And you don't miss out on it just because it wasn't covered by an influencer. You know what I mean? Like, do your research. See what kind of attractions they are and look at what the story is and look at, look at what the description is, and you might find some really cute hidden gems that nobody's talking about. [00:29:46] Speaker A: Yeah. And I guess, like harping on the book again, we talk about those things. We talk about those things. And like, yeah, again, it's like those things that aren't super exciting to put into a, into a 30 second video. Right? [00:30:00] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:30:02] Speaker A: So it pays to read people. It pays to slow down and read things. It really does. Yeah. Long story short, vacation package, you don't need it. It makes things easier 100%. Don't feel like you absolutely have to get one. Like, you could just book a hotel and that's perfectly fine too. Save yourself some money and just, you know, get there a little bit earlier and you're per. Like you're still going to have a good time. Seriously, it's. You're. You're good. Moving on. Another misconception. If you don't speak Japanese, you won't understand anything. No, you're fine if you don't speak any Japanese. Like, if you came here speaking absolutely zero Japanese, you'll be fine. Yes, you're gonna miss some stuff. But for the most part, you can navigate these parks without, with zero Japanese ability. Because all the signage is in English. Pardon me? All the menus, like, at the restaurants are in English. The app is all in English. We now have, like, the technology is pretty decent, so you can use apps like, like Deeple to communicate with people who don't speak English. Because that's another thing. Don't. Don't assume people speak English. A lot of people don't. [00:31:16] Speaker B: Yeah, we had an experience, like years ago and we, we helped this lady who was like, distraught because everybody was speaking her to her in English and she did not speak English. [00:31:29] Speaker A: Oh, no. [00:31:30] Speaker B: I don't know what they're saying. She, she spoke Spanish and I was like, hey, do you need help? She's like, y out. I'm trying to get to, like, my hotel. I forgot how we met. I think it was. She was trying to get through her hotel. She didn't know she had to take the monorail. And I'm like, no, no, you can just go this way. And like, everybody was speaking her in English. And she did not speak English. So it was like a bit of a dilemma. But like you said, that was years ago. And now we're so fortunate that with technology we can use our smartphones as translators. There's a lot more resources. The app, I think, has multiple language. I don't think it has Spanish, but it, you know, it has, I believe, other languages like Korean and Mandarin. I'm not 100. Does it? [00:32:11] Speaker A: Yeah, it does, yeah. Korean. [00:32:12] Speaker B: It does, right. So it's available in multiple languages. So it's, it's better. It's much like, gosh, we're so lucky today that we have all these things that can help us, you know? [00:32:24] Speaker A: Yeah, exactly. So don't let the language barrier bother you. Like, it's there, like, there are going to be instances where communication will break down. It's just gonna happen. You're traveling to a country that doesn't speak English. It's gonna happen. But you'll be fine. Especially if you're going. If. Yeah, I was gonna say, like, if you're. I guess like the interaction that will probably confuse people the most is probably shopping. Shopping. Probably the most confusing. [00:32:53] Speaker B: Oh, like the credit card thing. Like, like what? Like. Oh, like it's a one time payment and you're like, what? [00:32:58] Speaker A: How many payments you want to do? And then like, yeah, the never ending questions. Yeah, Tokyo Disney itself is not bad, but like shopping other places. [00:33:09] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [00:33:10] Speaker A: Like outside of the parks, it's just like, do you have a point card? Do you have this point card? Do you need a bag? [00:33:17] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:33:18] Speaker A: Okay. Like, what size of bag do you need? Do you want me to heat this up for you? [00:33:23] Speaker B: Would you like the dry ice chopsticks? Would you like a wet paper towel? You know, like head cleaner? [00:33:30] Speaker A: You know that happens. Yeah, it does. [00:33:33] Speaker B: No, like, and sometimes they'll be like, so many questions. And I'll be like, yep, yep, yep. And they'll be like, what. What was. Wait, what was that one? Sometimes I just try. [00:33:40] Speaker A: I think, I think, I think Japanese people do that too. Where they just kind of turn their brain off. It's just like there's so many questions. Like, I don't care, man. I've done that before where I'm just like, I don't care right now. [00:33:50] Speaker B: It's, it's not, it's not too bad. And I would say, like, Japan out of like, like the countries in Asia is one of the easier countries to visit. Like, I mean, I mean, I know, like, if it's your first time, maybe you've never Been overseas, and you look at the writing system, you're like, oh, this looks really scary. But it's really, really easy to travel here. Like, it really is. So don't be hesitant. Don't be scared. It's very. It's very, like, international friendly for, like, all kinds of countries. So don't worry. [00:34:18] Speaker A: And Japanese people are very good at hand gestures. [00:34:21] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:34:22] Speaker A: Very good hand gestures. [00:34:24] Speaker B: And check out your local tourism office. Like, whenever you're in a new city or town, go check it out, because they'll probably have information in multiple languages. People are really friendly. They want you to come. They want to tell you the good things about their city. So go check it and get that information and go out and explore. Like, I know we're talking about the parks today, but, yeah, like, it's. Trust me, it's fine. And, yeah, and people be excited to help you. Like, at the. At the office, don't go to a random person on the street. They'll probably help you too. But go. [00:35:00] Speaker A: Yeah, like, the information places, that's what they're there for. [00:35:04] Speaker B: Exactly. Inside the park, the information office, outside the park, at the. The various tourism offices, they're there, and they're excited to let you have a really wonderful trip. [00:35:15] Speaker A: And. Yeah, I guess for Tokyo Disney in particular, they'll usually have someone that speaks your language at the guest services. Usually. Like, more like they usually have someone who speaks English, and then they'll have someone who speaks Mandarin, someone who speaks Korean. I can't speak to other languages. Maybe Spanish, maybe French. [00:35:39] Speaker B: I feel like French is kind of popular here. [00:35:41] Speaker A: Yeah. And like, maybe Thai, maybe. Yeah, it's. It's like, once you start getting out of, like, the. The. The three big ones, like Mandarin, Korean, and English, it's kind of like hit or miss. But I guess if you're listening to this podcast, you probably understand English, so I think you're fine. [00:35:59] Speaker B: Yeah. Yes, that's true. [00:36:03] Speaker A: And I guess, like, another thing. I guess I'm just spouting tips. If you do encounter someone who doesn't speak English, when you're communicating with them, just, like, break down what you're saying. Like, don't speak to them as if they're a native speaker, but don't talk to them. Like, don't talk down. Like, am I saying that right? Like, just, like, simplify what you're saying. That's a better way to say it. Simplify what you're saying just to make it easier, because, you know, I'm not. It just makes communication a lot easier. [00:36:37] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:36:39] Speaker A: Like, I can't even think of an example, to be honest. I guess, like, instead of saying something like, oh, oh, is it okay if I pay with credit card? That's all I have. Don't say that. If the person doesn't speak English, just say. Just like, hold up your credit card. Just say credit card. And like, that's perfectly fine. That's more than adequate. You know, things like that. Because, like, I've. I've helped or not help, but I've seen situations where there's someone who is an English speaker, and then there's like, the Japanese person doesn't speak any English, and the English speaker is kind of, like, flustered and frustrated, and they're just kind of talking, and the poor Japanese person has no idea what's being said. You know, it's just like, that's not helping the situation, you know? [00:37:27] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:37:28] Speaker A: Communication breaks down and stuff like that. All right. [00:37:33] Speaker B: Oh, my God. I love the next one because, like, I feel like this is, like, in general, like, it became really popular on. [00:37:41] Speaker A: Social media, things not to do in Japan as a course. [00:37:45] Speaker B: Don't do this. Absolutely do not do this. And it's like, oh. Oh, my God. [00:37:49] Speaker A: Okay, okay, calm down. It's fine. No one's gonna arrest you. [00:37:53] Speaker B: I mean, nobody's gonna, like. I mean. Yeah, so, okay, we'll say what it is. [00:37:58] Speaker A: Yeah. To a misconception. You can't eat and walk at the same time. I guess, like, for the parks in particular, no one cares. There's popcorn. There's hot dogs and stuff. Japanese people walk around with these foods inside the park and eat. It's perfectly fine within. Like, obviously you're not gonna be walking around with like, a burger and fries, eating them. Like, I guess kind of have, like, for, like, be considerate of those around you, you know, like, if you're walking around eating a churro, that's fine. Walk around with eating popcorn, that's fine. Like, if you're eating food that is meant to be held and walked around with, that's perfectly acceptable at the parks. I guess. Like, the only exception, I guess, would be attractions. They may not let you in line with food. [00:38:51] Speaker B: Yeah. Like, any food or, like, it has to be covered. [00:38:54] Speaker A: Has to be covered, or they're going to tell you, like, you have to finish it before you get in kind of thing. Like, that's, like, really the only thing. And that's because it's more of just a cleanliness thing. [00:39:03] Speaker B: I mean, it's kind of common sense, too. They don't want you Going on the attraction with like, an open drink and like, they want popcorn flying around on Tower of Terror or something, you know? [00:39:13] Speaker A: Yeah, can't do that. No, no, no. But, yeah, I know a lot of people just, again, social media, you're not supposed to walk and walk and eat. It's very rude in the, in the parks, you're perfectly fine. [00:39:26] Speaker B: Exceptions. They're like, there's exceptions. And also, like, it's. It's partial. It could be considered rude, but it's also considered, like, how to say, like, it's better. It's better to sit and eat. Because if you're. I don't know how to explain it. Like, if you are, like, there's the chance for accidents if you're walking around eating. And also, like, it's just like, you're taught, like, little children here are, like, taught from a young age. Okay, you're eating. Sit down. I think there's like, multiple reasons to it. Like, partially. It's like kids are. They will create a mess. Is there running around with food and, like, it's like, just like instilling, like, a good habit. You know, you sit and you eat. You know, like, you focus on your eating, you're done. And then, you know, then you can pick up and go. But it's not like, it's not like people are going to like, be like, like shocked. Like, oh, my God, look at that person. They're walking around with an ice cream cone or something, you know, and it depends on the situation. If you're buying it from. If you're buying a crepe from the crepe stand, which is outside, yes, you can walk around with it. But here's the other point to sitting down and eating. You might not run into a trash receptacle. And if you are sitting down and eating next to where you bought the food, then you can return the garbage to the vendor where you bought the food, and then you don't have to carry it around with you. Right? So there's also that aspect. There's like, multiple aspects. It has to do with manners. It has to do with good habits, and it's also practical. So, like, there's a lot that kind of goes into it and it's like, different from, like, if you're at a festival where there's a lot of food vendors, for example, people. It wouldn't be weird to be walking around eating, especially if you can't find a place. There's, like, a lot of people everywhere to, like, sit down and eat. Compared to, like, I don't know. I did see, like, I have seen some weird behaviors. Like, I have seen somebody on the train eating noodles, and I'm like, oh, that's a lot. I don't know if I would do that. I've seen stuff like that, too. [00:41:43] Speaker A: I'm like, oh, what are you doing? One time, someone, like, I don't think they were eating it, but they had, like, they had KFC on the train. [00:41:52] Speaker B: I was like, really strong. [00:41:54] Speaker A: Oh, my goodness, this smells so strong. Like. [00:41:56] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:41:56] Speaker A: Don't get me wrong. I love me some kfc. I had some last week, but it's just like, on the train is like, I don't want to be smelling this right now because you're making me really hungry. Yeah. [00:42:06] Speaker B: So, like, there's. It's. It's. There's a lot. It's not like a hard. No, don't do it. But, like, just be. It's. Use common sense. And if you are walking around with an ice cream, like, don't swing your hand around and like, you know, get ice cream on somebody's clothes. [00:42:21] Speaker A: It's kind of a. You know, it's very. It's a. There's a lot of layers to it. Right. It's not as simple as what. It's not black and white. [00:42:30] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:42:31] Speaker A: People make it on social media. Like, okay, if you, like, Let me use an example. Outside of the parks, like, let's. Let's. Let's say you go to Family Mart and you get famichiki, Right. And then you just decide to walk, and you decide to walk down the street eating it. No one's really gonna care. [00:42:49] Speaker B: Yeah, no. [00:42:50] Speaker A: Like, you might get a weird look from someone, but most people are not gonna care. [00:42:54] Speaker B: Don't brush up against me with that fami. Cheeky. Cause I do not want that on my clothes, you know? [00:42:58] Speaker A: Yeah. And like, of course, like, don't go into a store with. With food and stuff like that. But I think that's kind of like, anywhere. [00:43:06] Speaker B: It's not a good idea. [00:43:07] Speaker A: Yeah, it's not. That's not necessarily a Japan thing. [00:43:10] Speaker B: But if it's a Starbucks drink, nobody's gonna care. For example, like, it was like. Like, you get, like, tapioca or if you get like. Like, I feel like drinks are more flexible in general than food. [00:43:22] Speaker A: Yeah. Well, it's just like, I guess, like, I've been living here for so long and so have you. I like, I just instinctively, if I buy something from the convenience store, I just eat outside the convenience store because. [00:43:33] Speaker B: It'S Again, it's more just like. Or take it home or something. Yeah. [00:43:37] Speaker A: Or take it home. Yeah. Because again, it comes. [00:43:39] Speaker B: I trained myself. Oh, 100%. Yeah. Like, I've trained myself with, like, drinks, like, coffee. I'm like, oh, I don't want to carry this on the train while I'm also carrying my bag. And I also have, like, this tote bag or whatever because it. It gets uncomfortable after a while. And then it. You finish drinking it and you're, like, stuck with it, and you're like, oh, now what do I do? Yeah, like, it's good to, like, just toss it when, like, stay and then toss it when you're done. You know, like, same. Like, with the convenience store food. You can just toss it in the garbage that they have there. So. [00:44:12] Speaker A: And, like, same, I guess, going back to Disneyland for. For now. There's. There's trash cans everywhere. [00:44:17] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:44:18] Speaker A: Quite literally everywhere. So you're fine. Like, people even go like, well, they're waiting. When they're waiting for the parade, they'll go buy food and go and eat it at, like, at their spot that they're waiting for the parade. [00:44:29] Speaker B: They're sitting. See, that's the difference. [00:44:31] Speaker A: They're sitting. Yeah. [00:44:32] Speaker B: Yeah. I feel like popcorn, popsicles, Drinks are fine. Or like, handheld drinks, like the handheld food, like the ukiwa bun and things like that are fine. If it's like a handheld food, don't worry about it. But if it's something more complex, where you need utensils, try to avoid it. [00:44:51] Speaker A: If possible, sit down and eat it. [00:44:53] Speaker B: Sit down. [00:44:57] Speaker A: And I guess like, this more just a general thing, like, there's a lot of unwritten rules in Japan. I still make mistakes with some of them, but, like, that. That's more stuff. Like, if you're visiting, you're never going to encounter anyway, so I won't even bother mentioning them. But, you know, like, I don't know about you, Patricia, but I'm sure there's probably still some stuff you kind of like. I know this is an unwritten rule, but I don't really understand it, so. Oh, yeah, yeah. There's. There's things that come up and whatnot. Like, one, I guess, like, one thing that was kind of. I don't want to say beaten into me. That makes it sound bad, but when I was Exchange student here 20 years ago now. Oh, my goodness. I remember because, like, I was just kind of thrown into everything. I knew nothing. Like, I didn't know any Japanese nothing. But I went to, like, a full Japanese high School, right? [00:45:52] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:45:53] Speaker A: Talk about just being thrown into the deep end. I remember I was told I had to go to, like, the. The. The teacher's room. Is that what they call it here? Teacher's room? You know, because, like, teachers all congregate into their. Their office, right? Like. [00:46:06] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:46:06] Speaker A: They don't sit in their own classroom. They sit in a big office where all the teachers are. [00:46:11] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:46:11] Speaker A: I remember I had to go there, and, like, no one explained this to me. I remember I went there and I was nervous. Right? And I remember I went there and I just kind of. I. I just opened the door and walked in. Oh, you're. You cannot do that. [00:46:27] Speaker B: Oh, you can't. [00:46:28] Speaker A: Cannot just walk right in. Like, I had it. Like. Like I was given a little bit of leeway because no one told me. I had no idea, but it was kind of like I was given a stern talking to. It's like, no, when you go in, you knock, and then you have to say shitshima. You know, that kind of thing. [00:46:46] Speaker B: Student man. [00:46:47] Speaker A: Like. Yeah, the whole. Like, the whole. What's the word? Hierarchy. Yeah. [00:46:52] Speaker B: I feel like that would be so respectful. Yeah. Like, especially, like, the. The senpai kohai thing, too. [00:46:58] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. [00:47:01] Speaker B: Right. [00:47:02] Speaker A: I made that mistake once. Never again. And, like, it's like, I. I don't. [00:47:10] Speaker B: Know if it's, like, expected to know that. [00:47:12] Speaker A: I know. I know. Like, it wasn't my fault. [00:47:15] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:47:15] Speaker A: I was 18 years old. Like, how was I supposed to know? [00:47:18] Speaker B: But I didn't grow up in the system, so it's, like, unfair to expect you to know that. [00:47:23] Speaker A: Yeah. But I guess, like, they're trying to treat me like everybody else. [00:47:28] Speaker B: Yeah. Like, they're trying to, like, oh, you do it sternly this one time. He'll never repeat the mistake again, but it's a bit cruel, isn't it? [00:47:36] Speaker A: But now I have, like. Now that I think about it, I have, like, this, I guess, trauma. So, like, anytime I have a sliding door that I have to open to go in somewhere, I always just say, I still do it. Like, even. Like, there's a pharmacy I had to go to and that. A sliding door, I just open it up. I was like, today she must. [00:47:55] Speaker B: It's a good habit. It's a good habit to know. So it kind of. I guess, in a way, they did you a favor. [00:48:01] Speaker A: And it was funny because I did that because it's like a pharmacy is like a public place, I guess, like a store. So you don't really have to do it in that sense. But I did it Anyway, and the. Yeah, it's very polite. And the older woman that was behind the counter, the pharmacist, she kind of looked at me and started giggling. She's like, oh, that's. That's. [00:48:20] Speaker B: Oh. [00:48:21] Speaker A: She's like. She wasn't expecting that. She's like, oh, that was very lovely of you to say, you know, kind of thing. It was. Yeah, it was very. It was very funny. [00:48:28] Speaker B: And, like, if you go to the countryside, like, I know in the city, like, most of us lock our doors, but in the countryside, the genkan is, like, I think, still today considered, like, kind of like public space. So people might knock and walk into your genkan area. Like, say, like, walk. [00:48:46] Speaker A: Like, knock and walk inside or, you know, ojamashimasu. Yeah, I guess that's usually. [00:48:50] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. When you're entering the house. [00:48:54] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:48:55] Speaker B: But, like, if you're, like a Dillon person or something. [00:48:57] Speaker A: Yeah. I learned that from Japanese friends because, like, you know, Japanese friends would come over and, like, they'd always come in and they were like, oh, oh, jama shima. [00:49:08] Speaker B: Yeah. You have to say it in the house. [00:49:10] Speaker A: Yeah. For those that don't know, like, jama, I guess, like, jama just, like, literally translates into, like, being a nuisance. So you're like. I guess you're just saying, like, oh, pardon me for being a nuisance, or pardon me for bothering you is kind of what you're saying. We don't have an equivalent in English because we don't say that we have. I guess it kind of depends on where you grew up. [00:49:33] Speaker B: What do we say? Thanks for inviting me, or. [00:49:38] Speaker A: Almost sounds like you're a vampire, you know? Yeah. Like, there's nothing we really, like, at least, like, where I grew up, like, you just kind of knocked on the door and just. Oh. Like, if you knew the person, you knocked and you just went in and be like, hello. I guess you just say hello. You know, like, that's really it. Like, there's nothing. It's pretty informal, I suppose. [00:50:01] Speaker B: I think so, too. Yeah. [00:50:03] Speaker A: Yeah. Whereas Japan, you know, there's. There's different hierarchy and depending where you're going in. [00:50:09] Speaker B: And like, I guess, like, if you grow up in it, it's like, really kind of like you're so used to it, you know, it's kind of comforting. Second nature. Yeah, it's just, like, comforting. [00:50:21] Speaker A: I don't know. Like, well, and I guess, like, for me as a foreigner, too, like, whenever I go, like, whenever I visit, like, Japanese friends and, like, especially when I'm visiting Like, I have a long time friend. I met her when I was here and 20 years ago. And whenever I go to visit her and then we go to visit her parents because her. I love seeing her parents. Her parents love me because, like, they're like. They're kind of like my Japanese mom and dad outside of my host family. So, like, whenever I go over, you know, I always just say, oh, oh, shimasu. And like the mom, she's always. She always just gets so happy. She's like, oh, it's so cute. It's so cute. But then like, the dad, he just, he loves to practice his English with me, which is, you know, that's perfectly fine. It's. It's. It's really cute. I guess, like, this is like a complete, Complete aside. Complete. I may have told this story before. I don't remember. I just remember one time I was maybe, maybe. I don't know, it might have been a bonus episode. I'm not sure. But I remember there was. This was probably a decade ago, I was over there visiting and we needed to drive somewhere. So he, the, the dad, he was gonna. He was driving us and he was very happy about getting his Android tablet or something connected to his car, right? For. To play music or whatever. And he started playing Whitney Houston, which I'm like, okay, cool. You know, we all love some Whitney. And then when we were. Oh, God, I'm trying not to laugh. When we. When we were stopped at like a stoplight or something, he turned around and he didn't. I don't, like, I don't know what was going through his mind. He just turned around and said, like, looked at me deadpan and said, she dead? I was like. I just, I was like, yeah, yeah, she is. He's like, yeah, she did. I'm like, yeah, yeah. Poor, poor Whitney, God rest her soul. But like, it was just like the most deadpan thing. And I just tried not to laugh because, like, he was, you know, he. [00:52:26] Speaker B: Was trying to, like, to communicate. Oh, she passed away. Yeah. [00:52:30] Speaker A: Yeah. But she's like, she dead. [00:52:33] Speaker B: Oh, no. [00:52:35] Speaker A: So, like, to this day I still laugh about it because I just think it was like, it was, it was cute. It was really. [00:52:39] Speaker B: You were cute. Cute. [00:52:44] Speaker A: So good. Yeah, I, I need to go back and visit them. I haven't seen them. [00:52:49] Speaker B: He should. [00:52:50] Speaker A: Yeah, I have to go back up. It's always fun. Anyway, that was a complete aside. Just, you know, things you learn and experience living here for so long. Right, let's move on to the last one. [00:53:04] Speaker B: Oh, my God, this one, and I know mildly infuriates me. [00:53:08] Speaker A: Yeah, this one gets heated. [00:53:11] Speaker B: Like, if it's like a normal person. Like, if it's like a rando, like, tourist, I'm like, okay, I can understand. Like, it's easy to not get the concept, but I see a lot of massive Disney websites and Disney bloggers that are not small entities. They're very well known. And I keep seeing this going around and they'll be like, wow, Tokyo Disney Resort is not only the best resort, but it's so cheap. And the Japanese are so lucky that it's so cheap for them. But just because it's cheap for you doesn't mean it's cheap for us living here. So I guess it's called an exchange rate currency exchange. [00:54:04] Speaker A: I guess, like the. The misconception can be said here is Tokyo Disneyland is cheap in terms of its pricing and. [00:54:16] Speaker B: No, it's really not. [00:54:17] Speaker A: No, it's not. [00:54:19] Speaker B: It actually used to be, I think, you know, like, I would say 20 years ago, it was massively underpriced even for us living here for what they were offering. But it's really not. No. Just because your exchange rate happens to be very good at the moment does not mean it's cheap for the people of Japan living here. [00:54:42] Speaker A: Yeah, like minimum. Minimum wage here is like 900 yen an hour. 950 yen an hour? Something like that. [00:54:51] Speaker B: Yeah, something like that. Like, depending on, like, I guess where you. I think so, yeah. [00:54:56] Speaker A: Yeah. And if you want to put that into US dollars, that's like $6. [00:54:59] Speaker B: You know, it's not. [00:55:01] Speaker A: It's not a lot. [00:55:02] Speaker B: But they're also not getting paid $6. Right? Like in. No, like how we. [00:55:08] Speaker A: Yeah, they're getting paid in yen. [00:55:10] Speaker B: Can you imagine if, like, the way we lived was based on various exchange rates? Like, sometimes we'd be getting paid so much and then, oh, no, suddenly. Oh, we're getting paid so much less. No, we're not. For us, it's relatively stable. [00:55:27] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, a good example is we, like, I know we talked about it before, but like the price of the waffle, I like, I have a picture of it. It was like 450, 400 yen or something. Yeah, like five, four or five years ago. Yeah, it was 400 yen for the waffle. And it came with more stuff too. [00:55:46] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, it was. [00:55:47] Speaker A: But now, yeah, the waffle is 860 yen, or almost 900 yen with ridiculous, like a couple little kutraments on it, and that's it. [00:55:57] Speaker B: And you have to wait in A long line. The line got super long. [00:56:01] Speaker A: Yeah. And our park tickets have gone up significantly. [00:56:05] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:56:05] Speaker A: Like doubled in price, basically. Because, remember, they were like a day ticket. [00:56:09] Speaker B: Oh, he's so cheap. [00:56:11] Speaker A: Like 600 yen. [00:56:12] Speaker B: The after six pass used to be ridiculously cheap. [00:56:15] Speaker A: It was like 3,500 yen or something. [00:56:17] Speaker B: Yeah. And. And it was easy to get into restaurants so you could have a nice course dinner, watch a show, do a couple attractions, like within that time, very easily. And now it's like, much more expensive. It's almost like what our day pass used to be. And you. There's no way you'll get all of that done. It's impossible. You can't get into, like, the course restaurant. Like, at the last minute. You might not be able to get, like, fast passes for attractions. So. Yeah, it's. It's. No, it's not. It's not cheap for us. And like, what you get is a bit less than what you used to get before. [00:56:48] Speaker A: Yeah. And like, I guess wording matters, right? So if you want to express, you can say, you know, it's. [00:56:58] Speaker B: You can say it's lucky for you, like, oh, it, like, not lucky for the Japanese people. Like, how is it lucky for us that you get. It's really not now, you know, I don't understand, like, you. [00:57:10] Speaker A: You can say, you know, it's more like, like, if you're talking about, like, as someone who has gone to the US Parks, whatever, you can say, you know, Tokyo Disneyland is more affordable than Disney World. I think that's fine to say, but don't say that Tokyo Disneyland is cheap and it's cheap for us living here. It's not. [00:57:27] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, you could say it's cheap for you. Like, wow, it's really inexpensive for us right now. I'm so. We're so happy. It's lucky for us. But. Yeah. Just don't assume that we're paying the same price as you. [00:57:42] Speaker A: Yeah. Oh, yeah. I think we covered a pretty decent. [00:57:51] Speaker B: Chunk of misconceptions, like a good variety of topics too. [00:57:56] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:57:57] Speaker B: I wonder if there's anything like, if you're living here or you used to live here. Like, do you think there's anything that we missed? Like, like any misconceptions of the park? Like, let us know. [00:58:11] Speaker A: Tell us. Let us know, Tell us. Yeah. And yeah. If. If. Thank. Thank you for the suggestion, by the way. Yes. [00:58:19] Speaker B: Because we always ask for suggestions and nobody ever gives us any, so I was so happy. [00:58:25] Speaker A: Yes. So please, more. [00:58:26] Speaker B: Give us more suggestions. [00:58:30] Speaker A: I forgot to write the Name down. I apologize. [00:58:33] Speaker B: Okay. We'll find out because. Thank you. [00:58:36] Speaker A: I'm gonna pull it up right now. Just give me a second. [00:58:38] Speaker B: Yay. [00:58:39] Speaker A: I should have done this ahead of time, and I'm terrible, but that's okay. [00:58:43] Speaker B: No, no, no, no. But I got so excited when you said that. I got so excited. I'm like, what? Somebody left a comment. Somebody left a suggestion. This wonderful. [00:58:54] Speaker A: I'm just going right now and checking. I'm pulling up. It was on Patreon. [00:58:58] Speaker B: Cool. [00:58:58] Speaker A: For some reason I want to say Tanya, but that's. That's not right. And the person's list. Person. Person that's listening knows right now. They're like, yeah, Chris, that's not it. Like, yes, I know, I know. Hold on. [00:59:11] Speaker B: Who could it be? [00:59:14] Speaker A: Taylor? [00:59:15] Speaker B: Was it Taylor? [00:59:16] Speaker A: No. Was it. [00:59:18] Speaker B: Was it Tara? Was it Sonia? It kind of sounds like Tanya. [00:59:24] Speaker A: We're trying to find out which one it was. Hold on, hold on. I will find it now. I'm determined. I will find it. Give me a second. [00:59:35] Speaker B: If you have more. If you have more suggestions, we're very open. [00:59:40] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:59:41] Speaker B: We aim to please. So please suggest us more stuff. And it can even be really off the walls. We don't care. We want. We want to hear your suggestions. All of them. [00:59:50] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. It was Taylor. Yes, it was Taylor. Thank you. [00:59:53] Speaker B: Thank you. Yay. [00:59:55] Speaker A: But also thank you to Sonia, because Sonia does comment on our stuff too. Hi, Sonia. [00:59:59] Speaker B: Thank you, Sonia. [01:00:03] Speaker A: Yeah, that's it for our misconceptions. And yeah, if you haven't already, make sure you check out our book over trxpo.combooks. get your guidebooks for the parks and plan the best trip. And before we go, though, we going to thank some wonderful explorers over on Patreon. So if you want to support the show, head ON over to patreon.com TDR now. So a big thank you to Acro, Disney girl, Adam, Amanda C, Amy B, Amy C, Mama, Explorer, Benjamin, Brent, M, Carrie, Chris, B, Claire, Claudia, Dave, David, Baker, Kevin, Harry, Marina, Beth, Eli, Robinson. [01:00:37] Speaker B: Taylor, and Melissa and Jamie, Jose, Kathy, Lee, Marie, Michelle, Murray, Sophie, Spoopy, Thomas, Kay, Alexandra, Lizzie, Amy, and Andy, Dana, Cassandra, Annie, Sonia, W.W. paige, Adelaide, Tara, and Nina. [01:00:52] Speaker A: And if you haven't already, make sure you tap that subscribe or follow button on your podcast app of choice. That way you don't miss any of our new episodes. All right, explorers, I'm one of your hosts, Chris. I'm the one that is, I don't know, traumatized by sliding doors, I guess, during my time as at a Japanese high school 20 years ago. And joining, as always, is the wonderful Patricia. [01:01:14] Speaker B: Hey, guys. I am the one eating Sakura mochi because it's a doll festival today and it's super yummy, you know, Let us know again what you think. Some misconceptions, maybe even some misconceptions of your home parks. If you're at one of the parks that are overseas for us, like Hong Kong, Disneyland or Shanghai or Disney World or California, Disneyland or Paris. And let us know if you live here. What are the misconceptions that we missed? And until then, keep exploring. [01:01:50] Speaker A: All right, explorers, we'll see you in the next one. Bye.