As previously announced, members are responsible for their own travel, hotel accommodations, and admission to the Tokyo Disney Resort theme parks. At our suggestion, many members plan to fly to Japan on Saturday, April 12, 2008, arrive on Sunday, April 13, stay 6 nights, and return home on Saturday, April 19, 2008.

 

There is still time to book a hotel room, but many of the Tokyo Disney Resort Official Hotels are close to capacity and prices have substantially increased. Information regarding the Disney hotels, the Tokyo Disney Resort Official Hotels, and the Tokyo Disney Resort Partner and Good Neighbor Hotels can be accessed at http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/tdr/english/hotel/ index.html.

 

From Tokyo's Narita International Airport, buses are available to each Tokyo Disney Resort area hotel and many other hotels. After you go through immigration, retrieve your luggage and clear customs, simply walk into the terminal lobby and visit the airport/hotel bus counter. One way tickets should be about ¥2,400 per person (roughly $24.00). You will be told the departure time and directed outside to the appropriate bus stop. The bus driver will check your luggage and take the expressway into town, which is about a 45 minute drive. Return tickets can be purchased from your hotel concierge the day before your return. Please remember that tipping is considered disrespectful in Japan. More information about bus services is available through the Narita International Airport official website at http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/access/ bus/index.html.

 

After you check in, please visit the concierge in your hotel lobby or any of the advance ticket purchase locations at the Tokyo Disney Resort and purchase a 4 day park hopper pass. The current cost is ¥15,000 (about $150.00) per person. (Group rates are not offered.) You MUST designate your first day, Monday, April 14, 2008, for Tokyo DisneySea and your second day, Tuesday, April 15, 2008, for Tokyo Disneyland. Park hopping is only permitted during the last 2 days of your ticket. We strongly recommend that you purchase the park hopper ticket before arriving at the park on Monday morning or you may have to wait in a long line.   

 

The Disney Resort Line monorail has 4 stops: Bayside Station (across from the Tokyo Disney Resort Official Hotels), Tokyo DisneySea Station, Resort Gateway Station (near Ikspiari, the Tokyo Disney Resort's version of Downtown Disney), and Tokyo Disneyland Station. A ¥250 fee is charged for each ride. All day or multi-day tickets are available for purchase from the station lobby kiosks, which offer information in English. The NFFC is waiting to hear if WDAJ will be able to provide each member of our group with a special 5 day unlimited rides monorail ticket, to be included as part of your package. If not, we will provide a 4 day unlimited rides monorail ticket.

 

The Tokyo Disney Resort theme parks, especially Tokyo Disneyland, often reach full capacity by mid-morning and must close the gates until later in the day, typically 4:00 p.m. A list of names of NFFC members will be provided to Guest Services, adjacent to the turnstiles, and WDAJ has arranged guaranteed admission for our group at all times during our 4 day official visit.

 

We are asking that everyone assemble in the lobby of the Hilton Tokyo Bay Hotel at 8:30 a.m. sharp on Monday morning, April 14, 2008. PLEASE BE ON TIME. We will check you in, hand you an identification badge, provide you with a final written agenda and English-language park guides, distribute monorail tickets, and hand out goodie bags. 

 

Members will be welcome to enter and explore the parks as they wish, either in groups or individually. Communication is not a major issue as most cast members speak some English. Please speak slowly and try to avoid slang or jargon so that you can be more easily understood.

 

The first scheduled activity, on Monday, April 14, is a Mediterranean-style buffet lunch at Oceano, inside the Hotel MiraCosta. Lunch is tentatively scheduled for 1:30 p.m.; drinks will be included. The hotel is accessible from the Mediterranean Harbor area inside Tokyo DisneySea. Please remember to get a hand stamp to re-enter Tokyo DisneySea after lunch, just like you would at any other Disney theme park.   There is a possibility of the NFFC having a guest speaker from WDAJ or WDI Japan.

 

At 2:30 p.m., we will have a private balcony viewing of the Legend of Mythica, an absolutely amazing land and water show created by Steve Davison which tells a story of friendship and sorrow between humans and legendary creatures.

 

The second scheduled activity will be on Tuesday, April 15, at Tokyo Disneyland. The NFFC has been extended an unprecedented opportunity to dine in the private party room at Club 33; the time for this event is TBA. Guests will choose between a fish or meat entrée; a beverage will be included, and vegetarian/special diet requests will be honored if possible. 

 

We requested special reserve seating for the nightly shows in front of the castle, but have been told that no shows are scheduled for that evening. At this time, no rededication or other special ceremony has been announced to commemorate the 25^th anniversary on April 15, 2008. We will let you know if any of this changes.

 

The last official activity is on Wednesday, April 16, at Tokyo DisneySea. Our group will be having lunch in a private room at Magellan's, a restaurant inside Fortress Explorations; the exact time is TBA. This romantic and elegant venue was designed by NFFC member Dennis Tanida, who plans to be on hand and to speak about how he created this area of the park. The meal will be a 25^th anniversary special menu with beverage included, the details of which have not been announced.

       

On Thursday evening, April 17, at a time TBA, everyone will be invited to ride the train downtown and walk to the Imperial Hotel. This legendary Tokyo landmark has welcomed royalty, heads of state, and celebrities for over 100 years. We will visit the Old Imperial Bar, where Disney cast members and Imagineers hung out over 25 years ago as Tokyo Disneyland was being built. Marc Davis created a piece of artwork for the bartender, which still hangs on the wall today. In return, the hotel staff honored him with the Tinkerbell Cocktail, which is still on the menu. We will toast the memory and legacy of Marc Davis. More information on the Imperial Hotel is available at the hotel's website, www.imperialhotel.co.jp.

 

Finally, on Friday, April 18, for those looking for a side trip to a famous tourist site, we will take the train to the Asakusa Shrine and Temple. Everyone will be asked to meet at the JR Maihama Station, adjacent to the Resort Gateway monorail station and Ikspiari, at 10:00 a.m. Our Japanese members and friends will help you purchase train tickets at the kiosk and serve as escorts. You can learn more about the Shrine and nearby shopping at www.japan-guide.com/e/e3001.html.  There is no cost to visit the Shrine. If time permits and there is enough interest, we may also visit the Tokyo Tower after lunch. (More information about Tokyo Tower is available at www.tokyotower.co.jp/english/. )

 

The Tokyo Disneyland 25^th anniversary event package is priced at $325.00 per person, which includes the following: Buffet lunch at Oceano on Monday, lunch at Club 33 on Tuesday, lunch at Magellan's on Wednesday, a 4 or 5 day monorail ticket, a goodie bag, and an identification badge. There is no a la carte activity registration.

 

A registration form will be posted on the NFFC website. Registration is only open to NFFC members and their families. Completed forms and payment by check should be mailed to the NFFC, P.O. Box 19212, Irvine CA 92623-9212. All registrations must be postmarked on or before February 20, 2008 and received by March 1, 2008, since WDAJ requires advance payment in full. No cancellation or refund requests will be honored after March 1, 2008.      

 

WDAJ has informed us that both the Club 33 party room and the private room in Magellan's each have a capacity of 40 guests. In order for us to have access to these facilities, we must limit our attendance accordingly. If more than 40 people sign up, then a lottery process will have to be instituted and partial refunds will be issued as necessary. Names not drawn for the first meal will stay in the pool and have first draw on the next meal.             

 

This promises to be one of the most exciting events in the history of the NFFC – we hope to see you there! If anyone has questions concerning this event, please email gary@nffc.org.