This is a very tiring day. It was only us 5 kids and kids-at-heart who went to Disneyland. The others just roamed around Kamata or some just stayed in.
Dom and I were quite nervous the night before we went to Disneyland because we did not buy tickets in advance, and since its quite the peak season, there’s a possibility of not getting in.
We arrived at the station at 7:30am and theres a line already going inside the park. However, the lines for the tickets are empty. If you’re planning to go to both Disneyland and Disneysea, I suggest you get the package price ¥13,200 for 2 days because its quite cheaper than the ¥7,400/day. Though you have to use the tickets for 2 consecutive days. Also, there are nearby hotels near the area so you dont have to really wake up early and catch the early train ride going there.
(above) Dom planning
So what was our plan of action. Basically, there is no VIP pass for Disneyland/Disneysea. That means, you go there early. That means you rely on the fastpass. When you get there, you shouldve already done your research on which blockbuster (the ones which normally has long lines) attraction you will take first - we chose the Star Wars thing because its nearer the entrance. Your first attraction will be the only attraction you will have to line up for, and if you arrive early, definitely the line is not long. After you’re done with your first ride, you run to your 2nd ride and get a fastpass - which will give you the time when you are supposed to come back. While waiting for your turn, which usually is 2 hours, you can roam around the park - eat, drink, play, or even line up for the attractions with shorter-line or fast-pace-line. When its time for you to come back to the attraction through fast-pass, you go first to another blockbuster attraction you want next and get a fast-pass ticket for that. Remember you cannot get fast-pass for all attractions at once. If you have a current fast-pass ticket, it will say what time you can buy next.
(above) photo not mine. from website www.themeparkreview.com
We kinda learned that you can get your next fast-pass at about 2 hours after you got your current. As you can see from the sample picture above (which is not mine. you can also click the link to read his/her disney adventure), lets say for Tower of Terror (the blue ticket), the time you can use your fast-pass is around 11:40-12:40. Then it also says there that at 11:40, you can already get another fastpass ticket for another attraction. And when you look closely at the bottom right of the ticket, the time there is the time when you got the ticket. So what we did is, since every fastpass has an allotment of an hour for you to be there and ride, before we go to the attraction of our current fast-pass, we first get another fast-pass ticket for the attraction we want next. And thats how we were able to ride all the ones we like.
The thing with theme parks, there’s just not much sitting area, and lines for food can be extremely long. No fastpass for food though.
(above) selfie
Dom and I ended up eating hotdog sandwiches for lunch. Luckily we found some empty tables because no one wants to sit there because of the sun. Then we also had Mickey Mouse Waffles. Its just normal waffles in Mickey Mouse shape.
Then by 4:30pm, when we’ve finished riding all the attractions we want, we decided to go near the statue of Disney and Mickey, and thats where we will wait for the parade and fireworks.
(above) Disney and Mickey, infront of the Castle
(above) Czari and Dom
Disneyland is also pretty at night. There’s lights everywhere. It just gets really cold.
I was just pretty disappointed that the fireworks in Tokyo Disneyland is not directly behind the castle. From where we’re at, its at the far left of the castle, unlike the one in Florida, California and Hong Kong. Its also short but its still very beautiful.
As you can see, i didn’t have much photos this time because its a hassle to take out my camera from the bag then put it back in again when its time to ride.
After today, I realized im not really young anymore. My legs get jello from all the walking. And during our 2 hours waiting time for our ride, we just sit back and watch people or eat.
Today is our city tour. We started at Shibuya Crossing where we also met the loyal dog Hachiko. (click here for his story of loyalty) There are ribbons because he will be celebrating his birthday soon.
(above) Hachiko Statue at Shibuya Station
(above) Dom about to cross
We only spent a few minutes here. We just crossed the famous pedestrian crossing, i bought my souvenir Starbucks Tumbler, then off we go to another part of the city.
Our next stop was at Meiji Shrine. First agenda there is to eat because we havent had breakfast yet.
(above) Dom and his takoyaki
Then the long walk starts. Actually its not that long. Its just hard to walk around because of the rock-path.
(above) Dom along the rocky pathway
The rocky pathway has a purpose. It was placed there so that when there are enemies around, the enemies’ footsteps and actions can be heard. Warning!
(above) my tubby self
(above) dom and sake barrels
(above) more sake barrels
its quite a walk to go to Meiji Shrine. The pathway is surrounded by huge trees, and there were also a couple of bonsais on display.
(above) Ema
These are Ema. Its like a wooden tablet where you can put your prayers, wishes and gratitude - which will be offered during the next day morning ceremony by a priest.
(above) Dom prepping his camera
We are also lucky to have witnessed a wedding - well, just the parade. But because of the wedding, some parts of the shrine closed.
After the Meiji Shrine, we headed next to Harajuku. Its packed. Its crazy. The whole street of Takeshita is full of people.
(above) Takeshita Street Arc with half of my body seen on the monitor.
we crossed the whole street of Takeshita and on the other side was our ride waiting for us. We didnt make a stop on this street because we’re not really shoppers, and most of us are saving for Ueno. Then off to Imperial Palace.
(above) Newly Weds Crossing. Cute!
(above) Imperial Palace Entry
well, no one can really go in. So we moved on, and finally got to Ueno where we had lunch.
(above) while looking for food
(above) my steak
So we were given 2 hours to eat and roam around Ueno. I wasnt able to buy anything. I am so overwhelmed with all the stuff. Plus im saving for something else. But for sure, the next time i go to Tokyo, i will be bringing a lot of moolah for this area. Also, everything in Japan is real. Fake is not allowed. It is actually a crime to sell fake items. So Dom and I decided to just window-shop.
(above) Somewhere in Ueno
2 hours up, and we’re off to Asakusa. Another packed place.
I think Dom and I tried to eat every food we see here. I had my matcha ice cream too! And we bought something we don’t know what it is. So how does it taste, Dom?
(above) “i dunno”
(above) beef on stick. nomnomnom
(above) dom’s “look-away” pose. i hate this pose.
(above) asthma attack
its really hard to take a photo in this area. well, first off, i really want to take long exposures but i don’t have an ND Filter. so boo. I wanted to do that because i just want to blur all the people and achieve an empty looking temple. fail.
(above) Sensoji Temple
so after the Asakusa stop, everything became a blur. basically we were all tired already. We stopped by this area to have our picture taken with the Tokyo Sky Tree (because i really have no plans in going up there)
(above) them parents and my dad’s outie
after this, its already dark and we stopped by Tsukiji Fish Market. Nothing to see at night time. Some shops are still open, though.
Then we headed straight to Odaiba. Such a beautiful place to see a mini Lady Liberty with the Rainbow Bridge behind her.
(above) Mini Lady Liberty
(above) Rainbow Bridge from Seaside Park in Odaiba
After Odaiba, we just drove along Ginza and some other places. We didn’t go down to Ginza anymore because the shops there are too expensive. Then before we go home, together with our fellow Filipino tour guide, we had dinner at what they call a family restaurant.
Thanks Fam for going to Tokyo with me. I love you all! <3
bought my favorite breakfast combo from Family Mart - ate it inside the train. 3+ hours of train ride to Universal City from Kamata, Tokyo.
I suggest not to attempt to do the same. Or if you want to go back and forth to save on lodging, just leave tokyo at 5am and arrive at Universal City by 830. just in time for the 9 am opening. then leave Universal City at 730pm to be able to catch the last bullet train ride back to Tokyo. or if you have enough money, you can just take the plane, get a room.
(above) @domdycaico
If you have the JR Pass, all your train rides will be smooth sailing, basically because everything has been paid for. Only that, your trains are limited especially for bullet trains. So we had the chance to ride the second fastest bullet train in Japan. The fastest one is too expensive that the JR Pass doesnt cover it. One way to Universal City without JR Pass will cost you roughly ¥14,450 or Php7,225. How much is a JR Pass? We got ours from Reli Tours at around Php13,900/head.
(above) Excited aunt and uncle
(above) my sister and her partner
(above) my family
when riding the Shinkansen-Hikari with your JR Pass, you can actually reserve seats atleast 3 days prior to your trip. Though we took our chances with the non-reserve seating which are from car 1-5.
Unlike my Manhattan to Jersey Shore train trip, this one is packed! For a while, my sister and her partner ended standing up until the next stop.
i actually like to travel with trains more than planes primarily because of the leg room. Even if im a tiny person, i could still use some space - my stuff could use much more space.
(above) yup. space.
(above) Fujifilm x Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera
we arrived at Universal Studios pretty late. We didn’t really got the time to ride everything and roam around. I can’t say time was wasted. It was an experience even it was short.
(above) Dom enjoying the parade and his burger too. He looks like he’s about to sneeze though.
(above) Jaws
(above) Czari having her picture taken with Little Red Riding Hood Wolf and The Big Bad Pug
(above) Czari posing for her caricature.
By night time, the theme park transforms into something like from the set of The Walking Dead. There are broken cars along the streets with dead bodies lying around. Then these bodies wakes up and run after the people at the park. I’ve been chased 3 times. :(
730pm and we need to go now. So, thank you Universal Studios for that brief encounter. Hopefully, we see you again November 2017. Time to rush to the trains for another 3+ hours.
This day is not that bad given all the circumstances. I am very grateful to have spent it with my family. The train rides, getting lost, missing our train - thats what makes this trip memorable because we got to experience it together as a family. Our favorite experience would definitely be when we got off the wrong side of the train. There is no other way to cross to the other track but to wait for another train to stop, and literally walk across inside the train to get to the other track. We’re like minions crossing as a group.
(above) @domdycaico waiting for our train
and to end this tiring and emotionally draining day, we had a midnight snack ramen which is just across our hotel.
(above) Dom’s waiting face.
(above) Dom’s excited-to-eat-ramen face
So there. Happy 30th year on earth, dear self. You survived this cruel world, and assholes. Brace yourself for more.
(above) FujifilmS3, Fujifilm X100, Fujifilm XT10, Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera
Long day. Gears ready.
(above) Mi Familia
(above) Dom & I
its about 2+ hours drive from our hotel to go the sites where we can fully experience Mt. Fuji. Stopped over at Fujisan World Heritage Center to have a quick restroom break.
(above) my sister
Finally we got to Lake Shoji. This is one of the perfect spots to view Mt. Fuji and take pictures. We saw some people camping and fishing in the area. The tour guide said, the best time to take a picture of Mt. Fuji is when the water is still because you can see the mountain’s reflection on the lake.
(above) my parents
(above) @domdycaico & @czaridy
(above) @domdycaico taking pictures
(above) Shiraito Falls
We also got to see Shiraito Falls which is a part of the Hakone-Izu National Park. During our visit, there were a lot of old hobbyist photographers who practice their long exposure technique.
(above) Dom again.
(above) Czari, Joyce, Issa, Dom and Me
Had lunch at Shokujidokoro Tsujiya with Lake Kawaguchi as a view. You can opt to get a table with chairs but we chose get the long table where we take off our shoes and sit on the floor.
(above) that yummy Tonkatsu
(above) Mt. Fuji 5th Station
We went closer to Mt. Fuji. Its super cold but the view is spectacular.
(above) my freezing parents
(above) Dom’s weapon
(above) lowbatt
(above) parents at Oshino Hakkai
Hurried down the mountain so we can still catch Oshino Hakkai open. We bought a lot of Matcha and Strawberry Kitkat there.
(above) Kristine and my parents buying some fried food.
(above) empty Oshino Hakkai
We went back to our hotel and decided to just eat nearby. We went through this tunnel so we can cross under the train line to reach the other side of the train station. We separated ways because of differents preference of food. We found this gem
and thats where we ate because as much as possible we don’t want to eat at commercial places.
I just had to take a picture of Japan’s awesome techy toilet buttons. This is definitely one of the things im missing so much - the convenience of clean and working toilet, where in you will never have to worry if there is water or tissue.
Had our JR Pass replaced with the official one.
Got my Wifi-Hire via Airport pick-up. This is a must when travelling in Japan - not just so you can post your pictures online right away, but its very essential in getting from one place to another. Google maps and Hyperdia are awesome handy apps for getting around Japan.
Then a bus ride to our hotel. Pretty easier to ride the bus from the airport to our hotel rather than the train because the train can get exaggeratedly full, and given we’re a party of 13, thats gonna be a lot of suitcases on the way. Plus we’re lucky to have a bus stop near our hotel.
So we basically just checked in and dumped our stuff in our room then had our first train ride to Yokohama where we are hoping we can make it on time before the Cup Noodles Museum closes. Unfortunately, we missed it. So we just roam around and had our first awesome ramen in Japan.
(above) outside Yokohama Station
(above) Matching green outfit with my uncle
(above) @domdycaico at Nippon Maru Memorial Park
(above) gloomy Yokohama Cosmo World
(above) @czaridy at Yokohama Cosmo World Amusement Park
(above) light fixtures at a Ramen Restaurant in Yokohama World Porters
(above) my Tsukemen for ¥850
(above) Gyoza
(above) @domdycaico with the awesome food mock-up of an Italian Restaurant in the background
After dinner, we battled our way back to our hotel. It began to rain so the temperature dropped. Its just a 20+ min train ride back.
(above) our hotel Grand Park Hotel Panex Tokyo
The thing about hotels in Japan, its definitely small. But i wasnt expecting it to be that small. We decided to stay in a hotel instead of AirBnB because we need more bathrooms given we are 13 people touring. We can’t afford to just have a maximum of 2 full baths. Here’s an overview of how small our room is which is good for 2 people:
Panaginip by Mateo Guidicelli Not so recent music video shoot. Shot this last April in Malabon before he left for Dolce Amore's taping in Italy. It just aired this month on MYX.
Liza Soberano on Self Confidence Such a beautiful girl - inside and out. She's one of the nicest but definitely the prettiest girl I ever shot as of time being. Lucky to have you infront of my camera.
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