Travelling to Japan with our family was a huge success; we had a fantastic time on our 2-week trip and loved the Japanese culture. Unlike planning a Bali holiday, Japan required next-level organisational skills to ensure all the tickets were purchased at the right time.

Our essentials for our Japan trip

• Wise Card – When travelling overseas, we always use our Wise card. There are low fees, and you can convert before your trip when the rate is excellent. Use my link for a fee-free transfer of up to 500 pounds.
• Cover-More – We use Cover-More for travel insurance as they cover us for our pre-existing medical conditions.
• e-Sim by Airalo – Now that we have phones compatible with e-Sims, we use Airalo for overseas data. It is easy to set up, and you can select multiple countries worldwide. Use the referral code KATE1154 to get $5AUD off your first purchase.
• Visit Japan website – For entry into Japan this provides all the details to complete immigration clearance and customs declaration.
• Google Maps – Using Google Maps started in the planning stage. I would save places that we wanted to stay, eat, and visit, and this helped narrow down the best options for us. In Japan, Google Maps was very useful for trains. We found it easier in Tokyo than Osaka but still worked.
• Google Translate – A language translation app is a must for travelling to Japan. I also saved a translation explaining Mason’s neurodiversity.
• Qantas – We flew with Qantas as we used frequent flyer points to travel to Tokyo. Click this link to join Qantas Frequent Flyer program for free.
• AMEX – I can’t give financial advice but we use a credit card while we travel. Some hotels and activities won’t accept debit cards for security so having a travel credit card is worthwhile. Feel free to use my referral link here.

Useful blogs

• The Tokyo Chapter – This is it if you only look at one blog when travelling to Japan with kids. So much information, follow Jo on Instagram for the latest updates on what is on in Japan.
• Let’s go, Mum – This blog is fantastic for information on Disney and Universal Studios, especially if you need tips on disability access.

Facebook Groups

• Japan Travel Planning with Kids
• Tokyo Disneyland Holiday Planning
• Universal Studios Japan Holiday Planning
• Tokyo Travel Tips

Useful Websites

• Smart Ex – We booked our Shinkansen tickets through this website. We could select the Mt Fuji side seats (D and E both ways to Tokyo). Please note that you can purchase these tickets on the day of travel at the stations.
• Klook – A great way to buy discount tickets in Japan (and Bali!)
• Tokyo Disney Website – We purchased our tickets direct from Disney. This allowed us to buy the online disability + one companion tickets.
• Universal Studios Japan – For all the info on opening times, what rides are scheduled for maintenance and much more head to the official USJ website. We booked our tickets through Klook as we had troubles with the official website accepting our different cards. (This can be a common issue but Klook is a great option)
• Tokyo Airporter – I wanted a private transfer when we landed in Tokyo from Narita airport to our Tokyo accommodation. This is not essential, but if you are like me and want peace of mind after a 10-hour flight, we had a great experience with Tokyo Airporter.
• Limousine Bus – This is an excellent option for airport transfers. We took the bus from Disney to Narita Airport. It was comfortable and great value.
• Monkey Kart – Go karting around the streets of Tokyo
• Ichioku Tours – Self drive tours around the streets of Tokyo
• Suzuka Circuit – Exploring the F1 circuit of Japan

Our itinerary for our Japan holiday was:

• MIMARU Tokyo Hatchobori 3 nights
• Hotel Universal Port Vita in Osaka 3 nights
• Suzuka Circuit Hotel in Suzuka 2 nights
• Grand Nikko Tokyo Bay Maihama 3 nights

The holiday was full of adventure and fun, but we also found time for downtime, which is essential when travelling with neuro-diverse kids. We loved the weather; it was a great temperature, hovering between 18-20 degrees Celsius, and the only time I felt a bit cold was riding the go-karts through the streets of Tokyo. We generally had sunshine except for our last morning in Tokyo when it rained. Our day at Disneyland was a balmy 22 degrees, and it felt warm in the sun!

Sunday 17th November: Flying to Narita Airport Tokyo and Mimaru Hatchobori

We chose to once again park at Busy Beavers Airport parking for our Melbourne flight departure. We find it easy to access, and they are always great at promptly dropping us off at the airport. We arrived at Melbourne Airport at 7 am for our 9:25 am flight departure with Qantas. Check-in was easy, and we were through security and passport control in record time! Mason wore his sunflower lanyard so we could access the disability line, but the other lines were relatively short, too.

We boarded our flight on time but had issues taking off as we got redirected to a different airport section due to a wind change. Once in the air, it was nice to experience a full-service airline compared to our usual flight to Bali with Jetstar. I had requested kids’ meals for Mason, and they were served first, and he ate them willingly. My food was okay. There was nothing to get excited about, but the food and service were good.

We landed 40 minutes late, and then the fun began! I had heard about the long lines on arrival at Narita airport, but they made the Bali immigration lines look short! Before flying, I saved details of Mason’s neurodiversity and his difficulty lining up for long periods in Google Translate. This, combined with the sunflower lanyard, worked well. We approached an officer and he guided us to the front of the line, he was also escorting other families with younger children so don’t be afraid to ask.

We had already completed the Welcome to Japan declarations; ensure you have a QR code for each person travelling. Once you have collected your bags, you must scan each passport at the customs gates. From landing to walking out of the arrival area with our luggage was 45 minutes. I had pre-organised eSIMS through Airalo for each phone. I had set them up at home, and using them when we landed was straightforward. They worked well the whole time we were in Japan, and it was also easy to load more data if needed.

I had organised a hotel transfer through Tokyo Airporter, and our driver met us at the arrival area with a sign. Super easy to find, and even though the transfer was costly, $240AUD (24,000JPY) to our Tokyo hotel, for me, it was peace of mind in case Mason was struggling with the longer flight. It was a big day of travel and the last thing I needed was a meltdown on the train or bus into Tokyo, it would not be a great way to start our trip! The van was super clean and comfortable; the transfer took 50 minutes, and we even got to see the DisneySea fireworks as we drove past on the freeway.

Check-in at Mimaru Hatchobori was straightforward, and we were relieved to make it to our room finally. I had booked directly through the hotel website for the best deal and chose the family apartment. It was perfect for our family of 4 with kids aged 14 and 11. Our kids are tall, and the beds in the bunk were a great size and easily fit. We loved having a dining table and kitchen; it was a great use of space. Trying to decide on Tokyo accommodation was soooo hard! I think I booked then cancelled over 10 places, yes I have an issue 😉 I used the Tokyo Chapter website for info and we were pleased with the location for our family.

We then ventured downstairs to the 7-Eleven and Lawson convenience stores for dinner. Oh my goodness, what a selection! Goodness knows how much we bought in our post-flight haze 😉 It was an early night ready to explore Tokyo the next day.

Monday 18th November: Exploring Tokyo, Skytree and Go-Karts

The first morning on holidays is always an early rise from Mason and me. We started our day at 5:15 am and explored near Tokyo Station. The map in the lobby at MIMARU was perfect to point us in the direction of Tokyo Station, and I had a few jobs that I wanted to complete. Get cash from an ATM and organise a Suica transit card for Mason to travel around Tokyo and Osaka. Jed, Charlotte and I had the Suica card on our iPhones, but as Mason was under 12 years old, he could benefit from the child prices.

Tokyo Station is huge and helps if you understand where things are if you plan on taking the Shinkansen or other train lines. We utilised the North Passage to walk across from the Yaesu Side to Marunouchi Side without using our Suica Card. Tokyo Station has so many shops and cafes that you could get lost for hours! We walked to the Marunouchi Building, where I saw a Super Mario pop-up stand on Instagram. We were too early but could walk into the building and see the gorgeous Christmas display.

My mission to find a coffee early in the morning was pretty futile! But on our way back to the hotel, I found Pronto Cafe at Nihombashi Keikyu EX Inn, open at 7 am. I knew that finding great coffee would be a struggle in Japan (Melbourne coffee snob over here!), but the soy latte was drinkable and hit the spot until I could find a coffee roaster open later.

Jo, from the Tokyo Chapter, suggested a range of easy places to have a cheap family breakfast (I will reference her a lot, so go check out her blog for all the info!) I chose somewhere close and easy to access for breakfast once the other two had woken up. We only had to wait 2 minutes for a table at Denny’s, and the family loved the French toast and bacon/eggs, and Mason thought the pancakes were adorable. Unlimited drinks were also a positive, and breakfast cost a reasonable $35AUD for four us.

I wasn’t up to a coffee from a machine, so on our way to the Tsukiji Outer Market, I made the family detour slightly to ROAR COFFEE Hatchobori. This well and truly hit the spot, with a great range of coffee choices available.

We then wandered past Tsukiji Hongan-ji Temple to Tsukiji Outer Market. Touristy with lots of people but fun as well! We tried a few snacks and Jed purchased some gifts for home.

It was a short walk to Ginza, where we were in search of the Uniqlo store and, more importantly, the Kura Sushi restaurant on the 4th floor—a vast range of clothes and other products to shop.

Kura Sushi was a lot of fun. When we arrived, we reserved a table, and our number took around 5 minutes to come up. The booths were perfect for our family of four, and the kids loved putting the plates back and playing the game. The food was good and came out quickly. You can choose what comes past on the sushi train or order on the iPad, delivered promptly to our booth. You then pay at the kiosk at the front of the store. The staff were friendly and valuable when I had issues paying.

We decided to return to the hotel for a rest, so we took the train. It was so easy to do, we used Google Maps, and it told us the station, platform, times and train to take. We all used our iPhones with our Suica cards loaded with cash to tap on and off, while Mason used his physical child Suica attached to his sunflower lanyard, which worked well and was easy for him to manage.

After a couple of hours of chill-out time, we took the train over to Tokyo Skytree. From leaving our hotel, Mimaru Hatchobori, to arriving at the Skytree shopping mall, it took us 20 minutes. This included walking to the train station. We had booked the combo tickets for the Skytree (including Tembo Galleria and Tembo Deck) for the 4 pm slot to try and get a Tokyo sunset. We booked directly through the Tokyo Skytree website. Do I think it was worth the money? We are glad we did it, as it was fun to see Tokyo from up high, but it is probably a one-time experience.

You could purchase tickets at the entrance, but it took additional time, so we were glad we had pre-purchased. (Make sure you allow time to find the entrance to the tower. Follow the signs as you get off the train. It took us 10 minutes to get from the train station’s exit to the Skytree’s entrance. There could have been a shorter route, but it was our first time there)

If you are trying to get sunset views, be mindful of the time of year you are travelling to Tokyo. We visited on the 18th of November, and the sunset picture above was taken at 5 pm in Tokyo time. We spent about 1 hour from the Skytree entrance and to our descent down the lift. At the entrance, the line and lift ride up took about 15 minutes, so factor that in if you are limited in time. We could have spent longer, but Mason was keen for go-karting.

As we were visiting in November, Christmas markets were set up at the entrance of the Skytree. They had a range of food (not the cheapest prices) and activities for the kids. We had a bite to eat, and Charlotte ordered a $18AUD hot chocolate, but we soon realised it included the Christmas mug 😉

Next, we walked over to the Monkey Kart office and were off go-karting around the streets of Tokyo. We went through the paperwork (Jed and I had to show our International Drivers Licenses and organised them through RACV in Australia. Please note that some countries are accepted; check their website for details) and then chose our outfits for the ride. The main reason I decided on Monkey Kart and the route from Asakusa was the Canam Bikes were available so the kids could ride too.

We had such a fun time! The outfits kept us warm in the chilly Tokyo air and were easy to ride. They give you instructions and a test drive down the street before you start to ensure you know how to stop. We drove through the streets of Asakusa, past the Skytree, Sensoji Temple, Yogoku Kokugikan National Sumo Arena and through the bright lights of Akihabara.

Our guide was fantastic and always ensured we were safe. It was also super cool that only our family was on the tour. We had chosen the 6 pm time slot as we wanted to experience it at night time and I’m so glad we did, the lights were very cool. We arrived at the office at 6 pm, and it took 15 minutes to choose outfits, go to the toilet and do our test drive. The actual driving part lasted 1 hour.

It was a 10-minute walk back to the Skytree shopping mall, and we had dinner at the food court. Great prices and we could all choose something different. Mason then discovered the Tomica shop had Disney Cars, so dinner turned into shopping, too 😉

Tuesday 19th November: Exploring Tokyo, TeamLab Borderless, Tokyo Tower and Daikoku PA car tour

We had a fun-filled day planned for exploring Tokyo, and Mason and I started by walking to Ginza at 6 am in search of a coffee. First, a stop at a 7-Eleven so Mason could buy a smoothie. It is so easy and freshly made from the fruit from the freezer section. Walking the streets early in the morning is my favourite way to explore. Unfortunately, coffee roasters don’t open until around 8 or 9 am (if you are searching for great coffee, search Google Maps with Coffee Roasters, not just the word Coffee), so in the end, Starbucks was the only choice. It was drinkable, but that is it.

I had booked tickets to Teamlab Borderless located in Azabudai Hills directly through their website for the 9 am time slot. It was a great choice because it can get busy and is very popular. We loved it, especially the kid’s zone where they could colour in artwork and transport it onto the wall. So awesome!

We spent about 1 hour at Teamlab Borderless (I could have spent longer, but Mason often determines the length of time we stay somewhere!) It is in a plaza with many up-market shops and restaurants, so we found the Pokemon Collab at Azabudai Hills Gallery Cafe. They had a small menu of Pokemon-inspired dishes and a Pokemon gift shop next door.

We then walked up to Gift Tokyo Cafe & Bar to have lunch before we visited the Tokyo Tower. It was such a great cafe; the coffee was excellent, and Jed declared the granola one of the best he had ever eaten. Highly recommendeded.

The Tokyo Tower was a 1-minute walk from the cafe, and the kids were keen to try out Red Tokyo Tower. As we didn’t have a huge amount of time, we selected the 1-hour package that was reasonably priced. Mason, of course, found a photo booth on the way to the entrance 😉 Also one tip is to keep your ticket with you, we needed it to exit as it was timed! We had a great time and a great spot to take teenagers. The VR was a lot of fun and had a great range of activities. The lines were minimal when we visited at noon.

We then wandered through Shiba Park and saw wedding photos being taken with the Tokyo Tower in the background. It was a gorgeous sunny day to walk to Daimon Station via the Zōjō-ji Temple. From there it was an easy train ride back to the hotel.

Whenever I plan our holidays, I need to ensure we have plenty of downtime. Tokyo was no exception, as a lot of walking was involved, so we returned to the hotel for a few hours to rest. We had a big night ahead! We left the hotel at about 4 pm and took the train to Shibuya Crossing. Kids thought walking a couple of times across the scramble was a lot of fun. Please note the photos taken below were at 4:55pm.

After a few obligatory photos, we started walking to the start of the Ichioku Tour I had organised for the night. There is so much to see in Shibuya, and shops are everywhere! We had dinner at 7-Eleven, the kids thought it was great standing outside on the path eating our dinner 😉

Mason loves cars, especially Cars 2 movie and Tokyo Drift. It was one of the main reasons we first decided to travel to Japan. I chose the Ichioku Self Drive Daikoku PA in the Nissan GT-R NISMO as it had 4 seats to fit our family and was reasonably priced at approx. $600AUD. We arrived at the office to start the tour at 5:45 pm, reviewed the paperwork, including our International Drivers Licence and started driving towards the Shibuya Scramble. The seats in the back had limited room, but I could just fit, and I’m 5 ft 9. It was a lot of fun driving through the scramble, and then we stopped for a few minutes to take photos.

We then drove through Tokyo over the Rainbow Bridge to A Pit Super Autobacs. This car lifestyle store features merchandise, car accessories and even a Starbucks. The kid’s section was super cute, with a huge range of books to keep them entertained. We had time to go to the toilet, browse the shop and have a coffee at Starbucks.

Then the fun began! Driving on the highway out to Daikoku PA was a highlight of our trip; the car was awesome. Arriving at the parking area, we could wander around and check out the other cars. The Japan car scene is huge, with some awesome cars on view. There was also a shop with vending machines, toilets and they even had claw machines 😉

We spent about 1 hour in the parking area before driving on the highway to Tokyo Tower. It was so gorgeous at night, and it was a fantastic way to finish the tour. Our guide, Jordan, was excellent, and he made it super easy to follow him through the streets of Tokyo. Highly recommend Ichioku Tours, they were great to deal with and we all had the most amazing time.

We drove back Shibuya and finished the experience on Inokashira-Dori Street near Yoyogi Park. It was a short walk to Yoyogi-koen Station, which had easy train access to our hotel.

Wednesday 20th November: Shinkansen to Osaka and Universal Port Vita Hotel near Universal Studios

It was our last morning in Tokyo before we went to Osaka, so Mason and I took the train to Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa. Unfortunately, the rain turned up as we got off the train and I hadn’t bought an umbrella from the hotel. Note to self: always take an umbrella if it is not sunny! Mason bought an umbrella for $5AUD near the temple, and as it was so early and raining, it was nearly completely deserted!

We had planned to explore walking more but due to the rain Mason was keen to go to McDonalds. It’s always fun to see what they have and he was very happy lad with his piklets for breakfast.

We took the train back to the hotel, but due to us catching the train from Asakusa at 8:30am towards Tokyo city we hit the famous Tokyo peak hour! It was pretty entertaining, and Mason was a legend. We only had to wait for the second train to arrive, and getting everyone on the train was all very orderly. We were packed in like sardines, but the ride went quickly.

It was back to Mimaru Hatchobori to pack as we had check-out at 11 am. I organised for our large suitcase to be sent to our hotel in Osaka via the Yamato Luggage Delivery service. This cost and the luggage was delivered the next day. We could leave our luggage at Mimaru while we walked to visit the Pokemon store and get some lunch. I found one of the best coffees in Tokyo at GOOD COFFEE FARMS Cafe & Bar. Be warned, a great almond latte in Tokyo will set you back $9.50!!!

I left the family to eat lunch and walk to Tokyo Station while I returned to Mimaru Hathcobori to get our luggage. I used the GO app to get a taxi, which was easy to do. The taxi arrived promptly, and it cost 1300Y or approx. $13AUD to travel from Mimaru Hatchobori to Tokyo Station Yaesu Central Exit. The family met me at the drop-off point for the taxis, and we entered Tokyo Station to catch the Shinkansen to Osaka.

I had booked our seats through the Smart Ex app to ensure we got our seats together. The trains go so often we could have got tickets at the station, but I preferred to be organised this time! Going through the entry gates to the Shinkansen area took a moment as the machine wasn’t happy reading the tickets from my Apple Wallet. It was quickly sorted out, and we went through it. You will find more shops, mini marts and toilets in this area. We found our platform and took our luggage to an area where our car number would arrive. I then went to the mini-mart to get bento boxes for the trip.

I had booked Ordinary Reserved seats at the front of the carriage, and we had so much room. We were in Car 5 seat numbers 1D, 1E, 2D and 2E. Our medium-sized suitcases easily fit in the overhead area. If you have a large suitcase you must reserve a seat with luggage. These go quickly, so you will need to book. The seats were comfy and the toilets so clean for a train! The trip went quickly; unfortunately, it was cloudy, so there were no Mt Fuji views. Make sure you book D and E seats for the Mt Fuji side.

Arriving at Osaka station, we got a taxi to Hotel Universal Port Vita. It’s not the cheapest option (it costs us approx. $95AUD), but sometimes sanity is worth the price! Our driver was hilarious, and as we are Australian, we thought that Suzi Quatro was a great choice to have pumping through the stereo!

We checked in to Hotel Universal Port Vita where we would stay for the next 3 nights. I had booked directly with the hotel to secure the Spark room, and I wasn’t disappointed! It was a gorgeous room complete with four king single beds (the beds felt more like an Australian double bed but longer), a sitting TV area, a fridge, two toilets, a fantastic bathroom with a bathtub with a TV and the best view over Universal Studios 😉 I paid $600AUD per night, not including breakfast. Travelling with older kids, we needed the space, and the bathroom was even big enough for Mason to hang out in during his early morning rising at 5 am. We were located in room 1056.

After relaxing in our fancy new room, we wandered over to the sister hotel next door, Hotel Universal Port. This hotel has more of a Minion theme, and you can even book Minion rooms (they are very pricey!) After photos with the Minions, we walked to Universal City for dinner. Universal City has a good range of cafes, including McDonald’s, Starbucks, Hard Rock Cafe, 7-Eleven, and a great-sized Lawson. We chose to eat at Wolfgang Puck for pizza, and we were all happy with our meals. It was an early night as tomorrow was our day at Universal Studios.

Thursday 21st November: Universal Studios Japan

I had pre-purchased our tickets through Klook for both the studio passes (to enter Universal Studios) and the 7-ride express pass. This was not cheap and cost us for two adults and two kids aged 14 and 11 years of age approx. $1300AUD. It’s not cheap, but would I have paid that again? Yes!! We only had one day to explore Universal Studios, so express passes were necessary. One of the great things about the passes is for the rides I didn’t want to go on; the kids could use my pass for that ride.

Our Universal Express Pass 7 ~ Variety included with times

• Admission to: Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge™ 16:10 – 17:10
• Admission to: Yoshi’s Adventure 16:40 – 17:10
• Admission to: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™ 10:30 – 11:00
• Admission to: Flight of the Hippogriff™ 11:00 – 11:30
• Admission to: Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
• Admission to: The Flying Dinosaur
• Admission to: [Choose One] Hollywood Dream – The Ride OR JAWS™
• The Area Timed Entry Ticket: Super Nintendo World™ 16:10 – 17:10

Mason had me up very early and was keen to go to the park. This is where the express passes came in handy again, as Mason and I could enter when it opened, and Jed and Charlotte could enter before our first timed express ride. We arrived at 6:50 am and were about 15th in line. Waiting was fun; we sat on the ground and ate the breakfast we purchased at Lawson’s. Another family saved our spot when we needed to go to the toilet nearby. Tip: If you have a child who may need to use the toilet, go to the waiting lines at the edges; it makes it super easy to get to the bathroom quickly.

When the gates opened, we walked straight to Super Nintendo World to try and get entry without a ticket (our express pass was for later in the afternoon). So many other people were doing this; it was quite the walk from the entrance. We made it (entry to USJ at 7:46 am and SNW at 7:55 am), and it was great to explore SNW without the vast crowds of the afternoon. I purchased a power band for Mason, and we played a few of the games before lining up for the Yoshi ride. Pretty tame but a nice view from the carts.

Next, it was off to explore the Minion area. Mason loved this area, and we rode on the Freeze Ray ride. We then met with Jed and Charlotte at 10 am and walked to Harry Potter for our first timed express rides. Wow, it was busy in Harry Potter world! The line-up for butter beer was long and we slowly made our way to the entrance to the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride. This was so much fun! Mason coped OK with the spiders and we all thought it was awesome. We went next to the Flight of the Hippogriff past the huge line and thank goodness we had express passes as Jed could not fit in the ride. The kids and I could continue to ride but then gave us four more express passes to be used on Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, The Flying Dinosaur, The Hollywood Dream – The Ride or JAWS™.

Mason was keen to return to Minion World, so we walked through the park and used our express pass to ride the Despicable Me Minion Mayhem. The lines were super long, so the express passes were invaluable once again! The kids were then keen on the Flying Dinosaur ride, Jed and I sat this one out and watched the crazy kids fly around the sky.

We had pizza for lunch, and then Mason was keen for a few shows. Jed and Charlotte explored the rest of the park and rode other rides. Mason and I first went to the Sing on Tour show, which was fun! The talking was in Japanese but we didn’t care, Mason loved it. We then went to Playing with Curious George as Mason is a huge fan of the show. It was adorable, and once again, Mason loved it. Next, it was time to buy a Minion popcorn bucket. It was so cute!

After our early start to the day Mason was keen to go back to the hotel for a rest. This was easy to organise at the entrance gate on the way out. We spent around 1 hour in the room and was perfect to recharge for the night fun!

We wandered back to Universal Studios and caught the Minion show on the way. We met Jed and Charlotte at the entrance to SNW at 4 pm for our timed entry into SNW. It was fantastic to see at night because it had such a different feel to daytime. We all loved the Mario Kart ride, the entrance was epic!

We then wandered through the park, went on the Hollywood Dream – The Ride and then walked to the Christmas party show near the Christmas tree. Huge crowd but easy to see and hear. Back to Minion World, of course, for one last shop, and then Jed and Mason headed back to the hotel at 6:30 pm. Charlotte and I were still keen to explore as the gates were open until 9 pm, so I went on the Jaws ride before heading into Harry Potter World. Was great to experience it at night, had less people and the effects were stunning. We went to a wand performance and Charlotte was selected to participate. Of course, a wand was hers, but only if we paid for it 😉

We finally returned to the hotel at 7:30 pm, our legs were exhausted but we had a great day! It was sushi and ramen bowls from Lawson’s for dinner, nice and easy after a long day.

Friday 22nd November: Rest day Universal Port Vita Hotel and exploring Osaka

After such a big day at Universal Studios the day before, it was finally a restful morning and a chance to sleep in. Around 8 a.m., Mason and I walked over to Universal Walk to explore and for me to try and find a drinkable coffee. The Starbucks coffee was just, and the coffee from Tully’s was slightly better. Mason was also keen for McDonald’s again for breakfast to add to his Japan Happy Meal collection.

We rested at the hotel for the day, enjoying the TV with a bath, catching up on emails, doing laundry and watching a movie. On each floor of the hotel, there was a room with a microwave and vending machine. There was also a mini-mart at the hotel with a small selection of food and drinks for lunch. It was super easy, however, to walk the 2 minutes to the Lawson’s for more of a choice.

At 4 pm, we caught the train to Osaka to explore for a few hours and have dinner. We got off the train at Hommachi Station and wandered down Mido-Suji. Mason was thrilled to see the Ferrari showroom, and we stopped to look at the Namba Jinja Shrine. Even though it was late afternoon, I was keen for a great coffee, so we went to Streamer Coffee Company Shinsaibashi. I was in luck; fantastic coffee!! Shopping and admiring the Osaka vibe, it reminded us of Melbourne.

Next was the Dotonbori area and the Ebisubashi Bridge for people watching and the famous signs. Lots of people and a cool vibe to wander through.

Next was the painful choice of where to have dinner. I didn’t come prepared with a restaurant that I had researched; this can often not go well for us! After a false start at a touristy restaurant that was more interested in taking our money and not provide a great meal, to wandering the streets, unable to agree on what to eat, we finally went downstairs to the Namba Walk. It is an underground corridor between subway stations lined with restaurants and shops. Charlotte chose Kamukura, and ramen was just what we needed! Great food and drinks at reasonable prices. Crisis averted!

The kids wanted to go to Round1 Stadium Sennichimae, and the claw machine level won! Oh my goodness, it is so funny that Jed managed to win Mason a Minion and Shaun the Sheep. Shaun was mighty tricky to win, and in the end, I think it cost about $40AUD, but it was worth seeing the Japanese crowd cheering him on. Also Mason heckling Jed to win Shaun. Finished with ice cream before heading back to the hotel.

Saturday 23rd November: Train to Suzuka Circuit Hotel

It was a leisurely morning before we checked out of the hotel at 11 am. We planned to catch a train into Osaka and then the Kintetsu Limited Express to Shiroko Station near Suzuka Circuit. We managed to find our way to Tsuruhashi Station with our suitcases on a local train (I had once again organised a suitcase to go to our Disney hotel in a few days time) and bought our base fare tickets to Shiroko. We then had lunch from the 7-Eleven before heading to the platform for the Kintetsu Limited Express. At the platform, I lined up to purchase our Limited Express ticket for the next Kintetsu train.

The Kintetsu Limited Express was very comfortable to travel on, and the trip from Osaka to Shiroko Station on the Limited Express was one hour and 30 minutes long.

When we arrived at Shiroko Station, we caught the public bus to the Suzuka amusement park entrance. During the weekend, a regular bus goes to and from the circuit. It was easy to catch and we tapped on and off with our Suica cards.

We arrived at the Suzuka Circuit Amusement Park entrance at 3:40 pm and walked the short distance to the hotel lobby. Just to note that the hotel is mainly set up for local visitors so there is plenty of car parking. Public transport is a bit trickier to access the hotel, but it can still be done.

I had booked The Main Maisonet Room with breakfast and dinner included; per night, it was approximately $700AUD. The room had a lot of space, and even though the bathroom gave out more cruise ship vibes, it was still workable. I searched for other ways to book the hotel, but direct booking was the only option. I had no trouble with the booking system; the payment worked on my Wise card. The TV only had local channels and we couldn’t cast to the TV.

We made our way to dinner, and what a spread! The food was delicious, with a range of Japanese and Western dishes. Non-Alcoholic drinks were included and alcoholic beverages could be purchased per drink or unlimited.

Sunday 24th November: Suzuka Circuit Amusement Park

After a great night’s sleep, Mason and I went to breakfast at 7 am. There was a great range of options and the kid’s breakfast was excellent. After breakfast, I walked around the hotel grounds and checked out the onsen. It was gorgeous, especially the autumn leaves.

Suzuka Circuit Amusement Park opened at 9:30 am to the general public but the hotel entrance gate opened at 9:15 am. We had purchased through Klook the park passport ticket that included entrance to the park and unlimited rides. The tickets for our family of 4, including two adults, 14 and 11 years old, totalled AUD $155.

You could also purchase a fast pass ticket per ride (we could have used this on one ride, but the wait time was fine) and the Circuit Challenger ticket. The Circuit Challenger was closed the day we were at the park as there was motorbikes racing on the Suzuka Circuit.

There was a great range of rides throughout the park. There was something for all ages; most rides were pretty tame but fun. Food was easy to purchase, and prices were reasonable for an amusement park.

One of the main reasons for travelling to Suzuka Circuit was Mason and us are huge F1 fans. We are keen to return to the race, but exploring the circuit with fewer people around was great. Also, as we were there on the weekend, there was a motorbike event on the circuit. It was so much fun to watch the racing. We could walk into any grandstand and choose a seat to watch. Check out the website for more details.

The cafe Gran View was next to the main grandstand overlooking the last turn. It had a great range of drinks and pizza/pasta options with a fantastic view.

While the kids and Jed went back for a rest in the hotel room, I went for a wander around the Suzuka Circuit. As an F1 fan, this was fantastic.

The Honda Museum at the Circuit is next to the Duel GP and has a fantastic collection of F1 memorabilia. It is free to enter and is open during park hours.

We rested in the hotel room before going to the restaurant for dinner. Once again, it had a great range, and I was very impressed with the food available.

It was an early night chilling back in the hotel room watching Sumo on the TV.

Monday 25th November: Train to Tokyo Bay and Grand Nikko Tokyo Bay Maihama

Today was my birthday, so I enjoyed time out at the Onsen after breakfast. This was my first time at an Onsen, but the instructions were clear, so I understood what to do. It was a lovely way to start the day.

I tried for a while to get a taxi to the hotel, but none were available! So, in the end, we decided to walk to a bus stop to get the bus to Shiroko Station so we could get the train to Nagoya. The walk took about 25 minutes from the hotel, and then the bus stop was sort of a patch of dirt on the side of the road 😉 My family weren’t too amused but it was my birthday so no complaining was allowed 😉

We waited for about 15 minutes for the bus to arrive and arrived at Shiroko Station at 12 pm. We decided to take the local train on the Kintetsu-Nagoya Line and the trip took about 55 minutes to Nagoya Station.

I had purchased the seats for the Shinkansen from Nagoya to Tokyo the day before through Smart Ex website and was able to get 2 seats together a few rows apart. This was a Monday after a public Saturday holiday, so it may have been busier. We arrived in Nagoya at 1 pm, and our shinkansen was scheduled to depart at 2:06 pm. This gave us time to navigate the huge Nagoya station, buy bento boxes/drinks to eat on the shinkansen and find our platform.

It was another smooth trip, and when I was walking to the toilet, the conductor tapped me on the shoulder to look outside. There was Mt Fuji in all of her glory! Fantastic birthday present and if you don’t get seats Mt Fuji side, you can still take great photos out the windows near the toilets.

We arrived at Tokyo station and navigated through the station to the local train to Disney. It can feel overwhelming, but there are plenty of signs and staff to ask for assistance. We again used Google Maps to know what platform we needed to use and which train to catch.

We arrived at Maihama station and walked a short distance to Disney Monorail Resort Gateway Station. We purchased a 4-day monorail pass at the ticket machine as we didn’t want to worry about buying tickets daily. Please note that at the ticket machine, you can only use the IC cards (ie. Suica) or cash, they won’t accept credit cards. There is a ticketing center at the Resort Gateway Station that accepts credit cards.

We rode the monorail to the Bayside Station and walked the short distance to our hotel, the Grand Nikko Tokyo Bay Maihama.

As it was my birthday, I had treated us to the Nikko Deluxe Family Room. This was located on the Nikko Floor and included access to the Nikko Lounge. Our room overlooked Disney and included two balconies to watch the nightly fireworks. We loved the room! The beds were a great size, there was a smart TV, and there were two toilets. The bathroom could do with an update but included a bath.

We paid $700AUD per night, including breakfast and lounge access, plus $60AUD for a late checkout at 3 p.m. The late checkout was easy to organise on booking.

We unpacked, and Charlotte and I escaped to the lounge for cocktail time, which included a light meal. The food was delicious, and we all had something to choose from in the drink section.

After the boys joined us for food and drink, we returned to the room, exhausted from a long day of travel. We completely forgot the time and heard fireworks in the distance. We opened the curtains and saw the DisneySea fireworks! What a way to celebrate my birthday!

As we didn’t do any laundry at Suzuka Circuit Hotel, I put a couple of loads on at the hotel laundry. It was really easy to use, and you could use the app to tell you how long was left.

There is also a small mini-mart in the hotel but with prices to match. Not the cheapest and the Lawson’s next door at the Hilton was better value.

Tuesday 26th November: DisneySea Tokyo

Grand Nikko has a different way of allocating breakfast times to avoid long lines at the entry. At check-in, you are given a link to click on in the morning to register a time to present for breakfast. Breakfast opens at 6:30 am and from 6 am you can request to go in the waiting system. Mason and I were ready to go to breakfast early so I registered at 6 am and got a time at 6:30 am when it opened.

After breakfast, we walked to the monorail to DisneySea. We arrived at the entry at 7:30 a.m. and entered the park by 9:20 a.m. The lines are long, but everything moves quickly and orderly. I had purchased the discounted disability tickets for Mason and myself online before visiting (please note that I had to do the 2 disability tickets in a separate transaction from Jed and Charlotte’s regular tickets). At the gate, I showed Mason’s companion card from Australia, which was quickly accepted.

After entry, we looked through the app to see what was available. We managed to secure Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure on Standby (I couldn’t secure any other ride all day in Fantasy Springs), which guaranteed us entry into Fantasy Springs. I had used the DPA for Toy Story Mania, but when we arrived, it was not working!

We walked to the Tower of Terror, and a cast member set us up with the Disability Access Service for the day. The first time we registered for the day, it took approximately 10 minutes as they entered the details in the system and checked our paperwork. I had with me Mason’s companion card and NDIS paperwork describing his autism diagnosis. It was well worth doing, as it came in very handy during the day!

The cast member was able to swap our Toy Story DPA for the Journey to the Center of the Earth and also allocated us a DAS return time for Tower of Terror. With the DAS, you can only book one ride at a time, but you can also use the DPA, Priority Passes, or Standby.

Toy Story Mania then became operational, so we walked back, and Mason was thrilled! Tower of Terror was next and Mum let out a big scream 😉

The DAS meant we had minimal line ups, similar to a DPA or Priority Pass entry. You scan the return QR code and enter the same lines bypassing the normal wait line. Our standby time then came up for Peter Pan so we could enter Fantasty Springs. Mason had to buy a fox Peter Pan hat, he was obsessed!

We were unable to get us all on the DAS return time for Peter Pan as it was in Fantasy Springs (hopefully this will change!) but they did allow one of us to line up and the rest could wander around Fantasy Springs. We decided that we all wanted to walk around Fantasy Springs together and have lunch. I booked our mobile order for the Snuggly Duckling then we went for an explore.

Our mobile order for the Snuggly Duckling was ready, so we collected the meals and found a place to sit. It was busy! Fortunately, I found a table of four, but there seemed to be a quick turnover of tables. The food was good for theme park food! We all liked our burgers, and the cheeseburger, drink, and chips meals cost $38AUD, including the souvenir bag for Mason.

We wandered the park and returned for our DAS time at Soaring: Fantastic Flight ride. This was fun, but I’m not sure I would want to wait the two-hour, twenty-minute wait that it was most of the day! We then wandered around the park and decided at 2:30 p.m. to head back to the hotel for a rest. It was easy to get a pass out and 20 minutes to return. We even scored the Christmas-themed monorail—so cute!

Mason and I headed to the Nikko lounge for a sweet treat and explore the hotel including the gift shop. We returned to DisneySea at 5:30 pm and it was fantastic to see it in the dark.

We decided to ride the Indiana Jones Adventure ride so we walked through the park to register a DAS return time. Will we waited for the time to go we explored Ariels Playground and rode Jasmine’s Flying Carpets as this had a short wait time.

Our return time to Indiana Jones was 7:30 pm so we watched the Believe! Sea of Dreams show on the harbour for 15 minutes, it was a bit tricky to get a good view as we didn’t go there earlier. Indiana Jones was fun, and then we rode the Raging Spirits. We started walking home and arrived at the harbour at 8:30 pm for the fireworks show. It was such a fun way to finish the day!

We left the park at 8:45 pm and took the monorail to Ikspiari for dinner. Charlotte and I went to the convenience store (it was busy!), and Jed and Mason went to McDonalds. Such a long day, I did over 25,000 steps, but also so much fun. The kids loved all the rides.

Wednesday 27th November: Disneyland Tokyo

It was a slower morning today as the pressure was off to arrive earlier to line up to enter Disneyland. We arrived at the gates at Disneyland at 9:30 am, and this time, as we entered with our Disability tickets, they asked to see the NDIS paperwork and Mason’s companion card.

Our plan for the day was to combine the DAS, DPA, and 40th anniversary passes. We selected Monsters Inc. Ride for our DAS, The Happy Ride with Baymax for the DPA, and Big Thunder Mountain for our 40th-anniversary pass. While waiting for Monsters Inc. we ate the cute Toy Story mochis and walked straight onto the Star Tours ride. Next was Baymax, and the cast members energy was fantastic! Big Thunder Mountain was fun, but the teen still loved the rides at DisneySea more for a thrill.

We had lunch at Pan Galatic Pizza Port as there was a quiet outside area to eat, and we didn’t need to line up to order the food.

We had organised a DAS return time for the Beauty and The Beast ride, so at 1 pm, we showed our QR codes to join the ride. What a beautiful ride, the theming was stunning!

We then wandered around the park taking in all of the sights and Mason had to do some shopping to by Nick Wilde from Zootopia.

At 2 pm, we decided it was time to rest at the hotel. Only took us 10 minutes to get back to the hotel.

At 5 pm, we arrived back at Disneyland to enjoy the nighttime fun. I had purchased DPA for the Electric Parade starting at 7:15 pm, so while we waited, we rode Splash Mountain and Haunted Mansion. I completed a mobile order for burgers at Tomorrowland Terrace, and they were yummy. There was also plenty of space to sit and eat outside.

Our spots for the parade were great, and I highly recommend having a spot for the Electric Parade. It was an amazing way to finish our trip; the weather was fantastic, and the music featuring the Christmas songs was so gorgeous. Mason kept harassing us about shopping for Judy Hopps from Zootopia, and I had no idea if it would be in the shop. But there she was and Mason was very exciting that Nick and Judy were together 😉

We arrived back at the hotel at 8:30 pm and had a few snacks from the Nikko Lounge for dinner.

Thursday 28th November: Grand Nikko Tokyo Bay Maihama and flying to Melbourne

Our last day in Japan was a rest day after a busy few days. I loved waking up to our view over Disney.

Mason and I went to breakfast at 7 a.m. I requested a time at 6:30 am, and it was a 30-minute wait to go down and present our tickets. Mason loved breakfast even more this time and found the soft-serve ice cream! After breakfast, I checked out the Nikko Lounge offering for breakfast, and a limited range of pastries was available. I also had a wander around the hotel and took photos of different services.

I then went for a walk around the Hilton and Sheraton hotels. The Hilton had a well-stocked Lawson convenience store, which was very busy in the lobby and breakfast areas. I tried a coffee from the cafe and had to put it in the bin as I couldn’t drink it. Over at the Sheraton, it was a calmer vibe, and even though the coffee cost me $10AUD (I had almond milk and an extra shot), it was drinkable. My impression of the two hotels is that I would prefer to stay at the Sheraton for our family.

Once back at the hotel, I took Mason swimming at the indoor pool. In Japan, paying to use the pool facilities is very common. The prices below included access for the day, and we could come and go as we pleased. The pool had a great temperature, and Mason loved using the available floaties. We had the whole pool to ourselves!

Charlotte and I then walked back over to the Hilton to the Lawsons to get snacks for the plane and our lunch to eat in the room. A great selection, I have included photos below of what was available. I also bought a bottle of . We didn’t have a microwave in our room so had the products heated up on-site, such a great bonus of the convienance stores!

At 3 pm, we walked the short distance to the Tokyo Bay Maihama Hotel First Resort and waited for the Limousine Bus to arrive. A great way to get to and from the resorts surrounding Disney from both Narita and Haneda airports. Due to the timetable and the time we wanted to leave, the Tokyo Bay Maihama Hotel First Resort was our closest and best option. Check out the website here for the timetable and to book. They even have discounts for disability tickets. As we were one of the first stops it took about 1 hour and 20 minutes to get to Narita Airport.

With Qantas, the check-in kiosks and bag drop were super easy, and we were quickly through immigration. We walked past duty-free and down the escalator to the Japan Food Hall for our final Japanese meal. The food was delicious, but the prices were airport prices! Our Qantas flight was on the ground for 30 minutes before we departed. The flight was good; Mason and I managed some sleep before landing in Melbourne on time. I know you can get cheap Jetstar flights via Cairns, but flying directly is a definite bonus!

Would we go back to Japan? In a heartbeat! We had such a great time that we are already planning a ski trip to Japan. In the meantime, we are travelling back to Bali twice in 2025, in April and July. Feel free to join our Facebook Group for Bali tips.

Kate xx

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