Our Home in Japan

I was recently told a story about a family that travelled to South America and didn’t enjoy themselves. Apparently there was an issue because they felt their living quarters weren’t American enough. For myself, as I have gotten past my 20s, I think I enjoy seeing how the locals live life. When I was a teenager, and stayed with a host family in Mexico, I hated it. I felt so out of my element as I was split from other students from our group. But, everyone has a different taste as to what they want his surroundings to be. Don’t get too excited and book quickly to “get the planning over with”. Look into where you are staying by performing your due diligence.

                                   Apartment 1 Neighborhood in the daylight

Once Eric found out about Aribnb, we were on our way to the sort of stay we wanted. Unlike the scenarios described earlier, Eric and I were set to experience life in Japan as a local (or close to it). Prior to finding out we could rent a person’s apartment, we were nervous about being stuck in a 10 foot by 10 foot hotel room, with a closet as a shower. We had heard a friend’s story about his two experiences with small rooms. We also read TripAdvisor.com reviews regarding hotels we had considered. Eric and I weren’t sure we wanted to take away a similar story. 

Before we had arrived in Japan both our hosts were in communication with us. Even though our trip was in October we began our correspondence in June. Through their Airbnb profiles, we knew history, hobbies, and their personal goals for travel. In turn, our hosts knew about us and our plans for Japan. We didn’t keep in constant communication, but just enough for introductions and for planning.

Part of that planning involved our first host picking us up from the airport. (Huge convenience as we arrived at a time most buses into Tokyo had stopped running) By the time we arrived in Japan, during the tail end of a typhoon, it felt as though we had all met. Obviously that wasn’t the case. This was our first meeting, but our first host was very welcoming. Soon, I will get into the difference between our first host and second host.

As we had hoped, the car ride to the apartment felt like a familiar face picking us up here at LAX. We were very tired and in no mood to deal with train lines and bus transfers. If you decide to go with Airbnb, and the host offers some sort of transportation arrangement, take it! This was even more convenient than Magical Express at Walt Disney World. We found him just passed Customs and we were ready to go.

Getting closer to the place, our host pointed out a few businesses we might want to visit during our stay. There was a pancake restaurant that he was fond of, but I’m not sure it was similar to IHOP. It was nearly 9 PM, dark, and raining outside from the typhoon so it was hard to commit these business locations to memory. Arriving at the building, our host stopped his Prius right at the front door. He even helped us take in our luggage. He had the persona of a 5 star hotel valet as he held an umbrella over us! 

We stayed on a higher floor and had to carry up our bags while trying to remain quiet for his neighbors. This was a tad tough because although we stepped lightly, we made a stomping noise as we climbed the stairwell. We echoed all over that building. During our stay, I came to suspect that he owned the entire building and he was renting all the units to people like us.

                     Washer (soap included)

The apartment was spacious and even had two beds (one was a futon). During our stay here, Eric and I were able to really spread out. The look and layout was not a surprise to us at all because this was all revealed before we booked. We knew we would find cereal, bread, butter, milk, water, juice, and a few snacks in the kitchenette. Eric and I already knew how to work the remote controlled AC because our host sent us a “How TO” YouTube video. And of course, before we entered we were very aware that we needed to remove our shoes while in the apartment. We were set! Our host thought of everything! He had city and bus maps for us and even offered to take us to DisneySea the next morning. Unfortunately for us, he wasn’t leaving the area until near 8 AM, which was too late for us (covered in a previous post).

              Balcony of Apartment 1

                                            View from Apt 1's Balcony

During our stay we had plenty of room to get ready and not bump into one another. The shower situation was slightly different than we are used to, which was fine. One stands in the center of the bathroom to shower, and the tub is used to soak AFTER showering. We knew before to not shower in the tub because as I mentioned, it is used for a CLEAN bath. I thank sources like YouTube, DisneyTouristBlog.com and the expert, Chris from TDRExplorer.com , in knowing appropriate behaviors in Japan. 

We had arrived in town on a Monday night and we left this first apartment on that following Saturday. Deep inside my being, I was a little nervous about getting from Apartment 1, near Tokyo Disneyland, to Apartment 2 in Shibuya, Tokyo. Our host knocked on our door around 10 AM that Saturday morning (moving day) and asked if this was our last day. I was a bit confused by that question. We were only booked through that day. Maybe it was a nice way of saying, “So, you guys are getting the Hell outta here, right?” To leave a good impression, we washed our towels and bedding. 

Our host really was excellent! I asked him if he could verify that eric and I had our bus route to the train station correct. We would need to take 2 buses to reach the station that would then take us to Tokyo Station. He thought that was a little too involved and offered to drive us to the station himself! In case I hadn’t yet mentioned it, We Love Japan!

                                            View Outside the Station

After being dropped off we purchased our first train tickets into Tokyo. This was an exciting moment as we finally would be able to use the skills we learned online to buy the tickets. I make it sound more thrilling than it is. It’s an easy machine to us if one knows how to switch the language to English. The next step is purchasing the ticket for the correct distance. If a passenger buys a ticket for too short a distance, the turnstile won’t let the traveler exit at the destination until the difference is paid.

Taking the train into the city and seeing the skyline from our vantage point was more than exciting! As we had learned, we didn't speak into our phones and only used quiet voices. Oh! If we had a runny nose, we made sure to not blow our noses in public. The train announcements were in Japanese and English. And, there were little electronic jingles that played at each station that reminded me of The Disneyland Electrical Parade. What’s the clichéd phrase? “It was a dream come true!”

Arriving in Tokyo station, the busiest station in Japan, we saw people flying left and right! All around us the place was humming! For some reason, at 1 PM, everyone was in a hurry and it was infectious! Although we were in a slight rush, anxious to get our trip going again, we had to find the Rail Pass office. We were sent all over that station. People were sending us to Japan Rail Pass offices, but it wasn’t until about 45 minutes later that we found the correct one. After we finally obtained our Japan Rail Pass, which would gain us access to the convenient Yamanote Line and Bullet Trains, we headed for Shibuya. It took us about 15 stops on the Yamanote Line, but we finally made it to our new neighborhood.

We had to take bridges over busy streets near our second apartment(like in Vegas). This required us having to lug our suitcases up and down many stairs. Then, we had to wheel our luggage up a lengthy incline toward the apartment. This tiring act didn’t take away from the fact that we loved our second place. It was located on a very quiet street, which had a café on the corner. This building was  a five minute walk from the noisy street that housed the famous Shibuya Crossing (five way crosswalk). We were amazed that all that excitement was so near, yet this neighborhood was so peaceful.

This time we didn’t meet our host in person. Here, we had specific instructions sent to us on how to retrieve our key. The key was left for us in the mailbox and we had been given the combination. Just like our first host, he was a realtor with a few apartments for rent within Tokyo city. Soon after our arrival, he messaged us on the Airbnb app to make sure that all went smoothly.

In the unit he also had a kitchenette with snack items, along with wine on the table! That wine would come in handy, as soon as we found the glasses. The restroom here was a little more suited for Westerners. There was a tub/shower like we would see in The States. The sofa in this place also became a bed. He had a flat screen TV that we never used (like at Apartment 1). The AC here operated easily, with a click of one button. Again, like our first apartment we had a portable WIFI device for our iPhones. It appeared that Eric and I both chose the perfect places to stay. 

During our time here, the action of Shibuya was right at our doorstep. I bet we could’ve spent a few days exploring the ins and outs of Shibuya alone. We also were fortunate to be a close walk to the train station. We could jump on the Yamanote Line and get whisked away to the major meccas of Tokyo. 

Even though we never met the owner of this apartment we were tremendously satisfied with the time we spent (and money). I slept well and I never had that tossing and turning experience. The only set back that annoyed us a bit was the WIFI was weak in this apartment. Yes I know that is something to which to roll one’s eyes, but we needed it. We were on vacation, but we weren’t ready to toss away the internet for 8-10 hours at a time!

In all seriousness, I can’t recommend Airbnb enough. As I said, there is an app that can be used easily and it is free to download. Through the messaging system, users are able to get in contact with the hosts and ask questions about their listings. I don’t at all work for this company or get any sort of “kickback” from them. I just think people need to visit Japan and make it as easy as possible. If you love using the self-checkout lane at the grocery store, you will love this. And, it gives such a feeling of living there, being a local!

There is more to come in regards to our Tokyo trip, but I wanted to get this out there. Maybe I have convinced half of you to start skipping the movies, saying no to those Vegas trips, and to start eating at home. There is a world of real life whimsy waiting for you in Japan! See you all soon with more Tokyo adventures as we explore Shinjuku, Tokyo (where I was asked if I wanted a sexual massage).

 

A Wet Electrical Parade & a "Large" Coffee at Tokyo Disneyland

It is very tough to describe the layout of Westernland. As we moved through the park, I kept comparing the layout to Disneyland in California. One could almost say their Country Bear Jamboree is where our Pioneer Mercantile merchandise store is located. I don’t know why this park was more confusing than Florida’s version, or even Paris (which I have been to). To throw a wrench in the wheel, it appeared Adventureland had to boast of its latest gain. The queue for the newly refurbished Jungle Cruise was spilling into Westernland. 

“Go home to Adventreland Jungle Cruise, you’re drunk! Just stay in your own land! We are confused as it is!”

The other queue Eric and I found to be surprising was that of the shooting gallery. Even with the rain there was a long queue to play the game. I never see that at any of the other parks. We couldn’t even get a good look at the game area, the crowd blocked it. I would have liked to see what it was that made this particular version so spectacular. If anyone knows please tell me. 

Eric was first to notice the plethora of Explorer Canoes out on the river. From what I recall, most rainy days the canoes at Disneyland in California will shut down. In Tokyo the guests had their rain gear on and were out there rowing away.  We were thrilled to see this! With each stroke, it seemed all the guests were yelling the equivalent of “Stroke” or Row”. I’ve seen American guests ride this during ideal weather. Most of the tourist in the US would rather take selfies and photos of the surrounding area, me included. We even have a video of it!  http://youtu.be/QLIOM04VT7U

Eric suggested we checkout the rest of the Fantasland dark rides. We had heard these are basically copies of what is offered in Florida's park. This rumor turned out to be true. Even still, I like seeing the subtle differences in the queue layout and effects. I think a few of the scenes were a little brighter, but maybe they had just been painted. Our vehicle kept stalling while inside the Snow White attraction. That was annoying because the audio would cut out completely. There was also awkward silence as we sat with the other group of two. But, that made it easy for me to get this shot of the crone!

The Cast Member at unload was like a robot. Each time a vehicle returned to the station she threw her arms up, shook them, and began her exit spiel. I assume it was something like, "Welcome back, I see you survived! Raise your arms and prepare to exit. Have a nice evening." She performed it the same way for each vehicle. We were impressed. By the way, this was something we observed prior to riding. We weren't just standing there like weirdos. 

Although we knew when we booked our flight, we were disappointed that "it's a small world" was closed. They were preparing for their holiday season. 

Eric and I also took a flight on Peter Pan. I believe these dark rides were built about a decade after WDW's grand opening, it was obvious they used the exact design. There was a a tiny addition to the loading area. In the station, just as the Cast Member checks that your lap bar is secure, there is a Tinkerbell figure flying on a wire. Even as we waited in the queue, it was amusing to watch her swoop up and down. At this point Eric and I were getting slightly hungry, so it was decision time. 

Before we even left to Japan, I found out about of a hidden gem of a fast food location in Westernland that sells Chicken Strips, The Lucky Nugget Cafe. This knowledge was obtained thanks to our pal at TDRExplorer.com Why chicken strips you ask? To that, I respond with another question, “Why not?” It’s a theme park and we aren’t at the park for anything gourmet, although the food is a lot better than people say. Also, we wanted to have enough time to eat and get a spot for the night parade. The parade was at 7:00 PM, so we had about 1.5 hours until that time. 

This cafe is located a little past the shooting gallery and Big Thunder Mountain, all the way in the far corner. Because of the rain, they have large sheets of waxed paper to cover everyone’s tray. When the Cast Member handed me that I was shocked! I was also a little embarrassed as we seemed to fit the American stereotype of enjoying our Coke products. We had to order the large because the small was a joke, child size in the US. But, you know what? I’ll salute the flag while carry around my Diet Coke any day! Speaking of Diet Coke, I didn't see any during our whole trip. We had to have Coke Zero instead. It's a decent replacement, but it's not our usual choice. 

As you may have noticed, we hadn’t really dived into any Japanese cuisine as of yet. We weren’t avoiding it, but I can’t say there was any huge push for Japanese cuisine here. Just like the signs are in English first and then Japanese, the food had an American influence. 

Soon after finishing our meal we were in the mood for a little coffee. The rain wasn’t letting up and we were pretty cold. I went over to order and asked for our coffee (sounds like “coh-he” in Japanese). The cashier asked me a question in Japanese. When I clearly didn’t understand, she asked in English, “hot?” I replied that I did want it hot. Internally I wondered why anyone would order an iced coffee in this cold weather. Throughout the rest of our time in Japan we were asked “hot or cold” no matter how cold the weather was. It wasn’t annoying to us. But, It seemed to add a step in the order process that wasn’t needed. 

 Now let’s take a moment to talk about what a Large coffee looks like in Japan? Here it is folks. I think as Americans we are labeled as “Greedy”, but this is definitely too small for the price of around 3.00.

 We took our coffee to go as we went in search of a decent parade spot. A lot of what would be considered “front row” was gone in the Fantasyland area of the route. Eric suggested we head to where the parade would begin, between Toowntown and the castle. Even at this point in time, 20 minutes from showtime, this section of the route had many open spots.

As we had experienced with the Happiness is Here parade, we weren’t sure what we were going to see. We knew that mostly likely they would perform the Nightfall Glow parade, their alternate show for Dreamlights. However; we did see those other two parades in the rain, so why wouldn’t they perform Dreamlights in the same weather? I even tweeted  earlier that day I wasn’t going to leave Japan until I saw Tokyo Disneyland’s Dreamlights. 

At last, the lights went out along the parade route and the announcement for Nightfall Glow began. The music is simple, but so perfect for this short cavalcade. As the floats move past we see Merryweather and Flora are arguing as to what the best color is. Flora wants the floats all to be pink and Merryweather prefers my favorite, blue. At one point Fauna gets them to compromise, and together they change all the floats various colors.

As the fairies argue and then work together, the characters on the other three floats are seeing this change. So, as colors are changing to their respective floats the other characters are reacting to them. Donald gets almost frustrated with what is happening, “Hey! What’s the big idea?!” But, he  also lets out an “Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy!” in his excitement. And of course the princesses (Belle, Jasmine, and Cinderella) talk about how “lovely” the lights are. The characters also reference the raindrops and how great it is that they too take on the color.

I don’t really need to say how great of a replacement this parade is on a rainy night. The photos speak for themselves. If you could hear the music I bet you’d enjoy that as well. From what I have seen in the other Disney Parks, when it rains you might see characters riding covered carriages. In Tokyo, this parade was designed especially for this situation. Replacing an electrical parade WITH an electrical parade is already a great idea! Then, the characters are acknowledging the rain and how the ground shimmers with the light. It’s almost too perfect of a design.

With the park set to close at 10 PM, we still had a little over two hours. We followed the parade to the World Bazaar area, remember that is Main St., so that we may take a look around. We hadn’t really don’t any shopping in that area. The stores were insanely packed. We read over and over to not wait until park closing, and here we were stuck in a sea of people, far from closing. 

There was this cute “kick line” pumpkin I wanted from the Happy Harvest parade, but at around $25.00 I just thought it was bit too expensive. I had the money, but where was I going to put this little lady? I went the cheap route and posed with her!

We also visited the gallery where nice sculptures can be found. There were also many selections of high end stationary. The trouble with stationary these days is that I have no use for it. I don’t think I ever had use for stationary and I didn’t think anyone else was dying to write a letter. There was so much stuff I wanted to buy just so that I may take it home To say, “Hey look! They sell this cool stuff there,” but then have no use for it afterward.

One item I had been looking for was a popcorn bucket. It was spherical in shape and had Mickey ears. The bottom half had a design of Mickey’s pants in red, and the top half has the black Mickey ears. I knew I wanted this “bucket” ever since I laid eyes on it a few weeks ago, online. I had been unlucky so far. My pal Chris, he is local, said he hadn’t seen it anywhere, but I wasn’t going to give up looking!

I was fascinated that guests were willing to keep the street clear for the show.

The time was now very close to the park's newest show "Once Upon a Time". It is a projected show onto the castle, accompanied with music and fireworks. As we approached the Plaza area, their firework show suddenly began. We had forgotten all about this, but were glad to catch it. I was surprised that they loaded the pyro shells in the rain, but I digress. Eric and I weren’t really “feeling” the show. It featured Disney music of course, but the fireworks were just random explosions. We knew that this show served both parks, but I still was hoping for something with a little more heart. 

After that was done, it was time for "Once Upon a Time"! Eric and I have already seen the various projection tricks used at Disneyland and Walt Disney World’s castle for those shows. Even with all the “bells and whistles”, we felt the show was just ok. It was definitely a huge spectacle, especially when the rain interacted with the massive laser lights. I can definitely understand the appeal because when this was first used at “it’s a small world” in California, everyone ate it up!

It pretty much poured the entire time. I couldn’t see well from where I was because everyone ahead of me had their umbrella out, as did we. Normally, during shows, the rules at this park dictate that nothing can obstruct anyone else’s view. For parades they go as far as asking someone to remove a large hat. In the rain, I know I personally understand the need for an umbrella. I became a little tired of craning my head to peek between two umbrellas, so I stepped over to the sidewalk area. I was fine with my partial view and was at least able to see the pyro.

We could tell the show was nearing its grand finale, so we decided to start heading to the Jungle Cruise. As I mentioned earlier, this was the most recent ride to have a rehab, so we hoped everyone else would be at the show. 

As we were rushing through Adventureland, we spotted a popcorn cart selling my bucket and chocolate flavored popcorn! At last it would be ours! We "stuck a pin in that" and knew we would return after riding Jungle Cruise. Anyway, we guessed correctly about the crowds! Our queue wait time was around 20 minutes! Can you believe it? This queue was consistently over an hour long!

Here is a photo of the queue from earlier. 

The ride was extremely dark, so taking photos made it tough. Eric and I agreed that unlike the Tiki Room at this park, we could somewhat follow along. We weren’t getting any of the jokes, but the ride path was extremely similar to Florida’s version. The great addition to this was all the new nighttime lighting. There were a lot of mysterious light bugs and even cool projections inside the temple. Don't worry Disney purists, I wouldn’t say the additions changed the ride completely. Instead, they enhanced the experience to the next level without taking away its original heart.

We hoped off the boat and headed straight to the vending cart for that bucket! When we found it we saw that the cart was already closed for the night! The crew was cleaning out the popcorn kettle and packing up their money. I was definitely disappointed. We had two more days at the parks so I hoped to find it at some point. We would be back at this park in two days time, but I would prefer to have the bucket more than one day. 

I loved the Tomorrowland entrance.

Although a little heartbroken and defeated, we rushed over to Star Tours. At first we were willing to skip this attraction because we have the exact same thing at home. But, we had covered a lot of ground and still had a little time. The concourse area is huge! They have six Starspeeders there! Aside from the impressive station, we appreciated that the Cast's costumes are brought in at the waist by a belt. At home it's the same costume. But, since the shirt hangs down while untucked, it looks sloppy. 

Saluting in the Star Tours exit bridge. 

The evening was drawing extremely close to the 10 PM hour. We wouldn’t have a lot of time to hang about after closing because we needed to catch our bus to the apartment. We strolled a bit around the Plaza and admired their Halloween decorations.

As I said, I knew we had two more days at the park, but I could feel myself getting sad. We've waited so long to come here and the time was rushing by too quickly. We had seen a lot of these parks, so the physical affects of that we're definitely taking their toll. But, if you've read my other posts from our trips together, we always push right through the fatigue. We had an excellent day and already excited to return to Disneysea! 

Our Tokyo Disneyland Video

Here we enter Disneyland for the first time, in Tokyo. Eric and I do what we can to get our first fast pass!! Watch :-)

http://youtu.be/MR8tzqmPLB4

Less Than 50 Days to Japan!

The time to fly is drawing near and I already know what I'm wearing to Tokyo Disneyland! I don't want to make it sound as though we leave in a few days. We still have six weeks. But, it's now a great deal closer than the last time I wrote about our up coming trip!

Just within the last week Eric and I have plotted out which regions of Tokyo we will see per day. To sum up the itinerary:

We arrive/land Monday evening and head to our first apartment. Travel one train stop to Disneyland and DisneySea for the next four days (most people I know had lengthy train rides to the parks). We'll then switch apartments to Shibuya on Saturday, and see the Robot Dinner Show that night in Shinjuku. Sunday morning we'll check out Japanese cosplay in Harajuku plus surrounding area. Early Monday, travel to Kyoto via bullet train to spend a day there looking at shrines and the old city. Then Tuesday through early Thursday, see more of what Tokyo has to offer. That Wednesday we will have our Ghibli Museum visit as well. We had hoped to break up the Disney Parks days, but the multi-day tickets must be used consecutively. And, we can only park hop the last two days. 

Eric and I are not at all worried about running out of activities. Although we initially thought our length of stay was good enough, it seems like we definitely will need to go back! I don't think I've been this far out from an up coming trip and already thinking about when we can go back! There have been suggestions to visit Universal Studios in Osaka as well, but we can't justify that when there's plenty to see in Tokyo. 

We did hit a slight snag, but I think we have a solution. We purchased our Tokyo Disneyland resort four day pass. As it turns out the printing process would prefer us to use "A4" paper. Using our standard size, a small portion would print on a second page. The point of why this is an issue is this: The resort wants the barcode on the ticket to be read properly by fast pass machines. Unlike the US parks, they don't exchange your e-ticket for an actual ticket stub. It being the USA, we don't use "A4" paper here. My friend in England was astounded that i'd never heard of it. What can I say? I'm a pompous American! Luckily they had examples on their site as to the preferred image and sizing of the bar code, so we'll be fine. Here's a screen grab from YouTube of some lady's ticket. Thanks for the image lady. 

Something to keep in mind if you plan a trip to Japan is the Japan Rail Pass. It is only sold outside of Japan. Many people give rave reviews regarding this, but you have to make sure it works for you. Eric and I have read that it is worth it even if you only use the bullet train for one round trip. It can also be used within Tokyo, but only used on assigned trains/rails. One negative for us is that although it's active for seven days, we won't actually need it until we have less than seven days left on our trip. There isn't a "JR Pass Activation" office near our first apartment in Edogawa and we won't have a need for it until we leave to Shibuya. 

We also have the option to pay as we ride by purchasing a train card (Suica or Pasmo). A traveller can load up those cards with money and it gets deducted with each use. There is also the option to buy a ticket each time. Of course, the cost will change depending on the distance travelled. The JR Pass seems like the best value. But, it still bothers me that even though we'll pay for that unused time, we won't activate it or have use for it until Saturday. 

It should be mentioned that there are a few tour sites, such as Japanican.com and sunrisetours.com , that have ways for travelers to get outside of Tokyo. We even used Japanican to buy the Robot Dinner Show tickets at a discount. I'd say the most confusing part of this trip planning has been all the options available to you. 

We have found some help on YouTube. I'm glad that's been around because there isn't a lot to read online. What I have found online (Blogs) are mere recounts of trips, which is fine, but I want content with real tips/issues. I hope this helps possible "trip planners" to Japan avoid some problems or with decision making. I couldn't find anyone with Tokyo Disney ticket experience either. I only found one video that showed a lady fold her e-ticket for fast pass use. Eric and I still have more plans to solidify and I look forward to getting that done. Although it sounds confusing at times, it's been fun so far. 

We Can See Tokyo Getting Closer!

The time of only daydreaming about visiting Japan is slowly becoming a reality! A few months back Eric brought up that we need to put in vacation and start saying "We ARE going to Tokyo!" So we requested the middle of October as vacation. There wasn't a deep meaning in that time of year. Basically no one else in our office has requested that time off. Saying it out loud and truly believing it set us on a path to make Tokyo happen. 

We told ourselves in March that we needed our plane tickets by the first week in June, or we wouldn't go. It was time to save money in any way possible. I was nervous about being limited to no extra activities, but felt Japan would be more than worth it. We did notice that plane tickets were cheaper now than they had been a few years ago. Right after the major quake/tsunami, the flights were just over $1200! As of now the flight price hovers between $800-900. 

We of course began to consider lodging as a major necessity to our trip. Out of all the tips we had seen or read, Tokyo has many "Hubs". This fact makes it hard to choose exactly where to stay. A place like NYC makes it easy. The closer to Time Square, the closer to the tourist action. Tokyo seems very spread out like Los Angeles. Although we were definitely looking to be a tourist, we also wanted to take a road less traveled, but not get lost. In early April Eric came across a News report that changed how we approached our trip planning. 

Eric saw on television a promo for Airbnb.com, a new way to travel. It isn't actually a new concept. The site is more of a liaison between you and someone running a "bed n breakfast". It was being featured because through this site, people were making extra money. We both looked into the site and downloaded the app. 

The Hosts on the site all seem very excited to "host" you and show their town. For Tokyo we came across Tokyo natives and people that have moved to the area from various countries. In some cases the guest doesn't even need to see the host. Check in is done on site at a lock box and so is check out. Imagine NOT having an awkward language barrier at a Japanese hotel! 

I could go on about all the details of this service, but it would get very lengthy. I would suggest to at least look into it when traveling to a major city with high hotel prices. We found these apartments for rent to be about $20-30 cheaper than hotels. Also, most of these apartments come with a portable wifi router. I'm sure we will need that when lost in Tokyo! Obviously there will be more to write about the full experience once we've stayed there. Will it be negative or positive?????

This Trip Planning post is getting rather lengthy, but I just received word that we are confirmed for the second leg of our stay. For the first half we are staying at an apartment closer to Tokyo Disneyland and the second half we will be in the city (near that crazy crosswalk you may have seen). 

Our flight is booked on Singapore airlines. Although I am not a huge fan of flying, especially for 11 hours, I'm excited! I've read so many great reviews for Singapore Airlines. It sounds so much more interesting than my flights to and from Europe. 

Eric bought a book called "A Geek in Japan". It has a lot of great cultural information. I keep re-reading sections because I want to know as much as possible. There are amazing facts on home life, work life, and what it means to be a "nerd" in Japan. If you ever to go Japan I think you should pick this up via Amazon. We have also been doing homework on YouTube as we learn about the subway system and possible day trips (i.e. Kyoto). 

I'm sure I'll think of more as time goes by during the Summer. Ever heard of The Robot Dinner Show in Tokyo? Well, it looks really crazy and I think that's going to be a must. Women hanging from the ceiling while wearing robotic bikinis and dinosaurs fighting robots! Sounds like a whirlwind that is exactly four months away!!

Honeymooning at Walt Disney World

For mine and Eric's honeymoon we were lucky enough to visit Disney World. Our generous family and friends sent us to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. Our experience was more than amazing. Stepping into the hotel and standing in the lobby brought an overwhelming feeling of excitement. As we took all this in Eric said he was about to cry. I don't know if he actually cried, but for drama we will just say that he did.

I'm glad we have many photos because my words can't do the hotel justice. Besides this grand sight, there was an aroma of wood burning in an exotic stove mixed with earthy spices. We noticed this smell came from Boma, the restaurant very near the lobby. The music piped in was filled with African drums and chanting, perfection! I wish all of you now could hear the beautiful sounds that filled that lobby. 

This link might work..it's the soundtrack on YouTube. 

http://youtu.be/f3tKD0kELYA

Throughout the lobby are displays of various crafts and masks. The hallways and small alcoves leading to the rooms also show highlights of similar artwork. One might think they wouldn't

want to "stay in a museum", but great information was passed onto us via these displays. 

Some of you may know that most rooms or all were designed to face an animal habitat. Ours overlooked a savanna that was home to zebras, giraffes, water buffalo, and other various animals. Entering the room for the first time was full of excitement. We both knew what we were in for, and couldn't wait to see what stood outside our balcony. Here was our first glimpse. 

"WHOMP WAAAAAH!"

At that moment we didn't see any animals, but were confident that they would make themselves known.  

The rest of the room was a nice surprise as well. The entry was bigger than we had seen at other WDW hotels. That fact probably stems from usually staying at Value resorts. 

Finally a double vanity, a couple's dream!! The shower curtain was a fun, colorful touch. The coloring reminded me of the African art that is pictured above. 

Our cast discount only allowed us to book a room with a bunk bed in it, so here is Eric being silly. I think if that was not there, the space would've made a little sitting area. That is just a guess. 

We also had our own comfortable bed. To "toot our own horns", Eric and I must've had the easiest room to clean. We only had the essentials that we brought with us and I didn't want to leave a daily mess. The surrounding rooms had many people crammed into them with kids. Who knows what the housekeepers dealt with in those rooms?

Our first morning we ate breakfast at the restaurant Boma. It's an all you can eat buffet, with a heavy influence of African flavors. A nice surprise was a delivery of sparkling wine and flutes to our table. The front desk sent this over for our Honeymoon. So nice!

BOMA from above

As you see here, Eric and I had a few beverage choices. I think in the end, we were full of more liquids than food. The jungle juice, shady name, was a blend of orange and a mango.....delicious! Eric doesn't normally drink juice, but he was enjoying this. 

The food was also delicious, to say the least. For the first time I tried something called Chakalaka. The Chakalaka was a mashed/diced tomato mixed with a little spicy flavor. This side dish, along with a dish called Pap was my breakfast for a few mornings. It was an easy solution for a vegetarian breakfast. 

After breakfast we had a few visitors. And, we were able to take some great photos throughout the trip. 

The hotel grounds are so relaxing. The designers really created a place where we could unwind during the day or after visiting a busy theme park. And again, the sounds added so much to the atmosphere. 

Eric gets an award for his calves!

Outside the main lobby is a fire pit for talk and relaxation. At night there is a storyteller that shares folk stories from his native land. We didn't get a chance to see this because it usually took place while we were at a theme park. It was still nice to lounge there, when the chairs were free. In this photo, I think I'm in a child size chair. I felt massive in it!

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge also has the Vacation Villas called Kidani Village, which we didn't visit. They are Disney's version of a time share resort. They all have kitchenettes and sleep approximately 6 people per room. A drawback is that housekeeping visits less. You'd need to make up your own bed for a few days. 

Check out that wedding ring people! 

How can I describe this hotel without using the word "relaxing"? I don't think I can. It is gorgeous and needs to be experienced. The unknown of the jungle or savanna brings about a mysterious feeling. What's around the corner or asleep among the trees? The references of safaris from the past even suggest an old Hollywood genre of romance. Even after being back home for almost a month, it is this hotel that we day dream about. But, it was our reality for 9 days.