i appreciate this review so much! the hotel looked quite cool from fantasy springs near the gift shop, with the grand art deco design and windows… turns out that’s the most beautiful view. we stayed at the oriental hotel tokyo bay which was loads cheaper with a direct bus to the parks, next to an aeon mall, and a huge 24 hour lawson in the lobby. plus the room had a shoe dryer and a foot massager! i’d love to stay at the toy story hotel when my son is just a bit older because it looks far more themed and enjoyable.
Really well-balanced, fair, and insightful review - lots and lots of useful info, while being very entertaining as a video too. You’re definitely in your element with these! Thank you for putting in the great effort - and sharing in the fun that you have doing it.
Disney is usually better at hiding the fact that their plain concrete block buildings are so plain and concrete. A lot of the decoration looks tacked on at the last minute.
So my family just recently stayed 4 nights at the Sheraton, and it’s like way cheaper, and I feel, better than the US deluxe hotels at DLR and WDW. I wasn’t looking for much, just something nicer than the value hotels I was used to. I was hoping to get a bayside view, but when I opened the window, I discovered that I was staying in freaking Neverland! Like, the green volcanoes were there, smoking, and they even light them up at night. We could see the fireworks and drone show, AND monorail from our hotel room window! June 5th was our DisneySea day, but I still felt like I experienced Fantasy Springs. I could walk to the Bayside station, same station as the Fantasy Springs hotel, and see the decor every day as we took off. Also, due to the way the loop is, the train isn’t as crowded, and I was able to sit in front, basically getting a perfect view of the resort as if I were driving the monorail myself. I couldn’t believe staying off property could be so magical.
The lounge reminds me of so many times I've seen posts of Disney World restaurants with empty tables everywhere in sight--that they were told were sold out.
I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts on the Fantasy Springs Hotel. This video and the podcast episodes have made me decide to stay at MiraCosta for my eventual TDR trip (eventual lol). Thanks for the coverage on Fantasy Springs! All hail Cheese!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Yeah the Miracosta is 100% the way to go, it’s just so iconic. I’m excited to stay there for the first time next month! All hail Cheese! 🙇🐭
You're hilarious! The best part was the rice dispenser and the room was definitely gorgeous! The hotel isn't as spectacular as I thought but more for the exclusivity. Thanks for sharing!
I gasped at those stairs 😂 stayed at the miracosta last year and I'm SO glad I decided the stay off site this year instead of fighting for FS. Would have felt like such a downgrade. LOVING your channel by the way! I'll be in the parks just before halloween this year and you have me so excited to vlog my visit this time, thank you!
So did we! 😂 I stayed at the Miracosta for my first time a few weeks ago and it made me realise Fantasy Springs Hotel was even worse than I thought. Definitely would have felt like a huge downgrade for you. Thanks for the kind words! I’m so glad I can be a small part of making your trip even more exciting!! 😁
This video finally puts words to the strange underwhelming feeling I got when I first saw other people's videos of this hotel. It's so dull and strange compared to all the other Tokyo Disney hotels I've seen because some parts of it are so oddly plain.
I’m sad to hear that the hotel is underwhelming. There are definitely aspects of the hotel that look nice at this hotel from your video. But going by what you shared here I think I’ll likely stay somewhere else when I hope to come to Tokyo Disneyland in around four years or so, unless the prices have gone down significantly by then. I’m glad you think the land itself is fantastic and I’m looking forward to seeing your upcoming video on it! I would say that maybe The Oriental Land Company is starting to decline in it’s new additions from this hotel, but at least the land itself looks phenomenal. 30:21 As a lover of classic Disney shorts this fountain made me happy to see!
I don't think its worth to stay in the hotel around TDR when Tokyo is nearby with better hotel options and food. For OLC the parks are more important than the hotel even the food. If they deliver the most important stuff the others are really secondary importance. Many hotels outside of TDR are way better with better food. Other than Maricosta and Toy Story Hotel, others are just ok.
Would love to get the BTS story on the development of this hotel. How it started out and how it ended up the way that it did. Sounds like there were a ton on trade-offs and compromises made to shoehorn 2 buildings into this area.
Absolutely. I’ve heard it was 2 different teams and the hotel was subcontracted outside of WDI, it certainly feels like that. We’ll never know for sure tho.
Yeah, this hotel has quite a few problems. Looking at the exterior, though, I now see this is the new pink hotel, taking that position from the Disneyland Hotel in Paris.
Love your channel! If you’re having trouble with flickering artificial lights in your videos, I would suggest setting your shutter speed to double your frame rate. For instance: filming at 25 FPS, use a shutter speed of 1/50. This will help to synchronise the shutter speed with the light's frequency. Maybe you already knew this, but if not, I thought this could potentially help. x
I was there in the middle of June. We stayed at the Tokyo Disneyland hotel and the Ambassador hotel. Both beautiful! We stayed at the TDH because of the vacation package. It was pricey but we did it for the guaranteed access to fantasy springs and being able to skip the line. Since we came from California we didn’t want to risk not getting in to Fantasy Springs. I want to stay at the miracosta and Toy Story hotels next time.
I was surprised that the fantasy springs hotel was pretty reasonably priced? Seemed no more expensive than non-character Disneyland hotel rooms or cheaper MiraCosta rooms. The grand chateau I want no part of tho lol. That price tag is crazy.
I’m crying- I’m checking out of FS hotel tonight after three nights and heading to Miracosta. Everything you said was exact and even more than we imagined. I wonder for the longevity of the hotel without the ability to sell the passport once the land becomes non- mobile que necessary.
Having just stayed at the Miracosta I’m sure going there highlighted all the problems even further! I hope you were still able to enjoy being there and being so close to the glorious Fantasy Springs though!
@@8bitthemepark @daniellemacinnis9680 I'm also crying and I haven't been yet! I just scored a vacation package to FS for my upcoming trip in March 2025. I assumed FS hotel was the ultimate prize - and then did some research afterwards including watching this video. I feel really depressed after watching your video! This will be my first time, maybe only time, to Tokyo Disney. So now I really feel in a dilemma. Clearly I'm lucky to still get this package. But should I switch to Miracosta? Mirocosta remains me of Universal's Portofino Bay hotel in Orlando, and having stayed there, it would be nice for a different theme. However it just looks so much plusher and the pools and shops etc are also a big draw. But do you think some of the teething problems may be worked upon in the next 6 months before I go? Also, I want to make sure I understand this correctly. If I want to avoid the hassle of queueing up and trying to secure premier access for FS, the only way to get the magic passport is to either get a vacation package or stay at the FS hotel? So if I managed to score a hotel-only reservation when they open up at T-4 months (would then cancel the vacation package), this would HAVE to be at the FS hotel in order to get the pass? If true, and I did not manage to score a FS hotel only reservation, I'd have to keep the vacation package. And that means the choice of sticking with FS or switching to the Miracosta. My final question, if the FS springs hotel entrance closes at 9pm, isn't that a BIG deal? Because do people not go to see some kind of fireworks/ show at park close, or hop on a ride just before queues close (have always done this at other Disney parks) - so having to get back to the FS entrance by 9 would actually be a little stressful rather than a perk?
This hotel was definitely made by a separate team than fantasy springs, feels really rushed. Thank you for sharing. I think I will stay at toy story instead next year!
100% I have a video all about Toy Story Hotel but short version is I absolutely love it and it’s by far the best value hotel at TDR. Hope you have an amazing trip!!
All of the deluxe hotels at Tokyo Disney give you those freebies. The hotels freebies all have different designs. I stayed at Mira Costa and DIsneyland hotel and got their versions of the freebies but they were the same things
We were just there in August with a vacation package, 2 nights at 3600 dollars. I have the same complaints.. Plus I will complaint about the room, ours was without an alcove. It was too small for 4 people. Given how much this place cost I was disappointed in the hotel. Fantasy springs was great.
The music in this hotel is really funny. They just stole the old wdw today music and added a bunch of extra classical pieces. The hotel needs some springs themed water facilities. It would be nice to relax in a Fantasy Springs onsen with a few character rocks. I also find those grey bricks on the lower parts of the hotel so weird. It feels like they were supposed to make a mosaic like many of Gaudi's works. What I do like about this hotel is that it looks huge compared to the Miracosta and the Grand chateau has an iconic silhouette (still could look better, though). I just went yesterday and was kind of surprised by how huge the grand paradis lounge was. Easily the prettiest part of the hotel. It also seems they were trying to mix rococo and art nouveau, which could be really nice if done properly (also makes walking through the hotel at night with the random cast members standing still less unsettling). Hopefully they work on it further in the future. It would be nicer if the story of the Duchess was further explored too. Btw, nice impression at 22:15.
The purple vines are supposed to be wisteria, something pretty from Tiana’s world, but the vines are actually extremely invasive and evil. They are gorgeous when they bloom, but that’s only like for a week. So for the rest of the 51 weeks the plant looks ugly, and you can’t try to cut it down, but it just grows back so fast that you can never catch up. Even if you could, many of the vines are so embedded into the soil that it will spring back up an acre away! The weight of the vines will collapse fences and anything it can get a hold of, which is usually other plants you do want to keep, but they end up dying because they are either strangled to death or can’t get enough sunlight. I hate wisteria so much! OLC should have really considered the amount of PTSD American southern tourist have with this.
I was trying to book here for the July just gone but had to cancel my trip due to a cancer diagnosis. Actually glad I never got a room because even the outside looks underwhelming (I booked miracosta in the end) even though my trip was postponed. We are going in January now and I booked a vacation package at Toy Story where the theming looks amazing. Will also try for miracosta again or disneyland hotel for one night. But yeah Fantasy Springs hotel is just rather underwhelming.
Toy Story hotel is so much fun! And Miracosta and Disneyland hotel are both gorgeous. Soooo much better than the Fantasy Springs Hotel. Also I hope you’re in good health, to be honest January is a much better time to visit than July so I’m sure you’ll have an amazing time!
Thank you! I just cancelled my vacation package with fantasy springs hotel and booked another one to stay at disneyland hotel instead! 🥹🤣 I have a 3 year old and seeing this video i think i made a good decision aahhaha! Very raw and informative video! Thanks again! subscribed!
Thanks so much! I’m certain you won’t regret it. The Tokyo Disneyland Hotel is my family’s favourite, it’s so charming and you can’t beat that location for your Disneyland days! Hope you have an amazing time!!!
I like the hotel but I gave up because of the high prices, its don’t give me luxury ! I rather stay in Toy Story hotel cause of the atmosphere it’s more fun !
The dreadfully generic hotel is the result of all the Hilton and Marriott people they keep hiring who think they're more elite and "expensive" looking. What surprises me is that OLC let imagineering get away with it.
I think exclusivity is nice to a point. But, begrudging a fan a small souvenir from the hotel just because they didn’t spend the night seems a bit petty. You payed to enjoy the full experience true but not to bar all people from having any token ( or small souvenir) of having enjoyed a visit to the grounds. It comes across as selfish and elitist. My guess is eventually the hotel will receive a merchandise shop.
i appreciate this review so much! the hotel looked quite cool from fantasy springs near the gift shop, with the grand art deco design and windows… turns out that’s the most beautiful view. we stayed at the oriental hotel tokyo bay which was loads cheaper with a direct bus to the parks, next to an aeon mall, and a huge 24 hour lawson in the lobby. plus the room had a shoe dryer and a foot massager! i’d love to stay at the toy story hotel when my son is just a bit older because it looks far more themed and enjoyable.
Really well-balanced, fair, and insightful review - lots and lots of useful info, while being very entertaining as a video too. You’re definitely in your element with these! Thank you for putting in the great effort - and sharing in the fun that you have doing it.
Thank YOU! Very kind message and I hugely appreciate it, fun and entertaining whilst also being fair and informative is exactly what I’m going for. 😊
I’ve watched dozens of vids on this topic (FS), and this one is far and away not just the most useful but also just very watchable.
Thanks very much! It makes me so happy that people like listening to me talk about my favourite thing to talk about!
Disney is usually better at hiding the fact that their plain concrete block buildings are so plain and concrete. A lot of the decoration looks tacked on at the last minute.
So my family just recently stayed 4 nights at the Sheraton, and it’s like way cheaper, and I feel, better than the US deluxe hotels at DLR and WDW. I wasn’t looking for much, just something nicer than the value hotels I was used to. I was hoping to get a bayside view, but when I opened the window, I discovered that I was staying in freaking Neverland! Like, the green volcanoes were there, smoking, and they even light them up at night.
We could see the fireworks and drone show, AND monorail from our hotel room window! June 5th was our DisneySea day, but I still felt like I experienced Fantasy Springs. I could walk to the Bayside station, same station as the Fantasy Springs hotel, and see the decor every day as we took off. Also, due to the way the loop is, the train isn’t as crowded, and I was able to sit in front, basically getting a perfect view of the resort as if I were driving the monorail myself. I couldn’t believe staying off property could be so magical.
What room did you stay in?
What type of room did you book to luck out with this view?
I think for the price... it's pretty bad.
The lounge reminds me of so many times I've seen posts of Disney World restaurants with empty tables everywhere in sight--that they were told were sold out.
I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts on the Fantasy Springs Hotel. This video and the podcast episodes have made me decide to stay at MiraCosta for my eventual TDR trip (eventual lol). Thanks for the coverage on Fantasy Springs! All hail Cheese!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Yeah the Miracosta is 100% the way to go, it’s just so iconic. I’m excited to stay there for the first time next month!
All hail Cheese! 🙇🐭
I think the design is very elegant. The "bath towels" are supposed to be tapestries.
You're hilarious! The best part was the rice dispenser and the room was definitely gorgeous! The hotel isn't as spectacular as I thought but more for the exclusivity. Thanks for sharing!
I gasped at those stairs 😂 stayed at the miracosta last year and I'm SO glad I decided the stay off site this year instead of fighting for FS. Would have felt like such a downgrade. LOVING your channel by the way! I'll be in the parks just before halloween this year and you have me so excited to vlog my visit this time, thank you!
So did we! 😂
I stayed at the Miracosta for my first time a few weeks ago and it made me realise Fantasy Springs Hotel was even worse than I thought. Definitely would have felt like a huge downgrade for you.
Thanks for the kind words! I’m so glad I can be a small part of making your trip even more exciting!! 😁
This video finally puts words to the strange underwhelming feeling I got when I first saw other people's videos of this hotel. It's so dull and strange compared to all the other Tokyo Disney hotels I've seen because some parts of it are so oddly plain.
I’m sad to hear that the hotel is underwhelming. There are definitely aspects of the hotel that look nice at this hotel from your video. But going by what you shared here I think I’ll likely stay somewhere else when I hope to come to Tokyo Disneyland in around four years or so, unless the prices have gone down significantly by then. I’m glad you think the land itself is fantastic and I’m looking forward to seeing your upcoming video on it! I would say that maybe The Oriental Land Company is starting to decline in it’s new additions from this hotel, but at least the land itself looks phenomenal.
30:21 As a lover of classic Disney shorts this fountain made me happy to see!
I don't think its worth to stay in the hotel around TDR when Tokyo is nearby with better hotel options and food. For OLC the parks are more important than the hotel even the food. If they deliver the most important stuff the others are really secondary importance. Many hotels outside of TDR are way better with better food. Other than Maricosta and Toy Story Hotel, others are just ok.
Would love to get the BTS story on the development of this hotel. How it started out and how it ended up the way that it did. Sounds like there were a ton on trade-offs and compromises made to shoehorn 2 buildings into this area.
Absolutely. I’ve heard it was 2 different teams and the hotel was subcontracted outside of WDI, it certainly feels like that. We’ll never know for sure tho.
Yeah, this hotel has quite a few problems.
Looking at the exterior, though, I now see this is the new pink hotel, taking that position from the Disneyland Hotel in Paris.
Love your channel! If you’re having trouble with flickering artificial lights in your videos, I would suggest setting your shutter speed to double your frame rate. For instance: filming at 25 FPS, use a shutter speed of 1/50. This will help to synchronise the shutter speed with the light's frequency. Maybe you already knew this, but if not, I thought this could potentially help. x
Thank you so much I did not know that and I hugely appreciate it!!
I was there in the middle of June. We stayed at the Tokyo Disneyland hotel and the Ambassador hotel. Both beautiful! We stayed at the TDH because of the vacation package. It was pricey but we did it for the guaranteed access to fantasy springs and being able to skip the line. Since we came from California we didn’t want to risk not getting in to Fantasy Springs. I want to stay at the miracosta and Toy Story hotels next time.
I was surprised that the fantasy springs hotel was pretty reasonably priced? Seemed no more expensive than non-character Disneyland hotel rooms or cheaper MiraCosta rooms. The grand chateau I want no part of tho lol. That price tag is crazy.
I’m crying- I’m checking out of FS hotel tonight after three nights and heading to Miracosta. Everything you said was exact and even more than we imagined. I wonder for the longevity of the hotel without the ability to sell the passport once the land becomes non- mobile que necessary.
Having just stayed at the Miracosta I’m sure going there highlighted all the problems even further! I hope you were still able to enjoy being there and being so close to the glorious Fantasy Springs though!
@@8bitthemepark @daniellemacinnis9680 I'm also crying and I haven't been yet! I just scored a vacation package to FS for my upcoming trip in March 2025. I assumed FS hotel was the ultimate prize - and then did some research afterwards including watching this video. I feel really depressed after watching your video! This will be my first time, maybe only time, to Tokyo Disney. So now I really feel in a dilemma.
Clearly I'm lucky to still get this package. But should I switch to Miracosta? Mirocosta remains me of Universal's Portofino Bay hotel in Orlando, and having stayed there, it would be nice for a different theme. However it just looks so much plusher and the pools and shops etc are also a big draw. But do you think some of the teething problems may be worked upon in the next 6 months before I go?
Also, I want to make sure I understand this correctly. If I want to avoid the hassle of queueing up and trying to secure premier access for FS, the only way to get the magic passport is to either get a vacation package or stay at the FS hotel? So if I managed to score a hotel-only reservation when they open up at T-4 months (would then cancel the vacation package), this would HAVE to be at the FS hotel in order to get the pass?
If true, and I did not manage to score a FS hotel only reservation, I'd have to keep the vacation package. And that means the choice of sticking with FS or switching to the Miracosta. My final question, if the FS springs hotel entrance closes at 9pm, isn't that a BIG deal? Because do people not go to see some kind of fireworks/ show at park close, or hop on a ride just before queues close (have always done this at other Disney parks) - so having to get back to the FS entrance by 9 would actually be a little stressful rather than a perk?
This hotel was definitely made by a separate team than fantasy springs, feels really rushed. Thank you for sharing. I think I will stay at toy story instead next year!
100% I have a video all about Toy Story Hotel but short version is I absolutely love it and it’s by far the best value hotel at TDR. Hope you have an amazing trip!!
Way better than the US resorts. They add more attention to detail to make it more immersive.
Uh no, AKL, Grand Flo, Wilderness, Boardwalk, Old Key West beat this to death.
@@toyaliens And Toy Story hotel beat all those
@@GI876758 worst take ever
All of the deluxe hotels at Tokyo Disney give you those freebies. The hotels freebies all have different designs. I stayed at Mira Costa and DIsneyland hotel and got their versions of the freebies but they were the same things
At least have Mickey and Minnie roaming in the lobby! That would make up for all the flaws LOL
You can meet Mickey in the Grand Chateau only 😂
@@8bitthemepark oh for F sake!
We were just there in August with a vacation package, 2 nights at 3600 dollars. I have the same complaints.. Plus I will complaint about the room, ours was without an alcove. It was too small for 4 people. Given how much this place cost I was disappointed in the hotel. Fantasy springs was great.
I know I said it a lot in the video but it’s so crazy that it’s more than the Miracosta, I’m glad you enjoyed Fantasy Springs though!
The music in this hotel is really funny. They just stole the old wdw today music and added a bunch of extra classical pieces. The hotel needs some springs themed water facilities. It would be nice to relax in a Fantasy Springs onsen with a few character rocks. I also find those grey bricks on the lower parts of the hotel so weird. It feels like they were supposed to make a mosaic like many of Gaudi's works. What I do like about this hotel is that it looks huge compared to the Miracosta and the Grand chateau has an iconic silhouette (still could look better, though). I just went yesterday and was kind of surprised by how huge the grand paradis lounge was. Easily the prettiest part of the hotel. It also seems they were trying to mix rococo and art nouveau, which could be really nice if done properly (also makes walking through the hotel at night with the random cast members standing still less unsettling). Hopefully they work on it further in the future. It would be nicer if the story of the Duchess was further explored too. Btw, nice impression at 22:15.
You are trying to make us feel this hotel is bad.
The purple vines are supposed to be wisteria, something pretty from Tiana’s world, but the vines are actually extremely invasive and evil. They are gorgeous when they bloom, but that’s only like for a week. So for the rest of the 51 weeks the plant looks ugly, and you can’t try to cut it down, but it just grows back so fast that you can never catch up. Even if you could, many of the vines are so embedded into the soil that it will spring back up an acre away! The weight of the vines will collapse fences and anything it can get a hold of, which is usually other plants you do want to keep, but they end up dying because they are either strangled to death or can’t get enough sunlight.
I hate wisteria so much! OLC should have really considered the amount of PTSD American southern tourist have with this.
I was trying to book here for the July just gone but had to cancel my trip due to a cancer diagnosis. Actually glad I never got a room because even the outside looks underwhelming (I booked miracosta in the end) even though my trip was postponed. We are going in January now and I booked a vacation package at Toy Story where the theming looks amazing. Will also try for miracosta again or disneyland hotel for one night. But yeah Fantasy Springs hotel is just rather underwhelming.
Toy Story hotel is so much fun! And Miracosta and Disneyland hotel are both gorgeous. Soooo much better than the Fantasy Springs Hotel. Also I hope you’re in good health, to be honest January is a much better time to visit than July so I’m sure you’ll have an amazing time!
i think they run out of budget so the hotel decos arent finish yet so they need customers to fund the continuation of finishing the hotel LOL
Thank you! I just cancelled my vacation package with fantasy springs hotel and booked another one to stay at disneyland hotel instead! 🥹🤣 I have a 3 year old and seeing this video i think i made a good decision aahhaha! Very raw and informative video! Thanks again! subscribed!
Thanks so much! I’m certain you won’t regret it. The Tokyo Disneyland Hotel is my family’s favourite, it’s so charming and you can’t beat that location for your Disneyland days! Hope you have an amazing time!!!
I like the hotel but I gave up because of the high prices, its don’t give me luxury ! I rather stay in Toy Story hotel cause of the atmosphere it’s more fun !
Toy Story Hotel is super fun I love it there, and you can’t beat that price to stay in the Disney bubble!
The dreadfully generic hotel is the result of all the Hilton and Marriott people they keep hiring who think they're more elite and "expensive" looking. What surprises me is that OLC let imagineering get away with it.
I think exclusivity is nice to a point. But, begrudging a fan a small souvenir from the hotel just because they didn’t spend the night seems a bit petty. You payed to enjoy the full experience true but not to bar all people from having any token ( or small souvenir) of having enjoyed a visit to the grounds. It comes across as selfish and elitist. My guess is eventually the hotel will receive a merchandise shop.
Still way better than shitty and overpriced us Disney hotel