What Tourists Should Expect Visiting Tokyo Disneyland As An English Speaker

There's plenty to do on a trip to Japan, from relaxing in a steamy hot spring with monkeys in Yudanaka to snacking on traditional street eats in Tokyo's "Food Town." But if you're looking for thrilling theme park rides, cute characters, or just a little Disney magic, you won't want to miss Tokyo Disneyland (or its sister park Tokyo DisneySea). If you're an English speaker, the idea of navigating an entire park without knowing the language might seem intimidating. In general, Tokyo Disneyland is a blast whether you speak Japanese or not.

Don't expect it to be just like Disney parks in the United States — but that's part of the fun. Most things that you need to be able to understand to get around the park will be in multiple languages, so you shouldn't have too many logistical issues as an English speaker in Tokyo Disneyland. You're still in Japan, though, and you should expect some of the attractions to be in Japanese and a lot of the staff to primarily speak Japanese. Going to Disneyland is already like stepping into another world, so if you're open to a new adventure, having some things be in another language just adds to the experience.

Obviously, knowing how to speak the language will elevate your experience throughout Japan and let you communicate more easily with the people you meet along the way. If you're still struggling on Duolingo, don't worry. Not being able to speak Japanese won't make it hard to do the basic communication you need to get inside the park, find your way around, grab something to eat, and check into your hotel.

The signs and the Tokyo Disney Resort App will have information in English, so navigating to your next attraction shouldn't be too tricky — or at least not any trickier than it usually is at big theme parks. You can buy your tickets for the park on the Tokyo Disney Resort App in English (though you may have an easier time getting your credit card to work by booking them through Klook, which can also be set to multiple languages). Once you arrive, all you need to do is show the ticket taker your ticket's QR code. The staff at the booths will be able to speak English, too, if you have any questions or need help. The same goes for employees working at the hotel check-in. You may find that other cast members around the park and working in restaurants may only speak Japanese, but they will still do their best to communicate with you. If you're really struggling, you can always make things more stress-free by using Google Translate or a pocket translator.

As you might expect, a lot of the attractions at Tokyo Disneyland are in Japanese or a combination of Japanese and English. While you might miss out on some of the nuances of the narration on rides, they are very visual, and you probably won't have a hard time understanding what's going on. Songs are often in English, but dialogue can be in Japanese. It can vary from attraction to attraction, and even character to character — but there's also something fun about hearing Darth Vader and Winnie the Pooh speak Japanese anyway.

If you're planning to go to Monster's Inc. Ride and Go Seek (which you definitely should if you're a fan of the movie!), expect to hear the monsters call out to you in Japanese. The same goes for the characters in Pooh's Honey Hunt. Others, like the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, have narration in Japanese, but a few characters speak English. When you talk to face characters, like the Disney Princesses, they will often respond in English.