After years and years of waiting, the hotly-anticipated expansion to one of the best theme parks in the world is coming! Fantasy Springs in Tokyo DisneySea park opens June 6th, 2024, and Disney fans are sure to show up in full force!
To manage demand for the new land- the largest expansion to a Disney Park ever- Fantasy Springs can only be entered with a special ticket or reservation. But don't worry! I'm here to explain each method to help you find the best option for yourself (and your budget). Take a look at the graphic and article below!
Need some elaboration? Don't worry- I've got you covered!
Table of Contents
What is Fantasy Springs?
Fantasy Springs is a new expansion to the Tokyo DisneySea park featuring 3 mini-lands and a hotel:
Peter Pan's Neverland
Peter Pan's Neverland Adventure
Fairy Tinker Bell's Busy Buggies
Lookout Cookout
Popcorn Cart
Frozen Kingdom
Anna and Elsa's Frozen Journey
Oaken's OK Foods
Rapunzel's Forest
Rapunzel's Lantern Festival
The Snuggly Duckling
Fantasy Springs Hotel
1: 1-Day Passport: Fantasy Springs Magic
The best (and most expensive) way to experience Fantasy Springs is with this specialty ticket. Exclusive to vacation packages and guests staying at the Fantasy Springs Hotel (pictured above), this ticket bypasses much of the stress during your visit. Benefits include:
Exclusive to 1-Day Passport: Fantasy Springs Magic:
Unlimited entry and re-entry to Fantasy Springs at any time during park hours
Experience all Fantasy Springs attractions without specifying a return time, and with a reduced wait where offered.
Mobile order food at participating Fantasy Springs restaurants for any available window
This will save you from needing to book a Standby Pass or Premier Access for a Fantasy Springs attraction when you enter the park. Pricing is shown here:
As you can see, the price is... steep, to say the least. It effectively adds 15,000 JPY/$100 USD per ticket to the cost. Mentioned in the graphic, this price is built into the cost of a vacation package, but guests with a hotel-only reservation for the Fantasy Springs Hotel must purchase it separately during their stay (availability for FS Hotel guests is guaranteed). Without this passport, I'd wager it'll be difficult to impossible to experience all 4 Fantasy Springs attractions in a single day.
I would recommend this option if:
You prioritize convenience and flexibility: This ticket eliminates the need to book Standby Passes or Premier Access for individual attractions, allowing you to explore Fantasy Springs at your own pace and experience all attractions without worrying about return windows for attractions.
You have a limited amount of time and want to experience everything Fantasy Springs has to offer: With guaranteed access and reduced wait times, this ticket maximizes your time within the land.
Cost is not a major concern: This ticket brings value, but is undoubtedly expensive, so be prepared for the additional cost.
I would not recommend this option if:
You're on a tight budget: For many guests, the additional cost might outweigh the benefits, and that's okay.
You only care about experiencing one or two Fantasy Springs attractions: If you have specific attractions in mind and don't mind utilizing the Standby Pass or Premier Access system, this ticket may not be necessary.
You don't mind strategic planning: If you are comfortable planning your park visit and being at the park early for rope drop to secure a Standby Pass and Premier Access strategically, then this ticket might not be essential.
You can book a vacation package via the official TDR website here, and view the Fantasy Springs Hotel here (not sponsored).
For the following methods, in addition to providing you with the benefits of the selection, guests will receive a "valid time of entry to Fantasy Springs," which will be a window of time in which you are able to enter Fantasy Springs, separate from your attraction return time. The Tokyo Disney website quotes this
2: "Valid time of entry to Fantasy Springs"
Definitely not a mouthful, this is the method most guests will use to gain entry to Fantasy Springs. This pass will allow a guest to enter Fantasy Springs once during an assigned window of time. The Tokyo Disney website gives an example "valid time of entry to Fantasy Springs" as 3 hours long, though the actual window of validity may vary.
When & How Often?
This entry pass will be assigned to guests after they obtain a Premier Access or Standby Pass for a Fantasy Springs attraction. Please note that this pass is separate from Premier Access or Standby Pass you obtain, and will appear on the Tokyo Disney app after obtaining either option. Once you leave Fantasy Springs, you will not be allowed to re-enter Fantasy Springs even during "the valid time of entry to Fantasy Springs".
Please note that you may only obtain one of this pass per ticket, even if you obtain an additional Premier Access or Standby Pass. This means that re-entry to Fantasy Springs will not be allowed. The only methods to re-enter Fantasy Springs are with the 1-Day Passport: Fantasy Springs Magic and as a guest of the Fantasy Springs Hotel.
Since both methods vary in how you obtain a "valid time of entry to Fantasy Springs", I'll break this section down into those two parts: Premier Access (paid) and Standby Pass (free).
2.1: Premier Access
The second-best way of experiencing Fantasy Springs is purchasing a Premier Access for one of the eligible attractions. Premier Access is the existing ala carte skip-the-line pass for Tokyo Disney's most popular attractions. Eligible attractions in Fantasy Springs include:
If you're wondering why Fairy Tinker Bell's Busy Buggies is not included on Premier Access, that's because the attraction offers a standby line only, as it is a shorter, relatively low-capacity attraction.
When & How Often?
You may make your first selection as soon as you enter the park, including Happy 15, Tokyo Disney's early entry for it's hotel guests. You may make a subsequent selection after either:
1 hour has passed since your most recent booking
Your most recently booked experience window begins
Please note that Premier Access for Fantasy Springs attractions is not separate from the rest of DisneySea's Premier Access attractions, so you will not be able to book a DisneySea attraction outside of Fantasy Springs without meeting one of the above requirements. However, Premier Access is independent of Standby Pass, meaning you may hold a Premier Access and Standby Pass concurrently.
Strategy
If you're not staying at the Fantasy Springs Hotel or Hotel MiraCosta- the two Disney hotels with early entry to DisneySea- your best bet is to be at the gates of DisneySea far before rope drop. How early, you ask? Well, recommendations vary, but know the Japanese crowds are intense about their rope drop mornings. All over the internet are pictures of guests by the hundreds and thousands lining up well before park opening, and Fantasy Springs should only exacerbate this. As such, it has been generally recommended to be at the gate around 1.5-3 hours before park opening. For Western guests, this may sound insane, but this is one of the many side effects of the immense popularity of Tokyo Disney. How long Premier Access is available for after park opening is anyone's guess, so be sure to know in advance which ride you want to book first.
If you plan on purchasing Premier Access, you should use it in conjunction with Standby Access, as both systems operate independently of each other. You could even get a Premier Access and Standby Pass for the same Fantasy Springs attraction, if you desire.
How to Book
Select "Disney Premier Access" on app home screen
Confirm tickets for the selection
Select your experience
Select window to redeem your Premier Access
Enter payment information & confirm details
You've got it! View your booking
(note: this example is purely for reference, and may not be identical when Fantasy Springs open)
I would recommend purchasing Premier Access if:
You are on a budget but still want to skip the lines for specific Fantasy Springs attractions: This option is significantly cheaper than the 1-Day Passport and allows you to prioritize the attractions you care about most.
You have a limited amount of time and want to experience specific attractions efficiently: Premier Access can significantly reduce your wait times, allowing you to maximize your time within the land and potentially experience more attractions overall.
You don't mind some strategic planning and early arrival: While not as convenient as the Fantasy Springs Magic Passport, you can still plan your visit and use the Premier Access system to optimize your experience.
I would not recommend this option if:
You are on a very tight budget and don't mind waiting in line: If minimizing cost is your top priority and you're willing to utilize the Standby Pass system, this option might not be necessary.
You want to experience all Fantasy Springs attractions: Premier Access is not available for all attractions, so you might need to use Standby Pass. Even utilizing both, chances of experiencing all 4 attractions in a single day are slim.
You dislike arriving extremely early for the park opening: Being at the park several hours before opening might not be ideal for everyone, especially considering the potentially large crowds.
If you want to know more about the Premier Access system, or how to add tickets to the Tokyo Disney App, see my other article here.
2.2: Standby Pass
The third option for entering Fantasy Springs is through the existing Standby Pass system at the Tokyo Disney Resort. This is the only free method of entering Fantasy Springs. To be clear, it is not a skip-the-line pass, but a pass that allows you to enter the standby line for an experience. Also, you will be assigned the next available return time, instead of being able to choose it with Premier Access. As shown in the graphic above, Standby Pass is available for all 4 attractions in Fantasy Springs (no Standby Pass is required for restaurants or shops in Fantasy Springs). There are more details to the Standby Pass system, but I'll be focusing specifically on the Fantasy Springs element of it.
When & How Often?
You may make your first selection as soon as you enter the park, including Happy 15, Tokyo Disney's early entry for it's hotel guests. You may book one Standby Pass for each category: attractions, restaurants, and shops. The only applicable category for Fantasy Springs is attractions. You may make a subsequent attraction selection after:
You have redeemed your standby pass for that category
This systems is independent of Standby Pass, meaning you may hold a Premier Access and Standby Pass at the same time.
Strategy
The strategy for Standby Pass is the same as for Premier Access, whether you decide to utilize one or both systems.
How to Book
Select "Standby Pass" on app home screen
Select "attractions" category
Confirm tickets for the selection
Select your experience
Confirm details
You've got it! View your booking
(note: this example is purely for reference, and may not be identical when Fantasy Springs open)
I would recommend using Standby Pass if:
You are on a tight budget and don't mind waiting in line: This is the free option for accessing Fantasy Springs attractions.
You are flexible with your schedule and can work around assigned return times: Unlike Premier Access and the Fantasy Springs Magic Passport, you won't have time slots and might encounter longer waits.
You only care to experience one or two Fantasy Springs attractions: If you are not aiming to experience all attractions, Standby Pass can be a budget-friendly option.
As a supplement to Premier Access: With the ability to book both Premier Access and Standby Pass, you can hold multiple attraction Fantasy Springs bookings at once.
I would not recommend using ONLY Standby Pass if:
You have a limited amount of time and want to maximize your experience: Standby Pass may lead to longer wait times, potentially limiting the number of other DisneySea attractions you can experience within your timeframe.
You prioritize minimizing wait times and have some budget flexibility: Consider utilizing Premier Access in conjunction with Standby Pass.
You dislike uncertainty about wait times and return times: Standby Pass doesn't guarantee specific wait times, so be prepared for potential variations.
If you want to learn more about the Standby Pass system and what other experiences are offered on it, see my article here.
Fantasy Springs Hotel Guests
Guests staying at the Fantasy Springs Hotel get guaranteed access to Fantasy Springs with a valid admission via its exclusive park entrance inside Fantasy Springs. They are also able to re-enter Fantasy Springs at any point during park hours. However, you will still need a 1-Day Passport: Fantasy Springs Magic, Premier Access, or Standby Pass to experience attractions. Prices for the Fantasy Springs, split up into two sections, Fantasy Chateau (deluxe-type) and Grand Chateau (luxury-type), start at ¥63,500 (~$430USD) per night and ¥300,000 (~$2,000USD) per night, respectively. For reference, the Fantasy Chateau pricing is fairly in line with the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel and Hotel MiraCosta, two other deluxe-type hotels.
Conclusion
Many people may consider getting into Fantasy Springs too much of a hassle, and it's true that the entry system is complex. If you're not part of the crowd willing to line up hours before park opening or splurge for the expensive passport, that's okay; DisneySea is an amazing park even before the opening of Fantasy Springs, and you could easily skip the new land entirely and still have an amazing day.
However, for those who have been waiting years to experience the land and are ready to spring to DisneySea when it opens, I hope this guide was helpful in understanding how to get into this exciting new experience of Fantasy Springs.
Thank you for reading!