November 2024 Trip To Tokyo Disney !

[Disneyhanna]

I use these for travel. I just stick a few in a ziplock and they hardly take up any space or weight.

Funny enough, I think I have a sample pack (who knows where I got it from) of that exact product in my laundry room right now. I will have to give them a try!

Yes. I got a portable laundry line off Temu to bring with too! When I was in Paris I has access to a Washing machine but no dryer. I figured for ANY trip it doesn't hurt to have a way to air dry wet things.
https://share.temu.com/Fbj0k5iq2AA

Great idea! I actually just ordered "boot hanging clips" that are basically the top of a hanger with one of those grippy clips for hanging delicates. I laugh at how some people can just throw a few things in their suitcase and be done packing, here we are packing multiple things just for laundry

 

[Nakkira]

Funny enough, I think I have a sample pack (who knows where I got it from) of that exact product in my laundry room right now. I will have to give them a try!

Great idea! I actually just ordered "boot hanging clips" that are basically the top of a hanger with one of those grippy clips for hanging delicates. I laugh at how some people can just throw a few things in their suitcase and be done packing, here we are packing multiple things just for laundry

LOL so true. But those extra items will take up less room and weight than extra clothes.

Not to be smug, but you will note that often those people "can just throw a few things in their suitcase and be done packing" often ask people like us "Hey you don't happen to a ___insert need here___" or "Crap, I guesse I should have brought *item X*, we need to stop at the store before we can do the things today".

Everyone has their own style of travel (and packing) that works for them. I personally enjoy trip planning and coming up with ways (hacks) to make my trip better/easier/more comfortable for me.

 

[nono]

LOL so true. But those extra items will take up less room and weight than extra clothes.

Not to be smug, but you will note that often those people "can just throw a few things in their suitcase and be done packing" often ask people like us "Hey you don't happen to a ___insert need here___" or "Crap, I guesse I should have brought *item X*, we need to stop at the store before we can do the things today".

Everyone has their own style of travel (and packing) that works for them. I personally enjoy trip planning and coming up with ways (hacks) to make my trip better/easier/more comfortable for me.

I'm an over packer for everywhere but Japan. Shopping there for me is fun. Don't know why as I'm not a shopper in real life or other travel locations.

 

[Nakkira]

I'm an over packer for everywhere but Japan. Shopping there for me is fun. Don't know why as I'm not a shopper in real life or other travel locations.

Same. I am a Daiso addict. I cannot resist it's the best dollar store in the universe and some of the products are just so unique I can't get them anywhere else.

 

[nono]

Same. I am a Daiso addict. I cannot resist it's the best dollar store in the universe and some of the products are just so unique I can't get them anywhere else.

I buy all my socks at Daiso. Not unique, but super high value for the price.

 

[Nakkira]

I buy all my socks at Daiso. Not unique, but super high value for the price.

We don't have any Daiso near where I live so I only get to shop there when I visit Japan.

 

[nono]

We don't have any Daiso near where I live so I only get to shop there when I visit Japan.

Oh, me too. It's worth the yearly visit!

 

[soniam]

We don't have any Daiso near where I live so I only get to shop there when I visit Japan.

We have a couple in town, but it’s always impossible to park and they aren’t near us. They did just open one near us. We went. I was a little disappointed. Probably a good thing, or I would have bought stuff I didn’t need. Even the food selection was a little weak compared to World Market.

 

[Nakkira]

I really like the planning process, I like to plan my trips far in advance...but I hate the long slow Countdown.. like there is all this time between booking and going where you've done all you can do for now and it's too early for specifics (like buying the park tickets) or packing.
https://www.timeanddate.com/countdo...T1620&p0=671&msg=Japan+Trip+2024&font=cursive

 

[Nakkira]

Decided to get back into Duolingo. I had to completely re-start my Japanese course because I had six months of it, my trip, then a bad car accident (and concussion), a pandemic and a few other dramas.. Result: I don't remember much! lol


Anyone else here try to learn the basics before traveling? If so what apps or methods did you use?

Nihongo ga yoku wakarimasen

 

[soniam]

Decided to get back into Duolingo. Had to completely re-start my Japanese course because I had six month of it, my trip, then a bad car accident (and concussion), a pandemic and a few other dramas.. Result: I don't remember much! lol
View attachment 862766

Anyone else here try to learn the basics before traveling? I so what apps or methods did you use?

Nihongo ga yoku wakarimasen

I took a year in college, a very long time ago. I have been using Pimsleur audio on and off for over a year. I ramped up again lately, but I’m not sure if it will help. I also have hiragana and katakana cheat sheets in my phone.

Eeh, so desu ne. Watashi mo nihongo ga yoku wakarimasen. Mada desu

 

[Nakkira]

I took a year in college, a very long time ago. I have been using Pimsleur audio on and off for over a year. I ramped up again lately, but I’m not sure if it will help. I also have hiragana and katakana cheat sheets in my phone.

Eeh, so desu ne. Watashi mo nihongo ga yoku wakarimasen. Mada desu

Thanks for reminding me about Pimsleur. I did use that last time too (Like a week before my first trip, I didn't get very far) I still have it available on my husbands audible account I think.
Last time I was traveling with my sister who majored in Japanese Language studies in college. This time it's just me and the hubby so I need to be little more self reliant.

Thankfully Google translate just keeps getting better and better right?

 

[Flossbolna]

I started an online evening class (once a week) for Japanese in the fall of 2021 with the idea that it would be nice to know a little of the language when we go back to TDR. I feel like I am still scratching the surface though. Will be interesting to see how I will get along when we are there. I supplement the course with Duolingo as my daily dose of Japanese. I am about to finish section 2. I find Duolingo actually a great way to repeat stuff and make it stick in your brain. My sister (who was an Eastern Slavonic Languages major, i.e. Czech, Slovak and Polish) is learning Ukrainian right now and we splurged for a Family membership. The advertisement free Duolingo is so much more useable!

I am feeling quite confident with my hiragana and katakana by now (especially katakana is so useful for TDR!), but kanji is obviously the weak point for reading anything. On our online course we recently changed from the Marugoto books to Iridori which uses far more Kanji with furigana and I find that very helpful to get a better feel for what’s going on.

To be honest, I think learning Japanese has become a true hobby for me by now and I plan to continue after our trip. I find the language absolutely fascinating in how different it is from the languages I have learned so far (German is my native language and I learned at various points in my life Latin, English, Danish, Swedish and French).

 

[Flossbolna]

Thankfully Google translate just keeps getting better and better right?

Yes! It’s so much better now than when I used it in 2017 for our first trip!

 

[Nakkira]

I started an online evening class (once a week) for Japanese in the fall of 2021 with the idea that it would be nice to know a little of the language when we go back to TDR. I feel like I am still scratching the surface though. Will be interesting to see how I will get along when we are there. I supplement the course with Duolingo as my daily dose of Japanese. I am about to finish section 2. I find Duolingo actually a great way to repeat stuff and make it stick in your brain. My sister (who was an Eastern Slavonic Languages major, i.e. Czech, Slovak and Polish) is learning Ukrainian right now and we splurged for a Family membership. The advertisement free Duolingo is so much more useable!

I am feeling quite confident with my hiragana and katakana by now (especially katakana is so useful for TDR!), but kanji is obviously the weak point for reading anything. On our online course we recently changed from the Marugoto books to Iridori which uses far more Kanji with furigana and I find that very helpful to get a better feel for what’s going on.

To be honest, I think learning Japanese has become a true hobby for me by now and I plan to continue after our trip. I find the language absolutely fascinating in how different it is from the languages I have learned so far (German is my native language and I learned at various points in my life Latin, English, Danish, Swedish and French).

I am not very good with languages but I do find Japanese to be a truely fascinating one.

 

[Disneyhanna]

All I can say is the cashiers and store employees say a whole lot to me and I understand nothing Lots of pointing and them pulling out little laminated signs if they need to get a point across (like when I pulled out a bottle of water while eating at Nishiki market and they flashed me the no outside food or drink sign lol).

 

[dunkindonut]

I think once you learn about 500 kanji, you begin to realize how much Japanese you can really begin understanding. Even at around 500, I think you could probably easily use the machines for trains in Japanese. When I went to Japan, I knew about 1200 and it was unbelievably helpful. There wasn't many situations of when I had to look things up, but certain places like temples were just impossible to understand since the Japanese was so advanced. Navigating around Japan or just even TDR when knowing Japanese felt a lot more relaxing. I could easily use machines, order, ask questions, instantly know what place is what ect

 

[Kwami]

All I can say is the cashiers and store employees say a whole lot to me and I understand nothing

If it makes you feel any better, most of what they're saying is essentially from a script and doesn't really matter at all. The important part is the total cost, which you can helpfully see on the register most of the time.

 

[kristenabelle]

We'll be there November 2024 too! It's the last few days of a 2-week adventure. Anxiously awaiting packages though we're not gunning for FS so hopefully we'll be ok. Though we are gonna have to do the 2 night package + 1 night hotel stay whenever those open. Wish they made longer stays easier to book but we'll make it work!

 

[Nakkira]

We'll be there November 2024 too! It's the last few days of a 2-week adventure. Anxiously awaiting packages though we're not gunning for FS so hopefully we'll be ok. Though we are gonna have to do the 2 night package + 1 night hotel stay whenever those open. Wish they made longer stays easier to book but we'll make it work!

I do wish they offered more customizable/longer packages.