Tdr Now

Over on Awaji Island in Japan is a brand new Godzilla Zipline that's inside the Nijigen no Mori (anime park). In this episode, Chris shares his experience getting to Awaji Island (near Kobe and Osaka in Kansai) and how not to miss your bus stop cause that'll ruin your day. This is the perfect day trip if you're spending time in the Kansai area including Universal Studios Japan! We're trying a new format out with having episodes focused on easy day-trips from the major theme parks. Let us know what you think.

Recently, the Japanese government has mentioned plans to reopen the borders to the country in spring 2021. While this is only a trial basis, this week in the podcast we discuss what this means for you and your potential trip in 2021. For details check out our blog post.

Universal Studios Japan surprised everyone with the announcement of a new Mario cafe and shop. While the Super Nintendo World at the Park doesn't open, now, until spring 2021. I headed on over to Universal Studios Japan to try all new Mario-themed goodies in the cafe. Trish and I discuss everything you need to know about wanting to experience this at Universal Studios Japan in this week's episode!

Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea reopened the parks on July 1, 2020. Since then there have been so many changes in how things work in the Parks. It's dizzying, confusing, and frankly overwhelming. Trish and I discuss all these changes and help make sense of them. "Entry Request" system for Beauty and the BeastStandby PassLess entertainment and more photo opsReservations for restaurants and storesPark tickets

Japan is currently boosting domestic travel with their Go To Travel campaign. I take advantage of the discounts and travelled from Chiba to Osaka to visit Universal Studios Japan, Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, and Himeji Castle! We talk about how to get these deals and how cheap I got the hotel rooms. Along with a discussion of how Universal Studios Japan is doing since its reopening in June. If you live in Japan, book your hotels through Agoda to take advantage of the Go to Travel discounts.

Visit any of the Disney Parks in Tokyo, Hong Kong, or Shanghai, and you'll see Duffy and his friends dominating the Parks. From his fumbled beginnings in Walt Disney World to have a presence in every Park in Asia. Duffy and his furry, and now reptile, friends are here to stay. In this week's episode, we ask the question "Why are Duffy and friends so popular?" Join us as we tackle this question head-on!

It's no secret that the year 2020 has been, well, I don't think it needs any more rehashing. We know how the year has gone. Over at Tokyo Disney Resort, there's a lot of confusion with how the merchandise is working now. Some items are only at Tokyo DisneySea, Tokyo Disneyland, or even only at Bon Voyage (which you need a reservation for). Trish and I clear the confusion and discuss what this year means for merchandise at the resort.

An extension of our 200th episode where we dive deep into Tokyo Disney Resort. Trish and I discuss the changes we've personally experienced over the past 10 years at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. Epic Halloween shows that are a thing of the past to the increase in English within the Parks. Come and join us and learn more about Tokyo Disney Resort!

We're celebrating 200 episodes of the TDR Now Podcast! We started the podcast over 5 years ago and we cannot thank you all enough for joining us on this journey. To celebrate, we go over our favourite moments from Tokyo Disney, Hong Kong Disneyland, Shanghai Disneyland, Universal Studios Japan, and other theme parks over the past 5 years. You can listen to all our past episodes right on our website (iTunes only goes back 100 episodes).

Tokyo Disney Resort reopened both Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea on July 1, 2020. Trish and I talk about how the Parks work now with the new health and safety measures as Japan navigates the COVID-19 pandemic. We were so close to having this as our 200th episode! Make sure you stay tuned for our upcoming 200th episode in a few weeks.

Talk about the worst timing for our newest podcast episode. Hong Kong Disneyland announced that the park is reclosing temporarily starting July 15, 2020, after only reopening in June. Well, we do record our episodes in advance, so there's no way for us to take into account sudden changes. We discuss how Hong Kong Disneyland is operating now with its reopening (when it's open).

Pairing perfectly with our article, in our latest episode of the podcast we discuss why you should cancel your trip to Japan this year. There's a good chance it's not going to happen this year. As much as it pains us to say.

Universal Studios Japan reopened on June 8, 2020, and we dish everything you need to know! Trish and I discuss all the new procedures over in Osaka. We'll even talk about Super Nintendo World and what we think may happen with its opening. If you want to see the reopening of Universal Studios Japan, make sure to watch our video!

There's never a dull moment in the theme park world. Things are slowly beginning to reopen in Asia and we're going to discuss what's happening in June! From the reopening of Ikspiari at Tokyo Disney Resort and Universal Studios Japan. You'll hear in the episode where we mentioned that more news will come out after we recorded. Well, we were right.

The theme parks in Japan are slowly beginning to reopen. Universal Studios Japan had its soft opening while Tokyo Disney Resort doesn't have an opening date for its parks yet. When we're finally able to get back to the parks, what is the first thing you'll do? That's the question we asked ourselves and discuss in this newest episode! Tell us what is the first thing you'll do when you get back to the Parks?

Shanghai Disneyland is the first Disney Park in the world to reopen after closing due to COVID-19. Everyone is looking to Shanghai to see how Disney Parks worldwide may look once the rest reopen. In this episode, we discuss the reopening from all the videos and photos taken by one of the TDR Explorer team members who live in Shanghai. We're airing this episode before 192 because we wanted to get this out as soon as possible. We record some episodes in advance. Episode 192 will come out next week!

Learn how both Trish and I are personally dealing with COVID-19 in Japan. By limiting our time outside, how we're grocery shopping, and life in general in Japan during the pandemic. We're airing this episode after 193 due to Shanghai Disneyland reopening after we recorded this episode. You know, trying to keep things as timely as possible. So don't worry, you're not going crazy. We did release these episodes out of order.

Despite everything happening in the world, we have news to share about the theme parks in Asia. We discuss all the closures and give our thoughts on everything that's still going on. Tokyo Disneyland, Universal Studios Japan, and Hong Kong Disneyland are still closed. This episode was recorded before the announcement of Shanghai Disneyland opening on May 11. As for Tokyo Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan, we have no idea when the park will reopen.

You'll see them everywhere throughout Japan during your visit. These small white coloured machines that spit out the most random assortment of stuff you've ever seen. They're called gachapon. These wildly popular capsule machines are an easy and fun way to part with your coins before leaving Japan. In this episode, we talk all about these magnificent toys and where you'll find them during your travels in Japan and Tokyo Disneyland.

While travelling isn't in the cards right now. Eventually, travel will happen again. We just don't know when. Once everyone is able to travel again, many will be taking more precautions when it comes to staying healthy while on the road. In our newest episode of the TDR Now Podcast, we discuss ways to stay safe and healthy while travelling through Japan. From bringing your own handtowels (and why), to face mask etiquette.