I spent a lot of time overthinking our Tokyo Disney packing list despite countless Disney trips in the US. What would we actually need for Tokyo Disney in summer? Should I bring everything or could I buy items there? After a fun and successful trip here’s my officially tested Tokyo Disney summer packing list.
Please note: This packing list is geared towards adults, teens, and kids since those were the ages in our three family travel group.
Tokyo Disney Summer Packing Tips
Pack For All Types of Weather
Summer in Tokyo is typically hot and rainy. Average temperatures for June are around 80° F (26° C), but with high humidity feel much warmer. During our Disney Tokyo summer vacation we were treated to abnormally hot days of 90° F (32° C) that felt close to 100° F (38° C).
June is also the start of the rainy/typhoon season with average monthly rainfall around 7 inches. Expect similar amounts of rain May through August before ramping up to 8 inches in September.
Packing for all types of weather at Disney Tokyo is essential. Bring umbrellas for both rain and sun protection, two pairs of comfortable shoes so if one pair gets soaked they can dry while you wear the other pair, and some quick drying clothes.
Despite overwhelming heat for most of our two week trip to Japan we did have one cooler day. Although I worried that the one pair of pants was wasted in our limited suitcase space, I was glad I had packed them.
Sunscreen Is Crucial
Until I visited Tokyo Disney in summer I didn’t realize that the UV scale even goes to 11, let alone higher. Unfortunately Disney Tokyo Resort, especially DisneySea, has a lot of uncovered areas which leave you exposed to extreme UV. Use both a quality sunscreen and UV umbrella to stay safe from sunburns.
Since we were in Japan for over a week before visiting Disney I packed some sunscreen from home, but bought more at Don Quixote, a popular Japanese store. I absolutely love the Biore UV Aqua Rich sunscreen we purchased in Japan: it’s lightweight, feels like water, and keeps us sunburn-free despite our fair skin.
Fantasy Springs Hotel’s gift shop also carried the Biore UV, but most in-park stores sold a different brand.
Pack Coordinating Colors
One of the best packing tricks I’ve learned over the years is to pack coordinating colors. Packing clothes with similar colors makes mixing and matching outfits easy for the greatest flexibility.
Battery Packs Are A Must
As with other Disney vacations we spent a lot of time on our phones at Tokyo Disney. Booking Disney Premier Access, 40th Anniversary Passes, requesting entry for select shows, checking wait times, and using the map feature quickly wore down our phone battery.
I used this myCharge Power + Plug (Affiliate Link: Buy on Amazon) with a built-in plug and cable to keep my phone going from park open to close. Although not a huge battery pack it was the perfect balance of size and convenience with a built-in plug that didn’t require an outlet adapter and attached USB-C cord for charging devices.
Upgrade To An International Phone Plan with Generous Data
While not exactly something that goes in a suitcase, a mobile phone with plenty of data is necessary at Tokyo Disney Resort. Neither Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea have park-wide wi-fi which was a huge surprise. We’re used to the US Disney parks having easy access to wi-fi and not having that at Tokyo Disney was frustrating.
Thankfully we had opted for a generous international phone plan. This allowed us to easily access the Tokyo Disney Resort app to mobile order meals, reserve DPA and 40th anniversary passes, scan into the park with online park tickets, and check wait times.
Compression Bags Make Packing Easier
I’m a big fan of packing cubes which make our travel more organized and saves space, too. However, trying to minimize the number of suitcases we hauled around Japan required a more aggressive solution.
These giant ziptop-like bags (Affiliate link: Buy on Amazon) don’t require a vacuum to remove air. Instead fill the bag with clothes, seal the top, and roll the bag to remove air from a bottom valve. These bags were a huge space saver and I will absolutely use them again.
A few tips on how to use these compression bags:
- Filling the bags about half-way provided the best compression and space saving with less wrinkles
- Small and medium-sized bags work best for carry-on luggage while large are fine for checked bags
- If clothes get wrinkled in the bags, a quick ironing or hanging them up was usually enough to remove deep wrinkles
Bring Insect Repellent
I am always first to get attacked by mosquitoes so I routinely travel with insect repellent no matter where I go. I’ve rarely needed it at the US Disney Parks, but there were several areas in Tokyo Disney where I and others in our group really needed the insect repellent.
I recommend contacting your local Avon seller to buy Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus Picaridin Towelettes. These are individually packed, work well without smelling bad or feeling greasy, and are easy to pack with no liquid restrictions.
Matador Blanket
Disney Tokyo requires guests in certain areas to sit for parades and shows. Pack a small foldable blanket like our Matador blanket (Affliate link: Buy on Amazon) to keep from getting dirty from the ground.
Coins and a Coin Holder
Having coins for gachapons (little machines that dispense tiny toys or souvenirs), vending machines, or buying a variety of popcorn flavors at Tokyo Disney is convenient.
However, when there are 6 different Japanese coins jingling around your purse or pockets it’s difficult to find the right ones. These coin holders (Affiliate link: Buy on Amazon) were helpful in keeping our coins organized.
Skip Packing Basic Toiletries (And Slippers)
Japanese hotels provide basic items like shampoo, conditioner, and body wash like you’d expect, but also things like toothbrushes with toothpaste and razors. If you aren’t picky about having certain brands you won’t need to pack them. All the Japanese hotels we stayed in had razors available in our room, but we had to request them at Tokyo Disney.
Tokyo Disney also provides pajamas during your stay which must be left in the room and a seemingly endless supply of slippers in small to medium adult (roughly up to size 10 mens) and smaller kid sizes.
Don’t Forget To Pack A Park Bag
Since we were in Japan for a week and a half before going to Disney Tokyo I needed a purse and also a small backpack. I recommend a packable backpack like our Gonex bags (Affililate link: Buy on Amazon) which hold a lot, but also take up very little space when folded.
A Totebag For Purchases
When purchasing items you’ll be asked if you want to buy a bag to carry them. We ordered a Nanoplus (Affiliate link: Buy on Amazon) which folded up tiny, but easily held all our purchases.
Complete Summer Disney Tokyo Packing List
Clothing/Accessories
I generally pack one outfit per day plus an extra pair of bottoms and two extra tops. Use this formula if you are okay packing large suitcases.
However, if you are traveling with minimal luggage in Japan, budget time and plan ahead to do some laundry. We were able to wash and dry several items in less than 90 minutes at a Kanazawa coin laundry.
- Shirts
- Shorts
- One pair of pants
- Lightweight dresses and bike shorts
- Socks
- Two pairs of comfortable shoes (one to wear and one packed)
- Raincoat
- Underwear/Bras
- Pajamas/Slippers (optional)
- Belts
- Sunglasses
- Glasses/Contact Lenses
- Ears/Hat
Toiletries
- Deodorant
- Sunscreen
- Lip balm
- Face wash/face cream
- Make up/make up remover
- Lotion
- Nail file/nail clipper
- Tweezers
- Brush/comb
- Hairspray
- Shave cream
- Curling iron/straightener (must be rated for Japan use)
- Ponytail holders/headbands/bobby pins
- Electric shaver
- Bug spray (we bring Avon Skin So Soft with Picardin wipes)
- Feminine hygiene
Optional Toiletries
- Toothbrush/toothpaste
- Shower gel
- Shampoo/conditioner
- Razor
Medications
- Prescription medications (check here for prohibited medications)
- Sea-bands for motion sickness
- Band-aids, Tylenol, Advil (no cough and cold meds containing pseudoephedrine)
Technology/Documents
- Phone/tablet/laptop chargers
- Powerbank
- Mobile phone with Disney Tokyo App and generous international data plan
- Passports
- International travel health insurance cards
Park Bag
- Coin holder/wallet
- Umbrella
- Matador Blanket
- Nanobag
- Battery pack
- Battery powered fan
- Insect repellent
Final Thoughts On Our Tokyo Disney Summer Packing List
Our group trip to Japan and Tokyo Disney was an incredible bucket list experience. Being flexible with the weather, having the right gear, and splurging on a Tokyo Disney Resort Vacation Package meant we were able to make wonderful memories and feel like we truly experienced the parks. I hope our Tokyo Disney Summer packing list prepares you for a trip of a lifetime.