Would you take a 2 year old & 6 month old to Tokyo?

[Perplexed]

I'm brainstorming for an upcoming trip in December and can't get Tokyo out of my mind. There's so much I'd love to see and do there.

But I've heard that metro stations and such aren't very stroller friendly. Would we have to carry our double stroller a lot? Should that stop us? lol

I come from a warm climate and Tokyo's winter is cold. But the kids should be ok when dressed warmly enough? I mean I dunno why this is even an argument- it seems to come up when I ask family.

Would a 2 year old enjoy Disneyland?

How was your trip to Tokyo with your little ones? What did you do on the plane to keep them entertained? It's quite a long trip! We did 7-8 hrs before and I felt I couldn't wait to reach destination both times!

 

[mummytobe_93]

I personally wouldn't with mine but that's an individual preference. My 21 month old is a world wind. I wouldn't mind taking the baby but my toddler would be a nightmare.
I think it depends on how well you think they'll cope with flights. And yes I think the double stroller on the metro could be an issue. I think you could get on with a single and w baby carrier but I wouldn't with a double. I'm thinking London tube- how busy and rammed that gets.

In terms of Disneyland yes I think a 2 year old would enjoy it, they couldn't go on many rides though and I don't think they would really 'understand' it in terms of characters or Disney.

It's you choice though it you'll enjoy it and they will I wouldn't let it out you off. Or you could wait w few years? X

 

[flamingpanda]

Personally, no. Although I think I'll probably be in the minority. A lot of my mummy friends take their kids off to foreign climbs, for me it just sounds more like work than a holiday. Older kids, sure but when they will understand so little it just seems pointless to me (this is coming from someone, who like you, would love to visit Tokyo). I think I've just mentally signed off from "adult" holidays for the next few years... but hey, kids holidays can be fun too.

Just to explain my point of view a little more, we had the most wonderful family holiday earlier in the year. We booked a cabin in the forest for a week. The days were spent visiting local attractions, going on nature walks etc. Being self catering we were able to cook there if our toddler got cranky, or head out for a meal if not. The flexibility was just perfect. We didn't feel the need to keep our girl up late and being in the forest we could put her down to bed when she was ready and sit out on the terrace/in the hot tub with a drink under the stars. It was just the perfect blend in terms of child entertainment and adult relaxation. But everyone is different when it comes to holidays and I imagine this is a snoozefest for a lot of people.

In terms of Disneyland, I work for a travel operator. I know lots of people take toddlers and babies but personally I wouldn't. As mummytobe said there is very little they could go on. Of course there are parades, shows, the character breakfasts (if staying onsite) etc... but the actual rides and park would see very little action for the money you'd spend getting in. Put it this way, I have a free pass because of the job I do and can go when I like for free and we haven't been with our daughter yet because I don't think she would get enough out of it yet and that would restrict what we were able to do together as a family. I could just think of better places to take her for the cost.

 

[MindUtopia]

I think it depends on what you want to do while you're there. My husband and I have traveled lots and lived abroad (less so though since we had our daughter). She's 2.5 now and we tend to only go places where what we really want to do is stuff that's in the day time. Our 2 year old can stay up late if we need her to (if we make her nap during the day). But the sorts of things I'd personally want to do in Tokyo (restaurants and bars and cultural sites) would either be things best done in the evening or wouldn't be anything she'd appreciate (she wouldn't care about or be able to sit through a traditional tea ceremony). We've always wanted to go to Tokyo and we hope to some day, but having lived in Asia, we sort of know what we'd want to do there and it wouldn't be especially fun or worthwhile with a toddler or a baby in tow. That's just me personally. Right now, we're tending to travel places where the main attraction is something we can do during the day that involves enough activity to keep our daughter interested, and where we can retreat somewhere quiet at night, put her to bed and enjoy a relaxing night at home. If I had a choice to go anywhere, probably somewhere with lots of outdoor space and activities and good weather to enjoy them would be ideal (a beach?), and then privacy and outdoor space where we could sit outside in the evening, possibly even cook outside, and/or go for a swim and relax while our daughter sleeps. Something fun for her during the day, but also something relaxing for us in the evening. We tend to stay in houses rather than hotels (via Airbnb it's cheaper anyway), but I like being able to cook and to not be stuck all in a hotel room in the evenings. So that really could be anywhere, but that's what we're tending to look for in places we travel - something fun during the day and somewhere we can retreat to and relax alone in the evenings after bedtime. I think it really is up to what you need right now. I think Tokyo, as exciting as it seems, wouldn't fit the bill for us at the moment and I would feel like I couldn't get out of it what I'd like right now. We're saving it for when our kids are older and can appreciate it a bit more since it's a long journey and not a cheap one either. Wherever you go at that age, I wouldn't take a double stroller. I'd take something lightweight for your 2 year old and a wrap or carrier for your baby. If you have it, I'd also bring a toddler carrier for your toddler too, so you can go places that wouldn't be accessible otherwise. Things like temples and other monuments and things will have lots of stairs and there's also lots of great nature to be seen in Japan, again not easily accessible even with a single stroller.

 

[Perplexed]

You guys are right, thanks for putting things in perspective for me. Last trip we stayed at an apartment and there were way more of us so whenever some of us wanted to go to a museum, the others would take the kids. Restaurants were not always possible, and yes I do not think I would appreciate carrying strollers up stairs at Meiji shrine. The kids are too young to do any of things I'd want to do.

I guess I didn't want to come to terms with it but for the past few years I've been hoping that by some miracle I would wake up and find myself to be a tourist in Japan... and it is not the right time.

 

[Larkspur]

Seems like you've already decided but as someone who has been to Japan and is planning to take my kids when they're older, I think it's too soon.

Tokyo is quite full-on and although it's very safe, I think it would be really hard work with two small kids.

I also think the kids would have the time of their lives at Disneyland aged say 4&6 but would not get nearly as much out of it now.

I should add that Tokyo's winter can be bitterly cold. My brother and SIL (who is Japanese) take their kids there nearly every year and they have recently said they won't go in winter again as it is just too hard on the kids, who are used to a warm climate.

 

[staralfur]

I would probably wait a couple of years and go in the spring when all of the beautiful cherry blossoms are out! It's really spectacular and well worth planning specifically for that time of year IMO.

I don't think Tokyo would be too bad with your kids at the age they are now, there's lots of sightseeing to do on your own time and I think if you went in with a pretty relaxed approach and not making too many plans it could still be a pretty relaxing vacation. But if you have a lot of things on your list and you would have a busy itinerary then it might be extra stressful with kids that age. I think it would probably be a more fun trip if your kids were both old enough to take it all in too, you know? There's a lot of really cool stuff in Tokyo and I DEFINITELY want to take my LO at some point... I think I probably would even now at 3.5 because I think she'd appreciate a lot of stuff already, but I'm not sure she would have even at this point last year.

Disneyland is rad there too, so it'd be worth going I think if your kids got more out of it.