The Disney Ambassador Hotel is a deluxe Art Deco-themed hotel at Tokyo Disney Resort. It’s the first Disney Hotel to open at the resort on July 20, 2000. The hotel is connected to Ikspiari, which is Japan’s version of Downtown Disney. Here’s our review of the Disney Ambassador Hotel at Tokyo Disney Resort.

Costs

Rooms start at ¥39,100 (~$346 USD) per night for the Superior Room and get as high as ¥300,000 (~$2,658 USD) for Mickey’s Penthouse Suite. There’s also character-themed rooms for Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald, Chip ’n’ Dale, and Stitch, which start at ¥47,400 (~$420 USD ) per night.

This is the cheapest option for the deluxe Disney Hotels at Tokyo Disney Resort. The only cheaper option is the value hotel, Tokyo Disney Celebration Hotel.

Our review covers the Superior Room.

Getting There

The easiest way to get to the hotel is from Maihama Station. You can drop your bags off at the welcoming center (on the left when you are walking towards Ikspiari), and have them delivered to your room, which is perfect if you arrive before your check-in time of 3:00 PM. At the welcome center, you can also do your pre-check in and buy park tickets.

Follow the signs through Ikspiari until you reach the Disney Ambassador Hotel. You’ll enter through the side of the hotel and walk past all the restaurants. You can take a free shuttle from Tokyo Disneyland to the hotel, but you’re better off walking to the hotel when you first arrive at the station.

Hotel & Lobby

The lobby features a high ceiling with a beautiful — and huge — mural with Donald Duck and a variety of other Disney Characters in an airplane with skywriting saying “Disney Ambassador Hotel.” Right in the middle of the lobby is a statue of Mickey and Pluto. While over by the elevators is a large globe — with Mickey on the top — that has Mickey ear-shaped markers depicting where all the Disney Resorts are in the world (Shanghai Disneyland is also on there).

The hallway with the restaurants has a display with a variety of memorabilia from the history of Disneyland. It’s worth the look if you’re a Disney History buff.

My favourite spot is on the second floor, where there is a staircase to the left of the gift shop which leads to the wedding shop. Early in the morning or late at night, this area is completely deserted and is a brilliant place to relax, work, or read.

The outside of the Hotel is not all that thrilling and there are not many places to sit outside and enjoy. There are tables in the courtyard that connect you to Ikspiari (the patio for the Hyperion Lounge also faces the courtyard). Out of everything to love about this hotel, this is the one thing that fell flat for me. It’s a bit sterile and is just meant as a walkway between the hotel for people on their way to the parks.

Room

The room we stayed in was the Superior Room. While this is their cheapest option, the room itself is far from cheap. The beautiful Art Deco theme is perfected throughout the entire room, from the trim to the curves on the counter. Our view from our room was of the Maihama Amphitheater, with a distant view of Tokyo DisneySea.

They offer character room for Mickey, Stitch, and Chip ‘n’ Dale too! Learn how to book these rooms with our Hotel Room Booking Guide.

The room itself was spotless and picture perfect (which is one of the many reasons why Disney Hotels are top-notch). Our room had two double beds, a large couch, and a table. Even with all that, the room still felt spacious and not cramped in the slightest.

The beds were soft, but not too soft. Beds in Japan (and many places throughout Asia) are a bit more firm than in the West. Which, for me, meant the bed was more than comfortable and I had a restful night’s sleep. The couch was a comfy place to sit and relax. I prefer this than sitting on the bed.

The room came with pajamas, slippers, Disney Ambassador shopping bag, various toiletries (toothbrush, razor, shampoo, body wash, and soap), instant coffee, bottled water, and green tea. The only thing you didn’t get to keep were the PJs; everything else you could take home with you. They do have a mini-fridge, but the items in there are not free (except the bottled water). The fridge is big enough to hold small food items.

On the table was a variety of informational items about the hotel. Inside were free postcards to take home. During our stay, they were Frozen Fantasy-themed.

The toilet and shower are in separate rooms (this is common in Japan) and are opposite of each other with the sink in between. There is a large sliding door for privacy. The toilet is the Japanese washlet style (which has no English on it). I recommend giving it a try, as it’ll change your life (seriously, it’s hard to go back to a normal toilet afterward).

The shower room is spacious and continues the Art Deco theme. In typical Japanese style, you shower first then have your bath afterward. There is a white stool to sit down and wash if you prefer. I never use this and just stand how I would in a western shower.

There’s a small rack outside the shower room for you to lay your towel, clothes, etc, so they don’t get wet or have to lay on the floor.

Watch our video below and I explain what all the buttons do.

Free Wifi

The hotel has free wifi for guests. The password is found in a menu on the TV. Our room tour video shows you exactly how to do this (above).

Restaurants & Lounge

The Disney Ambassador Hotel offers four restaurants — you read that right, four — for you to choose from. The Empire Grill (Californian Cuisine), Hana (Japanese Cuisine), Tick Tock Diner (Deli Cafe), and Chef Mickey (character dining). If that wasn’t enough, there is the Hyperion Lounge, too!

Chef Mickey is an excellent option to start off your day (breakfast is only for guests at the Disney Ambassador Hotel and requires advanced reservations). The breakfast is between 7 AM and 9:30 AM, which offers both Western and Japanese food. Also, just like all the other Chef Mickey restaurants, it features characters to interact with during your meal. For more, read our full review.

The Tick Tock Diner has sandwiches and sweet bread if you want a light meal. The gigantic sweet bread changes every season, and is popular and known to sell out before the day is over. So if you want to give it a try, get there early!

The Hyperion Lounge is a great place to wind down after a day at the parks. It’s right in the main lobby and doesn’t require a reservation. They offer a variety of seasonal desserts, cocktails, and coffee. The seasonal items are always on display at the front.

Both the Empire Grill and Hana are table service restaurants and need advanced reservations. Our complete dining guide tells you how to do this. Since you’re a hotel guest, you have the ability to make a reservation right on the website in English or make it when you arrive at the hotel.

Amenities

If you forgot to buy something at the park or don’t want to deal with the crowds, then the Festival Disney gift shop has a large choice of items from both Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. While they don’t carry everything (Duffy merchandise isn’t available here), it has more than enough that you should be able to find what you’re looking for.

Disney Ambassador Hotel specific merchandise is available here, which includes plush key chains, key chains, and a pass holder (there’s a medallion machine just outside). Also, a special customizable tote bag is available for only guests of the hotel at a cost of ¥6,900 (~$65 USD). You can ask a Cast Member to help you with that.

Sunset Sundries is a 24-hour convenience store that carries everything you need from coffee, toiletries, batteries, to fresh food. It’s like having your own personal 7-11 right at the hotel. This is a perfect place to pick up snacks if you want to save money.

In the summer months, the Palm Garden Pool is open for guests. Our stay was in the winter, so we never got to take a dip in the pool.

There is a free shuttle bus (Disney Resort Cruiser) to both Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea if you prefer to ride. However, you can walk to Tokyo DisneySea or Tokyo Disneyland in about 10 minutes. It’s a good option to have if you have little ones with you and don’t want to walk after a long day at the parks.

The Good & Bad

There’s a lot to love about this hotel and things that are less than stellar.

Good

• The cheapest of the Deluxe Disney Hotels
• The Art Deco theme is beautiful
• Four restaurants, a lounge, and a convenience store make sure you never go hungry
• Fantasy Gifts offers select merchandise from both parks
• Connected to Ikspiari, which has tons of other restaurants (Starbucks, Guzman Y Gomez, T.G.I. Fridays), Disney Store, movie theater, and a grocery store
• Happy 15 Early Entry
• The only Disney Hotel that offers character dining in one of its restaurants (Chef Mickey)
• The rooms are clean, beautiful, and are what is expected of a Deluxe Disney Hotel

Bad

• You don’t receive a complimentary monorail pass compared to the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel and Hotel MiraCosta
• The outside is a bit sterile and the courtyard is not that comfortable
• The views from the rooms can’t compare to the other Deluxe Hotels
• If you’re over the Art Deco style, then you may find the theming a bit boring
• The Japanese washlet or TV remote do not have English on them
• In-between both the parks and isn’t as fast to get to compared to the other two Deluxe Hotels

Verdict

The beautiful Disney Ambassador Hotel takes the Art Deco style and runs with it, which isn’t a bad thing. The hotel is beautiful, immaculate, and well-maintained. If you don’t mind being a little farther away from the parks (it’s nowhere near as bad as the Tokyo Disney Celebration Hotel), then the lower price tag for this Deluxe Hotel is worth it.

Start planning your trip to Tokyo Disneyland with our Ultimate Guide to Tokyo Disney Resort. It covers everything from tickets, hotels, and how to score discounts!

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Review Summary

By

Chris Nilghe

Review Date

2017-02-28

Reviewed Item

Disney Ambassador Hotel

Rating

4