Speed traveling: Kansai in five days or less!

After a series of "speed traveling" posts, I thought I would attempt to (theoretically) condense our 9-day Kansai trip with toddler in tow, to a much shorter version for the solo traveler (or those traveling without little ones).

Here's how to see the best of Kansai in half the time needed compared with what we did. For the details of each sight, check out the specifics in my "Kid in Kansai" series.

Day 1: Kuromon Market (lunch), Osaka Castle, either Shitennoji or Sumiyoshi Taisha, Dotonbori (dinner). Overnight in Osaka.

Day 2: Himeji and Kobe (or replace with Universal Studios in Osaka). Overnight in Osaka. Check out of Osaka hotel the next morning.

Day 3: Nara half-day (leave luggage at the station locker), then onward to Kyoto (Arashiyama, Tenryuji, Bamboo Grove, Kinkakuji). Overnight in Kyoto.

Day 4: East Kyoto (including Kiyomizudera, Sannenzakai, Ninenzakai, Ishibe Koji, Maruyama Park, Shoren-In, Chion-In, Nanzenji, Path of Philosophy, Ginkakuji). Then Pontocho and Gion in the evening. Overnight in Kyoto.

The lovely Ishibe Koji

Day 5: Fushimi Inari, Uji (if you like green tea), then back to Nijo Castle and some shopping at the Kyoto Station area thereafter. Take a night flight out, or overnight in Kyoto.

It's possible! :)

Speed traveling: Anaheim Disneyland in five hours or less!

And while I'm in the mood of speeding through Disneyland, here's a tip on whizzing through Anaheim Disneyland... the original home of Mickey Mouse!

Unlike Tokyo Disneyland, Anaheim doesn't have an After 6 passport, but the good thing is, the park remains open till midnight during summer hours.

I was there from 6.30pm to 11.30pm (couldn't go earlier for various reasons), but still managed to see what I set out to do. And because there is no special After 6 passport, the crowds are just everywhere, sadly so.

In terms of chronology, I went to the Anaheim one about half a year before I went to the Tokyo one, which explains why I was more precise in what I wanted to see in Tokyo.

Here goes:

1. Jungle Cruise (Adventureland): 6.45pm - 7.35pm
This is the first "major" ride as you exit left of Main Street (the shopping street). Be prepared to wait. The queues look deceptively short thanks to hidden winding lanes and clever queue designs. But yes, wait you must, and wait a long time. Thankfully, the queue keeps moving, so you don't feel like you want to dive into the river to escape.

2. Pirates of the Caribbean (Adventureland): 7.45pm - 8.35pm
Very close by to Jungle Cruise, so this is the natural next stop as you move in a westerly direction. Be prepared to wait again, but not as bad as Jungle Cruise.

3. Haunted Mansion (New Orleans Square): 8.45pm - 9.30pm
Move in a westerly direction from Pirates to the home of 999 ghosts.

4. Fireworks (Fantasyland): 10pm - 10.30pm
The whole of Fantasyland will be closed about 20 or 30 mins before the fireworks show, and re-opened about 15 mins after that for safety reasons, as the fireworks are situated in the castle area. You can take the time to visit other hot spots like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad or the likes of it, but I took the time to do some shopping at Main Street instead, since the best view of the fireworks was at Main Street.

5. Snow White's Dark Adventures (Fantasyland): 10.30pm - 10.45pm
Once the fireworks subside, the crew will progressively re-open the Fantasyland rides. As It's A Small World wasn't ready, I went to Snow White first. This is definitely one of my favourite fairytale rides as it has a number of dark elements to it (the witch at the mirror was definitely scary!)

6. It's A Small World (Fantasyland): 10.50pm - 11.10pm
On to my favourite ride with the "can't get you out of my head" song.

7. Pinocchio's Dark Journey (Fantasyland): 11.10pm - 11.30pm
The last ride before some additional shopping!

So the tally is...
Anaheim: 6 rides, 1 show, 2 shopping sprees in 5 hours
Tokyo: 6 rides (since I was on Small World Twice), 1 show, 1 glimpse of a show, 1 shopping spree in 4 hours

Maybe one day I'll try Disneyworld in six hours! By the way, regarding the Hong Kong one, it's really small compared to the others, so you can easily finish everything in four or five hours... no need for any speedy traveling :)

Speed traveling: Tokyo Disneyland in four hours or less!

I am a big fan of Disneyland thanks to various experiences with it as a child, and have been able to visit all the Disneyland / Disneyworld resorts except for the one in Paris (which for some reason, I have no strong desire to do so) and Disneysea in Tokyo (as I prefer the traditional Disneyland).

While Disneyland should be enjoyed by making use of a full day, the After 6 passport, offered in the Tokyo Disneyland / Disneysea resorts, is a great way to see the main attractions on a ticket that is 60% of that of the full-priced one. The downside is of course, you only have 4 hours in the park at most, from 6pm till closing time at 10pm.

But it's completely doable, provided you have already been to a Disneyland resort and been through it for a full day at least once (either Anaheim, Florida or Tokyo - not the Hong Kong one). The trick is, you need to know which rides you want to go for, and which to prioritise.

One thing you need to know... the After 6 passport is popular! When I got to the gates five minutes before 6pm, there was already a huge crowd waiting for the clock to strike 6 and the gates to open. But thankfully, the crowds were moved in very quickly.

Tokyo Disneyland is laid out fairly similarly to the Anaheim one, so that's good to remember when you are rushing for time and don't have time to consult the park map (except for the Haunted Mansion which is situated at Fantasyland for some reason in Tokyo).

Here's my route to see the main attractions. All times indicated below include waiting time but not the time walking between attractions. Oh and don't forget to buy your ticket online in advance to save time.

1. Pirates of the Caribbean (Adventureland): 6pm - 6.30pm
After you get pass the gate and long row of shops in the area known as "World Bazaar", head left and charge towards this classic ride. It should be the first ride you see after you head left from World Bazaar. When I was there, the queue was reasonably short, perhaps because the 6pm crowd just started to come in (and the people with the full-day pass should have finished this ride long ago earlier in the day. Based on this logic, you should run for your biggest priority ride first once you get in at 6pm). One interesting thing is (for people who hate "heights" of any kind, like me), the Tokyo version of Pirates only has one "waterfall slope" instead of two like Anaheim.

2. Haunted Mansion (Fantasyland): 6.40pm - 7.20pm
The queues would have started to build up by now, and the logical "route" would have been to go on to Jungle Cruise, which is also within Adventureland, rather than to head up north towards Haunted Mansion. But there are two good reasons. Firstly, Jungle Cruise tends to have a longer waiting line. Second, by the time you are done with Haunted Mansion, you have just the right amount of time to come out and secure a nice spot for the Nighttime Parade (7.30pm), which passes by the front of the Haunted Mansion.  

3. Nighttime Parade: Electrical Parade Dreamlights (Fantasyland): 7.30pm - 7.45pm
Do not miss this parade... it is truly spectacular! Mickey, Minnie and many Disney characters come out on trains, horses, floats etc, all lit up in hundreds of thousands of lights!

Now here's a trick. DO NOT stay until the parade is entirely over. It's ok, since after a while, you would have seen enough. Instead, run over to It's A Small World, which is usually packed.

Tokyo Disney Electrical Parade

4. It's A Small World  (Fantasyland): 7.50pm - 8.20pm
Some adults will refuse to go in because they cannot get the song out of their heads after that. For me, this is one of my favourite rides as a small child... and still remains so. It makes me happy seeing the little children (dolls) of the world sing and dance a happy tune. It's almost a way of "escaping" the real world of strife, poverty, war, ethnic persecution and being transported into a utopian and childishly naive, but happy, world. Anyway, at this point, people are still finishing up the Electrical Parade, so there should be no queues. I tried this trick and managed to take this ride not once but TWICE in succession... without queuing up either time!

5. Peter Pan (Fantasyland): 8.20pm - 9pm
It's on to another nice ride. As I explained, I don't like heights, so none of the roller-coasters / drop-from-the-high-heavens type of rides for me please. At Peter Pan, the number of people queuing is not long, but the waiting time is long because each car can only take 2 at a go, compared to some other rides which can take more. Oh and yes, the Peter Pan ride takes you "flying" over the city of London, but the heights here are still manageable as there is no sudden drop.

6. Once Upon a Time (Fantasyland): Starts at 8.50pm, but I was there at 9.10pm
Now, it's time to head back for some fun. But not before we catch a quick glimpse of the light projection show at Cinderella's castle, showing scenes from beloved Disney cartoons projected against the castle, set to the Disney tunes.

7. Jungle Cruise (Adventureland): 9.15pm - 9.40pm
Now, the crowds should have thinned pretty much. You can use this time to go to your favourite adventure rides like Splash Mountain (Critter Country), Big Thunder Mountain (Westernland) or Jungle Cruise (Adventureland). I chose the last-mentioned as it was a childhood favourite. The waiting time was only 15 mins now, compared to if I had taken it after Pirates... which would have been 50 minutes!

I finished the above at about 9.40pm, giving me some extra time to grab some snacks and decide whether to try one more ride. In the end, I decided to hit the shops instead, thinking I would need at least 20 minutes. The good thing was... the shops at World Bazaar don't really close at 10pm if there are customers already in the shop by 10pm. I finished shopping and left at about 10.20pm.

So there's my 4-hour whirlwind visit to Tokyo Disneyland!

Some tips to remember if you are using an After 6 passport:

• Before you go, identify which rides you want to go for, and among those, which are the must-go and which are the nice-to-go
• When the gates open at 6pm, go straight to the ride of your topmost priority. The crowds will be the least now, because the 6pm crowd has just come in, and the full-day passport folks would have long finished that ride earlier in the day, especially if it's one of the popular ones
• Watch most of the Electrical Parade, but LEAVE before it finishes. The crowds at so-called popular rides would have thinned out as everyone is watching the parade, so go and take your 2nd biggest priority ride now if you couldn't do it earlier
• Skip the Once Upon A Time light projection show if you're not super keen on it. I only took a quick glimpse as it wasn't as spectacular as the Electrical Parade. Use this time to go for super popular rides, as the waiting time would be way less

Tokyo Disneyland can be reached by subway (Maihama station). Upon exiting the station, do not worry about getting lost. Simply follow the crowds and walk - you'll reach the Disneyland entrance between 7 to 10 mins later.

For tips on how to get through Anaheim Disnelyand in five hours, click here!

Speed traveling: Seeing London in 2 days or less!

London is one of the "great" cities which should be enjoyed slowly. But sometimes, time is just too tight and if you just have one or two days, is it possible to see London's main sights?

Yes, absolutely. Here is my tried-and-tested itinerary for those short on time.

Day 1
7am - 9am: Airport to hotel
Assuming you land at Heathrow, take the Heathrow Express` which stops at Paddington in a short 15-minute ride (trains depart every 15 minutes... and there is free wifi onboard!). From Paddington, take another train to your hotel as needed. I highly recommend the Amba Hotel Charing Cross, which is on the Bakerloo and Northern lines; Bakerloo is a line serving Paddington as well. The service is fantastic, the rooms are good with complimentary minibar, wifi and iPad use. Best of all, of the two times I stayed there, they allowed me an early check in at 7.30am and 8.30am. How many hotels actually let you do that? This hotel also has great reviews online, and the cost is not exorbitant. Plus, the location is very good and of walking distance to Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and Covent Garden.

9am - 11am: Westminster area
Take the Tube to Westminster and visit the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. The Eye of London can also be seen from this area for a nice photo opportunity. 10 Downing Street is also nearby. Walk (15 mins or so) from here to Buckingham Palace, stopping before / after at St James Park for a quick stroll. Do note that the changing of guards at Buckingham Palace takes place at 11.30am, so if you do want to see that, you can change the timings a bit. There is also a nice shop at the Buckingham Palace that sells souvenirs and stuff.

Westminster area: (Clockwise from top left) Big Ben and the London Eye in the distance, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, 10 Downing Street and flowers in St James' Park.

11am - 1pm: Tower of London area
Next, hop on to the trusty Tube once again and alight at Tower Hill station to see the Tower of London. Since this is a whirlwind tour of London, you need to decide which ones you want to go in and see, and which are just a photo stop. I didn't go in, choosing to move on to Tower Bridge. From Tower Bridge, you can see the "famous" but ugly London Bridge to your right and wonder what all the fuss is about. Tower Bridge is much more beautiful! You can also see more modern designs like the Shard.

Stop for lunch at the Borough Market. I had a very lovely burger there (not quite British food maybe, but nonetheless, delicious).

Tower Hill area: (Clockwise from top left) Tower Bridge, view of the Shard and London Bridge in the distance, burger at Borough Market, Tower of London

1pm - 2pm: St Paul's Cathedral
Take the Tube to St Paul's for some nice photos of Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece.

2pm - 5pm (or however long you need): Shopping
Time for some shopping. Take the Tube to Oxford Street to check out Selfridges and Marks & Spencer. The Marble Arch is also in the middle of nowhere. Then move on to Knightsbridge, home of the infamous Harrods. You might want to stop at Hyde Park and check out the tranquil Serpentine before that, assuming you are not bogged down with too many shopping bags.

Top: Serpentine at Hyde Park; Bottom: St Paul's Cathedral

Dinner can be had at Harrods' Food Hall (caviar and champagne, grilled meats, seafood!) or restaurants. 

Dinner: Piccadilly, Leicester Square, Covent Garden
If not, there are many pubs that serve decent pub grub (pies, fish and chips) around Leicester Square and Covent Garden. Check out the small little statue of Eros at Piccadilly too. Covent Garden market is pretty cool, with shops such as Whittard of Chelsea, Laduree, Chanel etc there. 

Sleep at a decent hour tonight, assuming jet-lag is hitting on. Remember to take some photos at the impressive Trafalgar Square, which is just a minute away from the Amba Hotel Charing Cross.

Day 2
8.30am - 9.30am: Breakfast at Cafe in the Crypt, just a couple of minutes from the hotel on foot. The food is nothing to shout about, but it is housed in the Crypt of St-Martins-in-the-Fields, so you can eat over tombstones. The church is also quite pretty.

9.30am - 11.30am: Make your way by Tube to the British Museum. It opens at 10am and the best thing is... it's free though you are encouraged to make a five-pound donation. That is pretty amazing as the museum is huge and has really good artefacts. It is one of my favourite museums in the world, along with Louvre and The New York Metropolitan Museum.

British Museum

11.30am - 12.30pm: Diagonally opposite (and a few more doors down) the museum entrance is Tea and Tattle. A little bookshop is on the ground floor but when you go down the little stairs, you'll find a quaint little tea room serving sandwiches, scones, cakes and tea. As the British love to say... "lovely!"... or "perfect!"... or "brilliant!". Yes, it's morning and perhaps not quite time for "afternoon tea", but who cares? The food is the same and I am happy to eat "afternoon tea" food at anytime of the day. Also, it's better to visit the British Museum in the morning where the crowds are less, so for convenience sake, you might want to just have your "afternoon tea" at Tea and Tattle at whatever time you finish at the museum. Beware though - the food is extremely filling even though it's "tea nibbles". After eating the scone, i could only finish half the Victorian sponge.

A spot of traditional English tea at Tea & Tattle to refresh yourself after a visit to the British Museum

12.30pm - 2pm: If you are a Sherlock fan, then it's on to Baker Street next and to call on the "world's most famous detective" at 221B Baker Street (Sherlock Holmes Museum). For 10 pounds, you can go up to his "house" and see his study, rooms etc. The shop downstairs is pretty cool as well. Don't forget to check out Sherlock's statue at the entrance of the Baker Street station.

Sherlock Holmes statue at Baker Street station

2pm - 3.30pm: If shopping is your thing, don't forget to check out the Camden Lock Market with its grungy, edgy, 3D billboards and never-ending rows of shops. Perhaps more for youngsters, but still worth taking a look. Don't forget to bargain!

Bargain when you're at Camden Lock Market!

Do whatever else you wish for the rest of the afternoon (the title of the post did say two days or less!) but you might want to catch a musical at the West End area. The theatres are usually around the Piccadilly, Leicester Square and Covent Garden areas, all easily walkable from the Amba Hotel. Here is a good online listing of what's available, complete with reviews and seating plans.

Also, here's a link which is helpful to find out which Tube stations are nearest to the sights you want to go.

Have fun!