First family trip - help much appreciated

Hi. I have been to Japan a few times on business, so have a little amount of knowledge, but am now planning a trip with my family and finding myself getting quite confused. Trip will be in early-mid October (4th to 22nd) and my wife and I are travelling with our two daughters aged 11 and 6. Here is a rough outline of the trip so far:

- 4 to 9 October (Tokyo) - including a day trip to Kamakura (which I have done before and loved it) and hopefully Nikko, if I can convince everyone to the 4 hour round trip is worth it
- 10 to 12 October (TDL) - 3 days at the two parks. Plan is to stay at the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel, but the new booking system could make this an issue for me to secure the right room
- 13 to 15 October (Mt Fuji area) - probably the area I am struggling with the most. I have been to Hakone before and really enjoyed it, but was thinking about adding in something I haven't seen. Had been thinking about whether we go Tokyo to Kawaguchiko for 1 night and then transfer to Hakone for another night before progressing on the trip. Not sure if this is the best way to see the area
- 16 to 22 October - general plan to cover LEGOLAND in Nagoya, Universal Studios in Osaka and stay in Kyoto for a few nights

So the questions (and apologies in advance for the list but would really appreciate any advice people can give me):

1. Place to stay in Tokyo - My kids are too big to bed share, so we either need a 4-bedded room or connecting rooms. We do not want 2 separate rooms which do not connect. I have only ever stayed in Marunouchi area, so know this well and it seems to work for transport hub (including options for Nikko). Hotel Ryumeikan Tokyo seems to offer connecting rooms. However, I am wondering if I am missing out on the experience of staying at a place like Shinjuku or something less business like. Some other options I am considering are Keio Plaza, Hundred Stay, Mercure Hotel Ginza, Price Park Tower Hotel, Shibuya Excel Hotel Tokyu and Shiba Park Hotel. Interested in thoughts or any other suggestions
2. I understand that 9 October is a National Holiday (Sport Day I believe). We were going to TDL on this day, but have now changed to the next day. From experience would the Tuesday be viewed as a typical Tuesday, or could it still be more busy from the long weekend?
3. Recommendations on the Mt Fuji part of the trip, particularly noting the kids. I know they will enjoy the round course at Hakone, but not sure what else I should do there. Will it be too much to go TDL to Fuji Five Lakes (three hours) then next day bus to Hakone (min 2 hours) and then next day to Nagoya/Kyoto/Osaka and be able to see most of the sites at an ok pace? Am I better to base myself in Hakone and maybe rent a car? After three days at TDL I am not sure we will start that early, looking at bus schedules I am thinking we would get to Kawaguchiko around 1:30pm on the Friday and would probably leave Hakone around 3:30pm on the Sunday for train to Osaka (if that is where we go next). Advise and suggestions, including places to stay in this area, much appreciated
4. It seems LEGOLAND may only open 10am to 6pm. Thinking I might be able to do this as a day trip from Kyoto rather than stay in Nagoya. On the other hand, USJ in Osaka seems like it will be harder given opening hours and crowds which are talked about. Interested in any thoughts and comments around this. Other option would be Sunday and Monday nights in Nagoya (LEGOLAND Monday), followed by Tuesday and Wednesday nights in Osaka (USJ Wednesday) and then Kyoto Thursday to Sunday. Thinking three nights in Kyoto may not be enough, but we would get to see a bit of Nagoya and Osaka this way which might also be good
5. General question - is eating on trains ok? Thinking we may need to grab some food before some of the train trips (such as eat breakfast on way to Nikko). Can't recall if I have seen people eating on the trains before

Always happy to hear any other input people want to put out there based on their experience / knowledge and thanks in advance for responses.

1) Honestly I don't think your experience will vary much from one near-major-station-hotel to the next. I don't know if it's your cup if tea, but if I were in your situation I would look at Aribnb and getting a whole house/apartment. That'd be a more interesting experience and likely cheaper to boot. Downside is you might be a bit further from your nearest station, and that station may not be a major hub.

2&4) I was never a theme park person, so can't really help you with those.

3) Renting a car isn't a bad idea. You might also trim a day or two off this portion to add to your Kansai part of the itinerary, as 3 nights there is rather short as you observed in 4).

5) It's perfectly OK to eat on the intercity express trains (and there will often be little shops selling bentos on the platforms, which I heartily recommend,) but not OK on local trains. (Another way to look at it - if you have seat back tray tables, eat away.) So in your Nikko example, it'd be fine to eat breakfast on the shinkansen to Utusunomiya, but not on the local train from there to Nikko.

Hi,, A little bit of input. We've travelled as an extended family many times and have found getting an apartment much more economical and more real than a hotel, Check AirBNB and also VRBO which have a list of apartments that may be suitable. Most properties are fairly near a train line. The cost per head usually works out quite a lot less than hotels, especially needing two rooms. Other than that I have stayed at Hundred Stay on several occasions, and if you get a two bedded suite you will get two bathrooms. This place is near to both Yamonote Line (Shin-Okubo) and Chuo Line (Okubo) both easy walk. The Yamonote goes into Tokyo Station where you can connect to your Shinkansen.

Another option, since you mentioned Shiba Park Hotel, is Celestine Hotel, which has great discounts on booking.com if you book some distance out, and is a very nice hotel with good service. It is handy to Tamachi Stn also on Yamonote Line, only 4 stops from Tokyo Stn. Its also very near Mita Line and Asukusa Lines as well as walk to Oedo . Your children are of a good age to be able to walk, with their backpacks, and October is a nice month weatherwise.

Sorry no help with theme parks, but I would agree taking one of the hotels out Urayasu area would be more convenient. They have package deals for families.

Thanks very much for the responses. I had originally planned on using Airbnb as I agree an apartment would be excellent. However I understand there are some legality issues around this in Tokyo and have heard of some people experiencing issues, including last minute cancellations. This has made me nervous. If there are other short term rental options for an apartment I would be very keen to explore. I will also look into the other suggestions.

With Hundred Stay, what would be your comments around the standard of the apartments and also whether they are set up for tourists (for example English speaking - my Japanese is terrible).

If I was to base myself in Hakone for a couple of nights and hire a car, is it fairly easy to drive around as a non-local? Is parking ok? Would probably use it just for the one day to head out to the Five Lakes area and maybe check out the Outlet Mall. Also, any suggestions on a good family place to stay in Hakone? Would this be considered a better option than one night in each of Kawaguchiko and Hakone with a bus transit in between?

Thanks for the feedback on eating on the trains. This is very clear and should be easy enough for me to follow.

Interested in thoughts around the day trip to Nikko. It seems my options from Shinjuku are a 7:30 Ltd Express (2 hours) - really not sure if I can get the kids up and about for that - or else a 2.5 hour trip involving around 4 different trains. Otherwise we go from Tokyo and that looks like 8:08am by Shinkansen for just over 2 hours due to a long change-over at Utsunomiya. Third option seems to be get to Asakusa (Tobu) and then 2 hours from there. Are these the right options? Just wondering if I am missing a quicker way. It seems there is a shorter Shinkansen option (107 minutes), but leave at 9:40am, which I am thinking is too late.

Is Nikko easy enough to get around when you get there? I have only ever caught one bus in Japan and have to say there was some luck involved as I was not sure until I arrived at my destination that I had made it to the right spot.

Hi, we are off in 3 weeks for our first family trip too. After much research and debate about hotel vs b&b we decided on staying in a hotel for first week in Tokyo to settle in and have reception for all needs and enquiries. We found mystay premier hotel omori shinagawa. We chose this one as it had multiple room lay outs for families with enough beds in one room for your family. It was reasonably priced, has free shuttle services to and from both airports, and boasts good square footage room sizes for Japanese standards. A must when sharing room with kids :) and is close to stations for getting about. I will post again to let you know how it was. Cheers.

For accommodations in Tokyo try LiveInAsia (http://www.liveinasia.com). They specialize in short term vacation apartment rentals. They have properties in Nakano (about 5 minute train ride to Shinjuku) and Nishi-Ogikubo (about 12 minute train ride to Shinjuku) that have 2 and 3 bedroom apartments.

I've stayed at there Nishi-Ogikubo property several times, I love the neighbourhood. There is a supermarket right at the train station that you walk through on your way back to the apartment, very convenient. But you may find Nakano more convenient for getting around and your kids may enjoy the Nakano Broadway shopping mall that is loaded with manga and anime related stuff.

Parking shouldn't be a problem.

Without actually checking myself, your Nikko transit options sounds right. A car might be faster from a given start time since it gives you the ultimate flexibility, but that's not factoring in the time it would take to rent and return the vehicle.

It's been years since I last went to Nikko, but I don't recall it being particularly difficult to get around. Download yourself a tourist map of the area before you go and you'll be fine. If in doubt just follow all the other tourists around you ;)

Probably not necessary for Nikko, but here's my tip on using buses when you can't understand the language: watch your progress using GPS on Google Maps (don't need an internet connection if you pre-download the area) and signal to get off when you approach your destination. I relied on this extensively in rural Korea :)

@Macca74, Re HundredStay,... This complex used to belong to the worldwide chain of Apartment Hotels, Fraser Suites, but when Japan tightened up on its hotel/apartment rules, Fraser Suites moved on as owners. However, it's a very well decorated property, with everything you need for family living. Quite a few are rented to ex pat families. Check their own website hundredstay.com, for good photos. They have good english speakers on reception, and offer a basic breakfast room., gym, and very nearby convenience stores and supermarkets.

VRBO are a worldwide chain, Vacation Rentals By Owner, and every property I have rented, both in Japan (Tokyo & Kyoto) as well as Australia, USA, Hawaii, I have been very happy with the arrangements, and never had the booking canceled on me.

Thanks everyone for your advice thus far.

@Jus68 - look forward very much to hearing about your trip experience and any insights. Will definitely be checking out Hotel Mystay Omori Shinagawa given the Quad bed room which as you say does look like a reasonable size for a family and it appears I can actually book now for October which is not common given it is more than 6 months out. Price showing though for a Quad room is around 56,000 yen per night which is a bit higher than I was hoping.

@curious - Nakano property via liveinasia looks very interesting - a 2BR apartment for ~20,000yen per night is very attractive. Do need to think about whether being that far out is an issue for us, but really appreciate the option as it is definitely worth considering for the space and price.

@gfoulk - thanks for the ongoing feedback. Do you think a day trip from Hakone via car is going to enable us to get up to the Five Lakes area, look around and come back to Hakone at a reasonable pace? I know the bus take 2 hours each way, not sure how much this can be reduced by car.

@LoveJapan - HundredStays is definitely on the shortlist then. I will email them and see what I can find out around availability.

You really have been given some great advise and I learned a lot just reading these responses. Here's my two cents worth:
1. Consider the business hotels like Toyoko which are very reasonable and have up to four person rooms. I advise against airbnb as the Japanese government is cracking down on this industry. Staying within a fifteen minute walk of any big train station gives you all the maneuverability you need. I'd pick Shibuya so the girls can go take selfies with Hachiko.
2. I can't believe I am actually typing these words but, given that it's a family trip, the days with Disney are genius! And the crowds wont be appreciably worse on Sports Day; Japanese holidays often scare foreigners for no good reason.
3. Hakone; rent-a-car, pray for monkeys and, if they're hiding, Gotemba outlet Malls in FujiFive lakes. Whole area is manageable by car and it's not all that far from Odawaira where you'll rent a car back to Tokyo by train.
4. Nix to LEGO Nagoya; three thumbs up for Universal Osaka, probably the most interesting of all the Universals. Plus which, that extended days trip in the Osaka/Kyoto area gets you the chance to take the girls to SEGA land, shopping in some world-class department stores, your chance to sneak in some kid-palatable culture in Kyoto such as Inari shrine, the famous rock garden at Ryoanji, a stroll thru Gion where you should be able to spot (respectfully please) a Geiko or Maiko in full geisha outfit on her way to a dinner party. Also there are arcades and the Tower in or near the Kyoto station and lots of comfortable business hotels.
5. I would try to minimize eating on the train; don't even try on the local trains even if they say rapid or express in their names but between cities, buy the bento box meals in the stations and eat quietly and somewhat discreetly. No Egg McMuffins on the train. There are also plenty of snack foods available on train station kiosks and on the Shinkansen, there is a regular snack/drink trolley making the rounds for your noshing pleasure.
It is good that your itinerary shows an appreciation for how important child-friendly sites will be to your enjoyment of the vacation.

Thanks @johnnyman, that's very helpful information. On 5, you have hit the nail on the head. I was thinking about grabbing the kids some McDonalds before hitting the train to Nikko given how early it looks like we need to leave. Are you saying that even on the Shinkansen this would not be acceptable?

Interested in why you think no to LEGOLAND. My understanding is that it hasn't even opened yet, so waiting to hear reviews late April on what it is like. We have been to HK Disneyland and Singapore US, but haven't done a LEGOLAND yet which is why I was contemplating it.

I am going to draft up a bit more of a detailed overview of the proposed trip with all of this very helpful info and post it in a couple of days.