Confused about Transportation Passes

I will be staying in Hotel Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku for 7 days in Aug family of 5 all over the age of 12. We would like to keep our transporation cost low and take the most economical route from airport to hotel. For the most part we will be touring within tokyo and maybe taking a day trip to Disney Sea and Mt Fuji. Which transportation pass should I purchase? The PASMO, SUICA, NEX, Seishun 18 Ticket, JR East Pass (foreigners). Any suggestion for 7 itinerary would also be helpful. Thanks for any advice you can provide.

I recommend to purchase the NEX&Suica package at Narita Airport, use the Narita Express to get to your hotel in Shinjuku and then use the Suica cards to get around Tokyo.

If I arrive at Narita at about 6pm on a Sunday and is considering going to Shinjuku by taking the Keisei Limited Express to Nippori Station and transfer to the JR Yamanote Line as described by your website. Is it crowded during that time and is it ok to have 5 people carrying one lugguage each to go on the railway this way (as it is more economical)? Also which exit do I take from the Shinjuku station to get to the Sunroute Plaza Hotel? Thanks.

"Crowded" is a relative term, depends on your point of view I guess. It won't be as crowded as it will be Monday morning, but still...

5 people? Kids? Or adults who could find their way if seperated accidentally (it can happen). You will all be tired from a long flight I assume. I'd really be considering the Limousine Bus which will take you from the airport direct to your hotel door. You train idea might prove a few yen cheaper (not by much though), but if this is your first time to Japan, and you are really not that comfortable just yet... might be worth the bus in my opinion.

Then the next day, refreshed and relaxed, with no suitcases in tow, you can hit the trains and subways.

Also I'd consider Uji's suggestion too (even though different to mine): you are probably going to want a Suica pass for your time in Tokyo anyway, hence getting on the Narita Express, while normally the most expensive of all these options, might well turn out the cheapest when you factor in the "discount" you are getting by buying the pack.

Generally speaking, in Tokyo, weekends are always much calmer than weekdays. But as mentioned above: in comparison to other cities, even Tokyo's calm times can still seem like a minor rush hour.

Hotel Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku
http://www.sunroutehotel.jp/htok-eng/index.asp

: which exit do I take from the Shinjuku station to get to the Sunroute Plaza Hotel?

South Exit or Sothern Terrace Exit. I presume the latter will be better.
- From Yamanote Line's inner loop (Track 14): Going up via an escalator at the end in the direction of your train, you'll soon find Sothern Terrace Exit.
- From Narita Express (Track 5 or 6): Going up via an escalator and advancing to the left, you'll find Sothern Terrace Exit.
You can ask a station attendant how to get to Hotel Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku.
I guess a taxi will cost around 1,000 yen when the road is not crowded.

As to limousine:
Considering immigration procedures, your limousine will be the last one (for two hotels including Sunroute) which is scheduled to leave at 20:40 from a Bus Stop near Terminal 2 (North side). This limousine then stops at Terminal 2 (South side), Terminal 1 (South Wing) and Terminal 1 (North Wing) within 10 minutes. No reservation is required.

As to PASMO and Suica:
PASMO and Suica are compatible as to e-money systems for fare payment and for shopping.
Anyone of you can use either a PASMO card or a Suica card for a railroad fare between two stations in and around Tokyo within Suica-PASMO area. (One ride can include sections of 4 railroad operators.)
You are all over 12, so each of you can hold an unsigned Suica card for an adult.

As to Seishun 18:
Seishun 18 Kippu is a seasonal set of 5 one-day tickets. The ticket does not cover a fare or a charge for any ride on Express or Limited Express (including Shinkansen) trains. One ticket costs 2,300 yen at average.
Probably it's not so easy for one person to balance 2,300 yen in one day only by trips in Tokyo's urban area.

As to JR East Pass:
Judging from your plan, presumably you can do most of your travel with rides on trains which require fares only, so it's not a case where a JR-East Pass is economical.

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Thank you for your explaination of each pass. I am concerned about your statement about the taxi cost from the station to the Hotel Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku. Is it not within walking distance from the station after taking the Southern Terrace Exit? I thought it might be a 10min walk possibly?

The Hotel Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku is a few steps from the Southern Terrace Exit of JR Shinjuku Station.

: I thought it might be a 10min walk possibly?

Yes. For a person without heavy baggage it's about 5 to 10 min. walk from South Exit or Sothern Terrace Exit, I presume.
http://maps.google.co.jp/maps?q=35.689028,+139.700616&h...
Change the image to a satellite photo. Find a green arrow indicator on a street shown in this photo.
South Exit is to the upper right of this indicator, while Sothern Terrace Exit is to the lower left (though apparently it was still under construction in this photo). Around the left [west] end you can see large cross with pedestrian crossings.
Get out thorough one of the two exits, go west along the street until you reach the large cross, get across a road, turn left (to get across the street) and go south forward, then in several minutes you will see Hotel Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku on your right.

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So if I get the Nex & Suica package for 3500 yen, I could ride the Nex from Airport to Shinjuku for 1500 Yen. Couple of questions.
1. Is there a time limit to use the Nex? I'm wondering if I should save it for my trip to go back to the airport 7 days later?
2. I have now planned my itinerary for the week to include a day trip to Nikko, Disneyland, Yokahoma. The rest would be going to central Toyko, Rappongi Hill, Ginza and Odaiba & Tokyo Bay. Based on this itinerary, is the Nex & Suica pass still a good option and just refill as required? I'm just wondering if there is a better pass to accomodate Nikko, Disneyland and Yokahoma as there are 5 people (adult fee)?
Thanks.

1. Is there a time limit to use the Nex? I'm wondering if I should save it for my trip to go back to the airport 7 days later?

Unfortunately, the NEX portion of the NEX & Suica package can only be used for the travel "from" the airport.

2. I have now planned my itinerary for the week to include a day trip to Nikko, Disneyland, Yokahoma. ... Based on this itinerary, is the Nex & Suica pass still a good option and just refill as required?

Roppongi, Ginza, Odaiba, and Tokyo Bay are all in central Tokyo. Disneyland and Yokohama are within "commuting" distance, so using Nex & Suica package would be fine and also makes sense. For Nikko, you might want to consider either Tobu railway from Asakusa, or JR/Tobu limited express train from Shinjuku.

About trains to get to Nikko:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3805.html

About different passes for Nikko:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_002.html

:Is there a time limit to use the Nex?

A special N'EX ticket in the package is a one-day ticket, and is not valid any more after you exit JR-East network.
(The same applies to any "short-distance" regular fare ticket).
Because you will head straight to Shinjuku to stay overnight, for your Yokohama trip you can not use the N'EX ticket.
A Suica card can be used later in your travel.

:Based on this itinerary, is the Nex & Suica pass still a good option and just refill as required?

Excepting Nikko, I suppose you can move with a Suica card between JR Shinjuku Sta. and a station close to each of the spots, taking fare-only trains.
The one-way fare is estimated at within 800 yen. Recharge your Suica card before it falls short for your trip.

:there is a better pass to accomodate Nikko, Disneyland and Yokahoma as there are 5 people (adult fee)?

As to Tokyo Disney Resort, I think some hotels near or around it offer plans including its ticket(s) or pass(es).
Probably, such a plan doesn't give a discount to railroad fares or charges, but may make your cost lower than paying separately for a hotel and for the Resort.

The JR station closest to the Tokyo Disney Resort is Maihama Sta. on Keiyo Line.
From JR Shinjuku Sta., you can go via Odaiba area to Shin-Kiba Sta. and make a transfer to Keiyo Line. The section Shin-Kiba - Maihama is about 8-minute ride.

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