I had an absolute wonderful time in Tokyo. It was a bucket list trip and one to remember and repeat.
However, I did not enjoy the planning of the trip. I participated in the trip as a part of the group. I found the organizer to be inflexible, provide inadequate communication, and did not deliver on certain things that were promised.
We had a group of 10, 3 were in GA and 7 were in DMV area. We were obligated to travel under one itinerary and there was zero flexibility given, we were only told we could book our own travel. This was frustrating, because zero help was offered and due to the travel distance/time and time zones we lost a day. Some people wanted to travel a day earlier. When a later inquiry was submitted, we were now looking at tickets that had doubled and tripled in price. We were asked if we wanted to pay the additional $7k each to make the changes. If the options were presented initially, we could have planned accordingly and took advantage of early booking pricing. There was also zero feedback given on flight options with the initial booking, if we wanted to upgrade seats, departure times, or airline preference/options. We paid our deposit and made monthly payments which was the best part of using the service, but never heard from the organizer until we reached out seeking further direction at the 30 day mark...I honestly was nervous that I would not have an actual seat on the plan until I arrived to the airport and my information was pulled up in the system. A major driver in me selecting a travel insurance plan, was the lack of communication from the organizer. I wanted to be covered in the event the organizer did not follow through. The overall process and communication style offered no reassurance that things were being handled.
At the 30 day mark, our group reached out to get details of the itinerary so we could confirm reservations, book other activities, and determine other opportunities with our down time to connect with local friends in the area. We had a meeting 16 days before departure that helped ease some anxiety, but the meeting would have been nice to have occurred closer to 45 days before the trip to allow for changes and to deliver the final schedule 30 days out in order to eliminate any and all anxiety. A draft of the schedule was sent, but nothing was finalized. Additionally, many things mentioned in the meeting were not delivered. For example were supposed to have a follow-up meeting, it never occurred. A recording of the meeting was promised to be sent, it was not. We discussed dinner options and more information was going to be sent about Sumo and Ninja dinners and it was not. This was one of the highlights for the children attending and there was no follow through. The only follow-through completed (and not well) was information on Disney land vs sea. The information was lost and we had to resubmit. The FINAL itinerary was sent 2-3 days before the trip. This is frustrating, unprofessional, and a display of poor planning for something that had been in the works for over 1 year.
When the final itinerary was sent it was different than what was sent prior to the meeting. Again, trying to plan excursions and activities is hard with no concrete plan. Upon reviewing the final schedule, we had to make changes on our end. Upon arrival, one of the days started later than advertised and caused a cancellation in plans we were preparing. Tickets for Disney were not delivered until the day before attending the park. The problem with this is that you needed to scan the tickets to better utilize the app, you can't easily scan the ticket if you were not able to print the ticket. So trying to figure out how to scan the ticket the night before was a bit of a challenge that could have been avoided. Again frustrating for something we have been planning for a year.
Our group remained nimble and adjusted well, but the planning could be improved drastically with earlier communication and delivering on the items promised. Overall we had a good experience, but with attention to the items above it could have been an amazing experience. Offering flexibility in flights should also be considered this given travelers the ability to maximize their time and take full advantage of the opportunity. While flying coach may work for some, preferred seating may work for others based on physical or medical needs. Even if a survey was provided to the group to ask preferences, the travelers would feel heard and considered during the planning process.
What did work: The payment plan, the second tour guide was amazing, ease of checking in at airport, Whats App group communication, and transportation. The meeting is VERY helpful, but needs to be held at least 45 days before to confirm activities, answer questions, and ease any anxiety. The ability to book own hotel, but assistance would be preferred to coordinate better with the group.