I'm Danielle, your resident "points girl" teaching you how to maximize your credit card points and miles as well as providing travel vlogs, business and first class flight reviews, and lifestyle content here in New York City!
I could watch a hundred different versions of the Main Street Electrical Parade in a hundred different Disney parks and hear the theme song a hundred THOUSAND times and never get sick of it. 😍 And that Baymax Curry was something else! I actually thought it looked pretty tasty, regardless of Baymax's atypical bust lol sorry to hear that it was a little underwhelming. I've heard that it's difficult to plan your day at Tokyo Disneyland because there are so many lottery systems in place and you never know what you're going to get, on top of all the crowds and the long queues. You always seem to have a great day there when you go, though, so maybe it just depends on how adaptable you are 😉 Great video, thanks for taking us along for your evening in the park!
Absolute bucket list resort stay! 😍 I'm still unnerved by the concept of a 'wet room' because water outside of the confines of an American shower structure always make me feel like I'm coloring outside the lines and making a mess. Something I'll have to get used to if/when traveling in Asia haha but as bathrooms go, this one is absolutely gorgeous. Love the little tea table and the trundle (couch) carveout, too! Honestly surprised that $581 was the cost per night, I'd have expected $800 at rack rates knowing Disney's typical price structure. Not _that_ hard of a pillow to swallow relative to all the pillows we've swallowed before 😜The view is incredible and the monorail pass is a neat souvenir in addition to being a great transportation perk. Agree with your analysis that the hotel is the spiritual sibling of the Crystal Palace. I'm not sure how many (more) vlogs we can expect from your visit to Tokyo Disneyland, but we're so very excited for each and every one of them! Thanks so much for sharing! ✨
Disney transportation is always such a vibe unto itself 😍 I think it's quite clear that TDL has the best monorail by far, though! Best views, sleekest design and best sound loops too. Kind of neat that you're able to see so much of the backstage areas! Can't wait to visit someday. Thanks for sharing, Danielle! ✨
Just found your channel and subscribed! If I get Hilton diamond status through the card but book my rooms through chase travel portal with CSR card can I still get access to the breakfast/lounge you think? Or only if booked with that card or with hilton points directly? We're a family of 8 visiting late spring 2025 and leaning towards 6 nights at hilton tokyo bay. Flights there booked premium economy JAL through BA with amex points and return kix-icn for a couple nights then home with amex mr transferred to VA. Thanks!
Welcome! You should be able to - what matters here is your level in Hilton! You won't be able to earn points on the stay booked through the travel portal but you can still apply the benefits you already have. That sounds like an amazing trip!
Talk about a timely video. We're checking into the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel in a week! And then the next night at MiraCosta for a vacation package. It's definitely expensive, especially as points people. Luckily most of the rest of our trip will be on points.
Hi, fellow points person! Loving that this was timely for you! I think both hotels are really beautiful and unique in their own ways. Jealous you'll get to see the Fantasy Springs expansion - I haven't been yet! Have an amazing time.
I love how RU-vid always has a video for the most niche issue like this one that I’m encountering! I just booked a business award flight for Japan Airlines with Cathay Pacific Asia Miles and was confused on how to select a seat. Thank you so much!!!
Day use umbrellas is quite possibly the greatest amenity I have ever heard of, Hilton or otherwise 😍 How many times have I forgotten an umbrella on a day when it's expected to pour haha but honestly, the whole hotel looks pretty spectacular! Was that an Ube donut we saw there at 6:54? Amazing to hear that they also have a direct indoor passage to the train, too. I know you mentioned a few stray negatives, but I will say that I'm so used to RU-vidrs putting "HONEST" in the title of their video as a clever way of broadcasting that they absolutely hated the experience....I totally expected you to say that you hated your stay! Glad that you had a largely glowing review to offer, especially for how much you _didn't_ pay for your room. We are always floored by how many points you've got saved up to leverage for these whirlwind trips! It takes us years to rack up enough points for a free stay at a Hampton Inn. 😂 Great video, as always!
So much more fun to hunt for Cherry Blossoms in their original biome. 😍 We have people that travel far and wide to see the Cherry Blossoms in D.C. each year, but Tokyo puts the whole Northeastern US to shame. You have a gorgeous view in literally every direction! Hanami is a really fun tradition, and I adore that they have a singular word for just about every traditional practice (i.e., "ceremonial picnicking to celebrate the blossoms" becomes 'Hanami'). The food at the Roastery looked worlds better than anything we have in our domestic coffee shops, too. If I were walking 20k steps in a day, I'd definitely say that I earned myself a Sakura Milk cupcake 😉 I gather that this footage and the trip was from quite awhile ago, but I'm glad that you had such a wonderful trip! Glad 7-11 came in clutch where McDonald's let you down haha ✨
This was booked last March! I am planning on doing an updated "how to book business & first class travel to japan" video so I will definitely research this!
I guess it's because of the price/value differential! For instance, you don't get pajamas in business class! But it was cool to be able to compare the differences!
What would you have chosen each morning - Executive Lounge breakfast (exclusive with a great view) or the breakfast buffet downstairs at the Marble Lounge (way more options and table service)?
We've had some rough layovers and/or plane changes in O'Hare, but it seems like it's a much more pleasurable experience from inside the Polaris lounge 😉 Smart play taking the unofficial build-your-own-mimosa kit for your pre-flight beverage(s). The in-flight meals would definitely resonate with Katie, she loves Ahi anything! Cute transition for the pajama change, too. The plant-based ramen actually looked super tasty! I'm going to be honest, there is no amenity on land, sea or sky that would justify a $16,000 price tag for me, but that's if we're talking about actual dollars and cents. The fact that you were able to get it down to less than $400 and run the rest of the show on points....hail to the queen 🙌 haha great video, and great review!
Thank you all so much! It was definitely a nice experience to wait for my flight in the Polaris lounge! And I definitely wouldn't spent $16k either, but luckily I have this cool hobby 😉
Love the channel, I have a question how do you deal with turbulence and not be so nervous on a flight. I have been on an airplane many times but I'm always scared. I eventually want to get over my fear and be able to fly overseas like you have
Thank you so much! Turbulence can be tough, but I always remind myself that flight incidents are extremely, extremely rare for how many flights go around the world daily, and that the pilots flying my plane have been trained well! I wish you luck in managing your fear!
It's so great to be watching your flight reviews again! I always wondered if you could take both the oj & champagne on arrival to make a pre-flight mimosa- noted!! Another great vid and the service looked amazing :)
Thanks for watching and let me know what you think! Did you love the Polaris lounge as much as I did? Would you have gone for the International menu or the Japanese? What about that seat?!
I swear, you could be the world's most effective travel agent! 😉 Much of this is greek to inexperienced travelers, and I'm only _just_ starting to get the loosest possible grasp on how each of these rewards, points and miles programs works. But if you really know how to math out the miles and wait for the promotions, you can get anywhere in the world in style for less. Someday we will put all of your tips and tricks to work for us and get to Japan and back for $35. It will not be soon, but it will be glorious! haha thanks for sharing this with everyone! ✨
She's baaaaaaack! 😉 haha listen, there's no age too young to have a mid-life, quarter-life or eighth-life crisis and sometimes breaks from content creation are mission critical. I wholeheartedly believe that content creators can only do what they do effectively and longterm if they are _truly_ passionate about it, and if you ever hit a point where your passion is waning, it's time to stop, retool and figure out what your trajectory is. That said, we love your content and we're _so_ happy that you're excited enough to start posting here again. It's been fun to follow along with your social media updates over the past year, and we can't wait to follow along with your vlogs from 'the vault' too! Welcome back! ✨
As a long time AS Loyalist.. JAL J class awards are nearly non-existent originating from the US. You can try the 2 main strats online which are being flexible and booking a few weeks out from expected flight (can be a hit or miss) or staying up at midnight and searching 330 days out when the new awards flights hit but they are mostly just for PE at 50k points 1-way which isn't bad. The only way i see making this working right now is either a reposition flight outside the country (which you shown) which costs money out of pocket if you're based in the US which is likely the case. It's pretty hard to find them, JAL knows everyone wants to fly to Japan right now and are willing to hold off J class inventory in most cases since there are flyers willing to pay cash for them. With the recent AS devaluation as mentioned, plus the many DL loyalists making the switch, and the Bilt partnership - this program is not as strong as a year ago. Luckily i did get my JL J flights earlier in the years.. but it's hard to do the same once again.
** Make sure to read this! ** Hi, everyone! In diving deeper into this deal, I realize I didn’t read enough into the fine print - these bonuses are only available *on transfers up to 50,000 Bilt points*. Therefore, the updated totals are as follows: ORD-HND, Business Class Blue - 63,000 Bilt points Silver, Gold, and Platinum stay the same! LHR-HND, First Class Blue - 97,500 Bilt points Silver - 85,000 Bilt points Gold: 72,500 Bilt points Platinum: 60,000 Bilt points I still think this is a great deal and that my information in the video is really helpful for booking these award flights, so I’m leaving it up, but please note these updated totals! And if you have any questions, feel free to ask!
Welcome back! Your content was great to watch before my first trip to Japan. I'm looking forward to seeing what videos you release next. All the best 🤙🏾
Just flew Japan Airlines First Class from Chicago to Haneda. After wearing my pajamas throughout the flight, the flight attendant gave me new pajamas to take home. They took away the used pajamas. Excellent service.
Traveling business class "of course". Why "of course"? You do not believe in mingling with the common folks. Suggest you be more careful in your wording. This site can get quite nasty if they turn on you. You won't see it happening until it gets vicious or even venimous.
It's meant to be a joke. I love to use points and miles to fly business class - that's a huge part of this channel and a big hobby of mine. If people have issue with it, that's on them!
@@DanielleDoherty Forewarned but dumb. OK, now we know. And your final sentence is a clincher. You don't care if someone doesn't agree with you because that is their problem. No, you are the one who needs subscribers and eyeballs looking at your videos and if that audience gets a whiff of anything smelling like you disrespecting them, then your RU-vid career is toast. But, you don't understand that or want to know that so be it. I tried to help. . Warning you was not worth the effort. You are confusing your ego with subscriptions.
Great video But sadly I have concluded that this sweet spot does appear very much over as of 2024. If you try and search on the United site even going out 330 days, I am unable to find any first class seats or even the ability to see first being unavailable It’s as if the United search engine no longer lists ANA first On any ANA served US city I’ll keep scouring but the golden Ana goose looks cooked!
Hmmm it looks quite basic. I've been in Hiltons and even their lower level Double Tree which was more upgraded than this. This looks quite dated. If it's clean, that's good as I don't plan on staying in the area that long.
It's definitely basic, but I think it's meant to be that way to appeal to families. If you're looking for extravagance or intricate theming, you may want to check out the Tokyo Disney hotels!
Hello Danielle! Are you still answering questions? I am trying to plan a 2025 trip to Japan to see my son who will be stationed there shortly and wanted to get your views on ANA vs JAL business class. Best mileage program to use for both, which one is cheaper (in awards) and availability. I will have a few people flying with me (2 or 3) so I was a little concerned about availability. Also, what is a good time of year to travel? Loved your videos! Thanks so much!
Hi! It's been a while but I am planning on a return to RU-vid. I have a previous video about how to fly to Japan in first or business you should check out, but for business on either: I tend to gravitate towards American Airlines to book JAL, and Virgin Atlantic to book ANA. Also, I love Japan in the fall or spring - the humidity is crazy in the summer, and I'm not a huge fan of traveling in the winter. Hope it helped!
