My visit to Tokyo Disneyland in 1997 was a first-time experience there for me but it did not mark my first visit to Japan. I was born there at the now closed military base known as Tachikawa AirBase outside of Tokyo. I spent a few of my childhood years at Yokota Airbase and have lots of fond memories of my stay there. My mother is Japanese and the purpose of last year's visit was to reunite with family members there. Unfortunately for me, my Japanese is a little rusty (okay, virtually tarnished beyond recognition!) but I can still understand enough of it to "get by". This was an advantage for me and having my mother around as "tour guide" certainly didn't hurt either! Never fear, though, Japan is very tourist-friendly for Americans and getting around is relatively easy using public transportation.
Most pertinent signs at the train stations (which you will use a lot of on a trip there) have English translations and the trains are unnervingly punctual and reliable. While I wouldn't count on ALL Japanese to understand English, most have some level of conversational English that could prove helpful if you're stuck somewhere. In my opinion the Japanese people are some of the friendliest folks around and I wouldn't be afraid to ask questions if the need arose. This is true with Tokyo Disneyland as well.
I noticed on many websites relating to trips, vacations, etc., an area of interest that crops up is "where did you stay?". Well I'll tell ya! While in Tokyo we stayed at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel conveniently located adjacent to the Shinagawa Train Station. This hotel is self described as a "budget" hotel though I would say it was as nice as any Hyatt I've been in. Our rooms were about $125.00 a night, which is very reasonable for Tokyo. The rooms were very modern and clean, though small by American standards, and western style toilets were standard. The hotel had on site restaurants including a food court that sported Burger King, McDonald's, and an italian/pizza shop. I can recommend this hotel to anyone interested if for nothing else, its convenient location to the train station.
Though getting around Tokyo and Japan is fairly painless, I would recommend travelling light. This is especially true when riding the rail as there is not much room for large baggage. Backpacks work great for the TDL trip and keep your hands free. I also recommend carrying plenty of cash for your journeys (I know, I know, this is contrary to what we are all taught but street robberies are a rare occasion there!) because VISA and MC aren't always accepted as readily as we want to believe. In fact, Tokyo Disneyland doesn't accept anything other than the JCB credit card for charges, much to the dismay of my travelling companions. JCB is exclusive to Japan.
Finally, I'd just like to say that Japan is a beautiful country rich in history and you would be doing yourself a disservice by spending an entire trip to Japan in TDL or Tokyo. Take the time to travel outside of Tokyo and enjoy what Japan has to offer, you won't regret it!