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As Harry Potter and theme park followers, we couldn’t miss Universal Studios Japan on our go to to Osaka.
While wandering by way of the magical Harry Potter World was the spotlight of our day, we additionally rode the scariest rollercoaster we’ve ever been on and found many extra enjoyable sights.
Universal Studios Japan (USJ) is properly value a day if you’re in Osaka. It’s simply accessible from town, and the massive park (a lot greater than Universal Singapore) has a lot to maintain you busy all day.
In this publish, I share one of the best Universal Studios Japan rides for adults and older youngsters in addition to recommendations on avoiding queues, learn how to get there, one of the best place to purchase tickets, and rather more to profit from your day.
I’ve additionally added an replace with the brand new Super Nintendo World after our second go to to USJ.
Contents
Time-Saving Universal Japan Tips
Universal Studios Japan is among the busiest theme parks on the planet with queues which might be usually 1-3 hours lengthy. It’s important to plan prematurely.
To maximise the variety of USJ rides you possibly can expertise in a day, listed here are our high ideas:
- Book your tickets prematurely right here with official accomplice Klook. You can then present the e-ticket in your cellphone to get in. The park does repeatedly promote out.
- Pay further for an Express Pass to skip the traces (and guide this two months prematurely if attainable). See under for extra particulars on the kinds of passes. I might not go to USJ with out one (we saved 9 hours of queueing with ours!).
- Visit on a weekday (and test it’s not a Japan nationwide vacation).
- Download the Universal Studios Japan app to test wait occasions on the day and get entry to the Area Timed Entry ticket wanted for Super Nintendo World.
- Arrive at the least 60 minutes earlier than park opening (until you may have an Express Pass 7). They usually open the gates as much as an hour earlier than official opening.
- Use the single-rider line in the event you don’t have an Express Pass. This is extra helpful for some rides than others (as mentioned under).
- Stay till park closing – The final hour is the quietest time to discover Harry Potter World. Note that reentry to the park might not be allowed.
Top Universal Studios Japan Rides and Attractions
1) Exploring The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is my favorite space at Universal Studios Japan.
To get there you stroll down a protracted pathway lined with pine bushes (previous the automotive that Ron crashed!), so it feels separate from the remainder of the park, like you might be coming into one other world.
Even in the event you don’t go on one of many two rides right here, it’s a pleasure to wander the snowy cobbled streets of a wonderfully recreated Hogsmeade village.
You can store for wands at Ollivanders, jokes at Zonko’s and sweets at Honeydukes and have a pint of butterbeer within the Hog’s Head or Three Broomsticks. The heat butterbeer on a chilly day was scrumptious (if very candy).
You may take a photograph subsequent to the Hogwarts Express, see owls ready to ship mail within the owlery, and ship letters with a Hogsmeade postmark in The Owl Post.
Most spectacular of all is Hogwarts Castle perched on rocks overlooking the village.
Harry Potter World does get very busy, however you now not want a timed entry ticket, so you might wish to go to a number of occasions in the course of the day.
The space is especially pretty at sundown and after darkish.
2) Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
- Type of Ride: Thrill Ride, 3D Motion Simulator
- Minimum Height: 122cm (48 inches)
- Locker Required: Yes for baggage (free, out there in queue)
- Single Rider Available: Yes
- Location: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is the principle attraction in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the most effective rides at Universal Japan.
It takes place inside Hogwarts Castle, and I benefit from the stroll by way of the citadel seeing Dumbledore’s workplace, school rooms, and speaking work (in Japanese!) as a lot because the journey itself.
It’s a 3D journey however glasses aren’t wanted as you might be immersed on the planet of Hogwarts, participating in a Quidditch recreation, feeling the warmth of a dragon’s fireplace in your face, and even getting spit at by big spiders.
It’s an exhilarating expertise with implausible results. It did set off my movement illness, but it surely was well worth the nausea and I recovered rapidly.
If this is a matter for you, contemplate taking movement illness medicine like dramamine, as I did not too long ago at Universal Studios Florida (which has most of the identical rides as USJ).
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is a well-liked USJ journey, so it’s greatest ridden with an Express Pass. We did this on our final go to and nonetheless received to stroll by way of Hogwarts however with out the lengthy waits.
Alternatively, journey it very first thing (you probably have secured Timed Entry for Super Nintendo World), or wait till the top of the day.
The different journey in Harry Potter World is Flight of the Hippogriff, a mild out of doors rollercoaster for youths. Simon discovered it enjoyable however very brief and never well worth the traditional lengthy waits (it was included in our Express Pass).
3) Wand Magic
The different factor we love doing in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is Wand Magic the place we solid our personal spells!
This may not be for everybody as you first have to purchase a magical wand from one of many shops, however for large Harry Potter followers, it’s value it, and you find yourself with a fantastically created memento.
There are a number of factors across the village the place you possibly can carry out spells—you get a map together with your wand and may search for the bronze medallions on the ground that present the spell.
We used the Incendio spell to gentle a chimney (after many failed makes an attempt!) and one other to make it snow down a again alley. It’s lots of enjoyable and actually added to the expertise.
Of course, probably the most genuine place to buy your wand is Ollivanders, however there’s normally a ten–15 minute wait to get in.
You may purchase the magic wands at different shops within the space. Or we had no wait from the wand cart on the principle avenue. Make certain you get the particular magic wand and never the common wands which you’ll be able to’t use for spells.
An interactive wand value 5500 yen ($36) on our go to. To go the entire hog, you could possibly additionally purchase a Hogwarts robe for 16,000 yen ($104).
We purchased our robes from the Harry Potter Studio Tour in Tokyo, which gave us double the picture alternatives and was a bit cheaper at 13,000 yen.
There are sometimes lengthy traces to solid the spells, so I like to recommend returning to the world within the final hour of park opening, when it’s a lot quieter.
4) The Flying Dinosaur
- Type of Ride: Thrill Ride, Rollercoaster with Inversions
- Minimum Height: 132cm (52 inches)
- Locker Required: Yes for baggage and telephones (free, out there in queue)
- Single Rider Available: Yes (however doesn’t save a lot)
- Location: Jurassic Park
Oh my—The Flying Dinosaur is intense! It’s the scariest rollercoaster we’ve ever been on, and it’s good enjoyable!
It’s situated in Jurassic Park and the concept is that an out-of-control Pteranodon seizes you from behind and pulls you excessive into the sky.
This signifies that when you’ve sat down, your seat is turned 90 levels in the direction of the ground so that you’re going through straight down. There is nothing between your face and the bottom far under!
The journey is so quick and disorientating that I don’t bear in mind precisely what occurred, but it surely concerned a number of 360º inversions, many twists and turns, and an underground part.
This wild and distinctive coaster ought to to not be missed by thrill-seekers—it’s the most effective Universal Studios Japan sights.
As The Flying Dinosaur wasn’t included in our Express Pass (embody it in the event you can), Simon rode this by himself on our newest go to. The single rider line right here doesn’t prevent a lot time, although. He ended up ready 60 minutes when the standby queue was 70 minutes.
Note which you can’t take any free gadgets on the journey, however you might be allowed to maintain your cellphone till the final 20 minutes of the queue whenever you put every thing in lockers.
5) Play in Super Nintendo World
Super Nintendo World is a brand new themed land that opened at Universal Studios Japan in March 2021. Accessed through an enormous warp pipe, you might be transported to a Super Mario recreation.
It’s now the preferred space within the park and virtually all the time requires a timed entry ticket. You can get one without cost on the USJ app (arrive earlier than park opening and do that as quickly as you enter the gates—they run out quick).
Or for assured entry, I like to recommend you buy an Express Pass, as we did (you’ll be given a time to enter the world). It’s one of many high Japan sights, so don’t miss out!
Alongside Harry Potter World, that is one of the best themed space in USJ. It’s such a enjoyable and vibrant world that impresses as quickly as you enter.
Our timed entry was an evening, which we had been initially disillusioned about (and we did miss out on consuming within the cafe), however the vibrant land appears to be like implausible in opposition to the black night time sky—you neglect you might be outdoors.
You should purchase a Super Nintendo World wristband to entry varied mini video games within the space. Sync it with the USJ app to maintain monitor of your rating.
Queues are pretty lengthy for these video games, so permit loads of time to expertise all of them (3-4 hours together with rides with Express Pass). We skipped the wristbands however nonetheless took benefit of some picture ops.
The greatest journey in Super Nintendo World is Mario Kart (see under), but when queues are brief, or it’s included in your Express Pass (because it was for us), you’ll additionally wish to journey Yoshi’s Adventure.
This is a mild, family-friendly journey the place you go on a treasure hunt to gather mysterious eggs. It’s not terribly thrilling, however it’s cute, and the elevated partially outdoors monitor has view over the world.
6) Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge
- Type of Ride: Augmented Reality Dark Ride
- Minimum Height: 107cm (42 inches)
- Locker Required: No
- Single Rider Available: Yes
- Location: Super Nintendo World
The signature journey in Super Nintendo World is Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge. (Bowser is named Koopa in Japan).
It’s a dream come true for Mario geeks like Simon as the enduring Mario Kart programs are delivered to life.
The interactive, augmented actuality journey is housed inside Bowser’s Castle and the queue by way of right here is a part of the enjoyable with plenty of particulars to discover. This was our longest wait with an Express Pass (25 minutes with a standby estimate of 80 minutes), however we didn’t thoughts.
Note that I’ve heard the only rider line misses one of the best particulars, so perhaps preserve that for a repeat journey.
At the top of the queue, you placed on a Mario visor, which plugs right into a particular lens whenever you get into your kart to be able to see the AR imagery.
The journey includes dashing across the race tracks, throwing shells on the villains to earn cash. It’s fairly chaotic with plenty of particulars to absorb, but it surely’s actually enjoyable and Mario followers will find it irresistible.
This is greatest ridden with an Express Pass, which you’ll additionally doubtless must enter the world. Otherwise, head right here very first thing.
7) Mine Cart Madness (Coming Soon)
Donkey Kong Country is a brand new space resulting from open in 2024 inside Super Nintendo World.
It will embody USJ’s latest journey, Mine Cart Madness, an unpredictable rollercoaster that launches from the Golden Temple, races by way of the jungle, and leaps throughout collapsed tracks.
I’ve included it on this Universal Japan journey record as I do know it is going to be probably the most fashionable rides as soon as it opens.
8) Hollywood Dream – The Ride
- Type of Ride: Thrill Ride, Rollercoaster
- Minimum Height: 132cm (52 inches)
- Locker Required: Bags and free gadgets (together with telephones) aren’t allowed however everybody leaves them on the platform earlier than the journey.
- Single Rider Available: Yes (however doesn’t save a lot)
- Location: Hollywood
If you favor your rollercoasters barely much less terrifying than The Flying Dinosaur, then Hollywood Dream is for you.
This easy, non-inverting, high-speed coaster has some abdomen dropping ramps and vertical drops.
I like which you can select a track as your private soundtrack. It’s a really enjoyable journey.
Hollywood Dream is among the hottest rides at USJ with wait occasions over two hours all through the day on our final go to. You positively need Express for this one—with our cross we waited Quarter-hour when the standby queue was 130 minutes.
9) Hollywood Dream – The Ride (Backdrop)
You may journey the identical coaster backwards on Hollywood Dream – The Ride (Backdrop). It has the identical entrance and monitor as Hollywood Dream, however you journey in numerous vehicles that go in reverse.
As one of many busiest USJ rides, it’s greatest ridden with an Express Pass (ours included each coasters).
If it’s a must to select only one, I most well-liked the common model. I discovered going backwards a bit disorientating however much less scary than going through the entrance as you possibly can’t see what’s coming.
10) Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
- Type of Ride: 3D Motion Simulator
- Minimum Height: 102cm (40 inches)
- Locker Required: No
- Single Rider Available: Yes
- Location: Minion Park
Despicable Me Minion Mayhem is situated within the enjoyable, vibrant Minion Park and is an immersive 3D simulator journey with out glasses utilizing an enormous dome display.
The complete expertise is about 25 minutes as there’s a protracted intro video (with English subtitles) that provides to the context.
The journey itself is narrative heavy, and though we couldn’t observe the Japanese, we received the final thought, and it’s nonetheless a enjoyable expertise as you bounce round an enormous manufacturing facility in your technique to changing into a Minion.
Unfortunately, that is one other journey that’s not nice for these with movement illness (I selected to skip it on our second go to).
If it’s not included together with your Express Pass (it’s not a precedence for us), wait till the top of the day when the queues drop off at this family-friendly attraction.
11) Jurassic Park – The Ride
Update 2024: Jurassic Park is closed till 2025 for a significant refurbishment.
Jurassic Park is a largely mild water journey by way of a park crammed with dinosaurs. There’s an enormous and enjoyable drop on the finish the place you might get moist (particularly within the entrance row).
We purchased ponchos (400 yen) simply in case as we didn’t wish to threat getting moist on a chilly day. There are additionally lockers out there (100 yen which will get returned to you).
In winter this was one of many best rides to get on, however I think about it’s busier in the summertime.
12) JAWS
- Type of Ride: Boat Ride
- Minimum Height: None when accompanied by an grownup.
- Locker Required: No
- Single Rider Available: Yes
- Location: Amity Village
JAWS is a basic Universal attraction, and because the model at Universal Studios Florida has closed, that is the one place on the planet to journey it now.
What begins as a leisurely boat tour (in Japanese) of Amity Harbour turns into extra thrilling when a big man-eating shark seems. It’s a scary one!
JAWS is an effective attraction to make use of the only rider queue as Japanese households want to journey this collectively. Simon solely waited two minutes when the standby queue was 40 minutes.
Wait occasions additionally drop within the night, so this is among the solely rides on this record the place an Express Pass isn’t crucial.
13) Waterworld Show
If you may have time in your itinerary, maybe within the afternoon when wait occasions are longest, contemplate watching the Waterworld present. Check the app for present occasions and arrive at the least Quarter-hour early.
This dramatic, water-based stunt present takes place in an out of doors amphitheatre and options jet ski chases, explosions, fights, and spectacular jumps. If you sit within the entrance rows, anticipate to get very moist!
While the present is in Japanese, you possibly can nonetheless benefit from the particular results.
I did discover the present (as with the entire park) very loud, so appreciated my AirPods.
14) Space Fantasy (Seasonal Overlays)
Space Fantasy is an indoor rollercoaster at nighttime. It used to have an area theme however the unique journey is closed indefinitely.
Now it solely opens with overlays for particular occasions similar to with VR for Cool Japan and when it turns into Sadako’s Curse at Halloween.
These have combined critiques however are value testing if wait occasions are low.
Universal Studios Osaka Tickets
Universal Studios Japan is a really busy park all year long, so we extremely advocate reserving your tickets prematurely. They do promote out.
A at some point ticket prices from 8,600 yen ($56) with larger costs at peak occasions. You may additionally wish to pay further for an Express Pass (see under).
Buy Universal Studios Japan tickets right here with Klook, an authorised accomplice of USJ and the simplest method for English audio system to purchase. International playing cards don’t work on the official USJ web site.
We used Klook for our tickets on our final journey and it was very easy. We acquired a PDF ticket with a QR code that we saved on our cellphone and scanned on the ticket gates for entry. Once within the park, scan the ticket into the USJ app to have entry to timed entry requests.
Is a Universal Studios Japan Express Pass Worth It?
Even after we visited in winter, Universal Studios Japan was the busiest theme park we’ve visited (sure, even busier than Disney).
The park options many main sights that you just gained’t wish to miss, however all of them have very lengthy queue occasions from as quickly because the park opens.
You might get on a number of rides rapidly at the beginning of the day in the event you arrive early, however you gained’t be capable of do every thing with out waits of at the least an hour and normally for much longer.
The solely technique to assure to get on every thing with out lengthy waits is shopping for an Express Pass, which prices greater than the doorway ticket.
You’ll be assigned a selected time to journey every attraction and can solely have a minimal wait. We normally waited 5-Quarter-hour (the exception was Mario Kart at 25 minutes).
Our 7-ride Express Pass saved us an unimaginable 565 minutes (over 9 hours) of ready in traces!
Yes, it’s costly, however I completely assume an Express Pass is value it to keep away from frustration and make your park day extra fulfilling.
Another main bonus of the Express Pass is that almost all embody assured timed entry to Super Nintendo World.
Express Passes promote out much more rapidly than tickets, so I counsel reserving two months prematurely for probably the most selection and greatest journey occasions.
We booked a month prematurely for our November go to and all of the 4-ride passes had been already offered out.
Again, Klook is the simplest method to purchase passes, because the USJ web site is in Japanese solely (I attempted utilizing Translate but it surely was too sophisticated a course of).
The draw back is that we couldn’t select the journey occasions (though apparently you possibly can with the most recent Klook app). We ended up with journey occasions starting from 2pm to 8pm.
Initially I used to be disillusioned to not have morning journey occasions, but it surely ended up being a blessing as we might skip the rope drop rush, have a lie-in, and keep till 10pm park closing.
It’s slightly complicated as there are numerous completely different passes relying on which rides you should utilize them on and costs differ by date. They do change incessantly.
USJ Express Pass 7
Currently, one of the best cross out there is the Express Pass 7- Variety.
It prices at the least 18,000 yen ($117) and consists of:
- Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge
- Yoshi’s Adventure
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
- Flight of the Hippogriff
- The Flying Dinosaur
- Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
- Hollywood Dream or JAWS ( I might select Hollywood Dream)
The solely main journey lacking is Hollywood Dream Backdrop, but it surely’s not an enormous deal to skip this if you’re using Hollywood Dream. Ride JAWS single rider or on the finish of the day.
This is just like the cross we had that saved us over 9 hours of queuing!
Buy the Express Pass 7 right here.
USJ Express Pass 4
A less expensive Express Pass consists of simply 4 rides. Again there are a number of choices and it’s tougher to decide on one of the best one. You need to determine which rides are most necessary to you.
I might go for the Express Pass 4 – Variety Ride because it consists of my three favorite rides. It prices from 15,000 yen ($97) and is legitimate on:
- Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
- The Flying Dinosaur OR Hollywood Dream OR JAWS (I’d select Flying Dinosaur)
- Demon Slayer XR (a short lived overlay of Space Fantasy)
If you want rollercoasters, I’d advocate upgrading to Express Pass 7 so you possibly can journey each Flying Dinosaur and Hollywood Dream.
Buy the Express Pass 4 right here.
Average USJ Queue Times
If you’re undecided whether or not an Express Pass is value it or not, listed here are the typical queue occasions at Universal Japan all year long (anticipate larger in peak durations).
- Hollywood Dream Backdrop – 103 minutes
- Mario Kart – 96 minutes
- Hollywood Dream – 86 minutes
- Flight of the Hippogriff – 81 minutes
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey – 73 minutes
- The Flying Dinosaur – 71 minutes
- Despicable Me Minion Mayhem – 67 minutes
- Yoshi’s Adventure – 63 minutes
- JAWS – 47 minutes
- Jurassic Park – 47 minutes
Universal Studios Japan Opening Hours
Universal Studios Osaka normally opens between 8am and 10am and closes between 7pm and 10pm.
See the USJ calendar to test the hours (and journey closures) for the date you might be visiting. Times are solely launched a number of months prematurely.
Unless you may have Express Pass 7, you need to arrive at the least an hour earlier than the official opening to get into the park as rapidly as attainable. They usually open early.
How to Get to Universal Studios Osaka
It’s straightforward to get to Universal Studios Japan by practice from central Osaka and shouldn’t take greater than half-hour. Universal City Station is barely a 5-minute stroll from the park.
To get right here, you’ll doubtless want to vary at Nishikujo station and switch to the JR Yumesaki Line (also called JR Sakurajima Line).
For instance, from Namba Station take the Hanshin Namba Line to Nishikujo then change there for Universal City Station.
You can use your ICOCA or SUICA card which is the simplest technique to pay for transport in Osaka.
You can use Google Maps or Navitime to search out the route out of your nearest station.
Hotels Near Universal Studios Japan
Universal Studios Japan is definitely reachable from central Osaka, but when your journey is concentrated on the park it might be handy to remain in one among these inns just some minutes stroll away:
- The Park Front Hotel at Universal Studios Japan – The latest official lodge and the closest one to the park gates (proper in entrance!). It has massive rooms (uncommon for Japan) and plenty of facilities.
- Hotel Universal Port Vita – Colourful rooms, solely a 5-minute stroll to the park, and enjoyable Minion decor within the foyer. We stayed right here and appreciated the situation.
- Hotel Universal Port – Comfortable rooms, some with park views, and an incredible location.
- La’gent Hotel Osaka Bay – finances choice. Rooms are small however clear and it’s nonetheless walkable to the park (though additional than those above).
If you keep shut by, you may contemplate shopping for a 1.5 day USJ ticket, which lets you enter the park from 3pm on the primary day and for a full day on the second.
Food At Universal Studios Japan
Bringing meals and drinks into the park is prohibited, but it surely’s unlikely they’ll test your bag and it may be a good suggestion for vegetarians to convey a number of rice balls as meat-free choices are restricted.
Queues for meals will also be lengthy, so I like to recommend consuming earlier than you enter the park if attainable (there are many locations outdoors the gate together with Starbucks). We waited 35 minutes for each Amity Ice Cream and dinner at Three Broomsticks.
We beloved these candy treats:
- Salted caramel banana popcorn from the POP-A-NANA stand in Minion Park. You may even purchase a memento bucket.
- Cookie sandwiches from Despicable Me! The Cookie Kitchen. The chocolate orange one was particularly tasty.
- Chocolate truffles at Beverly Hills Boulangerie. There are heaps to select from, however the chocolate fondant with a scorching melting center was scrumptious.
- Butterbeer at Three Broomsticks. It’s received to be carried out! The chilly model is fizzier, however the heat one was higher on a cold day. You might most likely share because it’s very candy. There are nice views of the citadel from the terrace out the again.
Savoury vegetarian choices in USJ are rather more restricted:
- Three Broomsticks – This informal restaurant has nice Harry Potter theming. The vegetable plate consists of salad, corn on the cob, potato wedges, and steamed greens. It’s plain however filling. It’s vegan in the event you skip the butter. We additionally received macaroni and cheese from the youngsters menu and shared each.
- Louis NY Pizza Parlour – This fast service restaurant has a Margherita pizza.
- Azzurra di Capri – A desk service restaurant with a vegetarian pizza. Go early to get a desk or guide prematurely.
- Kinopio’s Cafe – A preferred informal restaurant in Super Nintendo World (anticipate a protracted queue). The solely veggie choices are the Piranha Plan Caprese (tomato and mozzarella salad) and the Fruit & Veggie Salad.
See our vegetarian Osaka information for one of the best meat-free meals within the metropolis as there are tons of choices outdoors the park.
On our method again to Shinsaibashi we stopped for vegan ramen at Matsuri which is close to Noda station the place we would have liked to vary trains.
If you intend to do any purchasing, convey your passport as you possibly can then store tax-free in the event you spend over 5000 yen.
There are many choices for souvenirs within the park. Our favourites had been in Harry Potter World and It’s So Fluffy which is stuffed with cute fluffy unicorns from Despicable Me.
Is Universal Studios Japan Worth it?
Universal Studios Japan is crowded and costly (if you buy an Express Pass), however we nonetheless assume it’s properly value visiting.
It’s a enjoyable time out in Osaka with the magical Harry Potter World, immersive Super Nintendo World, and a few critically thrilling rollercoasters and distinctive 3D simulators.
It is a very fashionable park, so do be sure to keep away from peak occasions, guide tickets prematurely, and both purchase an Express Pass or put together to queue.
If you might be theme park nuts like us, you may additionally wish to learn our posts on our favorite Universal Studios Singapore rides, Universal Islands of Adventure rides, and Tokyo DisneySea rides.
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