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As Harry Potter and theme park followers, we couldn’t miss Common Studios Japan on our go to to Osaka.
Whereas wandering via 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 points of interest.
Common Studios Japan (USJ) is properly value a day if you’re in Osaka. It’s simply accessible from the town, and the big park (a lot greater than Common Singapore) has lots to maintain you busy all day.
On this put up, I share the very best Common Studios Japan rides for adults and older children in addition to recommendations on avoiding queues, tips on how to get there, the very best place to purchase tickets, and far more to profit from your day.
I’ve additionally added an replace with the brand new Tremendous Nintendo World after our second go to to USJ.
Contents
Time-Saving Common Japan Suggestions
Common Studios Japan is among the busiest theme parks on the earth with queues which are usually 1-3 hours lengthy. It’s important to plan upfront.
To maximise the variety of USJ rides you may expertise in a day, listed here are our high suggestions:
- E-book your tickets upfront right here with official companion Klook. You may then present the e-ticket in your telephone to get in. The park does often promote out.
- Pay further for an Specific Cross to skip the strains (and e book this two months upfront if attainable). See under for extra particulars on the kinds of passes. I’d not go to USJ with out one (we saved 9 hours of queueing with ours!).
- Go to on a weekday (and test it’s not a Japan nationwide vacation).
- Obtain the Common Studios Japan app to test wait occasions on the day and get entry to the Space Timed Entry ticket wanted for Tremendous Nintendo World.
- Arrive no less than 60 minutes earlier than park opening (except you may have an Specific Cross 7). They usually open the gates as much as an hour earlier than official opening.
- Use the single-rider line for those who don’t have an Specific Cross. That is extra helpful for some rides than others (as mentioned under).
- Keep till park closing – The final hour is the quietest time to discover Harry Potter World. Be aware that reentry to the park will not be allowed.
Prime Common Studios Japan Rides and Points of interest
1) Exploring The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is my favorite space at Common Studios Japan.
To get there you stroll down an extended pathway lined with pine timber (previous the automotive that Ron crashed!), so it feels separate from the remainder of the park, like you might be getting into one other world.
Even for those who 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 may 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 nice and cozy butterbeer on a chilly day was scrumptious (if very candy).
It’s also possible to take a photograph subsequent to the Hogwarts Specific, see owls ready to ship mail within the owlery, and ship letters with a Hogsmeade postmark in The Owl Submit.
Most spectacular of all is Hogwarts Fortress perched on rocks overlooking the village.
Harry Potter World does get very busy, however you now not want a timed entry ticket, so chances are you’ll need to go to a number of occasions through the day.
The world is especially beautiful at sundown and after darkish.
2) Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
- Kind of Experience: Thrill Experience, 3D Movement Simulator
- Minimal Peak: 122cm (48 inches)
- Locker Required: Sure for baggage (free, accessible in queue)
- Single Rider Out there: Sure
- 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 among the finest rides at Common Japan.
It takes place inside Hogwarts Fortress, and I benefit from the stroll via the fort seeing Dumbledore’s workplace, lecture rooms, and speaking work (in Japanese!) as a lot because the experience itself.
It’s a 3D experience however glasses aren’t wanted as you might be immersed on the earth of Hogwarts, participating in a Quidditch sport, feeling the warmth of a dragon’s hearth in your face, and even getting spit at by big spiders.
It’s an exhilarating expertise with improbable results. It did set off my movement illness, however it was well worth the nausea and I recovered shortly.
If this is a matter for you, think about taking movement illness remedy like dramamine, as I did lately at Common Studios Florida (which has lots of the similar rides as USJ).
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is a well-liked USJ experience, so it’s finest ridden with an Specific Cross. We did this on our final go to and nonetheless bought to stroll via Hogwarts however with out the lengthy waits.
Alternatively, experience it very first thing (in case you have secured Timed Entry for Tremendous Nintendo World), or wait till the top of the day.
The opposite experience in Harry Potter World is Flight of the Hippogriff, a delicate out of doors rollercoaster for youths. Simon discovered it enjoyable however very brief and never well worth the normal lengthy waits (it was included in our Specific Cross).
3) Wand Magic
The opposite factor we love doing in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is Wand Magic the place we solid our personal spells!
This won’t be for everybody as you first have to purchase a magical wand from one of many shops, however for giant Harry Potter followers, it’s value it, and you find yourself with a superbly created memento.
There are a number of factors across the village the place you may carry out spells—you get a map along with your wand and also can 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 loads of enjoyable and actually added to the expertise.
After all, essentially the most genuine place to buy your wand is Ollivanders, however there’s often a ten–15 minute wait to get in.
It’s also possible to purchase the magic wands at different shops within the space. Or we had no wait from the wand cart on the principle road. Ensure you get the particular magic wand and never the common wands which you’ll’t use for spells.
An interactive wand value 5500 yen ($36) on our go to. To go the entire hog, you would 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 photograph alternatives and was a bit cheaper at 13,000 yen.
There are sometimes lengthy strains 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
- Kind of Experience: Thrill Experience, Rollercoaster with Inversions
- Minimal Peak: 132cm (52 inches)
- Locker Required: Sure for baggage and telephones (free, accessible in queue)
- Single Rider Out there: Sure (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 sensible 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.
Which means when you’ve sat down, your seat is turned 90 levels in direction of the ground so that you’re dealing with straight down. There’s nothing between your face and the bottom far under!
The experience is so quick and disorientating that I don’t bear in mind precisely what occurred, however it 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 among the finest Common Studios Japan points of interest.
As The Flying Dinosaur wasn’t included in our Specific Cross (embrace it for those who can), Simon rode this by himself on our newest go to. The only rider line right here doesn’t prevent a lot time, although. He ended up ready 60 minutes when the standby queue was 70 minutes.
Be aware that you would be able to’t take any free gadgets on the experience, however you might be allowed to maintain your telephone till the final 20 minutes of the queue whenever you put all the pieces in lockers.
5) Play in Tremendous Nintendo World
Tremendous Nintendo World is a brand new themed land that opened at Common Studios Japan in March 2021. Accessed by way of a large warp pipe, you might be transported to a Tremendous Mario sport.
It’s now the preferred space within the park and nearly all the time requires a timed entry ticket. You may get one without spending a dime 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 Specific Cross, as we did (you’ll be given a time to enter the world). It’s one of many high Japan points of interest, so don’t miss out!
Alongside Harry Potter World, that is the very 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 upset about (and we did miss out on consuming within the cafe), however the vibrant land seems improbable in opposition to the black evening sky—you overlook you might be exterior.
You should buy a Tremendous Nintendo World wristband to entry numerous mini video games within the space. Sync it with the USJ app to maintain observe 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 Specific Cross). We skipped the wristbands however nonetheless took benefit of some photograph ops.
The most effective experience in Tremendous Nintendo World is Mario Kart (see under), but when queues are brief, or it’s included in your Specific Cross (because it was for us), you’ll additionally need to experience Yoshi’s Journey.
It is a mild, family-friendly experience 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 exterior observe has an excellent view over the world.
6) Mario Kart: Koopa’s Problem
- Kind of Experience: Augmented Actuality Darkish Experience
- Minimal Peak: 107cm (42 inches)
- Locker Required: No
- Single Rider Out there: Sure
- Location: Tremendous Nintendo World
The signature experience in Tremendous Nintendo World is Mario Kart: Koopa’s Problem. (Bowser is named Koopa in Japan).
It’s a dream come true for Mario geeks like Simon as the enduring Mario Kart programs are dropped at life.
The interactive, augmented actuality experience is housed inside Bowser’s Fortress and the queue via right here is a part of the enjoyable with plenty of particulars to discover. This was our longest wait with an Specific Cross (25 minutes with a standby estimate of 80 minutes), however we didn’t thoughts.
Be aware that I’ve heard the one rider line misses the very best particulars, so perhaps preserve that for a repeat experience.
On the finish of the queue, you placed on a Mario visor, which plugs right into a particular lens whenever you get into your kart as a way to see the AR imagery.
The experience entails dashing across the race tracks, throwing shells on the villains to earn cash. It’s fairly chaotic with plenty of particulars to soak up, however it’s actually enjoyable and Mario followers will adore it.
That is finest ridden with an Specific Cross, which you’ll additionally doubtless must enter the world. In any other case, head right here very first thing.
7) Mine Cart Insanity (Coming Quickly)
Donkey Kong Nation is a brand new space as a result of open in 2024 inside Tremendous Nintendo World.
It is going to embrace USJ’s latest experience, Mine Cart Insanity, an unpredictable rollercoaster that launches from the Golden Temple, races via the jungle, and leaps throughout collapsed tracks.
I’ve included it on this Common Japan experience checklist as I do know it will likely be probably the most fashionable rides as soon as it opens.
8) Hollywood Dream – The Experience
- Kind of Experience: Thrill Experience, Rollercoaster
- Minimal Peak: 132cm (52 inches)
- Locker Required: Baggage and free gadgets (together with telephones) aren’t allowed however everybody leaves them on the platform earlier than the experience.
- Single Rider Out there: Sure (however doesn’t save a lot)
- Location: Hollywood
In the event you want your rollercoasters barely much less terrifying than The Flying Dinosaur, then Hollywood Dream is for you.
This clean, non-inverting, high-speed coaster has some abdomen dropping ramps and vertical drops.
I like that you would be able to select a music as your private soundtrack. It’s a really enjoyable experience.
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 undoubtedly need Specific for this one—with our go we waited Quarter-hour when the standby queue was 130 minutes.
9) Hollywood Dream – The Experience (Backdrop)
It’s also possible to experience the identical coaster backwards on Hollywood Dream – The Experience (Backdrop). It has the identical entrance and observe as Hollywood Dream, however you experience in numerous automobiles that go in reverse.
As one of many busiest USJ rides, it’s finest ridden with an Specific Cross (ours included each coasters).
If you must select only one, I most popular the common model. I discovered going backwards a bit disorientating however much less scary than dealing with the entrance as you may’t see what’s coming.
10) Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
- Kind of Experience: 3D Movement Simulator
- Minimal Peak: 102cm (40 inches)
- Locker Required: No
- Single Rider Out there: Sure
- Location: Minion Park
Despicable Me Minion Mayhem is situated within the enjoyable, vibrant Minion Park and is an immersive 3D simulator experience with out glasses utilizing a large dome display screen.
The entire expertise is about 25 minutes as there’s an extended intro video (with English subtitles) that provides to the context.
The experience itself is narrative heavy, and though we couldn’t observe the Japanese, we bought the final concept, and it’s nonetheless a enjoyable expertise as you bounce round a large manufacturing unit in your strategy to turning into a Minion.
Sadly, that is one other experience that’s not nice for these with movement illness (I selected to skip it on our second go to).
If it’s not included along with your Specific Cross (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 Experience
Replace 2024: Jurassic Park is closed till 2025 for a significant refurbishment.
Jurassic Park is a largely mild water experience via a park stuffed with dinosaurs. There’s an enormous and enjoyable drop on the finish the place chances are you’ll get moist (particularly within the entrance row).
We purchased ponchos (400 yen) simply in case as we didn’t need to threat getting moist on a chilly day. There are additionally lockers accessible (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
- Kind of Experience: Boat Experience
- Minimal Peak: None when accompanied by an grownup.
- Locker Required: No
- Single Rider Out there: Sure
- Location: Amity Village
JAWS is a basic Common attraction, and because the model at Common Studios Florida has closed, that is the one place on the earth to experience it now.
What begins as a leisurely boat tour (in Japanese) of Amity Harbour turns into extra thrilling when a huge man-eating shark seems. It’s a scary one!
JAWS is an efficient attraction to make use of the one rider queue as Japanese households want to experience 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 checklist the place an Specific Cross isn’t crucial.
13) Waterworld Present
You probably have time in your itinerary, maybe within the afternoon when wait occasions are longest, think about watching the Waterworld present. Verify the app for present occasions and arrive no less than 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. In the event you sit within the entrance rows, anticipate to get very moist!
Whereas the present is in Japanese, you may nonetheless benefit from the particular results.
I did discover the present (as with the entire park) very loud, so appreciated my AirPods.
14) House Fantasy (Seasonal Overlays)
House Fantasy is an indoor rollercoaster at nighttime. It used to have an area theme however the authentic experience is closed indefinitely.
Now it solely opens with overlays for particular occasions resembling with VR for Cool Japan and when it turns into Sadako’s Curse at Halloween.
These have blended critiques however are value testing if wait occasions are low.
Common Studios Osaka Tickets
Common Studios Japan is a really busy park all year long, so we extremely suggest reserving your tickets upfront. They do promote out.
A sooner or later ticket prices from 8,600 yen ($56) with greater costs at peak occasions. You might also need to pay further for an Specific Cross (see under).
Purchase Common Studios Japan tickets right here with Klook, an authorised companion of USJ and the best approach for English audio system to purchase. Worldwide 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 telephone and scanned on the ticket gates for entry. As soon as within the park, scan the ticket into the USJ app to have entry to timed entry requests.
Is a Common Studios Japan Specific Cross Price It?
Even after we visited in winter, Common Studios Japan was the busiest theme park we’ve visited (sure, even busier than Disney).
The park options many main points of interest that you simply received’t need to miss, however all of them have very lengthy queue occasions from as quickly because the park opens.
You possibly can get on a number of rides shortly at the beginning of the day for those who arrive early, however you received’t have the ability to do all the pieces with out waits of no less than an hour and often for much longer.
The one strategy to assure to get on all the pieces with out lengthy waits is shopping for an Specific Cross, which prices greater than the doorway ticket.
You’ll be assigned a selected time to experience every attraction and can solely have a minimal wait. We often waited 5-Quarter-hour (the exception was Mario Kart at 25 minutes).
Our 7-ride Specific Cross saved us an unimaginable 565 minutes (over 9 hours) of ready in strains!
Sure, it’s costly, however I completely assume an Specific Cross is value it to keep away from frustration and make your park day extra gratifying.
One other main bonus of the Specific Cross is that almost all embrace assured timed entry to Tremendous Nintendo World.
Specific Passes promote out much more shortly than tickets, so I counsel reserving two months upfront for essentially the most alternative and finest experience occasions.
We booked a month upfront for our November go to and all of the 4-ride passes had been already offered out.
Once more, Klook is the best approach to purchase passes, because the USJ website is in Japanese solely (I attempted utilizing Translate however it was too difficult a course of).
The draw back is that we couldn’t select the experience occasions (though apparently you may with the newest Klook app). We ended up with experience occasions starting from 2pm to 8pm.
Initially I used to be upset to not have morning experience occasions, however it 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 reasonably complicated as there are numerous totally different passes relying on which rides you need to use them on and costs differ by date. They do change continuously.
USJ Specific Cross 7
At the moment, the very best go accessible is the Specific Cross 7- Selection.
It prices no less than 18,000 yen ($117) and consists of:
- Mario Kart: Koopa’s Problem
- Yoshi’s Journey
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
- Flight of the Hippogriff
- The Flying Dinosaur
- Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
- Hollywood Dream or JAWS ( I’d select Hollywood Dream)
The one main experience lacking is Hollywood Dream Backdrop, however it’s not a giant deal to skip this if you’re driving Hollywood Dream. Experience JAWS single rider or on the finish of the day.
That is just like the go we had that saved us over 9 hours of queuing!
Purchase the Specific Cross 7 right here.
USJ Specific Cross 4
A less expensive Specific Cross consists of simply 4 rides. Once more there are a number of choices and it’s tougher to decide on the very best one. It’s important to determine which rides are most necessary to you.
I’d go for the Specific Cross 4 – Selection Experience because it consists of my three favorite rides. It prices from 15,000 yen ($97) and is legitimate on:
- Mario Kart: Koopa’s Problem
- 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 House Fantasy)
In the event you like rollercoasters, I’d suggest upgrading to Specific Cross 7 so you may experience each Flying Dinosaur and Hollywood Dream.
Purchase the Specific Cross 4 right here.
Common USJ Queue Instances
In the event you’re undecided whether or not an Specific Cross is value it or not, listed here are the common queue occasions at Common Japan all year long (anticipate greater in peak intervals).
- 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 Journey – 63 minutes
- JAWS – 47 minutes
- Jurassic Park – 47 minutes
Common Studios Japan Opening Hours
Common Studios Osaka often opens between 8am and 10am and closes between 7pm and 10pm.
See the USJ calendar to test the hours (and experience closures) for the date you might be visiting. Instances are solely launched a number of months upfront.
Except you may have Specific Cross 7, it is best to arrive no less than an hour earlier than the official opening to get into the park as shortly as attainable. They usually open early.
The right way to Get to Common Studios Osaka
It’s simple to get to Common Studios Japan by prepare from central Osaka and shouldn’t take greater than half-hour. Common Metropolis Station is simply 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 (often known as JR Sakurajima Line).
For instance, from Namba Station take the Hanshin Namba Line to Nishikujo then change there for Common Metropolis Station.
You should utilize your ICOCA or SUICA card which is the best strategy to pay for transport in Osaka.
You should utilize Google Maps or Navitime to search out the route out of your nearest station.
Lodges Close to Common Studios Japan
Common Studios Japan is definitely reachable from central Osaka, but when your journey is concentrated on the park it will be handy to remain in one in every of these lodges just some minutes stroll away:
- The Park Entrance Resort at Common Studios Japan – The latest official resort and the closest one to the park gates (proper in entrance!). It has giant rooms (uncommon for Japan) and plenty of facilities.
- Resort Common Port Vita – Vibrant rooms, solely a 5-minute stroll to the park, and enjoyable Minion decor within the foyer. We stayed right here and appreciated the placement.
- Resort Common Port – Comfy rooms, some with park views, and an excellent location.
- La’gent Resort Osaka Bay – A very good funds choice. Rooms are small however clear and it’s nonetheless walkable to the park (though additional than those above).
In the event you keep shut by, you would possibly think about 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.
Meals At Common Studios Japan
Bringing meals and drinks into the park is prohibited, however it’s unlikely they’ll test your bag and it is likely to be a good suggestion for vegetarians to deliver a number of rice balls as meat-free choices are restricted.
Queues for meals may also be lengthy, so I like to recommend consuming earlier than you enter the park if attainable (there are many locations exterior the gate together with Starbucks). We waited 35 minutes for each Amity Ice Cream and dinner at Three Broomsticks.
We cherished 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 desserts 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 bought to be completed! The chilly model is fizzier, however the heat one was higher on a cold day. You possibly can in all probability share because it’s very candy. There are nice views of the fort from the terrace out the again.
Savoury vegetarian choices in USJ are far 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 for those who skip the butter. We additionally bought macaroni and cheese from the children 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 e book upfront.
- Kinopio’s Cafe – A well-liked informal restaurant in Tremendous Nintendo World (anticipate an extended queue). The one veggie choices are the Piranha Plan Caprese (tomato and mozzarella salad) and the Fruit & Veggie Salad.
See our vegetarian Osaka information for the very best meat-free meals within the metropolis as there are tons of choices exterior the park.
On our approach again to Shinsaibashi we stopped for vegan ramen at Matsuri which is close to Noda station the place we wanted to vary trains.
In the event you plan to do any purchasing, deliver your passport as you may then store tax-free for those who spend over 5000 yen.
There are a lot of choices for souvenirs within the park. Our favourites had been in Harry Potter World and It’s So Fluffy which is filled with cute fluffy unicorns from Despicable Me.
Is Common Studios Japan Price it?
Common Studios Japan is crowded and costly (if you buy an Specific Cross), however we nonetheless assume it’s properly value visiting.
It’s a enjoyable day trip in Osaka with the magical Harry Potter World, immersive Tremendous Nintendo World, and a few critically thrilling rollercoasters and distinctive 3D simulators.
It’s a extremely popular park, so do be sure to keep away from peak occasions, e book tickets upfront, and both purchase an Specific Cross or put together to queue.
If you’re theme park nuts like us, you may also need to learn our posts on our favorite Common Studios Singapore rides, Common Islands of Journey rides, and Tokyo DisneySea rides.
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