7 Mistakes to Avoid at Universal Studios Japan

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• Contents

  1. How to enter Super Nintendo World at USJ

  2. Is USJ Express Pass worth it?

  3. Which are the best rides at USJ?

  4. Take waterproof clothing

  5. Use the USJ app

  6. Disappointing rides at USJ

  7. Bonus tip

In May 2025, we visited Universal Studios Japan (USJ), one of the top theme parks in the country. But our day didn’t quite go as planned. That’s why we’re sharing the 7 mistakes we made (and what to do instead), so you can avoid them and have the best time possible at USJ.

1. How to enter Super Nintendo World at USJ

This is our biggest mistake and the one we HUGELY regret. No amount of research prepared us for this fail.

We arrived at USJ around 15 minutes before their opening time, and as we finished queueing up and entering the park, we went straight to the Super Nintendo World. As you arrive to this ‘world’, you will find QR codes and members of staff helping guests join a virtual raffle to enter the Super Nintendo World. As we didn’t purchase tickets, we had to enter this giveaway, and after 1 hour waiting for the results… our hearts were broken! It was also too late to purchase entry tickets (as they had sold out).

So, how can you make sure this doesn’t happen to you? There are two ways:

Entering Super Nintendo World for free

USJ’s official opening time is usually between 8 and 9 am, but here’s the secret: the park often opens earlier than that. If you arrive around 6 am, you’ll be among the first inside, and if you head straight to Super Nintendo World, you can walk in for free without needing a timed-entry ticket.

The reason we had to join the virtual lottery was that by the time we tried to enter, the area was already at capacity, and only guests with pre-purchased tickets were permitted entry.

This early-arrival method works best if you don’t mind waking up extra early and want to save money by skipping the timed-entry ticket.

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💡 Don’t fancy waking up at 5 am just to get into USJ? The smartest move is to stay in a hotel right outside the park. You’ll roll out of bed, skip the stress, and head straight in. 👉 Check out our blog to the best hotels near USJ to find the perfect place to stay.

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Purchasing a timed-entry ticket

This method is as simple as it sounds. For $103.58, you can purchase a day ticket with timed-entry to Super Nintendo World. We recommend the bundle in the image below.

This ticket does not require pick-up

2. Is USJ Express Pass worth it?

Well… DEFINITELY! Based on our experience, only visit USJ if you purchase the Express Pass.

Here’s why: We arrived at 8:30 am and we only managed to enjoy 4 rides (one of them was also a cinema show) without the Express Pass. On average, each ride had a queue of +2 hours. Add to this the time it takes to walk to each ride, plus some breaks to eat, drink, appreciate the decoration, etc.

We were hugely disappointed, since USJ was at the top of our “Japan Wish List”, and not purchasing an Express Pass meant we spent more time waiting rather than enjoying.

Where is the best place to buy the USJ Express Pass?

Navigating the ticketing process for USJ can be a bit confusing, but don't worry, we’re here to help. If you have any questions after reading, please feel free to ask in the comments section below!

Screenshot from the USJ website. ¥25,800 = $174.72

While many people assume the official USJ website offers the best prices, that's not always the case. The best deals can often be found on platforms like Trip.com. However, Trip.com's bundles can be unclear, so this is the method we recommend to find the best Express Pass for you.

• Step 1: In one browser window, open the official USJ website. This is where you can see the official names for each Express Pass and all the rides included in that specific pass. (Important: Express Passes allow you to skip the queue once for each designated ride.)

• Step 2: In a separate window, open Trip.com. You'll find the same Express Pass names as on the official site, but Trip.com doesn't always show which rides are included, which is what makes the process confusing without the official site as a reference.

Same bundle for $14 less on Trip.com

3. Which are the best rides at USJ?

Rides are always personal preferences, but at USJ, three rides really caught our attention (and the attention of thousands of people that same day). Why is this important, though? These rides will likely have the longest queues, potentially reaching a 3 h 30 min wait.

• The Flying Dinosaur

• Hollywood Dream - The Ride

• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

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As you can imagine, we only managed to test one, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. We wanted to try The Flying Dinosaur, but the queue was 3 h 30 min… We highly suggest that if you really like adrenaline-based rides, you purchase an Express Pass ticket that includes these rides.

By the way, this is not a hateful blog towards USJ. We completely understand the things that we did wrong, and that’s why we are sharing them with you, so that you can have the best time ever. Who knew you needed a plan for a theme park? ahaha

The Jaws

4. Take waterproof clothing

Very self-explanatory… The best thing to take is a poncho, because you can easily store it and it won’t bother you much. When would you use it? This was Max’s question. During our time at USJ it unfortunately rained, so the poncho came in handy, but there’s also a water ride called Jurassic Park: The Ride, where you are meant to get soaked. It’s one of those boats that rapidly crashes into the water, creating a huge splash.

Don’t worry if you can’t take your own poncho; they sell ponchos in the “Jurassic Park” for ¥500 ($3.39).

5. Use the USJ app

USJ has a fantastic official app called Universal Studios Japan. We used its interactive map and features to check real-time wait times for rides, find places to eat, and read ride descriptions.

It’s a very practical method to plan the next ride and optimise your time at USJ.

6. Disappointing rides at USJ

Despicable Me queue

Imagine this: you arrive at USJ and you start seeing your childhood cartoons… Exciting right? This was us when we saw the “Minions world”. The best part is that there’s a ride called Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem. There was a 2 h 15 min queue, but of course, it’s one of our favourite cartoons, so waiting this long was nothing for us.

Once we entered the ride, we sat down on a cart with 6 seats, we held tight, and we were excitedly waiting until the ride commenced… Well, this is where the biggest disappointment of the day came. This ride happened to be static, meaning that there is a really big dome-like screen, and the cart moves on the spot to give you that sense of motion, but in reality, it is just tilting slightly. This, of course, was our fault, because we didn’t do research before attending the theme park; however, after such a long wait and feeling like I was going to pass out from motion sickness, our experience at this ride was not great.

It was really funny because as soon as the ride started, there was a kid behind us who told his dad: “Oh Dad, it’s just a screen”.

Anyway, of course, this is just our experience, and for you it may not be the same, but unfortunately, this ride was not for us. Having said this, make sure you read and see videos about rides before attending the theme park, so that you don’t get any surprises.

7. Bonus tip

Want to hear more about our wild day at USJ? We've shared the full story, including a few more mistakes we made and how you can avoid them, in a YouTube video. Check it out to get the complete picture!

Want to see all the action? Join us as we explore the rides and attractions of USJ in this video! Here you will see how dizzy we felt after a couple of rides, as well as all the fun we had!

If you found this blog helpful, we would really appreciate it if you could leave a comment, like & share. We’d also love to know which is your favourite ride at USJ!

We really hope you have an amazing time at USJ and Japan 🫶 🇯🇵

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