JUST A WARNING FROM ONE PARENT TO ANOTHER: If you are trying to decide betweenTokyo Disneyland or Tokyo Disneysea and Universal Studios Osaka – please note that visiting Tokyo Disney Parks is about one TENTH of the cost for families
Tokyo Disneyland has more rides for smaller kids – even toddlers can ride more than 70% of the rides at Tokyo Disneyland (with their parents, of course.)
The fast passes (or Express Passes as USJ calls them) at Universal Studios are expensive but I, personally would NEVER do Universal Studios Japan without express passes.
My reasoning? Unfortunately, they let so many people in that it is just soooo much waiting (I get DMs from shell-shocked parents about this daily.)
So -please allow me to be firm with you – budget in for one set of express passes per person + your daily entrance ticket OR skip it entirely. I speak more about purchasing Express Passes below.
So…. How to choose the best express passes for Universal Studios Japan?
Pass combos and passes are always changing (depending on the crowds and popularity of new rides etc.) but here is the best way to make sure you get the right ones for your family.
1. Go to the Official Universal Studios Japan website and check the height requirements and cross out any rides that not everyone in your family qualifies for.
This is the best way to first narrow your options down and make sure that you aren’t wasting money.
If you have some family members who are up for (or just tall enough for) thrill rides – you can also split up your express passes ( example; in a family of 4 you could have 2 people ride one ride twice instead of going as a four, if you like.) I explain more about this below.
2. Look at the Express Passes that include entry to the Super Nintendo World area (if that area interests you). If you have an Express Pass to one of the Super Nintendo World rides (this includes the Donkey Kong ride) then you will also be given a time that you can enter that area. Try and make it later in the day if you can OR make sure you don’t have a ride in another section – AS- once that ride is over you will not be able to return to Super Nintendo World. So, for this reason, I prefer to do Super Nintendo World options last . That way, my kids can explore the whole land/area afterwards and we can make sure we are all truly done with that section before we leave (and I explain that to the kids too “are you sure you have seen everything you want to see here? Once we leave we can’t come back so do you want to take one more walk around?”
For us, we always prioritise any Express Passes that guarantee entry to Super Nintendo World.
Firstly because it is the most popular section but also because you cannot enter this world without a special entry pass (the other way to enter is to try for timed entry on the app on the day, once you are in the park, BUT it is not guaranteed and – when travelling with little kids – this can lead to a lot of disappointment. So the Express Pass with guaranteed entry is the best way to go.
Here is a link for buying your express passes via Klook right now.
3. Download the Universal Studios app and see which rides have the longest wait times and make sure your Express Pass includes those. For example: If you can choose between Jurassic Park and Jaws.. Jaws often has a wait time of 30 mins or less – while Jurassic Park has more than an hour at most times during the day.
It’s very old school but you need to print out the QR codes but this also means you can use the Express Passes as you like. For example: 1 person in a family of 4 could do a ride 4 times if no-one else in the family is interested.
WHICH RIDES DO I PERSONALLY PRIORITIZE WITH AN EXPRESS PASS, IF I CAN:
(Please note that it’s important that you check the USJ official site for height restrictions first – you don’t want express passes for something your family can’t actually ride on.)
Don’t know what each of the rides actually are? Look for clips of particular rides on youtube or tiktok.
I would prioritise these rides based on popularity and length of wait times:
-Flying Dinosaur
-Hollywood Dreams (both of them)
-Space Fantasy
– Super Nintendo World rides (especially the Donkey Kong ride)
– Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
-The 3D Minions Ride
HOW TO BUY TICKETS & EXPRESS PASSES FOR UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPAN
Because the official site has so many issues with international credit cards (you can try first if you like though, of course) I recommend buying your USJ tickets (aka “Studio Passes”) on Klook.
Before choosing your day at USJ go through the crowd prediction calendar to choose the least busy day and THEN see which Express Passes are also available for that day. Express passes for Universal Studios Japan are available exactly 60 days in advance – at midnight.
Here is a link for buying your express passes via Klook right now.
The most popular fast pass packs are those that include one of the Super Nintendo World rides as those often mean guaranteed entry into the Super Nintendo World area – so I recommend grabbing one of those first, if you can. Here is a link for buying your express passes via Klook right now.
Buy tickets to Universal Studios Japan here using my affiliate link (an affiliate link means that I will make a small commission if you make a purchase using my link – at no additional cost to you.
I also like purchasing my Universal Studio Tickets using Klook and have done so for the past two visits to Universal Studios Japan.
Random suggestions if you are staying at Universal Studios with kids for several days – it is expensive so it is worth looking at the cost of an annual pass for Universal Studios Japan vs your ticket prices. Sounds crazy but an annual pass allows you to skip queues and can be cheaper than buying lots and lots of express prices ahead of time.
Here is a link for buying your express passes via Klook right now.
What happens with express passes when kids are to young to require tickets at Universal Studios Japan?
For example, let’s say you have a 3 year old who meets the height requirements for an express pass at Universal Studios in Japan- what happens to them when the rest of the family has an express pass?
They can just line up and join the express pass line with you – they are your little additional freebie. Check height restrictions for rides on the official Universal Studios Japan website here.
