Day 10 – Universal Studios Japan with Kids: Was It Worth It?

There are two things that become apparent when planning a trip to Universal Studios Japan. First, it’s insanely expensive compared to the other Japanese tourist sites. We’d walked through a cherry blossomed park and now a bamboo forest for free. We had visited UNESCO world heritage sites for less than lunch in a UK coffee shop. So, contrast that with four standard tickets at Universal Studios and, well, the maths, like my English, don’t make a lot of sense.
We bought standard entry passes online via the main website and figured we’d ask about express passes once we were there. I mean, how many companies are going to turn down more money? There’s always a way, right?

DAD HINT - You can indeed upgrade your standard tickets and purchase express passes should you wish.  

The second thing that will strike you is that getting to USJ from Kyoto is slightly awkward. At least, it feels that way when you look at train maps online. In practice, we caught a Limited Express train to Osaka early in the morning and transferred to the Osaka Loop Line. I think we had to stop and change platforms at some point, but I’ll be honest, I can’t quite remember the specifics. From one dad to another though, it’s not ideal.

That commute turned out to be the busiest of our trip. Leaving in the morning, we naturally hit the wave of commuters heading to work. Add in the mass of tourists going to USJ and you’ve got a real crush. Once you hit Osaka, the workers peel off but are instantly replaced by even more tourists joining for the final leg. Honestly, is there a business opportunity for a direct coach from Kyoto to USJ? Don’t be surprised if I start a crowdfunding page.

Buying Passes, Losing Sanity

We arrived at USJ at around opening time. It was already very busy, but we made it through the gates fairly quickly, scanning QR codes off my phone for each person. We found help buying express passes, but my wife nearly had a stroke trying to make sense of the limited English spoken and the overly complex instructions on the official website.

I wish I could explain how the express passes work, but even now I’m not sure I could. All we really cared about was seeing The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and skipping some queues, because we weren’t staying until closing. Whatever we bought, we got in. That was good enough for me.

DAD HINT – Read up on how the ticketing and express passes work ahead of time. Ask ChatGPT to explain it, because trust me, it’s a mind-melter.

One Rookie Mistake

Once inside the park, I made a mistake that genuinely still upsets me. Keen to make a start, Bella said she wanted to go on the Hollywood Dream rollercoaster and James excitedly agreed. Using our fast pass straight away meant we skipped a 90-minute queue, but in my rush, I hadn’t properly thought it through.

I was worried the ride might be too much for my wife, but she can look after herself. My son and daughter, on the other hand, aren’t exactly seasoned thrill-seekers. Before I knew it, all four of us were strapped in. James ended up on the outside, without a parent beside him.

The ride is actually brilliant and if you’re not nervous around coasters, I’d recommend it. But for young kids, make sure of two things:
  • They know what kind of ride they’re getting on.
  • They lean back against the headrest at all times.
James had tried to sit forward and ended up being thrown about more than expected. While Bella and Claire were buzzing, James had had a big shock. With his nerves and head greatly shaken, there was only one fix, treats.

Coffee, Cakes and Planning

Opposite the ride exit is the perfectly placed Mario Café. We grabbed a table, got some smiles back with drinks and snacks, and finally sat down to plan the rest of the day.


Thanks to a combination of our app and scheduled ticket access times, here’s what our day looked like:

  • Hollywood Dream – The Ride
  • Jurassic Park – The Ride
  • Wizarding World of Harry Potter (11:30 entry)
  • Lunch at Beverly Hills Boulangerie
  • Super Nintendo World (2:30 entry)
  • Space Fantasy – The Ride
Jaws wasn’t working when we visited, and we didn’t make it to the younger kids’ area, Universal Wonderland, but no one minded too much.

Is It Worth It?

There are countless YouTube videos and blogs breaking down each ride, so I won’t repeat all that. What I can say is this:

If it had just been Claire and me, probably not worth the cost. The highlight for us was the food, which was so far above UK and US theme park standards that we started asking why we have to settle for less back home.

That said, £26 for a bucket of popcorn? Really? We didn’t try it, but it must be spectacular at that price—basically the cost of lunch for four.

But of course, we didn’t come here for ourselves. It was for the kids, and judging by the hugs and thank-yous on the way home, I think we got what we came for. It was certainly one of their highlights of the trip.

End of Day: Gacha Goals and Fast Food Wins

We wrapped up the day back in Kyoto, with dinner and some last bits of shopping, mainly gachapon hunting, at Yodobashi Camera close to Kyoto Station. (My wife missed out on this gacha about her favourite musician's)


Even with me insisting we leave the theme park in the afternoon instead of evening, it had been a very full day. We needed some rest, because tomorrow we were going to walk up a mountain. Day 11

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