Osaka's Backyard: An Adult's One-Second Dreamlike Journey
Universal Studios Japan is located in Konohana-ku, Osaka City, Japan. You can reach Universal Studios directly by taking the JR line to Sakurajima Station, making transportation very convenient.
On the 9th, when we went, there weren't many people entering in the morning, and there was no queue (probably because we arrived early). Entry requires a bag check (not as strict as Disney); the first ride we went on was Harry Potter, which was quite thrilling, but the Japanese narration was a bit amusing. Next, we queued for the VR roller coaster with the giant theme, which took 2 hours, but it was worth it for the first-time visual experience, truly a unique experience. Lunch was at a Western restaurant opposite Spider-Man, and the taste was acceptable. The steak is served rare by default, but you can ask for it to be cooked more if you can't handle it that raw. It comes with mashed potatoes and soup, and the total cost was just over 3000 yen, roughly over 200 RMB. Additionally, the butterbeer at Harry Potter was very good, and the dinosaur leg at Jurassic Park was also delicious. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man and Minions in the afternoon were not very thrilling, suitable for family play. Dinner is not recommended at Universal Studios as most restaurants close around 5:30 PM, so you might want to have a late lunch to avoid getting hungry in the afternoon. There is a parade around 7 PM, lasting about an hour. There is a temperature difference between morning and evening, so it's advisable to bring an extra piece of clothing. Dinner was settled at Ichiran Ramen in Umeda. It's best to prepare some 100 yen coins at Universal Studios because some rides are quite thrilling, and there's a chance your bag might get thrown off, requiring the use of lockers, which cost 100 yen each time. I personally used them three times.
In summary: Compared to Disney, Disney is more suitable for children, while Universal is more suitable for adults.
Not far from downtown Osaka, it is very convenient to take a car and tram. It is worth checking in. The Mario Park is excellent! But other parks and Universal Studios in Beijing are still far worse than Beijing, and there are not many projects in Beijing!
Electronic tickets are convenient to screenshot and scan the code. After all, USJ is crowded and online ticket purchase saves a lot of time. The price is reasonable. Most popular projects can be played.
The fast track really saves some time. Although there is still no time difference in the queue, you can use it. This time Harry Potter has no current limit. Go in directly without scanning the code. It is also possible to save a little effort. The amusement project needs this.
Although it's expensive, it's still nice to see that the popular projects are 70, 80 or 100 minutes long and there's no queue. The fast track for the Dream Ride is in the middle, the left one is straight, and the right one is reverse. It's scary to sit in the straight one. The verification was very smooth. The two Harry Potter projects were the most fun. The Minions was a waste of time, and the animation time was too long.
Mario Land in Universal Studios Osaka, do I need to recommend this? I couldn't get a ticket even if I tried to buy one, but this time I was so lucky. Although I bought a guaranteed admission ticket, I was able to get a Mario Land ticket through the system. I was so happy.
I took my 14-year-old daughter to play there. It felt more comfortable than Disney. The size of the park was very suitable. It was not like Disney where you had to run around to play the projects. In addition, the older child was more interested in these movies, TV shows and animations.
After entering Universal Studios Osaka in the morning, you can take a break at noon and then enter the park again in the afternoon. When leaving the park at noon, you must find a staff member wearing a red sailor suit at the exit to stamp your hand, so that you can enter the park with the ticket and the stamp on your hand. If you want to play all the mini-games and 2 major items in the Mario park, but don't want to queue for a long time and waste money, the best choice is to buy an early admission ticket or queue up before 7 o'clock. The earliest entry does not require an admission ticket, and then you can draw an admission ticket and enter again after exiting. I was afraid that I couldn't get up with my child, so I bought a quick pass and entered the park at 8:20 in the morning. I drew a ticket for 9:40 (actually I could enter 5-10 minutes earlier) and played most of the mini-games, and then a quick pass at 7:20 in the evening, and went in to play Bowser's challenge. It feels that there are fewer people in the morning, and then more and more people, and more people in the evening. Star popcorn buckets can actually be bought on the street selling various souvenirs at the entrance. The Minions 4D project in Universal Studios Osaka is similar to that in Universal Beijing. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is a little scarier than that in Beijing, but the waiting time for Flight of the Hippogriff is surprisingly long. There are only 8 interactive games with magic wands, not as many as in Universal Beijing. You can take photos with Hello Kitty dolls in Universal Studios Osaka, which is another feature. The performances in various theaters are either in Japanese or English. If you are not a fan, don't go to see them. The sound is harsh and the special effects are average.
Scan the QR code to enter the park, which is very convenient. However, Universal Studios Osaka is too popular, and there are so many people. The queues for popular projects are 45 minutes or more. You have to grab the admission ticket for Super Mario, otherwise you can't get in. The food inside is really good, delicious, and the presentation is beautiful.