My husband, son, and I are going to Japan in mid-April. They both want to do Universal Studios Japan, especially the Nintendo World Part. I am not a rides person (lots of inner ear issues/nausea) and generally don't particularly care one way or the other…except for the Jaws ride. That was a big part of my childhood and I was genuinely sad when it was shut down in the Universal Studios in Florida. Now, I might just get to ride it with my son, which makes me ridiculously happy.
So, all that background info to say: Every source I've looked at for this seems to give conflicting answers, including the official USJ website. If anyone is familiar or has been recently, I'd really appreciate your help! Here are my questions:
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What exactly do you have to do to get into the Nintendo World part of the park? Is it a special pass? Does the pass include all of the rides and attractions there? I keep reading conflicting things about this.
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Do you need to buy the Nintendo World passes in advance? How far in advance? If we're going in mid-April, should I already be trying to purchase these?
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Can you get into the Nintendo World part of the park and just walk around, take photos, etc., without going on any of the rides? Ideally, I'd love to just pay for a regular ticket since I don't plan to do the rides in this part, and my son and husband, who do want to do them, would get whatever special tickets or passes are needed. But would I also need a timed pass or what have you for that area, even just to sit there/take photos/explore?
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Is it true that you need a timed entry pass for even the eateries in Nintendo World? I read a travel site that seemed to claim this.
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Do you need any kind of Express Pass for the Jaws ride? I don't see this listed as an option anywhere I've looked, including on the official USJ site where different attractions are listed in the different Express Pass options, so I'm hoping it's sort of below the radar compared to Nintendo World, the Harry Potter area, etc. But maybe I'm wrong?
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Can you circulate freely in all other areas of the park without an Express Pass, just a general entry ticket? For instance, if my husband and son want to do rides in the Harry Potter section and I just want to sit and wait and take photos, do I also need to have an Express Pass to just sit there?
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I've read that the wait times are still insanely long (like an hour or more) for even less popular attractions. If we go on a weekday that's not a holiday, is that really the case?
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Should we get to the park an hour before official opening time? I've heard that lots of people do this? Again, we'd be planning to go on a weekday in mid- to late April.
Any other general strategies or advice would be very much appreciated!
For additional info: Our top priorities would be Nintendo World (rides, etc., for my husband and kid, just sitting and taking in the vibe and getting photos of them for me), the Jaws ride (all of us riding), and the Harry Potter section (the rides for them, just vibes for me — I know the one in the US has amazing decor and a great ambiance).
by Catdress92