Is the USJ Express Pass necessary?Judgment method
むっちゃん
I am a Japanese person living in Japan.
This article has been translated from a Japanese article using a translation tool, so it may be difficult to read. Please understand in advance.
When visiting USJ from afar, you might consider purchasing an Express Pass.
Here are five things you should know to help you decide whether to buy one or not.
この記事はすべて英語になります。以下の記事は日本語で同じ内容です。
【2024】知らなきゃ損！USJのエクスプレスパスは絶対に必要か？オススメの判断方法6つ-9月更新
USJに遠くから遊びに来られるという方は、エクスプレスパスの購入を検討しているのではないでしょうか？日によっては購入しないと混雑で１つのアトラクションに３時間待つ…
mmmmemo 
Quick Navigation
- Busy season
- When is the off-season? ?
- ticket price
- Express Pass sold out status
- If you are unable to arrive at the park by opening time
- Express Passes Can Be Purchased Inside the Park
Busy season
Here is a summary of the busy periods at Universal Studios Japan.
When students are on vacation
March, which coincides with spring break and graduation trips, is extremely crowded at the park. The last two weeks of March are particularly busy.
The standard annual pass is so crowded during this time that almost two weeks in late March are excluded to avoid the congestion.
Additionally, in March, there is the “Yuni Haru Live(ユニ春ライブ),” where famous artists perform live at USJ every year. Although separate tickets are required for the live performances, fans who come to the park to catch the sound from outside the venue make the entire park crowded on the days of the “Yuni Haru Live.”
long vacation
- May: Golden Week
- August: Obon
- January: New Year
These periods are particularly crowded as many people have long vacations.
The same applies to three-day weekends.
Regarding three-day weekends, the holidays themselves tend to be the most crowded.
Saturday, Sunday, Monday
Unless it is an off-peak period, the park is naturally crowded on Saturdays and Sundays.
However, Mondays are also very likely to be just as crowded as the weekends.
The reason is that students often have substitute holidays on Mondays for events like sports days and cultural festivals.
Additionally, many people think that Mondays will be less crowded and therefore take a three-day weekend including Monday.
Halloween event period
The period when USJ sees the highest number of visitors is during the “Halloween Horror Nights” event. This extremely popular event is held every year from mid-September to the first week of November.
The park is especially crowded at the beginning of the event in September and from late October until the final day. Additionally, during the Halloween Horror Nights, the quality of visitors tends to decline, leading to an increase in dangerous and prohibited behaviors, so please be cautious.
When is the off-season? ?
The off-peak periods are from late January to February and in June.
During the cold season, all amusement parks tend to be less crowded. Additionally, June is the rainy season. On rainy days, outdoor rides may be suspended, leading to fewer visitors.
However, in recent years, the rainy season has not been typical, so the number of visitors may not decrease.
Also, during times when it is difficult for people to take time off, there are fewer visitors.
How many days are you free on weekdays?
Tuesday Wednesday Thursday.
It's especially empty on Wednesdays and Thursdays in the middle of the week.
Supplement
Since around the summer of 2023, there has been a significant influx of inbound tourists, and as a result, weekdays are no longer as empty as they used to be.
It seems important to check the situation on the same day of the week from the previous or the week before.
In 2024, there are even more foreign tourists than in 2023.
ticket price
The second method is to determine the crowd levels based on ticket prices.
While you can generally understand the busy periods mentioned above, it’s hard to know if a specific day will be crowded.
In such cases, you can also gauge the number of guests by looking at the ticket prices for USJ.
Prices vary depending on the date of admission
The prices vary within the following range (as of May 24, 2024):
¥7,819 (¥8,600 including tax) to ¥9,910 (¥10,900 including tax).
Please check the ticket prices for your planned visit date on the following website.
Days when crowds are expected
The days expected to be crowded are, of course, those with the highest ticket price of ¥9,910 (¥10,900 including tax).
This means that even with the high price, many visitors are expected.
Note:
From August 11 to August 13, 2023, the highest price was ¥9,455 (¥10,400 including tax), but due to the highest temperature reaching 38°C and the approach of a typhoon, the park was almost empty.
Please consider this when purchasing your tickets.
Express Pass sold out status
The third method is to check the availability of Express Passes.
If some Express Passes are sold out a few days in advance, it’s a sign that the park will be crowded on that day.
This means that many people will be entering with 1-Day Passes. When there are many visitors with 1-Day Passes, the park generally becomes crowded, so purchasing an Express Pass will be highly beneficial.
USJ 
If you are unable to arrive at the park by opening time
The fourth method is to arrive at the park after the official opening time.
USJ often opens 30 minutes to an hour and a half earlier than the official opening time.
One reason for this is that the entrance to USJ is much narrower compared to Disney Resort. From my experience, it feels like it has only about half the space of the two parks at Disney Resort.
Therefore, on days with many guests, they have no choice but to open early for safety reasons.
Notes on early opening hours
Opening early means that by the official opening time, the wait times for popular rides can exceed two hours.
Even if you arrive early, you might find that there are no rides available to get on.
Additionally, some people struggle with the baggage check. During the baggage check, prohibited items are inspected.
USJ prohibits the bringing in of carry-on cases, but tourists often don’t know this and end up being instructed to store them in lockers during the baggage check.
As a result, they have to rejoin the line from the beginning, so please make sure to check the list of prohibited items before visiting!
If you really want to enter Super Nintendo World
Many people visit with the primary goal of experiencing Super Nintendo World.
As a result, when it gets crowded, entry to the area is restricted. Once entry restrictions begin, you must secure an “Area Entry Ticket” for each person in your group to enter.
Let me explain the process of obtaining an “Area Entry Ticket” and when they might run out.
Understanding the system will help you decide whether or not to purchase them.
Example of admission ticket flow
If the park opens one hour before the official opening time, you can enter Nintendo World freely for about 30 minutes. (You can enter the area if you go there.)
Once the area becomes crowded, “Area Entry Tickets” will be distributed.
Therefore, “Area Entry Tickets” will start being distributed about 30 minutes before the official opening time.
(When it switches to tickets, you will be stopped near the Jaws attraction to switch to tickets.
From there, the crew will call for ticket issuance, so you will quickly know if you need a ticket.)
Entry times will be distributed starting from the early hours, and the next time slot will be distributed every hour as the previous time slot ends. When distributing until one hour before closing time, it will switch to “Area Entry Lottery Tickets.”
“Area Entry Lottery Tickets” are extremely unlikely to win, so once it switches to lottery tickets, you should not expect to be able to enter.
When will “Area Entry Tickets” run out?
During peak periods, the distribution of “Area Entry Tickets” usually ends between 10 AM and 12 PM.
Conversely, during off-peak periods, tickets may not be fully distributed, and free entry might be available from around 6 PM.
Points to note when obtaining a numbered ticket just before the park closes
If you obtain a ticket close to closing time, the chances of not being able to ride the attractions are very high.
This is because the attractions stop accepting guests in advance to ensure they can close by the park’s closing time.
Mario Kart usually has a wait time of 1 to 2 hours, so you need to enter the area at least 2 hours before closing time.
Example of Attraction Acceptance:
For example, if the park closes at 7 PM and the attraction you want to ride has a 2-hour wait, they will stop accepting guests at 5 PM.
Once they stop accepting guests, you cannot line up for the attraction, so you will definitely not be able to experience it.
Additionally, Mario Kart often has a wait time of around 100 minutes.
Express Passes Can Be Purchased Inside the Park
Finally, Express Passes can be purchased even after entering the park.
You can buy them at the “Backlot Accessories” shop, which is immediately to the left after entering the park.
It’s convenient if you initially thought you didn’t need an Express Pass but later decide you want one.
Precautions When Purchasing After Entry
If you purchase after entering, you won’t be able to buy an Express Pass if they are sold out. There is a limited number of Express Passes available each day.
Selling an unlimited number would defeat the purpose of the Express Pass.
Therefore, it is not recommended to rely on purchasing on the day if you visit USJ during long holidays.
Especially recently, the popularity of Express Passes has increased, so during periods like Obon, they may sell out quickly after release. Please be aware of this.
スポンサーリンクSummary
We have explained how to decide whether to purchase an Express Pass.
I hope this information is helpful to you.
If this article is well-received, I might consider creating more articles in English.
Thank you for reading.
