Read part 1 here for tips I used during preparation before coming to the USJ!

Disclaimer: All these tips are my personal opinion based on my own preferences in going out and traveling. Personal preferences vary from person to person, but as long as you have an enjoyable day going out, make unforgettable memories with your loved ones, then it should not be that important whether you can ride a lot of attractions or take that many photogenic pictures, right? So these tips are for references only and the key here is for you to have a good time coming to the USJ!

1. Arrive early before the opening time

Arriving early before the opening time helped me get into the USJ faster without having to wait in line to check the tickets for too long. Besides, sometimes on crowded days, the USJ can be flexible and open a little earlier than usual to avoid congestion when the doors open.

Hence coming a little earlier can help you get through the door faster and quickly experience the famous attractions without waiting in line!

There was one time I randomly arrived at the USJ early to take photos before entering, and I became the first guest to enter the USJ when they opened the door a little earlier (about 15 minutes). Although the time was not that much earlier, being the only one in the whole theme park, and quickly getting to ride your favorite attraction without having to line up is a great experience, right?

2. To save time for the ride

• Pick a good time to go:

Personally, I prefer to ride popular attractions that I like the most (like Harry Potter, the Flying Dinosaur...) early in the morning when it is not crowded because at that time USJ has just opened the door, and people usually spend time walking around, taking photos, buying merchandise… so very few people are lining up.

Additionally, the time in the late evening (1-2 hours before closing time) is similar to the early morning hours, there are fewer people lining up, which saves you more time. I noticed this the first night I went to the USJ when I accidentally checked the waiting time on the USJ app and discovered that there were no lines at any attraction.

Therefore, you can consider taking advantage of the time in the early morning and in the late evening to play on your favorite rides, while the rest of the day can be used to appreciate the beautiful view which is great for taking photos, enjoy a variety of food or interesting, exciting performances and parades.

• Choose to buy priority passes:

- Buy the Universal Express Pass

Once you have an Express Pass, you can line up in the priority line for the attractions specified on the pass. This way the waiting time is much shorter, which is very useful especially for families with small children.

If normally, an attraction has a waiting time of around 1.5-2 hours, then at the Express Pass line, you only need to wait for 15-30 minutes. There are also different types of USJ Express passes, each type covers priority line entry for a few specific attractions (but not for all attractions) so that you can choose the suitable pass.

However, there is a limited number of Express Pass tickets available each day, especially during holidays, they sell out very quickly, so if you want an Express Pass, try to buy it in advance! Express Pass tickets can cost between 3000yen and 9000yen, not including theme park admission ticket fee (a priority pass that includes more attractions will be more expensive).

Personally, I prefer the Universal Express Pass 4 (The Flying Dinosaur Set) because it allows me to use the priority line once for The Flying Dinosaur, Harry Potter and the forbidden journey and Flight of the Hippogriff attractions. Additionally, I also get unlimited priority for 2 attractions, which are the Amazing Adventures of Spider Man and Jurassic Park the Ride.

These are the 5 attractions that I enjoy the most at the USJ so this is my most favorite Express Pass type. However, these are also the top 5 most popular attractions in the USJ so the Express Pass 4 tickets are also the most in-demand, and there was one time I almost missed out on it, so if you also prefer this Express pass, you should hurry up and buy it quickly.

- Buy the Royal Studios Pass

The Royal Studios Pass is also a type of priority ticket like the Express Pass. However, this pass provides much more "privilege" than the Express Pass because the Royal Studios Pass does not limit the number of attractions or the number of times that you can use the priority line (while each Express Pass type covers only limited number of attractions with priority access).

However, together with the "privileges" of this Royal Pass comes the quite expensive price (from 24,000yen or above, including the theme park admission fees).

• Wait in the Single Ride line (line for solo visitors)

If you don't mind sitting alone or away from your group, you can try waiting in the Single Ride line. Normally, visitors traveling in pairs or groups will have to wait for seats to be available together so the waiting time will be longer. Therefore, waiting in the Single Ride line will be faster and saves you a lot of time.

Moreover, you and your friend can still line up together, and still have a high chance of sitting next to each other so don't worry too much! My partner and I lined up at the Single Ride line twice, and both times we got to sit together and it saved us nearly an hour of waiting.

These are all the tips I used to save time waiting in line at the USJ. And I will see you all in part 3 with little-known tips about food, performance shows, parade... at the USJ to fully experience the USJ in 1 day!