Fall Vacation - Day 04 - Fun-filled day at Universal Studios Japan (USJ)

Most foreign tourists or domestic tourists who travel to Osaka, will definitely spend at least a day at Universal Studios Japan (USJ). After our breakfast at the hotel, we made our way to the theme park. We were glad to stay at Swissotel Nankai Osaka, as it helped us to save time when we travelled to the theme park.

We planned a full day at the theme park, as the main issue with Universal Studios Japan (USJ) is that it’s EXTREMELY popular with both local Japanese and foreign tourists. To save time, we purchased our USJ tickets prior to our departure from Singapore. Even though you can buy tickets from the front counter on the day itself, I wouldn't recommend it as there are large queues. We bought our tickets from KLOOK as the process is quite simple, and the E-tickets were provided instantly. We only needed to scan the QR code from our E-ticket at the automated entrance gantry on the day of our visit, which will attest to how simple it was. When entering the Super Nintendo World, be ready to throw up your arms like Mario and yell 'Here we go!’

We experienced the limited time SPY×FAMILY XR Ride. This ride follows an original storyline and is an XR Ride that combines a high-speed roller coaster with VR technology for a truly immersive experience. OMG! So fun! 

Mario’s Cap Pancake Sandwich (OMG, it’s too cute to eat).

Universal Studios Japan offered a perfect blend of scary and fun this Halloween season. I enjoyed the ’Pokemon Unstoppable Halloween Party' which is ideal for both children and adults. 

We are mainly here for the new 'DONKEY KONG COUNTRY’ attraction which is located inside SUPER NINTENDO WORLD. We unfortunately couldn't get any USJ Express Passes as they were all sold out, which was to our regret. Our tickets only gave us guaranteed entry into Super Nintendo Land, but did not allow us to skip the queue to any rides via a Fast-track line. Our park tickets gave us a window time to enter the Super Nintendo World, but upon entry you can stay for as long as we wanted. Do note that no re-entry is allowed, so once you leave Super Nintendo World, you cannot return with your tickets!

The Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge is one of the best attractions that I’ve ever experienced, and we waited 50mins for the ride. Riders will put on a Mario cap headset on the ride that will let you experience the augmented reality of Super Mario World!

We were glad that we got a table to dine at Kinopio’s Café. 

We enjoyed the Super Mushroom Pizza Bowl! 

After our early dinner, it was time to brace ourselves to queue up for the latest ride in USJ - Mine Cart Madness located at the DONKEY KONG COUNTRY. The wait was madness, as we waited for 160mins! However, we were adamant to try it since we were here, even though the ride’s duration was only 2 minutes!

While waiting for our ride, Baby picked up the DK Crush Hot Shake Sundae in a delicious banana chocolate flavor and each purchase comes with a special mug which we could bring home!

We rode in a four-seater mine cart, and I loved the simulated jump off the track of this coaster! It was a wacky ride from beginning to the end, with fun scenes and track elements. This coaster is very erratic and choppy but not uncomfortable. There are two decent-sized steep drops on this ride.

In short, Mine Cart Madness is a fast thrill ride with a couple of steep drops, twisting sections! Sit in the first row for the full track jumping effect experience!

Apart from the usual rollercoasters and attractions such as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Super Nintendo World, we were also here to enjoy the Halloween Horror Nights. A horde of zombies then surged into the street, and we experienced the Street Zombies event where we got to see a face off between security forces against vicious zombies. We also managed to catch the ultra-extreme ‘Chainsaw Man’ experience!

For those seeking a more thrilling experience, the night events are a must. When night fell, zombies started to roam the grounds–this is not an event for the faint of heart

Universal Studios Japan also offers other Halloween exclusive bears such as the HAMI-KUMA SOUL, HAMI-KUMA PUNK and HAMI-KUMA CANDY. These Halloween exclusives are only sold during Halloween event in USJ.

I picked up a Classic HAMI-KUMA which is only exclusively available during the Halloween period in USJ. It is a cute and terrifying zombie teddy bear with many things protruding from his stomach.

We left the park when the park closed. A visit to Universal Studios Japan (USJ) isn’t only about the rides. It’s about the atmosphere and vibe too! It was an amazing experience and was a day well spent at USJ!

We had some random ramen for dinner nearby our hotel, as we needed to do some packing. This was because we were checking out after our breakfast the next day!

Stay tuned for my next outing, as we left Osaka and travelled to Kyoto.