Universal Japan question

I'd say it really depends on how much time you have for the park and what you're wanting out of it...

-If you've only got 1 day for the park, you need some form of Express unless you're okay skipping some of the attractions. About a third of the park's attractions are duplicates if you've visited Universal Orlando in the past couple years, but even removing those you probably won't be able to do the rest in one day without Express.
-If you've got 1.5 days, it's kind of a toss-up depending on your line tolerance, re-ride preferences, and whether or not shows in Japanese interest you. It's reasonable to do all of the Japan exclusives in 1.5 days without Express, but you'll still probably have to cut most of the duplicates. Alternatively, if you skip the shows, you'll probably be able to do most if not all of the rides in this time.
-If you've got 2 full days, you're probably fine without Express unless you're a completionist. Given the lower crowds you'll likely encounter (July is generally the least busy month of the year at the park), you'll probably be able to do everything unique and about half of the duplicates in this time period without Express.

As a point of reference, on my one and only visit to the park in November 2023, we opted for the 1.5 day tickets with no Express, and in that time we were able to get on nine rides, do all the Halloween Horror Nights attractions, explore the entirety of Super Nintendo World, and not feel rushed, but we didn't take the time to see any of the shows or go to any full service dining (all three in park meals were quick service). However, we were there on days with a 9/10 crowd level, which translated to wait times of 1.5-2.5 hours for most worthwhile attractions in the park. The crowd calendar I use shows a range from 1-6 on July dates last year, so based on that I'd guess the worst you're likely to encounter would be 45-90 minutes, with most lines somewhere in the 20-60 minute range (it is one of the world's busiest theme parks, after all...that's about as good as it gets).

If you do buy Universal Express for USJ, note that it works very differently from the US parks. Each pass is good for 4-5 specific attractions, so pick one where you have a strong desire to do every attraction listed rather than simply looking for the one featuring your highest priorities. They do offer Express passes covering a higher number of the park's attractions, but I'd recommend against those options (or combining multiple Express options) unless your schedule is really tight as you'll get more bang for your buck by adding additional time at the park.

USJ is the 3rd most attended park in the world. And it definitely shows in the crowds and wait times. If you're not interested in riding duplicates/clones of what exists domestically (Harry Potter, Nintendo, etc) you might be fine without an Express Pass--though I would expect waiting at least 1-2 hrs per ride on average.

If this is a "once in a lifetime" (or once a decade) trip, I'd recommended splurging on the Express Pass option that has the rides you want to do. You'll already be waiting in so many lines anyway (admission, merch, food), and some of the attraction waits can get pretty miserable. Plus, depending on the Express ticket type you select, you won't have Express on every attraction.

If you want the marquee USJ experience, I'd opt for one of the Express 8 options currently available. Such as this one:
- Mario Kart
- Yoshi's Adventure
- Mine Cart Madness
- Harry Potter
- Flight of the Hippogriff
- Villain-Con Minion Blast
- Flying Dinosaur
- Hollywood Dream

This gets you Express access to all the Harry Potter & Nintendo rides plus Flying Dinosaur & Hollywood Dream which can have the highest waits (depending on time of day).

If you're not interested in the attractions you can ride stateside, I'd instead opt for an Express 4 that includes the USJ exclusive rides--prioritize Flying Dinosaur, Hollywood Dream (plus Backdrop if you're into that), Space Fantasy, and any of the 4D shows if you're a fan of the IP.

Thanks for the detailed response like always AJ (I haven't posted in many years, but I visit the site from time to time). We will be spending 2 days at the park, so considering your advice I might skip the express pass. I have a hard time with the express pass cost. The cheapest express pass that includes Super Mario World is the express pass 4 which is the same cost as both days at the park and it only has 4 rides total on it. For me that is hard to justify unless the park is so busy you can't get any of this done without it.

Thank you Myhands for your insight. I don't think this is necessarily a once in a lifetime experience. We are missing so much of Japan already that I am sure I will be back.

You're very welcome, David. Yeah, the high cost of Express is why I decided to just do the 1.5 day ticket as it was much more affordable and I was able to get on at least four (if not more) additional rides with that extra time. If you've got two full day for the park, you shouldn't have a problem getting to do everything. Do note that Super Nintendo World requires using a virtual queue for access, so I would plan to get to the park super early on whichever day you're planning to visit that as you can't reserve a spot until you're inside the park and they go quickly (I got inside the park about 10 minutes after official opening and they were already distributing afternoon times). You'll also need to do everything you want to do in the land in one go...you can stay as long as you like, but once you leave you won't be able to reenter unless you can get another return time.

One other thing to note is that the opening procedures in Japan for Disney and Universal are very different from the domestic parks. Unlike the US, the Japanese parks don't do a rope drop, and once you're inside the park everything is open. The trick is that the exact time they start admitting people isn't announced, but in my experience it was generally around 45 minutes before the posted time. Japanese are early risers...show up 90 minutes early and you'll probably be in the front quarter of the entry plaza, show up 60 minutes early and you risk not being inside by official opening time.

My understanding from the abroad in Japan podcast is that Japan can be unbearable in the summer, to the point that Chris doesn’t recommend coming in the summer at all. So if you just go then, pack for the heat.