Preparing for a visit to Tokyo Disney Resort (Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea) or Universal Studios Japan (USJ) can be quite confusing and overwhelming for first time visitors. Some assumes that they do not worry about any preparation and should just go-there-and-enjoy, only to get disappointed later. Especially with the recent problems of over-tourism in Japan, proper planning for Disney or USJ is strongly recommended as it would help you to get much better experience on the day.

There are many other attractions in Japan that also require good preparations. This article focuses on Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea and Universal Studios Japan due to the popularity of these three attractions. You can click here to jump to the part for USJ.

Tokyo Disney Resort

Good preparation is key to a successful visit to Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea, especially nowadays when Japan is dealing with over-tourism. Several years ago, we can simply buy park entry tickets, simply queue for the rides inside and will end the day after experiencing a few rides and having a great time. Gone is those happy days. In 2025, most ride would take somewhere between 1 to 2.5 hours in the queue, for less than 5 minutes of fun time. Even worse, we could not even queue some popular rides unless we have one of its digital passes (Disney Premier Access, or Standby Pass, or 40th Anniversary Priority Pass). For 5 rides, a family would spend around 4-6 hours in the queue and less than 30 minutes of ride time. I do not know about you, but that is not really my definition of fun.

Let us start by clarifying one of the most common confusion between Tokyo Disney Resort, Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. How are they connected? Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea are two separate theme parks. They are both located inside a Tokyo Disney Resort area. Being two separate theme parks, Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea requires separate entry tickets.

There are other Disneyland parks in other countries, but there is only one DisneySea in the world: in Japan (at the time when this post is published). It is worth to note that both Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea are NOT owned by Disney. These parks are built and owned by Oriental Land Company under license from Disney. They are the only Disney theme parks in the world not owned by The Walt Disney Company.

Tickets to Tokyo Disney Resort (Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea) are sold daily from 2:00 pm (Japan time) for admissions on the same date two months later. If the same date for admission does not exist in the month in which we are making our purchase, tickets will be available from 2:00 pm on the first day of the next month.

Some common ticket types (usually available):

  • 1-Day Passport: full day entry to one selected park, not both
  • Early Evening Passport: entry to one selected park from 3:00 pm on weekends and holidays
  • Weeknight Passport: entry to one selected park from 5:00 pm on weekdays (excluding holidays)

Special ticket types (not always available):

  • 1-Day Park Hopper Passport: more expensive than normal 1-Day Passport, but this ticket allows visitor to visit both parks on the same day
  • 2-Day Passport
  • 3-Day Magic Passport
  • 4-Day Magic Passport
  • Senior Passport

Annual Passport is available for Japan residents. People with disability can buy special 1-Day Passport for Guests with Disabilities. Ticket price varies depending on the date of visit. Weekend tickets are generally more expensive. Tickets during busy period can be significantly more expensive. Children age 12-17 need to purchase Junior tickets, age 4-11 need Child tickets. Kids 3 year-old or younger can enter for free. 18 and over must purchase Adult tickets. Tickets cannot be refunded. Instead, you can ask to change the date to another date with same price level, and you can change a child’s age category. Resale of tickets is strictly prohibited. However, visitors are allowed to share tickets with family members. As long as the primary ticket holder (original purchaser) remains the same, the family member entering the park can change.

Visitors can no longer purchase tickets at the front gate. All tickets must be purchased online. The easiest (and most recommended) way to purchase tickets is through the official website, or using Disney Resort app. Digital tickets are shown in the app, and you can get other family members to create their own Disney account, install Disney Resort app in their phones, and share visibility to the tickets with them.

These tickets above are only to get us entry to the theme park, it does not guarantee that we will be able to do certain rides inside. Popular rides require park visitors to have one of the passes to even join the queue:

  • Disney Premier Access (DPA) allows visitor to join express queue of a certain ride at a certain time, this is a paid pass, DPA for popular rides will sold out soon after the park opens in the morning. This pass is sold on first come first serve basis. We can buy DPA for multiple people within our group (entry tickets purchased together). After buying a DPA, a visitor cannot purchase DPA for a different ride until cool-down time of 60 minutes, or until the start time of the purchased DPA, whichever is earlier. Usually, after this cool-down time ends, all DPAs for popular rides are sold out. Realistically, people rarely can buy DPAs for multiple rides in a day.
  • Standby Pass gives a visitor the right to join normal queue (longer) of a certain ride at a certain time, this is a free pass. Without Standby Pass, we cannot even join the queue for some popular rides or shops, so think of this pass as the right to queue. The list of “popular” experiences changes from time to time and would need to be checked from Disney Resort website. We can buy Standby Pass for multiple people within our group (entry tickets purchased together). After buying a Standby Pass, a visitor cannot purchase DPA for a different experience until cool-down time of 120 minutes, or after the return time of the Standby Pass, whichever is earlier.
  • 40th Anniversary Priority Pass allows visitors to join normal queue (longer) of a certain ride from a limited list (not available for all rides), at a certain time, this is a free pass.
  • Entry Request is request to join a popular show, visitors can submit this any time while inside the park, but the success/fail is basically decided by luck.

Passes can be purchased from Disney Resort app after our ticket is scanned at the gate, only from inside the park. This means, we cannot buy DPA in advance before the visit, and the time when we enter the park matters. In most days, DPA passes for most popular rides would be sold out within less than 30 minutes after the first visitor enters the park. This is the reason why thousands of people are lining up in front of the park hours before the park opens, so that they can become one of the first visitors entering, with chances to buy DPA for the most popular rides or attractions. Of course if getting on popular rides is not important for you, you can always skip the morning rush.

When a brand new area becomes available, Disney could implement entry restriction for that area. Without DPA or Standby Pass, visitors cannot even enter the area. The latest example of this is Fantasy Springs in DisneySea with 4 popular rides: Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey, Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival, Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure and Fairy Tinker Bell’s Busy Buggies. Until early 2025, visitors cannot enter the area even just to take some photos unless they have a Premier Access or Standby pass for one of these rides. The area restriction was no longer in effect at the time when this article is published, but there could be new restrictions for new or renovated areas in the future.

To prepare for a day in Disneyland or DisneySea, it is important to know the things we are not allowed to bring:

  • Food from outside the park. Yes, visitors are not allowed to pack their own lunches or food in general. There is a picnic area located near the main entrance, outside the park, for people who prefer to eat their own packed lunch. Lollies and snacks for young children are allowed.
  • Alcoholic beverages.
  • Prams (strollers) without wheel lock mechanism.
  • Suitcases or wheeled carriers.
  • Dangerous items or imitation/toy that looks like one.
  • Drones.
  • Tripod, monopod or selfie-stick. Small selfie stick that can be folded and fit in one hand is allowed.
  • Remote-controlled electronic devices.

There are coin-operated storage lockers outside the park to store items we cannot bring in. Baby Center is available inside the park, which would be useful for families with young children.

Children under age of 12 can wear full character costume. Adults and older children are not allowed to do so because they might get mistaken as staff member dressing as a Disney character. Tattoos are generally okay, but if it contains words or design considered as inappropriate by staff, a visitor can be denied entry. We also cannot wear something that covers our face entirely or significantly except for medical reasons (religious reasons are not accepted).

Inside the park, we are not allowed to touch staff members dressed as Disney characters (young children are usually tolerated, but still a good idea to prepare them). Some restaurants take bookings from Disney Resort app, which could help us to get better experience with shorter queue. Usually people start booking restaurants for lunch after they sort out DPA and other passes after entering the park.

It is generally considered rude for a person to queue on behalf of a group. When queuing for a ride, everyone that wants to get on the ride needs to be in the queue. Some people might get away with this because Japanese people tend to avoid conflict, but I can assure you that most of them are quite unhappy when they see such thing. Of course Japan is a big country with many people, there would be exceptions, there could be some of them doing so.

Common strategies to maximise your experience:

  • Before the day
    • Do some reading first, know the rides, attractions and the areas. Make informed decision if you want to go to Disneyland, or DisneySea or both.
    • Download and install Disney Resort app.
    • Buy tickets, can be as early as 2 months before the visit. Park entrance tickets generally might be available even closer to the date, but it is still a good idea to secure them early.
    • Ask family member or other adult in the group to also install Disney Resort app, create an account.
    • Share access to the tickets to the other person(s), this will increase the success chance of getting a pass on the day.
    • Plan the day. Really, this is important. One day would fly really fast when you are in there. Inside the park, time is too precious to explore and find out what’s in there. Plan the areas that you want to visit and what rides you want to try. Be realistic, understand that it is not always possible to get all the passes required for all the popular rides. Remember that rides queue can take hours and for some popular rides we cannot even join the queue without a pass.
    • Prepare a list of most important rides you plan to get passes, with backup plan.
    • Prepare day itinerary, understand the locations of the areas you want to visit and how to reach them from the entry gate. Understand that just walking from one area to another could take significant walking time.
    • Plan the transport to the park.
    • A day before visit, check weather forecast and make sure you are dressed for the weather. Bring umbrella if needed.
  • On the day
    • If getting on popular ride is important for you, arrive early, before the park opens. Otherwise, you can choose your convenient time.
    • Right after your ticket is scanned and your group enters the park, open Disney Resort app.
    • Get DPA, Standby Pass and 40th Anniversary Priority Pass for the rides that you want. If you discover that someone in your family/group cannot buy the pass, it means the ticket scan process was not successful (it can happen randomly, I experienced this once), go directly to ticket staff, they can help.
    • After sorting out passes for rides, now do restaurant booking, also from the app.
    • Check with Disney Resort website on schedule of parades and shows.
    • Start walking to the first area you want to visit. This could be impacted with the time allocation you get for your successful passes.
    • Generally, focus on popular rides first.
    • If you see a staff dressed in character that you like and want to take photos, ask straight away, do not wait. Chances are you are not going to see the character again later during the day.
    • Less popular rides with shorter queue can help to fill in the day.
    • Near end of day, there is a chance that some popular rides become available again.
    • If you plan to see the night fireworks, find a good spot before the schedule.

If you can only choose one park, which one to visit? This greatly depends on personal interests of everyone in your family or group. Disneyland has a lot more of classic Disney feel. DisneySea is unique because it is the only one in the world. Some people think DisneySea is more suitable for older kids, but I think both parks have something for different age groups. I personally like Disneyland better, mostly because I grew up with Disney characters and I simply could not find enough of them in DisneySea.

Can we re-enter the park on the same day? Yes, visitors are allowed to re-enter the park on the same day. This can be useful to eat own packed lunch at the picnic area, which is located outside the park.

Should I buy tickets from Disney Resort website/app or from third party resellers? There is almost no benefit of booking from third party resellers. Buying from Disney Resort website or app is strongly recommended as the tickets would automatically appear in the app, ready for the visit day.

Can my child join all rides available in the park? Some rides has minimum age or minimum height requirement. Please check with Disney Resort website before making your plan.

Tokyo Disneyland

Tokyo Disneyland is one of the two theme parks inside Tokyo Disney Resort. It has the following areas:

  • Fantasyland
  • Toontown
  • Tomorrowland
  • Adventureland
  • Westernland
  • Critter Country
  • World Bazaar

Fantasyland is an area that remind us of classic Disney. It is suitable for families with younger children, or really anyone who enjoys Disney nostalgic atmosphere. Some rides and attractions in this area:

  • It’s A Small World
  • Alice’s Tea Party (tilt-a-twirl)
  • Pooh’s Hunny Hunt
  • Snow White’s Adventures
  • Cinderella’s Fairy Tale Hall
  • Dumbo The Flying Elephant
  • Enchanted Tale of Beauty and The Beast
  • Peter Pan’s Flight
  • Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
  • Mickey’s PhilharMagic
  • Castle Carrousel
  • Haunted Mansion

Toontown is an area where you can see Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and their neighbourhood in a cartoon-like world. There is so much to see and do here even without doing a ride. Some rides and attractions in this area:

  • Minnie’s House
  • Photo with Mickey
  • Donald’s Boat
  • Goofy’s Paint and Play House
  • Chip n Dale’s Treehouse
  • Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
  • Gadget’s Go Coaster
  • Toon Park

Tomorrowland carries futuristic theme with some popular rides:

  • Star Tours: The Adventures Continue (Star Wars in 3D)
  • Stitch Encounter
  • Monsters Inc Ride & Go Seek
  • The Happy Ride with Baymax

Adventureland offers adventure-themed rides and attractions. Some people say this area is more suitable for older kids and adults, but I think even enjoy the train or boat ride. Some rides and attractions in this area:

  • Western River Railroad
  • Jungle Cruise: Wildlife Expeditions
  • The Enchanted Tiki Room
  • Pirates of The Caribbean
  • Swiss Family Treehouse

The other areas (Westernland, Critter Country and World Bazaar) also have some rides and attractions. While they are not any less compared to the areas I detailed above, somehow these areas do not really register as Disney-like in my brain.

Tokyo DisneySea

Tokyo DisneySea is one of the two theme parks inside Tokyo Disney Resort and it is currently the only DisneySea in the world. This park has the following areas:

  • Fantasy Springs
  • Mermaid Lagoon
  • Port Discovery
  • Arabian Coast
  • American Waterfront
  • Mediterranean Harbor
  • Lost River Delta
  • Mysterious Island

Fantasy Springs is a newly built area in DisneySea. It is home of the famous Frozen and Rapunzel rides. Unfortunately, while the rides are fantastic, the area itself is not really photo-worthy. In my opinion, the area is too “normal” for a Disney theme-park. Some rides and attractions in this area:

  • Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey
  • Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival
  • Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure
  • Fairy Tinker Bell’s Busy Buggies

Mermaid Lagoon is an area suitable for families with younger children. This area offers a hint of classic Disney while still carrying the “sea” theme of DisneySea. Some rides and attractions in this area:

  • Jumpin’ Jellyfish
  • Blowfish Balloon Race
  • The Whirlpool (tilt-a-whirl)
  • Mermaid Lagoon Theatre
  • Flounder’s Flying Fish Coaster (family-friendly coaster)
  • Ariel’s Playground
  • Scuttle’s Scooters

Port Discovery is a science-themed area, essentially DisneySea’s version of Tomorrowland. Some rides and attractions in this area:

  • Nemo & Friends Sea Rider
  • Aquatopia
  • DisneySea Electric Railway

Arabian Coast is an area inspired by the story of The Arabian Nights with Genie and its magic. Some rides and attractions in this area:

  • The Magic Lamp Theatre
  • Sinbad’s Storybook Voyage
  • Jasmine’s Flying Carpet
  • Caravan Carousel

American Waterfront area is inspired by nostalgia-filled American harbors of New York and Cape Cod. It does not really strike me as Disney-like, but this area does have the famous Toy Story Mania ride. Some rides and attractions in this area:

  • Toy Story Mania!
  • Turtle Talk
  • DisneySea Electric Railway
  • DisneySea Transit Steamer Line
  • Tower of Terror

The other areas (Mediterranean Harbor, Lost River Delta and Mysterious Island) also have some rides and attractions. While they are not any less compared to the areas I detailed above, somehow these areas do not really register as Disney-like in my brain.

Universal Studios Japan

Universal Studios Japan (USJ) is a super popular theme park located in Osaka, Japan. Open since 2001, it is one of six Universal Studios worldwide. Thanks to several popular characters from famous movies and franchises, USJ becomes one of Osaka’s most highlighted destinations. In all honesty, my first visit to Osaka was because I wanted to go to USJ.

Tickets to USJ are can be purchased 2-3 months before the visit date. Some special ticket bundles (for example: bundle with Osaka Expo) could be available at different schedule. This might make it a bit tricky to plan the timing of ticket purchase. Best way is to check regularly with USJ website starting from 3 months before planned date. USJ tickets can get sold out, so it is strongly recommended to get them early.

Some common ticket types (usually available):

  • 1 Day Studio Pass
  • 2 Day Studio Pass: two consecutive days entry to the park
  • 1.5 Day Studio Pass: valid from 3pm the first day, followed by full day access the next day (2 consecutive days)

There are other ticket types available for limited time, such as bundle with expo or other big events. It is worth to note that sometimes third party resellers such as Klook could have special ticket bundle that is not available from the official USJ website.

Ticket price varies depending on the date of visit. Weekend tickets are generally more expensive. Tickets during busy period can be significantly more expensive. USJ website uses colour codes to represent different tier of pricing depending on the days. Children age 4-11 need Child tickets. Kids 3 year-old or younger can enter for free. 12 and over must purchase Adult tickets. Tickets cannot be refunded. Instead, you can ask to change the date to another date with same colour code in USJ calendar. Resale of tickets is strictly prohibited.

Some rides has minimum age or minimum height requirement. Certain rides would close for about 1 month in a year for maintenance. Please check with USJ website before making your plan.

Visitors can pay extra to make sure they get to ride some popular rides. Express Pass can be purchased as pack of 4 or 7 rides. Unfortunately, we cannot freely choose which rides. We can only choose from some pre-selected options. These options change from time to time. At the time of this article publication, the below options are available:

  • Universal Express Pass 7
    • MarioKart: Koopa’s Challenge
    • Yoshi’s Adventure
    • Mine Cart Madness
    • Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
    • Flight of the Hippogriff
    • Detective Conan 4-D Live Show: Jewel Under the Starry Sky
    • Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem OR The Flying Dinosaur (choose one)
  • Universal Express Pass 4: Adventure
    • Yoshi’s Adventure
    • Doraemon 4-D Art Adventure Nobita’s Art World Tales
    • Detective Conan 4-D Live Show: Jewel Under the Starry Sky
    • JAWS OR Jurassic Park – The Ride (choose one)
  • Universal Express Pass 4: XR ride & Jurassic Park
    • Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
    • SPY x FAMILY XR Ride
    • JAWS
    • Jurassic Park – The Ride
  • Universal Express Pass 4: 4D & Minions
    • MarioKart: Koopa’s Challenge
    • Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
    • Doraemon 4-D Art Adventure Nobita’s Art World Tales
    • Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem
  • Universal Express Pass 4: Race & Thrills
    • MarioKart: Koopa’s Challenge
    • Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
    • Hollywood Dream – The Ride OR The Flying Dinosaur (choose one)
    • JAWS OR Jurassic Park – The Ride (choose one)

The above combinations are not the full list of available Express Passes. They are listed here to give you some ideas what a USJ Express Pass looks like. Some of the rides included in the Express Pass are time-designated, it means you will need to go there at certain time slot (allocated by USJ). Express Pass are not cheap. They cost significantly more compared to Disney Resort’s DPA, but they can be purchased before the date of visit. These passes are often more expensive than the cost of the park entry ticket itself.

To prepare for a day in Universal Studios Japan, it is important to know the things we are not allowed to bring:

  • Food from outside the park. Yes, visitors are not allowed to pack their own lunches or food in general. Babies food and snacks for young children are allowed.
  • Alcoholic beverages.
  • Suitcases or wheeled carriers.
  • Dangerous items or imitation/toy that looks like one.
  • Helmets of any shape, including children helmets.
  • Drones.
  • Tripod, monopod or selfie-stick. Small selfie stick that can be folded and fit in one hand is allowed.
  • Remote-controlled electronic devices.

There are coin-operated storage lockers outside the park to store items we cannot bring in. Visitors cannot re-enter the park on the same day except for Annual Pass holders.

It is generally considered rude for a person to queue on behalf of a group. When queuing for a ride, everyone that wants to get on the ride needs to be in the queue. Some people might get away with this because Japanese people tend to avoid conflict, but I can assure you that most of them feel unhappy when they see people doing so. Of course Japan is a big country with many people, there would be exceptions, there could be some of them doing so.

Common strategies to maximise your experience:

  • Before the day
    • Do some reading first, know the rides, attractions and the areas.
    • Download and install Universal Studios Japan app.
    • Buy tickets, can be as early as 3 months before the visit. Park entrance tickets could sell out soon, especially during busy seasons. It is recommended to secure them early.
    • Plan the day. Really, this is important. One day would fly really fast when you are in there. Inside the park, time is too precious to explore and find out what’s in there. Plan the areas that you want to visit and what rides you want to try. Be realistic, understand that rides queue can take hours and just walking from one area to another could take significant walking time.
    • Prepare a list of most important rides you want to get on, with backup plan.
    • Prepare day itinerary, understand the locations of the areas you want to visit and how to reach them from the entry gate. If you purchase an Express Pass, this is probably heavily influenced by your time slots to get to certain rides.
    • Plan the transport to the park.
    • A day before visit, check weather forecast and make sure you are dressed for the weather. Bring umbrella if needed.
  • On the day
    • Generally, focus on popular rides first. Please consider which areas are closer to reach.
    • Less popular rides with shorter queue can help to fill in the day.
    • Near end of day, there is a chance that some popular rides become available again.

Universal Studios Japan are divided into several areas with distinct themes:

  • Universal Wonderland
  • Minion Park
  • Jurassic Park
  • Hollywood
  • THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER
  • New York
  • SUPER NINTENDO WORLD
  • WaterWorld
  • San Francisco
  • Amity Village

When a brand new area becomes available, USJ could implement entry restriction for that area. Without Express Pass or Timed Area Entry ticket (purchased separately), visitors cannot even enter the area. The latest example of this is the new Super Nintendo World (SNW) area. Until early 2025, visitors cannot enter the area even just to take some photos unless they have an Express Pass for one of the rides inside it, or have Timed Area Entry Ticket. When this article is published, USJ already allows visitors to enter SNW when the park is not too crowded. Sometimes The Wizarding World of Harry Potter area is also restricted during busy seasons. There could be new restrictions for new or renovated areas in the future.

Universal Wonderland is an area suitable for families with younger children, thanks to its rides and attractions:

  • Hello Kitty’s Cupcake Dream (tilt-a-whirl)
  • Hello Kitty’s Ribbon Collection
  • Snoopy’s Sound Stage Adventure
  • The Flying Snoopy
  • Elmo’s Bubble Bubble (ball pits for kids)
  • Elmo’s Go Go Skateboard
  • Elmo’s Little Drive (small circuit course car)
  • Bert and Ernie’s Wonder: The Sea
  • Big Bird’s Big Nest (ropes climb)
  • Big Bird’s Big Top Circus (carousel)
  • Cookie Monster Slide
  • Abby’s Magical Party (toddler’s play area)
  • Abby’s Magical Tree (ropes climb)
  • Grover’s Construction Company (building blocks)
  • Sesame’s Big Drive
  • Moppy’s Balloon Trip
  • Moppy’s Lucky Dance Party
  • Universal Wonderland: Let’s Rock Together!

Minion Park is a minion-themed area. If you like Despicable Me or Minion, this area is a must visit. Some rides and attractions in the area:

  • Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem (3D adventure)
  • Freeze Ray Sliders
  • Banana Cabana
  • Space Killer

Jurassic Park is a dinosaur-themed area inspired by the Jurassic Park movie. There are two rides in the area:

  • Jurassic Park: The Ride
  • The Flying Dinosaur

Hollywood area is the first area we see when we enter Universal Studios Japan. Some rides and attractions in the area:

  • Hollywood Dream – The Ride
  • Hollywood Dream – The Ride: Backdrop
  • Shrek’s 4D Adventure
  • Playing with Curious George
  • Sesame Street 4D Movie Magic
  • SING on Tour
  • Space Fantasy – The Ride

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a magical-themed area inspired by Harry Potter books and movies. Some rides and attractions in the area:

  • Flight of the Hippogriff (family-friendly coaster)
  • Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey
  • Hippogriff Magical Lesson
  • Ollivanders
  • Meet the Hogsmeade Magical Creatures
  • Triwizard Spirit Rally

New York area features the streets of 1930s New York. Some rides and attractions in the area:

  • Detective Conan 4D Live Show
  • Kuromi Live: Kuromify the World Tour “Crystal Clear”
  • Melting Pot Show

Super Nintendo World is the newest area in USJ, featuring characters from Nintendo video games such as Mario, Yoshi, Donkey Kong and many more.

  • Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge
  • Yoshi’s Adventure
  • Mine Cart Madness
  • Power Up Bands Key Challenges
  • Nintendo Characters Meet Up
  • Really, just being in the area already feels like inside video games!

The other areas (WaterWorld, San Francisco, Amity Village) also have some rides and attractions. While they are not any less compared to the areas I detailed above, I had not spend enough time to be able to write more, mostly due to time constraint when I was in the park.

Comparison

Tokyo Disney ResortUniversal Studios Japan
Children age0-3 free
4-11 child
12-17 junior
18+ adult		0-3 free
4-11 child
12+ adult
Re-enter park on the same dayAllowedNot allowed for most visitors
Allowed for visitors with Annual Pass
Buy tickets at the gateNo longer possibleNo longer possible
Pass for Priority QueueDisney Premier Access (DPA) PassExpress Pass
Time to buy Priority Queue PassOn visit day, inside park, after ticket scan
Available for individual rides		Before visit day
Available as pack of 4 or 7 rides
Can visitors queue for any ride?Popular rides require Pass to enter queueCan queue for any ride except the ones in areas that need special access
Ticket refundRefund not possible
Changing date can be requested (to another day with same price level)		Refund not possible
Changing date can be requested (to another day with same colour code in USJ website)
Ticket resaleStrictly prohibitedStrictly prohibited

Personal Opinion on The Newest Areas

Fantasy Springs: I feel this area is severely overrated. The area itself is underwhelming and not photo-worthy. They make sure that no character is seen as part of the area design, so that we have to get on a ride to see the characters. The rides are good, but not great. They failed to wow me or anyone in my family. Spending so much time in the queue only to enjoy super short ride is not exactly our idea of fun. Thanks to elevated expectations, the overall visit to DisneySea felt underwhelming and borderline disappointing, to be honest.

Super Nintendo World: The queues are long and the rides are also short. However, thanks to the area design, the whole experience still felt magical. Every spot in the SNW area is photo-worthy. The do not hide the game characters behind the rides. Mario Kart ride is great but too short, I felt more satisfaction from the Minion Mayhem ride. My family enjoyed the Yoshi ride and we liked the photos that they took (almost forgot to buy the photos). Since our timed area entry was 2pm, we did not have enough time to explore the new Donkey Kong Country area. By the time we finished with the main rides we wanted, it was already dark.

Others

This post is one of five parts of Planning Japan Holiday series:

Lastly, the information in this post are based on my knowledge at the time of writing. Things can change. This article is written to help first time visitors with a starting point to plan their trips. Always check with official sources for latest information when doing the actual planning.