Should You Stay at Universal Studios Japan?

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Helen Foster is a Sydney-based author, journalist and content creator. She has traveled to Japan six times and is planning trip seven. Her articles on Japan have appeared in publications including Reader's Digest (Asia Pacific), RAC Horizons, Jetstar Magazine, the Japan National Tourism Organisation website and more. She is a digital publisher member of the Australian Society of Travel Writers.

Reasons Not to Stay Right Near USJ

When people ask me about staying near Tokyo Disney Resort, I always say that if you’re doing back-to-back days there, you’ll definitely want to stay nearby. When it comes to Universal Studios Japan, though, I don’t think it’s as important to stay right next to the park, and here are the reasons why.

USJ Doesn’t Offer Readmission

As I wrote in my similar post on staying at Disney, I converted to staying close to Tokyo Disney Resort after I got a blister in the park. I really wanted to go back to my hotel and deal with it, have a bit of a rest, and come back for the evening show at Tokyo DisneySea, but getting back to my hotel was going to be an hour-long round trip. I didn’t bother and ended up leaving the park before the show.

But this wouldn’t be an issue at USJ as they don’t officially allow re-entry, so the big bonus of being able to go out and break your day for a snooze or to tend to your blisters doesn’t apply. There’s, therefore, no benefit to staying right by USJ for this reason.

Now, I word that carefully, as when I was last at USJ during a quiet period, they stamped my hand when I left, which would have allowed readmission—but officially, they say it’s a no-no, so I wouldn’t base your hotel decision around being able to leave for a midday snooze.

The Hotels Don’t Offer Early Entry

Simply staying in one of the Universal Studios Japan hotels doesn’t allow you to enter the park early, as it does with the Disney hotels or the US Universal hotels. This perk is only offered by packages sold by travel agencies in Japan; you won’t get it as an option if you book the hotels yourself.

Staying on-site actually doesn’t offer any real in-park benefits. Yes, you can buy Studio Passes at the hotels, but not Express Passes, which are the ones that pretty much always sell out. There also aren’t any special entrances or other perks to beat the queues.

Don’t Forget to Buy Your Studio Pass

Everyone who visits USJ needs to buy a Studio Pass. You can buy a simple one that lets you into the park, or, if you buy them early, you might find the Klook special that also includes Super Nintendo World. They are releasing a little bit earlier than two months right now so, if you’re within two or three months of the day you want to enter the park, check if they’re available now.

The Park Doesn’t Always Open That Late

On a busy summer day, the park will stay open until 10 p.m., but at other times of the year, it might close as early as 7 p.m. That leaves you plenty of time to get back to Osaka and enjoy the evening, seeing famous sights like the Dotonbori lights rather than being confined to the restaurants around USJ.

It’s Harder to See Osaka

Chances are you aren’t visiting Osaka just for Universal Studios, and if that’s the case, staying nearby will see you going backwards and forwards to the main sights more than one visit to the park will – especially as you’ll be more likely to go back to your hotel to rest before dinner, or with young children who might need a recharge nap.

If you’re adults wanting to enjoy some of the food and fun Osaka is best known for, you also won’t find this close to the hotels at USJ – and the trains back stop relatively early.

Reasons Why You Might Want to Stay at USJ

So the above are the reasons why I don’t think it’s essential to stay close to Universal Studios Japan to have a great time, but, don’t discount it entirely yet; there are also some reasons why you might want to stay nearby.

You’re Literally Just Here For The Park

If you are not interested in visiting Osaka and are just here for the USJ fun, then staying nearby makes perfect sense. You can get the Airport Limousine Bus directly to the park area from both Itami and Kansai International Airport, and if you’re coming in by bullet train, then it’s a fairly easy train journey to get here from Shin-Osaka station.

You Have a Multi-Day Pass

If you’re going to USJ on a 1.5-day or 2-day pass, and that’s all you’re doing in Osaka, then staying nearby (even just for those days) does make more sense, especially if you’re travelling with children who will go to sleep as soon as they get back to the hotel so you’re not worried about being surrounded by evening venues.

Admittedly, I did back-to-back days to USJ and stayed in town, so it’s still not so bad so long as you pick an area with easy transport routes to Universal City station. There are some suggestions for these below.

Save Money with Klook & Japlanease

If you plan on buying tickets or tours from Klook for when you’re in Japan, you could save up to 10 per cent by using the code JAPLANEASEKLOOK at the checkout. Click here to see what’s on offer.

T&Cs apply. Some items, including Tokyo Disney and USJ tickets, are not available for discounts.

You Have a Bigger Family

The hotels close to the theme parks tend to aim at families, so it’s easier to find a room that will comfortably sleep two adults and two or three children for a decent price than it might be in Osaka proper, where rooms tend to be smaller, only include two beds or be on the more expensive side for families.

You Want to Get to Super Nintendo World FAST

Official opening times mean nothing to USJ. The gates can often open up to an hour earlier than they say they will. If you want to get a timed entry to Super Nintendo World or try and get there before they start that system (if you don’t know how this works it’s explained here), it’s a good idea to be in the park with this first wave of guests – which means getting into the queue about 90 minutes before the park official opening time.

And, while it might only take about 30 minutes to get to the park from Namba or 25 minutes from Osaka Station, it’ll only take about 5 minutes to walk there from, say, the Keihan Universal Tower Hotel.

If you’re not an early riser, staying nearer the parks might help.

Extending the Fun

If you stay in the Universal Hotels, you are surrounded by Universal City Walk, which has fun restaurants and Universal merchandise shops absorbing you in the USJ vibe for longer.

Some hotels also offer rooms that look into the park itself, which can help extend your experience.

Universal Port Hotel takes things even further. It has minion theming in reception, and even some Minion-themed rooms, which are quite fantastic. These rooms are unlikely to be found on any third-party booking sites, so for the best chance of staying in one book with the hotel direct.

How Do The Prices Compare Onsite and Off?

If we compare apples with apples, staying at USJ is not much more expensive than staying in Osaka for the equivalent type of hotel. For example, on the day I type this, booking a room for Nov 25th, a little over three months away, these are the rates for a room for two adults and one child at the hotels closest to Universal Studios Japan.

The Liber Hotel costs AU$309. Click here to check prices for your dates.

Hotel Universal Port is AU$209. Check prices for your dates here.

Hotel Keihan Universal Tower costs AU$380. Find rates for your dates here.

The Park Front isn’t available on those dates, but it costs between AU$348 and AU$1.1k a night. Click to check prices for your dates.

In comparison,one of the hotels with larger rooms that I stay in in Osaka, the Citadines Namba, is charging AU$393 for that night. Check prices for your stay dates here.

So, if you’re a smaller family the price difference is neglible – but that’s not the case for two other groups…

As I said, staying by USJ might be better if you’re a larger family. Rooms for two adults and two children are slightly higher than the above prices, but there is a greater availability of rooms with three or more beds around USJ, and prices are considerably lower than, say, the rooms in Osaka with the family-friendly Miramu brand.

There are, however, no real budget options near the park. If you’re traveling solo in a couple or are a small family who doesn’t mind a small room, for example, you can book a room at the robot-themed Hen na Hotel Namba Osaka, where I stayed on my last back-to-back Osaka trip for AU$147 for the same night. For this group, it’s likely to be much cheaper to stay in Osaka than by USJ.

Good Areas In Osaka to Stay for USJ

Hopefully, that’s helped you decide which option makes more sense for you—staying nearby or staying in town. But if you do decide to stay in town, you’ll want to make sure the area and hotel you choose have an easy route to USJ, so here’s where I’d suggest looking.

The easiest way to get to USJ is via the Osaka Loop Line. You have to change at Nishikoju Station on the Yumesaki line to get to Universal City Station, but that change is simply a matter of crossing from one platform to the other. Hotels around the Umeda District have good access to the Osaka Loop line (see some suggestions for hotels in our guide on where to stay in Osaka).

You can also get to Nishikoju via the Hanshin Namba Line, which you catch at Namba Station or the smaller Kintetsu Nipponbashi one. This means that many hotels in the Namba or Shinsaibashi areas can also be a good choice for USJ.

However, just be careful if you come this way. Both local and Express Trains use the Hanshin Line platform. I just jumped on the first one, which didn’t stop at Nishikoju and ended up very lost. Make sure you follow the timings on Google Maps as well as the route.

So that’s my guide on whether you should stay at the USJ hotels. I hope it helped you make your decision, but if you have any questions, head over to the USJ and Disney Facebook group, and I, or someone else, will help answer them.