Universal Studios Japan Tickets Explained (Simply)

When it comes to visiting Universal Studios Japan my head is spinning and I haven’t even got on a ride yet! The reason – I’m trying to work out which tickets I need to have the best time.

And I know I’m not alone in being confused here, many of you are too – and so, I decided to break things down and explain simply, what all the Universal Studios Japan ticket options mean – and, how you can work out which one is right for you.

Article by Helen Foster. Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. See our Affiliate Disclosure.

This post was first written in Feb 2023 and was last updated March 2024

How Much Does it Cost to Go to Universal Studios Japan?

The basic one-day entry ticket price on the day I update this in 2024 costs AU$56 – that’s around US$37 or £28 (again, at today’s exchange rate).

That’s a low season rate (it’s early March) but as you’re about to see this price can vary a bit depending on when you go and whether you buy any add-ons.

The Two Types of Universal Studios Japan Ticket

You can divide USJ tickets into two types…

Studio Pass

The basic entry ticket is called the Studio Pass.

This is the ticket everyone must have to get them in the door. This comes in a few different forms depending on dates and special privileges – we’ll get to those in a minute.

Express Pass

Then there are the Express Passes. These are optional extras that help you skip some of the long lines that can form in the park.

Sounds simple enough right – but, within these two types of tickets are a few variations and that’s what confuses people, so, let’s delve into them in detail…

Universal Studios Japan Studio Pass Explained

As I said, this is a basic entry ticket that everyone needs. It gets you automatic access to everywhere in the park – except Super Nintendo World™ which needs an extra step.

You book the Studio Pass entry for a specific date when you buy it – and that’s the date you go into the park.

Three things determine the price of a USJ Studio Pass – the age of the person using it, the number of days you buy it for, and, what time of year you’re using it – let’s explain…

Studio Pass Age Rules

Kids under four don’t need a Studio Pass to enter USJ, but for anyone over the age of four, the price varies by age…

Child tickets – are for kids aged 4-11

Adult tickets – are for anyone aged 12-65

Senior tickets – are for those over 65.

How Many Days Does a Studio Pass Cover?

You can choose a single-day Studio Pass which lets you into the studios for one day from when the gates open in the morning until when they close at night.

Or, you can choose a 2-Day pass which can be used on two consecutive days – so, if you go on Monday, the pass is valid on the next day, Tuesday. If you use it on a Friday, it’s also valid on Saturday – etc.

And lastly, there’s the 1.5-day pass which again is for consecutive days. This lets you enter the park at 3 pm on your first day and stay until the park closes, and then you can go again the next day from the opening of the gates the next day until the park closes.

I picked this one on my last trip as I wanted half a day to learn eat cute minion snacks and ride the smaller rides – and then a full day for the big ones.

So far that’s all been pretty straightforward – but now we get to the bit that can confuse people.

What’s the Difference Between USJ Studio Pass A, B, and C?

Nothing. They just signify what date you’re visiting.

The date you first enter the park determines your ticket price. Busy days and weekends usually have higher prices than weekdays or less busy seasons.

If you buy your tickets directly from the Universal Studios website, it’s pretty easy to see this as the price is listed on the calendar and it’s color-coded – green days are the cheapest, orange in the middle, and pink are the most expensive.

But if you buy via a third-party ticket seller like Klook you might see prices listed as Studio Pass A, B, or C.

This makes it look like you can book different types of pass, maybe with different perks, but no. A, B, and C just relate to the date you are traveling and the price the ticket is going to cost.

Sounds confusing, but, the good news is that when you click on your date on the Klook calendar, the applicable passes for that date (A, B, or C) will darken and the passes that don’t apply will grey out so you can’t buy a pass of the wrong type for your date.

Special Types of USJ Studio Pass

Another reason that we suggest Klook in this post is that they also sell two different types of Studio Pass with extra perks – these are important if you want to get into the park and beat the crowds – and especially important if you’re hoping to go into Super Nintendo World™ without an Express Pass.

What’s the Special Entry Pass?

Sometimes on Klook, you’ll see Studio Passes with an additional Special Entry option for a small extra cost (about AU$25 the day I write this).

This lets you in the park about 15 minutes earlier than everyone else. This can help you if you’re not planning on buying an Express Pass, but want to get into Super Nintendo World™. We’ll explain exactly how in the Timed Entry section coming up in a few paragraphs.

What’s the Super Nintendo World + Studio Pass?

Big news is the answer to that! The Super Nintendo World™ + Studio Pass is a studio pass with an add-on that gives you timed entry to Super Nintendo World™ for just an extra few bucks – though do not you will have to queue for the rides inside.

It’s marked up as the Super Nintendo World™ + Studio Pass (then you’ll see A, B, or C depending on what day you’re visiting the park).

These are much cheaper than the Express pass so not surprisingly they sell out fast. The pass also isn’t available every day. If it’s not there, Klook tells me it’s because the allocation of Super Nintendo World™ times is already exhausted.

If you want to use this pass and you see it for sale, don’t hang around.

A Few Things to Know About Studio Passes

USJ Studio Passes go on sale two months before the day of entry – so, April 15th tickets go on sale February 15th.

They can sell out quickly in busy periods (like Golden Week), but normally, you can buy a Studio Pass at fairly short notice. If you’re traveling to Osaka to visit the park though, it’s best to get them as soon as you are able just to be sure. NB – this is not the same for Express Passes which can sell out in minutes.

Opening Hours can be a bit fluid – if the park says it opens at 9 am, you should be there at 7.30 am if you want to get in as soon as the doors open as they can open as early as 8 am.

You can’t go in and out of the parks (except in an emergency) so once you’re in the park you’re in.

Pick your date carefully – you can’t get a refund – but if you have to change your plans, you can use your pass on other days with the same letter within 90 days.

Universal Studios Japan Express Pass Explained

So, that’s what you need to know about Studio Passes – they’re pretty easy to work out when you realize what the different terms mean.

Now let’s explain USJ Express Passes. Sit down, you might need a cuppa for this one.

What Are Express Passes?

USJ Express Passes are NOT an entry ticket. You still need to buy a Studio Pass to get into the park.

Instead, Universal Studios Japan Express Passes are additional skip-the-line passes reducing the amount of time you spend queuing in the parks.

Only a limited number of Express Passes are sold each day (so they do sell out). Generally, they drop the queuing time on the ride you’re using them for to around 20-30 minutes.

The other benefit is that most Express Passes also include guaranteed timed entry to the very popular Super Nintendo World™ that opened at USJ in 2021.

What is Timed Entry?

Timed Entry is the way you enter the most popular areas/lands in Universal Studios Japan. Right now, this means Super Nintendo World™ and, more than likely, the attached Donkey Kong area that will launch later this year.

When you use Timed Entry you’re given a set time in which you can go into the area in question. This lets you plan your day, but more importantly, it guarantees you entry to that area of the park at your designated time.

This doesn’t mean you can’t get into Super Nintendo World™ at all without an Express Pass, but doing so means either buying the Super Nintendo World™ + Studio Pass (The link is here) or, getting to the park early, and walking (very fast) to Super Nintendo World™ which means you might get in before timed entry switches on, or, getting there early and applying for a timed entry spot on the App as soon as you enter the park. This is where the Early Entry Pass can help get you ahead of the pack.

If that’s bamboozled you a bit, then, we explain this in a bit more detail in our specific post on how to get into Super Nintendo World.

Right now, Super Nintendo Land™ is so popular, it’s a case of if you snooze you lose and you might not be able to get in without an Express Pass or a Timed Entry booking within about an hour of the park gates opening.

Timed Entry Tips

You have to scan the QR codes on your studio passes to register for a Timed Entry eTicket. Either have them printed out or take photos of the QR codes on another phone and scan these to speed up this process.

If you buy your tickets from Klook, or another third party, you won’t be able to do this until you enter the park. Don’t panic. That’s normal.

Even children under 4 who don’t have a Studio Pass will need a timed entry pass.

The time in which you go into the land is set, but there isn’t an exit time – you can stay in there as long as you like.

Okay, so now we’ve explained what Express Passes are, and how they can help your day at USJ, let’s talk about the different types of Express Pass

The Difference Between The Express Passes

In total there are ten different Express Passes you can buy, these are divided into two types…

Express Pass 7

Express Pass 7 – This lets you join a shorter queue for seven popular rides.

There used to be a few different types of these, but right now, there is just one type which gives you timed entry to Super Nintendo World™ and covers Despicable Me: Minion, Mayhem, Yoshi’s Adventure, Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge™, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™, Flight of the Hippogriff™, Flying Dinosaur and either JAWS™ or Hollywood Dream. This is the one to buy if you want to cover all of the park’s biggest rides.

Express Pass 4

Express Pass 4 – these let you join a shorter queue for four popular rides. There are currently up to nine types of Express Pass 4 which each cover different rides – exactly which will be on offer for you depends on the day you are traveling as, right now, the passes on sale include many of the pop-up rides for Universal’s Cool Japan offering. These include rides based on popular franchises like My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer, and Conan.

Which Express Pass Do You Need?

Now not everyone NEEDS an Express Pass – and if you’re undecided about buying one, or are unsure which one is best for you, I suggest you check out our USJ Express Pass decision guide where I go into the exact passes and who needs one in more detail – but I’ll cover a few basics below.

First, you need to decide if you want to go into Super Nintendo World™ – if so, make sure you pick an Express Pass that includes entry. Then, you need to work out which rides you most want to ride so, familiarize yourself with these via the Universal Studios website or app.

This will give you an idea of what ride requirements are, whether it’s a rollercoaster, a virtual reality type ride or another type of ride and you can choose the combination that sounds most fun to you.

If you’re a nervous rider you can also see ride-throughs on the Universal Studios YouTube channel and they show you what to expect – I oscillate between nope, nope, nope (Flying Dinosaur), and wheeeeee depending on my mood!

I go over exactly which Express Pass is best for which type of USJ visitor in the specific guide to whether you need a pass, but, generally…

If you want to go into Super Nintendo World™ look at the Express Pass 7 – or the Express Pass 4’s called Limited, Limited Variety Ride, Fun Variety, Limited and Fun, Fun Choice or Limited and Variety Choice – yes, I know, the names don’t make it easy to remember which is which!

If you’re a Thrill Seeker, make sure you choose a pass with Flying Dinosaur included. This would be the Express Pass 7 or the Express 4 Limited and Flying Dinosaur or Express Pass 4 Variety.

If you’re a Potterhead, pick the Express Pass 7 or Express Pass 4 – Backdrop as they allow you to jump the queue on both the Harry Potter rides. But do note, the Backdrop pass will not get you into Super Nintendo World™.

Because a lot of the current passes are for special rides, not all passes will be available on all dates so double-check what’s on sale for your dates.

Choosing Your Express Pass Ride Times

When you buy an Express Pass you will be given the choice of passes to pick from. These include different times to enter Super Nintendo World™ and also The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ – and, you’ll get set times for any rides on your pass within these areas. But when should you pick? Here’s a few things to think about…

Ride queues get longer as the day goes on – if you can pick the designated entry times for your rides you might want to make them a little bit later in the day and ride as many other rides as you can in the AM when the normal queues are naturally shorter.

But also think if you want to see the parade at lunchtime – this is normally at 1 pm or 2 pm so, you might want to avoid any rides, or SNW entry timed for then.

Consider what time you might need to leave the park if you have to get back to your hotel early for any reason.

If you want to analyze things in detail, check the Waiting Times area on the USJ app for a few weeks before your visit – it’ll give you an idea of what gets busy, and when, and you can make a plan.

How Much Time Could You Save With an Express Pass?

If you’re going to Universal to ride rides and only have one day in the park, an Express Pass is going to transform your day.

As I type this, the combined queuing time for all the rides in one Express Pass 4 is 325 minutes. Even if they each have a 30-minute queue with the Express Pass then you’ll save 205 minutes, just over 3 hours in queuing time which you can spend on other rides that your pass doesn’t cover.

Ditto, the combined time for the rides on the above Express Pass 7 is 425 minutes – if all 7 rides only have a 30-minute queue with the Express Pass you’d save 215 minutes in queuing time – that’s three and a half hours you can be going on other rides or wandering around the rest of the park.

When I used mine, the walk along the special Express Pass lines to meet the main queue usually took about 5 minutes. Then, once you joined the main queue you normally waited about 20 minutes to get on the ride itself – I got the park late as I got lost, like 10.30am late – and still managed to get on everything I wanted to and be out of the park by 5pm using my Express Pass.

My original plan was to buy an Express Pass 7, but that was sold out by the time I got onto the site, so I bought two Express Pass 4s to cover all the rides I wanted. It was a little more expensive, but I figured it was worth it to save my legs.

Hopefully, that’s helped make things a little bit clearer. If you’re already sold on buying an Express Pass alongside your Studio Pass, remember these also go on sale two months before the day of entry – and they can sell out, so the sooner you book it, the better.

I hope that helped clarify things. If not, please join our USJ and Tokyo Disney Facebook group, ask any questions and I’ll do my best to answer them.

If you found this guide useful, you might also want to look at our guide to USJ tips, which covers a few other areas in the park.

Or, check out our explainer guide to Tokyo Disney Resort Tickets – and the extras that you might need to plan your day there.

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