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If you’re visiting Japan and love Harry Potter, you have two fun theme park experiences to feed your love of all things magical and Muggle – Universal Studios Japan and Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo: The Making of Harry Potter. But if time is limited, which should you pick? Here’s what to think about.
Technically, the two attractions are very different. In the red corner, we have USJ in Osaka, a fun theme park full of thrill rides based around a few different franchises, not just Harry Potter. But, here, you’ll find The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which incorporates Harry Potter scenery, merchandise, fun with wands, and two rides.
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In the blue corner, we have the Warner Bros. Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter (which I will henceforth refer to in much shorter terms) in Tokyo, which has recreated sets, interactive experiences and in-depth gossip about the films. It’s a Potterhead’s paradise, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for everyone.
So, if you don’t have your sorting hat to decide between them, here’s what you need to know to help you decide.
1. Have You Been to Any Other Harry Potter Locations?
Both attractions have counterparts elsewhere in the world. If you’ve already been to the Warner Bros Studio Tour in Leavesden Studios near Watford, there are many similarities between this and the Tokyo tour – although the Tokyo park is the biggest Harry Potter attraction in the world – so you might be better off going to USJ.
If you’ve been to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at USJ in Florida, the rides and much of the themeing will be similar, so you might enjoy the in-depth experience of the Warner Bros Studio Tour more. Buy your tickets here if you’re already convinced.
If you’ve done both, you probably don’t need to repeat this all over again unless you want to! See Japan instead (but maybe head to see the Harry Potter cafe and staircases in Akasaka while you’re here).
If you haven’t done either yet, keep reading to help you decide.
2. Are You REALLY Into the Movies?
The Warner Bros Studio Tour covers a great deal about filming the movie franchise in depth. A visit here doesn’t just have to be walking around the sets; the audio guide explains lots of little things that you wouldn’t spot without knowing, which makes the visit fascinating. The interactive exhibits are also really fun.
I loved seeing all the character models and learning about what happened during filming.
If you love the movies, get the English audio guide. It’s fantastic. But there was so much going on in each area that I couldn’t actually listen to it while I wandered around, and I ended up listening to it in the cafe halfway around while I ate a Hedwig cake. This meant I missed a few cool things from the first half, so I would advise getting there early and picking up the guide before your entry time. Listen to the first half before you go in so you know what to look for in different areas, then take a break in the cafe mid-visit and listen to the second half.
There are more sets than at USJ, which is just there to showcase the rides. Hogsmeade at USJ is cute, but walking into Diagon Alley at the Warner Bros experience is magical.
However, if you’re not a HUGE Harry Potter fan, the USJ experience is a bit more rounded as there are other character areas around the park.
3. Are You Traveling With Non-Potterheads?
The Warner Bros Studio Tour has some entertaining interactive exhibits that will amuse people who aren’t HP-obsessed, but visiting USJ will probably make other people in your party feel more included.
Everyone can enjoy the rides just for the thrill of riding them without necessarily having to be into the story. Plus, if your travelling buddies like Nintendo, Minions, Hello Kitty, Jurassic Park, or even JAWS, there are rides or even whole areas that will make them happy, too. It’s not all Hogwarts, all the time!
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.
4. Which is Nearest?
The Warner Bros. Studio Tour is in Tokyo, while the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is in USJ in Osaka. The two are about three hours apart by train, and going between them will cost about 14,000 yen (one way). The simple answer as to which to visit might be, the one that’s nearest!
If you’re staying in Tokyo with no plans to go to Osaka, go to Warner Bros.
If you’re staying in Kyoto or Osaka and have no plans to go to Tokyo, then go to USJ.
You’ll need to use something else to decide if you’re going to both.
How to Book The WB Studio Tour
You can’t just walk into the Warner Bros. Studio Tour; you need to book a time and day in advance. The good news is, it’s not one of the hardest tickets to buy in Tokyo, so you don’t have to be online the second they go on sale.
Tickets go on sale up to four months in advance. The weekend and morning slots sell out first.
You can buy your ticket directly from the Warner Bros. Studio Tour or if you prefer you can buy it via Klook, which can be easier with foreign credit cards. You can book the audio tour in advance, or buy it when you arrive.
5. How Much Time & Money Do You Want to Spend?
The Warner Bros Studio Tour costs 7000 yen for an adult ticket (5800 for 12-17 year olds and 4200 yen for children aged 4-11) and takes about four hours to visit. During the summer months they also sell a slightly cheaper evening ticket.
USJ Costs from 8600 yen for the basic entry ticket for any 12 and over (those aged 4-11 pay from 5600) and, you’ll need a whole day to see the park properly.
If you want to jump the queues on the rides, which can be long, then you also need an Express Pass. These start at 9800 yen for a pass that allows you to join shorter queues for both rides in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Note: If you mostly want to go to USJ for Harry Potter, you no longer need an Express Pass to guarantee entry to The Wizarding World area. It’s confusing because the Express Pass descriptions still say it allows entry to TWWoHP, but don’t stress about it, the land is open all the time.
If you’re not sure how the Express Pass works or what timed entry is, check out our guide to USJ Tickets and extras. You need to understand it—especially if you want to jump queues or enter the Super Nintendo World area.
6. Are You Going With Children?
All children are different, so it can be a bit tricky to decide firmly which is better. I’ll just spell out what you’ll find in each attraction, and you can see what best fits your children’s ages and likes and dislikes.
At USJ, you enter The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a land designed to look like Hogsmead with shops selling wands, gowns, magic sweets and more, Butterbeer carts and roving performers carrying singing frogs or tiny creatures.
There are two Harry Potter-themed rides at USJ. Flight of the Hippogriff is a children’s rollercoaster – although kids must be taller than 92 cm (3ft) to ride it. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is a dark ride, and kids need to be over 122 cm (4ft) to ride it. It’s a mix of movement and virtual reality, and it is a bit intense. I love rollercoasters, but was a bit like ‘ohhhhh, where is this thing going now’ – and, I was seriously regretting the butterbeer I’d had before it!
You can also buy a wand that opens doors and creates other magical effects around the land. Plus, elsewhere in the park, you’ll also find an area dedicated to Minions, the games in Super Nintendo World, parades and other things to do.
As discussed in a similar piece to this one comparing Disney and USJ, USJ isn’t the best park to visit with smaller or less brave kids if you’re going to ride the rides, but if the atmosphere and merchandise of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter are the draw, there are enough other things to entertain everyone alongside it.
Related Read: If you’re traveling to USJ with smaller children, take a look at our guide to all the USJ rides by height so you know what they can, or can’t go on.
The Warner Bros. Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter does not have any thrill rides, but if your kids love the books and the movies, they’ll enjoy seeing the sets and character models – and they’ll love interactive experiences like riding the broom and appearing in the paintings on the wall.
However, the more detailed elements of the experience might be a bit lost on smaller children. The audio guide is definitely aimed at adults or older kids with decent patience.
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.
I think that’s probably the main thing to consider, but if you still need some advice, visit our USJ and Tokyo Disney Facebook group and ask the questions there.
A full review of my afternoon at the WB Studio Tour is coming soon.