After a long wait the Harry Potter area of USJ opened on July 15th!
As you can imagine it’s super busy, so USJ are implementing a timed entrance ticket system. 10,000 free tickets are issued a day. See here.
We got there for opening at 9am and went straight to the ticket machine!
By 10:30 they were definitely all gone.
We went on Space Fantasy and Jaws, ate some ice cream and then waited for 12:30.
Wow.
Our first stop was for some Butterbeer!
I got the frozen type with glass (¥1100) and J got a cup of regular (¥500). It was really sweet, like caramel.
I preferred the frozen type to the original one, it really looked like beer, and was surreal to see lots of children drinking ‘beer’ from tankards.
The shops!
The street looked amazing, the attention to detail was immense, and all the shops had wonderful shop displays.
Zonkos joke shop.
Honeydukes sweet shop.
Sadly both had massive queues just to get in, so we decided to skip them for now.
Though we went in the Owl Post and sent a postcard to England.
Next to it was a covered area with toy owls in the rafters.
And a real owl too!
Even the bathrooms were on theme.
Inside they were just like my old school toilets in England!
The Three Broomsticks pub, we didn’t go in as there was a bit of a queue, instead we went next door to the Hogs Head.
We got a glass of original Hogs Head ale.
What they didn’t tell us until after we paid ¥800 was that it was take out only, we weren’t allowed to sit and drink it.
Behind the shops is Hogworts itself!
Inside is the 4D Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction, but yes, you guessed it there was a long queue! 120 minutes.
Next to it was the Flight of the Hippogriff ride.
With a smaller 60 minute wait.
As we have year passes we weren’t in a rush to try any rides or spend huge amounts of time waiting in line. We can go back and enjoy Hogsmeade as often as we like in the next 6 months or so, and I expect we will go a lot! But I think we will wait until summer and all the hype has finished!
SLYTHERIN WILL WIN!
I look forward to going back when it’s quieter, trying Fish’n’Chips in the Three Brooms Sticks, shopping in Zonkos and Honeydukes and riding the attractions.
liemzie 
Thanks for sharing, I’m going to Japan in one week and I was hoping to be able to get tickets to at least see the site even if I can’t do all the attractions. From what you said you need to get there early to get tickets from a vending machine. Is there no way to book a ticket beforehand from a convenience store?
As I have a year pass I wasn’t able to get the timed entry ticket in advance, but on their website (here http://www.usj.co.jp/e/enjoy/) it lists some ways you can get it in advance. Either by buying a ticket and fast pass booklet (so expensive!) or as part of a package tour.
If I were you I would just go early and head straight for the timed entry ticket machine, especially if it’s your first time to USJ and you will probably plan to spend a full day there.
Have a great trip, enjoy Osaka! Don’t forget to take pictures infront of the Glico running man in Dotonbori as he is changing in August! x
Thank you for the detailed explanation. It’s my first time with another French friend so I’d like to spend some time there yes, my japanese friend may have been before though. We’ll try to be there really early. I’ve been to the Leavenhall studio near London and I spent 3 hours and wasn’t bored a single second ^^. I may go again since for me it’s much closer than Japan but I go to Japan every year so I plan to visit regularly.
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That looks so fun! I’ve been dying to try butterbeer!
I thought I’d hate it but was nice! Worth trying at least once anyway! I couldn’t get in the sweet shop, but if they sell it I’ll pick you some up if you like!x
Oooh do they sell it to go? I thought it was only draught/draft/whatever
I have no idea, but if I were them I’d sell it to go! x
I’m curious about the butterbeer, was it buttery at all or where did that come from I wonder?
hi, where is the timed entry ticket machine located?
It’s in the Rose garden but you have to enter from the back of it. There is a small pic on the website here http://www.usj.co.jp/e/enjoy/ but you will know by which direction people are running to! Also there were some small signboards. Good luck, and enjoy!x
hello.
can we choose how long to spend in there? 1 hour seems not enough:(
The timed entry lasts for an hour, so you have an hour to enter, but once your in you can stay as long as you like x
Hi! I’m going to the USJ next week with my kids. Was wondering how much the postcards cost and the postage to England. I wanted to send a postcard from there as the one in the UK did not have a post office. Thank you.
Sorry we really can’t remember! It was less than ¥1,000 though. Enjoy your trip!
Hi There,
I don’t quite understand with USJ ticketing. Does it means that the wizard world of harry potter not included in the regular ticket?
thank you!
Hi, sorry I hope you were able to enjoy USJ and the WWoHP!
To clarify it is a timed entry to stagger crowds in the park -similar to a ‘fastpass’ at Disney. It will hold your place for you in the imaginary queue so you can enjoy the rest of the park and enter the WWoHP when your time slot comes up. You can stay in the WWoHP for as long as you like when you enter at your entry time. In the evenings (7pmish after sunset) the timed entry finishes and everyone is free to come and go to in WWoHP.
Thanks x