The Super Nintendo World is the most packed area in Universal Studios Japan (some also refer to the area as the Super Mario World Japan). Planning is highly recommended to avoid wasting your time and physical stamina on the day. Because either an Area Timed Entry Ticket: Advance Booking (エリア入場確約券) or an Area Timed Entry Ticket/Standby Entry Ticket (エリア入場整理券/抽選券) is required to get into Super Nintendo World in USJ, ensure that you purchase a Universal Studios Japan Express Pass that comes with an Area Timed Entry Ticket: Advance Booking or arrive USJ early to secure your Area Timed Entry Ticket (best to arrive before the park opens).
Tip: Refer to our article on “What Time Does Universal Studios Japan Open” to plan your visit. The USJ usually opens earlier than its official opening hours!
Table of Contents
- How to Get Into Super Nintendo World in USJ
- Visit the Super Nintendo World With a Universal Studios Japan Express Pass
- Super Nintendo World Japan Ticket Price
- Things to Note Before Purchasing Your Universal Studios Japan Express Pass
- The Best Time to Go to Super Nintendo World Japan
- Entering the Super Nintendo World Without a Universal Studios Japan Express Pass
- Visit the Universal Studios Japan Super Nintendo World by Joining a Universal VIP Experience Group Tour
- Use the Single Rider Line to Enjoy the Rides in USJ
- Other Tips on How to Enjoy the Rides in the Super Nintendo World in USJ
- Find Out Whether a Universal Studios Japan Express Pass Will Be Worth It for You
- The Tips and the Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting USJ
Tip:
☛ Stay close to Universal Studios Japan the night before so you don’t need to get up too early the next day.
☛ If you don’t like switching hotels, stay in One of the Hotels Near Osaka or Umeda Station so you can take the direct train service to USJ.
How to Get Into Super Nintendo World in USJ
You might have heard that Universal Studios Japan Super Nintendo World tickets are what you need to enter the Super Nintendo World in Japan. However, such a ticket is nowhere to be found on USJ’s website. The Universal Studios Japan Super Nintendo World tickets others are referring to are the Area Timed Entry Ticket. The ticket allows you to enter the Super Nintendo World in Osaka.
There are two ways for you to get the Area Timed Entry Ticket to enter Super Nintendo World in USJ.
- You can get an Area Timed Entry Ticket: Advance Booking (エリア入場確約券) by purchasing a Universal Studios Japan Super Nintendo World Express Pass that includes Super Nintendo World.
- The Express Pass that includes Super Nintendo World ensures you can enter the area on the day. It also comes with an allocated time slot for at least one of the attractions in the Super Nintendo World.
- You can also obtain an Area Timed Entry Ticket (エリア入場整理券) or a Standby Entry Ticket (エリア入場抽選券) to get into Super Nintendo World in USJ.
- The Area Timed Entry Ticket or a Standby Entry Ticket doesn’t cost you money but can only be obtained on the day after entering the USJ.
- The number of Area Timed Entry Tickets distributed on a day is set. Once the quota is run out, the Standby Entry Ticket will be given out. Again, there is a quota for the Standby Entry Ticket.
- The Standby Entry Ticket is a lottery ticket that gives you a chance to win the right to enter the Super Nintendo World Japan. There is no guarantee that you can get into the Super Nintendo World in USJ before the lottery result is announced.
- Refer to HERE for more information about how to get an Area Timed Entry Ticket or a Standby Entry Ticket.
Visit the Super Nintendo World With a Universal Studios Japan Express Pass
While expensive, the Universal Studios Japan Express Pass is the best way to shorten the waiting time to board the rides in Super Nintendo World. The pass is especially recommended if you fit into one of the categories below:
- You plan to visit USJ with children above a certain height or anyone who cannot or does not want to queue up for an extended period of time.
- You want to visit the Super Nintendo World and as many other attractions as possible.
- You want to ride the popular rides as many times as possible.
- The cost of the Universal Studios Japan Nintendo World Express Pass is not a concern for you.
- You already know beforehand that the park will be busy on the day of your visit.
- You want to get on as many rides as possible during the day, so the less waiting time, the better.
- You cannot enter USJ first thing in the morning and/or stay in the park until the end of the day.
Tips:
☛ Visiting the Super Nintendo World first thing in the morning is best. While the admission time is set based on your ticket, you can stay as long as you want. This means that the queues are the shortest in the morning, and you can ride two or even three times the popular rides during your stay!
☛ Refer to our Do You Need an Express Pass at Universal Japan article for everything you need to know about Universal Studios Japan Express Pass.
Super Nintendo World Japan Ticket Price
The cost of a Nintendo World Express Pass varies significantly depending on the date. The prices range from around 12,000 yen to over 25,000 yen.
The price depends on the number of rides the USJ Express Pass covers and the demand for that particular date. The expected crowd levels also affect the cost of the Universal Studios Japan express pass.
Things to Note Before Purchasing Your Universal Studios Japan Express Pass
However, please note that there is a height requirement for the rides covered by the Universal Studios Japan Express Pass. You won’t be allowed to board the ride if you cannot satisfy the height requirements:
- Mario Kart (マリオカート)
- 122cm or taller to ride alone
- 107cm or taller when accompanied by a guardian
- Yoshi’s Adventure (ヨッシー・アドベンチャー)
- 122cm or taller to ride alone
- 92cm or taller when children are accompanied by a guardian
- Mine Cart Madness (ドンキーコングのクレイジー・トロッコ)
- 122cm or taller to ride alone
- 107cm or taller when accompanied by a guardian
Other restrictions may also apply. Refer to HERE for more information about the requirements for boarding a ride at Universal Studios Japan.
Tip: Yoshi’s Adventure usually has a shorter queue compared to Mario Kart.
The Best Time to Go to Super Nintendo World Japan
- The queue is usually shorter at night and before Universal Studios closes. However, admission to the rides may end early for the day. The staff will close the admission for a ride if the waiting time exceeds the park’s closing time.
- The attractions in the Super Nintendo World Japan are usually the busiest between 10 am and 2 pm.
Refer to HERE for the least busy time at Universal Studios Japan and hence the Super Nintendo World Osaka.
Entering the Super Nintendo World Without a Universal Studios Japan Express Pass
Can you enter Super Nintendo World Japan without an Express Pass? Yes, you can.
Without a Universal Studios Japan Super Nintendo World Express Pass, you need a Super Nintendo World Area Timed Entry Ticket (エリア入場整理券). It can be obtained on the day through the USJ official app or at a ticket kiosk in USJ. However, as the number of Timed Entry Tickets is limited, please ensure that you arrive at USJ early to obtain your ticket.
Note that even if you have the USJ official app installed on your phone, the Area Timed Entry Ticket can only be obtained after you enter the theme park.
On a busy day, the Area Timed Entry Ticket can run out within an hour of USJ opening!
One thing to note is that the allocated time slot for the Area Timed Entry Ticket may be in the late afternoon or at night if you choose to purchase the Timed Entry Ticket on the same day.
If you prefer to visit the Super Nintendo World earlier, purchasing a Nintendo World Japan Express Pass with an Advance Booking Timed Entry Ticket (エリア入場確約券) is highly recommended.
Important: There is a high chance that you won’t be able to board a ride if the time on your Timed Entry Ticket is close to USJ’s closing time. For example, if the park closes at 7 pm and there is a two-hour wait for the attraction you want to ride, the admission will close at 5 pm. The staff won’t let you in even if you have a Timed Entry Ticket after 5 pm.
Visit the Universal Studios Japan Super Nintendo World by Joining a Universal VIP Experience Group Tour
A fancier and more expensive option for enjoying Super Nintendo World is to join a Universal VIP Experience Group Tour. Led by a tour guide, you are given priority to ride the attractions in the area over Universal Studios Japan Express Pass holders.
For more information and details on other benefits of joining the tour, please refer to the Official Website of USJ.
Use the Single Rider Line to Enjoy the Rides in USJ
If you want to board the same ride multiple times, use the Single Rider Line to reduce your wait time in the queue. Although you will be grouped with strangers, the waiting time can be halved.
Other Tips on How to Enjoy the Rides in the Super Nintendo World in USJ
If you dislike waiting to board a ride, head to the rides you want to go on as soon as you enter the Super Nintendo World. Leave the photo sessions, key challenges, coin collecting, and digital stamps towards the end or between your sessions of Time-designated attractions if you have any. While your photos would have fewer strangers in the background when the area isn’t so packed in the early morning, it can mean that over 50 people may overtake you while you take photos.
Tip: Universal Studios Japan usually opens 30 to 90 minutes before its official opening hours on the website. Please plan your visit accordingly to maximize your time at USJ.
Find Out Whether a Universal Studios Japan Express Pass Will Be Worth It for You
Purchasing a Universal Studios Japan Express Pass is intuitive because it reduces waiting time. However, depending on when you visit the amusement park and a few other factors, the express pass may or may not be necessary.
Refer to our Decoding the Necessity of the Express Pass at USJ article before clicking the purchase button!
The Tips and the Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting USJ
You might have realized already that Universal Studios Japan (or USJ) in Osaka shouldn’t be treated as just another theme park where you can board the rides whenever you want, as long as you pay for admission. The theme park is so popular that there can be more than one part of the park where you won’t be able to enter without an Area Timed Entry Ticket. On a busy day, the waiting time to board the popular rides can easily exceed 60 minutes!
Refer to our article on The Tips and the Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting USJ to plan your visit!
