Thirteen years ago, I first came across the tale of The Boy Who
Lived. Every Sunday, we used to go to the bookstore and there I saw this little
unassuming book. Seven installments later, like all Potterheads, I still find
myself enamored of the world J.K. Rowling has conjured. I’m now in my twenties but I still feel
thrilled over new releases, theories, and Buzzfeed articles.
OA na kung OA but when we went to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Japan, it felt like coming home. Akala mo talaga I was once a Hogwarts student noh? Haha. What they say about USJ is true, it’s crowded! Nonetheless, we made the most out of that trip because of several “strategies.”
Arrive way before the
park’s operation hours
We went there on October 31 and according to the website,
the park was supposed to open at 8 a.m. We arrived 40 minutes earlier and much
to our delight, gates were already opened! I’m not sure why but perhaps because
it was Halloween that day. Since there’s no crowd yet, we were able to enter
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter without timed tickets and enjoy an
unobstructed view of Hogsmeade.
Take note that USJ issues timed tickets to control the crowd.
They say that these tickets run out sometimes leaving others with no chance to enter
(nightmare!). Upon arriving at USJ, check first if you can enter The Wizarding
World of Harry Potter without the ticket. If you can’t, RUN to the other side
of the park to secure a time slot. If you can’t stay in hotels right outside USJ, book flats
that are near the park. Ours was located in Namba which was half an hour away
from the park.
Go straight to
Forbidden Journey
Upon entering, we went straight to Hogwarts Castle and lined up for the famous Forbidden Journey attraction while everyone was busy having their photos taken outside. In less than 20 minutes, we were done and that’s when we started to explore the shops.
At 10 a.m., the
waiting time for Forbidden Journey was already 180 minutes! There’s another
ride, Flight of the Hippogriff, but we skipped it for it used to be a kiddie rollercoaster which
was only rebranded.
Consider alternatives
if queues for Butterbeer and Potter merchandise are snakelike
The Universal Studios store outside likewise
sells Harry Potter merchandise. The store even sells pastries and chocolates in
tin cans which I didn’t see at Honeydukes. The only downside from
buying outside is that the plastic bag will be the generic Universal Studios
one instead of the one depicting Harry on a broomstick.
Don’t miss the shows
Make sure to return at
night
To those whose hearts have been broken when they were deprived of that majestic acceptance letter (#muggleproblems), you could still live out your dream at The Wizarding World. I assure you, this trip is worth all the gold in Gringotts!
