Universal Studios Japan General Discussion

[ChrisFL]

so I visited Universal Osaka last week. A few things...I didn't get into WWOHP as I messed up. They had the passes to enter the land, so I got one...then lost it

Note that me and my friend who was traveling with me had been going non-stop for about 1.5 weeks through Tokyo, Kyoto and the rest of Osaka, so we were already pretty tired, so we didn't experience everything.

I will say the park feels very weird when you see so many familiar parts to Orlando, but then things are totally in different areas. Jurassic Park is where you'd expect MIB to be...Jaws is next to Harry Potter, Space Fantasy is where the Ampitheater/Rip Ride Rockit is.

It was nostalgic for me to ride Back to the Future and Jaws again, and brand new experiences to my friend. He thought BTTF was quite intense and the fog machines at the front of the Delorean were working VERY well, and really enhanced the experience going between the different scenes. I remember the Florida ones not working well at all in the later years. Doc Brown speaking Japanese is weird though.

We also experienced Backdraft which I had never seen, that was also quite intense and honestly once was enough for me.

BTW, unfortunately I was too big to fit on Space Fantasy...time to diet!

Jurassic Park was covered with walls extensively for the new Pteranadon coaster they're building, we ate at the resturant which is basically what they have in the middle of the "discovery center" style building. They had Hawaiian and Argentinean style dishes, and the cashier asked us to say "hola" to the person filling the food orders. My friend is mexican and he was not sure why, then I reminded him that Jurassic Park happens near Costa Rica

The staff there was super up-beat and friendly and tried speaking a lot of spanish with my friend....it was really great (we see this all over Japan...customer service there is light years beyond what I've seen in the U.S.)

My friend is a musician and loves rock music, so he asked to check out the BeetleJuice Graveyard Revue equivalent, which happens in the Pantages theater, instead of the Horror Makeup Show. It was very corny and cheesy, just like the Florida version (though honestly I haven't seen the Florida one in YEARS).

I'm still trying to get the pics uploaded

 

[ChrisFL]

Here's the pics:

Photos by Chris Lane - Google Photos

 

[Teebin]

^ No WW Potter pics?

 

[Mad Dog]

^ No WW Potter pics?

He said he lost his entrance ticket to the area.

 

[Viator]

^ No WW Potter pics?

I believe he said that he couldn't of gotten in due to the mistake of dropping the entry ticket for the area. Could be wrong there though.

 

[Teebin]

Wow, they are still doing timed entry tickets there? That only lasted for about 2-3 months (if that) in Orlando back in 2010.

 

[Viator]

Wow, they are still doing timed entry tickets there? That only lasted for about 2-3 months (if that) in Orlando back in 2010.

The thing that has to be kept in mind is that Japans attendance is huge in comparison to Orlandos. Its not a surprise that they're still doing Timed Ticket Entrys due to the high demand to go in the land for those who can't leave the country of Japan to go to Orlando and Hollywoods.

 

[ChrisFL]

Yeah, sadly I lost it....and from what I know, it's pretty similar to the IOA version, except for the 3D Forbidden Journey part.

 

[Viator]

Yeah, sadly I lost it....and from what I know, it's pretty similar to the IOA version, except for the 3D Forbidden Journey part.

Well..that technically is until Hollywoods WWoHP opens but, they still have the Black lake that shows whats behind Hogwarts..is a giant Costco building.

 

[Mad Dog]

Yeah, sadly I lost it....and from what I know, it's pretty similar to the IOA version, except for the 3D Forbidden Journey part.

Still trying to find someone who has seen the FJ 3D version. Witnesses seem to be quite rare. I haven't seen a reported sighting on any internet site.

 

[Jon Fu]

Part 2 -

https://www.youtube.com/embed/XfWtslDkqbc?feature=oembed

 

[Ryan]

Finally saw a video of that Animation Celebration attraction... kind of neat, actually considering its age. The thing is honestly, cute at best (and in Japanese so difficult to truly decipher exactly what's happening) but still some terrific effects seemingly mixing traditional animation and truly live-action. After Roger Rabbit, I'm surprised Disney never did any of this Pepper's Ghost illusions... it just feels so novel versus CGI, mostly because it's much harder to do.

 

[Jon Fu]

Part two is up, featuring a look at Hollywood which includes Animation Celebration, Shrek 4-D Adventure, Space Fantasy – The Ride, Universal Monsters Live Rock And Roll Show and Hollywood Dream.


Link: http://insideuniversal.net/2015/12/inside-universal-studios-japan-hollywood/

 

[Jon Fu]

Plop -

https://www.youtube.com/embed/1tCypBdOP1w?feature=oembed

 

[boomerthom]

Still trying to find someone who has seen the FJ 3D version. Witnesses seem to be quite rare. I haven't seen a reported sighting on any internet site.

I've been listening to the 10/16 Inside Universal podcast about USJ, and their impressions were basically that while the projections were clearer and easier to follow, the brighter show building to compensate for the 3D glasses led to a lot of the space being visible, including the ceiling above the Whomping Willow and the KUKA arms driving the Dementors.

 

[Mad Dog]

I've been listening to the 10/16 Inside Universal podcast about USJ, and their impressions were basically that while the projections were clearer and easier to follow, the brighter show building to compensate for the 3D glasses led to a lot of the space being visible, including the ceiling above the Whomping Willow and the KUKA arms driving the Dementors.

Thanks. Finally a real eyewitness. I was starting to think the FJ 3D attraction was a figment of my imagination( :ears:.)

 

[ulto]

Thanks. Finally a real eyewitness. I was starting to think the FJ 3D attraction was a figment of my imagination( :ears:.)

I took these photos over this past weekend.

Yes, they are still doing time tickets. You pickup your ticket near the UO equivalent of Central Park. I picked mine up, but the time for entry was only about 30 minutes later, so not bad at all. When I got into Hogsmeade, the area was packed. Forbidden Journey was 180 min wait, Hippogrif was 160 min.

I went back later in the night and it was just walk in to the area, no time ticket return. I did get to ride 3D forbidden journey, and while the 3D made the dome scenes look great, the 3d glasses rims are way too large and takes up too much of your viewing angle, leaving you feel like youre peering through 2 tiny holes to see everything.

I personally didn't feel like the rest was too bright. Everything was just about the same except for the Floo projections. There seemed to be a few more Dementors than the UO version. Maybe I was just really into it at the time, but I vividly remember seeing 1 point where the KUKA arm points you upward where you see 3-5 dementors swooping in at you, almost like the old legendary scene that was removed from the UO version before opening.

Overall, 3D was cool, but the glasses made it not worth it for the rest of the attraction. Any questions?

 

[*Q*]

Forbidden Journey was 180 min wait, Hippogrif was 160 min.

*160* for Flight of the Hippogriff??? :saywhat:

Everything was just about the same except for the Floo projections.

So are they the projections that we used to have, where it looks like you're traveling through a chimney network? I always wondered why that was changed.

 

[ulto]

*160* for Flight of the Hippogriff??? :saywhat:

Yeah..... The amount of people in the park. I've been to Epcot for the 4th of July multiple times, I would take that over the crowds I saw at USJ anyday. The Hollywood Dream coaster was 180 min for forward facing car, 200 for backwards. Spiderman was 160 at worst. Jurassic Park also required a time return ticket that you have to pickup where the Disaster exit was at UO. Jaws was about 40 min, Backdraft was 15 min, Back to the Future was about 45.

So are they the projections that we used to have, where it looks like you're traveling through a chimney network? I always wondered why that was changed.

It was green projection we currently have. Not sure why they changed it, I liked traveling through the bricks.

 

[Mad Dog]

I took these photos over this past weekend.

Yes, they are still doing time tickets. You pickup your ticket near the UO equivalent of Central Park. I picked mine up, but the time for entry was only about 30 minutes later, so not bad at all. When I got into Hogsmeade, the area was packed. Forbidden Journey was 180 min wait, Hippogrif was 160 min.

I went back later in the night and it was just walk in to the area, no time ticket return. I did get to ride 3D forbidden journey, and while the 3D made the dome scenes look great, the 3d glasses rims are way too large and takes up too much of your viewing angle, leaving you feel like youre peering through 2 tiny holes to see everything.

I personally didn't feel like the rest was too bright. Everything was just about the same except for the Floo projections. There seemed to be a few more Dementors than the UO version. Maybe I was just really into it at the time, but I vividly remember seeing 1 point where the KUKA arm points you upward where you see 3-5 dementors swooping in at you, almost like the old legendary scene that was removed from the UO version before opening.

Overall, 3D was cool, but the glasses made it not worth it for the rest of the attraction. Any questions?

:clap:Thanks for the review. I was starting to think the 3D conversion was just a dream fantasy, since there were no eyewitness descriptions.:smile: