First of all, my 14 years old self is so so so so happy about this. I am a big fan of amusement parks ever since I was a kid. Most, if not all Filipino 90s kid would agree that EK was their first happy place. I mean I don’t remember much from my childhood but I sure did remember going to EK with my family. Good times. Still warms my heart just by thinking about it. 

It was always a dream for me to visit Tokyo Disneyland because of the stories my tita and tito would tell me back then. So just imagine how happy I was when I first went to Hong Kong Disneyland. I remember I was with my father and I was holding my tears back while watching the fireworks display with a whole new world as the background song. Since then, it made my feelings towards amusement parks so much stronger. I just feel very happy that I don’t know which ride to try first, or which shows to watch first. 

I remember when I posted a photo of me with the iconic globe of Universal Studios Singapore, my tita commented that USS is nothing compared to USJ. It was January 2018 and come December 2019, who would've thought I’ll get to visit the top tier Universal Studios Japan? I mean, what a way to end the freaking decade!!! 

I always thought I’d get to visit it someday but I didn’t know 2019 is the year I get to experience it. Despite everything that’s happened, 2019 has its own way of making it memorable. 

Pics or it didn't happen LOL

So yup. Since I am oh so excited to visit USJ, even though I was tired from skiing, I didn’t let sleep make me late in waking up. For the first time, I actually abide by the call time and woke up at 7am. We arrived around 10:30-ish and there's already a lot people. My cousin Anika has her 1-year pass which was just bought weeks before our visit because she went there with her friends a week before my arrival. Can you imagine? 1-week pass!!! You can see the park all year round, all seasons! I guess it's the reason why it just looks like a normal day for some students as I saw a lot of students in their uniforms as if they just got through class. Lol. As for me and my tita, our tickets was bought at Lawson the day before. How convenient to be able to buy tickets at Lawson. 

The park is ~*insanely*~ big. Nothing like the amusement parks I’ve been to. Not that I’ve been to many amusement parks but this one... it’s insane. If in some amusement parks, you can still see the entirety of it in a day by trying to be resourceful on your time, this one, I can confidently say, 2 days is not enough, let alone a day. 3 days? Probably the best number of days you should allot in order to see everything you want to see in USJ. 

Blame it in the number of the visitor or just literally how big the area is, you’re pushing your luck way too hard to be trying to see everything in one go. Also, check your expectations when you're here because mine didn’t sit well with reality. Haha. We went here on a regular day. Monday, nothing special, but there are still a lot of people. Lines are overwhelming, there wasn’t any place that there’s no crowd. I'd like to say they should limit the number of people going in but mehhh... I don't know how that will work.

Since my cousin knows the ins and outs, she led the way inside the park. We first went to the Harry Potter area since it is expected to be jampacked around the afternoon because of the fans. We waited for almost an hour just for one ride! Though the ride is so nice! It’s like the transformers in USS. 

We opt for photo ops with mascots around, ate at the Jaws restaurant, watched the Crystal Promise show which is the theme park’s Christmas special together with its gigantic Christmas tree. It was exhausting and mostly, our time just went to waiting in line because all attractions have lines. In times like this, I think the express pass is worth a shot. Well, yes it costs more but if you get to ride more, then why not?

And to end the USJ experience, we waited for the parade before the closing. After the parade, we were literally running to the gates so we will not be swept by the crowds. We are also trying to catch the Kintetsu line going to my tita's. It was sooooo freaking exhausting. Needless to say, since I wasn’t able to see everything, I’ll definitely go back. *wink wink*

yummy cinnamon sticks :p~~~ 

 Not much of a Harry Potter fan but I'm amazed at how many people dress up as characters when they go here

 Probably one of the most crowded area - Minion Park

 The stage for the Crystal Promise show.

 Butterbeer for HP fans!

 Hello there, Hello Kitty :D

 What a 5000 yen lunch looks like at USJ LOL. To be fair though, this is better than the burgers I tried at USS.

first ride of the day 

 The Christmas vibes is so strong at USJ