Tokyo Disney or Universal Studios Japan — Which is Better?

Last Updated on July 27, 2024 by Kay

The Tokyo Disney Resorts (Disneyland and DisneySea) and Universal Studios Japan are arguably the most popular theme parks in Japan. But if you don’t have time to go to both, which one should you visit?

As a Japan resident, I’ve been to both many, many times over the last fifteen years (I even have an annual pass for Universal Studios Japan), so I thought I would share my perspective.

Long story short, when it comes down to which is better — Tokyo Disney or Universal Studios Japan (USJ) — the answer is that… it depends. In this article, I’ll dive into each theme park’s offerings so hopefully, by the end, you’ll have a better idea about which you would like to visit.

Which is Better? Comparing Tokyo Disney to Universal Studios Japan

Location

Universal Studios Japan (USJ) is located a 5-minute walk from Universal City Station in Osaka. It costs 190 yen one-way from Osaka-Umeda Station to Universal City Station and takes less than twenty minutes. You can also buy bottled drinks at the 7-Eleven next to the station.

Klook offers a shuttle from Dotonbori to USJ as well.

Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea are located near JR Maihama Station. You can either transfer to the Tokyo Disney Resort Line for an extra 300 yen one-way, which will take you straight to the parks, or walk for almost twenty minutes from Maihama Station. The Tokyo Disney Resort Line is expensive but it looks really cute, so I think it’s worth the extra cost.

It takes 30 minutes to reach the park by train from Tokyo Station and almost an hour from Shinjuku. You also have to transfer at least once.

Klook also offers a shuttle to the Tokyo Disney parks from Shinjuku.

My Pick: Universal Studios Japan 

Although Tokyo Disney has a cute, Disney-themed train, it’s faster and cheaper to get to Universal Studios Japan.

Cost

Tickets for Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea vary according to type and date. For instance, weekends and holidays tend to be more expensive than weekdays.

A 1-Day Passport for one park ranges from 7900-10,900 yen for adults (18 years old and up), 6600-9000 yen for kids ages 12-17, and 4700-5600 yen for kids ages 4-11. Kids ages 3 and under are free.

There is also an Early Evening Passport for weekends and holidays from 3 PM, which is at least 1000 yen cheaper depending on the day you go, as well as a discounted Weeknight Passport for weekdays from 5 PM. (My husband and I loved using the Weeknight Passport for days we finished work early!)

There used to be annual passes for Tokyo Disney but for now, they are not selling any.

Similarly, a 1 Day Studio Pass for Universal Studios Japan is more expensive on weekends and holidays. The cost ranges from 8600 to 10,400 yen for adults (12 years and up, and no, that is not a typo, a 12-year-old is an adult at USJ),  from 5600 to 6800 yen for kids ages 4-11, and 7700 to 9900 yen for seniors (65 years old and up). Children ages three and under are free. USJ also offers a 1.5 Day Studio Pass where admission for the first day is from 3 PM, which is 13,100 yen for adults and 8600 yen for kids.

There’s a 2 Day Studio Pass as well, which is 16,300 yen for adults and 10,600 yen for kids. 

Universal Studios Japan offers annual passes, which are only listed on the Japanese website. The Standard Pass has blackout dates (usually holidays and school vacations) and costs 20,000 yen for adults and 14,000 yen for kids. The Grand Royal pass has no blackout dates and costs 48,800 yen for adults and 33,200 yen for kids.

My Pick: Tokyo Disney

This was really tough to decide!

When considering a full day at one Tokyo Disney park or Universal Studios Japan, Tokyo Disney is cheaper overall. But for those who expect to visit Universal Studios Japan at least three times in a year, Universal Studios Japan’s annual pass is the best bang for your buck.

However, although I like Tokyo Disney’s discounted tickets for weekdays from 5 PM, it doesn’t give you much time to do a whole lot, so I think it’s best for locals, those who don’t need the full experience, or those who are on a tight budget. Weekends and holidays are also very busy, so the 3 PM Early Evening Passport might be cost-effective but comes at a price.  

Ease of Ticket Purchase

In my articles about Tokyo Disney, I complain… I mean, reasonably share about my experience buying tickets to Tokyo Disney from their official website. Long story short, their website gets congested often, which makes it a nightmare to purchase tickets.

However, reputable third-party websites like Klook allow you to purchase tickets for Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. I suggest doing this if the official website is being a pain.

I have an annual pass for Universal Studios Japan but I’ve never had issues purchasing tickets or my annual from their website. I have heard, though, that the website can be finicky when it comes to people living outside of Japan who are trying to purchase tickets.

For this reason, if you live outside of Japan, I would again recommend purchasing a ticket for Universal Studios Japan from Klook.

My Pick: Tie if you use Klook, Universal Studios Japan if you use the official website (and live in Japan)

Food

I’ve never really been wowed by the taste of the food at Tokyo Disney. It tastes pretty average, pretty much what you would expect from a theme park. The food looks super cute, though, especially seasonal snacks and dishes for events like Halloween and Christmas. Their popcorn buckets are also very reasonably priced at a little over 3000 yen depending on the bucket.

Only Tokyo DisneySea offers alcoholic beverages.

It can be hard to find a place to sit down and eat at Tokyo Disney, and usually you need to use the app to make a reservation. Unfortunately, I’ve had issues trying to open the app when the park is quite crowded. There are also long lines at food carts.

For Universal Studios Japan, I’ve found that the food tastes much better overall compared to Tokyo Disney. I also like their anime collaboration restaurants and menus. They do a really good job in terms of presentation with their collab food. However, their popcorn buckets are very expensive! For instance, the Mario Kart popcorn bucket will set you back a whopping 5500 yen.  

Universal Studios Japan also offers alcoholic beverages, although it’s not as easy to find as Tokyo DisneySea. 

It’s much easier to find a place to sit down and eat at USJ but if you want to eat at a popular themed restaurant, you may need to wait for about 30 minutes to an hour. Kinopio’s Restaurant also only accepts reservations via QR Code once you’re in Super Nintendo World. Some restaurants allow you to make a reservation in advance or on the day.  

In terms of the overall price of food, it’s pretty much the same. For instance, a simple churro from Tokyo Disney is around 600 yen while one from Universal Studios Japan (not character or anime-themed) is 550 yen.

My Pick: Universal Studios Japan

You’re more likely to be wowed by the food at Universal Studios Japan, especially if you get something from their anime collab menus. 

Attractions and Rides

Tokyo Disneyland has 45 attractions and rides while Tokyo DisneySea has 35. All of the rides are family-friendly, so I don’t have to twist my husband’s arm to go on them. Almost all of the rides have long wait times, though, and you might be waiting for two hours or more during high season.    

You can buy Disney Premier Access, which will allow you to go on some rides like Beauty and the Beast at Tokyo Disneyland at a certain time, so you don’t need to wait in line. These are purchased on the day once you’re in the park. 

Universal Studios Japan has about 30 attractions and rides. Unlike Disney, some of their attractions and rides change throughout the year according to the collaborations they have with popular anime. They also have far more thrilling rides compared to Disney, such as The Flying Dinosaur and Hollywood Dream. 

Wait times can be long for popular rides at USJ like Mario Kart but I have never waited for longer than two hours. I’ve found that the lines move much faster than the estimated wait times on the screen.

To skip the line for rides and attractions, you can get a Universal Express Pass. These must be purchased in advance.       

My Pick: Universal Studios Japan

I’m a thrill-seeker, so I am a fan of the rides at Universal Studios Japan. I also like that Space Fantasy transforms into different anime-themed XR rides. I’ve found that the wait times are shorter than Tokyo Disney overall as well, but of course, multiple factors influence how busy a theme park might be. For instance, weather, time of year, etc. It’s really a gamble (but to be safe, Tuesdays and Thursdays seem to be the least busy days of the week).

Character Greetings

There will be some characters walking around the Tokyo Disney parks like Gaston but if you want a photo with characters Mickey, Minnie, or Donald, you need to either wait in line or make a reservation through the Tokyo Disney app.    

For Universal Studios Japan, you can take photos with characters like Hello Kitty or the Minions without having to reserve a spot in the app or wait in a formal line. It can be a little chaotic but I’ve found that you can quickly take a photo without having to wait more than 5 minutes. It’s all about timing.

For Super Nintendo World, you need to pay to take a photo with Peach or Mario and Luigi. 

My Pick: Universal Studios Japan 

I find the character greetings at Universal Studios Japan to be far less overwhelming than at Tokyo Disney. I can quickly snap a picture and then be on my merry way.

Atmosphere

There is no denying that Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea are magical. I love both — when you walk inside, you truly feel like you’ve been transported into another world. 

Cinderella’s castle at Tokyo Disneyland is gorgeous, especially at night when it lights up. The massive volcano along the water at Tokyo DisneySea is also one of my favorite things to look at. 

Furthermore, the Tokyo Disney parks have fireworks almost every night, which is a huge plus because Universal Studios Japan doesn’t!

Universal Studios Japan is a theme park that mostly looks like a city in America, so perhaps it won’t be as interesting for people from North America. I think the most exciting area is Super Nintendo World, which truly transports you to the world of Mario.

People also tend to dress up for Universal Studios Japan. For instance, they will wear Mario costumes or cosplay as characters from whatever special anime collaborations USJ has. At Tokyo Disney, although you can wear the Disney headbands they have for sale, adults cannot dress up as Disney characters except for in October.

My Pick: Tokyo Disney

Although Super Nintendo World is impressive and the cosplayers are something I look forward to seeing every time I go, it’s only a fraction of Universal Studios Japan. Universal Studios Japan also doesn’t have fireworks, which is why Tokyo Disney wins the top spot in this category.

Parades

Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea have two parades a day. Both are absolutely amazing but Tokyo’s Electrical Parade is something you can’t miss. I can’t even describe how wonderful it is — hands down the best parade I have ever seen!

The parade during the day also changes according to the season. For instance, during Halloween they have a Halloween-themed parade, which has all the main Disney characters like Mickey dressed in spooky Halloween outfits.

Universal Studios Japan has one parade a day called NO LIMIT!. It’s easier to see than Tokyo Disney’s and more interactive for kids than Tokyo Disney’s. Popular characters from shows like Pokemon show up as well, and during the summer they have a Summer Splash Parade where you get soaked.

My Pick: Tokyo Disney

I like that Tokyo Disney has one parade during the day and one at night, so you can have two different experiences. And the Electrical Parade just blows everything else out of the water.

Crowds

Tokyo Disney is very popular and therefore, unsurprisingly, very crowded, considerably more than Universal Studios Japan. This is reflected in the wait times for restaurants and rides. It can be hard to move around the park sometimes as well in congested areas. 

Universal Studios has busy areas, especially Super Nintendo World, but I find the crowds more bearable than Tokyo Disney.   

My Pick: Universal Studios Japan

Souvenirs

Tokyo Disney has a lot of souvenirs to choose from, and one thing I love is how the souvenirs change depending on the season. This means there are lots of limited-edition items featuring Disney characters. Personally, I love to get seasonal mugs and stuffed Mickey keychains during Halloween and Christmas when he’s wearing a cute costume.

Universal Studios Japan also has a huge variety of souvenirs, but I like the souvenirs from anime collaborations the best. The blind boxes are especially fun because you never know which character you’re going to get! They also have seasonal souvenirs during Halloween, Christmas, Easter, and Summer.   

My Pick: Both

I honestly like them both and spend probably way too much time browsing the stores!

Tip: Note that souvenir stores get very busy in the evening when people start to leave. Sometimes you can’t even enter a store! 

Seasonal Events

Tokyo Disney and Universal Studios Japan both have events every season. However, although Universal Studios Japan has some pretty cool zombies in October, Tokyo Disney does a better job at seasonal events. The park grounds are far more decorated and feel more seasonal, especially around Halloween and Christmas.

The parades at Tokyo Disney also do a better job than USJ at changing according to the season, and the costumes are stunning.

My Pick: Tokyo Disney

Kid-Friendliness

I find that both of these parks are kid-friendly and offer lots for children of all ages to experience.

Tokyo DisneySea and Universal Studios Japan both have areas just for younger children, although unlike Tokyo DisneySea, Tokyo Disneyland does not have a dedicated indoor play area for kids (which is helpful when it’s raining or hot outside).

My Pick: Both

Both are great for kids if I’m being completely objective. Personally, I feel that it was much easier to handle my kid by myself at Universal Studios Japan than Tokyo Disney. The Tokyo Disney parks are just too big!

If you’re traveling with kids, you may want to read these articles to get some helpful information to plan your trip and know what to be prepared for:

• Tokyo Disneyland with a Toddler (applies to older kids as well)
• Tokyo DisneySea with a Toddler (applies to older kids as well)
• Universal Studios Japan with Babies, Toddlers, and Small Kids

Wrap-up: Universal Studios Japan vs Tokyo Disney

Overall, Universal Studios Japan tends to offer more bang for your buck. 

But of course, if you’re a Disney fan, you should go to Tokyo Disney and if you like anime, go to Universal Studios Japan. And if you can make it happen, I highly recommend going to both!