The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps
November 6, 2025
Shows, Shopping and Food at Universal Studios Japan with Young Children (Part 2)
This is part 2, where I will write about the shows and food at Universal Studios Japan with young children, aged 5.5 and 8 years old. You can start from Part 1 if you need more information about Universal Studios Japan (“USJ”) regarding ticketing, accommodation, the different areas in USJ and their interactive games and rides. Our trip to USJ almost didn’t happen, but it turned out to be the highlight of our trip, and one day wasn’t enough for us! We were there towards the end of Summer, on 11 September 2025, under Category C.
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Theatre Shows
WaterWorld
After taking photos with Snoopy, my husband stayed behind to collect the prints while my two daughters and I hurried off to catch the WaterWorld show. We arrived at the entrance on the dot and walked a long pathway to the outdoor theatre seats. We arrived right on time and followed a long path to the outdoor theatre seating. Unfortunately, when my husband showed up just five minutes late, he wasn’t allowed in—despite us having a seat saved for him and plenty of empty ones around. So be on time!
He didn’t mind missing it, since we’ve watched the show in English several times at Universal Studios Singapore. Knowing the storyline helped me explain what’s happening in the show to the girls because it’s in Japanese at USJ, and their first time watching it. The girls were stunned by the fighting, loud sounds, fire effects and explosives. I had to reassure them it was all staged. Good thing, the performers gave goodbye waves at the end, confirming that no harm was done during the show, and everyone was still alive.
Waterworld Show at USJ
Universal Monsters Live: Rock and Roll Show
I wasn’t too keen on a monster-themed show for the kids, but when we passed by and saw the doors open with no queue, I figured we’d give the Universal Monsters Live Rock and Roll Show a try. The host, a scary-looking Beetlejuice with his signature evil laugh, kicked things off and warmed the crowd with a long introduction in Japanese. Thankfully, some of his gestures and jokes got the audience laughing, which made it less scary for the girls.
Soon, the other monsters made an entrance in a dramatically scary manner that the girls covered their eyes, and I almost walked out of the theatre with them. Good thing the scary part ended fairly quickly, and the rock and roll concert went so good that we enjoyed the singing and dancing. I was glad we stayed.
Universal Monsters Live Rock and Roll Show
4-D Live Show
One regret for this trip is not catching the Detective Conan 4-D Live Show: Jewel Under the Starry Sky. It was 7:50 PM, and we were going for dinner, but the next show starts in 25 minutes. We could have had a quick dinner at USJ, but we decided to skip the overpriced food and head out to Universal Walk for dinner. It’s going to be in Japanese, and I thought we might not enjoy it as much, but apparently, you can’t find this show anywhere else!
Did you catch it? Let me know if it’s good in the comments section.
Meet-and-Greets
Super Nintendo World
The moment we entered Super Nintendo World, we joined the queue for the meet and greet with Princess Peach. It didn’t seem that long, but a USJ staff member mentioned that it would be about half an hour! We decided to skip it to save time since none of us were super big Mario fans anyway. I took a photo of the children with Princess Peach from a distance, which was good enough.
It was then that I realised why the wait time would be long even when the line didn’t look that long. I had assumed the meet-and-greet session was more touch-and-go, take a photo and bye. But here in USJ, you have a proper conversation with the characters before phototaking, and that’s why USJ calls it a show instead of a meet-and-greet.
We saw Mario and Luigi too, but were too late to join the queue. The characters really took time to interact with the people, and accommodated taking photos with the individuals even after a group photo was taken.
Meet and Greet with Princess Peach
Snoopy at Wonderland
Like I mentioned in Part 1, we met and took photos with Snoopy and bought the photos!
Wicked at Hollywood
We arrived early for ‘Wicked: The Witches of Oz‘, expecting a stage performance as it is listed as a show in USJ’s attraction and show schedule. We managed to secure front-row spots in the designated standing area. The witches, Glinda and Elphaba, waved to the crowd as they entered. Instead of a performance, Glinda chose someone for a brief chat and photo op with both witches, after which they split off for individual meet-and-greets.
Like many others, my daughters waved eagerly at Glinda, hoping to be chosen. A few times, she looked at them and turned away, and it felt like she was ignoring them. But as it turned out, she was simply making her way down the row, which eventually reached us.
When Glinda spoke to the girls in Japanese, they stared back blankly. She seemed briefly impatient at that before I could explain that they don’t understand Japanese. Then, in English, she asked if they knew who she was and introduced herself, starting a short conversation. My husband snapped a photo of us, and Glinda invited him to join for another shot. She also gave the girls high fives before we left. The characters at USJ really take their time with each guest, which made me wonder if such a pace is intentional—perhaps to create longer wait times and encourage visitors to return with another day pass.
Anyway, this was more of a character interaction than a theatrical show. Had we known that, we probably would’ve skipped it. We’re not die-hard Wicked fans, and the girls weren’t familiar with the characters either, thus it felt kind of underwhelming.
Wicked at USJ
Street Shows
We happened to be eating our ice treat near Power of Rock where vocalists belted out rock songs in the Hollywood area, and also walked past mascots singing and rancing at Let’s Rock Together in Wonderland! Enjoy them if you happen to be in that area. Otherwise, there’s no need to make a trip to find them. For Kuromi fans, you’ll be happy to know there’s Kuromi Live: Kuromify the World Tour Crystal Clear.
Harry Potter
It’s 6:00 PM. The sun was setting, the sky was slowly turning dark, and we saw a crowd gathering near a stage in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We were trying to squeeze nearer when I caught glimpses of hooded figures cloaked in flowing black robes walking up the stage. They started to perform some dramatic wand duels. I am usually more spiritually sensitive, and that seemed like some dark rituals. The scene reminded me of Saja Boys’ literal soul-stealing performance of “Your Idol” in “K-pop Demon Hunters”. The lyrics are so obvious, but the hypnotised audience remained oblivious to the soul-stealing act — “keeping you obsessed… Yeah, you gave me your hеart, now I’m here for your soul.”
I googled and found out that the black-hooded ones were acting as Death Eaters, the dark wizards who serve Voldemort. The USJ website even plainly wrote about this Halloween special show, ‘Death Eaters Takeover’ on USJ’s website: “Dark magic is projected over Hogwarts castle… On this eerie night, sinister wizards swarm the wizarding village, and you must decide – Do you run? Do you fight? Or do you join the Death Eaters? Your fate is in your own hands!”
Wizarding World in the Evening
Our night took a darker turn from that point on, starting with the walk out of the Wizarding World and continuing through zombie-filled streets on the way to Minion Park.
On our way out, we paused to watch the night show projected onto the facade of Hogwarts Castle. We only watched briefly, and felt the content wasn’t suitable for my daughter — I try to protect her young mind from dark themes for as long as I can.
It reminded me of the ongoing debate among Christian parents: some believe the witchcraft and wizardry in Harry Potter are harmful, while others see it as harmless fantasy. I’ve always been neutral, but seeing how it has now expanded to normalise dark rituals and spell-casting, I find myself leaning toward the better safe than sorry side.
💡 Tip (for those with young children): Leave this area before sunset.
Special Event: Halloween
Time was running out, so divide and conquer — my husband and younger daughter headed to Minion Park while I took Grace, my elder daughter, to the washroom at Harry Potter before joining them. He texted to warn us about a scary section of the journey. There was indeed a park announcement about roaming zombies from 6:00 PM, but apparently, the start time would shift to 7:00 PM from mid-October. I assumed the zombie would only be out for an hour based on the muffled announcement, but they roamed around much longer.
Thinking that the zombies were on Main Street, I cut through Jurassic Park instead. Big mistake.
Zombie dancing for Halloween
As we walked, a zombie was on our far left, and I quickly told Grace to look right, only to realise there were zombies there too. Thus, I asked her to close her eyes as I wrapped my arms around her and we hurried forward. She was still scared because of the sound effects and the Zombie growls and roars. The whole place was so dimly lit that I couldn’t spot the zombies in time to avoid their path. Even on the pavement, supposedly a safe zone, zombies kept approaching to scare us and other park patrons. Once, I had to swing my arm to fend one off. I was sweating by the end of it, and the walk felt much longer than it was.
Thankfully, about three-quarters through, the zombies stopped scaring and started dancing on the spot. Crowds gathered around the individual zombies to watch them dance, but they still looked gruesome to me, so we quickly went on our way.
💡 Family Tip: If you’re travelling with young kids, finish Harry Potter early and head to Minion Park before sunset. Wonderland is likely a safe zone, too. Or ask the crew which route to avoid them. It was only after our trip that I found out that Halloween starts early in USJ in September and lasts for two months until early November. So if Halloween isn’t your thing, avoid visiting USJ during these months.
Food for babies around 7 months old is sold at Snoopy’s Backlot Café and Studio Stars Restaurant. And if you want themed food for kids or the young at heart, you can check out Super Mushroom Pizza Bowl at Nintendo World, Minion Cookies at Minion Park, and frozen Butterbeer at Harry Potter. As for people with dietary concerns, you can find a plant-based menu and a non-pork or non-alcoholic menu in the Park.
To save some pennies, be sure to get Klook’s merchandise and food vouchers. I thought Klook only bundled this voucher with USJ tickets, but after our trip, I realised they have a standalone voucher for it — had to scroll all the way to the right!
Happiness Cafe at Minion World
In Super Nintendo World
There are four places to eat inside Super Nintendo World. We had wanted to get our lunch at Kinopio’s Cafe, but had to wait a long time for our turn. We didn’t realise that we had to reserve a timeslot in advance by scanning a QR code posted outside the café. The QR code only works when you’re physically close to the café, and it displays the available 15-minute entry slots for the next 90 minutes, with new slots released hourly. So if you aim to eat at 12:00 PM, it’s best to scan around 11:00 AM. If no slots are available, you can try again at the start of the next hour. Planning and scanning early is highly recommended.
If you didn’t have time to munch in Super Nintendo World, you can still find Mario’s Strawberry Soda Smoothie and Super Mario Pancake Sandwich at Mario Cafe & Store in Hollywood.
In Amity Village
We were looking for food around Universal Wonderland and decided to join the long queue at Amity Landing restaurant. While I was in the queue, my hubs went to the opposite snack stand, Broadwalk Snacks, to get a pizza set meal, Teriyaki chicken pizza with a drink, for ¥1,500 (S$12.70).
Back at the restaurant, be sure to send someone to find a table when you’re almost at the front of the queue. After ordering through a self-ordering kiosk, you will have to find a seat, like in a fast-food restaurant. So during peak periods, you don’t want to be waiting around for seats with your food.
My husband wanted to try the shark meat burger, but I wasn’t adventurous enough for it. Instead, along with a takeaway pizza set, we ordered two Amity Kids Meals at ¥1,000 (S$8.50) each and a Chicken Sandwich Meal with fries and a drink for ¥1,750 (S$14.80), bringing our lunch total to ¥5,250 (S$44.30). The kids’ meal came with a fried chicken burger, fries, a jellied fruit dessert, and an orange drink. It’s meant for children aged six and under, but no one checked when I ordered without my kids around.
While we were lunching at our window seat, we saw a boat ride going around, and the girls wanted to hop on it, thinking it was a scenic boat tour of USJ. Turns out it’s a Jaws ride! Good thing we didn’t hop on it, because it might be terrifying for younger kids.
Food at Amity Village
Snacks (Ice Treat and Popcorn Buckets)
Carts selling snacks, drinks and desserts can be found around the Park. We passed by a cart selling frozen mango at ¥1,000 (S$5.10), and the girls wanted one on the hot afternoon. I assumed it was a simple frozen mango sorbet and asked them to try other ice cream options instead. But they were persistent, and my husband relented. Good thing he did because it was surprisingly delicious! It tasted like a perfectly ripe mango, frozen into a refreshing, sweet treat. Bonus: it came with a voucher to redeem a snack at Minion Park.
To get food and souvenirs at the same time, consider buying USJ’s popcorn buckets and enjoy its unique flavours. There are different themes for you to bring home as collectables — from Mario Kart Popcorn Bucket and Bob-omb Popcorn Bucket for Mario fans to Dave’s Villain-Con Popcorn Bucket for Minion fans.
For HamiKuma fans, you can get at most three HamiKuma Popcorn Buckets at the popcorn cart found at:
By the entrance to Universal Wonderland (Strawberry Cookie Flavoured Popcorn)
Next to Gramercy Park (Strawberry Cookie)
In front of Stage 22™ (Caramel)
By Playing with Curious George™ (Caramel)
Food around Universal City Walk
Universal City Walk
The park typically closes between 7:00 PM and 10:00 PM, depending on the day. If it closes late, you might prefer to dine inside the park since re-entry isn’t allowed once you exit. But on earlier closing days, you’ll find plenty of dining options just outside at Universal CityWalk Osaka. From halal udon at Udon Kineya Mugimaru on the 3rd floor, averaging ¥700 (S$5.10) per bowl, to familiar comfort food at MOS Burger on the 1st floor. We had dinner at MOS Burger and spent ¥2,860 (S$24.20) for two kids’ meals and one set meal.
While we were at the washroom, my husband wandered off and stumbled upon a bustling “food court” filled with locals, and had only Takoyaki shops. It was close to park closing time, and many guests were out for dinner. That lively spot turned out to be Takoyaki Park (TAKOPA), a food court on the 4th floor, featuring six of Osaka’s most famous takoyaki vendors. 🐙 It’s open daily from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
Each shop offers its own twist on the classic octopus ball:
Kukuru: Considered the most popular stall at TAKOPA, with a flagship store in Dotonbori. Their takoyaki is crispy outside, creamy inside, with chunky octopus pieces and generously topped with green onion, bonito flakes, and house-made sauce.
Juhachiban: Famous for long queues at its Dotonbori branch. Their batter includes milk and sakura shrimp for extra umami, plus tenkasu (crunchy tempura bits) for added flavour and crunch you won’t find in other takoyaki.
Kougaryu: Known for its house-made mayonnaise and bold toppings, perfect for adventurous eaters.
Yamachan: Uses a flavorful batter made from chicken, kelp, and bonito broth. It was featured in the Michelin Guide for three consecutive years (2016–2018).
Tamaya: Known for its unique dashi broth, which includes premium ingredients like lobster, chicken, seafood, vegetables, and fruits. The owner has a background in French cuisine, which influences their take on takoyaki. It was featured in the Michelin Guide for 2016, 2017, and 2018.
Aizuya: Founded in 1933 in Tamade, Osaka, Aizuya is credited with inventing takoyaki and has been serving it for over 90 years.
If unsure, join the longest line. ;)
MerchandiseShopping
Hello Kitty Shop in USJ Wonderland
You can buy merchandise throughout USJ, from themed shops in each attraction zone to the massive main store near the entrance. There are also official shops outside of the Park, so you can browse and dress up before entering the Park, or grab a last-minute souvenir on your way home.
Each area of USJ has its own themed shops, offering merchandise tied to the attractions and characters there, as well as exclusive items you won’t find anywhere else in the park. For example, 1-UP Factory in Super Nintendo World is packed with apparel, plush toys, and souvenirs themed around characters like Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Donkey Kong. For items exclusive to specific shops, keep an eye out for signage or ask crew members to save time.
USJ Main Shop
To avoid carrying shopping bags all day, save your purchases for the Universal Studios Store near the park entrance/exit. It’s the largest and most comprehensive shop in USJ, with a curated selection from all zones—perfect for last-minute buys or consolidated shopping before you head out. However, we couldn’t find a nice magnet at the main store, so do check the magnets in the other themed shops.
We asked a staff member for directions to Super Nintendo World, and before we parted, she surprised the kids with Halloween-themed sweets. It reminded me of an online tip to ask staff for stickers, with the Minion stickers only in Minion Park. So it seems they hand out different goodies depending on the season.
Throughout the day, I also noticed staff quietly slipping treats into the hands of guests they were chatting with. So don’t be shy—talk to a friendly crew member or ask for help. You might just receive a little seasonal surprise. Also, ask about birthday perks if someone in your group is celebrating!
Just before we entered the main store, we spotted a lady holding a bunch of Mario Cube balloons. We managed to snap a photo of the kids with the balloons, and the crew member even kindly hid herself behind the kids so she wouldn’t appear in the photo. A sweet and thoughtful gesture to end our day.
That’s all! Hope the information above and in Part 1 helped you to navigate USJ with young children. Let me know other tips for Park guests and parents in the comments section below. For useful content like this article, visit joogostyle.com for travel, home, and baby matters.
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