My Ate and I didn't really go to Japan mainly for the cherry blossom season, or the food trip and shopping, our first and common agenda was actually to go to the Universal Studios Japan's Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Both Potterheads, late last year we decided to pikit-mata save up for this trip just so we can finally immerse in this world we've long been dreaming to see and feel for a long long time.
Entrance to the Universal Studios in Osaka, Japan:
We went to USJ a few hours before lunch time, and it was already packed! We didn't buy our tickets online, so when we got there we had to line up pa. It wasn't walang pag-asa line, so I waited patiently while "Seizing the Summer" (lol). Our goal was to pay extra for the express pass because I hate lines, but naubos na siya, so no choice kami with the regular pass. Rates below (conversion to PHP at that time was x .37):
I got a Ron ticket!
USJ is HUGE, but we only had ONE agenda in mind.
Not the roller coasters:
Not even a photo with this classic Universal globe (but we did it, anyway, hehe).
Okay, so the Harry Potter entrance fee is already included in the USJ ticket. When you enter the venue, immediately look for the Timed Entry Ticketing Area to get your time slot. DO NOT LOSE your ticket from the USJ entrance (my Ron Weasley ticket), you will need this to secure your Harry Potter time slot via the vendo machines. Ate lost hers because we were running, she had to go back to the entrance and beg for a new one. Also, there were lines to the vendo machine, but this is Japan so everything's smooth, fast, and organized.
We got the 4pm slot na, so we still had time to waste. We were so stressed from Ate's lost ticket, so we decided to relax and just enter a random attraction na walang pila.
...It turned out to be a Hello Kitty land! Haha. We were greeted by this cute girl with big red bow who first asked us for our names and preferred language. Then she told us that we're actually already in Hello Kitty's VIP List! Haha, ang cute!
Hyper Lady: "Do you love Hello Kitty!?"
Me: "Umm"
Ate: "YES!"
Hyper Lady: "She's been waiting for you!!!"
Eto talaga ang suot ng Hello Kitty lover noh, hehehe.
Ate trying to blend in and act kawaii, HAHA!
So we pretended to be big Kitty fans and took pictures of the "Ribbon Collection", while muttering "pambata pala" the whole time, haha.
Toddlers were running here and there, mesmerized by the Hello Kitty exhibit.
We ended up taking so much time in this room, because sobrang haba ng pila! Gusto ko na sana bumalik sa exit, and apologize nalang to Ate at nawaste time namin sa ribbon museum, hehe.
But then finally, Ate and I were asked to exit or rather to enter through a pink door...
...WHERE WE MET HELLO KITTY!!!! Legit! Hahaha! Di ko ineexpect, when I saw her tumalon siya samin at yumakap, napatalon din ata ako! Haha! Sobrang bubbly niya and kikay, we even had small talk. Ang saya pala, haha!
Hello Kitty to Me: "You are sooo prrreeettyyy!" Hahaha! :D
Jeje move to take photo of the souvenir photos, hehehe. Bumili naman ako, natuwa ako kay Hello Kitty masyado, ang galing nya mag small talk hehe.
More cuteness outside:
Sige epal pa Ate, hehehe:
We spent around an hour inside the Universal Studios Store:
BECAUSE!!!
Ate pretending to own a white owl, while I got a rat ala Weasley.
Wands, uniforms, scarves... Everything I need to enter Hogwarts! :) They are super expensive though, so pretend pretend nalang, hehehe. A robe costs 13,500 Yen or 4,995 Pesos. :p
Wands of the main Harry Potter characters:
Cool show: Woody Woodpecker Animation Celebration.
We were taken to a theater where Woody Woodpecker suddenly popped out of the screen and interacted with the actor (his animator). No cameras, but I saw this photo online:
Had lunch afterwards... I like the curry and my star-shaped rice.
We lined up for the Amazing Adventures Of Spiderman ride, an indoor 4D roller coaster. It's ala Disneyland's Space Mountain.
When it was time to enter Harry Potter world, it started to rain. Buti nalang we brought plastic umbrellas as we coursed through the woods...
"Ron, I should tell you, most Muggles aren't accustomed to seeing a flying car!"
- Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Hogwart Express greeted us at the entrance!!!
"The Hogwarts Express is a 4-6-0 Hall Class steam locomotive model number GWR 5900. It is quite impressive."
- Hogwarts Express conductor
I want to ride this! I was super kilig imagining that I am off to Hogwarts!
We walked a little more, and saw....HOGSMEADE!
“They make a fuss about Hogsmeade, but I assure you, Harry, it's not all it's cracked up to be. All right, the sweetshop's rather good, and Zonko's Joke Shop's frankly dangerous, and yes, the Shrieking Shack is always worth a visit, but really, Harry, apart from that, you're not missing anything.”
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
We entered as much shops as we can, from Honey Dukes, Zonko's Joke Shop, Owl Post, and the Three Broomsticks:
Then we saw Sirius! It was an actual moving poster!
If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.
- Sirius Black, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Ollivanders, Tomes & Scrolls, Dervish & Banges, inside Honey Dukes:
So much Harry Potter memories came rushing back!
Bertie Botts, Skele-Gro, Chocolate Frogs, and Broom Compass:
Butterbeer!
Cute! The Quibbler!
“What exactly are you so happy about?' Harry asked her.
'Oh Harry, don't you see?' Hermione breathed. 'If she could have done one thing to make absolutely sure that every single person in this school will read your interview, it was banning it!”
Waiting for a quidditch match!
Harry was speeding toward the ground when the crowd saw him clap his hand to his mouth as though he was going to be sick-he hit the field on all fours-coughed-and something gold fell into his hand.
'I've got the snitch!' he shouted, waving it above his head, and the game ended in complete confusion.
'He didn't catch it, he nearly swalloed it,' Flint was still howling twenty minutes later, but it made no difference-Harry hadn't broken any rules and Lee Jordan was still happily shouting the results-Gryffindor had won by 170 points to 60.”
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
I can't decide which house I belong to, but for photo op's sake, Ate and I stood on opposite sides! Hehe.
"Oh, come on, Harry! It's not Quidditch that's popular, it's you! You've never been more interesting, and frankly, you've never been more fanciable!"
- Hermione Granger
Flight of Hippogriff:
“Yeh always wait fer the Hippogriff ter make the first move,' Hagrid continued. 'It's polite, see? Yeh walk towards him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed to touch him. If he doesn' bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt.”
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
And of course, Hogwarts!!!
Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus
(never tickle a sleeping dragon)
It is so majestic in real life. I was super na-starstruck just standing in front of it!
On the Saturday morning of the Hogsmeade trip, Harry bid good-bye to Ron and Hermione, who were wrapped in cloaks and scarves, then turned up the marble staircase alone, and headed back toward Gryffindor Tower.
Snow had started to fall outside the windows, and the castle was very still and quiet.
- Prisoner of Azkaban
“Aren't you two ever going to read Hogwarts, A History?"
"What's the point?" said Ron. "You know it by heart, we can just ask you.”
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Imagining that I am about to meet my friends: Harry, Ron, and Hermione. :)
Sayang we weren't able to witness the street entertainment, plus that day the lines for the rides were all suuuper long it will take around 5 hours of waiting. I also kind of expected the Harry Potter theme song playing throughout the tour to set the mood, or wizards walking around Hogsmeade in their cloaks, or even an actual quidditch match! The place though is so beautiful, so sulit nadin talaga. Much like settling for movie adaptations after reading and enjoying the books. Hindi na masama. :)
And with that, I'd say, Hogwarts...I will be back!
And with that, I'd say, Hogwarts...I will be back!
“Whether you come back by page or by the big screen,
Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.”
8 Comments
Nice one! Cannot wait to Japan! Parang mas maganda yung HP studio dyan kesa sa Leavesden! Haha ;)
ReplyDeleteYEY RUTH! :) Thanks for reading! :) <3 I want to go din sa HP in Leavesden and yung sa States! :D
ReplyDeletehi, ana! did you go on a weekday? or weekend? TIA! =)
ReplyDeleteHi! :) We went on a weekday! :)
DeleteHello, I read your blogs like every week. Your story-telling style is witty, keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteAlso visit my blog
Thank you! :) <3 Means a lot!
DeleteHello Anagon! :) How did you get the Harry Potter pass? Do you have to pay for it or it's included already? :D Thank you for answering :D
ReplyDeleteHi Zel! :) The payment for the pass for Harry Potter is already included in Universal ticket... But you will still get a physical ticket when you get in, it's in a vendo machine near the entrance for HP. You can find this on the map, or just ask around to be sure! Enjoy! :D
DeleteYour turn! Always excited to read your comments! :)