Are planning to take your toddler to the universal studio just by yourself? I suggest you not to do it. I went to the universal studio in Osaka with my 4 years old son. I have been Harry Potter fan for a long time, so when I get a chance to go to Osaka, I knew I have to go to Universal Studio. The two of us take the train to go there at 08.30 am. I wanted to be there early so that there will be less crowd to start with and to be able to rent a stroller there. The train ride took about 45 minutes. There are already a lot of people queuing in front of the gate, but since I already buy the tickets online, I can get in faster. Then I went to pick up the stroller for my son.
Since it is already near lunchtime, I go straight to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and grab anything available there. I was so excited when I enter the Hogsmeade Village, it is like a dream come true. I had lunch in Three Broomstick, I order mac and cheese for my son and I choose fish and chips for myself. And you must try the butterbeer, the famous drink in the Harry Potter movie. It tastes sweet and non-alcohol, kids can drink it too. But my son does not really like it.
That day was not my lucky day. Rain starts to pour in while I am eating lunch. I have not even taken pictures of the glorious Hogwarts castle yet. But I am still hopeful, by the time I finish lunch the rain will subside. I went to the olivander to see the wizards wand. Next is the Hogwarts Castle, I took pictures and admire the castle. I wanted to try the other Harry Potter attractions, but the queue was too long and my son started to get sleepy. I let him sleep in the stroller. This far I only tried 1 attraction from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the time already 1 pm. I took more picture as I go.
Can you see the wet ground and the people carrying umbrellas?
I push the stroller to the next attraction, the minion park. It was pretty far from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. As I left the Harry Potter area, the rain starts to pour again so I have to rush off to the nearest place to take shelter from the rain. I had to purchase a raincoat to give extra cover for the stroller so my son would not get wet. Sadly the raincoat was not cheap, LOL.
The rain stopped for a bit, so I pushed the stroller faster to get to the minion park. The minion park is so cheerful with the yellow theme color. There is a lot of cute photo spots in the minion park. My son loves the minion park.
I tried the minion cake. The cake is big and so cute. The minion cake is like sandwich cookies with thick ice cream in the middle. There is also minion popcorn, you can purchase a unique popcorn bucket in minion design. I did not buy it, it is just too bulky and inconvenient. Bulky but still adorable. I wanted to go to the minion attraction, again there is a long queue and my son is not corporative enough to go there. So, another attraction pass, literally pass. Just when I started to enjoy walking around the universal studio, the rain strikes back. The rain truly ruins everything, my plan, my mood, and the overall ambiance.
I push the stroller with my son crying inside it. Half wet, I stopped by a café. I already tired of avoiding the rain, so I decided to wait for the rain while having dessert with my son. Even though my stomach still full from lunch, I still order food anyway. I Just want to chill and wait for the rain to stop. I have no other choice. My energy level was so low. I have not even explored universal studio properly since the rain keeps bugging my plan.
The problem is the exit door is still so far away, my feet were so worn-out. It is not easy pushing stroller by myself in such a huge place like that. I stay at the cafe (I forget the name) for about an hour. Then I saw the rain got better, so I started to move.
The rain did not stop and worse, the rain gets heavier. I actually want to see more in Universal Studio, but a bit impossible with the horrible weather. Previously, I want to stay until 7 pm, because I wanted to see the night show. Nope, plan changed. Mommy cannot function well, LOL. I went back around 4 pm instead. Even when I get out of Universal studio, and walking to the train station, me and my son was soaking wet. Before I get on the train, I change his clothes. I do not want him to get sick. me? no, I did not bring spare clothes. it does not matter, as long as my son is in nice and warm clothes. I check on my step count app on my phone, I was walking around 16.500 steps that day. no wonder my feet are sore.
The moral of the story:
- Check the weather before you go.
- Universal Studio Japan is awesome and would be perfect if there is no rain.
- Going to Universal Studio Japan just with 4 years old child is not recommended, especially kids that still need a nap.
- Purchase tickets online to avoid queuing in the entrance
- If you do go along with a toddler, buy the fast track tickets. I did not and if only I did, it would be a huge advantage.
- If you want to rent a stroller, come earlier around 09.30
- Butterbeer and minion cake is a must try
- To Harry Potter fan, bring more money to buy merchandise because it is pretty expensive.
- Always bring spare clothes for your kids
- Wear comfy shoes, you may not stop walking or standing for the whole day.
Did I regret going to Universal Studio Japan? No, I did not regret it. But, the next time I come here with my son, he will have to be at least 7 years old to be able to enjoy the whole thing with me.
ND PASSION 
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