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.
We went to USJ a little 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 (x .37 to convert to Peso):
USJ is HUGE, but we only have ONE agenda in mind.
Okay, so the Harry Potter entrance fee is already included in your USJ ticket. When you enter the venue, immediately look for the Timed Entry Ticketing Area to get your slot. DO NOT LOSE your ticket from the USJ entrance, you will need this to secure your Harry Potter time slot via the vendo machines. Ate lost hers because we were running, and had to go back to the entrance and beg for a new ticket. Also, there were lines to the vendo machine, but this is Japan so everything's fast and organized.
We got the 4pm slot na, so we had time to waste. We were so stressed from Ate's lost ticket, so we decided to relax and enter a random attraction na walang pila.
...It was a Hello Kitty attraction! Haha. We were greeted by this cute girl who first asked us for our names and preferred language. She also told us na we were already in the VIP list of Hello Kitty. 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.
Ok, so we pretended to be big Kitty fans and took pictures of the "Ribbon Collection", while muttering "pambata pala" the whole time, haha.
We ended up taking so much time in this room, ang haba ng pila! Gusto ko na bumalik at umexit, and apologized to Ate at nawaste time namin sa ribbon museum, hehe.
And then finally, Ate and I were asked to exit or rather to enter through a pink door...
...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 preeettyyy!" 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:
Sige epal pa Ate, hehehe:
Spent around an hour inside this 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 be all set for Hogwarts! :) They are expensive though, so pretend pretend lang yan 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.
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
"The Hogwarts Express is a 4-6-0 Hall Class steam locomotive model number GWR 5900. It is quite impressive."
- Hogwarts Express conductor
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
Honey Dukes, Zonko's Joke Shop, Owl Post, and Three Broomsticks:
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 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!”
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
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
"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)
(never tickle a sleeping dragon)
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.”
"What's the point?" said Ron. "You know it by heart, we can just ask you.”
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Sayang we weren't able to witness street entertainments, 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 played all 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. :)
“Whether you come back by page or by the big screen,
Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.”
- JK Rowling