Enjoy an unforgettable night of horror and delight at Universal Studios Japan™ Universal Surprise Halloween™, Japan’s much-awaited premier event. From thrilling daytime attractions to hair-raising night attractions, be sure to catch it this September 7 to November 4, 2018.
Read our ultimate guide to experience the best of Universal Studios Japan™cinematic horror worlds, including The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™, Minion Park™, and the return of ‘cult-favorite’, Cult of Chucky™!
All events will be at Universal Studios Japan™. For detailed updates on the park’s operating hours and show schedules, go here to check their schedule ahead of time.
Daytime Events
Festa de Parade™
- Dates: September 7 (Friday) to November 4 (Sunday)
- Show Time: 2:30pm, but may be subject to change. Please check the show schedule in advance.
The Festa de Parade™ brings you all your favorite characters to life. Catch the Minions, Snoopy and the Sesame Street Family along with a wide array of performers in glamorous costumes on magnificent floats. Come early and stay in the Front Area, and get the chance be part of the parade as you dance along with the entertainers! Let loose and get a little crazy with all your cartoon favorites!
Notes:
- Water and bubbles will be used during the parade, so pathways may become wet and slippery.
Character Greetings™
- Dates: September 7 (Friday) to November 4 (Sunday)
Watch out for your favorite banana-loving yellow creatures, dressed in Spooky-N-Cute™ costumes! Take the kids to see the mischievous minions right away the entrance of Minion Park™.
To meet characters from your childhood like Hello Kitty, Elmo, and Snoopy, head to Universal Wonderland™ instead. Don’t miss the special nighttime illuminations and Halloween scenes all over the walls!
Notes
- Check the map to know where the greeting sessions will be held
Happy Trick or Treat™
- Dates: September 7 (Friday) to November 4 (Sunday)
- Time: 10:00am to 5:00pm
- Age: For children of elementary school age, or younger
This season, the magic words are “Trick or Treat!” The Happy Trick or Treat™ event is a big candy festival kids are sure to enjoy. It starts off with a colorful parade where you can see the Minions, Hello Kitty, and the Sesame Street gang on sing and dance, before bringing out a huge mountain of candy.
Then, with their pumpkin-shaped backpacks, kids can roam around the park and looking for crew members with their own pumpkin bags and ask for special treats. Just say “Trick or Treat!” and the Universal Studios Japan™ staff members will fill your pumpkins with all sorts of delicious sweets!
Notes
- Each child can join Happy Trick or Treat once per day, and needs to register before joining the event. The Front Desk will close once maximum capacity is reached.
- After registration, each child will be given their own pumpkin-shaped bag
| Event | Time | Content |
| Halloween Parade | 2:30pm | See your favorite characters in colorful costumes and fun floats |
| Candy Festival | 10:00am – 1:00pm | Grab candy from the parade floats |
| Trick or Treat in the whole park | 10:00am – 5:00pm | Kids can collect candy from the crew with their pumpkin-shaped backpacks! |
Universal Surprise Halloween™
Universal Surprise Halloween™is Universal Studios Japan™ highlight event. This year, it is split into 3 types of events with their own rules, tricks, and scary surprises! Horror levels range from 1 to 5, with 5 being the most terrifying.
First up is Otona Halloween™ (meaning for adults), which showcase beautifully dark aesthetics and dramatic theater-themed attractions with a mature vibe. Think vampires, ghost pirates, and otherworldly beings in horrifying set-ups, like the all-new Hotel Albert™.
The second type is Screaming Halloween™, where you will be chased by mobs of zombies and join in mission type situations. Lastly, Kowa Kowa Halloween™ brings the lighter side of Halloween, with its kid-friendly attractions: Festa de Parade™, Happy Trick or Treat™, and Halloween Lights™.
For more details, you can check out their official website.
Ready to face all the park terrors without wasting time in line? Purchase the Universal Studios Japan™: Halloween Express Pass. This is an add-on pass to your regular Universal Studios Japan™ ticket that gives you fast track access to ALL of the events and attractions. Be sure to catch this year’s highlights!
Purchase your Universal Studios Japan™ Entry Ticket and Halloween Express Pass™ from KKday!
The Survival: Deadman’s Forest 2™
Make your way through this thrilling, outdoor forest maze where booby traps lurk on every corner, while outrunning a horde of angry zombies. Complete the tasks or risk forever becoming part of Deadman’s Forest.
Outdoor | Horror Level 4
- Time: 10:00am to Closing Time
- Age Limit: 12 years old and above
- Notes: Advisable to bring rain gear
Cult of Chucky: Chucky’s Hospital Ward of Madness™
There’s no time for child’s play at the Ward of Madness. You won’t be feeling any better after this trip to the doctor. Chucky is back with a vengeance, ready to slice his patients wide open!
Indoor | Horror Level 5
- Time: 10:00am to Closing Time
- Age Limit: 12 years old and above
Hotel Albert™
There’s more than meets the eye to this Insta-worthy gothic theater attraction. Revel in the drama and the spectacle of hotel’s murder mystery and old-fashioned glamour. As a guest, you are required to interact with the impeccably-dressed characters! Watch grisly events first-hand, take note of all the details, and witness the heart-wrenching tale behind this multi-sensory experience.
Indoor | Horror Level dependent on conditions
- Time: 12:00pm to Closing Time
- Age Limit: 15 years old and above
Silence in the Ghost Ship™
Shhh. Make a noise and you’ll attract the ghosts that lurk within! Cover your ears, muffle your screams, and hold back your tears. Survive the mission (get out ASAP) and bear the emotional weight of this terrifying experience in this intricately-designed pirate ship.
Indoor | Horror Level 4
- Time: 12:00pm to Closing Time
- Age Limit: 12 years old and above
Insidious: The Last Key™
This horror maze is inspired by the finale of the hit horror film series, released earlier this year. Prepare for jump scares galore, various twists and turns as you try to investigate a demonic being from Elise’s childhood.
Indoor | Horror Level 5
- Time: 12:00pm to Closing Time
- Age Limit: 12 years old and above
Blood Legend™
Prepare for this 4-D cinematic experience as you enter a legendary vampire’s lair. Feel the hairs on your body stand up as you hear the blood-curling screams of desperate victims trying to escape.
Indoor | Horror Level 3
- Time: 12:00pm to Closing Time
- Age Limit: Children must be accompanied by adults
SADAKO™
Who could forget Japan’s most iconic horror movie character? Get chills as the creepy Sadako from “The Ring” approaches you slowly from her well. Eventually, you too will be cursed.
Indoor | Horror Level 3
- Time: 12:00pm to Closing Time
- Age Limit:12 years old and above
Street Zombies™ & Zombie de Dance™
Get ready for the scariest outbreak ever as hordes of all kinds of undead flock to the streets of Universal Studios Japan™ for a night of terror. But once the music starts to play, these zombies drop everything and start to dance. Have fun in the Thriller-like dance with various flavors of zombie, from clowns to gorillas!
Outdoor | Horror Level 2
- Time: 12:00pm to Closing Time
- Age Limit: Children below 12 years old must be accompanied by an adult
| Event | Time | Horror Level | Notice |
| The Survival: Deadman’s Forest 2™ | Maze
From 10:00 am~ |
4 | Extra Tickets Not Required
|
| Cult of Chucky: Chucky’s Hospital Ward of Madness™ | Maze
From 10:00 am~ |
5 | Extra Tickets Not Required
|
| Hotel Albert™ | Full Experience
From 12:00 pm~ |
Dependent on conditions | Requires Specific Entry Ticket
OR Full Enjoyment Halloween (Otona) Set
|
| Silence in the Ghost Ship™ | Maze
From 12:00 pm~ |
4 | Requires Specific Entry Ticket
OR Halloween Horror Night (Zekkyo) Set
|
| Insidious: The Last Key™ | Maze
From 12:00 pm~ |
5 | Requires Specific Entry Ticket
OR Halloween Horror Night (Zekkyo) Set |
| Street Zombies™ and Zombie de Dance™ | Show
From 6:00 pm~ |
1~2 | Extra Tickets Not Required |
KKday Recommends: What to Eat at Universal Studios Japan™
Snacks: Universal Studios Japan™ Sweet Buns
Sweet steamed buns are always a treat, but they’re made even more fun at Universal Studios Japan™! Bite into this park favorite and try the yellow, curry-flavored Minion buns, red, tomato-flavored Hello Kitty Buns, and other fun variations!
- Location: Halloween Happiness Market
- Cost: ¥690 per bun
Lunch Options
Refill after all those thrilling rides at the Studio Stars Restaurant. This season, be sure to try a big, fat, juicy burger paired with sunny side-up eggs and a secret restaurant sauce. Top the meal with an adorable, Minion-style dessert!
- Location: Studio Star Restaurant, Hollywood District
- Cost: ¥2,190 per meal
Dinner: Roasted Pork Ribs Platter and Butterbeer
Cozy up with a hearty dinner of tender and juicy roasted barbecue ribs, grilled chicken wings, and delicious pumpkin pie. And don’t miss out on the famous Butterbeer drink!
Sip on this sweet drink as you admire the magnificent Hogwarts castle and its dazzling reflection in the lake below. Don’t pass up on this great photo opportunity!
- Location: Three Broomsticks, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™
- Cost: ¥1,950 ¥/ per set
Halloween Exclusive Merchandise
Limited Edition Minion Popcorn Buckets
One of our favorite theme park snacks is popcorn and this year, you get to collect these limited edition Minion popcorn buckets! Bring your friends and family and get one each to complete the collection, and be sure to try out the special banana flavored popcorn!
- Location: Sweet Surrender, Minion Park™
- Cost: ¥2,980 per piece
Halloween Monster Market™
Celebrate this family-friendly festival with souvenirs to remember this great trip and head to Universal Studios Japan™Halloween Monster Market™! With all sorts of Halloween-themed merchandise like costumes, ghost dolls, scary toys, and sweet treats, there’s something for everyone!
Minion Park™
Ba-ba-ba…BANANA! Step into Minion Madness and see all sorts of quirky parlor games where you can win prizes, small Minion decorations, giant Minions standing by doorways, and every kind of Minion-themed souvenir imaginable.
Be sure to ride Minion Mayhem, a crazy thrill ride designed after Gru’s house that will take you into Minion World! And if you get hungry? Try the park’s signature Minion Taro cookies!
- Cost: ¥600 per cookie
Universal Spectacle Night Parade™
Dates: May 17 ~ December 31, 2018
Relive iconic movie moments and immerse yourself as this outdoor light show brings you to the magical worlds of Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, Transformers, and Despicable Me.
Look out for Dementors taking over the sky and intense Quidditch matches. Witness a massive battle between Bumblebee and Megatron, with Autobot leader Optimus Prime undergoing a magnificent transformation.
Enter a jungle surrounded by majestic dinosaurs and feel your heart pounding as you run away from the carnivorous T. Rex. Finally, laugh and dance the night away! Have a blast in this zany dance party with the hilarious Minions and their friends: Margo, Agnes, and Meredith.
