What you’ll learn in this article
- USJ crowd forecast for October 2026, including extremely crowded days and better days to visit
- Estimated opening times
- Efficient touring tips and recommended restaurants even on crowded days
Halloween events and Horror Nights are underway! This is the most crowded month of the year.
Try to visit on a day when the crowds are at least a little lighter.
USJ Crowd Forecast for October 2026
Even on weekdays, visitor numbers rise in the evening as students finish school and people arrive after work.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights in the second half of October are expected to be extremely crowded.
For visits from September 1 onward, ticket prices now rise on dates with strong sales. Buying earlier can be less expensive.
| Visit date | Crowd level forecast |
Park hours |
Opening forecast |
Adult price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 1 (Thu) |
Moderate | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥10,900 |
| Oct. 2 (Fri) |
Crowd level | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥10,900 |
| Oct. 3 (Sat) |
Crowd level | 8:30-21:30 | 7:45-8:00 | ¥10,900 |
| Oct. 4 (Sun) |
Crowd level | 9:00-21:30 | 8:00-8:30 | ¥9,900 |
| Oct. 5 (Mon) |
Moderate | 8:30-21:30 | 7:45-8:00 | ¥9,900 |
| Oct. 6 (Tue) |
Moderate | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥9,900 |
| Oct. 7 (Wed) |
Moderate | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥9,900 |
| Oct. 8 (Thu) |
Moderate | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥10,900 |
| Oct. 9 (Fri) |
Crowd level | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥11,900 |
| Oct. 10 (Sat) |
Very crowded | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥11,900 |
| Oct. 11 (Sun) |
Very crowded | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥11,900 |
| Oct. 12 (Mon) |
Crowd level | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥10,900 |
| Oct. 13 (Tue) |
Moderate | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥11,900 |
| Oct. 14 (Wed) |
Moderate | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥10,900 |
| Oct. 15 (Thu) |
Moderate | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥10,900 |
| Oct. 16 (Fri) |
Crowd level | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥11,900 |
| Oct. 17 (Sat) |
Very crowded | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥10,900 |
| Oct. 18 (Sun) |
Very crowded | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥10,900 |
| Oct. 19 (Mon) |
Crowd level | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥10,900 |
| Oct. 20 (Tue) |
Moderate | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥9,900 |
| Oct. 21 (Wed) |
Moderate | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥9,900 |
| Oct. 22 (Thu) |
Moderate | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥9,900 |
| Oct. 23 (Fri) |
Crowd level | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥10,900 |
| Oct. 24 (Sat) |
Very crowded | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥11,900 |
| Oct. 25 (Sun) |
Very crowded | 8:30-21:30 | 7:45-8:00 | ¥11,900 |
| Oct. 26 (Mon) |
Crowd level | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥10,900 |
| Oct. 27 (Tue) |
Moderate | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥9,900 |
| Oct. 28 (Wed) |
Moderate | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥9,900 |
| Oct. 29 (Thu) |
Crowd level | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥9,900 |
| Oct. 30 (Fri) |
Very crowded | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥10,900 |
| Oct. 31 (Sat) |
Extremely crowded | 8:00-22:00 | 7:15-7:30 | ¥11,900 |
Annual Pass blackout dates
October 3–5, 10–12, 17–19, 23–26, and 30–31
*Please note that some Mondays and Fridays are also blackout dates.
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Recent crowd conditions
Even on crowded days, it has been less busy than last year.
Some guests may also be holding off on visiting ahead of the Pokémon area opening.
Construction is underway in many parts of USJ’s New York Area, and there are fewer street shows, which may also be contributing factors.
USJ’s new area, Donkey Kong Country opened in 2024.
Many guests arrive early in the morning specifically for Donkey Kong.
USJ Wait Times by Crowd Level
USJ crowd levels are shown on a six-level scale.
Popular staples such as The Flying Dinosaur, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, and Hollywood Dream can have waits of 30 minutes or less during quieter periods, but lines can reach around three hours at busy times.
We use the following guidelines for our crowd forecasts.
Typical daytime wait times by USJ crowd level
- Very empty: Many attractions have 5–20 minute waits, with few people in the park.
- Light: Many waits are 20–50 minutes.
- Moderate: Many waits are 40–80 minutes. There are a lot of people, and restaurants have lines.
- Crowded: Popular attractions often have waits of 100 minutes or more. Expect lines for restaurants and restrooms.
- Very crowded: Popular attractions often have 2–3 hour waits. Crowds can make walking difficult, and restaurant and restroom lines are long.
- Extremely crowded: Crowds can make it difficult to walk, and many attractions have waits of two hours or more.
However, Mine-Cart Madness in Donkey Kong Country can have a three-hour wait even on quieter days.
It is so popular that waits can reach four hours on crowded days.
Why are these days crowded?
We often receive questions about why dates forecast as crowded, very crowded, or extremely crowded are expected to be busy.
Here are some common reasons for heavy crowds.
Crowded days: Annual Pass blackout dates
Annual Pass blackout dates can be crowded.
Because annual passes without blackout dates are expensive, more middle school, high school, and university students have the Annual Pass Light.
As a result, the day before, the day after, and two days after an Annual Pass Light blackout date tend to be crowded.
However, admission prices on blackout dates have recently been high, so the blackout date itself can sometimes be less crowded.
• A date when holders of the Standard Annual Pass, one of the two annual pass types, cannot enter
• Dates expected to be crowded are designated as blackout dates
Crowded days: Substitute school holidays
Elementary school sports days and class observation days are often held on Saturdays, making Monday a substitute holiday.
Many families from Osaka, Hyogo, and Kyoto visit on these Monday substitute holidays.
Crowded days: Spring and winter breaks
During spring break, many recent graduates visit for graduation trips, along with many families.
Winter break also brings many visitors.
*During summer break, the intense heat and the availability of events outside USJ mean there are many days that do not become extremely crowded.
Which is busier, Saturday or Sunday?
Crowd levels do not differ much between Saturdays and Sundays.
If anything, Sundays usually have more visitors. However, June, September, and October are seasons for school sports days, athletic festivals, and class observations, so during those periods Saturdays are more crowded. (because Sunday attendance drops).
During Halloween season, the park closes late, but many people are likely to leave before 7:00 p.m. on Sundays.
On Saturdays during Halloween season, some days run until 10:00 p.m., so crowds increase after 3:00 p.m. as guests arrive to enjoy the evening.
Sundays are busy in the morning but should begin to ease after 6:30 p.m.
During the Christmas season, closing time is around 9:00 p.m., so a later time, when the Christmas tree area becomes less crowded, is recommended.
Which weekdays are less crowded?
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are less crowded than other days of the week.
Mondays can be more crowded than weekends when they are substitute holidays following elementary or middle school events held one or two days earlier.
Fridays are crowded because more travelers arrive from farther away.
During Halloween season, Fridays become very crowded from the evening.
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About USJ opening times
USJ opens about 5 to 90 minutes earlier than the time announced on the official website on almost every day.
The final opening time may sometimes be moved earlier at short notice depending on morning crowds. However, because Early Park In guests were previously informed of early opening times three days in advance and crew members need advance notice if their shifts are moved earlier, the decision appears to be based on factors such as the number of guests staying at USJ official hotels, USJ tickets sales (on-hand bookings and booking curves), and the weather forecast to estimate crowd levels and set the opening time.
*Early Park In has ended.
If the forecast changes from sunny to rainy only a few days before a date expected to be crowded, the park may still open early even if the morning is very quiet.
This can make it difficult for first-time visitors to know the actual opening time.
Please use this site’s forecast information as a reference.
Attractions with shorter waits on crowded days
Which weekdays are less crowded?
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