This is my 3rd Universal Studios experience and man, this reminds me of my childhood.
Well, if you are planning on going to Universal Studios Japan (or anywhere for that matter) YES!!!! You should HIGHLY purchase the Express pass! It's insane the amount of waiting time you need on rides and if you are already planning on going- it's wise to spend abit more to save up those precious time.
We bought the entry ticket and Universal Express Pass 4 which means we get to ride on 4 different attractions* (pre-selected) when we purchased the ticket.
** you only get to ride once mmkay?!
Harry Potter (even if you are not going for the ride) is also something you need to book in advance (when you purchase the ticket or when you are inside USJ- there's a reservation area) for time slots that you are able to enter.
Yes, there's a whole section like a forest walk in to the whole Harry Potter area and you can only enter if you make reservations.
Example: If your time slot is 10am, you need to be there 9:45am so that you don't miss your entrance time and once you are inside, you can spend as long as you like but once you come out, you can't go back in.
Time is indeed money and if I could do it all over, I would have gotten the Universal Express Pass 7 to enjoy more of the main rides as we had to pass on some cool rides because the waiting time was 3 hours minimum!
In there, time really flies and you'll catch yourself smiling more than you often would!
Try to go as early as you possible can, be prepared for the crowd and don't bother bringing your DSLR cameras if you are going for the rides and also, keep the shopping for the end of the day- as you wouldn't want to lug all your buys around.^^
