FUJI Q-HIGHLAND – Our Family’s Experience (Including Ticket Purchase)

Are you trying to decide if Fuji-Q Highland is worth a spot in your Japan itinerary?

Do you love epic rollercoasters?

Do you despise crazy crowds?

Do you think views of Mt. Fuji are dreamy?

If you answered yes to any (or all) of those questions, Fuji-Q Highland theme park may be a chef’s-kiss for your group!

We’re a Japan-loving family and we’ve been to DisneySea (twice) and Universal Studios Japan, along with smaller theme parks like Joypolis in Tokyo, This past trip to Japan, my boys and I finally made the decision to visit Fuji-Q Highland, home to Japan’s most epic rollercoasters!

Our Visit: We visited as a group of four – my sons (ages 8 and 11), my mother, and myself. We spent a full day at Fuji-Q in early April. I’ll add more about our visit later on in this post.

We made the plans before we arrived (vs last-minute), and I (mamma) got really nerdy about researching the ticket options, so I’m going to lay it all out for you so you don’t have to waste any time.

Let’s go over:

• When to Visit Fuji-Q Highland
• How to buy tickets for Fuji Q Highland
• What to do before you go to the park
• Our day at Fuji-Q Highland
• Rides we loved most at Fuji-Q
• Tips for your visit (based on our experience and my chats with staff at Fuji-Q)
• Where to stay near the park
• Transport to Fuji Q Highland
• Our favorite memories from our day at Fuji-Q

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When to Visit Fuji-Q Highland

We visited in early April on a week day and found the park to be pleasantly free of large crowds. It did get a little busier in the afternoon (there’s an afternoon entry pass), but didn’t feel anything close to Disney parks or USJ.

I asked multiple staff members and the ticket sales people about crowds based on what they see. The general consensus is:

July through September – the most crowded period
November through December; January after the holidays – the fewest crowds

Good To Know: Outdoor rides and activities close with heavy rain, winds, extreme cold temperatures, or snowfall. Keep this in mind when buying tickets.

Tip: If you’re visiting during a crowded time, think about staying for 1.5 or 2 days.

Buying Tickets for Fuji-Q Highland – Solving the Mystery

Buying tickets for Fuji-Q is actually quite confusing. So much so that I wrote a Guide to Buying Tickets for Fuji-Q Highland. It’s a step-by-step guide and I explain the different ticket types. I hope it helps you buy your tickets / passes.

Tip: The Priority Passes are worth it. You have a 30 minute window to enter the ride and you go to front of scan line and then to very front of line. We would buy these again for the big coasters. 

What to Do Before Your Visit to Fuji-Q

Get your phone and tickets ready. You’ll need to show the Fuji-Q app your phone when you enter the park and when you go on the rides – whether you’ve got a One-Day Pass or are using a Priority Pass for the particular ride. If you’ve purchased passes with Facial Recognition (vs QR code), you’ll want to take the photos and upload them to the Fuji-Q app before you go to the park. Keep in mind this can take awhile if you’re a group of people. I took our photos and uploaded them while on the train from Tokyo.

Have an internet connection. Don’t count on Wi-Fi. You can register for the Fuji-Q Wi-Fi, but you only have access for one hour at a time. I found I was using my ESIM data often as my facial recognition photo didn’t work every time, so I had to log in and show the QR code in the app. Make sure you have your username and password stored in the app so you don’t have to re-enter it every time.

Need data for your phone? Check out Airalo vs Ubigi for Japan ESIM

Make a general plan. This is easier if everyone in your group has similar interests. This was the case on our trip, as we all were interested in the big rollercoasters, seeing the Naruto area, and trying out some of the other rides (like Attack on Titan). If you have smaller kids, one adult can head off to the Thomas the Train Land or the new Sanrio San-X Paradise. Our focus for the day was rollercoasters, but that’s not all we did. Here’s a video we took of Eejanaika, an epic rollercoaster:

Double-check times. This applies to the opening/closing times of the park, as well as for individual attractions. For example, we wanted to do the Impossible Games, but I didn’t realize it closed at 16:30 (even though the park closed later).

Don’t bring anything extra on your body. If you’re going on rollercoasters, you’ll be asked to remove jewelry (watches, necklaces, etc), things from your pockets, hats, etc. You put it in a small locker at the ride. You risk losing small items while emptying pockets and putting things in lockers. It’s easier just to come to the park as ‘bare’ as you can.

How Our Day Went at Fuji-Q Highland

8:55 – Walked over from our hotel (5-minute walk). There were no lines to enter.

9:03 – Got in line for the Eejanaika rollercoaster. Completed the security part at 9:21. Another 10 min before we got on ride. Special Touch: The spot you stand in after you’ve removed your shoes and are waiting to get on the ride has foot warming pads.

10:45 – Nagashimasuka water ride with cats. You will get wet on this ride, but you can buy a ticket (200JPY) in line to redeem for a poncho at the front of the line. Or use the body dryers for 500JPY.

11:27 – Fujiyama rollercoaster. We had the Priority Pass and waited about 5 minutes to board the ride. 

12:00 – Zokkon motorcycle rollercoaster. We entered without a pass, went through security at 12:22, and we were off the ride at 12:37. 

12:40 – Lunch in the food area. Order at machines and pay first. We ordered at 12:50 and it was cashless payment only. There are food booths set up with a variety of foods for sale like curry, fried fish and fries, burgers, and noodles. To give you an idea of prices, a kids burger meal was 1100JPY, and adult burger meals 1800-2000ish JPY. We found the food choices to be fairly heavy, fried, and sweet.

13:36 – Haunted Labyrinth. We had a Timed Entry Ticket, and we ended up waiting for about 10 minutes. We were all excited about this attraction, but we all quit! My 8-year-old left (with my mom) after the second video room (it was really gory and scary). My 11-year-old and I wanted to keep going but we both freaked out (actually, we were terrified) and we left at the first exit. I’m so thankful he wanted to leave.  I wouldn’t try it again on a future visit.

14:25 – Attack on Titan. It was closed for maintenance. 

14:35 – Tentekomai spinning airplanes. We were off the ride by 15:10. We had trouble spinning the airplanes upside down but it was still nice to just see Mt. Fuji and park views. 

15:15 – Attack on Titan. This time we walked right in because it had just reopened after the maintenance pause. We didn’t get on the ride until 16:08, but we all agreed it was very cool! At 16:26, we finished the ride.

16:38 – Dippin dots snack break. 

16:50 – Naruto area. We played a shooting game (like the Toy Story game at Disney California Adventure). We were able to walk right on to the ride without a wait. My boys loved the gift shop at end of ride. 

17:00 – Walked to Impossible Games but realized it closed at 16:30. 

17:05 – We decided to head out after a great day at the park!

Fuji-Q’s Must-Do Rides (in Our Humble Opinion…)

The Big Rollercoasters:

• Eejanaika
• Zokkon
• Fujiyama
• Takabisha – closed on our visit

Other Rides We Enjoyed:

• Attack on Titan – immersive movie experience about an Attack on Titan battle
• Tentekomai – spinning airplanes
• Naruto – 3D shooting ride

The Haunted Hospital: Do this if (and only if) you love horror and scary stuff. I thought I would enjoy it, but I was just as terrified as my son. I realize now I may not be so tough (as I imagined I was) if we ever have a zombie apocalypse.

Next Time We’d Like To Try:

• Tondemina – pendulum
• Takabisha – roller coaster
• The high swings
• The Red Tower – quick drop
• Impossible Games
• Naruto VR

Our Family’s Fuji-Q Highland Tips

Eating at Fuji-Q – We had breakfast at our hotel. As I mentioned above, we found the food to be on the unhealthy side, a bit like what you might find at a state fair or festival at home. If you have nutrition concerns, pack something else if u want healthier options. There’s a grocery store about 600 meters away, and there’s also a 7-11 on the same road, about 1.2 kilometers from the Fuji-Q entrance. We went to this location a few times during our stay.

Souvenir shopping – There’s a large shop at the exit, and we spent about 40 minutes checking it out. It’s a mix of Fuji-Q and general Japan items, and we did end up buying a few things. If you’ve got a shopper in your group, be prepared!

Be patient. Sometimes the lines look short but it takes awhile to get to the front of the line and on the ride. The staff is very safety focused… which makes things take a little longer.

Check heights. Make sure your kids will be able to go on the rides you’re coming to the park for! The height restrictions are all listed on the website.

Where to Stay for a Fuji-Q Highland Visit

We hit the jackpot with our hotel, HOTEL MYSTAYS Fuji Onsen Resort. Why?:

• It’s across the street from Fuji-Q Highland and the train station. This is key because an adult can go back and rest with smaller kids if needed. Or, if it’s really hot, the entire group can go back to the hotel to relax during the hottest hours of the day.
• The breakfast buffet is plentiful
• You can stay in a room with views of Fuji-Q and Mt. Fuji
• There’s a laundry room, an onsen, and plenty of great toiletries available in the lobby
• Staff is super helpful and kind

I will definitely stay here on a future trip to Fuji-Q and the Kawaguchiko area.

HOTEL MYSTAYS Fuji Onsen Resort -> more info & rates.

Transport to Fuji-Q Highland

There are a few ways to arrive.

Bus tour from cities (like Tokyo) – You can join a tour, but know that you’ll arrive after the park opens and won’t have a full day to enjoy at the park.

Train – We took the train from Tokyo to Fuji-Q station and it took longer than expected because I got confused on the trains. In the future, we’ll use the bus for this trip. The one good thing was the train dropped us off at the Fuji-Q Highland train station, which was across the street from our hotel.

Bus – We took the bus back to Tokyo and it was a much easier and faster experience. Our hotel called us a taxi to take us to the Highway Bus pick up (here). From there, it was a direct 1.5 hour bus ride to Shinjuku Station in Tokyo. Much better than our train trip!

Our Favorite Memories from Fuji-Q Highland

8-Year-Old Son: Riding the Eejanaika rollercoaster twice

11-Year-Old Son: Riding the Zokkon rollercoaster

Mom (me): Riding the Eejanaika rollercoaster with my boys! It was epic, scary, and so memorable! I still hear the chant whenever I think about our day at Fuji-Q. Waves from (and waving back to) the staff at each ride as the ride begins.

Grandmother: Seeing Mt. Fuji all day, watching my grandsons have an amazing time on the rollercoasters