Awesome park! Just make sure to do some homework before you visit.
I made Fuji-Q Highland my first activity after landing in Japan and while I enjoyed my time there immensely, there were a few things about it that would keep me from singing its praises from the mountaintops.
The park is about a 2 to 2.5 hour bus or train ride from Tokyo. While not convenient to get to, it was at least simple to get to. Travelers can either take the JR Line or do what I did and hop on a bus from Shinjuku. I can't speak for the train (it probably at least is very nice), but the bus gives plenty of flexibility to get there, as they depart from the Shinjuku Expressway Terminal hourly. There is also a seasonal bus that goes directly from the airport on select weekends.
Compared to American theme parks, Fuji-Q is quite small, though the park offers a decent amount of scenery and venues to explore. The layout takes a little bit of time to get used to, but there are signs and pathway markers dotted around the area. Visitors will first pass through a souvenir shop featuring park merchandise and locally-made specialties (Six Flags would never sell you a bottle of red wine at the entrance), then will make their way through a main street area themed around Gaspard and Lisa and then finally arrive at the park itself, where it branches into several paths. Three of the big rides, Fujiyama, Dododonpa and Takabisha, are located pretty close to the entrance and Eejanaika is located far back. The Naruto-ville is located on the main path leading towards to Eejanaika, the Naruto is inevitable.
While perhaps the lack of crowds on the day I went played a huge part in it, the park was immaculately kept and everything was clean. The grounds were spotless and I had a pleasant time walking around. There were plenty of seats and benches around the park, and all of the amenities, including dryers and locker stations were in good condition. There was also a food hall that was very well air conditioned and also served as a preferred nap spot for park guests. The only thing that the park could have improved in this matter is if they had provided more umbrellas/tents and shaded areas. It was scorching hot when I was there and no amount of cold water could stave off the heat.
The thrill rides that were open worked well and were as comfortable as thrill rides could allow. One should take note that the coasters cycle very slowly mostly due to lengthy boarding processes. With that being said, most of that time is spent on explaining safety measures and performing safety checks, so the waits were at least reasonable. Each of the thrill rides also had lockers (that are in good condition) for park guests to stash their belongings in; Fuji-Q is strict about not having any loose articles on hand when going on thrill rides and has detectors at every ride to keep people from carrying small items aboard.
When I went to the park, two of the Big Four coasters were open, namely Takabisha and Eejanaika. Both rides were worth the time going to. Takabisha is reliable fun that will delight anybody who enjoys roller coasters in general, with its drops and inversions. The queue also moves relatively fast. Eejanaika is incredibly unique and is as what Youtubes hype it up to be and despite how crazy it is with its elements is a very smooth ride (as well, make sure to wear socks for this one as Eejanaika does not allow riders to wear shoes on the ride).
With that being said, the issue comes down to availability and thus a need to manage expectations when going. I had already expected Dododonpa to be closed for rehab, but Fujiyama was also closed for maintenance, and while the park has other attractions (for example, Cool Jappaan, a fun log flume ride), it stung that two of the major coasters were closed for the day I was there. The website does at least post ride closures, but to find out a desired ride is closed on the day a guest is going is going to be disappointing no matter what, especially when it's no small feat to visit the park. As well, the park's hours very throughout the year and can be very unforgiving. The park was open 9 AM to 5 PM when I had went, but the 5 PM time more accurately reflects when operations are cut off for the night, meaning that the last call to get in line for rides is earlier than that. For example, Eejanaika, on the day I was there, stopped accepting standbys at 3:30 PM. This ride at least had a nearby machine allowing guests to purchase priority passes (IIRC 1500 Y) to board the ride in predesignated time slots, but regardless, the strict opening hours effectively mean that the park demands a full commitment from visitors, especially when Fuji-Q is located far out in the suburbs and there aren't many attractions aside from the park itself.
As such, while I had a great time at Fuji-Q, I would say that visitors will want to make sure they really want to go. With that being said, it is a great park that has great thrill rides, provided that they are open.
FirstName-3Digits
September 25, 2023
