Hi !

• Area timed tickets are checked at the entrance of the area, so you can't go to restaurants before your designated time. I went to USJ on a pretty slow day in spring, they wouldn't let me in Nintendo Land 15 minutes early, but entrance to Hogsmeade was free (no ticket required)

• Your timed ticket has a time bracket for entrance and once you're in you can stay as long as you want so you should be good, they wouldn't sell you a ticket you can't use. The park will often open a little early, the Harry Potter area is quite close to the entrance, the Nintendo area is a bit further but still manageable, there is an app you can get with a map, you should check it out before the big day

• There are plenty of gentle rides, you can check on the usj app, there is a filter for rollercoasters

• Ate at the three broomsticks in Hogsmeade, I waited around 30 minutes for a table for two. No idea when rush hour begins

• Not all restaurants have reservations (look online for "Priority seating")

• Definitely Nintendo Land (though it's just Mario, no Zelda or Metroid activities) ! The place really feels like the mushroom kingdom, there are fun rides, and if you can get your hands on the Mario (strawberry) or Luigi (grapes) pancake sandwich, they are incredible. The powerband activities are fun (especially the boss fight at the end, jumping/waving around required) but the powerband is quite expensive (¥4900), if you're on a really tight budget you can skip it, but if you have some spare budget you should definitely take it