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Are you ready to experience the place where movie magic comes to life? Universal Studios Hollywood is located in sunny Los Angeles and offers an experience including theme and fun rides, secret behind-the-scenes, entertaining live shows and meet and greet with different characters.
Let’s find out the tips and guide for your visit to Universal Studios Hollywood in this blog:
Reaching Universal Studios Hollywood:
Universal Studio Hollywood is located at Universal City which is around 15 minutes drive from Hollywood and Los Angeles Downtown. You can choose different ways reaching to Universal Studios Hollywood:
By Car:
It’s quite convenient to reach Universal Studios Hollywood using a car and there are multiple parking slots available.
Public Transportation:
It’s also very convenient to use the Metro Red Line to Universal Studios Hollywood and from there you can take a pedestrian bridge that leads to the theme park or you can also take a shuttle bus to the theme park.
Shuttle Services:
Universal Studios Hollywood offers shuttle bus services for visitors staying at select hotels in the Los Angeles area. These shuttle buses provide convenient transportation to and from the theme park, allowing guests to avoid the hassle of driving and parking.
To use the shuttle bus service, inquire with your hotel about availability and schedule. Some hotels may offer complimentary shuttle service as part of their amenities, while others may require an additional fee.
Ride-sharing:
You can also get Uber or Lyft for getting to Universal Studios Hollywood.
Tip:
As we were coming from Los Angeles Downtown, we opted for the Uber ride which cost us around $23 one-way trip. But when we visited on the second day, we took the metro which cost us $1.75 for a single person.
Buying Tickets to Universal Studios Hollywood:
It’s highly recommended to buy the Universal Studios Hollywood online. You can select the admission ticket of your choice from their website.
You can also purchase the ticket from the booth located at the entrance of Universal Studios Hollywood but it’s time-consuming as we have to wait in line.
Different types of Tickets and which one is the best to buy:
You can choose from the following:
1-day General admission ticket - access to all activities for a day. The cost of the ticket varies but the minimum price is $109 for a day.
2-day admission ticket - You can select the first day of your visit and the second day of the visit should be within 7 days. The cost of the ticket varies but the minimum price is $159.
Universal Express Ticket - provides VIP access to all rides & attractions and a guided tour of the park along with a Special VIP Dining Experience. The cost of the ticket varies but the minimum price is $379
VIP Experience - VIP access to all rides & attractions. The cost of the ticket varies but the minimum price is $209 for a day.
Annual pass - The price and package of the annual pass depends on the nature of the pass. There are different options depending on your budget.
In our case, we opted for a 2-day admission ticket. The normal one-day pass cost us $119 whereas we paid $169 for two days and got access to the park for two days. Our first day was a weekday, so it wasn’t so crowded and we also opted for the single rider option which also allows us to save lots of time. We had to wait for one ride for over 45 minutes whereas, the other rides were very quick.
But on weekends, it was so crowded that we had to wait for each ride over 40 minutes. We believe that on a normal summer day, also the weekday will be super crowded.
It all depends on your preference but we would like to suggest you either visit the park for two days so you have enough time to enjoy or take the VIP experience pass on Saturday so that you can enjoy the ride without spending too much on waiting times.
Best Tips Before Visit Universal Studio in Hollywood Los Angeles:
Comfortable Shoes: You have to walk a lot in the Universal Studio - so wear comfortable shoes to navigate the park comfortably throughout the day.
Download the App: In order to check waiting times for rides, navigate between attractions, and view show times, it’s highly recommended to download the official Universal Studios Hollywood and it will help you plan your day efficiently and avoid long queues.
Shopping: There are different shops based on different themes at Universal Studios Hollywood which offers unique merchandise and souvenirs. If you want to grab a T-shirt of your favorite character, check out the themed shops.
Opening Hours: The park has different opening times during the day. Normally, it opens until 10 PM on weekends and closes earlier on weekdays. Check out the timing of the park on the app or the website.
Single Rider Line: If you're a single rider or comfortable riding alone or don't mind being separated from your group or partner for the ride, you can take advantage of the single rider lines but this line isn’t available for all rides. But this will reduce the wait time.
Duration of Visit: If we tell you honestly, the park isn’t super big - there’s a possibility to explore all the attractions and enjoy all the rides within one day. But in our case, we wanted to enjoy the park at our phase, so we booked a two-day ticket.
Best Days to Visit: As we visited the park one day on a weekday and another day on a weekend - on a weekday, despite the fact that the park opens at 10:00 and closes at 18:00 we managed to take all the rides as the waiting time of the rides was not that much. Whereas, on the weekend, most of the rides have a waiting time of 45 minutes to 60 minutes.
Shuttle bus: There’s a free shuttle that takes you to different parking zones, nearby hotels, and also to the metro station for public transportation. It’s a free shuttle service and normally it comes after 15 minutes but you can also check the schedule on the app.
Lockers: There’s also a possibility to rent a locker for storing personal belongings and you can enjoy the park freely. Apart from this, there are two rides for which it’s mandatory to place your belongings in the locker this is a free locker and you can lock and unlock the locker with your fingerprint so you don’t need to worry about the hassle of saving the key.
Keep in mind that locker availability may be limited during peak times, so consider renting one early in the day if needed.
Restaurants and Cafes: The restaurants are quite crowded throughout the day so it’s better to plan your meals in advance by checking out the various dining options using the Online map. You can also make a reservation for a popular restaurant. During our visit, Toadstool Cafe inside the Super Nintendo Theme was fully booked. I often observed that the Krusty Donut shop also has long queues.
Universal Studios Hollywood CityWalk:
Universal Studios Hollywood CityWalk is one of the entry points of Universal Studio and you can also walk through the CityWalk free - you don’t need a ticket.
CityWalk has different dining, shopping, and entertainment options and they also host special events like Halloween Horror Nights and Grinchmas, as well as exclusive movie screenings and celebrity appearances.
Exploring Universal Studio:
The theme park is divided into 2 parts Upper Lot and Lower Lot and each part has different zones featuring different themes based on Universal Studio movies.
Let’s explore the Upper lot first:
1. Hollywood:
As we walked through the red carpet walk and entered the gates, It gave me vibes as if I was in a Universal Movie set.
The Universal Boulevard has a very lively feel and you can walk through and enjoy window shopping.
There are also restaurants where you can enjoy the food and You can also do some shopping based on movie and character-inspired apparel, toys, souvenirs, decor, and more.
2. Production Plaza:
The Universal Studio also has a main square of Movie land. I was so amazed to find out such a catchy set that transports to New York or Paris.
You can also stroll and enjoy one of our favorite areas which depicts Paris Vibes along with the iconic Moulin Rouge windmill.
Even the cafes and restaurants give a literally feeling if you’re on a Parisian street - you can also find an artist who can also do your sketch.
There are also different characters who roam around in these streets and you can also get a chance to meet and get the photograph with them.
During our visit, we encountered the characters from Scooby-do, Adam’s family, and many more.
Attraction at Production Plaza:
a. Kung Fu Panda 3D:
You can also get the chance to enjoy a 3D Movie where you’ll be accompanying Po, Mr. Ping, and Master Shifu to deliver the liquid to the Emperor. It’s a journey taking you on roaring water with some sudden drops.
We had also experienced a similar Kung Fu Panda ride in Dreamwork in Dubai Parks.
3. Minion Land & Super Silly Fun Land:
This area of Universal Studio has a glimpse of three different themes based on famous Movies including Despicable Me and Secret of Pets.
There are also different restaurants based on Minion themes, and you can also get a chance to shop around and get your souvenirs or cool merchandise based on the Despicable Me movie at Super Silly Stuff.
The Minion Land also has Super Silly Fun Land next to Despicable Me Minion Mayhem. It’s an elaboration of the Despicable theme presenting a Minion-inspired outdoor interactive play area which is a replica of a seaside carnival from Despicable Me.
There’s a water play area for the visitors and also a zone for the kids to climb, jump, and slide like a Minions. There’s also an arcade game called ‘Super Silly Space Killer’ where Agnes won her Stuffed unicorn - the visitors also have a chance to win the unicorn.
You can also get the chance for the meet and greet with Minions and Gru and you can also take a picture with them.
Rides at Minion Land & Super Silly Fun Land:
a. The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash:
It’s a kid-friendly ride based on the theme of The Secret Life of Pets.
It’s a theme building where we walked through the different rooms depicting the scenes of Secret Life of Pets and then we reached the starting point of the ride.
We joined Max, Duke, Gidget, and Snowball and traveled through the streets of New York and reached their new home.
b. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem:
In this ride, we were recruited by Gru and went through the transformation of turning into Minions it requires training but things didn’t go as planned.
But at last, Gru and his daughters made everything right and after the ride, we also got the chance to join an interactive Minion-inspired dance party.
c. Silly Swirly:
It’s also a kids-friendly ride but there’s no harm in getting silly with silly swirly where I was steering the height.
I also enjoy the 360-degree view of Super Silly Fun Land.
4. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter:
If you are a Harry Potter fan - You shouldn’t miss any chance to visit Universal Studio and experience the Hogwarts castle.
Once you step into the Harry Potter Theme, you will literally feel that you’re in Hogwart’s world of Magic.
At the entrance, there’s a big steam engine along with different shops and stalls where you can buy your Wand.
Even the staff at Wizarding World also wear costumes like Hogwarts students. You can also get the chance to dine in at Three Broomsticks.
Attractions at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter:
a. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey:
This Ride is located in Hogwarts Castle - while we enter the Castle gates and pass by the corridors of Hogwarts School, we reach the start of the ride - it’s a thrilling ride where we join Harry Potter and his friends.
b. Flight of the Hippogriff:
Do you remember that Harry, Ron, and Hermione first learn of Hippogriffs when Hagrid introduces students to one in his first Care of Magical Creatures class?
This is a roller coaster ride that is friendly for the kids.
c. Interactive Wands:
There was an interactive wand show with a small group of people where we were shown the interactive wands which ring the bell with just a twist of the wand.
5. World Famous Studio Tour:
As we watched uncountable movies by Universal Studio, the World Famous Studio Tour took us on the tour of different locations of our favorite movies and series.
It’s a guided tour on the buggy cart, where we pass by different locations whether there are homes from series like Desperate Housewives or movies like TED.
Our guide has shown us different locations. We have also seen different location which depicts different scenes in different cities.
We have also experienced how rain scenes are created in different movies and series.
While enjoying the artificial rain, suddenly there were big water waves started towards us and depicted the scene of an artificial flood.
We also passed by a lake where we experienced the explosion enactment and how they create Shark attacks in the movies.
Throughout the tour, we also had the 3D experience of Fast & Furious and King Kong where we were stuck in the fight between King Kong and and Godzilla.
6. Springfield U.S.A:
If you’re a Simpsons fan, it’s a must to visit the Universal Studio in Los Angeles and enjoy the Real Krusty burger and donuts.
It’s such a vibrant theme where you can encounter different scenes like catching up to Sideshow where Bob is making his escape from the Springfield Jail.
You can also take a picture near the Springfield police station and find police officer Eddie.
You can also do some souvenir shopping and get the shirt of your favorite character.
Rides at Springfield U.S.A:
a. The Simpsons Ride:
The Simpsons Ride takes on a trip to Krustyland on a roller coaster ride where Bob has taken over the Krustyland and Simpsons family crashes through the park.
7. WaterWorld:
We have been to different theme parks and in my opinion, it’s the best show ever. It starts with an interactive session with the audience.
It changes into a craziness of the stunts, the artist jumps from a jet-ski, massive explosions, and you get a water splash if you sit in the front seats at last, even if the plane crashes right in front of you.
Let's explore the Lower Lot:
After Exploring the Upper lot, it’s time to go to the lower lot and find out what they have there for their visitors and fans. There are 3 different levels of elevators which took us down and you can also enjoy the view of the city from the viewpoint.
The lower lot has two main themes - Super Nintendo World and Jurassic World and two small theme rides on Transformers Metrobase & Mummy Return.
1. Revenge of the Mummy:
As we reached the Lower lot, we started with the first ride based on Mummy’s Theme “Revenge of the Mummy”. Rather than having a full zone, it’s only one ride based on the Mummy’s movie.
It’s required to keep the bag and belongings in the lockers which are at the start of the ride, note that if you have the bags with you, the staff will not let you ride.
As we entered we were transported back to 1926 into the tomb of Imhotep and we walked through the dark corridors and reached the starting point of the ride. It’s an indoor high-speed roller coaster. As we sat on the roller coaster the thrill started in a dark cave with light effects with fogs, jolting twists, and turns. When you feel like you’re about to escape, it takes a backward gear. WHAT A FUN RIDE!
2. Transformers Metrobase:
Even though it’s a relatively small theme zone as compared to others you can still few activities including trying out the food at the cafes, doing souvenir shopping, and getting the T-shirt of your favorite character most importantly, you can also get a chance to meet with Optimus Prime and Bumblebee and take the picture with them.
Rides at Transformers Metrobase:
a. Transformers: 3D Ride:
It’s a 3D ride where you experience the thrill of fighting with Megatron and his villainous Decepticons and you’ll be alongside Optimus Prime and Bumblebee and save the earth from Megatron's rule.
3. Jurassic World:
Being a fan of the Jurassic World series it’s the second most favorite theme in the park. We literally felt that we were on the Island and ready for face-to-face encounters with Dinosaurs.
This zone is like a natural beauty with green rush trees and waterfalls.
We had our first encounter with Blue the Velociraptor how was it with her trainer - we also got the chance to take the picture with Blue.
There’s also an interactive Dino Play area for the kids where they can excavate dinosaur fossils, T. rex skulls, and dinosaur eggs and play and climb.
Ride at Jurassic World:
a. Jurassic World - The Ride:
It’s our favorite ride as we started with a relaxing cruise to watch the dinosaurs into the lush greenery the ride changed into craziness when the alarm started blowing and Indominus rex escaped from her paddocks.
We had to escape from being her food luckily we survived after the sharpen drop into the water.
4. Super Nintendo World:
The Super Nintendo World opened its doors for the first time in 2023 to visitors. This took us to the world of Super Mario and reminded us of our childhood when we used to play Mario.
It’s so magical Mushroom Kingdom, Peach's Castle, and Bowser's Castle.
There are different interactive activities and you can buy the Power-up band and collect the coins and mushrooms from the different areas of the theme.
You can also get an ultimate dining experience at Toadstool Cafe and you can also do some shopping at 1-UP Factory Store.
One of the things, you shouldn’t miss is meet and greet with Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach and get a picture with them.
Ride at Super Nintendo World:
a. Mario Kart: Bowser Challenge
We entered Bowser’s iconic castle and passed through the hall of medals and trophies put on the goggles and joined Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach in Mario Kart to compete with Bowser.
It’s a 4D ride. Throughout the ride, we passed by underwater clouds and collected coins.
Ending note:
After spending two amazing days at Universal Studios Hollywood, our experience of adventure and fun comes to an end. During your trip to Universal Studios Hollywood, don’t forget to snap some photos at iconic spots like in front of the famous Universal Studios globe or with your favorite movie characters roaming the park.
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