HOW TO SPEND A DAY IN THE UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD IN Los angeles?
There will be horrifying crowds, unimaginable long lines, fussy and screaming children and over-priced everything but there will a lot of fun too. The Universal Studios Hollywood guarantees some serious thrill for all despite the age. It is called the “the entertainment capital of LA” for a reason.
Step inside the Honeydukes in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and discover a truly magical world of (just to name a few) chocolate frogs, fudge flies, rainbow lollipops, glacial snowflakes. You might even get your own wand and do some magic. Do not forget to pop into to the Hogwarts castle or jump on the Revenage of the Mummy ride and find out who (you or your kid) can scream louder. Your day will be certainly packed with some distgustingly mind-blowing attractions. Let the childhood time returns.
Where you should buy your ticekts?
You can buy your admission ticket to the Universal Studios Hollywood almost anywhere but do not do one thing, do not buy it at the entrance to the Univeral Studios Hollywood. It will be the most expensive and seriously, do you really want to wait in another line? There will be plenty of them already waiting for you once you get to the park. Buy your tickets online on the Universal Studios Hollywood.
Pss. If you buy your tickets online directly on the Universal Studios Hollywood website, you can enter the park 1 hour before its opening time.
You are given a number of options:
1-day or 2-day General Admission;
Universal Express (Universal Express ticket enables you to baypass the lines…the very long lines and costs approx. 170-250 USD);
VIP Experience (this option includes a private guide, access to areas not open to the public, unlimited express access to rides &shows, snacks and gourmet lunch but you need to splurge approx. 400 USD)
Annual/Season Passes
how to get to the Universal Studios Hollywood?
Most people drive to the Universal Studios Hollywood. The cheapest parking option costs approx. 25 USD, if you want to stop a bit closer to the front gates, approx. 50 USD/day. There is also a metro (Red Line ) from Downtown LA to Universal City and a free shuttle every 10-15 minutes that can take you from there to the front gate of the Universal Studios Hollywood.
The only thing you need to absolutely remember is to arrive early as possible! You will need at least one entire day (though it is hard to check out all the attractions within only one day on the general admission ticket) to visit Universal in order to make the most of your experience.
Weekdays are often less crowded than weekends but be sure to hop over to Universal Studios Hollywood Crowd Tracker to check out crowd predictions. In general, Summer and Christmas time would be the worst time to come to the Universal Studios Hollywood. It is the hottest, the most expensive and crowded time of the year. However, the Summer Special: Buy a Day and get a 2nd Day free that is offered during the season might make you to come anyway and I would not be surprised.
top SHOWS & RIDES IN THE UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD:
The Wizzarding World of Harry Potter
From the shops of Hogsmeade where you can purchase a glass of butter beer, pumpkin juice or your own wizard wand at Ollivanders until the moment you walk through the doors of the Harry Potter movies’ pure resemblance of Hogwarts castle, you are transported into the “wizarding world”. The meticulosity of the Hogwarts is absolutely incredible. You can see the great hall, Hogwarts Portraits, the Sorting Hat and so much more. The flagship attraction that makes you want to come back to Hogwarts over and over again is the flight-simulating ride of Harry Potter and Forbidden Journey. Yes. The magic really happens here.
2. WaterWorld Show
The WaterWorld has been on for while and it is top-notch show in the Universal Studios Hollywood. If you do not have time to see any other, make sure you do not miss this one. Do not sit in the splash zones unless you want to get seriously wet and I really mean seriously wet. Save Water rule does not apply. The explosion of emotions is complimentary!
3. Revenge of The Mummy: The Ride
This is an attraction full of unexpected twists and turns at the speed up to 45 mph. Your legs might get a bit weak and your eyes pop out.
Pss. Check out your photo after the Ride.
4. World Famous Studio Tour
The Studio Tour (a.k.a. The Backlot Tour) enables you to explore and experience your favourite movie & TV shows’ sets. More movies and television shows have been filmed on this lot than any other lot in the world: Jurasic Park, Transformers, The Truman Show, Psycho, Desperate Housewives. The World Famous Studio Tour has been an icon since its debut in 1964. The tour lasts approximately 1 h. You absolutely need to jump on the Universal Studios Hollywood famous tram.
Pss. Stage 12, is one of the most widely-used stages on the lot for its size and flexibility. It serves as a home for the widely known “The Voice”.
5. Special Effects Show
You can learn a few secrets and uravel the mystery hidden behind realistic physical combat sequences, horror scenes, zero-gravity space travel and even live animation. Some people might get even on fire.
How to beat the lines?
Get to the Universal Studios Hollywood before it opens and head straight to the Lower Lot Rides (The Revenge of the Mummy, Transformers, Jurassic World).
Take the Single Rider Lines (If you do not need to sit next to your friend/kid/partner).
Get at least 20 min before the shows to ensure your seat is available (WaterWorld Show, Special Effects Show, Universal’s Animal Actors Show).
Get the Universal Studios Hollywood app (the app tells you show time, wait time and even provides you with the map).
It takes approx. 6-7 minutes on the esclator to get from Upper to Lower Lot. Have it in mind when planning your rides/shows. Do not waste your time.
Measure your kid in advance. Yes, there are height requirements (min. 40 inches/102 tall).
DID YOU KNOW?
Steven Spielberg (Probably the most well known movie director of our times. His name is behind such blockbusters as “Jurassic Park”, “E.T.”, “Schindler’s List” and so many more) once upon a time after his high school graduation, worked as an unpaid assistant in the Universal’s Studios’ television department. Some years later, he basically saved the Universal Studios (Yes, the dinosaur movie was incredible hit and Universal Studio made a lot of money on it) and entered into a very lucrative contract that included a “theme park clause'“… What does it really mean?
Steven Spielberg was to serve as a creative consultant on any theme park attractions related to his movies, but the clause also kept him from allowing any movie he directed to go anywhere but to the Universal.
What does he get in return? 2% of all park ticket revenue as well as a portion of park concession revenue.