2024 Universal Studios Hollywood Planning Guide
Our 2024 Universal Studios Hollywood planning guide offers tips & tricks to help you save money & time, avoid crowds in Super Nintendo World, and what else to do at the “Entertainment Capital of Los Angeles.” USH is one of Southern California’s best theme parks, and a great side trip if you’re visiting Disneyland. (Updated January 7, 2024.)
The last year has been a huge one for Universal Studios Hollywood. Last year started with the debut of Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen, a new restaurant and confectionery in Universal CityWalk. This is a good spot for crowd-pleasing fare and fun, like Cheesecake Factory but in a highly-themed setting. So long as you have the proper expectations about what it is and isn’t, you’re likely to have a good experience.
In addition to that, Universal Studios Hollywood’s world famous studio tour has a new scene featuring Jupiter’s Claim from Nope. That, plus other little additions and closures are paving the way for USH’s star to shine even brighter. However, all of this is relatively insignificant as compared to the 800 pound plumber in the room…
Super Nintendo World is now open at Universal Studios Hollywood! This marks the official arrival of Mario, Luigi, Bowser, and other iconic Nintendo characters to the United States theme park scene. It’s the second of three versions of the land; with the first already open in Universal Studios Japan.
We’ve had the chance to experience Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood several times, and it’s truly something special. Super Nintendo World features the groundbreaking Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge ride, as well as many interactive activities designed to engage the entire family within the captivating Mushroom Kingdom.
If you’re planning a visit to Universal Studios Hollywood and Mario and friends are your main motivation, you should consult our comprehensive Strategy Guide for Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood. That offers tips & tricks, how to beat the crowds, and a ton of other advice for making the most of your time in this incredible new land.
The biggest thing to know about Super Nintendo World is that it’s insanely popular and crazy crowded. This should not come as a surprise given the popularity of Super Mario Bros., but suffice to say, you really need to have a plan of attack. Whether that mean buying Early Access, rope dropping the land, staying late, etc. The above guide has you covered with all of those options–we just want to reiterate their importance.
You absolutely should not arrive late and hit Super Nintendo World midday. That’s what the majority of guests do, and they encounter triple-digit wait times for Mario Kart, get shut out of Toadstool Cafe, and fail to finish all of the minigames as a result. Just a fair warning–don’t make the same mistakes as the majority of guests!
If you’re on the fence about Super Nintendo World, or want more recommendations for whatever reason, check out our thoughts in Super Nintendo World Review: Good, Bad & Ugly. If you’re looking for more Mario Kart info, see our Ride Review: Mario Kart Bowser’s Challenge. (Both of those reviews are based on the USJ version of Super Nintendo World.)
On a more practical note, there’s our Review of Toadstool Cafe in Super Nintendo World, which is based on the California version of that restaurant.
It should go without saying, but Super Nintendo World has drawn colossal crowds to Universal Studios Hollywood. Attendance exploded last year after the new land opened, and aside from a few pockets of off-season dates, it hasn’t really let up yet–a year later. We expect that to die down to some degree in 2024, but not entirely.
For one thing, Mario is more recognizable than Mickey Mouse, and millions of kids and adults are undoubtedly eager to step into their favorite video games. This is going to turn Universal Studios Hollywood into a vacation destination for visitors from around the country.
For another thing, Universal Studios Hollywood is a popular vacation destination for visitors from around the world. Especially in the summer, the park is popular with international tour groups. Those started to come back last year, but not to the same degree as 2019. With China fully reopening and other countries in Asia being slower to recover, we’d expect those demographics to bounce back in 2024.
Compounding the crowd issue is the size of Super Nintendo World. As a result of that compact footprint coupled with high demand, Universal uses a virtual line system for accessing Super Nintendo World on busier days. The good news is that the land does not require advance reservations. Guests are able to enter Super Nintendo World as usual, so long as it is not at capacity. If it is at capacity, make reservation from the USH app while inside park, or kiosk on Lower Lot.
In our experience, so long as you arrive early or late, the virtual line is a non-factor. It’s usually only in use on weekends, holidays, and other peak season days when school is out of session. Even then, so long as you arrive before 10 am or after 4 pm, you typically won’t have to deal with the virtual queue.
Universal Studios Hollywood has improved tremendously in the last several years, so there are a ton of fun things to do beyond Super Nintendo World! The Studio Tour, WaterWorld Stunt Show, and Jurassic World: the Ride (featuring a new Indominus Rex) are all awesome.
On the family-friendly front, there’s the Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash. We reviewed this in Universal’s New Dark Ride Rivals Disney’s Best! As the title suggests, that article is full of effusive praise, as this family-friendly dark ride based on the hit film franchise is absolutely fantastic. It’s a great change of pace from the usual thrill rides at USH!
Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash also uses Virtual Line on busier days, so be sure to score a spot in the virtual queue so you don’t miss this awesome attraction!
Beyond that, Universal Studios Hollywood has changed a lot in the last 5 years–and for the better. The biggest recent addition is the aforementioned Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash. Prior to that, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was added to the upper lot. On the lower lot, there’s the newly-redone Jurassic World area, which includes Raptor Encounter, DinoPlay, Isla Nu-bar, and Jurassic World — The Ride.
Huge areas of USH already have been dramatically transformed from how they were about a decade ago when we first bought our Universal Studios Hollywood Annual Passes. The future is also bright, with replacement stage shows and other entertainment, and rumors that USH is trying to figure out some way to expand Super Nintendo World.
In terms of concrete additions, the next big thing is the Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift roller coaster (name not officially confirmed). In fact, nothing has been confirmed about this coaster except for its existence, but it’s expected to start on the Upper Lot and continue on the hillside above the Lower Lot, even looping around the top escalator to the Lower Lot. It’s expected to open by the first half of 2025, which could mean there’s a possibility it debuts in late 2024. (Based on construction progress, this year seems unlikely.)
In the lead-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, there are other long-term plans to add more rides to this hybrid of a theme park and working film studio. That ‘hybrid’ nature of the park is critical to Universal Studios Hollywood’s success, and what makes it distinct from both other theme parks in Southern California and other studio tours at Warner Brothers, Paramount, and Sony.
This also makes it significantly different from Universal Orlando Resort, with far fewer attractions (and only one park), but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a pale imitator or inferior substitute. Much like Disneyland is smaller than Walt Disney World but offers an excellent, albeit different experience, so too does Universal Studios Hollywood. And part of this is because of its hybrid nature, not in spite of it.
With that said, here’s what you need to know about visiting Universal Studios Hollywood, where you can ride the movies!
When to Visit
Very few people are probably planning a trip to Los Angeles solely for Universal Studios Hollywood. Most of you are probably adding on a day as part of your Disneyland or Southern California vacation, so the answer to this is easy…whenever you’re coming to California.
In this regard, crowd patterns at Disneyland translate pretty similarly to Universal Studios Hollywood. The busy season at one is the busy season at the other, and vice-a-versa with slow seasons. Crowds at both are primarily based upon school schedules–primarily those of Los Angeles and Orange County, California (but to a lesser degree, the western United States). You can basically refer to our When to Visit Disneyland post to determine when to visit.
As for when to visit California, we’re partial to the fall and winter months. Summer doesn’t get humid like Florida and many other states, but it can be hot. More importantly, that’s when everyone else comes to California–meaning crowds.
Park Tickets
Now that Super Nintendo World is open, there are far fewer ways to save on admission to Universal Studios Hollywood. Demand has skyrocketed, which means deals have dried up. Nevertheless, there are still a couple of good options for saving money on Universal Studios Hollywood tickets.
The first is simply buying an Annual Pass. If you live in Southern California, this is pretty much a no-brainer, as the lower tier is cheaper than multi-day tickets to USH. As noted, we are Universal Studios Hollywood Annual Passholders even though we live much closer to Disneyland and don’t visit USH. (We have two different tiers for the sake of perks and free parking–a smart option for families.)
If you’re not local of view the AP as overkill, the other option is buying discounted multi-day tickets via Get Away Today. To be clear, we do not think USH is a 2-day or 3-day park if you strategize well. But if you don’t–or are a huge Harry Potter or Mario fan–spreading your visit over multiple days is really smart. Universal Studios Hollywood sells both 2-day and 3-day tickets with a fairly low incremental cost (versus single-day tickets). We recommend doing 2-day tickets, rather than 3-day ones.
Three full days is overkill, but we love doing an evening one night followed by arriving for rope drop on day two and staying the entire day. If you still haven’t had your fill, get the 3-day ticket and do rope drop again on day 3 and leave early. Or simply do mornings and evenings, skipping the middle of the day, and taking the Metro into Los Angeles to avoid the longest lines during the midday rush at USH.
Spreading things out over a night and the following morning makes things a lot more pleasant, and means far less waiting in line. Plus, it gives you a chance to experience both day and night in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Super Nintendo World. (Speaking of which, huge Harry Potter fans who want to spend an entire day in Hogsmeade, and then elect to spend a second day doing the rest of the park. Ditto Mario maniacs and Super Nintendo World.)
If you’re considering doing more than a couple of days, you might consider an Annual Pass. This mostly applies to Californians who might want to revisit later in the year. We have the lowest tier (the “Season Pass”) and it cost us slightly less than a 2-day ticket. There are blockout dates and this pass doesn’t include parking, but it has been a great value for us.
You might also find discount offers on 1-day tickets or Annual Passes at Costco, Ralph’s, Vons, and other California grocers. Sam’s Club and AAA sometimes offer discounts on tickets for their members, so be sure to check that out if you’re eligible.
Strategy
If you’re driving to Universal Studios Hollywood, add 30 minutes to whatever Google Maps estimates as your drive time so you can arrive before park opening. If you’re trying to make it from your Disneyland-area hotel to Universal Studios Hollywood for rope drop, there’s a reasonable chance you will be driving during at least part of rush hour. When you sit at your computer and plan this all out at 11 p.m., this traffic won’t be accounted for.
The plus side to leaving early and arriving to USH at rope drop is that few other people will do it. Los Angelenos are unfamiliar with the concept of being “on time” since the traffic gods more or less preclude that. Crowds tend to show up about 1-2 hours after park opening, and tend to tour the park in a predictable manner. If you can get ahead of the wave of crowds, you can really come out ahead at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Upon arrival, here should be your priorities, in order:
- Super Nintendo World
- Lunch
- Transformers: The Ride 3D
- Jurassic World – The Ride
- Revenge of the Mummy – The Ride
- Shows
- Studio Tour
- The Simpsons Ride
- Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem
- Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Okay, a bit of explanation for all of that. First, we strongly encourage all but the most hardcore Harry Potter fans to skip Ollivanders. It’s basically a pre-show for buying wands, and takes valuable time early in the morning. Likewise, Flight of the Hippogriff is a waste of time if you’re over the age of 5.
Your main goal should be getting down to the Lower Lot attractions (Super Nintendo World, Transformers, Jurassic World, and Revenge of the Mummy) as early as possible. This area of the park, separated by a series of escalators and stairs, used to start slower in the morning. Super Nintendo World has changed that, but you should still attempt to beat the rush down there.
Secret Life of Pets, Forbidden Journey, Simpsons, and Despicable Me are the 4 attractions that are going to draw long waits early-on. This is because they are the popular rides near the front of the park. If you can ride these before the “crowd wave”, awesome. If not, save them until the end of the day when lines will taper off.
Honestly, the above itinerary works about the same forwards and backwards. You either want to beat the crowds or outlast them. Crowds peak at Universal Studios Hollywood in the late morning and early afternoon, and decrease after that. We highly recommend staying until park closing and then doing dinner afterwards in CityWalk.
With that approach, not only will you experience lower crowd levels at the end of the evening, but you’re also less likely to be stuck in traffic in the parking lot that is the Hollywood Freeway during rush hour. Park opening and closing times vary based on season, but it’s always our goal to not leave USH until after 8 pm. Any time before that is a recipe to be stuck in traffic on the 101.
If you’re willing to use it, Single Rider will save a ton of time during busier times. Single Rider is available at the following attractions:
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
- Jurassic World – The Ride
- Revenge of the Mummy – The Ride
- Transformers: The Ride 3D
While we like (and recommend) doing all of the shows, the biggest can’t miss at Universal Studios Hollywood is the Studio Tour. Do not confuse its placement on the itinerary above as it being of low importance. It is the must-do at USH. (We only place it later in the day as lines tend to get shorter later in the day.) Do not miss it.
If you’re visiting during a season when the Nighttime Studio Tour is being offered, we highly recommend doing both the regular Studio Tour and the Nighttime version. Every ride on the Studio Tour is different, but night brings a new element to the attraction.
Seriously, we cannot stress it enough: do the Studio Tour. This is the defining attraction of Universal Studios Hollywood, and the only thing we make a point of doing each time we visit. (Just don’t get your hopes up about the Fast and the Furious sequence…it has more cheesiness than the movies, but without the redeeming charm and heart.)
Gate A/Front of Line Pass
“Gate A” is Universal Studios Hollywood’s “Front of Line” pass, which is like FastPass at Disneyland, except that Gate A costs money. In some cases, a lot of money. Prices for Gate A start at +$100 the cost of single day tickets and increase in cost depending upon the season (the busier it is, the more you pay).
We are not proponents of purchasing Gate A unless you are going during the height of tourist season (think summer, spring break, or any national holidays), and even then, we would advocate taking advantage of Universal Studios Hollywood’s many Single Rider lines or arriving at park opening and utilizing an efficient park touring strategy like the one above.
If you follow our plan above, the Front of Line/Gate A pass is just not necessary the vast majority of the time. Maybe it would be on like the 10 busiest days of the year, but we have never had an issue doing everything in USH during a single day without Gate A.
Where to Stay
There are a number of variables that play into this. First, are you visiting Universal Studios Hollywood as a day-trip from Disneyland? Is the visit part of a Southern California vacation? A California road trip? Let’s address each of these…
Disneyland Day Trip – Stick to your hotel in Anaheim and just drive there and back. Traffic aside, this is pretty simple. Universal doesn’t open at the crack of dawn, so you’ll have a reasonable amount of transit time while still being able to make park opening.
Southern California Vacation – If you’re doing this and don’t mind changing hotels once–which is what we recommend–we’d suggest doing (at least) a split stay, having a hotel in Orange County/Anaheim for the Disneyland, beach, and whatever else in the O.C. portion of your trip, and then a separate hotel in Los Angeles or near Universal Studios Hollywood.
California Road Trip – If you’re doing a road trip down/up the state (let’s say flying into San Diego and flying out of San Francisco with a one-way car rental), we would recommend Universal Studios Hollywood being what you do on your last day in the Los Angeles area before heading north.
The night before, stay in L.A., but the night after, drive up to Santa Barbara. It’s a little over an hour drive, but getting back to your (much closer, distance-wise) hotel in L.A. could take just as long that night. Staying in Santa Barbara gets you away from the city and prepared to enjoy sunrise over the ocean the next morning without having to fight traffic to head north.
When it comes to specific hotels near USH, we like the Garland and Sheraton Universal Hotel. Both are really close to the park, with the Sheraton being a short walk and the Garland being a short (free!) shuttle ride. You’ll also find the Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City “on-site” at Universal Studios Hollywood.
There’s also a Metro Red Line station at Universal Studios Hollywood, making anything along the Red Line super convenient to the park, including options in Downtown LA. Rather than going for a bland chain, you might consider something eclectic or with old-Hollywood charm, like the Safari Inn.
When booking in Los Angeles, be mindful of neighborhoods, parking charges, and resort fees. If you find a “too good to be true” price, it probably is. If you are picking a hotel specifically for USH, we recommend looking north of downtown Los Angeles. Burbank and Glendale can be better options than Hollywood/Los Angeles. Neighborhoods like North Hollywood, Hollywood Hills, and Los Feliz are also smart picks.
To save money, check out the Universal Studios Hollywood hotel + ticket packages offered via Get Away Today. They have several hotels from which to choose, but our top pick is definitely the Garland. It’s a great resort-style property with a ton of personality, great rooms, and posh amenities. The Sheraton is also chic and nice, but it’s the kind of hotel you could find anywhere.
Transportation
There are no two ways about this: driving in Los Angeles sucks. And, if you’re visiting Universal Studios Hollywood, there’s a good chance you’ll drive through L.A. to get there. However, that doesn’t have to be the case!
As noted above, there’s a Metro Red Line station located at Universal City, which is a short walk from both the park itself and CityWalk. The Metro Red Line is a subway running between Downtown Los Angeles and North Hollywood, with stops in or near the Civic Center, Financial District, Wilshire Boulevard, Hollywood & Sunset Boulevards, Koreatown, and the San Fernando Valley.
Even if you’re staying in Orange County near Disneyland, you can get to Universal Studios Hollywood without driving. Simply take the Pacific Surfliner from Anaheim to Union Station in Los Angeles, where you can then catch the Metro. We only recommend this for the most traffic-averse, as it is a bit of a hassle.
Most people will want to drive themselves from Disneyland to Universal Studios Hollywood. There aren’t any good shuttles, Uber is too pricey, and public transit can be convoluted and inefficient. Unfortunately, traffic can be bad too, and should not be underestimated. Plan on at least an hour, and potentially closer to 2 depending upon traffic.
For the most part, if you’re visiting California and plan to go anywhere off Disneyland property, you’ll want to rent a car. Traffic can be intimidating, but if you drive between the hours of 10 am and 3 pm or 9 pm and 7 am, you’ll be absolutely fine. We’ve done a lot of one-day rentals from rental car agencies within walking distance of Disneyland, and then have just done after-hours drop-offs.
As for airfare, rental cars, and other basics, here’s my standard info: for finding cheap airfare, we recommend ITA Software by Google. It’s the most robust airfare search engine out there, although you can’t book through it. It offers latitude in choosing multiple airports, flexible travel dates, and more.
Dining
Once you ride the movies right into the gift shop and buy the movies with your American Express–official credit card of the Entertainment Capital of L.A.–it’s time to dine (at?) the movies.
If you’re fine with counter service dining, Universal Studios Hollywood has several solid options inside the park. As a whole, I do not think the culinary experience is on par with Disneyland’s, but the highlights are more than serviceable. The best options, in my mind, are the counter service restaurants in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Three Broomsticks) and the Simpsons restaurants in Springfield.
The food at Three Broomsticks is pricey, but it’s near-table service quality. The Simpsons food is mostly guilty pleasure stuff, but the burgers and waffle chicken sandwich are excellent. Don’t knock them until you’ve tried ’em!
Then there are the snacks. Universal Hollywood’s snack game is strong. Holy cow. Obviously, you’re going to want to try Butterbeer–perhaps all three varieties.
At Three Broomsticks, snacks deserving of your attention are the potted cream and sticky toffee cake. Both are incredibly delicious, and although you should share them, you probably won’t want to.
Then there are the donuts the size of your head in Springfield, deserving of another holy cow. There are some interesting varieties, but these should be split. After eating the maple bacon one pretty much by myself, my teeth hurt.
One thing you might want to consider is purchasing a refillable Coke Freestyle mug. Depends upon whether you want a lot of Coke or the souvenir mug. Coke Freestyle machines located throughout the park’s restaurants, and normal drink purchases in restaurants are not entitled to refills. Unlike in Florida, there is no Universal Dining Plan at USH.
Seasonal Events
Universal Studios Hollywood does not do much in the way of seasonal events. The one exception to this is Halloween Horror Nights, which you might make an effort to see or to avoid, depending upon your perspective. This is a hard ticket event in which you step onto the set of some of your favorite horror movies, and walking through those sets as actors attempt to scare you. This event is not for children under the age of 13, and is definitely adult in tone.
Halloween Horror Nights are a huge draw for Universal and they definitely attract an adult crowd. If you have no young kids and like horror movies, you’ll probably enjoy this event and find it worth the cost of the ticket. If you have a younger family, you’ll want to avoid it. If you’re traveling during the months of September and October, be mindful of the Halloween Horror Nights schedule. Christmas is celebrated with decorations and Grinchmas entertainment, but there’s nothing that requires advance-planning or around which you should schedule.
I think this is probably covers just about everything most people will need to know when planning a visit to Universal Studios Hollywood as an add-on to your Disneyland or Southern California vacation. If you would like to see some of these topics covered in greater depth, please let me know in the comments.
Planning a Southern California vacation? For park admission deals, read Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site hotels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney. For comprehensive advice, consult our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides beyond Disney, check out our Southern California Itineraries for day trips to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and many other SoCal cities!
Your Thoughts
Are you considering visiting Universal Studios Hollywood? If you are a USH veteran, can you fill in any of the ‘gaps’ here or add tips of your own? If you’re a first-timer, is there anything else you’d like to know? Chances are if you have questions still, so does someone else! Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Hi Tom,
Do you think following this itinerary will help when we are going in the middle of July?
Have you got any other tips that might help?
Best Regards
We are going to USH in march for our sons birthday. We have never been and this has been by far the best blog I have run into. I will def use your advise. Thank-you for the tips!!!
Hey Tom! Any plans to do an update of this? That’s assuming an update is needed… Thank you!
Many thanks for this. We have followed your recommendations and, although it was a very busy day, by lunchtime we have done ALL the rides!
Hey Reka!
We are going in July and are a it worried! Thanks for the input!
I spend days researching on what rides to go on first and this is the first time I’ve seen them clearly listed. THANK YOU!!!!
I know Universal isn’t doing City Pass anymore, but Parksavers has a combo pass (2 days in Disneyland, 1 in Universal) that looks good. Any insight?
https://tickets.parksavers.com/attraction/single/9642/18
So seeing as I am travelling with my wife and 2 boys aged 7+8yrs, you would recommend staying “North” of Hollywood in areas surrounding USH, this is a good idea for a “family-friendly” night time atmosphere…..and costs would be lower too?
Is Universal Studios Hollywood worth it on a limited budget? My options are basically to either do one day at each Disneyland and Disneys California Adventure or to do one day at Disneyland and one day of Universal on a week-long Southern California trip. We are on the east coast so likely to make it to WDW or Universal Orlando much more often than out to California. Thanks!
The studio tour at USH is very cool, but if that does not interest you, I’d probably just stick to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.
So Cal Resident and AP holder to the above theme parks. If I had to recommend just one… it would be hands down be Disney’s California Adventure (DCA). There are thrill rides for the adults (child swap option), amazing rides for the little ones, the frozen show is Broadway quality, and dining options ranging from fast snack to Carthay Circle (YUM). DCA even has a wine tasting area. Disney’s park is less crowded than DLAND (DCA has shorter lines) and the rides are impressive and new. The atmosphere is magical, relaxed, and friendly, as there is more personal space available at DCA vs very crammed at DLand. There are dining packages available at both parks that will get you VIP seating for shows/parade/fireworks. You can see the fireworks in the sky from DCA main entrance area. All the shows are great and none is better than the other, the best part of the whole thing is making memories with your loved ones. Check out DCA rides and food on youtube. I like the idea of DLand, the reality is waiting (despite the occasional fast pass) 45 min for a 3-minute ride (teacups). DCA has the same ride in Bugs Land area, a dancing spinning ladybug ride for a 5-minute wait. Both have fun lights, both have fun music. Also, if you have little young ones in your party, check out the baby center, there is one in each park. Prebuy a glow stick party pack (at like target/walmart) for a few bucks, then crack them open at night in the park. And for the love of all things, make dining reservations in advance!!!!! Imagine you are tired of walking and will be thrilled to move past a long line of people who did not have reservations being turned away. You will have a nice place to sit, and a nice person brings you real food. Otherwise, you will subsist on corn dogs all day long that you waited almost 30 minutes for each time. Everyone eats at bfast, lunch, dinner and the crowds reflect that. Consider D-Land once Galaxy’s Edge aka Star Wars Land opens up if you are a scruffy nerf herder 🙂
Thank you for the great report – we have followed many of the same recommendations when going to USH previously. We are going in the middle of the dreaded summer peak (July) – what’s the best way to get access to the “early bird” special that let’s you in an hour early? It seems like we have to buy the tix from USH directly to get that? I get discounts thru my work but they don’t offer the early bird special ticket option.
thx
Steve
We are going to USH in mid June. I had considered the Gate A option but you make it sound like we don’t need it. Are you sure?
We went to Six Flags over spring break and it was miserable waiting in line. Is USH in summer similar?
Also, does gate A apply to the wand shop?
Mid-June is going to be pretty crazy as the summer tourist season is in full swing. You might give it more thought for your visit. To my knowledge, Gate A does not offer access to Ollivanders Wand Shop in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
USH is still listed as an option on the GoPass (as long as you get 3 days) – assuming this is separate from City Pass?
Now that the Walking Dead is a permanent part of the park, how would you adjust your recommendations? We are planning a February visit.
We went up there for a day trip during our last SoCal trip at the end of June. It was fun, worth it, but even with some crowding, we were able to explore all of the Harry Potter area, do all the rides together once (and multiple times again as single riders) and see all of the shows. We were done by about 6, but decided to stay and re-do a bunch of stuff as to avoud the traffic. The only sad part was, we missed the opening of the permanent “The Walking Dead” attraction by a week, which was disappointing because we are all huge fans! It was worth it once, Im not sure if we will go back upon our next visit.
This is incredibly timely- we’re going to USH for the first time on Saturday! Compared to the wealth of information available for Universal Orlando, I couldn’t believe how hard it was to find info for this park. Thanks for posting this!
Great report – as a local totally agree! 🙂
Sorry to say: Link to Horror Nights goes to Orlando not Hollywood.
Glad you’re on the West Coast. But yea: our traffic sucks most hours of the day. Nicely done when providing the word of caution regarding delays.
Thanks for the heads up–fixed that!
FYI – The link to Gate A info links to info about Universal Orlando’s tribute to the Pulse shooting victims. 🙂
Thanks for the heads up! Odd, that *was* a Gate A page when I linked to it. Unfortunately, there is not a ton of Gate A info online…
The first time we went to Universal Studios was December, 1970. And it was just that, a studio with a backlot tour. No rides, no food, no Halloween horror show. We saw actual movie and TV stars filming. We met them, spoke with them, and loved the experience. Ate at the Universal Hotel where a TV show was being filmed. The director asked us to be extras and we obliged. After that, we went back to the Beverly Garland Holiday Inn, the same hotel mentioned in your article. It was lovely.
The second time we went, it is what it is today. The little kids loved it, but I waxed nostalgia for the old place. It was real.
I would’ve loved to experience the 1970s version of Universal Studios Hollywood. Sadly, it seems like experiences like that (in general) are a thing of the past. Too much demand to allow for personalized experiences like that (unless parks were to charge outrageous admission prices).
Hey Tom,
As always, fantastic report. Thanks!
My partner and I are going to spend a week in LA in December (10th – 17th) and we have plans to spend 1 day at Universal Studios Hollywood, 1,5 days in LA and 4 days in Disneyland. As it is not the week prior to Christmas, we are hoping that the parks will not be too crowded if we visit during week days (is that correct? lol). To make this happen, the initial plan was to spend Monday, the 12th, at Universal and then Tuesday to Friday, 13th to 16th in Disneyland.
Problem is: after reading your report I now know about the night-time studio tour at Universal Studios Hollywood. I have gone to the morning tour in the past, about 4 years ago, but never tried the night-time one, so it would be awesome if I could try it out this time around. Checking their website, I noticed that during the week that we will be around, the only day that they will have the night-time tour will be on Sunday, the 11th. So, my main question is: based on your experience with the parks, would you say that it is worth it going to Universal on Sunday – to be able to go to the night-time tour – or would the crowds mostly likely be waaaaay heavier than if we stick to our plan and go on Monday instead? It is just a bummer if we don’t get to see the night-time because of a day of difference, but we also hate crowds.
Thanks a lot for your time,
-Matheus
To be honest, I don’t have enough experience with crowd patterns at Universal Studios Hollywood to offer an educated comparison between the two days. Without a doubt, the weekday will be less crowded, so it’s really a question of how much less. I’m not sure.
It probably depends on how much the crowds matter to you. If it were me, I’d deal with the crowds and use Single Rider to negate them, but that’s just me.
Great report, I haven’t been there in a couple years, but plan to soon. The Studio Tour is a must do.
Have you done the Walking Dead attraction yet? I’m not a fan of horror and zombie things, but I love immersive attractions, and was wondering how well done it is and if it is worth doing.
We did the Walking Dead walk-through a couple of weeks ago, and were really underwhelmed. The environments are better than a typical Halloween Horror Nights house (since it’s permanent), but it’s less engaging, and just isn’t all that interesting.
It had almost no wait the entire time we were there.
My wife and I are looking to go for a day next month from Disneyland area. I’ve seen a couple paid round trip bus options. Any opinion on those?