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| | California | Los Angeles | |||
| Universal City | |||
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Universal Studios Hollywood claims to be "the world's largest movie studio and theme park” and that’s exactly what it is: a real, functioning movie studio with a big theme park attached.Rides and shows all have movie and TV themes: explore the world of "Jurassic Park," hang out with Shrek, discover "Animal Planet Live!" and then go “Back to the Future.” More than most parks there’s a big emphasis on using multi-media to make the rides come alive and the shows more exciting. | |
| Universal Studios is lots of fun, but geared to kids over 5. Rides have height restrictions and some attractions are just too scary or violent for little ones (e.g. Terminator2 - 3D and Backdraft). |
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Standing in line for hours in the summer heat is enough to make anyone cranky, especially the kids. (During the holidays and summer season, you can easily wait an hour in line.) Order your tickets online one week or more before you visit, and you can bypass the long ticket lines, and head right in to Universal Studios: |
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Universal Studios Hollywood tickets | ||
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Before you go |
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What to wear – Even in summer when the weather is warm, it can cool down in the evening, so bring a light jacket or sweater. If you're planning to go to Nickelodeon Splash, Coke Soak or on the Jurassic Park ride, these attractions can really leave you soaked: bring extra clothes and rubber flip-flops or sandals for the wet areas. (Think about sticking your purse in a daypack that's water resistant too.) | |
While you're there |
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At the Entrance – |
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 Guest
Relations – This is the Lost Children waiting area and Lost and
Found. This is also the place to pick up Studio Guide maps in French,
Spanish, German, Japanese, Chinese and Korean. Check for times for the Studio
Tour in Spanish, three times a day. |
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| Lockers – Coin-operated lockers (small, medium and large) are available. Stash those extra clothes you brought in the locker. Tip: Bring plastic bags for wet clothes. |
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| Strollers – Next to the lockers, you can rent strollers and wheelchairs. |
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Studio Tour – The best attraction is the hour-long Studio Tour: a taste of Universal’s movie studio side. Take a seat on the tram for a tour of the “back lot,” and some close encounters of the special effects kind. The ultimate tall, dark, and "banana breath" movie star, King Kong, breathes down on you from 30 ft high, "Jaws" tries to take a bite out of your tram, shake rattle and roll when an “earthquake” hits and then, before you can recover, veer into a head-on collision with a big-rig truck that “explodes” in fire when…you get hit by a tidal wave. Trams come often, but in summer, later in the day, the lines can get long. Get to the Studio Tour early in the day. | ||
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Rides – |
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"Jurassic
Park" – Step into a tour boat for a river trip through Jurassic
Park. When you pass the electric fences, you're in a world of dinosaurs,
baby Stegosaurus', spitting raptors and a 5 story high Tyrannosaurus Rex,
looming over your boat, his toothy mouth opened wide for a people snack.
At the end of the ride, your boat plummets down a water cascade, sending
up a huge splash of water. Plan to get wet on this ride. |
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| Tip: If you didn't bring a change of clothes and are
worried about getting wet, buy a plastic poncho at the vending machines before you get in line. |
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| "Back
to the Future" – A virtual reality ride, you’ll sit in
a silver DeLorean car that spirals down through icy tunnels and hurtles
into the heart of an erupting volcano. The car rocks around a bit, and when
you're nearly gobbled up by a fang-dripping T-Rex, this could be too much
for some little kids. (Don't do this one right after lunch, the motion on
this ride can make you queasy). |
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Live Shows – Show times are posted on the Studio Directory near the entrance and on your Studio Guide map. |
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| Universal's Animal Actors – Like the Studio Tour, this is a Universal
"must do." Watch these smart dogs and
clever birds, unflappable orangutan, sassy parrot entertain you with amazing tricks. And you might recognize animals from your favorite TV show (who will work for peanuts or doggie biscuits).
Try
to get seats close to the front – you might be picked as a volunteer. |
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Nickelodeon Blast Zone – This area is good for kids of all ages (adults may want to take a turn at one of the water blasters too). It's a great way to stay cool on a hot day in Los Angeles. | ||
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Splash
Zone – Prepare to get wet in this
water play area. Aim your giant water guns at the big orange space ship,
or, if you feel lucky, pull the rope to tip the big bucket, and you'll be
completely drenched! On a hot day, it feels great. |
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| Tip: You can't go barefoot in the wet areas. If you don't want to get your shoes wet, buy rubber flip-flops (and big towels) at the "Stuff" store next to the Splash Zone. | |||
| The
Wild Thornberrys Adventure Temple – A ball play area where you can throw with thousands of squishy multi-colored
foam balls at your friends. |
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| Nick
Jr. Backyard – Little ones
will enjoy playing in Nick Jr. Backyard, a playground with climbing structures, slides, nets, and tubes for kids under 6. |
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Coke Soak – If you didn't get thoroughly wet in the Splash Zone, Coke Soak is another water play area. (And no, you're not sprayed with Coke, just water.) | ||
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Photos with cartoon characters – Get your picture taken with your favorite cartoon characters, like the Shrek and Fiona, Sponge Bob, Spiderman, Rugrats. Just watch for characters strolling through the park, as well as photo opportunities posted at the park when you go in. | ||
| Tips for enjoying Universal Studios | |||
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Lines – Go to popular attractions early. You can wait at least an hour for newest and most popular attractions. Check the Studio Directory near the entrance and electronic boards near each ride for wait-times as the day progresses. |
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Rides – Make sure your child meets the height requirements, before you get in line. Any restrictions are posted at the entrance to the ride. Park attendants do spot checks to verify that your kid is tall enough. (It wouldn't be fun to wait in line, only to get bumped out.) |
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| Jurassic
Park – Kids must be 46" tall. If they don't meet the
height requirement, there is waiting area with seating. |
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| Back
to the Future – Kids must be 40" tall. |
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Strollers – To go from the Upper Lot to the Lower Lot, you take four long, steep escalators. Strollers are not advisable on the escalators; instead, take the elevator at the entrance to the first escalator. | ||
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Infants – If you have an infant along for the ride, there are changing tables in all the restrooms. |
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Fun food – |
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CityWalk is Universal Studios' pedestrian walkway with 30 shops, 20 theatres and two dozen restaurants designed to give you a taste of "Hollywood." |
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Tip: The food in CityWalk is generally better and cheaper than inside the park; think about planning your day so lunchtime finds you near the gate. |
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Shopping – |
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Universal Studios is chock full of shops, so be prepared to do some souvenir shopping. Cartooniversal has cartoon characters galore, and the Universal Studios Store has all your favorite characters. "Hats Off to Hollywood" is the place to buy hats you can use in your own productions at home |
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