Nestled in the Hollywood Hills outside of Los Angeles, Universal Studios Hollywood doubles as an active film studio and state-of-the-art theme park. As a former UDX employee, I feel very confident in my recommendations for the park, so here’s my guide to the Southern California theme park!
Things You MUST Do
The Studio Tour
In 1915, Carl Laemmle first invited the public to tour his movie studio. Since, it has blossomed into an empire. The Studio Tour is what started it all, I mean, what other theme park drives you around a working movie studio?! Some of my favorite things are the Hill Valley Courthouse from Back to the Future and the Bates Motel from Psycho. While some things on the tour are tacky and have overstayed their welcome, looking at you King Kong and Fast and Furious, the experience is a must.
Super Nintendo World
HOLY GOD! From the second I stepped into this land I was speechless. Everything about Super Nintendo World was created to impress. The land is filled with kinetic energy, it seems like there’s something moving in every square inch. Being Nintendo, they turned everything into a video game and have so many interactive features to utilize with a purchasable power-up band. I never knew my emotional connection to the brand until I found myself getting choked up. It’s truly magical.
Jurassic World: The Ride
This ride is SICK! What starts as a calm boat journey through Jurassic World quickly shifts pace when the Indominus Rex escapes. Everything’s only made worse when the power cuts and the lift fails. Right before the 80-floot plunge is one of the coolest animatronic showdowns ever between the genetically created masterpiece and a T-Rex, nature’s apex predator.
Revenge of the Mummy
What happens when you cross an indoor roller coaster, a creepy dark ride and a ton of special effects? Revenge of the Mummy! While the Orlando counterpart is superior (though I am a bit biased) this roller coaster packs some thrills in it’s short span. Highlights include scarab beetles attacking your calves and a backwards launch.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
The revolutionary ride opened in Orlando in 2010 with the Hollywood carbon copy opening six years after. The ride follows Harry Potter and his friends as they take you on a tour of Hogwarts. Like most Harry Potter things, it goes awry. The special effects are incredible and the fluid ride system feels incredibly realistic. Set inside the monstrous Hogwarts castle, the ride is one of the park’s best. It’s showing its age a bit, but if you’ve never been on Forbidden Journey, I promise you won’t care.
WaterWorld
Loosely tied around the story from a moderately popular movie from the nineties, Waterworld is a spectacle of a show. The show takes place on an island in a world ravished by melted polar ice. In search of dry land, the characters encounter enemies in a cabaret of fire, buckets of water directed at the audience and even a crashing airplane!
Secret Life of Pets Ride
I’m not going to lie, I went into this ride with such low expectations, but stepped off blown away. The storyline is cute, the effects ultra-modern and it’s full of adorable animals; what’s not to love?!
MarioKart Bowser’s Challenge
Woah. Okay. This ride has to be one of the greatest in Southern California. From the minute you step inside Bowser’s castle, the story behind your presence is revealed. You’re joining the newest MarioKart race for the Universal Cup! Fusing Augmented Reality and physical sets, the ride is part video game and part dark ride. It got a lot of hate for being a relatively slow dark ride, but the blending of real and fake is so seamless I’m willing to give it a pass.
Flight of the Hippogriff
The only thing that puts this 90-second ride into the ‘Must’ category is the view of Burbank for about a second after the lift hill. The rest of the ride is fun, but it draws intensely long lines that I don’t think are necessarily worth it.
Things You SHOULD Do
Transformers the Ride: 3D
I can’t say I’m the biggest fan of this ride, but it’s worth a visit if you’re at the park. The high action “thrill ride” blends technology and practicality to put you in some trippy situations. The exact ride system is far better utilized in Florida’s The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman, which makes me somewhat bitter toward this ride. However, seeing as the former isn’t on the West Coast, Transformers pulls a little more allure for me over here.
The Simpsons Ride
Is this ride showing its age? Yes. Is it still as charming as ever? Yes. I always feel like I’m in the minority when I mention I love the Simpsons, but it has to be one of television’s greatest shows. The ride follows its vibe, throwing guests into a fight to the death between America’s favorite family and Sideshow Bob, obviously occurring on Krustyland’s newest roller coaster. The ride itself is a semi-uncomfortable motion simulator that doesn’t bring anything revolutionary to the theme park world.
Where to Eat + Drink
The obvious contender is Toadstool Café in Super Nintendo World. The restaurant features some of the parks best food options delivered in Nintendo-eque style. It’s pretty popular and requires reservations that are released at park opening.
If you’re unable to grab a spot at Toadstool Cafe, I would definitely recommend one of the other themed options in the park. None of the food is stellar, but at least you’re dining in style! Three Broomsticks is straight out of the Harry Potter films with a cozy wooden interior and long communal tables. As a big fan of The Simpsons, I’m biased toward Krusty Burger. It feels like a franchised location straight out of the show. Minion Cafe is a little bit less themed, but they have an interesting menu with elevated kid foods, such as grilled cheese.
For the beverage fans, the park’s (arbitrarily) best bar is Jurassic World’s Isla Nu-Bar. The tiki bar serves tropically inspired cocktails amid a view of boats from the ride splashing into the pool. Moe’s Tavern serves up The Simpson’s iconic Duff Beer in its cartoony interior. The park’s obvious contender for the best non-alcoholic beverage is Butterbeer found exclusively in The Wizarding World. Depending on the season, you can get it cold, frozen or hot. The frozen is my favorite, hot is the second best and I personally don’t think you should even bother with cold.
Perfect Itinerary
Before you even get to Los Angeles, you should confirm the theme park’s hours on the official site.
To maximize your day, you’re going to need to stay at one of the close hotels to the park. The Hilton Universal City or Sheraton Universal are within walking distance. I’ve stayed at the Hilton and it was quite a nice hotel. We had a view of both Downtown Los Angeles and the theme park:
Depending on the time of year you visit, Super Nintendo World may utilize a virtual queue. This will fill up quick and could be the only way to get into the land. In other words, get there early or risk missing the park’s headlining attraction.
After meandering around Super Nintendo World, finish up the lower lot with a ride on Jurassic World Adventure, Revenge of the Mummy and Transformers.
A next good stop would be Starbucks to combat the exhaustion from your early morning. While you’re back in the Upper Lot, make a visit to the Secret Life of Pets.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is right nearby. If the line for Forbidden Journey is long, hop in the single rider which will generally move quick.
Spend the next few hours revisiting any favorites and catching WaterWorld and any other shows that catch your interest.
Finish with a ride on the Studio Tour, the perfect way to wrap up a day at the park!
Turquoise Skies 