Expert Tips For Visiting Universal Studios Hollywood In A Day (Without Kids)
(we received complimentary media passes to Universal Studios Hollywood to facilitate this post. The views and opinions expressed are entirely my own. You can read my full disclosure here.)
Are you thinking about going to Universal Studios Hollywood later this year when it reopens?
Earlier this month my husband and I were happy to spend a day at Universal Studios Hollywood for our Anniversary. While we normally have our kids with us while traveling it was refreshingly different to go to this fun destination just the two of us.
Though we were lucky that our visit was just days before the Park suddenly announced its closure I can't wait for the park to reopen and we can go back this time with our kids.
The Good news is that even though Universal Studios Hollywood is currently closed you don't have to wait till they open to book your vacation through Get Away Today. You can set your trip date to later on this year and only have to put $175 down with their layaway program. I love booking through Get Away Today since they always have the best deals for tickets and hotels and they care about their customers and work with you when life happens. Check out their current deals and Book HERE.
If you are planning a trip to Universal Studios Hollywood (with or without kids) once the park reopens, make sure to check out our tips for the best experience.
Get to Universal Studios Hollywood an hour early.
Arriving early to Universal Studios Hollywood Allows you to be in the front of the lines to get into the park when it opens. This gives you an advantage for getting onto one of the busy rides without having to wait in line long or use an express pass...(yet).
Also when you arrive early you can get some cool photos in front of the Univeral Globe and around the courtyard without having to creatively dodge a lot of people.
Get the Express Pass.
The Express Passes for Universal Studios Hollywood allow you to skip the long lines once for each Ride or Attraction. These passes are an absolute must if you are going on a weekend or during the busy season when crowds are high and lines can have over 2 hour wait times. However, even if you are going during the off-season or mid-week when crowds are smaller having an Express pass comes in handy.
**Note: Universal has kiosks for you to upgrade your tickets to include Express passes but they only sell a set number of passes a day to guarantee the benefits so I would recommend getting your Express Pass at the time you get your tickets. (Get Your Univeral Tickets Here)
Get an I'm Celebrating Button
Did you know that you can get an I'm Celebrating Button from Park staff while waiting in line for the park to open? Whether you are celebrating coming to the park for the first time, a birthday, an Anniversary or other special occasion. These are fun and totally free and make for good keepsakes.
Grab a free map when you first arrive.
You can get free maps at the information Kiosks both before you enter the park and inside the park. These maps will help not only help you to find your way to your favorite rides and attractions, but the map also gives you information about the ride (like if it allows loose items or not)
Go to Olivander's Wand Shoppe at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter first.
If you are a Harry Potter fan (and really who isn't) then you will want to head straight for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter when the park opens. This is Universal Studio Hollywood's most popular attraction (of course). While most will head straight for the “Harry Potter
and the Forbidden Journey Ride since it is most popular, I would recommend going first to Olivander's Wand Shoppe first. The Wand show is really fun but since they can only have 15 people go through at a time the lines to Ollivanders can get longer than the actual rides. If you go the first thing you can go right through without a wait.
Then once you are done head for the Hogwarts Castle to go on the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey Ride which shouldn't have too long a line yet since it is still first thing in the morning.
*You can't carry anything on that ride with you so they provide free lockers to use.
After going on this ride we left our things in tour locker (since it was good for 90 minutes) and went on the Flight of the Hippogriff ride before using our Express Pass for the first time to skip the line and go on the Harry Potter Forbidden Journey ride one more time.
Set a budget for spending before you come.
There are a lot of fun shops at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to explore with soo many fun things you will want to buy. I loved all the cool Harry Potter memorabilia and delicious treats available. So if you aren't careful you can end up spending a lot of money. Best to set a budget on how much you want to spend before you go.
Outside there is even a cool barrel wagon where you can buy a cold refreshing glass of Butterbear to enjoy. You can get it either frozen (like a slushie) or chilled with cream on top. We got a chilled cup that we shared together.
Use small wand movements to preform spells
While exploring The Wizarding World of Harry Potter if you happen to own or buy one of their specialty wands there are select spots throughout the Wizarding World of Harry Potter where you can perform magic.
You should receive a map with your specialty wand, but you can also identify the locations by a small round metal place on the ground which not only tells you which spell can be cast there but shows the wand movement needed to cast. However, these spells won't work if you move your wand too much. Keep your wand movements small and subtle for the best results.
Use shows to rest and cool off between rides.
Standing in lines for rides and exploring the fun themed lands can get exhausting. As the day progresses it can also get pretty hot. To relax and cool off I suggest enjoying some of the fun Shows available throughout the day at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Earlier in our day, we stopped to enjoy the Special Effects Show where we were given a fun behind the scenes look into how they do all those special effects in movies and tv shows. My favorite part of the show was the Fire Effect demonstration where they actually lit a stunt double on fire.
Later on the day we took a breather and enjoyed the Kung Fu Panda Adventure at the Dreamworks Theater. This 180° immersive adventure was fun and refreshing.
Try to get a seat on the Left Side of the Studio Tour Bus.
One of the cool things about Universal Studios Hollywood is that the theme park is connected to Universal's film lot where they still actively film movies and TV shows. With the Studio Tour, you board a bus that takes you by recording studios and through some iconic film lots like War of the Wolds, Jaw, The Good Place and even Jurrasic World...
While there are cool things to see no matter where you sit (especially with the 360 experiences like King King). However, when driving around sets you will have a better view of more cool things if you are on the left side of the bus as we learned the hard way.
Take the time to explore the fun themed areas.
In addition to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Studios Hollywood has some other fun themed areas like Springfield (i.e. Simpson Land), where they have character meet and greets, stores and fun places to take photos.
There are also fun things to see while waiting in line for those really fun rides.
Stop and Enjoy the Character Meet & Greets.
As you walk the parks you will notice designated areas where you can meet your favorite movie characters from Simpsons to Trolls, to Minions to Transformers. Even if you don't want to stand in line for a photo it's still fun to stop and watch them interact.
Explore The City Walk.
Universal Studios Hollywood closes at 6 pm. However, the City Walk Shops, Restaurants and Movie Theater right outside the theme park are open much later. So after the park closes take time to explore and enjoy the City Walk. They even have some fun photo opportunities!
The last tip I would offer for visiting Universal Studios Hollywood in one day without your kids is to have fun. Go on all the rides you wouldn't normally get to enjoy with young kids, explore the areas specifically for older audiences and make every moment count.
I can't wait to go back, but I know that my experience will be very different (not bad, just different) for I will have my kids with me.
Again, even though Universal Studios Hollywood is currently closed, you can still book a future vacation for later this year when the park should be open. You can even book your vacation for just $175 down with their layaway program. If you book through Get Away Today are amazing to work with and can always get you the best deals.
What are you most excited to see and do at Universal Studios Hollywood?
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