THEME PARK ITINERARIES
Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood is a wonderful park with immersive lands and a real studio back lot tour. If your kids like Harry Potter, Super Mario Bros, Jurassic Park, Minions, or any other franchise represented in this park, they will love visiting! I do recommend this park for
Make sure you have the Universal Studios Hollywood app so you can see a map and ride wait times. The 2 most popular lands are Nintendo and Harry Potter. The plans below have you do Nintendo first (less crowded in the morning) and Harry Potter last (better ambiance in the evening) with everything else in between. It also avoids lots of criss-crossing because the layout of this park makes that difficult, especially with kids.
You can find discounted tickets through Undercover Tourist, an authorized reseller, for up to $55 off the gate price. The price for 2-day tickets is the best value if you have time to take 2 days.
If you only have 1 day to visit the park and you’re visiting during a summer weekend or other popular times, you may want to consider buying an Express Pass ticket. The express pass allows you to skip the regular queue and enter through the Express Pass lane that will cut your wait in half (or more). It will definitely help you get everything done in the park in one day on busier days, but it’s more expensive.
Express Pass Details:
- 2 Types – Express and Express Unlimited
- Regular Express pass allows you to skip the regular queue ONCE for each attraction
- Express Unlimited allows you to skip the regular queue as many times as you want.
- They cannot be shared and will identify you by facial scan
- The Express tickets INCLUDE admission. This is different than at other parks where they are two separate tickets.
- Wear comfortable clothing that matches the weather, which could mean dressing in layers.
- Wear shoes you can walk all day in AND ideally can get wet and dry quickly if you’d like to ride Jurassic Park Adventure. If you want to wear sneakers but want to ride water rides and not walk in wet shoes all day, you can purchase and pack waterproof shoe covers like these to protect your shoes.
- An anti-chafing stick if you have any parts that tend to chafe, especially when hot and sweaty.
- If you have kids age 5 or under, I would bring a stroller or rent one when you get there.
- Bring a backpack, cross-shoulder bag, or fanny pack to carry essentials. A cross-body or fanny pack with a 3-prong clasp is best because you can wear them on rides without having to put them in a locker.
- Inside your bag, have sunscreen, medicines, an external phone charger with cords, band aids, phones, and anything else that is essential for the day. Don’t overpack!
- Wear sunglasses and/or hats on sunny days.
- Pack ponchos if there’s a chance of rain or if you want to Jurassic Park River Adventure without getting wet
Know the height restrictions before you go so smaller kids will have the correct expectations. Height restrictions are strict and are there for safety, so don’t assume that “close enough” will work.
At least 34″ – The Secret Life of Pets
At least 39″ – Flight of the Hippogriff
At least 40″ – Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, TRANSFORMERS: The Ride, The Simpsons Ride
At least 42″ – Jurrasic World – The Ride
At least 48″ – Revenge of the Mummy and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Good hotel options near Universal:
There are so many other things to do in the area! Check out our Southern California Major Attractions Itinerary for ideas on other things you can do.
Touring Plan for Doing it All in One Day
This plan requires the Express Pass OR visiting on a lower crowd day with longer hours. Without one of these, you will need to take out a few things. If you have some shorter kids and can’t do attractions with taller height requirements, it will save time to skip them, but if you plan to do rider swap on those attractions it will take more time.
Plan to reach the parking entrance about an hour before the park opens. This gives you enough time to park, walk through City Walk to the park entrance, go through security, and get a good spot in line. They occasionally open the gates early so you can start heading toward the lower lot before the park actually opens.
As you wait to enter the park, pull up the app and see if there are any virtual lines needed or available that day. Sometimes Nintendo World offers a virtual line to enter, and occasionally others. Virtual lines allow you to reserve a time for the attraction/experience, then you can enjoy other things in the park, and then return to the attraction during your reserved time. It makes the lines a lot shorter.
When the park opens, don’t just do the first attraction you see, head to the lower lot (you will be entering on the upper lot).
If there is no virtual line needed, or if you have an express pass, head straight to Super Nintendo World. Find a kiosk selling Power Up bands or go into the store and purchase Power Up bands. I do think these enhance the experience, but at $40, you may not want to buy one for everyone. Parents can buy them for their kids and enjoy watching their kids rack up points and do experiences without having to have a band for themselves.
Get in line for Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge. While in line, make sure you sync your Power Up bands to the app by scanning the QR code on the back of the bands. Explore the app while in line and start earning points! The ride itself is awesome and everyone should try it! There is a 40″ heigh requirement but rider swap is offered.
When you’re done with Mario Kart start playing games in the land and collecting keys. If you collect 3 keys you get to do the finale in Bowser’s Castle. Parents can accompany their kids in the finale even if they don’t have a Power Up band.
Get some food at the Toadstool Cafe! You may have to scan a QR code to join a wait list but there is plenty to do in this land while you wait.
When you are done with Super Nintendo land, move on to the other big attractions in the lower lot. First up – Transformers: The Ride. This ride has a 40″ height requirement but may be a bit scary for smaller children. It combines physical sets and 3D simulation.
Animatronic dinosaurs are out to get you as you ride through a river and splash down a 84′ drop. You will get splashed on this ride so plan accordingly. There is a 42″ height requirement.
If you have any kids under 12 with you, they will enjoy this dino-themed play area! It’s also a great spot for smaller kids to play while older kids and adults ride the next ride, Revenge of the Mummy.
The Mummy is an indoor roller coaster thrill ride with a 48″ height requirement. It is dark and pretty scary but older kids, teens and adults will love it!
The park is in two sections. Take the escalators back up to the Upper Lot.
3D simulator ride with a 40″ height requirement. If you get motion sick this ride might bother you. If it does, close your eyes!
This is a highlight of the park and is not to be missed! This tram tour takes you backstage to the working Universal lot to learn about how movies are made, plus takes you through the King Kong 3D experience and a finale with Fast & Furious. There’s no height requirement. The experience takes about 45 minutes so plan accordingly.
Check the times for when this show is offered. You’ll need to arrive at least 15 minutes before the show. It’s a very exciting show that all ages should enjoy! The show is back toward the entrance so it’s a bit of backtracking, but the it’s good to do a show in the late afternoon when other lines are long.
A dark ride that takes you through physical sets and has a fun queue. This ride is a delight and only has a 34″ height requirement.
A fun 3D simulator ride that takes you on an adventure with the Minions, Gru, and the girls. 40″ height requirement.
A kids area themed after the amusement park from the Despicable Me movies. The area includes a splash area where kids can get soaked if they want, a small dry playground area, and the Silly Swirly ride (classic Dumbo-style ride). Personally, unless it’s really hot and you brought bathing suits with you, skip this area because your kids will be tempted to get very wet. I would also skip this area if you don’t have younger kids.
Check out the shops and grab a butter beer at the Hogs Head.
This small kids coaster is great if you have kids under 12. It only has a 39″ height requirement and is a great “first coaster” for many kids.
If you have older kids or teens and the wait time is long, I would skip this one. It’s fun but short and the line moves slowly.
The main Harry Potter attraction that is inside Hogwarts Castle. The queue takes you through the castle and the ride itself is a unique dark thrill ride that is so much fun! There is a 48″ height requirement and rider swap is offered.
Check to see if there are any nightime shows on the day you are there. If not, head back to your hotel or get some dinner at one of the restaurants in City Walk (the area in between the park and the parking lot). If you did everything in this list then you had a long day but awesome day and you deserve some rest!
Touring Plan for Families with Younger Children
This plan does not include attractions with height requirements of more than 40″. Skipping those attractions makes it easier to do everything on this list without needing the Express Pass. It would still be helpful to purchase the Super Nintendo World Early Access so kids can play the interactive games without really long lines.
Plan to reach the parking entrance about an hour before the park opens. This gives you enough time to park, walk through City Walk to the park entrance, go through security, and get a good spot in line. They occasionally open the gates early so you can start heading toward the lower lot before the park actually opens.
As you wait to enter the park, pull up the app and see if there are any virtual lines needed that day. Sometimes Nintendo World requires a virtual line to enter, and occasionally others.
When the park opens, don’t just do the first attraction you see, head to the lower lot (you will be entering on the upper lot).
If there is no virtual line needed or if you have an express pass, head straight to Super Nintendo World. Find a kiosk selling Power Up bands or go into the store and purchase Power Up bands. I do think these enhance the experience, but at $40, you may not want to buy one for everyone. Parents can buy them for their kids and enjoy watching their kids rack up points and do experiences without having to have a band for themselves.
Get in line for Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge. While in line, make sure you sync your Power Up bands to the app by scanning the QR code on the back of the bands. Explore the app while in line and start earning points! The ride itself is awesome and everyone should try it! There is a 40″ heigh requirement but rider swap is offered.
When you’re done with Mario Kart start playing games in the land and collecting keys. If you collect 3 keys you get to do the finale in Bowser’s Castle. Parents can accompany their kids in the finale even if they don’t have a Power Up band.
Get some food at the Toadstool Cafe! You may have to scan a QR code to join a wait list but there is plenty to do in this land while you wait.
When you are done with Super Nintendo land, move on to the other big attractions in the lower lot. First up – Transformers: The Ride. This ride has a 40″ height requirement but may be a bit scary for smaller children. It combines physical sets and 3D simulation.
If you have any kids under 12 with you, they will enjoy this dino-themed play area! It’s also a great spot for smaller kids to play while older kids and adults ride the next ride, Revenge of the Mummy.
The park is in two sections. Take the escalators back up to the Upper Lot.
3D simulator ride with a 40″ height requirement. If you get motion sick this ride might bother you. If it does, close your eyes!
This is a highlight of the park and is not to be missed! This tram tour takes you backstage to the working Universal lot to learn about how movies are made, plus takes you through the King Kong 3D experience and a finale with Fast & Furious. There’s no height requirement. The experience takes about 45 minutes so plan accordingly.
Check the times for when this show is offered. You’ll need to arrive at least 15 minutes before the show. It’s a very exciting show that all ages should enjoy! The show is back toward the entrance so it’s a bit of backtracking, but the it’s good to do a show in the late afternoon when other lines are long.
A dark ride that takes you through physical sets and has a fun queue. This ride is a delight and only has a 34″ height requirement.
A fun 3D simulator ride that takes you on an adventure with the Minions, Gru, and the girls. 40″ height requirement.
A kids area themed after the amusement park from the Despicable Me movies. The area includes a splash area where kids can get soaked if they want, a small dry playground area, and the Silly Swirly ride (classic Dumbo-style ride). Personally, unless it’s really hot and you brought bathing suits with you, skip this area because your kids will be tempted to get very wet. I would also skip this area if you don’t have younger kids.
Check out the shops and grab a butter beer at the Hogs Head.
If your kids are into Harry Potter, check out this short interactive show inside Olivander’s wand shop. They typically choose a kid or teen from the audience and have them find the wand that is right for them with some fun magic similar to what’s in the movie. Please know that your kid may not be chosen. It’s about watching the experience.
Warning: Your kids will probably want to buy a wand after the show and they aren’t cheap. There are both interactive and non-interactive wands but they all cost at least $50. If you buy the interactive wands, kids can have fun going through Harry Potter land and waving their wands at certain spots to make some magic happen. It’s similar to Magic Quest at Great Wolf Lodge or the scavenger hunts on Disney Cruise Line. If your kids already did the interactive stuff with their bands in Super Nintendo Land, you may want to skip this. But if your kid loves Harry Potter, be prepared to come home with a wand!
This small kids coaster is great if you have kids under 12. It only has a 39″ height requirement and is a great “first coaster” for many kids.
Check to see if there are any nightime shows on the day you are there. If not, head back to your hotel or get some dinner at one of the restaurants in City Walk (the area in between the park and the parking lot). If you did everything in this list then you had a long day but awesome day and you deserve some rest!
