Universal Studios Hollywood: First Impressions

This year our family decided to travel to Universal Studios Hollywood for the first time. Our initial list of must see attractions were: Marioland, Harry Potter World and Minions! Our 7yr old was very excited. Perfect age to enjoy Universal Studios and all it offers. 

My family and I are relaxed travelers. We don’t always have a set itinerary for activities, we prefer to have an idea of what we want to visit and the different rides the park has to offer. Initially, we wanted to split the park into two days. But once we arrived, we noticed that the park is set up in a way that all the sections connect and the walking seems very organic. There is a lot of walking and a lot of stairs. But don’t worry, they are electric stairs. +picture+ 

We purchased our tickets ahead of time, we got a two day pass which worked perfectly. You may use your second day within 7 days of your first entry. They use a QR code from your phone and take your fingerprint to ensure no ticket transferring. The benefits of purchasing them prior to your arrival are cost/time savings. The 2 day pass is $159 vs a 1 day pass at $99. They have sales and offers throughout the year which gives you even more savings. Definitely ask me when booking if there are any specials available. There are also some options for express passes that are definitely worth it for ride users and guests who are there for one day and want to make the most of it.  

When you arrive at the park, you can purchase the tickets at the sales booth, these had lines all throughout the day. There is another stop for everyone to do prior to ticketing which did add about 20 minutes to our total entry time. Everyone must go through a metal detector and a bag check. There are lines for people without bags, we were not one of those. We had a backpack for souvenirs and 2 water containers to refill. Once you get checked, you then proceed to your ticket scanning line. Yes, each one of these stops is a line. Get comfortable with lines if you are planning on a Universal trip. The overall start to finish entrance to the park took us 30 minutes. This does not include travel time from the hotel to the park. (We used a shuttle and it was 9 minutes away). 

The park itself was fabulous. Everything was pristine and clean. Everyone was in character and we didn’t encounter a single worker who was not at their best. Visually the place is magical, and not just because you can see Hogwards from every corner. There’s something about being part of your favorite movies that just makes it even better. +picture of hogwarts+ 

We had several small meals at the park. We tried Hog’s Head™ at Harry Potter World and LOVED it. We shared a Shepards Pie and Chicken Tenders with Frozen Butter beers in souvenir cups. +picture with cups+, We had Marioland ice cream floats with strawberry and some popcorn from one of the stalls. For our second day, we decided to enjoy a restaurant in the downtown area once we exited the park. NBC Sports Grill & Brew at the Universal CityWalk was one of the best meals we shared. As expected for parks like Universal Studios, expect food and drinks to be more expensive. Although I did order meals through doordash and felt like they were more than in other places. LA prices for you. Plan ahead for this.

Marioland was exactly what you expect, light, characters and video games. Fully immersive. You can definitely bring out your ultimate Nintendo geek out. Lots of people were dressed up and coordinated with their family members. We waited in line for 90 minutes to try the new MarioKart ride. It is an interactive MarioKart game you can play with your family. You get points and can accumulate these through a tracker you can purchase separately. We didn’t purchase it and we still were able to enjoy the ride. Those who are frequent visitors to the park can definitely get more out of it. Besides the obvious fact that they are adorable and fully customizable. But they only serve for that ride. Which we only did once as the line kept being longer each time we checked. The most was 180 minutes. 

Some of the cons were obvious. The long wait for the rides, the heat from the summertime, large crowds of people all the time, and the pricey food and beverages. Some things to offset these: you can purchase a pass to jump the lines, the park is set up with water misting fans in every corner to offset the heat, and the crowds can be avoided by going in off seasons or earlier in the mornings. We went to the park on Thursday at 11am-3pm and also Sunday at 10am-noon for the second time. Both were equally busy for the summer time. Fortunately the park opens at 9am and closes at around 8pm. Giving you and your family plenty of time to enjoy the park at any time. As for the food, there are plenty of options throughout the park for every budget. 

I wanted to mention one last thing regarding stores and souvenirs. There are lots and lots of stores inside the park, most of which carry exclusive items that may not be available outside the park. One suggestion that I have is to go over the souvenir shops outside of the park (Downtown Area with restaurants and shop just outside the park doors called Universal CityWalk) and see what is available and what you like. Lots of these items are available inside the park but you may not want to carry them all day while you are getting on rides. For the things you can buy outside the park, wait till you are done with your day, then purchase the souvenirs. But be mindful of going into the stores inside the park, there are so many more options for souvenirs and t-shirts that are only available inside. So make sure you are planning ahead and being smart so you don’t end up walking all over the park with 3 bags full of goodies. (tip: take a picture of what you like! So many cute things to remember)  

I will do a review for the hotel in a separate blog post. Thank you for reading.  

Marianna @ Wildflower Travel Agency