Recently I took a trip to the home of Harry Potter Land, studio back lots and Frankenstein; Universal Studios Hollywood. Before I share my experience and tips to get the most out of a day at Universal Studios, I want to disclose that as a So-Cal resident, I’m really fortunate to live 20 minutes away from the park so I was in no rush to get there.
For those of you who haven’t visited Universal Studios in Hollywood, it’s pretty much like any other theme park. You have your attractions, your rides and your shops and food. If you’re like me however, you want the bang for your buck without spending extra. I mean the ticket alone is $125 at the gate ($109 if you buy ahead of time online.) California residents have an option to buy tickets online for $99 or $104 on selected dates. To check ticket prices on selected dates you can click here.
With that being said, ya girl was out to ride ALL the rides and see as much as possible because let’s be real, just because I live near the park doesn’t mean I go all the time. Below I’m sharing a few of my tips and tricks to get the most out of a day at Universal Studios or in my case a few hours.
Get a map
First things first, if you didn’t look at a map of the park ahead of time or it’s your first time there I recommend getting a map. The map alone helps set a route and prepare your party for what’s to come. I don’t know about you guys, but I like to have a little bit of a game plan when I go to theme parks. I like to make sure I’m going to see the most and experience everything I need to. I also really enjoy marking things off a map that I’ve already done. I get a weird sense of accomplishment lol am I the only one?
Go Single Rider
I can’t stress it enough how AWESOME the single rider’s option is! It saves so much time and half the time you end up riding with your party anyway. I highly recommend this for the more popular rides like Jurassic Park, The Mummy, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, etc. My sister waited almost two hours to get on the Harry Potter ride and I got on the ride within 20 minutes and rode another one all while she was STILL in the same line. Needless to say we went through the single rider line for the rest of the rides and even sat next to each other a few times. Clearly this option won’t work if you go with a super large party but for a party of six that didn’t mind getting split up, it worked just fine.
Make the Most of Your Time
Don’t waste your time in one section of the park. Yes, Harry Potter Land is cool and I’m a sucker for some beer and bar food at Moe’s but the rides are waiting! This might not work if you have kids but if you don’t, why be stuck in one section?
*Bonus tip*: I didn’t do the back-lot thing but if you are interested, I suggest getting that out of the way first since it does take one hour and once off conquer that side of the park or head over to Harry Potter Land as it’s ALWAYS packed.
Take a reusable Canteen
Don’t make the same mistake I did and buy a $9 16 oz. water bottle or was it 20 oz? Either way, ugh! Save some money and time buy taking your own canteen (I prefer this 32 oz stainless steel bottle from Amazon that keeps water cold all day.) By taking your own water not only do you save those $9 but you skip the line to buy water and then kill any temptation to look at shops.
Shop last
Every time I go to a theme park I always wait to shop last! Yes, the crowds in the store will be bigger but honestly at that point you’ve done all you wanted to so eh, I’m willing to wait. Also, by doing this you prevent yourself from carrying extra things while waiting in line for rides. Harry Potter Land is FULL of shops so it might be hard to resist if you’re a huge fan. If that’s the case, have at it! Just be wary of the time and the activities you want to do.
There you have it ladies and gents, my guide to getting the most out of your trip to Universal Studios Hollywood. If you’re interested in going the park is open Monday through Thursday from 10am to 6pm, Fri from 10am to 7pm and Saturday and Sunday from 9am-9pm keep in mind that as summer approaches times may change.
Have you ever been to Universal Studios? Also, what are some of your theme park tips? I’d love to know what some of you do to get the most out of your trips. Until next time babes!
This will be very help full when I get the time
To do this it’s in my bucket list
I went to Universal Orlando and liked it better than Disney World! We also did one day and even though there weren’t crowds, we spent most of the time in Wizarding World, so I think two days would have been better so we could ride the rest of the rides the next day.