12 Best Rides for Kids at Universal Studios Hollywood
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Universal Studios Hollywood is a family-friendly theme park. As a result there are some amazing kid-friendly rides to choose from.
I’ve visited Universal Studios Hollywood with my kids several times over the years, so I know firsthand which rides kids love (and hate) at the park.
I’ve listed my 12 favourite kid rides at Universal Studios Hollywood below. However, I’ve also listed each ride’s height requirement and fear factor to help you decide which rides are best for your family.
1. Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge
📏 Height Requirement: 40″ (102cm)
⏰ Average Wait Time: 120 minutes
🧍 Single Rider: Yes
😬 Fear Factor: 1
Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge is the best ride for kids at Universal Studios Hollywood. It’s also the newest ride at the theme park.
The Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge ride is like the Mario Kart game. However, the AR technology makes you feel like you are the character and that you’re driving the kart.
This is a fantastic, family-friendly ride, even if you or your kids have never played Mario Kart. However, the AR technology inside the visor you wear on the ride does take some getting used to.
I’ve given this ride a fear factor of one. Some small turns and 4D effects can catch you by surprise. However, the ride itself is far from scary. You stay on the ground at all times; there are no loops, and there is no speed.
Even still, Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge uses a lap bar for safety and security. The lap bar must securely fit around your waist to ride this ride. A test seat is located at the entrance, on the right before the stairs.
2. The World Famous Studio Tour
📏 Height Requirement: None
⏰ Average Wait Time: 23 minutes
🧍 Single Rider: No
😬 Fear Factor: 3
The World-Famous Studio Tour is the highlight of Universal Studios Hollywood. This hour-long tram ride covers 100 years of film history, covering 400 acres of working production studios. Some of the popular films and TV shows shot here include:
- Back to the Future
- Jurassic Park
- The Mummy
- Desperate Housewives
- The Good Place
The World-Famous Studio Tour has no height requirement. However, some scenes may be scary for younger guests, hence the score of 3 in the fear factor rating. Some of the ‘scary’ scenes you’ll see on the tour include:
- Bates Motel and the Psycho House: Step into the eerie world of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller.
- War of the Worlds Crash Site: Witness the aftermath of an alien invasion with a crashed aeroplane and a chaotic scene.
- Jaws: Keep an eye out for the famous shark that terrified audiences.
The World-Famous Studio Tour also includes two 4D experiences:
- Fast & Furious – Supercharged: Get ready for high-speed action with the Fast & Furious crew.
- King Kong 360 3-D: Experience an epic battle between King Kong and dinosaurs in an immersive 3D environment.
Unfortunately, these are not optional. However, they only last a couple of minutes each.
3. Secret Life of Pets: Off The Leash
📏 Height Requirement: 34″ (87cm)
⏰ Average Wait Time: 25 minutes
🧍Single Rider: Yes
😬 Fear Factor: 0
The Secret Life of Pets: Off The Leash is one of the best rides at Universal Studios Hollywood for little kids. However, it also has a surprisingly tall height requirement.
I say, surprising, as this ride goes at about five mph and is the only ride on this list I’ve given a fear factor rating of 0.
The concept of the Secret Life of Pets ride is that you’re going through the streets of New York in search of a new forever home.
Each ride vehicle seats up to four people in two rows of two with a lap bar for safety. As one of the newest rides at the park, this ride features some of the latest technology, including fun special effects and 64 animatronics.
4. Flight of the Hippogriff
📏 Height Requirement: 39″ (100cm)
⏰ Average Wait Time: 19 minutes
🧍Single Rider: Yes
😬 Fear Factor: 2
Flight of the Hippogriff is a fantastic introductory rollercoaster for younger kids. It’s a smooth, relatively tame outdoor ride with no loops or intense speeds.
The seating format is also beneficial. Each Hippogriff ride vehicle has several open-air carriages, each seating two riders side by side.
5. Silly Swirly Fun Ride
📏 Height Requirement: None
⏰ Average Wait Time: 10 minutes
🧍Single Rider: No
😬 Fear Factor: 1
The Silly Swirly Fun Ride is the only ‘real ride’ at Universal Studios Hollywood with no height requirement. However, children must be able to sit independently.
I took my 14-month-old on this ride on one of my most recent trips to Universal, and he loved it.
Each ride vehicle is a colourful bug that takes you around a central point from a height from which you can see all of Super Silly Fun Land.
Children can control the height of their ride vehicle using a handle. However, my little one wasn’t tall enough to reach. So, if you’re riding with a child scared of heights, you can adjust the vehicle accordingly.
6. DreamWorks Theatre Featuring Kung Fu Panda
📏 Height Requirement: None
⏰ Average Wait Time: 10 minutes
🧍Single Rider: No
😬 Fear Factor: 1
DreamWorks Theatre Featuring Kung Fu Panda is a multi-sensory attraction. Think of it like a 4D cinema experience rather than a ride.
The DreamWorks Theatre itself features a 180-degree screen and 360-degree surround sound. Meanwhile, the production includes special effects including; water, wind & scent.
With no height requirement, this attraction is suitable for all ages. However, the special effects and scenes may shock or surprise some younger guests.
The film is PG and follows Po and his friends as they battle villains to protect their home. You don’t have to have seen Kung Fu Panda to be able to follow or understand the storyline.
7. Jurassic World – The Ride
📏 Height Requirement: 42″ (107cm)
⏰ Average Wait Time: 47 minutes
🧍Single Rider: Yes
😬 Fear Factor: 4
In Jurassic World: The Ride, you board a raft with five rows, each containing four to five people.
The concept of the ride is that you’re exploring the Jurassic World. However, it’s not long before you discover a dinosaur has escaped. The ride climaxes with a 26m drop from darkness to the outside into water, which results in you getting wet.
I’ve given this ride a fear factor of four for two reasons. First, the ride’s theme may be scary for some younger guests.
Second, the 26m drop. You wouldn’t know about the drop if you didn’t see the ride from the outside. The same applies when you’re inside the raft. Unless you’re in the first two rows, you won’t necessarily see it coming until you’re halfway down.
8. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
📏 Height Requirement: 40″ (102cm)
⏰ Average Wait Time: 25 minutes
🧍Single Rider: No
😬 Fear Factor: 1
Despicable Me Minion Mayhem is a motion simulator ride which takes place in a theatre-style room within Gru’s House. Each seat faces a large curved screen, and a lap bar fastens each rider in place.
The motion simulation of this ride isn’t as bad as some of the other rides at Universal Studios Hollywood. However, it is something to be aware of if your little ones are prone to sickness.
Pro Tip: Despicable Me characters are often available for photos outside the ride entrance.
9. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
📏 Height Requirement: 48″ (122cm)
⏰ Average Wait Time: 32 minutes
🧍Single Rider: Yes
😬 Fear Factor: 2
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is a robocoaster. Seats are in sets of four, but the individual over-the-head lap bar makes it difficult to see the person next to you.
As such, it can be hard to comfort or support a child who may get scared during this ride. A robotic arm holds the seats on an overhead track, and most of the ride occurs in the dark.
The concept of the ride is that you’re riding a broomstick across Hogwarts with Harry, Ron and Hermione. However, as you might expect, it’s not free from surprising events.
This ride doesn’t move fast, and you never go upside down. Although you do briefly ride on your back. The ride doesn’t require 3D glasses but is still known to cause sickness.
10. Revenge of The Mummy – The Ride
📏 Height Requirement: 48″ (121cm)
⏰ Average Wait Time: 30 minutes
🧍Single Rider: Yes
😬 Fear Factor: 4
Revenge of the Mummy is the scariest ride at Universal Studios Hollywood. However, as far as rollercoasters go, it’s still pretty tame.
This is an indoor rollercoaster set in the dark. The ride doesn’t go upside down, but it does reach top speeds of up to 45 mph (72 km/h), has sudden drops and goes backwards.
The seating format of Revenge of the Mummy is four across, with each rider having a lap bar. This means there is some restriction between you and the person beside you. Making supporting children during the ride difficult.
Aside from the speed, darkness and drops on this ride, the theme is also scary. As the name suggests, this ride includes Mummy animatronics and light and fire effects.
11. Transformers: The Ride 3-D
📏 Height Requirement: 40″ (102cm)
⏰ Average Wait Time: 30 minutes
🧍Single Rider: Yes
😬 Fear Factor: 4
Transformers: The Ride 3-D is an indoor 3D simulator dark ride. On this ride, you’ll join the Autobots racing through the city in an EVAC on a mission to save Earth from the Decepticons.
The format of each EVAC is three rows of four, with each row sharing a lap bar. The EVAC can tilt in all directions, slide on its base and rotate 360° while moving along a track. Unsurprisingly, this can cause severe motion sickness in some people.
This motion sickness is one of two reasons I’ve given Transformers: The Ride 3-D a fear factor of 4. The other is the ride’s theme, which includes dodging explosions, falling debris, and fierce attacks from enemy robots.
12. The Simpsons Ride
📏 Height Requirement: 40″ (102cm)
⏰ Average Wait Time: 40 minutes
🧍Single Rider: Yes
😬 Fear Factor: 2
The Simpsons Ride is the worst ride at Universal Studios Hollywood; that hurts me because I love The Simpsons. However, the motion sickness this ride causes is horrible.
I don’t ever suffer from motion sickness, but this ride gets me every time, and it takes me several hours to recover.
The Simpsons Ride sees you join the Simpsons family in visiting Krusty the Clown’s new theme park. This low-budget park is full of quirks that result in you taking on some high-speed twists and turns, smashing and blasting through objects.
