9 Best Rides for Toddlers at Universal Studios Hollywood

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Universal Studios Hollywood is one of California’s top theme parks for families. While the park mainly appeals to older families with tweens and teens, several rides are still perfect for toddlers.

I visited Universal Studios Hollywood with my son multiple times before his fourth birthday. As a result, I’ve gained first-hand experience of the best toddler rides at the theme park.

1. 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 son Oliver on this ride when he was 14 months old, 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, at 14 months, Oliver wasn’t tall enough to reach. So, if you’re riding with a child who is scared of heights, you can adjust the vehicle accordingly.

Pro Tip: This area also has an outdoor splash pad. So, if you’re visiting Universal Studios Hollywood with toddlers in the summer, I suggest packing a change of clothes.

2. 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.

3. 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 toddlers, 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.

Pro Tip: You can limit your toddler’s view of the scary scenes at the Bates Motel and Jaws by seating them at the front left-hand side of the tram.

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.

Pro Tip: You do not leave the tram during the hour-long tour, and there are no bathroom breaks. If you’re travelling to the theme park with a newly potty-trained toddler, this is worth remembering.

4. 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 and the newest ride at the theme park.

However, this ride also requires a minimum height of 40″ when riding, even with supervision. So it’s not suitable for all ages visiting Universal Studios.

The Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge ride is located inside Super Nintendo World and is similar to 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.

5. 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 for toddlers at Universal Studios Hollywood. However, frustratingly, it has a very high height requirement for what it is.

I say, “for what it is”, 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.

6. 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. Even if your kids haven’t seen the Harry Potter films or read the books, they’ll still enjoy going on this ride.

7. 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 toddler is prone to sickness.

8. 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.

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 attacks from enemy robots which may be scary for younger guests.

9. 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.