How to Plan a Trip to Universal Studios Hollywood
The perfect day at Universal Studios Hollywood doesn’t start at the theme park. Instead, it starts at home with the correct planning and preparation.
Since Universal Studios Hollywood is a relatively small it doesn’t need as much planning as some other theme parks.
Nevertheless, spending a small amount of time thinking about your trip will make a big difference. But what things do you need to think about?
- When you’re going to visit
- How many days you’re going to visit for
- Where you’re going to stay
- How you’re going to get to the theme park
- Do you need Universal Express Pass
- Buying your Universal theme park tickets
- Researching rides & attractions
- Planning your start times
- Downloading the Universal Studios mobile app
- Reserving a table for dinner
It sounds like a lot, but in reality you can tick pretty much everything off on this list in a few hours. An trust me when I say, it’s going to make a huge impact on your day(s) at the theme park.
1. When Are You Going to Visit Universal Studios Hollywood
When planning a trip to Universal Hollywood, the first thing to do is decide when you will visit.
Depending on your circumstances, you may already have this decided for you. However, it’s worth considering the best time to visit if you have some flexibility. The best time to visit could depend on:
- Crowd levels
- The weather
- Ride opening dates
- Themed decor
For me, the best time to visit is always when the crowds are at their lowest, typically from January through March.
However, the trade-off with visiting at this time of year is that it’s typically much colder than in summer. Plus, there’s no cool decor like you’d find if you visited over Halloween or Christmas.
2. How Many Days You’re Going to Spend at Universal Studios Hollywood
The time of year you visit Universal Studios Hollywood may also influence the number of days you spend at the theme park. Typically, you can see and do everything at Universal Studios Hollywood in just one day.
This means that if you’re visiting in the off-peak season, you should only need one day at the theme park.
However, if you’re visiting during peak season, which is:
- During the holidays (Thanksgiving, Halloween & Christmas)
- During Spring Break and summer
- When new rides or attractions are opening
Then you may want to spend two days at Universal Studios Hollywood so that you can see and do everything.
3. Where You’re Going to Stay When Visiting Universal Studios Hollywood
Once you’ve decided on the when and how long, it’s time to think about where you’re going to stay. This is a particularly tricky decision as it depends on what else you’re doing while in LA.
Unlike at Universal Orlando there are no ‘on-site’ hotels at Universal Studios Hollywood. Although there are several hotels within walking distance.
Personally, we opt to stay down in Hollywood when visiting Universal Studios. It’s roughly a 15 to 20 minute drive even in LA traffic. Plus, when down in Hollywood we can walk to other attractions, stores and restaurants.
If you plan to also visit Disneyland then you may want to move hotels before a visit Universal Studios. Otherwise it’s typically a 90 minute drive each way in LA traffic which can add a lot of time onto your day.
4. How You’re Going to Travel to Universal Studios Hollywood
Once you’ve decided where you’ll stay, you’ll need to plan how to get to the theme park.
- Walking: If you’re staying in a nearby hotel
- Driving: If you’ve got access to a car
- Public Transport: If you’re on a good transport route
- Uber or Lyft: If you’ve not got access to a vehicle and want the convenience
If you’re driving, you’ll also want to consider where you want to park your car at Universal Studios.
5. Do You Need a Universal Express Pass
Before you rush to buy your Universal tickets, you should first consider purchasing a Universal Express Pass. The Universal Express Pass allows you to skip the line on selected rides in the theme park.
If you’re visiting during the off-season, you’ll likely not need this. You should be able to see and do everything at Universal Studios in just one day. However, if you’re visiting during peak season, it’s worth considering, particularly if you only have one day available.
6. Buying Your Universal Studios Hollywood Park Tickets
You’re now ready to go ahead and buy your Universal Studios Hollywood theme park tickets.
I recommend buying your theme park tickets in advance to get the best price. Plus, you can go straight into the theme park when you arrive rather than waiting outside to buy tickets.
7. Researching Universal Rides & Attractions
Before we discuss planning your day at Universal in detail, it’s a good idea to research the theme park’s rides and attractions.
I have a complete list of all the rides at Universal Studios Hollywood here, and there are three things you want to take note of in particular:
- The ride height requirements
- The ride theme and concept
- Average wait times
If you’re travelling with kids, you can use the height requirements list to determine which rides your kids can and can’t go on. Now is also a good time to decide if you still want to go on these rides and take advantage of the child swap.
Using the rides theme and concept you can then make a list of ‘must do’ rides and prioritise them accordingly. You want to aim to go on the ‘must do’ rides with the longest average wait time first. Since wait times are the lowest when the theme park first opens.
8. Planning Your Universal Studios Hollywood Start Times
Wait times at Universal Studios Hollywood are the lowest when the theme park first opens. Therefore, my number one tip for visiting Universal is to arrive early. You need to work out a few key times to achieve this:
- What time do you need to wake up
- What time do you need to leave your accommodation
- What time do you aim to arrive at the theme park
To calculate these times, I suggest working backwards from the park opening time, which you can find online. In this example, I assume the theme park opens at 10.00am and that we will drive to the theme park and park in general parking.
It’s a 15-minute walk from the general parking garage to the theme park entrance, so I must be out of the car by 9:30am. This means I need to be driving into the Universal City area at around 9:15am.
Using Google Maps, I can see it’s a 30-minute drive from my accommodation to Universal Studios. It’s important to adjust the travel time to account for the expected extra traffic. Which means I must leave my accommodation at 8:45am.
I estimate it’ll take about an hour to get everyone dressed and make breakfast. This means I need to be getting up between 7.30 and 7.45am.
So, from this I have my key times:
- Wake up between 7.30 and 7.45am
- Leave accommodation at 8:45am
- Arrive at theme park in car at 9:15am
- Arrive at theme park gates in person at 9:45am
9. Download The Universal Studios Mobile App
The Universal Studios Hollywood Mobile App shows the real-time wait times for all rides. Now, you should always go to your ‘must-do’ rides with the longest average wait times first. This will save you the most time throughout your day.
However, after the theme park has been open for around two hours the wait times should average out. You can then use the Universal Studios Hollywood Mobile App to work out which rides you should go on next.
10. Make Dining Reservations For Dinner
If you plan to have dinner at one of the restaurants at CityWalk, you’ll want to reserve your table in advance. Tables book up quickly at peak dining times, regardless of the time of year.
This is especially true in the most popular CityWalk restaurants such as Toothsome Chocolate Emporium. So it’s worth reserving that table in advance to avoid disappointment or a long standby wait time.