At the beginning of April, we made our second trip to California and with that, we had to go back to Universal Studios in Hollywood and hope for better weather (the last time we visited, there was torrential rain for the whole day).
I have added some questions we received from Instagram about our visit, so check them out at the end of the blog!
Luckily this time, the weather was beautiful, and we could get as much done as possible in the park.
Universal Studios is based in the Hollywood hills and the park itself is spread over 2 levels, the Upper Lot and the Lower Lot. The Upper Lot includes lands like Minion Land, Springfield, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Production Plaza and Studio Tour.
Production Plaza has plenty of places to eat, shows like the Kung Fu Panda show and has a very cool walk through of movie sets that transport you to New York (with New York locals welcoming guests all day), London and Paris.
Here we also met a really good number of characters (with short wait times) in this area. We met Shrek, Princess Fiona, King Julien (the Lemur from Madagascar), Dracula, Frankenstein and the Bride of Frankenstein, Scooby Doo, and Hello Kitty.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was our first port of call. We were so excited to experience the area, and we were not disappointed!
As soon as we entered the area through the Hogsmeade gates we were met with the Hogwarts Train and the conductor welcoming guests, and this was our first photo opportunity in this area. There are lots of shops like Honeydukes, Gladrags Wizardwear and Owl Post, and a place to eat called the Three Broomsticks which offers traditional English breakfast, lunch and dinner. The next thing we did was to treat ourselves to a Frozen Butterbeer. On a warm day it is the best thing to get in the park.
There are two rides in the area; a junior family-friendly coaster called the Flight of the Hippogriff and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.
Flight of the Hippogriff is a nice ride, but we felt it just isn’t long enough. As soon as it starts it is pretty much finished. But the second ride in the area literally took our breath away! We loved it, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is truly magical. The set pieces, animatronics, and the screens were amazing! I understand that some people might get motion sickness on this ride (and my husband is prone this) but we didn’t get that at all.
The land is so immersive, it takes you into the Harry Potter world, when we first saw the Hogwarts Castle, our daughter literally gasped and couldn’t believe how magical and realistic it looked.
TOP TIP: Either bring a smaller bag to the park or be prepared to put your bag in the lockers provided. We had 2 backpacks and a handbag in our group, so we decided to get a bigger locker which cost $5 to go on the rides. If you have a smaller bag, the smaller lockers are free and are included with your ticket.
Minion Land consists of an area with plenty of rides like Despicable Me Minion Mayhem. This is a ride where you are tasked with becoming a Minion and joining the gang. The ride takes you on a trip through Gru’s laboratory, the ride was a lot of fun and our daughter absolutely loved it.
In the Super Silly Fun Land, there is an aerial carousel, fair ground games where you can win Minion themed prizes and a small water park. Its perfect for smaller children especially because it is where you can meet Gru and his Minions.
TOP TIP: on a warm / hot day remember your kids swimming outfits as there is a splash park in this area and it is a great way for them cool down.
The other attraction in the area is, one of favourite dark rides, The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash. This ride was so cute, we were in awe of all the animatronics and effects that were on offer and could have ridden the ride continuously if possible. Our daughter had to purchase a plush of one of the stars of the film and the ride – Daisy, the little Shiz-Tsu.
Springfield is also located in the Upper Lot and has a lot of places to get food, merch, meet and greets (we got to meet Homer), and the Simpsons ride. It is a very vibrant area with a lot of cute photo opportunities and lots of nods to the show, especially the music being played throughout the day (it took me back to my youth) which would be a hit with all Simpson’s fans!
The other area in the Upper Lot includes the Studio Tour area, which consists of the world-famous tour that takes you on a 60-minute tour around loads of your favourite film and TV shows. This is an attraction that must be done, so setting aside 60 minutes from your day is a must-do!
Another show is the WaterWorld show which shows off some incredible stunts, explosions and thrills and if you want to get wet there are several sections of the arena where you can get a good soaking!
While we were in the area we came across Theme Park Services, where we noticed that they offer Quiet Rooms for a sensory break for guests with additional needs. The area tucked away and would be a great escape for anyone that needed a little break from the hectic park or even the weather.
The Lower Lot area consists of Transformers Metrobase, Jurassic World and Super Nintendo World.
As you come down the last escalator you are met with the famous drop of the water-ride Jurassic World – The Ride. This is the only ride in the Jurassic World land but the ride itself is such a good water ride, the drop is intense and the story leading up to the climax is so well themed and has so many nods to the films, it literally puts you in the immersive world of Jurassic Park.
There are again plenty of places to eat, a lovely dinosaur themed merch shop – where we were served by one of the nicest crew members who taught us how to perform sign language, and finally at the Raptor Encounter are where lucky to enough to get in the short queue to meet Blue the Velociraptor, which was such a cool… but ever so slightly scary meet and greet.
Transformers Metrobase is the next land you come across on your journey and here you can ride Mummy The Ride and Transformers The Ride 3D (unfortunately this was down when we were there), and you can also meet Optimus Prime, Megatron and Bumblebee – the times never worked out for us, so my husband was gutted we didn’t meet either Optimus Prime or Bumblebee.
Super Nintendo World is the newest land to be added to the theme park and hosts the Mario Kart Bower’s Challenge, which is an immersive take on the Mario Kart game. Having ridden the ride twice now and not really enjoyed it the first time, I can say riding it again, it is an awesome ride.
The land itself is super immersive, it literally feels like you have been dropped in the game. There are moving parts all over the land and there is always something to look at when you are waiting in line for something or just taking in your surroundings.
Also, in the land you can dine at Toadstool Café which does need a reservation but is well themed and offers some good food. There are plenty of meet and greets too. We got to meet Mario and Luigi, Toad and Princess Peach – all one after the other. However, we noticed that they were never out for long and the queue was often closed off by the time they came out. So if characters is your thing, you will want to factor this into your planning!
After we had ridden all the rides, met loads of characters, and did a load of shopping, we headed to Universal City where we checked out more unique shops, had a bite to eat (you must visit Voodoo Doughnuts) and some ice cream – we headed back to our hotel in Anaheim.
It was safe to say, our day at Universal Studios Hollywood was incredible! We had the most amazing day, and we want to thank Universal Studios for inviting us to the park.
Some Q&A’s as taken from Instagram –
Q – I had no idea there was a Universal Park in Hollywood. Is this new?
A – No! Its actually the original which is what we really like about this particular park.
Q – Would you recommend this over Disneyland?
A – I would highly recommend visiting both Universal and Disneyland if you can, because they are very different. Universal quenches our need for speed!
Q – Are the height restrictions a problem for small kids?
A – I would always recommend checking height restrictions upon planning visits to theme parks as the truth is that sometimes very small children won’t be able to ride much. However, we were surprised how many rides could accommodate smaller children and the general atmosphere and character meets makes it perfect for everyone.
Q – Can you spend a whole day there?
A – Easily! There is a lot to do between rides, shows and characters. The splash park was especially helpful as it was really warm when we visited, and our daughter ended up spending an hour in there alone!
Q – Is it better than Orlando?
A – Universal Orlando was the first Universal park that I ever visited. It is very different even though some elements are very similar. I can’t say whether it is better, but I can say that I prefer it! Though, we are visiting Florida next February to check out the new parks so I will let you know!
Q – Would you say this is the best park to visit if only visiting one?
A – (I am taking this question as if someone is travelling to California and can only visit one theme park). I would say it depends where you are basing yourself. We were based in Anaheim which is around an hour away from LA (when you factor in the traffic). As we had a hire car we pretty much travelled around, but it would be tricky without a car. Drop me an email and I can hopefully advise better!
Q – I really enjoyed seeing your California visit. Especially to Universal. It looks more quaint?
A – I think that might be a good way to put it. Its smaller and the lay out is really unique. It has such a fun vibe.
Garcia Family UK 