Getting To Universal Studios Hollywood From Anaheim
A rental car is a good option if youre going to be driving around the Los Angeles area quite a bit or going to multiple other theme parks or attractions. Remember to figure in the parking fee of $25-$50, depending on how close to the front you want to park . Allow a good 1.5 2 hours to drive there during morning traffic, which will be stop and go most of the time. Its only 40 minutes if theres no traffic, but realistically, during normal daytime hours theres going to be traffic. From the Disneyland area, theres really only one good route get on I-5 heading north, and about 20 miles up the road you switch to the 101 north, and eventually youll see signs for the Universal Studios exit. Coming back, just reverse directions: 101 south to I-5 south to the Disneyland exit.
You can take a cab just call one directly or have bell services, the valet or front desk of your hotel call one for you. Keep in mind its a long trip: the round-trip fare is likely to be $275 $325 with tip. Lyft will be less, more like $120-$150 depending on traffic.
Missing Rides And Differences In The Shows
The most obvious difference from the Florida version of the park is the lack of Hagrids Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure and the Hogwarts Express. The latter allows you to move quickly between Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley at the Universal Studios in Orlando.
Unlike Universal Studios Orlando, Universal Studios Hollywood no longer has the Nighttime Lights at HogwartsCastle. However, in its place, it has Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle, a show of music, lights, and special effects that will materialize before your eyes the darkest creatures of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, including the villain par excellence, Lord Voldemort. Currently, this experience is exclusive to Universal Studios in Hollywood.
Fast & Furious Supercharged
Featured on The World-Famous Studio Tour, ride along with the all-star cast from the hit movies on an exhilarating high-speed chase that exceeds 120 miles per hour and catapults you into the high-stakes underworld of fast cars and international crime cartels. Youll be engulfed in a world of cutting-edge, hyper-realistic special effects, including 3D-HD imagery projected onto the worlds most expansive 360-degree screens!
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Universal Studios Hollywood: Vip Experience
- Live guide in English, Mandarin, Spanish
Combine Universal Studios Hollywood with other Los Angeles favorites. Some things are better together.
Book once and enhance your experience with this convenient combination of 2 must sees
Book once and enhance your experience with this convenient combination of 2 must sees
Universal Studios Hollywood is the nonstop, action-packed blockbuster entertainment capital of L.A. It has thrilling rides and shows, plus the chance to see a real-life movie studio at work. It’s in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County and is accessible by car.
Opening hours
Gate Ticket Prices And Availability
The cost of Universal Studios Hollywood tickets rises and falls based on season and demand. If traveling during peak season, it is wise to purchase tickets in advance to avoid surge pricing.
General gate prices are as follows:
- 1-Day General Admission ticket , valid for a particular day only, is currently around $159/ticket.
- 1-Day General Admission ticket , valid for a particular day only, is currently around $159/ticket.
- Universal Express ticket, which entitles the holder to one-time priority access to each ride, attraction, and seated show, is currently around $399/ticket.
- VIP Experience tickets, which include unlimited priority access to all rides, attractions, and shows, as well as an expert-guided tour, a continental breakfast, a gourmet lunch in the VIP dining room, and valet parking, start at $519/ticket.
Kids under the age of 3 are always free.
Check the online calendar for park hours. The park opens at different times, depending on the time of the year and the day of the week. Date-specific tickets are required unless you have a Go Los Angeles pass .
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Jurassic World The Ride
Minimum Height Required: 42″
Prepare yourself for the epic evolution of Jurassic World The Ride. Enter an immersive land and come face-to-face with the Indominus rex as she stalks you through the jungle. Get caught in the fray as shes confronted by her archrival, the Tyrannosaurus rex, in a battle for the ages. Your only hope for survival is to escape her grasp as you plunge down a giant 84- foot waterfall to safety.
Is The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter A Separate Park
Just to help understand the process of how to plan the perfect Harry Potter vacation, we are also going to cover if the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a separate park. Unfortunately at Universal there is not a separate Harry Potter theme park. Both Wizarding World of Harry Potter areas are lands inside of the larger theme parks with limited shopping, dining and attractions. That is why you do not need a separate Harry Potter World ticket.
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Hogsmeade Villagethe Shops Dining And Beverages
Among the shops are Zonkos Joke Shop, which sells silly items such as extendable ears. All kinds of wizard stuff, quidditch gear, and Hogwarts school supplies are available at Dervish and Banges and Filchs Emporium of Confiscated Goods. Goods can also be purchased at Wiseacre’s Wizarding Equipment and Gladrags Wizardwear, two stores that are unique to Hollywood’s Hogsmeade. Honeydukes offers sweet treats such as Bertie Botts Every-Flavour Beans and chocolate frogs.
At the wand shop, Ollivanders, visitors can see a brief demonstration in which the wand chooses the wizard before heading off to purchase an authentic Harry Potter wand. At the original wand shop in Florida, the capacity is very small, and the lines can be very long to see the show. In California, the park has doubled the capacity, but the lines can still get quite long.
British fare such as fish and chips is available at the quick-service restaurant, Three Broomsticks. It’s surprisingly tasty and a definite cut above typical theme park food. The magic elixir, butterbeer, is available at the Hog’s Head Pub adjacent to the restaurant as well as at beverage carts. It is so popular, you would probably feel as if you hadnt truly visited the Wizarding World unless you purchased and consumed one. The delicious and curiously addictive non-alcoholic drink is available cold and frozen . Regardless, both are topped with a frothy foam that invariably gives those drinking it a white mustache.
How Is It Different From The Wizarding World In Orlando
Although the two themed areas have the same name there actually have substantial differences. First of all, the one in Orlando actually consists of two areas , which in turn are located in two neighboring but distinct parks , while the one in Los Angeles consists of only one area that shares similarities with the Hogsmeade in Florida. Consequently, you can understand how the Hollywood version is consequently smaller and has fewer attractions than the one in Orlando.
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Universal Studios Hollywood & Other Major Attractions
Go City Los Angeles Pass
Go City Los Angeles Pass is an all-inclusive pass that allows you to visit as many attractions as you want within a set number of days . You pay one discount price for the number of days you choose. These work well if you are visiting at least two major attractions plus some less expensive attractions. The more attractions you visit, the more you save.
Go City Los Angeles Pass: This all-inclusive pass includes Universal Studios, Legoland, Knotts Berry Farm, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Discovery Cube OC, The Hollywood Museum, Dolby Theatre Guided Tour, Warner Bros. VIP Studio Tour, Madame Tussauds Hollywood, The Huntington Library, Aquarium of the Pacific, and lots more. Plus, MouseSavers readers get an extra 10% off purchase price!
How Can You Get Free Parking
Platinum Annual Pass and Gold Annual Pass holders receive free parking before 6 p.m. All other guests are usually required to pay for parking. However, right now, self-parking is free and valet parking is unavailable.
Normally, before 5 p.m., general parking costs $30, preferred parking is $50, front gate parking is $70, and valet parking is $25 for the first two hours. All parking rates are reduced if you arrive after 5 p.m.
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Our Guide To Universal Studios Hollywood Tickets
Get Ready for the Ultimate Hollywood Movie Experience! With a Universal Studios Hollywood ticket, you can take a rare peek at the movie sets for blockbusters like The War of the Worlds and visit 13 city blocks of historic studio lot on The World Famous Studio Tour. Then, star in the thrilling rides, shows and attractions that cast you inside the movie action. Youll face raging dinosaurs, battling TRANSFORMERS, an army of mummy warriors and much more!
Explore The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and discover everything from magical spells to magical creatures, from dark villains to daring heroes. Make your way down the familiar passageways and corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and visit iconic locations such as Dumbledore’s office, the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, the Gryffindor’s common room, the Room of Requirement, and more before soaring above Hogwarts castle with Harry Potter and his friends, coming face-to-face with an array of magical creatures.
Then use your Universal Studios Hollywood ticket to discover the exciting world of Illuminations The Secret Life of Pets as you join Max, Duke, Gidget and Snowball on a journey through the streets of New York City. And don’t miss the chance to learn Hollywood movie-making secrets at the Special Effects Show, where real Hollywood stuntmen and cutting-edge technology come together to recreate scenes from your favourite blockbuster movies!
Linger And Take In The Ambiance
Rather than rushing to the Forbidden Journey attraction and skedaddling on to another area at Universal Studios Hollywood after it’s over, visitors, especially diehard Potter fans, should take the time to linger in Hogsmeade Village. The level of immersive themeing is incredible. You’ll feel as if you have truly entered the Scottish village depicted in Rowling’s books and the movies they inspired.
There are actual props from the movies embedded around the land. The “ancient” buildings look as if they have endured centuries of wear and lean this way and that from settling. Window displays spring to life when activated by specially equipped wands that are available for purchase. Even the bathrooms are themed. Tanks are mounted above the toilets as if they were installed eons ago. And if you listen carefully, “Moaning Murtle” can be heard lurking in the loos.
At the front of the land is Hogsmeade Station and the Hogwarts Express. Stationed in front of the train’s smoking engine, a conductor greets guests as they enter. The train, however, never leaves the station. Inside the station is a reproduction of a Hogwarts Express passenger compartment in which guests can have their photos taken.
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Flight Of The Hippogriff
Flight of the Hippogriff is a family-friendly roller coaster that everyone in the family can enjoy together.
To get to Flight of the Hippogriff, visitors must enter the Care of Magical Creatures grounds and pass by Hagrids hut.
As you near the ride, Hagrid offers instructions on the best way to approach a Hippogriff the magical creature with front legs, wings, and head of a giant eagle and the body, hind legs, and tail of a horse.
Younger kids love it as the ride spirals, dives around the pumpkin patch, and then swoops past Hagrids hut.
The Flight of the Hippogriff ride has a minimum height limit of 39 .
Kids under 48 must be accompanied by an adult 14 years or older.
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Best Things To Do At Universal Studios Hollywood
Part Wizarding World of Harry Potter and part movie themed rides & experiences, Universal Studios Hollywood has enough to keep you busy for an entire day! If you are making your way to the park and want to have some ideas on what to expect, we have come up with a list of some of the best things to do at Universal Studios Hollywood.
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Awards Honours And Recognition
The Harry Potter series has been recognised by a host of awards since the initial publication of Philosopher’s Stone including a platinum award from the Whitaker Gold and Platinum Book Awards , three , two Book Awards , the inaugural , the , among others. In 2000, was nominated for a , and in 2001, won said award. Honours include a commendation for the , a short listing for the , and numerous listings on the notable books, editors’ Choices, and best books lists of the , The New York Times, , and .
In 2002, sociologist Andrew Blake named Harry Potter a along with the likes of and . In 2003, four of the books were named in the top 24 of the BBC’s survey of the best loved novels in the UK. A 2004 study found that books in the series were commonly read aloud in elementary schools in . Based on a 2007 online poll, the U.S. listed the series in its “Teachers’ Top 100 Books for Children”. named Rowling as a runner-up for its 2007 award, noting the social, moral, and she has given . Three of the books placed among the “Top 100 Chapter Books” of all time, or children’s novels, in a 2012 survey published by : Sorcerer’s Stone ranked number three, Prisoner of Azkaban 12th, and Goblet of Fire 98th. In 2012, the of the in featured a 100-foot tall rendition of Lord Voldemort in a segment designed to show off the UK’s cultural icons. In November 2019, the listed the Harry Potter series on its list of the .
Universal Studios Hollywood Shows
WaterWorldA Live Sea War Spectacular
This action-packed water show based on the movie by the same name is something you will want to see while at Universal Studios Hollywood.
It is filled with thrilling stunts, combat scenes and even pyrotechnic special effects!
Dreamworks Theater Featuring Kung Fu Panda
When you enter the theater, you might think that you are going to be seeing a movie. And while you will see a movie playing on the screen, you are going to actually be part of the action!
While the film plays, your seat will match the movement and motion on the screen.
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Universal Studios Hollywood Wizarding World Of Harry Potter
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood was inaugurated in 2016 and since then has become one of the major attractions of the theme park.
The Harry Potter World is not a separate theme park but is a themed land in the Upper Lot of Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles.
At this magical section of Universal, visitors explore the mysteries of Hogwarts Castle, ride adrenalin-pumping Harry-Potter-themed roller coasters, and try out Butterbeer.
This article shares everything you must know about Universal Studios Hollywood Wizarding World of Harry Potter before booking your tickets.
What Are The Best Things To Do At This Universal Studios
The World-Famous Studio Tour is one of the top attractions in the park. Other popular attractions include The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, where you can tour the famous Hogwarts castle and practice casting spells with your favorite Harry Potter characters.
You can also meet and greet favorite characters, play carnival games, watch performances, and enjoy the best Universal Studios rides. These include a ride through Hagrids pumpkin patch on the Flight of the Hippogriff and coming face to face with dinosaurs on Jurassic WorldThe Ride. Join your favorite TV family on The Simpson Ride or tour ancient Egypt on The Revenge of the MummyThe Ride which is my favorite thrill ride. And, you can also engage with Optimus Prime during Transformers the Ride-3D and laugh with minions during Despicable Me Minion Mayhem.
Dont forget about the shows either. The WaterWorld stunt and special effects show is the most popular.
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Universal Studios Hollywood Ticket Discounts And Deals
10/3/22
Universal Studios Hollywood runs many promotions that can save you money. Universal Studios tickets are expensive, but there are multiple sources for discounts. Check below for the latest Universal Studios California ticket discounts, coupons and offers. Universal Studios Hollywood is located in Southern California for information about tickets discounts and other offers for their Florida location, visit our Universal Orlando page.
Super Nintendo World, a new land, is scheduled to 0pen at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2023.
If you need tickets to Universal Studios Hollywood and other Southern California attractions, its worth checking out the available multi-attraction ticket discounts to see if they can save you extra money. Be sure to compare the final cost of a multi-park pass to the combined cost of the individual tickets the best deal varies depending on the specific attractions and the discounts that are currently available.
All offers are subject to change without notice. Always call ahead and confirm before driving out of your way to take advantage of a particular offer!
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Choosing A Wand In The Wizarding World At Universal Studios Hollywood
As all wizards know, the wand chooses the wizard. And where do wizards buy their wands? At Ollivanders, of course ! In this unique, interactive experience, you can watch one child or young adult selected from the audience work with the wandmaker to be paired with just the right wand for them. Brace yourself if your tadpole gets chosen. He or she may want to buy the custom interactive wand that lets you cast spells around the Wizarding World. The interactive wands are about $52, so you might want to set up expectations before entering.
There is usually a wait to take part in a wand-choosing ceremony, so keep your eye on that. We find that the wait time is highest in the morning and dips in the afternoon. Find out more about choosing a wand in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
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