Universal Studios Hollywood

Not only are Universal Studios Hollywood well-known to enthusiastic film fans, but also to amusement park lovers. After all, the theme park in Hollywood is one of the most popular theme parks in North America. Here, in northern Hollywood, roller coaster fans and adrenaline junkies can enjoy themselves thoroughly.

During our road trip through California, we spent a few days in Los Angeles. This time, we also had the chance to spend a whole day at Universal Studios.

Based on a recommendation, we booked the VIP Experience and were thoroughly impressed. We've summarized why you should consider buying these tickets and what you can experience in just one day at the amusement park.

Enjoy reading!

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The Universal Studios theme park was originally designed to take guests to various film sets. Such studio tours existed even during the silent film era. Gradually, various rides were opened and the park continued to expand.

Today, there are two areas: the Upper Lot and the Lower Lot. Both lots are connected by the world's highest escalator across several levels.

A highlight is the World Famous Studio Tour. During this tour, you will pass by many original filming locations of Hollywood blockbusters and TV series. We found it great to be able to view the film sets. Also very interesting were the vast warehouses for props. This is a must-see.

Upper Lot (above the entrance):

Lower Lot (lower level):

For better orientation, you should download the free Universal Studios App in advance. Here, you will find all the information about rides, wait times, opening hours, and useful information to help you get around the park.

There are no set opening times like in other amusement parks. They vary by season and sometimes weekly depending on the days of the week. So make sure to check the official website for current opening hours and information.

The website will display the opening times for Universal Studios Hollywood and the CityWalk. It will also show which attractions are closed that day. You can navigate through the calendar to your visit day.

Generally, Universal Studios usually opens between 8 AM and 10 AM and closes between 6 PM and 10 PM. CityWalk often opens around 11 AM and always closes by 8 PM (sometimes earlier or later). The snack stands and shops (fan shops) rarely open before 11 AM.

The exit to Universal Studios on Highway 101 is hard to miss (but Google Maps is there for navigation too). However, if you have booked VIP tickets, you should plan for some buffer time, as traffic can get very congested just like almost everywhere in Los Angeles.

After the exit, you can park your car in one of the many parking lots. If you want to park your car directly in front of the entrance, it costs a flat fee of $60 ("Front Gate Parking", or if you have the VIP ticket like we did, parking is included). The nearest close parking "preferred parking" costs $50. If you want to park a bit further away, additional parking costs between $30 and $35. However, if you arrive after 5 PM, parking costs only $10 (this does not apply on Halloween).

Since prices often change quickly, you should verify the costs here on the official website.

The prices for a regular admission ticket to Universal Studios are around $100 per person. You can purchase these online at Get Your Guide.

The ticket for the VIP Experience costs about $345 per person. A steep price, but it's worth it for many reasons. You can learn why we chose the VIP Experience Tour and what is included in the price in the following section.

The best argument: You save sooooo much time by skipping the queues. These can get really long (longer than at Europa Park).

Note: To participate in the VIP Experience, children must be at least 5 years old. Children under 17 are not allowed to participate without an adult companion.

Tickets are limited; therefore, you should book the VIP Experience Tour as early as possible. It includes a parking garage ticket (also closer to the entrance), breakfast, the film tour, and queue skipping.

Parking is free with VIP tickets. You can simply drop off your car at the valet parking in the Frankenstein parking garage (enter Valet Parking in Google Maps). Friendly staff will ask to see your VIP ticket, and you'll receive your claim check-parking is taken care of for you. It's very convenient. The walk from the parking garage to the main entrance takes just a few minutes.

Valet parking usually costs $25 for two hours, and $45 for two hours or more.

After the general security check, you can head straight to the VIP check-in. This is a special ticket counter only for VIP ticket holders. Here, you will receive your badges for the day. On the second floor, in the VIP lounge, your guide will greet you. In the lounge, you will be offered a breakfast buffet.

This is really delicious, so it's worth skipping breakfast at home. You can also grab free water, sunscreen, and other useful items.

A maximum of 25 people are allowed per VIP group. We were lucky to have only eleven participants in our group. This is particularly pleasant because you can understand the guide well and the individual participants are attended to nicely.

All guides also have exceptional personalities. It is likely that they also possess some acting talent. Your guide will be with you for about 6 hours and will lead the group through the most popular attractions.

The best moment is in the early morning when you are allowed to enter Universal Studios as the first guests. Enjoy this moment to the fullest.

The regular studio tour typically includes a train of 4 trolley cars with up to 100 people per ride. When you book the VIP Experience, you and your group will have your own trolley and will start first at the original sets.

With the standard tour, you get a guide via monitors, where TV host Jimmy Fallon explains all the locations. When you book the VIP tour, your guide is live for the tour and comments for you. This also means that you can ask questions along the way and learn some film secrets.

There is a cooler with free water in the trolley.

A special highlight of the VIP Experience at Universal Studios is that you have the chance to leave the trolley. You will be taken to a film set that is currently not in use, giving you an exclusive behind-the-scenes look.

It's incredibly exciting to see what tricks filmmakers use and which sets are used for which films or series. There's also plenty of time to take pictures and create a very special memory to take home.

Have you ever wondered where all the movie props go after filming? Do they buy everything new? Can you rent something like that and how much does it cost?

On the studio tour, you will find out. During an exclusive tour through the warehouse where thousands of props, furniture, and set decorations are stored.

In the tour through the halls, you'll learn what it would cost if you wanted to rent, for example, the couch from your favorite movie.

By lunchtime, some people's stomachs are already growling. Your lunch is provided during the VIP tour. In an exclusive restaurant, you will have a table and can help yourself to the plentiful buffet.

There's something for every taste. Vegetarians and vegans will also find options here. Drinks in the restaurant are included as well.

We were a little skeptical about the term "buffet" at first. But we really have to commend the food here. It was very tasty, and everything was freshly prepared by a kitchen team.

One of the most important arguments: you skip all the queues, even the regular Fastlane. With your guide, you always get to the entrance of the attraction immediately and can head inside right away.

We were very lucky during our visit because the park wasn't very crowded. However, we can't even imagine what it's like in Universal Studios during school holidays.

Our guide told us that there are often waits of up to two hours at popular rides. If you spend so much time waiting, you definitely can't experience the whole park in one day. That's only possible with the VIP Experience.

Anyone who has ever booked a personal tour knows that the real highlight is the storytelling of the guides. This is also true at Universal Studios. The staff not only leads you through the park but also is available for questions.

At each attraction or ride, you will receive little anecdotes and useful information along the way. You'll learn even more about the films, actors, and the park's history. Especially for film fans, this is an absolute must.

For about six hours, your guide will take you through the park. However, after the guided tour ends, your VIP passes are not taken away. You can keep them for the entire day.

After the tour, you still have enough time to explore on your own. Now you can check out all the things that particularly interest you or that you missed during the tour. And the Fastlane is still valid. Just visit the attractions at the speed entrances and bypass the lines.

The costs for the VIP Experience are not exactly cheap. But after experiencing all the advantages, we were thoroughly impressed. Universal Studios was truly one of our absolute highlights during our LA visit, and we would do it again in a heartbeat.

Especially if you only want to spend one day in the studios, VIP tickets make a lot of sense. That's the only way you can experience all the attractions and get the comprehensive Universal experience. On busy days, you could waste 1-2 hours waiting for each attraction; the time you save is definitely worth its money.

Have you already tried the VIP Experience Tour at Universal Studios? Let us know in the comments what you enjoyed the most.

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