Universal Studios Hollywood With Kids: Ultimate Guide

Ultimate Guide to Universal Studios Hollywood With Kids

Looking to visit Universal Studios Hollywood with kids? Read this guide first! 

Universal Studios is a theme park in North Hollywood. It’s known for its Backlot Tour, Super Nintendo World, and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter 

Other highlights include Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, Simpsons, Jurassic World and Kung Fu Panda. 

Note: This guide is for Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles California, NOT Universal Studios Orlando Florida. 

What I Will Cover in This Complete Guide to Universal Studios Hollywood With Kids

Like any amusement park, your time and money will be much better spent with a plan. Do not arrive for your first time and try to wing it. You’ll end up wasting time and money and won’t be able to do everything you want to. Having and following a plan will make a huge difference. If you read through this whole post you will be good to go and prepared! Make sure to not skip the section on suggested ride plan / order.

I’ll also cover the best ticketing options, which rides are the best to do, food you need to try, best ages for Universal, hotel options, parking, and a little bit about each ride so you can decide if it’s a good fit for you and your kids.

Ready? Let’s go! 

Tickets and Universal Studios Hollywood Discounts and Ticketing Options

There are a few ticketing options. There’s the base ticket, Universal Express, the VIP Experience and also Early Entry for Super Nintendo World.

SoCal residents get discounted base tickets BUT you must purchase them 7 days before park visit. There are also season passes available. The best deal for these would be to upgrade a single day ticket while in the park!

For the base ticket, you are purchasing only Universal entry. You go in at the same time as everyone else at park opening. This is a great option for a non busy day!

Universal Express allows you to skip lines throughout the day. There are two options for Universal Express. The less expensive one allows you to skip each line one time while the more expensive Universal Express Pass Unlimited allows you unlimited line skipping throughout the day. 

VIP tickets come with a personalized guide and unlimited line skipping. IMO this is not worth it unless you have money to burn. The Universal Express pass works great!

Finally, you can add on early entry to a base theme park ticket. This allows you to get into Super Nintendo World one hour before other guests. As these lines often get long, this is a great option especially on the days the park opens later. The early entry is only about $20-$25/person and can give you a jump start on crowds all day long. 

Which Tickets or Passes To Purchase for Your First Time at Universal Studios Hollywood

My suggested ticket lineup? SoCal base ticket (purchased seven days before!), Universal Express (the least expensive one), and Super Nintendo World Early Entry. On our most recent visit, our family got this combo. It made for the perfect day. We got everything done in one day and didn’t feel rushed or have to stand in many lines at all. 

We use Getaway Today to get discount tickets and hotel stays. You can bundle Universal Studios Hollywood ticket & hotels for a big discount. 

You have the option to book online here or call 1-800-GETAWAY to get personalized recommendations. We did this and they suggested the fabulous Garland Hotel which made our stay so much more amazing! Make sure to tell them San Diego Mamas sent you to grab an extra discount.

Universal Express Pass Tips

This is a great service and if you have the budget I highly recommend using it. The Universal Express lines are separate lines from standby lines that allow you to basically walk on every ride. 

They work better than many other theme parks we’ve been to. The least expensive one allows you to skip each line one time during your visit. For us that was plenty!

Note that if you purchase Universal Express, those are linked to physical tickets not the app. I actually like this better as you can easily shuffle through who uses them.

We got four for our family of five because my daughter was too little for many of the rides. We would have one person wait with her and then use Child Switch for the second adult to ride again. There’s someone to scan the ticket at the entrance for all Universal Express lines. 

The Universal Studios Hollywood App

Make sure to download the app before visiting. You can link your tickets, purchase early entry, and check wait times. You can also use the app for mobile ordering food and checking show times! 

The app is helpful for finding character meet and greets and showtimes as well!

What ages are best for Universal Studios Hollywood?

This park tends older than Disneyland or LEGOLAND. There isn’t much to ride if you’re under 40 inches tall. The height limits for almost all rides are 40 inches or above.

The best age would be 6 and up through the teen years. There are lots of thrill rides to keep older kids entertained and adults will enjoy the Universal Studios Backlot Tour. 

If you do go with younger kids that don’t meet the height requirements, make sure to utilize Child Switch. One adults waits with the child that is too small. The other members of your party wait in line and ask for a Child Switch pass from the ride attendants or any team member. They give you a receipt with a QR code. Then the other adult rides with one other person! We combined our Universal Express with Child Switch and got to ride a lot very quickly. 

What rides can little kids do at Universal Studios Hollywood?

There are a few things for little kids, namely the Secret Life of Pets ride and the Minions area has a little Dumbo type ride that goes in the air. There’s also play areas and water splash park over there! The main Minions ride has a 40 inch height limit unfortunately as does Mario Kart. There is another playground for younger children in Jurassic World area. Overall, I would wait to take young children as there isn’t enough for them to enjoy to make the price worth it. 

Best Hotels Near Universal Studios Hollywood

There are no hotels within walking distance of Universal. They all require a shuttle to get you to the park. The closest two are Universal Studios Sheraton and Hilton. 

Our favorite option where we like to stay is The Garland. It’s about 10 minutes away but it runs a shuttle regularly between the hotel and Universal Studios. 

This hotel is really nice, has a pool, and offers family suites. The hotel rooms are very clean. The breakfast buffet is top notch though it’s not included in the price of the stay. Parking isn’t included either. It’s $50, however they will allow you to leave your car for the day you check out.

If you’re staying longer, you can enjoy their fun daily programming and tours around the LA area!

Parking at Universal Studios Hollywood

There are a few parking options at Universal Studios Hollywoods. The general parking is $40 and you can choose from a few different lots like ET and Curious George. This parking puts you right by Universal City Walk. You’ll walk through this pleasant open air mall to get to Universal Studios. 

The other options go up to $80 and are not worth it in my opinion. City Walk isn’t far and it’s a fun spot to walk through! 

If you stay at one of the hotels, you can leave your car there and grab the shuttle to the front of Universal Studios Hollywood. This helps you avoid paying double parking fees as most hotels charge for parking. The shuttle drop-off is super close to the entrance! 

How to Plan Your Trip to Universal Studios Hollywood

You can absolutely do Universal Studios in one day. If you’d like to stay overnight, I recommend staying in one of the hotels the night before. 

Arrive midday the day before your visit to Universal. Eat dinner at CityWalk and browse the shops! Spend some time in the hotel pool. Then get a good nights rest and prepare for an early theme park day!

I have my full theme park plan with suggested ride later on in this post, but first let’s cover some other things you need to know.

What To Do at Universal Studios CityWalk

Universal CityWalk is the non-ticketed area just outside of Universal Studios. Much like Downtown Disney, there are themed merch shops, restaurants and more. 

Most of the merch in the shops is the exact same as in the parks so you can save time browsing here prior to entering the park. They also have a cute Hello Kitty cafe and store!

For food, there’s Bubba Gumps, The Chocolate Emporium, Bucca Di Peppo, The Habit Burger, Margaritaville, Starbucks, Taco Bell, Raising Canes, Uncle Sharkii Poke Bar (this was my choice!), Pizza Hut and more. There’s also Its Sugar and a fun soap shop my kids had a blast looking through! 

Again, you do not need a ticket to enter City Walk. It’s very clean and a great spot to hang out. 

Tips for Souvenirs at Universal Studios Hollywood with kids

Our family has a rule that we do not buy any souvenirs until it’s time to leave the vacation. This allows the child to browse everything and not risk them changing their mind after you’ve bought them something. 

Also, people steal merch from strollers. Sad, but true. Putting a merch bag on your stroller and then going on a ride is asking for someone to grab it. Sometimes if you leave your receipt in there they will even return it for cash.

There are a TON of merch options at Universal Studios and they surprisingly aren’t too expensive. There’s Mario themed stores, Harry Potter, Minions, Jurassic Park, and Kung Fu Panda! 

There’s also the Power Up Bands for Mario World ($45) and the interactive wands in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter ($65). In my opinion neither of these things are worth the cost, but some families might find value in these extras.

For our souveniers, I gave a $30 limit. Two of my kids chose stuffed Nifflers ($29) and one chose Minions figurines ($25). I noticed the prices are slightly better for the same items at CityWalk than inside the theme park so keep that in mind. 

Best Treats at Universal Studios Hollywood

There are two things I would make sure to try before leaving. The first is Butterbeer from Hogsmeade and the second is the giant pink Lard Lad Donut from the Simpson’s area. 

You can get the Butterbeer served hot, cold, or even slushy on a hot day. I would recommend sharing this drink as it’s very rich and just a few sips is generally enough for most people. 

The second treat to not miss is the giant pink donut. You can find it all over Simpson’s land and it’s delicious. This is another treat that’s easy to share! One donut is only $10.99 and can feed a whole family. 

Honorable mention goes to the chocolate trifle at The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. The treacle tart also looks good though we didn’t get to try that one. 

The worst treat we tried was the Princess Peach cupcake at Toadstool Cafe. It tasted like food coloring though it was really really cute. 

Best Restaurants at Universal Studios Hollywood

The best restaurant was The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. It does get crowded though. We noticed dinner was much less crowded than lunchtime. You can make online reservations and mobile order to help with the wait. 

We tried Fish and Chips, Shepard’s Pie, and the Herbed Chicken. The Shepard’s Pie and Fish and Chips were better than the Herbed Chicken though the potatoes on the herbed chicken were excellent. You can also get Butterbeer in here!

The other restaurant we tried was Toadstool Cafe and this place was a letdown. The food was really cute and themed but it was very expensive and the taste did not live up to the aesthetic of the food. They serve burgers and a few other things. Skip and choose another spot to eat unless you have crazy Mario fans. The inside of this restaurant is extremely cute though and themed plus the kids meal includes little Mario figurines. 

Other restaurant options are Cocina Mexicana, French Street Bistro, Minions Cafe and more.

How to Plan your Theme Park Day

I gotta shout out to my sister for this section she lives in LA so she’s been a ton of times and has this down to a science. 

Universal isn’t as crowded as many other theme parks in the area so if the ride queues are good you can do the whole park easily in a day or even a half day!

Times will vary based on openings. Don’t worry too much if you get behind. I leave time at the end to double back if needed. 

I have individual ride guides for each ride. I also highly recommend watching ride POVs on YouTube to help kids know which rides they’re ready for. The less surprises the better. 

First Half of the Day at Universal Studios Hollywood With Kids

7:00: Eat breakfast at hotel or Starbucks at Universal City Walk

8:30: Be at gates with ticket in hand ready to scan. Security takes a long time. They are very thorough and check every pocket. Also it takes a long time to get to Super Nintendo World so they will let you through the gates a little early. It requires three long escalator rides (though my kids really enjoyed them!).

9:00: Super Nintendo World, ride Mario Kart first then explore the land

10:00: Transformers, Jurassic World Island of Adventures, Revenge of the Mummy, Dino World Playground

11:00: Flight of the Hippogriff, Journey to Hogwarts, Olivander wand show, explore Hogsmeade shops. 

12:00: Lunch, see restaurant section. I would save Three Broomsticks for dinner because it was a lot busier at lunch.

Second Half of the Day at Universal Studios Hollywood With Kids

1:00: Secret Life of Pets, Minions Ride, Minions playground. 

2:00: Universal Studios Hollywood Backlot Tour (go to the bathroom before!)

3:00: Browse shops, get in line for Water World 15 minutes before showtime. 

4:00: Kung Fu Panda, Simpsons ride

5:00: Dinner at Three Broomsticks

6:00: Do anything you missed, browse shops, meet characters, repeat rides if desired. 

Note: there are a lot of character meet and greets throughout the park. They weren’t a huge priority for us but you can see where each character will be on your app!

Super Nintendo World Universal Studios Hollywood

This is the newest land at Universal Studios Hollywood! There is one main ride and it’s Mario Kart themed. The line for this ride is as cool as the ride itself. OG Mario Kart fans will recognize scenes from their favorite courses and tons of tiny details and even the costumes for beloved characters. I felt excited walking into Bowser’s Castle and I’m not even a child. 

The height limit is 40 inches but small children can stand in line with their parents and enjoy the immersive line experience. Then you can switch using Child Switch. 

You get a visor and goggles, but the ride isn’t only on a screen. I actually took my goggles off because they made me dizzy and the ride was just as cool! The best part is Rainbow Road at the end. 

The line for this ride gets VERY long so best to get in line as soon as you arrive and utilize that early entry. 

The rest of Super Nintendo World is immersive and fun to explore though there’s a lot devoted to the $45 Power-Up Band. We chose not to do those as my sister tried it and said it’s a waste of money. We preferred to buy the skip the line pass instead, but feel free to try the Power-Up bands if your kids are big fans!

There’s also Toadstool Cafe for food down here which is cute to look inside and has themed food. However the food isn’t as good compared to other spots in Universal. 

Universal Studios Lower Lot Rides

There are three rides down in this Lower Lot area and it’s best to get them all out of the way so you don’t have to go back down here. 

The Transformers ride is crazy! It’s a VR type rides that uses 3D and effects to make you feel as though you’re fighting a real Deceptacon. This ride is loud for kids and has a 40 inch height limit. The VR also made me a little queasy so be aware of that! My boys loved this one though.

Jurassic World is one of the best rides in this area. This was my husband’s favorite ride. You go through the whole Jurassic plot and see lots of dinosaurs! At the end there is one big drop, similar to Splash Mountain. You do get a little wet and they sell ponchos at the entrance to the ride. During the summer, you can shoot people on the ride with water cannons. There’s Camp Jurassic Play Area for young kids right by this ride which is perfect while the big kids who meet the minimum height requirement ride the larger rides in this area.

The Revenge of the Mummy is a dark roller coaster with effects. It goes from 0 to 60 very quickly. You ride the whole ride forward and backwards. There are scary skeleton type things on this ride so if you have a child that’s frightened by these types of things I would skip this one. Both of my boys opted out of this one and I don’t blame them. 

Hogsmeade and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

The main event for our family! This immersive land is built to look like the village of Hogsmeade. There’s a Hogwarts Express, a Honeydukes, lots of other shops, and two rides. 

The first ride is called Flight of the Hippogriff. It’s a very quick small outdoor coaster. 

The second ride is called Journey to Hogwarts. The line to get on this ride is better than the ride itself. You’ll go through many parts of Hogwarts Castle including Dumbledore’s office, The Defense Against The Dark Arts Classroom and more. If you use Universal Express, you may miss some of the best parts of this line like the Garden. Ask if you can walk through and see them!

The Journey to Hogwards ride was personally awful for me and for a few others I’ve spoken with. You’re in a car that tips and spins as you “fly” through Hogwarts grounds on a broom using 3D glasses. The spinning and tipping gave me vertigo that lasted a full hour after the ride stopped. Closing your eyes doesn’t help as they are leaning you all the way back and spinning you. Even my non motion sick sister-in-law declined to go on the ride and I will personally never ride it again. Though I will walk my kids through the line. My kids said it was their favorite ride and my husband loved it too though so there’s that. 

Leave plenty of time for the Hogsmeade shops!

The Hogsmeade Shops are super cute. As you’re going through make sure to look up as many have props and costumes from the movies on display. Don’t miss going in Olivanders. You’ll get to watch a real wand fitting! When we went in they picked the kid right in front of them to try wands so try to position your kid there if you want them to get picked!

If you want to add to the magic, get a magic wand for your group! You can use the interactive wand to make things move throughout this area. If you’re cheap, follow someone with a magic wand and watch them move the interactive elements for free. We had a great time enjoying the magic even at a distance. The wands are $65. 

Minions and Secret Life of Pets

Finally some fun for the little kids! Secret Life of Pets was low key my favorite ride of the day. It’s extremely well done and there are no screens or 3D effects. Also no height limit so it was one of the few our 3 yo could ride. I loved the part where they turned you into a puppy! The puppy will mimic your movements so don’t forget to move around during that part. 

The main Minions ride unfortunately has a 40 inch height limit. It’s another motion ride with a curved screen in front of you. For anyone that enjoys Minions or Despicable Me this ride is a must. It uses all the jokes and fun of the movies. 

Super Silly Fun Land is next to this ride. It has a cute interactive play area and water area that’s all Minion themed. There also another no height limit ride where kids can fly in a ride just like in the Despicable Me Movie!

Universal Studios Hollywood Backlot Tour

If you only do one ride the entire time at Universal make it this one. This was the first ride they had and it’s the coolest. 

You’ll take a tram with live narration and Jimmy Fallon cameos all around real movie sets and soundstages. This where your favorite movies and shows come to life. They’ll tell you what’s currently filming and you’ll get to watch crews at work changing sets and getting ready to film. 

You’ll get to see sets from various movies over the years including the set where they filmed Spiderman and Frankenstein. There’s also a really cool plane wreck set that my kids could not stop talking about. 

This is not just a tour, it’s a ride as well. There are a few interactive experiences like King Kong, Jaws, Bates Motel, and an earthquake scene in a subway station! Can be a little thrilling for small kids but there’s no height limit so most are just fine. 

This ride takes 60-70 minutes. It’s interactive enough that the time goes by quickly. For your best chance of success make everyone go to the bathroom before and give them a quick snack too. I grabbed a large pink donut and fed everyone in line. There are no bathroom options once on board. 

Water World Live Performance at Universal Studios

This is a can’t miss experience! Currently their only live show, Water World is full of acrobatic feats and unforgettable special effects. You feel like you’re watching a real action movie! It’s fine for all ages, but know there is some staged combat fighting and theatric “deaths.” 

You’ll want to get in line for seats about 15 minutes before show time. Universal Express can choose their seats before the standby folks. 

The best seat is right behind the green section in the bleachers second from the right (see photo). Don’t sit in the green section unless you’re okay with getting splashed! 

Po’s Kung Fu Training Camp and The Simpsons

These are two attractions I would suggest leaving until the end because it’s totally okay if you skip them. Kung Fu Panda is a short theatre experience where your seats move depending on what’s happening in the movie. This is one of my kid’s favorite characters so we did this one. The Simpsons is a 3D screen ride with similar twisting effects to The Harry Potter ride. Worth it if you’re a Simpson’s fan. Skip if you get motion sickness. 

That’s all! If you loved this theme park guide, I also have guides to Disneyland and LEGOLAND as well as many other attractions around Southern California! Follow along on Instagram for the latest San Diego and SoCal fun things to do with kids!