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In this article, Connor reviews his favorite parts of the Universal Hollywood theme park, and gives recommendations for anyone visiting.
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD REVIEW
Written by Connor Upshaw
Image of the Universal globe, located just outside the park entrance. Taken on my sister's phone.
Hollywood is known worldwide for the many films and TV series produced there. It has birthed several of the world’s largest film studios, one of which is Universal Studios. Movies such as Jaws, Psycho, Frankenstein, Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, and hundreds more are all films owned by Universal. The company also owns several theme parks, with three in Asia and two in the United States. Here in America, they own parks in Hollywood and Orlando. Unlike the one in Florida, Universal Hollywood focuses just as much on the theme park element as on the fact that it is an active film studio. Guests can take a break from the crowded theme park and be taken on a guided bus tour of the back lot, a huge and expansive city of studios that is the birthplace of many famous pieces of television. The theme park, the Studio Tour, and Citywalk all add up to make for a unique and enjoyable experience.
The theme park at Universal Hollywood is far smaller than the two parks that Florida offers. Experiences are packed very close together, using every inch of space for another attraction or restaurant. This is because the park itself is built on a small hill with very little space, making for a less-than-ideal location for a theme park. Universal makes due by packing the area as full of content as they can. The entire park is not seated on that one hill. Four large escalators climb down the side of the hill, offering a stunning view of both Hollywood and the back lot. It takes about seven minutes to get down all four escalators, but there is also a staircase of around 350 steps for those up to it. At the bottom is the other theme park section, which may be even more packed full than the upper lot. The lower lot is comprised of four main attractions: The Mummy roller coaster, Jurassic World, Transformers: The Ride, and Super Nintendo Land. I could gush over each of these attractions, but I will stick with The Mummy and Super Nintendo Land as these are some of the best the park has to offer.
An image of the Lower Lot, taken on my phone from the 2nd escalator at night. Nintendo Land is the illuminated area directly across from the camera. Jurassic World is to the left and The Mummy is to the right.
First off, there is The Mummy, an indoor rollercoaster that reaches speeds up to 45 mph. This is probably my favorite ride in the park, and the one we went on again and again. The theming is very well done, mixing in horror elements to great effect. It can be genuinely terrifying for riders who don’t know what to expect; the ride starts out as a slow, dark ride that enters into a forbidden tomb, slowly ramping up in suspense. At the end of this sequence, guests come to a complete stop as they see the mummy, Imhotep, chanting from the Book of the Dead. Within seconds, guests go from not moving at all to catapulting through complete darkness at 45 mph. Even after riding it many times, this sudden increase in speed still knocks the wind out of me. I absolutely recommend this one for any thrill seeker.
Image of Bowser's Castle from Super Nintendo Land, taken on my sister's phone. To enter the ride, guests go through Bowser's mouth and deep into the castle. The entire rest of the queue is a walkthrough of the castle. The mushroom on the right is part of Toadstool Cafe.
Super Nintendo Land is the newest addition to Universal Hollywood and the part I was most looking forward to. Having opened in Feb. 2023, Mario fans were beyond excited to see the Mushroom Kingdom in real life. After visiting the new land, I can say with certainty that Universal absolutely nailed it. As soon as I stepped through the entry tunnel, I felt like I was transported directly into a Mario game. While small, the land is packed to the brim with references to various zones and characters. There is even a collection of interactive mini-games to play throughout the land, each making use of animatronics instead of just screens. This is actually a storyline, culminating in a fight with Bowser Jr. in Bowser’s Castle. The castle is also where the main attraction is set. Titled “Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge,” riders are taken through a shooting ride that makes use of both animatronics and Augmented Reality VR visors. The plot is very bare-bones and is essentially just a game of Mario Kart. Players race against Team Bowser, and whichever team gets the most points is victorious. As someone who is not a huge Mario fan, this ride was only okay. It was certainly immersive, but it felt like the mechanics were kind of clunky, and there was too much going on. Also, please don’t ride this if you have motion sickness, as you will most likely regret it. One last thing I would recommend in this area is the Toadstool Cafe. It is a beautifully themed little restaurant with some charming food, all themed after elements from the Mario games. Whether a Mario fan or not, Super Nintendo Land is definitely a must-see part of the park for any guest.
Leaving the lower lot, the upper theme park has two main themed areas: Springfield from The Simpsons and Hogsmeade from Harry Potter. The Springfield area is a great area for Simpsons fans, but my group did not spend too much time there. This area features one ride: a fully 3D experience that takes guests through an adventure with the Simpson family. It is definitely a good ride, just nothing to write home about. The area also features a variety of arcade games (which are mostly scams, so don’t go into them expecting to win) and a few restaurants. Since Disney bought The Simpsons in 2019, according to Theme Park Tourist, an online theme park guide, no one is sure how long this area will be around before Universal has to take it down. Simpsons fans should be sure to visit while they still can.
Hogsmeade is definitely my favorite area of the park outside of Nintendo Land. The theme is on point, making guests feel as if they are transported into the Wizarding World. Much like Nintendo Land, there are various interactive objects throughout the village. These can be messed with by waving a wand at them; these can be purchased at Olivanders. The wands are pretty expensive, but you can buy practically any design from the film series, and even some original ones. Also, the wands are not made of cheap plastic and are genuinely high-quality products. Wands are absolutely not necessary, and are only really worth it if you are a Harry Potter fan. The attractions in Hogsmeade are also quite good. There's the Flight of the Hippogryph kid’s coaster, which weaves around the hippogriff Buckbeak and Hagrid’s Hut. The other attraction is The Forbidden Journey, an excellent dark ride through Hogwarts Castle. It is my second favorite ride in the park, and it is arguably the best-themed. As for dining, The Three Broomsticks is home to some delicious English food. They also sell butterbeer, a butterscotch and soda drink that is very tasty. If you are ever there at night, be sure not to miss the excellent “Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle” hologram show. This show features some very impressive visuals, and even the use of drones to form a stag image in the sky.
Image of Hogwarts Castle in Hogsmeade, taken from the Frommer's website. While the castle is big, it is not nearly as big as this picture makes it look. It is many times smaller than the Hogwarts in the movies would be. However, it is still impressive.
One more part of the Upper Lot I recommend is the WaterWorld Stunt Show. It is inspired by the 90's movie of the same name, but it is much more cheesy. It follows a loose plot, where not much would change if you took away all the story and character elements. The stunts themselves are pretty incredible, and are the main focus of the show. There are explosions, fires, fistfights, and lots of jet boat battles. The stunt actors perform many perilous and impressive stunts that have guests on the edge of their seats. The show culminates with a literal plane crashing into the show’s lake, dumping waves of water into the laps of unlucky guests. Do not sit in the front rows if you want to stay dry: cast members tend to dump water on guests, both by accident and intentionally.
One of the Studio Tour buses, image taken from WIkimedia Commons.
If there is one attraction the Hollywood park is known for, it is the studio tour. This hour-long bus tour takes guests through the actual film sets of many movies and shows, such as the town from The Good Place, Bates Motel from Psycho, Amity Island from Jaws, and Giles’ Apartment from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. When we were there, our bus passed through an active film set. According to our bus driver, that is fairly common there, as the back lot is one of the most used film studios in Hollywood. It is even possible to catch glimpses of famous actors. There are also some impressive showcases of practical effects, some of which made me wonder how they are even possible. One complaint I have about the studio tour is how it ends, as the bus finishes by passing through a 3D Fast & Furious experience. While fans of the franchise may like it, this part is so over-the-top cheesy that it is honestly just bad. It doesn't take away from the Studio Tour, though I would prefer if such an impressive tour ended on a higher note. The best part is that the tour is free with park entry, so anyone can get on board and take a trip through movie history.
One downside of Universal is that it is an expensive park to visit. For a one-day, one-guest ticket, it will cost roughly $100+, depending on what day it is. While it may be a little cheaper than a trip to Disneyland, as the klook travel company supports, this Hollywood park is still very pricey. One part of the property is free to enter, and that is Citywalk. For those who have visited Disneyland, you may remember Downtown Disney, a large shopping plaza. Citywalk is kind of like that, only with a lot more shops and a lot more variety. It even has a Voodoo Donut, a donut shop based in Portland. The prices in Citywalk vary, with some places being cheaper depending on the brand. Still, Taco Bell cost us roughly twice as much there as it would in Grants Pass. Despite the high prices, if you are ever in the area and want a great shopping experience, Citywalk is the place to go.
Universal Studios Hollywood makes for a very enjoyable vacation and was one of the most fun trips I have ever been on. If you can get past the often suffocatingly large crowds and expensive prices, this theme park is an excellent experience that I recommend to just about anyone.
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