Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
During the off-season (September-May, holidays excepted), Tuesday is usually the
least-crowded day, followed by Thursday.
HOW MUCH TIME TO ALLOCATE
ALTHOUGH THERE'S A LOT TO SEE
and do at Universal Studios Hollywood, you can
(unlike at Disneyland) complete a comprehensive tour in one day. If you follow our
touring plan, which calls for being on hand at park opening, you should be able to
check out everything by mid- to late afternoon, even on a crowded day.
NevermindthatUniversalStudiosHollywoodclaimstocover400acres;thearea
you will have to traverse on foot is considerably smaller. In fact, you will do much
less walking and, miracle of miracles, much less standing in line at Universal Studios
than at Disneyland.
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
WE DO NOT RECOMMEND UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD
for preschoolers. Of 10
majorattractions, allbut2(
Universal'sAnimalActors
and
Shrek4-D
)havethepoten-
tial for flipping out sensitive little ones. See the
Small-Child Fright-Potential Chart
.
COST
ONE-DAY TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE
for about $85 for persons more than 48 inches tall
and $77 for those shorter than 48 inches. A pass that allows you to skip to the front of
the line at all attractions and attend behind-the-scenes cast member question-and-an-
swer sessions after select shows runs $150 ($170 during peak season) for both adults
and children. Annual passes cost $109 (with blackout dates) or $139 (without black-
out dates) for all patrons over age 3 (add $40 for a pass with parking). Admission
is free for those under age 3. By purchasing tickets online at
universalstudiosholly-
wood.com
,
at times you can buy two days' admission for the price of one day. Ad-
ditionally, Universal almost always has some ticket special going online and at the
park's ticket booths. You can print your tickets for $1 fee at the Universal website.
For Hollywood-happy high rollers, USH now offers a $299 VIP Experience that
includes escorted queue-cutting at all attractions, off-tram walking tours of sets and
soundstages, gourmet breakfast and lunch, and amenities such as ponchos and bottled
water. If you have the spare dough, it's undoubtedly a better deal than Disney's pay-
per-hour VIP guides. Reservations are required; call 818-622-1141 to book.
In addition to the website discounts, admission discounts are sometimes offered
in area freebie publications available in hotels. Admission discounts are also periodic-
ally offered to AAA members. Vacation packages including lodging and park admis-
sion are available from Hilton and Sheraton hotels, both of which offer accommoda-
tions nearby.
