Come along with us for a tour of 10 must-see attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood.! We spent one epic day enjoying almost everything the park has to offer. We hadn't planned on covering it on the blog since it's a different sort of wild than our usual adventure but since we had so much fun, we thought you might find value in a little guide for the perfect day at Universal Hollywood.
A little background: We'd been dying to go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter since we learned of its existence, so that was our primary motivation for a visit. While that was the crown jewel for us, there's so much more to Universal and we had even more fun than we anticipated. But back to the Wizarding World for a moment... walking into Hogsmeade is like walking straight into the Harry Potter movies. If you're a fan, you will not be disappointed!
We knew Bella would want to be costumed for our visit so we gifted her an official Harry Potter cloak ahead of time. Universal sells capes on-site too, so if you realize last minute that you'd like to be in costume, you'll have options. In addition to the Hogwarts cloaks and sweaters and owls (!!) for sale, you'll also find a host of magical wands ready to bring home at our first must-see attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood.
1. Ollivander's Wand Shop
We went to Universal planning to purchase a wand (because if you're a big fan, how can you not??) so we knew ahead of time we'd be spending an extra ~$50-$75. It was totally worth it, in part because there are wand-activated exhibits all around Hogsmeade. They involve reciting spells and following specific wand movements to get different things to happen; everything from a chocolate frog revealing itself in a shop window (and actually moving!), to musical instruments playing, to oversized doors clattering and releasing smoke. The joy on Bella's face when she was able to make her wand work was everything.
The stories behind the wands are also wonderful. You wand's story comes inside the box, so you can reread it whenever your heart desires. Once we got home, Bella read her wand story to everyone she showed her now treasure to. You can choose the materials your wand is made from (e.g. black walnut & dragon heartstring) or you can opt for the wand carried by your favorite character (everyone from Dumbledore to Luna Lovegood, including Harry, Ron, and Hermione, naturally). There are also wizards stationed around Hogsmeade to help should you have any issues with spell casting. They're very kind, very patient, and very good at coaching young spell-casters.
2. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
In addition to Ollivander's, the other attraction we were super excited about was the thrill ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. We went on it 4 times in the course of our day at Universal. It's safe to say it's now one of our favorite rides of all time, second only to Avatar: Flight of Passage at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Florida.
The Forbidden Journey is challenging to describe unless you've been on another fully immersive motion simulation ride. Suffice it to say you fly through a virtual Quidditch match, come face-to-face with dementors, and even face off with the Whomping Willow. I only wish it was possible to experience an entire Harry Potter movie this way! A large mechanical arm allows the ride to tilt at various angles, which contributes to the sense of flying and of dodging the Whomping Willow. Despite some pre-ride research online that left my unsure, the ride does not actually go upside down (phew!). As much as we loved it the first time, I think it somehow got even better with each successive ride. When you visit, we highly recommend prioritizing Forbidden Journey!
3. The Three Broomsticks
If you've been adventuring with us for awhile, you may know our restaurant recommendations pretty much always include an affirmative answer to the question "but is it gluten free?" Two of our group of three have celiac disease, so we're serious about finding gf options. LA in general is my favorite place to eat because of how easy it is to find delicious, fresh food that's gluten free. The internet made us think we'd have to leave Universal to find something suitable, so we were very pleasantly surprised to find that the Wizarding World's tavern, The Three Broomsticks, was able to accommodate us without any trouble.
The Three Broomsticks is in the same style as the rest of Harry Potter world, meaning it really makes you feel as though you've entered another realm. Once you're inside, be sure to look up, because the amount of detail is astonishing. I wish we'd taken more photos but, as mentioned, we weren't planning to post about this trip, so we weren't super focused on documenting our experience.
About the food... we started our day around 6:30am with hotel-room breakfast (protein bars & fruit) and started our Universal experience at 8am, so by noon we were ready for a proper meal. In addition to needing things to be gluten-free, one of our party (hi, it's me) is also allergic to dairy and soy. That can be a tall order, but Broomsticks was able to make us allergy-safe herb roast chicken, spare ribs, corn on the cob, and potatoes. It was all delicious! Bella & Keith also split a butterbeer (not dairy free) which was apparently one of the tastiest things they've ever had.
4 & 5. Jurassic World - The Ride & Raptor Encounter
Jurassic World: The Ride is a definite favorite. It's a beautiful immersive water ride with a thrill at the end in the form of a big drop (think log flume). Keith and Bella loved it so much, they went on it 3 times. Sadly, I missed out because I was worried that the drop might irritate an injury I've been dealing with. K & B tell me that the Studio Tour & Transformers, both of which I went on, are much rougher, so I'm eager to join them on Jurassic World: The Ride on our next visit!
Getting to meet a "real-life" velociraptor was also a highlight for us. The velociraptor handlers are very engaging and make you feel as though you're actually in the presence of a dinosaur (think: San Diego Wild Animal Park vibes...but with dinosaurs). If you're super lucky, you might catch them when they bring out a baby velociraptor too.
6. Super Nintendo World - Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge
Super Nintendo World - Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge was also great fun. It feels like a next-level, 3D version of Disneyworld's Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, but Nintendo themed, of course. We would happily have gone on it a few times had we not been so Harry Potter focused.
We bought early access passes to Super Nintendo World (not the overall Universal VIP ticket) because Keith had a hunch the lines would be crazy since it's the newest attraction. That was definitely the right call. If you're a Nintendo fan, just walking through Super Nintendo World is incredible. Note that there are also a bunch of activities that are activated by the Power-Up bands. We didn't purchase those since we were splurging on a wand for our time in Harry Potter, so we can't speak to them, but we'd imagine they're as much fun as the wand-activated activities in Wizarding World.
7. The Studio Tour
It's always fun to see how sets are transformed for use in multiple movies. I took the studio tour when I was a kid, and remember really enjoying it, but I think it's got even better. Among the sights on The Studio Tour are Wisteria Lane, part of the Jaws set, and the town square/courthouse used for Back to the Future and To Kill a Mockingbird (above, left).
The tour also includes the King Kong 360 3D experience (which Keith & I loved); and Fast & Furious Supercharged (which was Bella's favorite part of the tour). They're essentially mini-rides and really bring the whole thing to life. You may got a little wet during the tour, so heads up if you're sitting along the outside of the tour vehicle.
8. WaterWorld
The WaterWorld stunt show is AMAZING. I don't want to give away the end, but if you're not shocked at what Universal is able to pull off, you must work in the stunt world. Without giving away any spoilers, it's an explosive, wet, engaging 20 minutes (also perfect for a much-needed activity break when you've been exploring the park for hours).
Oh, and if you're not keen on getting wet, the bleachers are color-coded by splash zone/dry zone. In case you're thinking, "how wet could I possibly get?," in the show we watched, the actors dumped buckets of water over the heads of some of the audience members in the wet zone.
9. Transformers The Ride 3D
We're pretty into all the 3D/motion simulation setups Universal has to offer, and the Transformers ride is no exception. It had the longest line of anything in the park on the day we went (which was a Friday), but we still got through in less than an hour. Like most of the attractions at Universal, it is very immersive and lots of fun.
Note: while this isn't a scary ride, it is a bit rough. If you have a back injury or are prone to motion sickness, you might want to take a break between Transformers and other rides.
10. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
When we first walked into the space that the minions ride is in, we though it might be geared more towards super-little kids. That may be true, but we loved it! Universal's simulation skills are absolutely crazy. This ride is gentle, appropriate for most ages, and enjoyable enough that we would happily have gone on it more than once. It was also a great way to wind down after spending nearly 12 hours enjoying the park.
Post-Park Bonus:
And finally... if you're looking for a good dinner spot on CityWalk, we had a blast at Antojitos Cocina Mexicana, which isn't terribly well-rated on Google but which we all found delicious. Extra points to Antojitos for having a dedicated gluten-free frier for their tortilla chips and for seating us outside without a wait.
So there you have it, 10 must-see attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood for the perfect, family-friendly day.
Happy journeying!
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