Rides/Attractions length?

[Gpaul]

Hiya again! We'll be at Universal Studios Hollywood 12/26, wondering if y'all know how long each attraction takes (assuming NO lines)?

And the Tour?

Gracias!

 

[albianne]

Not sure how long each attraction is but be sure to check on the hours that Universal is open the day you plan to visit. We picked a Saturday thinking it would be open till at least 8:00 but it was closed at 6:00, added to that fact we miscalculated how long it would take to drive there from DL (it took us almost 2 hours) so by the time we parked and then waited in line for our tickets it was almost noon before we were in the park.

We got on the tram tour first thing and it ended up breaking down on the last hill at the end of the ride, they wouldn't let us get out and walk and we ended up wasting another 20 minutes. In the end we could have used another 3 hours to see everything we wanted, dd was so upset she missed out seeing The Mummy.

I suggest you buy the tickets online (you print them yourself) so you avoid waiting in line or check for coupons at your hotel. We found coupons for $8.00 off in a little book in the hotel room. It was supposed to be per family but I just made sure everybody had enough cash for their own ticket and we all paid separately and we each got $8.00 off, they didn't seem to care and we went right behind each other at the same ticket office.

Universal was great fun, hubby loved Waterworld and dd and I liked Back to the Future. Next time we go I am also going to do the Bobbleheaded thingy where they photograph your head and then super-impose it on these dancing characters. I watched them do this for about 1/2 hour and some of the finished products were hillarious.

 

[GreenGirl8]

Universal can be done pretty quickly. Don't do the tram ride first. Instead, go down to the lower lot and get all of those rides done when it first opens. The lower lot will be pretty empty for the first hour or so while everyone goes on a tram ride. After that, come up and do the tram ride or shows/rides on the upper level. We always do this and get done with the park within 5-6 hours or so.

As far as specific attractions:

Tram Ride - 45 min to an hour

The shows run about 25-30 minutes

Each of the rides have different length times. 3-D attractions are usually 15-20 minutes while rides are 5-10ish.

 

[Gpaul]

albianne, gracias! What Hotel would that be?

girl, you are great! Excellent itinerary. Is the tram ride a "must"?

 

[GreenGirl8]

If you have never been to Universal in California, I would say it is a must. It incorporates a few different attractions from the parks in Florida. If you want more details, I will let you know. I don't want to "spoil" it if you don't want it.

I ride the tram every time I go to Universal...I love seeing new sets and possible stars walking around. The last time I went, I saw the Desperate Housewives street and houses and they happened to be taping that day...so it was very interesting.

Have you been to Universal in Florida before?

 

[albianne]

We stayed at the Anabella but I'm sure that most hotels have the little visitor booklet in the desk drawer that contains coupons, if not there is a visitor centre quite close to the gates of DL (maybe someone else can give the exact location), we met other tourists who said they got coupons and helpful hints from there.
I really liked the tram ride, DH thought they took too long at the beginning pointing out where things were filmed (concrete buildings) but I think that the reason our tour guide chatted about these things was because there were other trams/little bus tours in front of us, so the guide was just filling in the time. I loved seeing the street where the desperate Housewives were filmed (I love that show!) a lot of the rest of the tram ride has been the same as it has for years evidently because when we were describing the ride to Grandma she said she had seen the shark etc years ago, but it was still new to us.
You know looking back now that I have a better idea of what DL and Universal are all about (we were first timers) I can't wait to go back and really do justice to the parks. We wasted a lot of time and money that we didn't need to such as:
At Universal DH & DD didn't realize that the show Terminator 2 had just begun when they entered so they ended up sitting for what seemed like 45 minutes until it was their turn to go in, they were both disgusted when they finally got out of there - lesson learned - check the next show start times before you enter LOL
Trying to eat a meal rather than just grabbing a quick snack from a vendor also eats up the time at both Universal and DL, next time we will skip the Fantasmic balcony seating and the Blue Bayou and just opt for Bengal Barbeque and the Golden Horseshoe. which were our favorite places to eat, also don't miss Billy Hill and the Hillbillies at the Golden Horseshoe they were awesome, it was a really nice show, actually I think that was my DH's favorite thing of all.

 

[BBGraph]

I just got back from SOcal and went to Universal the longest line i waited in was Back to the future and it was 15 min on the board Actually less then 10 min wait, walked right on the mummy for a double your muumy 2 Rides and timed the waterworld show and T2 perfectly done everything . and saw Lisa Gibbons (SP) walking around with audio recording Equipment doing interviews.

 

[Gpaul]

GrrenGirl8, I forgot about the Shark, my son will really like this, so the Tour is on! What the heck, we get to Reno 1 hour later. Went To Universal Florida way back in 1986, no child at that time (and different wife...). Needless to say, I don't recall a thing! Your avice will not "spoil" anything, probably just the opposite! Grazie!

albianne, nice pointers! Definitely no time to waste eating sit-down! What's the Golden Horseshoe?

Tks BBGraph, hopefully we can emulate your timing!

Okay, last one (maybe...): What rides/attractions absolutely not worth it for a 7 y/o adventurous tike?

 

[albianne]

Sorry to get you confused, the Golden Horseshoe was at Disneyland not Universal but it just stuck out as being one of the things we really enjoyed. It was a saloon type restaurant that has a show (guitars, banjo's etc), they were really good and you could eat snack items like chicken fingers, chili fries etc. while you watched the show, the food was good and not too expensive.

As for Universal my favorite was for sure the Back to the Future Ride, my DH didn't get to ride it because he read the warnings about not to ride if you have high blood pressure, heart problems etc and it scared the bejeebers out of him so he didn't go on. It was a shame because it was far tamer than some of the other rides we had been on at DL such as Space Mountain (Which really scared the heck out of me - I will never get on that ride again).

 

[GreenGirl8]

Since you have a 7 year old...I would suggest bringing him something to be entertained during the first part of the universal studios tour. There is not much to "see" that would impress a 7 year old and he might get bored pretty quickly. This will soon end though and several little "thrills" will take place including the shark encounter and one with a very large gorilla.

Rides to skip...tough to say. I really don't think the Terminator 3-D show is for children. There is a lot of violence...guns, shooting..etc. If I would skip anything, that would be it. Other shows I would skip...the special effects stages and Van Helsing: Dracula Fortress.

The great part of going down to the lower lot early...you can do rides like The Mummy and Jurrasic Park more than once with no wait. We usually run back in line and do Jurrasic Park at least twice. It is a good ride.

Another helpful tip. Don't wait forever for shows. You can usually show up a few minutes before show time and get a decent seat if your party size is small (3-4 people).

The only attraction that seems to have huge waits in the upper lot is the Shrek 3-D show. I have found it to be a bit over-rated, but kids tend to love it. If you think your child will enjoy this one...stick out the line. The theater is huge, so it will go faster than it looks.

Not sure if you bought your tickets yet, but they are currently running a special if you buy your tickets online. Here it is...Not bad with the free meal and all.

1-Day Admission PLUS Free Child Ticket

Limited Time, Online-Only Offer: Buy a 1-Day General Admission ticket to Universal Studios Hollywood® and get a FREE child ticket (ages 3-11)!

Tickets include admission to Universal Studios Hollywood, including all rides, attractions, and shows.
This offer is not available at the park ticket booths.
Bonus! Purchase your tickets online and get over $100 in Universal Studios savings coupons. Coupons valid for use through December 31, 2005. Plus you'll get a coupon for a free kid's meal on CityWalk!
Tickets can be used any day through (and including) January 31, 2006.

NOTE: Number of free children’s tickets can not exceed number of paid tickets. To receive the free child's ticket, a quantity must be entered below in the field labeled "Free Child".


If you have any other specific questions, don't hesitate to ask. I am a frequent Disneyland visitor and go to Universal quite often as well.


P.S - Check the opening times for the lower lot as soon as you get to the park. Somtimes it opens up to an hour after the rest of the park. If this is the case, do Shrek and then go to the lower lot as soon as it opens. You will basically hit all the major attractions that way!

 

[albianne]

Awesome hints Greengirl, I just realized that we never got to see Jurrasic Park either, so for sure we will have to return to see that and the Mummy and to do the Bobbleheaded dance thingy (sorry don't know the name).

 

[GreenGirl8]

Thanks,

I am pretty much an expert with the theme parks in the Southern Ca area. The cruise line is another story. I am the ones asking questions over on that board.