Our opinion on Universal Studios Hollywood and its new features

Around Los Angeles in California, there are several amusement parks not to be missed. One of them is Universal Studios Hollywood which has the particularity of being both an amusement park and an active film studio where movies and series are filmed. Located on one of the slopes of the Hollywood hill, this iconic amusement park is a "must do" during a visit to California.

Universal Studios Hollywood Attractions

After visiting the equivalent park in Orlando, it's truly very strange to find yourself in the Hollywood one. There's a mix of déjà vu and new features. You'll find the resort's iconic attractions, but in a different version. What truly differentiates this park is its film studio, which is still active and has never been so widely used, with new extensions to meet demands. This is really what gives the park its charm. It's possible to run into celebrities during the Studio Tour.

So, what is the World Famous Studio Tour? It's the must-not-miss attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood. You take a seat on a tram and tour the film studios. You pass through movie sets with ongoing filming, with the possibility of seeing celebrities. The tour guide makes all the difference by telling you about the series that were filmed in this or that soundstage, and you'll recognize iconic series like Desperate Housewives or films from the studio. To punctuate the tour, scenes are staged to immerse you in Kong, Jaws, or Psycho. Everything is really well presented, and doing it multiple times in the same day gives you different information depending on your guide! It's a must-do. Don't hesitate to go early in the day, as soon as the tours open, to avoid waiting.

The park offers a good selection of attractions and shows to please the whole family. To withstand the Californian heat, Super Silly Funland will be greatly appreciated by children with its water zone; be sure to bring a change of clothes.

New Attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood

Beyond discovering the amusement park, it was especially several new features that we wanted to test. Like all amusement parks, Universal Studios Hollywood regularly adds new attractions.

The Secret Life Of Pets Attraction

This attraction is a dark ride located relatively close to the entrance, next to the Minions. The streets leading to the attraction have been redone to resemble New York and it's really well done. The queue, as seen in videos, is also extremely well done with screens and animatronics featuring the main characters from The Secret Life of Pets. You then take a seat in a vehicle for this truly very successful dark ride which blends real sets, projections, and screens. It's really, really well done and you'll need several rides to see all the hidden details. It's a dark ride whose level we'd love to see everywhere else, we absolutely loved it! Don't hesitate to use the virtual queue for the attraction; we were caught out on our 2nd day after a breakdown where only express and virtual queue riders could experience the attraction.

Jurassic World

Maxime is a huge Jurassic Park fan. After the retheming of the attraction based on the Jurassic World movie, we wanted to see this water attraction with our own eyes. First info, it's extremely well done. The entrance scene is completely insane. The rest remains close to what already existed, but then it becomes wild. The duel between the T.Rex and the Indominus Rex where you find yourself in the middle is just crazy. It's really, really well done and worth the wait despite the crowds. We rode it repeatedly, both to cool off and especially because we loved it. The videos in the queue are also of excellent quality; that's what we'd like to see in all parks of this level!

Super Nintendo World

This new land arrives in 2023, but we were able to see the progress of the work. The level of detail is just insane and it promises big things. The lower lot being a bit sparse, this new area will help add interest and distribute the crowd. The space reserved for the land is rather limited, but despite that, we can't wait to test it. Mario is coming to California!

Our Review of Universal Studios Hollywood

Universal Studios Hollywood is in no way comparable to its equivalent in Florida. You are truly on the location where the movies and series you watch are filmed, and that instantly gives it incredible charm. The presence of the Studio Tour elevates the whole experience.

From the park, you can see the Warner Bros studios and realize that you are in the heart of where movie magic happens. Despite being a smaller park, its atmosphere, the characters present, its charm, and the use of the landscape constraints give it unique aspects that are not comparable to other amusement parks.

If you have the means, we recommend the VIP Tour which allows you to enter certain sets and enjoy the rest of the day with Universal Express. This unique experience will allow you to make the most of your day with incredible discoveries and anecdotes about the behind-the-scenes of this film studio.

For Harry Potter Fans

If you are a fan of the famous wizard, you will also find a zone dedicated to him reproducing the village of Hogsmeade and the Hogwarts castle. The castle is located at the highest point of the park, which puts it much more prominently than in Florida, and you can even see it from outside the park. 2 attractions are present (clones of those at Islands Of Adventure) with Harry Potter And The Forbidden Journey (a dark ride blending real sets and screens on an articulated arm that gives you the feeling of flying) as well as Flight Of The Hippogriff (a family roller coaster).

Universal CityWalk at Universal Studios Hollywood

At the end of the day, we were able to enjoy Universal CityWalk, whose atmosphere is also different from that of Orlando. It's more of a place to pass through before heading back, to grab a drink or something to eat. You'll notably find the Bubba Gump Shrimp, made famous by Forrest Gump, which we tried for the first time. It's very good, but be mindful of the Euro-Dollar exchange rate :)

Universal CityWalk offers restaurants, shops, and experiences that will allow you to extend your day late into the night, perhaps with a movie screening featuring a film shot on site!

The Rest of the California Trip

Universal Studios Hollywood is one of the amusement parks you absolutely must visit once in your life (or even twice). It's among the California parks to visit, notably including Disneyland or SF MM, which you will discover in our 2022 California trip.

If you wish to ask us questions to organize your own trip, please don't hesitate! It's our passion, and we'll be delighted to help you enjoy these parks and make your stay an unforgettable moment!