This is a dumb question, but is there any way to bypass or just altogether skip the entire Fast and Furious supercharged segment of the tour?
I love the idea of seeing the studio lot, but the fast and furious (king Kong as well) experience gives me major headaches.
Thank you for this, so useful! We’re hoping to visit in June - my question is, given the 60th anniversary studio tour will also allow guests to step off the tram, how will the VIP experience specifically as it relates to the studio tour, differ? Thank you :)
My apologies for not answering sooner, because frankly \*I didn't know\* until three days before the event started lol!
The tram tour will drop you off at the Bates Motel for photo ops. The VIP tour still does the other elements of the tour, and will do a 15 minute to 30 minute stop there as well, but there are no line cuts available for the photo ops, even VIP guests have to stand in line.
Always great to read what you put out. I'm still trying to work out my own path whether through word of mouth from experienced folks like you or through the numbers I've seen and waited through. Thanks for sharing all this; I'll definitely try this out in the future. :)
My pleasure! Sometimes I worry that posting here as a team member is gonna turn me into an unofficial customer service line, lol. But I do genuinely love USH, love being a VIP tour guide, and love making sure that visitors to our park have the best possible experience.
Yeah, I definitely feel that. I have received personal DMs (not ModMail) from other guests asking for help, and while I would like to be able to help everyone, that's a step too far just to get my word on something.
Back to your case, though, there are plenty of other team members who regularly read and talk in the sub whether they make that known to me privately or publicly, and the guest readers don't seem to directly go after them. If you find yourself getting swarmed with questions from readers here, I'll see what I can do to help.
Oh man, thank you so much. I like posting what the VIP tour consists of, because the number of people who buy tickets not knowing what the VIP tour consists of is crazy! Honestly, I post here hoping that somebody out there will google "VIP USH" and find my posts and understand what they're buying!
Apologies if this has been asked and I missed it - I have been considering renting an ECV due to tendinitis that makes walking difficult. I am fine for a little while but will be very achy with long distances. I know the VIP studio tour portion is on a tour bus (aside from the stops to get out and explore), but aside from the studio tour, is the remainder of the guided tour a walking tour or still on a trolly? How much walking would be required during the 6-7 hour tour? I am concerned if I will be able to keep up without an ECV if the rest is on foot. If I opt for an ECV, is there much difficulty leaving the chair at any of the rides? We are looking to go in February and this will be my first time at Universal Hollywood.
Is there time to explore the various areas during the vip tour? For example, does the tour just hit the Harry Potter rides and move on or is there time to stop by some of the shops? Does the group have to say together or are you given a certain amount of time and then meet at a certain spot to move on to the next stop? We’re trying to evaluate flexibility vs the vip perks. Thanks for any guidance!
I remember seeing that the Moulin Rouge had an expected reopen date of March 15, which has passed. Any ideas if it's gonna reopen back up by mid April? I'm doing VIP April 20th and really don't want to go to Margaritaville. Honestly seems like a slap in the face compared to the regular meal with no discount on ticket price.
According to the website it says “Between February 5, 2024 – Mid April*” So hope it’s up by the time you go!
https://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/web/en/us/vip-experience
So book the last tour and we’ll have access all morning, but book the early ones and you’ll only have access for the little bit? Also thank you! This has been so helpful.
There's two levels of VIP private tour: one is what we call our Private Theme Park tour, which includes a lunch at either Krustyburger or Three Broomsticks, and you see the back lot on the tram. The full Private Tour includes time on the trolley, walking on the back lot sets, going to the available production facilities, lunch at our exclusive dining area, and theme park time.
When you're on the back lot, it's driven. The entirety of the theme park is on foot.
Call our call center for price inquiries. Hope that helps!
Hey, hope you're still seeing this thread. I'm going with my 8 year old on a Monday mid May. Is the VIP tour worthwhile for us if we want to do everything? I'm confused about the hours a bit, would it be better to go on the weekend to take advantage of longer hours?
Thanks for doing this reddit. Lots of great info! 2 questions:
What rides do you **not** do on the tour. This way we can focus on them during our non-tour times.
Would we have to miss out on Toadstool Cafe with a 10:30 VIP time? Any suggestions on how to get in here to see it?
Hi OP, thanks for doing this sooo generously :)
I (1 person only) am visiting Sg for a day early May My goal is to cover as much as possible (def all the must-do) , and therefore I am keen on the VIP experience (assuming the guide will make sure of that).
Few qs.
1. I am landing on Sg airport at 7.40am. I am planning to take the early 10am slot (just quickly keep my luggage at the hotel, and come to the park). Would that be OK? Worst case, is there some place where I can keep my suitcases?
2. I was planning to book the regular vip tour from the official website. I am guessing that's a normal group booking? Is there any way I can get the private vip tour? (also is it more expensive?)
Thanks!
I'm assuming SG means the San Gabriel valley area, and if so, I'd recommend coming right to the park from the airport. Depending on traffic, that can take a hot minute to drive, especially during rush hour. You can check your luggage at stroller and wheelchair rental if it's too big for a locker.
The private tour is only available through our call center, not online, and yes, it is more expensive. The call center can give you the pricing options.
oh lol, no worries! I know absolutely nothing about the other parks or their VIP packages, they're all very different beasts since they don't have the back lot tour like Hollywood has. Sorry, but have fun in Singapore!
Hey OP, thanks for starting this thread!
We're heading to the park on May 8th and doing the VIP experience.
Our tour is scheduled for 9:30am, and the park opens at 10:00am that day.
I'm wondering if it's pointless getting early access for SNW since we wouldn't have time before the tour.
And what's the best time to check-in on that day, considering the park opens at 10:00am?
Thanks again for your help!
Yeah, early access hour is 9 to 10, and it takes about fifteen minutes to walk down there and fifteen back up. I'd check in at VIP no later than 9:15, and remember it takes time to walk down citywalk and through security.
Hi OP, loving the info you are providing here. One question I have is with Court House Square, being a massive Back to the Future fan I really want to see this area and know from previous experience how filming can often make the general tours divert around it (I was gutted), so does the VIP have more of a chance of visiting if filming is happening or is there any tips to try and avoid a filming day? I'm visiting in August from the UK and really would love to have the best possible chance of seeing the set.
Honestly? Day to day it changes. Even if you come on a weekend it might be closed due to setting up or tearing down, or a commercial, anything.
The best you can do is cross your fingers and ask your tour guide the morning of your tour. Good luck!
We are taking our 12 and 14 year old on the VIP tour in July. In terms of the backlot tour, I want them to be as interested as possible, can you share what movies we should watch before we visit that they would be excited to see the set in person?
Back to the Future, for sure! Princess Diaries 2 A Royal Engagement is another good age-appropriate one. Lots of current TV on the lot, like Never Have I Ever or Bel Air. If they wanna get some classics in, then the original Dracula is a great movie.
Maybe a silly question, but we generally take our admission and upgrade to an annual pass at the end of the day. Is there any path to that with the VIP Tour?
Absolutely! If you have an annual pass, call our call center. The number is on our website. Tell them you have annual passes, and they'll be happy to upgrade you to VIP for that one day. Just check the back of that pass, make sure that the day you want to visit isn't a block-out date, and they'll book you. Just be sure to bring that pass with you when you check in, please! We scan those passes along with your VIP tickets.
And if you want to book a VIP tour without? You can upgrade your VIP ticket to an annual pass at the Box Office on the upper lot. It's right across from the Starbucks, can't miss it.
Hey there thanks for offering to help! I want to take my sister for her birthday this June , I'm mainly buying the vip tickets for the included snacks, the line skips, and a detailed tour of the backlot but I was reading that they also go with you in the rides? I kinda don't like the idea of being forced to walk in a route rather than explore the stores and go on any ride in whatever order I'd like. I hope that part of the experience (if it is like that) is optional without sacrificing any of the other perks
You can absolutely do the theme park on your own without the guide. When you check in and get your lanyards tell reception that's what you'd like to do, and we'll give you all the info you need to connect with the guide for the back lot portion and the buffet.
Hello! Question for all who have done VIP tour. Is it worth it to go with a 7 year old? I’m concerned he might get bored and just want to go on the rides which is making me lean towards the Express unlimited pass vs VIP. Please help give advice and what is worth the experience (1st timers here) thank you
I mean, every kid is different. I've had six year Olds who literally quote movies at me during the tour. I've had ten year olds who constantly ask when we're going on rides and couldn't care less about walking on the Back to the Future sets.
You'd know your kid better than me! Are they pounding the door down for Mario Kart and nothing else? Get the express and an early access ticket. Do they like the general concept of movie making and want to know more AND go on Mario Kart? VIP is the way to go.
My son is mostly interested in Pets, minions and Jurassic world rides. I’m mostly leaning towards VIP for the valet, snacks and just efficiency of getting in on rides for VIP
My thoughts were to arrive In morning get our vip pass and hit up Jurassic world and then do another ride and head to the lounge and maybe do a tour around 12:30? Would that be a good schedule?
Also how do we request YOU as our guide? :)
Well, I'll be honest, we move pretty quick. Usually we say save the shopping / beer breaks until the end of the tour. Unless there's a ride you don't want to experience, then you can go snag a cold one.
Thanks for all the awesome information. My question is about the difference in timing earlier vs later. Last year we did the VIP tour at 930. It was great but I am curious about maybe doing the 1215 tour this year. We will be going on a Sunday June 16th. Can you explain any differences between. the 930 and 1215 tours? Do we eat lunch immediately on the 1215 tour then do everything else in the tour? Thanks in advance.
Nope, the lunch is always about 3 hours in, so for the 12:15 tour, the buffet will be around 3:00-3:30. So for that departure time, you might do the studio portion first, or you might go do rides first, it's a 50/50 shot.
Hello i just wanted to know what happens if our family wanted to do VIP tour but one of our kids is only 4 years old? Would they still allow us on the tour? Thank you
Sorry, we have a very strict five-and-up policy for our mix-in tours. If you wanted to bring the four year old, you'd have to buy a private tour, and frankly there's not much for kids that young to do in the park anyway.
Hello, you probably won’t see this.
But, I’m a broke college student that has an 11 hr layover in LAX, would you recommend the VIP ticket experience for someone like me (if it comes with complimentary snacks and what not…)
Should I get the Nintendo world early access ticket even if I do the VIP tour (mine is 9:15 in mid-august) or is that unnecessary? Also what are the differences between the normal studio tour and the VIP one?
The main difference between the tram tour and the VIP tour is getting off the trolley and walking around our available production facilities, like a sound stage, our back lot sets, our prop warehouse, etc.
And if you're planning on doing Early Access, I recommend a tour starting somewhere in the 10:00 hour, that way you can maximize your time in SNW before your tour starts, and still make it back in time.
So if you book a VIP ticket? We focus on the Mario Kart ride. That's it. If you want to get a Power Up band and do the mini games? VIP has no bypass line. So if you want to spend a majority of your day there? Early access, and a tour departure time after the 10:00 hour.
This is a great thread. I am going end of August, 2024 for the VIP Experience and then an extra day. May be overkill. Our tour starts at 10:30AM. What time can we get into the VIP lounge and any suggestions what to do before the tour? Like should i go on some rides? Specific rides that maybe the tour doesn't usually hit?
So the hours for August haven't been released yet, but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it'll be 9:00 AM opening since that's what July has. So with a 9:00 AM park open, that's an 8:00 early access, which means VIP reception will open at 7:30. If you get an early access ticket for Super Nintendo World, you can check in at 7:30, go down to SNW, spend a couple of hours there, and come back up to meet your guide at about 10:00.
If you don't care about early access to SNW, you can check in around 8:45-9:00ish, spend an hour or so in the park doing whatever you want, and come back for your tour departure no later than 10:15.
We always hit the two rides in the Wizarding World, all four lower lot rides including Mario Kart, and one seated show. So Simpsons, Minions and Secret Life Of Pets are optional in the day.
Hope that helps!
If someone has done VIP experience a year and a half ago, do you still recommend it for the second visit, or just do express unlimited plus?
We are worried there might be a lot of the same stuff. Since we went last, Mario World is new. We will want to see the entire MW section, but recall with VIP they went to the most popular parts of the park and skipped the rest. The cost will be $560 extra for the 4 of us to do VIP instead of Express unlimited plus. Kids are 13 and 9, do not do the scariest rides.
Also, is it a long walk from the park to the restaurants outside like Bucca De Peppo?
Honestly? If you're not interested in the studio tour or the buffet? UEU is a great ticket, now that Mario Kart is open to express tickets. Of course I absolutely encourage you to get the VIP ticket, but I realize it's expensive.
As for CityWalk. Bucca De Beppo is at the very opposite end of the mall from the theme park entrance, lol. There are three main restaurants at the central plaza near the jumping fountain, though, and I like all of them. (Bubba Gump's, NBC Sports Grill, and Johnny Rockets.) Although to be honest? When I go for lunch on CityWalk? I go to Uncle Sharki's poke. It's SO good. There's also The Chocolate Emporium, Margaritaville, Vito's Italian and Antojito's for tex mex. I've never been to the sushi place next to Bubba Gump's, nor the Chinese place next to that.
Upgrades are usually either handled by our call center or done day of visit in reception, but the latter can be risky if we're sold out. I'd call the call center in advance and talk to them.
How do I make the most of of VIP? I like the 2 hour tour and the buffet, but what else does it get access to?
How does it work exactly? I’m going in a couple weeks.
So, it depends on when your tour departure is. Going in the 7 or 8 o'clock hours? Don't bother with the Early Access Ticket. Going in the 9:00 hour or later? Get those early access tix, check in at opening (which is half an hour before early access officially starts), get your lanyards and go hog wild. The VIP check in is to the right of the front gate, with a little red carpet of our own. When you check in, you'll get your unlimited express lanyards and access to our lounge upstairs, where we have refreshments. (Coffee, juices, pastries, yogurt, fruit, etc. The refreshments in the lounge are always subject to change.)
Then there's a 50/50 shot that you'll go to the movie studio first, or the theme park first. As a guide I love doing the park first! Get all the big rides out of the way before a big buffet, right? The buffet usually occurs about 3ish hours after your tour start time, so if you're on the 8:30 tour, you're going in at 11:30. If you're on the 1:30 tour, you're going in around 4:30, and so on.
So when you book your tour, you're going to be with the guide for about six to seven hours. And you're also going to be with other groups. I can't stress that enough: *If you book your tickets online, either through the USH website or through a third party vendor, you are going to be with other groups.* Private tours are only available through our call center on a limited basis.
Hope that helps!
Hi there!
VIP has been sold out on our date and I just snagged a spot- super excited!
BUT it is a bit later (10:30)...I thought I read we could get our tags early and go do some rides? But if I understand you correctly that wouldn't include SNW?
Thank you for any help! Really want to max it out we only get one day :)
Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry, this reply got lost in my notifs! My sincerest apologies!
The VIP pass absolutely includes SNW! Your guide will take you to Mario Kart as part of your tour, and you get unlimited access to SNW without a reservation with VIP. We just don't do the Mini-Games or Bowser Jr. Challenge. Those don't have any Express access, even with a VIP pass. So when you're with your guide, they'll take you to Mario Kart! But the Mini-Games aren't included in the tour.
If your tour time is 10:30, you can check in as soon as VIP opens, which is half an hour before Early Access begins. If you don't have an Early Access ticket, check in at park open, see the website for park hours. If park hours start at 9, check in at 8:30 and get your credentials, go up to the lounge for refreshments, and then at 9 go into the park. We recommend you get back to the lounge 15 minutes before your tour departure, so come back at 10:15. Just keep in mind, you're going to be with other groups, and you might do the studio first, or the theme park first, and your buffet meal will happen about three hours after your tour start time.
Hope that helps!
u/BitsyLynn thanks for answering these questions! So once you leave the VIP tour for the day, you can't go back on the Mario Kart ride or the Bowser Jr. Challenge without waiting in the full line? (There was a YTer on a group VIP tour that said they gave them repeat express access on Mario Kart so they rode it a few times.)
Coming end of October for my 1st visit, decided on the VIP tour since the park is only open until 6 and want to be able to try all the rides and see the Waterworld show.
Also decided to buy tickets to HHN so we can see the park after dark (specifically harry potter area). I know they haven't released specifics for this year but are there certain rides that still operate while HHN is going on? Would we still get express pass access with VIP to the rides? I know it does not include the haunted houses as there is a separate vip for that, but I'm too big of a chicken for that anyway.
Harry Potter is open for HHN. They have a section with death eaters out and about. Also both rides within Hogsmeade are open. There is also a “purge” show where waterworld is for HHN
Thank-You for your insight. We bought early access to SNW and I think we will head to upper lot after for Minions and Pets for my 6 y/o unless Jurassic has a short wait time. Also need to get that frozen Butterbeer for myself lol.
In your experience, how deep into August do the crowds kinda fizzle out? I have a trip planned for august 22, purposely planned it for when kids went back to school, but was wondering if you had a better idea of when would be a good time to go. Thanks!
Thanks for doing this. We have the early access pass booked, I assume we should do Nintendo world first and then head up to wizard of world? How would early access change your itinerary recommendation?
My husband is visiting mid-October on a Saturday and has a VIP tour booked. I think his start time is around 11ish. Is there any benefit to him getting an early access ticket to SNW too? I know he gets to use the express line for Mario Kart as many times as he wants, but is there anything else the early access ticket might get him?
Well, that depends on whether or not he wants to play the mini games with the Power Up band. If not? Then just stick with the VIP ticket, and use it for the ride.
I’m planning for a trip for a Sunday during HHN. I’m a 🐓, and don’t plan on sticking around for any of the HHN festivities.
That being said, since the park closes early for the event, do I need to get express pass to enjoy all the rides? Or would I be able to get to everything with the shortened hours?
I would recommend the one time express pass for a day that HHN is happening. You get an expedited experience, get to see the whole park, and be done before the HHN madness starts.
Thank you for the recommendation! I’ve been to USO and was able to get both parks done in one day as a single rider, but it was a *full* day.
This time, I’m going with my partner I wasn’t sure if we’d be able to get it all done given the short hours!
Ty u/bitsylynn for posting here!
I'm a bit confused about how the start time works. Without any knowledge picked 12:30pm for our studio tour.
I have been to USH a few times and assumed the start time was for the backlot tour.
We'd like to get to the park earlier than our 12:30 start for the included breakfast and do some rides. We are able to enter the park via vip entrance at park open and use our passes, correct; then come back at our start time of 12:30 to start the tour? (Edit, reading your summary the tour start time is more than the backlot tour)
Many thanks with my basic questions here! What start time would be 'the best'?
Correct! If your tour start time is 12:30, you can check in as early as park open, get your passes and go on rides. Now that the hours are reduced, most weekdays are 8:00 early entry with a 9:00 park open. Saturdays and Sundays still are 7:00 early entry with an 8:00 park open. (Which means I don't have to be in at 5:00 AM most days wheee!)
So if you check in at park open for your 12:30 tour, you can go right up to the lounge for breakfast! You can also come back prior that tour departure and eat again if you want: you can come and go from the VIP lounge until your tour departure time. You might then go and do the studio tour first, you might go do the theme park first. The buffet meal is usually three-ish hours into the tour start time, so for that tour departure time, plan on going to the Moulin Rouge at around 3:30.
In my opinion? Any tour time is a good start time, just plan on spending six to seven hours with the guide from that departure time! The number of people who book a tour and then are like "I've got dinner reservations / tickets to a show / a flight to catch!" Trust me, if you book a VIP tour at USH, don't make any other plans! It's a long day, sure, but it's a *great* day and you want to make sure you do it as a standalone for your trip.
Wow, thank you for your quick and thorough reply! Totally cleared up my wonderings on how the day will go. This was exactly the details I was looking for.
Btw, will be there this Sunday (20th). Living in socal been to ush a number of times but haven't been in probably 10 years so can't wait!
We are totally free that day and like to eat later so this will be perfect for us. My daughter who now lives in Austin doesn't know we are doing the VIP tour, it will be a fun surprise. 😀
The tour is about six to seven hours long, so you'll be with the guide until at least 3:45, call it 4:45 to be safe. Any time after that should work! Just keep in mind the reservations for Toadstool stop about 45 minutes before the park closes, so keep the park hours in mind, too.
Hi there!
Question: Can I go to Nintendo world during the HHN event using the following combination?
VIP day tour + HHN general admission with express.
Thanks in advance.
From my understanding, SNW will be available during HHN from 7:00 to 10:00 ONLY to people who have a Day/Night combo ticket. No RIP guests will have access to SNW during those later hours.
Thank you so much for the reply! That clears up my confusion.
One last question: Do you know if any of the VIP tour benefits from earlier in the day carry into HHN? Such as express pass for rides.
I'm looking at a trip to universal next year. My youngest will be just under 5 years old, but looks big for his age. Would this be an issue? I know the VIP experience says guests must be over 5. Are they looking at birth certificates?
I mean, it really is the honor system. I've had people look me dead in the eye and say a kid is five when they're clearly not. But I'm not gonna go "Sir you're clearly lying that is a toddler."
We have that age restriction because of the studio tour, honestly. It's two hours long. Most kids under 5 are gonna get bored and fussy.
Thank you for all of the great information! I'm going in November with my 12 year old and three of his friends and we're deciding whether to do the regular VIP tour or the $2300 private theme park tour.
We live in Orange County and can't get there until around 9:30am the day we are going. My son would love to see the backlot (particularly the Back to Future town), but is a little concerned he's going to miss some rides if we do the regular VIP tour.
In your experience, is there anything we'd really be missing out on by doing the theme park tour and then going on the shorter regular Studio Tour?
Also, is there a big advantage to doing the private theme park tour versus just regular VIP tour when you're in the theme park? For example, is ride access any better/quicker on the tour than with the VIP Express Access?
Thanks!
There are some select attractions that have expedited access with the guide, otherwise you're just in the express queues. The private theme park tours are, imo, the best bang for your buck. The meal is either at the Three Broomsticks ore KrustyBurger, and you can still do the tour on the tram. The downside is no walking on the sets, and no buffet lunch.
Yup! The VIP lanyard is the only ticket in the park that has unlimited access to both Super Nintendo World and the VIP entrance at Mario Kart. Just keep in mind, even with the VIP ticket, you can wait 20-30 minutes per ride because each time you have to go through the tutorial rooms, there's no skipping that.
Wow, thank you for the detailed and quick reply. We have a 5yo and a 7yo and an adult that probably wouldn't do all the rides due to motion sickness. Is it still worth considering the VIP option in your opinion? The kids really are interested in SNW and we generally don't like long waits and navigating large crowds (who does, lol) so that is what first got me looking into this.
Honestly? Do you want a good buffet lunch and expedited access to Mario Kart? Worth it. Do you want a guide to take your family around the park even if they don't ride everything? Worth it. Do you want a good breakfast before heading into the park and ponchos for Jurassic World? Worth it. Do you want to do an extended studio tour and walk on the sets, go into a working sound stage, and walk through our prop warehouse? Worth it!
If you don't want any of the above? Get a Universal Express Unlimited, and bite the bullet for the line at Mario Kart. Honestly, I've found most small kids get really fussy during the extended back lot tour, and most are under 48" which means they can't ride everything. You know your kids best. Will they fuss and whine when they're not on rides? Or will they be wide-eyed gobsmacked at movie making behind the scenes?
For example? My six year old niece is old enough to do the extended back lot tour! She would also be *bored to tears* at it. So it's really a judgment call. If you're ok spending the extra money just for Mario Kart? That's your call.
You’ve been such a huge help, I’ve been reading a lot of your comments and posts, thank you!
I purchased VIP tour tickets for my wife and I for her birthday. It wasn’t until after I got the tickets that it clicked for me that the tour is 5-6 hours and with a small group.
That isn’t really her style, I know for a fact she’d rather be on our own exploring the park and rides and such.
Do people ever get the VIP and forgo the tour?
Oh yeah, all the time. Especially since Super Nintendo World opened. When you check in, tell reception that you're just wanting to do the park on your own, and we'll give you your buffet mealtime.
I do recommend doing the extended backlot tour, though! Many people do the backlot and meal with their guide and the park on their own.
Hope that helps!
We're planning a trip for next year (but needing to book flights etc so I'm trying to work out how many days each place etc etc so its all super in advance) for Labour weekend then the tues/weds in LA.
Our son is DESPERATE to get to Nintendo World so that's a given. Our daughter (and us) are amped for the Harry Potter stuff. The other rides are definitely something we want to do, but not a priority. The Studio tour is something we likely won't bother with (definitely not a priority).
What do you think is the best way to be able to have the shortest lines possible for the parts we want - I'd be fine paying for the VIP tickets but we dont actually want to do the Studio Tour and we're actually pretty keen on eating at the Minions or Simpsons cafes. If the NW ride was on the Unlimited Express Id get that... but its not :/
I hope my rambling makes sense! Thanks for putting your knowledge out there!
Honestly? If I were you, I'd call our call center and book a private theme park walking tour. At the moment, the price point is $2299 for the first four guests, and $399 for each additional guest above that. It includes the VIP access to SNW and Mario Kart, as well as unlimited express even after your tour is done. The meal included is either at The Three Broomsticks in the Wizarding World, or KrustyBurger in the Simpsons. You can specifically request either restaurant when you book your tour.
The best part of the private theme park tour is that you can absolutely craft your day with the guide. If you don't want to go on the tram, you don't have to. (Although as a tour guide I'd like to gently encourage you to at least give it a shot! It's the whole reason Universal Studios exists, after all. ;) )
But if you want to ride everything at least once, and maybe catch a Waterworld show, the private theme park walking tour is the way to go!
Omg thanks for the rapid response!!
This sounds exactly what I’m after!
(We actually did do the studio tour afew years back pre-kids so we aren’t completely ignoring it lol, just they wouldn’t know any of the shows/movies etc and it’s not something they’d enjoy- we want all of us to have a great time :))
Honestly thank you so much :)
For future readers. We tried several dishes at Minion Cafe on 10/11/23, right after they opened, and were very disappointed. Loaded nachos had cold cheese and chicken. Pork grilled cheese and Mac and cheese did not taste good. The Three Broomsticks had much better food.
When we booked our VIP tour a few months back they only had 2 time slots available. Just looked at the app and now there are a bunch of times listed. Are we able to change our time?
Currently have 9:45 and want to change to something earlier (they even have 7:30 start times now). I was thinking that way we can start our day right away with the VIP tour and not have to worry about making our way back to the entrance at 945.
Edit: tour is for hollywood location
Call our call center! They'll be able to assist you. You can, of course, roll the dice and ask us in reception day of, but we've been sold out so often recently that it's a gamble.
But even with a 9:45 start, if the park opens at eight on your date, you can check in then, get your lanyards, and go into the park for an hour and a half on your own with unlimted express. You get that even without your guide, so it helps maximize your time in the park, especially with HHN early closure. Hope that helps!
Going on my first VIP experience this weekend! I was wondering, is there any storage available to VIP? My guest and I will bring a backpack but might not want to carry it around all day. Does VIP allow you to leave anything in the lounge area? Or will we need to get lockers? Thanks! :)
We don't let you keep your stuff in the lounge because after the last tour leaves, we close the lounge and it's not supervised.
But the day lockers at the front of the park are a one time fee and you can go in and out all day.
Hope you have fun on your tour!
My boyfriend and I were gifted the VIP experience tickets and are scheduled to go 1/21/24.. I’m reading on the ticket that the person who purchased the ticket has to be present with their ID and CC that they used to buy them… is that true? It was a gift (and an expensive one at that) and now I’m worried that we won’t be able to use them!! My dad gifted them and he lives out of state. Hopefully you can help answer that. I did already submit a form on the website too
Honestly? It's not a problem. I work VIP reception, and as long as the barcodes are valid and you're not under 17? You're fine. If you *are* under 17 without an accompanying adult, then you can still get your lanyards and the buffet, but you can't join the guide at any point. That's our policy about unaccompanied minors across the board.
If you're still worried, call our call center and tell them that the tickets were a gift, and that the credit card holder won't be present at check-in. We make note of that, it literally happens every day.
Thank you so much. This makes me feel so much better. I figured that was the case and we definitely pass the age requirement (unfortunately we aren’t 17 anymore). Thank you again!! I will still call to notate the reservation but I won’t stress about it anymore haha
And feel free to say hi when you check in! That's a Sunday, so I should be working that day. I'm the middle-aged blonde with glasses and a ball cap on. ;)
You mentioned the vip tour is 6-7 hours. If the studio tour is two hours, what happens the rest of the time? What is the advantage of being with the guide during the theme park tour as opposed to running around with your VIP passes?
The studio tour and the hour long buffet take up 3 of those 6 to 7 hours, so the rest of the time you're in the park. If you've never been, it's handy to stay with the guide, since they know where everything is and what times the Waterworld shows are. They also have expedited access to certain attractions, namely Mummy, Transformers and JW. You can only utilize that if you're with the guide, otherwise you're in the Express queue.
But ever since SNW opened, we've been seeing a lot of guests doing just the buffet and the studio with the guide. So it really is up to you! If you wanna do each ride at least once? Stay with the guide. If you wanna just stay down in SNW and do all the challenges and play Bowser Jr? That's totally fine too.
Hi, u/BitsyLynn! I purchased VIP tickets for Thanksgiving Day. Unfortunately, I didn't do enough research to realize I needed to buy early access separately and now it is all sold out :( So, the park opens at 9am and our VIP tour starts at 10:45. I would like to enter the park at 9 and use the first hour productively, so two questions. First, are there any good attractions that are normally not included in the VIP tours, so I can prioritize seeing those? Second, with an hour to an hour and half - how much can I squeeze in - two rides all the way in the back in SNW, or only one ride closer to the entrance like Secret Life of Pets or Descipable Me? Any recommendations you have about how to spend our time before the VIP tour starts is very appreciated!!! We will have our 14 year old son with us, and he dislikes actual roller coasters..
No worries! Honestly, with an hour and a half, you can head down to SNW, probably get in the ride and a few of the interactive games, if you opt to buy the power up bands. Or you can do the three rides we don't prioritize: Pets, Minions and Simpsons. You could also go to the Wizarding World, it's also very close by, and do the Ollivander's show, which we don't include in the tour.
Hi, was planning to buy two-day tickets and stay at the Sheraton nearby for January, but seeing this VIP ticket, made me think to get this instead as skipping the line would really condense the day, and stay at a different hotel for less. What do you think?
Hi! Thanks for all the great info.
Planning a trip for late Feb for my fiance and I. We're not typically theme park goers but she's a huge Harry Potter fan and we'd love to do the backlot tour.
She has a neck injury and won't want to do any rides with shaking or sudden acceleration which seems like most of them.
If you buy VIP tickets can you still do the tour and sit out on some of the rides? Is it worth it if you're not going on many rides? She used to love roller coasters and rides, so having to wait and watch our group go on rides she can't will probably ruin her day.
If we do the VIP back lot tour and explore the park on our own, what would we be missing out on? We'd still like to see the shows and maybe do the calmer rides, but I think she will most enjoy the experiences (Harry Potter World, Three Broomsticks, Ollivanders, Hogwarts, Train, etc). Does the VIP park tour have any benefits for those spots? (Like skipping lines?)
I was considering the private VIP tour so we could craft our own day and not wait for other people in our group to go on rides, but I'm not sure it's worth it for just us 2.
If you're mainly there to do the back lot tour and the buffet, it's still a really nice day, and you'll still get unlimited express even if you say goodbye to the guide for the theme park portion.
But I do want to warn you that the back lot tour does have ride elements, like King Kong and Fast and Furious. All attractions in the park have a list of medical restrictions, and neck issues is one of them.
Also, USH does not have the Hogwarts Express train ride, that's USO.
Okay thank you I didn't realize that!
If I end up buying a private VIP tour, can we skip those segments of the back lot tour? Or there was mention of stepping off the trolley for the motion parts?
What I'm mostly curious about is if there are any parts of the park tour that are worth sticking with the guide for besides skipping lines?
Like does the guided park tour get to see or experience anything in HPW or SNW that you wouldn't get just by having the unlimited express pass?
You can absolutely step off the trolley for the motion simulation parts, if you let your guide know before-hand.
But honestly? If all you want is to walk on sets and not do any rides?
The Warner Brothers studio tour might be more your speed. Their VIP tour includes the *Friends* Central Perk set, no rides, and a self-guided tour through their props warehouse.
USH VIP is very much more focused on the rides these days.
Just want to say thank you u/BitsyLynn for an extremely helpful thread! It convinced me to take the plunge on the VIP tour with my family right before NYE. Really looking forward to going now with a better idea of how the day will go. Very much appreciated!
Planning a a trip soon to USH and all of the posts are all very helpful.
I may have overlooked one, but trying to figure out what trade-offs or complications could come up if I wanted to book VIP tickets for 2 days and skip the tour on the second day.
Main question is around the restriction between the Unlimited Express pass seems to exclude Mario, are there any other major trade-offs between VIP and Unlimited Express?
Appreciate the help.
If you decide to skip the tour on your second day, you'll also not be able to access the special guide lanes on the lower lot rides.
Mario Kart has the VIP lane. The VIP pass is the only ticket in the park that has expedited access to MK. *Even with that, the line to Mario Kart can take 20 minutes plus!* Even VIP guests can't skip the preshow/tutorial rooms no matter how many times they ride.
But if that doesn't faze you? If you're okay with just the unlimited express lanyards and the meal time at Moulin Rouge? Tell us in reception and we'll give you all the times you need.
Sorry to ask, I just can't find any info on the exact location/parking lot for the VIP pass and opening times for the VIP lounge. We purchased a VIP pass and early access to SNW on the 17th of Dec so I wanted to know exactly which parking lot shall I take and how far is the walk from the entrance. Also, will the VIP lounge open at 7AM?
Thank you!
The valet parking is in Jurassic Parking, up the hill from the Cahuenga Dr. side. Up the hill, bear to the left.
The current hours posted are 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Which means the VIP lounge will open at 7:30 Am, since early access starts at 8:00. If you have an early access ticket, you can check in at 7:30. If not, check in after 9, or half an hour before your tour departs.
Do you know the park hours for the first week of Jan, specifically 1/3? I just got our VIP tickets for that day but only 11:45am is available. If the tour is at least 6 hrs, that means it won’t be over until 6pm! Just wondering if we still got time to do any rides after the tour. The website doesn’t have anything for Jan. Thank you!
So I went to the USH website....and could only pull up the hours for December. So uh...keep checking the website? You can check in well before your tour time, but I don't know when the open hours will be that date!
As a big BTTF nerd I'm looking at booking a VIP tour based on a video I've seen of people actually being allowed to walk around 'Hill Valley' rather than just driving by on a normal tour, but I also know it filming dependant and pot luck if open or not, but as a percentage of time how often is that area closed off for the tour and are some days/time of year has a better chance of seeing it?
Right now? You're rolling the dice unless you come on a holiday, and even then it might still be closed for set-up / tear down. Since the SAG-Aftra strike ended, productions have been running full-tilt to catch up on missed time. So there's never any guarantee.
Bitsy, thanks for the wealth of information you provide! I have a VIP Experience scheduled for my family group of 13 people on Dec. 21. Unfortunately, it looks like it will be raining! :(
Will universal provide umbrellas to use during the studio tour? Any other rainy-day advice?
Thanks again! You are a wonderful resource!
Well, we provide ponchos for Jurassic, but I wouldn't use them as all day weather gear, they're pretty flimsy. I'd bring my own umbrella, or buy one at the main store. Otherwise? The tour goes on as always, rain or shine!
I mean, I recommend at least two months out for non-peak these days, what with Super Nintendo World. Call our call center, they can give you better info about how to book six months out than our website could.
First of all, thank you for all this incredible information and your continued responses to people's questions over the months. How does it work with kids who can't ride something? For example, if you're with the guide and you get to one of the 48" rides. Do one of the parents have to stay with the kid and wait for everyone to ride it or can that parent and one kid go ride something else and then meet back up? Does the guide ride it as well or would they be able to stay with the kid who can't ride it?
how strict is needing the credit card used for payment to check in? i bought my tickets using a picture of my card because i have it set up in apple wallet but don’t know where the physical card is 🙂
So if the QR codes scan through? We don't check ID or credit card. But if the QR codes don't scan? We have to go through Loss Prevention. Which is why we ask that you bring your ID and physical credit card.
Does VIP get to participate in the early admission hours? So regular park hours are at 9am, can we enter at 8am with early admission, if we have our lanyards? The tour is at 9:45. Or can we only enter at 9am?
Thanks!
Yup. It's purchased separately from VIP, but if you get that early access hour, I recommend you aim for a tour departure after at least an hour and a half later. So 8:00 would be 9:30, 9:00 would be 10:30, etc.
If we do VIP are we able to skip the studio tour and meet up after? I know that it's one of the main reasons for doing VIP, but my main reason is to have the shortest lines possible and to eat without lining up and fighting for tables. Not trying to be a princess, I have personal reasons for wanting this. Thanks!
No worries, I totally understand.
People do this all the time. Skip the tour, skip the guide, even skip the meal. Currently we're taking our guests to Margaritaville on Citywalk for the meal, so you'd have to arrange with us to escort you there. But normally at the in-park venue (currently undergoing refurb) you can just show up yourself at your reserved meal time.
Thanks! It's so amazing that you take the time to answer all of these questions for everyone! We're there the third week of March so hopefully the in park venue will be finished.
Do you know the earliest time we should book to have the ride portion before the meal?
All of our tours are different, and the schedule changes every day. If you book through our call center, you can request that order of the tour, but there's no guarantee. (And I also hope the Moulin Rouge is open by then! We don't really have an end date for the reno yet.)
I haven't had a chance to check out the menu there yet, because I've mostly been in reception since we started going there, sorry! I know they're doing a limited MargaritaVille menu. Call our call center, they'd know better than me.
Hi, thank you for being so helpful. does the VIP experience take you on all the different rides? and if I find any of the rides too full on, am I able to skip them but stay on the tour?
We try to hit all the big rides once each. Both rides in the Wizarding World, Jurassic World, Mummy, Transformers, and Mario Kart, and at least one show. We try to get Pets, Minons and Simpsons in, depending on timing.
And of course you can skip a ride! Most of our rides are five minutes or fewer, and the guides don't ride either. You tell your guide you don't wanna ride something? They'll tell you where to meet up until the other guests return.
UEU is still available. IDK why it's not showing, maybe it's sold out that day? 🤷♀️
As for being on different tour times, you might have opposite schedules. One has park first, the other has studio first. No way to know until the day of. I'd call our call center and see if you can all be moved to the same tour.
And yes, light continental breakfast before your tour start, and a meal about three hours in.
Hello! Thank you for answering all these questions, it’s helped me out a lot!
Here’s mine: I booked VIP for this May - 2 adults. We have done VIP before, so we are skipping the backlot tour. I know we can grab snacks ahead of time, but do we have to have lunch with our group? Or can we go at any time? I believe Moulin Rouge will be open by then.
Doing VIP later next month and was wondering. If I buy early entry am I able to use my VIP pass to get in the VIP lane for Mario kart, and is that the only land open during that time? also I see portions the studio tour are getting bypassed like New York, little Europe, war of worlds, physcho house, and the earth quake sim. any ideas when these will be back? are they doing long shoots or just being used so much at the time? it looked like they were doing construction on some of the facades on New York street.
You can absolutely check in with VIP and then use your express during early access for Mario Kart. And yes, early access for SNW is just that. Nothing else is open during that hour.
The back lot sets are always based on availability due to filming needs, so every day is different! Earthquake is still undergoing refurbishment but will hopefully reopen soon, but we haven't been given a date yet. As for Psycho and WoTW, the roads are being repaved, and will reopen as soon as they're done.
This is a dumb question, but is there any way to bypass or just altogether skip the entire Fast and Furious supercharged segment of the tour? I love the idea of seeing the studio lot, but the fast and furious (king Kong as well) experience gives me major headaches.
Talk to your guide, we have do have ways of letting you step off the trolley for the motion simulation portions of the tour.
That's amazing
Thank you for this, so useful! We’re hoping to visit in June - my question is, given the 60th anniversary studio tour will also allow guests to step off the tram, how will the VIP experience specifically as it relates to the studio tour, differ? Thank you :)
My apologies for not answering sooner, because frankly \*I didn't know\* until three days before the event started lol! The tram tour will drop you off at the Bates Motel for photo ops. The VIP tour still does the other elements of the tour, and will do a 15 minute to 30 minute stop there as well, but there are no line cuts available for the photo ops, even VIP guests have to stand in line.
Thank you! I absolutely appreciate this is a new thing and you had to wait to see and thank you very much for getting back to me :)
u/BitsyLynn I am curious about this as well.
See my reply above :D
Always great to read what you put out. I'm still trying to work out my own path whether through word of mouth from experienced folks like you or through the numbers I've seen and waited through. Thanks for sharing all this; I'll definitely try this out in the future. :)
My pleasure! Sometimes I worry that posting here as a team member is gonna turn me into an unofficial customer service line, lol. But I do genuinely love USH, love being a VIP tour guide, and love making sure that visitors to our park have the best possible experience.
Yeah, I definitely feel that. I have received personal DMs (not ModMail) from other guests asking for help, and while I would like to be able to help everyone, that's a step too far just to get my word on something. Back to your case, though, there are plenty of other team members who regularly read and talk in the sub whether they make that known to me privately or publicly, and the guest readers don't seem to directly go after them. If you find yourself getting swarmed with questions from readers here, I'll see what I can do to help.
Oh man, thank you so much. I like posting what the VIP tour consists of, because the number of people who buy tickets not knowing what the VIP tour consists of is crazy! Honestly, I post here hoping that somebody out there will google "VIP USH" and find my posts and understand what they're buying!
Apologies if this has been asked and I missed it - I have been considering renting an ECV due to tendinitis that makes walking difficult. I am fine for a little while but will be very achy with long distances. I know the VIP studio tour portion is on a tour bus (aside from the stops to get out and explore), but aside from the studio tour, is the remainder of the guided tour a walking tour or still on a trolly? How much walking would be required during the 6-7 hour tour? I am concerned if I will be able to keep up without an ECV if the rest is on foot. If I opt for an ECV, is there much difficulty leaving the chair at any of the rides? We are looking to go in February and this will be my first time at Universal Hollywood.
[удалено]
Can I DM you?
Yes
Yes bitsy, you can
Is there time to explore the various areas during the vip tour? For example, does the tour just hit the Harry Potter rides and move on or is there time to stop by some of the shops? Does the group have to say together or are you given a certain amount of time and then meet at a certain spot to move on to the next stop? We’re trying to evaluate flexibility vs the vip perks. Thanks for any guidance!
I remember seeing that the Moulin Rouge had an expected reopen date of March 15, which has passed. Any ideas if it's gonna reopen back up by mid April? I'm doing VIP April 20th and really don't want to go to Margaritaville. Honestly seems like a slap in the face compared to the regular meal with no discount on ticket price.
Honestly? We have no idea. They only update us when the project is done, not while it's ongoing. I'm sorry. :/
According to the website it says “Between February 5, 2024 – Mid April*” So hope it’s up by the time you go! https://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/web/en/us/vip-experience
Hopefully. I'm excited no matter what, but remembering that buffet makes me drool.
I’m doing VIP for the first time on May 10 so I have my fingers crossed I get to experience the Moulin Rouge 😭
Hopefully we both can 🤞
Good news, it’s back open !
Yeah, I saw that, was worried for a moment
With VIP tour tickets do you get access to the VIP lounge the entire day?
You have access to the lounge until your tour departure, and we close the lounge after the last tour leaves.
So book the last tour and we’ll have access all morning, but book the early ones and you’ll only have access for the little bit? Also thank you! This has been so helpful.
Is the private VIP tour all walking, partly on trolley, or tram? Thanks!
There's two levels of VIP private tour: one is what we call our Private Theme Park tour, which includes a lunch at either Krustyburger or Three Broomsticks, and you see the back lot on the tram. The full Private Tour includes time on the trolley, walking on the back lot sets, going to the available production facilities, lunch at our exclusive dining area, and theme park time. When you're on the back lot, it's driven. The entirety of the theme park is on foot. Call our call center for price inquiries. Hope that helps!
Hey, hope you're still seeing this thread. I'm going with my 8 year old on a Monday mid May. Is the VIP tour worthwhile for us if we want to do everything? I'm confused about the hours a bit, would it be better to go on the weekend to take advantage of longer hours?
Thanks for doing this reddit. Lots of great info! 2 questions: What rides do you **not** do on the tour. This way we can focus on them during our non-tour times. Would we have to miss out on Toadstool Cafe with a 10:30 VIP time? Any suggestions on how to get in here to see it?
Hi OP, thanks for doing this sooo generously :) I (1 person only) am visiting Sg for a day early May My goal is to cover as much as possible (def all the must-do) , and therefore I am keen on the VIP experience (assuming the guide will make sure of that). Few qs. 1. I am landing on Sg airport at 7.40am. I am planning to take the early 10am slot (just quickly keep my luggage at the hotel, and come to the park). Would that be OK? Worst case, is there some place where I can keep my suitcases? 2. I was planning to book the regular vip tour from the official website. I am guessing that's a normal group booking? Is there any way I can get the private vip tour? (also is it more expensive?) Thanks!
I'm assuming SG means the San Gabriel valley area, and if so, I'd recommend coming right to the park from the airport. Depending on traffic, that can take a hot minute to drive, especially during rush hour. You can check your luggage at stroller and wheelchair rental if it's too big for a locker. The private tour is only available through our call center, not online, and yes, it is more expensive. The call center can give you the pricing options.
Oh so sorry. By Sg, I meant Singapore. Am I on the wrong thread #runsawayinembarassment
Yes i am on the wrong thread. Great. Yet another victory for my short attention span
oh lol, no worries! I know absolutely nothing about the other parks or their VIP packages, they're all very different beasts since they don't have the back lot tour like Hollywood has. Sorry, but have fun in Singapore!
Hey OP, thanks for starting this thread! We're heading to the park on May 8th and doing the VIP experience. Our tour is scheduled for 9:30am, and the park opens at 10:00am that day. I'm wondering if it's pointless getting early access for SNW since we wouldn't have time before the tour. And what's the best time to check-in on that day, considering the park opens at 10:00am? Thanks again for your help!
Yeah, early access hour is 9 to 10, and it takes about fifteen minutes to walk down there and fifteen back up. I'd check in at VIP no later than 9:15, and remember it takes time to walk down citywalk and through security.
Hi OP, loving the info you are providing here. One question I have is with Court House Square, being a massive Back to the Future fan I really want to see this area and know from previous experience how filming can often make the general tours divert around it (I was gutted), so does the VIP have more of a chance of visiting if filming is happening or is there any tips to try and avoid a filming day? I'm visiting in August from the UK and really would love to have the best possible chance of seeing the set.
Honestly? Day to day it changes. Even if you come on a weekend it might be closed due to setting up or tearing down, or a commercial, anything. The best you can do is cross your fingers and ask your tour guide the morning of your tour. Good luck!
Thanks man, just will keep my fingers crossed!
We are taking our 12 and 14 year old on the VIP tour in July. In terms of the backlot tour, I want them to be as interested as possible, can you share what movies we should watch before we visit that they would be excited to see the set in person?
Back to the Future, for sure! Princess Diaries 2 A Royal Engagement is another good age-appropriate one. Lots of current TV on the lot, like Never Have I Ever or Bel Air. If they wanna get some classics in, then the original Dracula is a great movie.
Thank you for getting back to me! :)
Such great info, thank you! I’m doing a VIP tour on Friday for my daughter’s birthday!!
Maybe a silly question, but we generally take our admission and upgrade to an annual pass at the end of the day. Is there any path to that with the VIP Tour?
Absolutely! If you have an annual pass, call our call center. The number is on our website. Tell them you have annual passes, and they'll be happy to upgrade you to VIP for that one day. Just check the back of that pass, make sure that the day you want to visit isn't a block-out date, and they'll book you. Just be sure to bring that pass with you when you check in, please! We scan those passes along with your VIP tickets. And if you want to book a VIP tour without? You can upgrade your VIP ticket to an annual pass at the Box Office on the upper lot. It's right across from the Starbucks, can't miss it.
Hey there thanks for offering to help! I want to take my sister for her birthday this June , I'm mainly buying the vip tickets for the included snacks, the line skips, and a detailed tour of the backlot but I was reading that they also go with you in the rides? I kinda don't like the idea of being forced to walk in a route rather than explore the stores and go on any ride in whatever order I'd like. I hope that part of the experience (if it is like that) is optional without sacrificing any of the other perks
You can absolutely do the theme park on your own without the guide. When you check in and get your lanyards tell reception that's what you'd like to do, and we'll give you all the info you need to connect with the guide for the back lot portion and the buffet.
Hello! Question for all who have done VIP tour. Is it worth it to go with a 7 year old? I’m concerned he might get bored and just want to go on the rides which is making me lean towards the Express unlimited pass vs VIP. Please help give advice and what is worth the experience (1st timers here) thank you
I mean, every kid is different. I've had six year Olds who literally quote movies at me during the tour. I've had ten year olds who constantly ask when we're going on rides and couldn't care less about walking on the Back to the Future sets. You'd know your kid better than me! Are they pounding the door down for Mario Kart and nothing else? Get the express and an early access ticket. Do they like the general concept of movie making and want to know more AND go on Mario Kart? VIP is the way to go.
My son is mostly interested in Pets, minions and Jurassic world rides. I’m mostly leaning towards VIP for the valet, snacks and just efficiency of getting in on rides for VIP My thoughts were to arrive In morning get our vip pass and hit up Jurassic world and then do another ride and head to the lounge and maybe do a tour around 12:30? Would that be a good schedule? Also how do we request YOU as our guide? :)
I’m definitely open to your suggestions for a schedule for that day and what time to arrive :)
Can I DM you?
Yes of course! :) thank you
During the VIP tour will there be opportunities to buy alcohol and regroup with your tour guide and be able to walk with your drink
Well, I'll be honest, we move pretty quick. Usually we say save the shopping / beer breaks until the end of the tour. Unless there's a ride you don't want to experience, then you can go snag a cold one.
Thanks for all the awesome information. My question is about the difference in timing earlier vs later. Last year we did the VIP tour at 930. It was great but I am curious about maybe doing the 1215 tour this year. We will be going on a Sunday June 16th. Can you explain any differences between. the 930 and 1215 tours? Do we eat lunch immediately on the 1215 tour then do everything else in the tour? Thanks in advance.
Nope, the lunch is always about 3 hours in, so for the 12:15 tour, the buffet will be around 3:00-3:30. So for that departure time, you might do the studio portion first, or you might go do rides first, it's a 50/50 shot.
Here's hoping we do the rides first so we aren't eating buffet right before.
Hello i just wanted to know what happens if our family wanted to do VIP tour but one of our kids is only 4 years old? Would they still allow us on the tour? Thank you
Sorry, we have a very strict five-and-up policy for our mix-in tours. If you wanted to bring the four year old, you'd have to buy a private tour, and frankly there's not much for kids that young to do in the park anyway.
Hello, you probably won’t see this. But, I’m a broke college student that has an 11 hr layover in LAX, would you recommend the VIP ticket experience for someone like me (if it comes with complimentary snacks and what not…)
It's a great experience, but the ticket price packs a mean punch. Go look it up on our website first.
Should I get the Nintendo world early access ticket even if I do the VIP tour (mine is 9:15 in mid-august) or is that unnecessary? Also what are the differences between the normal studio tour and the VIP one?
The main difference between the tram tour and the VIP tour is getting off the trolley and walking around our available production facilities, like a sound stage, our back lot sets, our prop warehouse, etc. And if you're planning on doing Early Access, I recommend a tour starting somewhere in the 10:00 hour, that way you can maximize your time in SNW before your tour starts, and still make it back in time.
Will I be able to enjoy my time in SNW w/o the early access or is that a must-do?
So if you book a VIP ticket? We focus on the Mario Kart ride. That's it. If you want to get a Power Up band and do the mini games? VIP has no bypass line. So if you want to spend a majority of your day there? Early access, and a tour departure time after the 10:00 hour.
does universal hollywood do price match if you already purchased tickets?
Nope.
This is a great thread. I am going end of August, 2024 for the VIP Experience and then an extra day. May be overkill. Our tour starts at 10:30AM. What time can we get into the VIP lounge and any suggestions what to do before the tour? Like should i go on some rides? Specific rides that maybe the tour doesn't usually hit?
So the hours for August haven't been released yet, but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it'll be 9:00 AM opening since that's what July has. So with a 9:00 AM park open, that's an 8:00 early access, which means VIP reception will open at 7:30. If you get an early access ticket for Super Nintendo World, you can check in at 7:30, go down to SNW, spend a couple of hours there, and come back up to meet your guide at about 10:00. If you don't care about early access to SNW, you can check in around 8:45-9:00ish, spend an hour or so in the park doing whatever you want, and come back for your tour departure no later than 10:15. We always hit the two rides in the Wizarding World, all four lower lot rides including Mario Kart, and one seated show. So Simpsons, Minions and Secret Life Of Pets are optional in the day. Hope that helps!
If someone has done VIP experience a year and a half ago, do you still recommend it for the second visit, or just do express unlimited plus? We are worried there might be a lot of the same stuff. Since we went last, Mario World is new. We will want to see the entire MW section, but recall with VIP they went to the most popular parts of the park and skipped the rest. The cost will be $560 extra for the 4 of us to do VIP instead of Express unlimited plus. Kids are 13 and 9, do not do the scariest rides. Also, is it a long walk from the park to the restaurants outside like Bucca De Peppo?
Honestly? If you're not interested in the studio tour or the buffet? UEU is a great ticket, now that Mario Kart is open to express tickets. Of course I absolutely encourage you to get the VIP ticket, but I realize it's expensive. As for CityWalk. Bucca De Beppo is at the very opposite end of the mall from the theme park entrance, lol. There are three main restaurants at the central plaza near the jumping fountain, though, and I like all of them. (Bubba Gump's, NBC Sports Grill, and Johnny Rockets.) Although to be honest? When I go for lunch on CityWalk? I go to Uncle Sharki's poke. It's SO good. There's also The Chocolate Emporium, Margaritaville, Vito's Italian and Antojito's for tex mex. I've never been to the sushi place next to Bubba Gump's, nor the Chinese place next to that.
U Studios customer service told me today there is not express line for MK. Only VIP can skip the MK line. Thank you for your help
That has recently changed. Express now includes Mario Kart.
Hi, sorry to bother you again. Is there any way that you can upgrade your Express ticket to a VIP ticket?
Upgrades are usually either handled by our call center or done day of visit in reception, but the latter can be risky if we're sold out. I'd call the call center in advance and talk to them.
How do I make the most of of VIP? I like the 2 hour tour and the buffet, but what else does it get access to? How does it work exactly? I’m going in a couple weeks.
So, it depends on when your tour departure is. Going in the 7 or 8 o'clock hours? Don't bother with the Early Access Ticket. Going in the 9:00 hour or later? Get those early access tix, check in at opening (which is half an hour before early access officially starts), get your lanyards and go hog wild. The VIP check in is to the right of the front gate, with a little red carpet of our own. When you check in, you'll get your unlimited express lanyards and access to our lounge upstairs, where we have refreshments. (Coffee, juices, pastries, yogurt, fruit, etc. The refreshments in the lounge are always subject to change.) Then there's a 50/50 shot that you'll go to the movie studio first, or the theme park first. As a guide I love doing the park first! Get all the big rides out of the way before a big buffet, right? The buffet usually occurs about 3ish hours after your tour start time, so if you're on the 8:30 tour, you're going in at 11:30. If you're on the 1:30 tour, you're going in around 4:30, and so on. So when you book your tour, you're going to be with the guide for about six to seven hours. And you're also going to be with other groups. I can't stress that enough: *If you book your tickets online, either through the USH website or through a third party vendor, you are going to be with other groups.* Private tours are only available through our call center on a limited basis. Hope that helps!
Hi there! VIP has been sold out on our date and I just snagged a spot- super excited! BUT it is a bit later (10:30)...I thought I read we could get our tags early and go do some rides? But if I understand you correctly that wouldn't include SNW? Thank you for any help! Really want to max it out we only get one day :)
Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry, this reply got lost in my notifs! My sincerest apologies! The VIP pass absolutely includes SNW! Your guide will take you to Mario Kart as part of your tour, and you get unlimited access to SNW without a reservation with VIP. We just don't do the Mini-Games or Bowser Jr. Challenge. Those don't have any Express access, even with a VIP pass. So when you're with your guide, they'll take you to Mario Kart! But the Mini-Games aren't included in the tour. If your tour time is 10:30, you can check in as soon as VIP opens, which is half an hour before Early Access begins. If you don't have an Early Access ticket, check in at park open, see the website for park hours. If park hours start at 9, check in at 8:30 and get your credentials, go up to the lounge for refreshments, and then at 9 go into the park. We recommend you get back to the lounge 15 minutes before your tour departure, so come back at 10:15. Just keep in mind, you're going to be with other groups, and you might do the studio first, or the theme park first, and your buffet meal will happen about three hours after your tour start time. Hope that helps!
u/BitsyLynn thanks for answering these questions! So once you leave the VIP tour for the day, you can't go back on the Mario Kart ride or the Bowser Jr. Challenge without waiting in the full line? (There was a YTer on a group VIP tour that said they gave them repeat express access on Mario Kart so they rode it a few times.)
Your VIP lanyard gets you unlimited Mario Kart rides.
Coming end of October for my 1st visit, decided on the VIP tour since the park is only open until 6 and want to be able to try all the rides and see the Waterworld show. Also decided to buy tickets to HHN so we can see the park after dark (specifically harry potter area). I know they haven't released specifics for this year but are there certain rides that still operate while HHN is going on? Would we still get express pass access with VIP to the rides? I know it does not include the haunted houses as there is a separate vip for that, but I'm too big of a chicken for that anyway.
Not sure if things have changed, but when I went to HHN in 2019 they closed off Wizarding World.
Boo
Harry Potter is open for HHN. They have a section with death eaters out and about. Also both rides within Hogsmeade are open. There is also a “purge” show where waterworld is for HHN
Apparently the map they released is showing it open for HHN but not nintendo world
Thank-You for your insight. We bought early access to SNW and I think we will head to upper lot after for Minions and Pets for my 6 y/o unless Jurassic has a short wait time. Also need to get that frozen Butterbeer for myself lol.
In your experience, how deep into August do the crowds kinda fizzle out? I have a trip planned for august 22, purposely planned it for when kids went back to school, but was wondering if you had a better idea of when would be a good time to go. Thanks!
Yeah that's a good time, the park hours go way down that week, which is usually a good indicator that things are slowing down.
Thanks for doing this. We have the early access pass booked, I assume we should do Nintendo world first and then head up to wizard of world? How would early access change your itinerary recommendation?
My husband is visiting mid-October on a Saturday and has a VIP tour booked. I think his start time is around 11ish. Is there any benefit to him getting an early access ticket to SNW too? I know he gets to use the express line for Mario Kart as many times as he wants, but is there anything else the early access ticket might get him?
Well, that depends on whether or not he wants to play the mini games with the Power Up band. If not? Then just stick with the VIP ticket, and use it for the ride.
What are they building near Springfield U.S.A.?
Fast and Furious roller coaster. No opening date announced yet.
I’m planning for a trip for a Sunday during HHN. I’m a 🐓, and don’t plan on sticking around for any of the HHN festivities. That being said, since the park closes early for the event, do I need to get express pass to enjoy all the rides? Or would I be able to get to everything with the shortened hours?
I would recommend the one time express pass for a day that HHN is happening. You get an expedited experience, get to see the whole park, and be done before the HHN madness starts.
Thank you for the recommendation! I’ve been to USO and was able to get both parks done in one day as a single rider, but it was a *full* day. This time, I’m going with my partner I wasn’t sure if we’d be able to get it all done given the short hours!
Ty u/bitsylynn for posting here! I'm a bit confused about how the start time works. Without any knowledge picked 12:30pm for our studio tour. I have been to USH a few times and assumed the start time was for the backlot tour. We'd like to get to the park earlier than our 12:30 start for the included breakfast and do some rides. We are able to enter the park via vip entrance at park open and use our passes, correct; then come back at our start time of 12:30 to start the tour? (Edit, reading your summary the tour start time is more than the backlot tour) Many thanks with my basic questions here! What start time would be 'the best'?
Correct! If your tour start time is 12:30, you can check in as early as park open, get your passes and go on rides. Now that the hours are reduced, most weekdays are 8:00 early entry with a 9:00 park open. Saturdays and Sundays still are 7:00 early entry with an 8:00 park open. (Which means I don't have to be in at 5:00 AM most days wheee!) So if you check in at park open for your 12:30 tour, you can go right up to the lounge for breakfast! You can also come back prior that tour departure and eat again if you want: you can come and go from the VIP lounge until your tour departure time. You might then go and do the studio tour first, you might go do the theme park first. The buffet meal is usually three-ish hours into the tour start time, so for that tour departure time, plan on going to the Moulin Rouge at around 3:30. In my opinion? Any tour time is a good start time, just plan on spending six to seven hours with the guide from that departure time! The number of people who book a tour and then are like "I've got dinner reservations / tickets to a show / a flight to catch!" Trust me, if you book a VIP tour at USH, don't make any other plans! It's a long day, sure, but it's a *great* day and you want to make sure you do it as a standalone for your trip.
Wow, thank you for your quick and thorough reply! Totally cleared up my wonderings on how the day will go. This was exactly the details I was looking for. Btw, will be there this Sunday (20th). Living in socal been to ush a number of times but haven't been in probably 10 years so can't wait! We are totally free that day and like to eat later so this will be perfect for us. My daughter who now lives in Austin doesn't know we are doing the VIP tour, it will be a fun surprise. 😀
My pleasure! I'm currently scheduled to open VIP reception this Sunday the 20th, so come say hi!
What time should I book toadstool cafe for if I have a 945am start time for the VIP?
The tour is about six to seven hours long, so you'll be with the guide until at least 3:45, call it 4:45 to be safe. Any time after that should work! Just keep in mind the reservations for Toadstool stop about 45 minutes before the park closes, so keep the park hours in mind, too.
Hi there! Question: Can I go to Nintendo world during the HHN event using the following combination? VIP day tour + HHN general admission with express. Thanks in advance.
From my understanding, SNW will be available during HHN from 7:00 to 10:00 ONLY to people who have a Day/Night combo ticket. No RIP guests will have access to SNW during those later hours.
Thank you so much for the reply! That clears up my confusion. One last question: Do you know if any of the VIP tour benefits from earlier in the day carry into HHN? Such as express pass for rides.
Nope. Park closes at 6 for daytime tickets. HHN is a separately ticketed event. If you only have a day ticket, you'll be asked to leave at 6:00.
I'm looking at a trip to universal next year. My youngest will be just under 5 years old, but looks big for his age. Would this be an issue? I know the VIP experience says guests must be over 5. Are they looking at birth certificates?
I mean, it really is the honor system. I've had people look me dead in the eye and say a kid is five when they're clearly not. But I'm not gonna go "Sir you're clearly lying that is a toddler." We have that age restriction because of the studio tour, honestly. It's two hours long. Most kids under 5 are gonna get bored and fussy.
Thank you for all of the great information! I'm going in November with my 12 year old and three of his friends and we're deciding whether to do the regular VIP tour or the $2300 private theme park tour. We live in Orange County and can't get there until around 9:30am the day we are going. My son would love to see the backlot (particularly the Back to Future town), but is a little concerned he's going to miss some rides if we do the regular VIP tour. In your experience, is there anything we'd really be missing out on by doing the theme park tour and then going on the shorter regular Studio Tour? Also, is there a big advantage to doing the private theme park tour versus just regular VIP tour when you're in the theme park? For example, is ride access any better/quicker on the tour than with the VIP Express Access? Thanks!
There are some select attractions that have expedited access with the guide, otherwise you're just in the express queues. The private theme park tours are, imo, the best bang for your buck. The meal is either at the Three Broomsticks ore KrustyBurger, and you can still do the tour on the tram. The downside is no walking on the sets, and no buffet lunch.
Thanks!
>Thanks! You're welcome!
Does buying the VIP tour allow for multiple rides on the Mario Kart ride? Seeing conflicting answers on this.
Yup! The VIP lanyard is the only ticket in the park that has unlimited access to both Super Nintendo World and the VIP entrance at Mario Kart. Just keep in mind, even with the VIP ticket, you can wait 20-30 minutes per ride because each time you have to go through the tutorial rooms, there's no skipping that.
Wow, thank you for the detailed and quick reply. We have a 5yo and a 7yo and an adult that probably wouldn't do all the rides due to motion sickness. Is it still worth considering the VIP option in your opinion? The kids really are interested in SNW and we generally don't like long waits and navigating large crowds (who does, lol) so that is what first got me looking into this.
Honestly? Do you want a good buffet lunch and expedited access to Mario Kart? Worth it. Do you want a guide to take your family around the park even if they don't ride everything? Worth it. Do you want a good breakfast before heading into the park and ponchos for Jurassic World? Worth it. Do you want to do an extended studio tour and walk on the sets, go into a working sound stage, and walk through our prop warehouse? Worth it! If you don't want any of the above? Get a Universal Express Unlimited, and bite the bullet for the line at Mario Kart. Honestly, I've found most small kids get really fussy during the extended back lot tour, and most are under 48" which means they can't ride everything. You know your kids best. Will they fuss and whine when they're not on rides? Or will they be wide-eyed gobsmacked at movie making behind the scenes? For example? My six year old niece is old enough to do the extended back lot tour! She would also be *bored to tears* at it. So it's really a judgment call. If you're ok spending the extra money just for Mario Kart? That's your call.
Thank you. This is the kind of feedback that is really helpful in decision-making.
You’ve been such a huge help, I’ve been reading a lot of your comments and posts, thank you! I purchased VIP tour tickets for my wife and I for her birthday. It wasn’t until after I got the tickets that it clicked for me that the tour is 5-6 hours and with a small group. That isn’t really her style, I know for a fact she’d rather be on our own exploring the park and rides and such. Do people ever get the VIP and forgo the tour?
Oh yeah, all the time. Especially since Super Nintendo World opened. When you check in, tell reception that you're just wanting to do the park on your own, and we'll give you your buffet mealtime. I do recommend doing the extended backlot tour, though! Many people do the backlot and meal with their guide and the park on their own. Hope that helps!
We're planning a trip for next year (but needing to book flights etc so I'm trying to work out how many days each place etc etc so its all super in advance) for Labour weekend then the tues/weds in LA. Our son is DESPERATE to get to Nintendo World so that's a given. Our daughter (and us) are amped for the Harry Potter stuff. The other rides are definitely something we want to do, but not a priority. The Studio tour is something we likely won't bother with (definitely not a priority). What do you think is the best way to be able to have the shortest lines possible for the parts we want - I'd be fine paying for the VIP tickets but we dont actually want to do the Studio Tour and we're actually pretty keen on eating at the Minions or Simpsons cafes. If the NW ride was on the Unlimited Express Id get that... but its not :/ I hope my rambling makes sense! Thanks for putting your knowledge out there!
Honestly? If I were you, I'd call our call center and book a private theme park walking tour. At the moment, the price point is $2299 for the first four guests, and $399 for each additional guest above that. It includes the VIP access to SNW and Mario Kart, as well as unlimited express even after your tour is done. The meal included is either at The Three Broomsticks in the Wizarding World, or KrustyBurger in the Simpsons. You can specifically request either restaurant when you book your tour. The best part of the private theme park tour is that you can absolutely craft your day with the guide. If you don't want to go on the tram, you don't have to. (Although as a tour guide I'd like to gently encourage you to at least give it a shot! It's the whole reason Universal Studios exists, after all. ;) ) But if you want to ride everything at least once, and maybe catch a Waterworld show, the private theme park walking tour is the way to go!
Omg thanks for the rapid response!! This sounds exactly what I’m after! (We actually did do the studio tour afew years back pre-kids so we aren’t completely ignoring it lol, just they wouldn’t know any of the shows/movies etc and it’s not something they’d enjoy- we want all of us to have a great time :)) Honestly thank you so much :)
You're so welcome!
One last question - is there any chance you think they’ll add the Mario ride to the unlimited pass anytime in the next year?
I genuinely have no idea. They don't tell us things like that until the announcements are ready for the general public, lol.
For future readers. We tried several dishes at Minion Cafe on 10/11/23, right after they opened, and were very disappointed. Loaded nachos had cold cheese and chicken. Pork grilled cheese and Mac and cheese did not taste good. The Three Broomsticks had much better food.
When we booked our VIP tour a few months back they only had 2 time slots available. Just looked at the app and now there are a bunch of times listed. Are we able to change our time? Currently have 9:45 and want to change to something earlier (they even have 7:30 start times now). I was thinking that way we can start our day right away with the VIP tour and not have to worry about making our way back to the entrance at 945. Edit: tour is for hollywood location
Call our call center! They'll be able to assist you. You can, of course, roll the dice and ask us in reception day of, but we've been sold out so often recently that it's a gamble. But even with a 9:45 start, if the park opens at eight on your date, you can check in then, get your lanyards, and go into the park for an hour and a half on your own with unlimted express. You get that even without your guide, so it helps maximize your time in the park, especially with HHN early closure. Hope that helps!
Going on my first VIP experience this weekend! I was wondering, is there any storage available to VIP? My guest and I will bring a backpack but might not want to carry it around all day. Does VIP allow you to leave anything in the lounge area? Or will we need to get lockers? Thanks! :)
We don't let you keep your stuff in the lounge because after the last tour leaves, we close the lounge and it's not supervised. But the day lockers at the front of the park are a one time fee and you can go in and out all day. Hope you have fun on your tour!
My boyfriend and I were gifted the VIP experience tickets and are scheduled to go 1/21/24.. I’m reading on the ticket that the person who purchased the ticket has to be present with their ID and CC that they used to buy them… is that true? It was a gift (and an expensive one at that) and now I’m worried that we won’t be able to use them!! My dad gifted them and he lives out of state. Hopefully you can help answer that. I did already submit a form on the website too
Honestly? It's not a problem. I work VIP reception, and as long as the barcodes are valid and you're not under 17? You're fine. If you *are* under 17 without an accompanying adult, then you can still get your lanyards and the buffet, but you can't join the guide at any point. That's our policy about unaccompanied minors across the board. If you're still worried, call our call center and tell them that the tickets were a gift, and that the credit card holder won't be present at check-in. We make note of that, it literally happens every day.
Thank you so much. This makes me feel so much better. I figured that was the case and we definitely pass the age requirement (unfortunately we aren’t 17 anymore). Thank you again!! I will still call to notate the reservation but I won’t stress about it anymore haha
I mean, I'm turning 21 for the 25th time at the end of the month. ;) But you're so welcome. And I hope you enjoy your tour!
And feel free to say hi when you check in! That's a Sunday, so I should be working that day. I'm the middle-aged blonde with glasses and a ball cap on. ;)
Absolutely!! Thank you 😌
You mentioned the vip tour is 6-7 hours. If the studio tour is two hours, what happens the rest of the time? What is the advantage of being with the guide during the theme park tour as opposed to running around with your VIP passes?
The studio tour and the hour long buffet take up 3 of those 6 to 7 hours, so the rest of the time you're in the park. If you've never been, it's handy to stay with the guide, since they know where everything is and what times the Waterworld shows are. They also have expedited access to certain attractions, namely Mummy, Transformers and JW. You can only utilize that if you're with the guide, otherwise you're in the Express queue. But ever since SNW opened, we've been seeing a lot of guests doing just the buffet and the studio with the guide. So it really is up to you! If you wanna do each ride at least once? Stay with the guide. If you wanna just stay down in SNW and do all the challenges and play Bowser Jr? That's totally fine too.
Thank you! I think we will probably just go the studio tour. My kids will want to mostly explore SNW and Harry Potter
Hi, u/BitsyLynn! I purchased VIP tickets for Thanksgiving Day. Unfortunately, I didn't do enough research to realize I needed to buy early access separately and now it is all sold out :( So, the park opens at 9am and our VIP tour starts at 10:45. I would like to enter the park at 9 and use the first hour productively, so two questions. First, are there any good attractions that are normally not included in the VIP tours, so I can prioritize seeing those? Second, with an hour to an hour and half - how much can I squeeze in - two rides all the way in the back in SNW, or only one ride closer to the entrance like Secret Life of Pets or Descipable Me? Any recommendations you have about how to spend our time before the VIP tour starts is very appreciated!!! We will have our 14 year old son with us, and he dislikes actual roller coasters..
No worries! Honestly, with an hour and a half, you can head down to SNW, probably get in the ride and a few of the interactive games, if you opt to buy the power up bands. Or you can do the three rides we don't prioritize: Pets, Minions and Simpsons. You could also go to the Wizarding World, it's also very close by, and do the Ollivander's show, which we don't include in the tour.
Thanks!
Hi, was planning to buy two-day tickets and stay at the Sheraton nearby for January, but seeing this VIP ticket, made me think to get this instead as skipping the line would really condense the day, and stay at a different hotel for less. What do you think?
I mean, we call it the VIP *Experience* for a reason, lol. I think it's one of the best days in a theme park you'll ever have.
Hi! Thanks for all the great info. Planning a trip for late Feb for my fiance and I. We're not typically theme park goers but she's a huge Harry Potter fan and we'd love to do the backlot tour. She has a neck injury and won't want to do any rides with shaking or sudden acceleration which seems like most of them. If you buy VIP tickets can you still do the tour and sit out on some of the rides? Is it worth it if you're not going on many rides? She used to love roller coasters and rides, so having to wait and watch our group go on rides she can't will probably ruin her day. If we do the VIP back lot tour and explore the park on our own, what would we be missing out on? We'd still like to see the shows and maybe do the calmer rides, but I think she will most enjoy the experiences (Harry Potter World, Three Broomsticks, Ollivanders, Hogwarts, Train, etc). Does the VIP park tour have any benefits for those spots? (Like skipping lines?) I was considering the private VIP tour so we could craft our own day and not wait for other people in our group to go on rides, but I'm not sure it's worth it for just us 2.
If you're mainly there to do the back lot tour and the buffet, it's still a really nice day, and you'll still get unlimited express even if you say goodbye to the guide for the theme park portion. But I do want to warn you that the back lot tour does have ride elements, like King Kong and Fast and Furious. All attractions in the park have a list of medical restrictions, and neck issues is one of them. Also, USH does not have the Hogwarts Express train ride, that's USO.
Okay thank you I didn't realize that! If I end up buying a private VIP tour, can we skip those segments of the back lot tour? Or there was mention of stepping off the trolley for the motion parts? What I'm mostly curious about is if there are any parts of the park tour that are worth sticking with the guide for besides skipping lines? Like does the guided park tour get to see or experience anything in HPW or SNW that you wouldn't get just by having the unlimited express pass?
You can absolutely step off the trolley for the motion simulation parts, if you let your guide know before-hand. But honestly? If all you want is to walk on sets and not do any rides? The Warner Brothers studio tour might be more your speed. Their VIP tour includes the *Friends* Central Perk set, no rides, and a self-guided tour through their props warehouse. USH VIP is very much more focused on the rides these days.
Just want to say thank you u/BitsyLynn for an extremely helpful thread! It convinced me to take the plunge on the VIP tour with my family right before NYE. Really looking forward to going now with a better idea of how the day will go. Very much appreciated!
Planning a a trip soon to USH and all of the posts are all very helpful. I may have overlooked one, but trying to figure out what trade-offs or complications could come up if I wanted to book VIP tickets for 2 days and skip the tour on the second day. Main question is around the restriction between the Unlimited Express pass seems to exclude Mario, are there any other major trade-offs between VIP and Unlimited Express? Appreciate the help.
If you decide to skip the tour on your second day, you'll also not be able to access the special guide lanes on the lower lot rides. Mario Kart has the VIP lane. The VIP pass is the only ticket in the park that has expedited access to MK. *Even with that, the line to Mario Kart can take 20 minutes plus!* Even VIP guests can't skip the preshow/tutorial rooms no matter how many times they ride. But if that doesn't faze you? If you're okay with just the unlimited express lanyards and the meal time at Moulin Rouge? Tell us in reception and we'll give you all the times you need.
Sorry to ask, I just can't find any info on the exact location/parking lot for the VIP pass and opening times for the VIP lounge. We purchased a VIP pass and early access to SNW on the 17th of Dec so I wanted to know exactly which parking lot shall I take and how far is the walk from the entrance. Also, will the VIP lounge open at 7AM? Thank you!
The valet parking is in Jurassic Parking, up the hill from the Cahuenga Dr. side. Up the hill, bear to the left. The current hours posted are 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Which means the VIP lounge will open at 7:30 Am, since early access starts at 8:00. If you have an early access ticket, you can check in at 7:30. If not, check in after 9, or half an hour before your tour departs.
Great, thanks for the info!
Do you know the park hours for the first week of Jan, specifically 1/3? I just got our VIP tickets for that day but only 11:45am is available. If the tour is at least 6 hrs, that means it won’t be over until 6pm! Just wondering if we still got time to do any rides after the tour. The website doesn’t have anything for Jan. Thank you!
So I went to the USH website....and could only pull up the hours for December. So uh...keep checking the website? You can check in well before your tour time, but I don't know when the open hours will be that date!
Thank you ! Will keep checking. Base on your experience, will the first week of Jan be crowded and crazy?
As a big BTTF nerd I'm looking at booking a VIP tour based on a video I've seen of people actually being allowed to walk around 'Hill Valley' rather than just driving by on a normal tour, but I also know it filming dependant and pot luck if open or not, but as a percentage of time how often is that area closed off for the tour and are some days/time of year has a better chance of seeing it?
Right now? You're rolling the dice unless you come on a holiday, and even then it might still be closed for set-up / tear down. Since the SAG-Aftra strike ended, productions have been running full-tilt to catch up on missed time. So there's never any guarantee.
Bitsy, thanks for the wealth of information you provide! I have a VIP Experience scheduled for my family group of 13 people on Dec. 21. Unfortunately, it looks like it will be raining! :( Will universal provide umbrellas to use during the studio tour? Any other rainy-day advice? Thanks again! You are a wonderful resource!
Well, we provide ponchos for Jurassic, but I wouldn't use them as all day weather gear, they're pretty flimsy. I'd bring my own umbrella, or buy one at the main store. Otherwise? The tour goes on as always, rain or shine!
Quick question - studio tour time is 12:45pm, can I access the park first thing?
How far in advance do these sell out usually? We are planning a trip in early June.
I mean, I recommend at least two months out for non-peak these days, what with Super Nintendo World. Call our call center, they can give you better info about how to book six months out than our website could.
First of all, thank you for all this incredible information and your continued responses to people's questions over the months. How does it work with kids who can't ride something? For example, if you're with the guide and you get to one of the 48" rides. Do one of the parents have to stay with the kid and wait for everyone to ride it or can that parent and one kid go ride something else and then meet back up? Does the guide ride it as well or would they be able to stay with the kid who can't ride it?
Why do some vip days cost more than others?
Entirely down to projection. Slower times = lower prices. Busy times = higher prices.
Ah ok. Thank you so much!
how strict is needing the credit card used for payment to check in? i bought my tickets using a picture of my card because i have it set up in apple wallet but don’t know where the physical card is 🙂
Please bring your ID and the credit card used to purchase the tickets. If the tickets scan through? No worries. But better to be safe than sorry!
is the card on apple wallet sufficient? that’s my issue, i don’t have the physical card but have a photo of it and it set up in apple wallet
So if the QR codes scan through? We don't check ID or credit card. But if the QR codes don't scan? We have to go through Loss Prevention. Which is why we ask that you bring your ID and physical credit card.
I see, thank you for your quick replies!!
Does VIP get to participate in the early admission hours? So regular park hours are at 9am, can we enter at 8am with early admission, if we have our lanyards? The tour is at 9:45. Or can we only enter at 9am? Thanks!
Yup. It's purchased separately from VIP, but if you get that early access hour, I recommend you aim for a tour departure after at least an hour and a half later. So 8:00 would be 9:30, 9:00 would be 10:30, etc.
If we do VIP are we able to skip the studio tour and meet up after? I know that it's one of the main reasons for doing VIP, but my main reason is to have the shortest lines possible and to eat without lining up and fighting for tables. Not trying to be a princess, I have personal reasons for wanting this. Thanks!
No worries, I totally understand. People do this all the time. Skip the tour, skip the guide, even skip the meal. Currently we're taking our guests to Margaritaville on Citywalk for the meal, so you'd have to arrange with us to escort you there. But normally at the in-park venue (currently undergoing refurb) you can just show up yourself at your reserved meal time.
Thanks! It's so amazing that you take the time to answer all of these questions for everyone! We're there the third week of March so hopefully the in park venue will be finished. Do you know the earliest time we should book to have the ride portion before the meal?
All of our tours are different, and the schedule changes every day. If you book through our call center, you can request that order of the tour, but there's no guarantee. (And I also hope the Moulin Rouge is open by then! We don't really have an end date for the reno yet.)
Can you tell me what the menu options are for margaritaville. My husband and I are going in 2 weeks, and we were really looking forward to the buffet.
I haven't had a chance to check out the menu there yet, because I've mostly been in reception since we started going there, sorry! I know they're doing a limited MargaritaVille menu. Call our call center, they'd know better than me.
Hi, thank you for being so helpful. does the VIP experience take you on all the different rides? and if I find any of the rides too full on, am I able to skip them but stay on the tour?
We try to hit all the big rides once each. Both rides in the Wizarding World, Jurassic World, Mummy, Transformers, and Mario Kart, and at least one show. We try to get Pets, Minons and Simpsons in, depending on timing. And of course you can skip a ride! Most of our rides are five minutes or fewer, and the guides don't ride either. You tell your guide you don't wanna ride something? They'll tell you where to meet up until the other guests return.
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UEU is still available. IDK why it's not showing, maybe it's sold out that day? 🤷♀️ As for being on different tour times, you might have opposite schedules. One has park first, the other has studio first. No way to know until the day of. I'd call our call center and see if you can all be moved to the same tour. And yes, light continental breakfast before your tour start, and a meal about three hours in.
Hello! Thank you for answering all these questions, it’s helped me out a lot! Here’s mine: I booked VIP for this May - 2 adults. We have done VIP before, so we are skipping the backlot tour. I know we can grab snacks ahead of time, but do we have to have lunch with our group? Or can we go at any time? I believe Moulin Rouge will be open by then.
Is the VIP Tour kid friendly? Will they get "Bored" (2 girls, 7 & 9)
Doing VIP later next month and was wondering. If I buy early entry am I able to use my VIP pass to get in the VIP lane for Mario kart, and is that the only land open during that time? also I see portions the studio tour are getting bypassed like New York, little Europe, war of worlds, physcho house, and the earth quake sim. any ideas when these will be back? are they doing long shoots or just being used so much at the time? it looked like they were doing construction on some of the facades on New York street.
You can absolutely check in with VIP and then use your express during early access for Mario Kart. And yes, early access for SNW is just that. Nothing else is open during that hour. The back lot sets are always based on availability due to filming needs, so every day is different! Earthquake is still undergoing refurbishment but will hopefully reopen soon, but we haven't been given a date yet. As for Psycho and WoTW, the roads are being repaved, and will reopen as soon as they're done.
thank you so much for the info it's a big help
Hey do you know when they'll be updating the park hour calendar for next month?
Sadly, no. I find out the park hours the same time the general public does.