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Universal Studios Hollywood Tickets

Buying Universal Studios Hollywood Tickets? What Are the Top Tips for First-Time Visitors?

If it’s your first time visiting the park, you’ll definitely have questions about where and how to buy Universal Studios Hollywood™ tickets. Believe it or not, the best way to get tickets isn’t as simple as going to the entrance of the park and buying them. You’ll definitely want to consider how long you plan to stay at the park since multi-day tickets provide a steep per-day discount.

Depending on what else you plan on doing in the area, you may want to buy your hotel reservations and other theme park tickets at the same time as you buy your Universal Studios Hollywood™ tickets. You’ll also want to do research in advance to make sure you know which rides are good for your family, and which rides are good for getting out of hot or rainy weather.

Luckily, Universal Studios Hollywood™ offers a lot for families of all sizes, no matter what your budget is or how long you have at the park. Though it doesn’t have as many kids’ rides as other parks of its size, it provides dozens of photo ops that kids of all ages will love. It’s a truly must-see experience for movie enthusiasts.

How Many Days?

Universal Studios Hollywood™ isn’t as massive as some other theme parks in California, but it packs a surprising number of rides into its compact size. Many of its top rides are thrill rides, and lines for these attractions can be quite long. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is new enough to still be very popular, so getting in line for this ride first thing in the morning can help you maximize your time at the park.

Still, if you want to ride all of the thrill rides during peak tourist season, you’ll want at least two days at the park. Plus, two days or more increases the amount of time you can spend seeing stunt shows, animal shows, character sightings, and other great entertainment. Whatever you decide, try to arrive first thing in the morning each day at the park. This allows you to beat the crowds and make the most of your day.

Two-day tickets provide a surprisingly deep discount for individuals and families alike. They provide some flexibility by giving you a seven-day window to use both visits in, which is helpful if inclement weather may roll in during your trip.

Universal Express™

If you want easy, front-of-the-line access to rides, the Universal Express™ ticket upgrade is perfect for you. This special ticket allows you to jump to the front of the line one time on each ride each day. It also gives you priority seating at certain shows. This is a great way to make the most of a short, one-day visit to the park, and can make a visit during peak tourist season much more manageable.

To keep wait times short for Universal Express™ ticket holders, the park only sells a limited number of these ticket upgrades per day. If you want one of them, you should buy them well in advance.

Visiting with Small Children

Depending on the exact ages and interests of your children, you may find your family needing more or less time at the park. Families with only very young kids won’t be able to ride many of the rides, so it will take you less time to get through the park. However, families with a large number of interests and thrill tolerance levels may find themselves spread thin. It may be wise to have your group split up for part of the day, so thrill-seekers can wait in line for coasters while thrill-averse visitors can check out the gentle rides.

Since small children inevitably have less stamina than adults, you’ll need to have a realistic estimate of how long you can spend at the park each day. While grade-school age children can probably make it through most of the day, toddlers and preschoolers will probably want to head home before dinner if they arrived first thing in the morning.

Planning for Weather

Universal Studios Hollywood™ is open year-round, and this part of California rarely gets cold in the winter. This gives tourists significant flexibility in planning their visit. You may need sunscreen and a hat even in the winter, though, especially if you plan on staying at the park all day.

Summer is a great time of year to visit if you can deal with the heat. However, this is also the peak tourist season. If you want to get the most out of your tickets, consider visiting in the fall or spring. Winter is also great, as long as you avoid the Christmas and New Year holidays, as these are also popular times to visit.

Watch out for pop-up thunderstorms, especially in the summer! While the park will generally stay open in light rain, some rides will shut down in heavy rain. Most outdoor rides will shut down in thunderstorms.

Getting a Hotel

If you’re traveling to Los Angeles from out of state, you’ll definitely want to get a hotel room for at least one night. With how popular the Los Angeles area is, making reservations well in advance is critical. Conventions and other large events can cause hotels to fill up months in advance.

Even if you live nearby or plan on staying with relatives, consider getting a hotel near the park for at least one night of your adventure. Having to drive home through Los Angeles traffic after a long day at the park is more stressful than you think! Staying with relatives can be fun, but cramming extra people into a house sometimes doesn’t go smoothly.

Luckily, you can often bundle hotel reservations with theme park tickets. You won’t be limited to just cheap hotels, either – you can often choose from a wide range of hotels for all family sizes and budgets.

Where to Buy Tickets

Whether you’re buying two-day tickets or just going for one day, it’s important to get tickets from a reputable seller. While you can buy tickets at the park gates when you arrive, you can get better deals online. Buying online in advance also allows you to bundle hotel reservations and other theme park tickets for a greater discount. With the number of theme parks and tourist attractions in the Los Angeles area, you should check for other opportunities for discount tickets before finalizing your Universal Studios Hollywood™ ticket purchase.

Not all online ticket sellers are equal, though. Some are not up-front about their service fees, and some won’t bundle certain theme park tickets. aRes Travel works hard to bundle all your tickets and give you the best discount possible to make your dream vacation affordable. You can call us to ask about the best ticket bundle options for you, and can even get discounts that aren’t published online.

For special offers, amazing savings on packages and hotels, and some of the lowest prices on travel, call 1 (800) 434-7894 (international callers use +1 (619) 546-5622) to speak with an aRes Travel planning expert seven days a week, or book online now.

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