Navigating summer crowds at an amusement park can be unbelievably difficult: long wait times, dense crowds and intense heat make maintaining a positive attitude nearly impossible. Universal Studios Hollywood is no exception.
In order to make the most out of your money, it’s important to spend your time at the park wisely — especially when waiting for rides. While no attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood is awful, some are a whole lot better than others.
These are my top five attraction recommendations that are almost always worth the wait!
Revenge of the Mummy — The Ride
Revenge of the Mummy is one of the few thrill rides that Universal Studios Hollywood offers. As an indoor rollercoaster, this ride provides the much-needed adrenaline rush to make a wait worthwhile, along with air conditioning to fight the Southern California heat.
While a large portion of the queue for this ride is outside, there are numerous misting fans placed along the line. Also, with more recent and popular attractions opening up, the line seems to move at an incredibly fast pace.
All that said, Revenge of the Mummy takes fifth place due to its unfortunately short ride time, coming in at roughly two minutes.
Jurassic World — The Ride
This is the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure of Universal through and through. It’s the ride you get on when you’re absolutely scorched, dying from the heat and need to rest your legs for a solid 10 minutes.
Truthfully, Jurassic World is a ride I almost always skip as I don’t like getting wet, but it’s undeniably one of the best rides Universal Studios Hollywood offers.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
If you are a Harry Potter fan to any degree, this is a must-do attraction. Hats off to Universal with this one, and thank you for taking it from Warner Bros.
To me, this ride showcases the best of this park’s abilities. The attraction is a robocoaster that takes you through countless scenes from various Harry Potter books and movies. While the storyline is a bit jumbled, I find it to be secondary to the staging and design of the actual ride.
And, attraction aside, the queue for this ride is amazing. When I was about 12 years old, I vividly remember getting in line and being blown away at how immersive the queue was.
While only four minutes long, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey takes the bronze.
Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge
The newest ride at Universal Studios Hollywood did not disappoint. Not only is the theming unparalleled, but the actual ride is a video game.
This augmented reality ride left me speechless; it’s unlike any other attraction at the park. Riders team up with Mario to race against Bowser and his friends. With a VR-esque headset and controller strapped to the cart, you navigate your way along the track, throwing shells at your opponents.
Even if you hate the ride, you’ll appreciate what it brings to the table. For that reason alone, I award it second place.
Studio Tour
The oldest attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood remains superior.
Traveling through the studio lot on a 45-minute tour, riding through various sets and experiencing practical effects and 360-degree 3-D attractions, the studio tour is the embodiment of Universal. Every time, you are guaranteed a slightly different ride, adding to its longevity.
Universal Studios Hollywood has come a very long way since its inception, so it’s always nice to get out of the sun and soak up all of its history on a tram.
With this knowledge, I’m wishing all Universal Studios Hollywood visitors the best of luck! While you navigate your way from ride to ride, don’t forget to buy a giant donut, make small talk with Donkey and cast some spells in Diagon Alley.
