Travel Tuesday: Ten Tips for a Fun Family Day at Universal Studios

Road trippp!  Last month my family rented a 15-person van ?.  So, we packed up and headed down south for some amusement park adventures.  There were 13 of us in the van altogether and even met some more family members there as well.

We went to Legoland the first day and then Universal Studios the next.  Our trip to Universal kind of started off slow with LA traffic (no surprise), but ended with so many lasting memories that I’ll keep forever.  We had a blast and below are ten tips you can use to make your trip fun for the family as well.

1.  Visit Guest Services First

Yes — always come here first to get whatever you need even if it’s a “First Time Here” Button with your name on it which I got for the noobs in our group.  And trust me Universal wants to make your experience pleasurable, so if they can help in any way, they can!

2.  There are Two Types of Butter Beer: Slushie or Carbonated.

The hype is real.  Though I only tasted the carbonated one, I can only imagine what the Slushie version tastes like.  It truly tastes like butterscotch and root beer mixed together. Delish! Wanna make your own? Here’s an awesome DIY Butter Beer:  

https://www.bayarea.com/drink/diy-butterbeer/   

  
 3.  Skip the Crazy Lines
Lines can be so-not-fun especially when you’re with a big group.  Here are some pointers to skipping the lines:

• Purchase the fast pass — approx. $100 extra per person (if you’ve got the cash, then this might be a good option)
• Parent Switch Rider Line – Mom and Dad, this applies to you.  If you’ve got multiple kids and can’t take one, leave one behind with the other parent & get in the switch rider line and switch off so the other parent can ride afterwards. Genius! (Ask guest services for more details)
• Single Rider Lines – if you could care less about who you ride with then this might be your option as a single rider (See ride line attendant if they have this at their ride)

4.  Stay cool

L.A. always seems to be a lot warmer than anywhere else so if you want to cool down there are three perfect spots within the park to do just that.  One section is within the Minion area.  There is an entire water play structure that’ll get you drenched so bring extra clothes!  Another area is next to the Jurassic Park ride called “Dino play” where little kids have a fun play structure to play on while misters keep the kids constantly cool.  Lastly, you can head next door and actually get on the Jurassic Park ride take you cool too.    

   

    
  

 
5.  Be Screen Time Ready
 Let’s remember, Universal Studios makes TV Shows and Movies so it makes sense that a lot of their rides use motion simulators.  Though I knew that, it still didn’t prepare me for how many rides actually used it.  So, if you’re like me and get motion sick it might help to bring any medication that would help with nausea or other similar symptoms.

  
6.  Eat with the Simpsons

Good Ol’ Krustyland.  This is such a cute area and a really good place for an afternoon stop for lunch.  There are so many food options — a beer garden with Duff Beer on tap, fried chicken in a bar and even giant pink donuts for sale at the Quickie Mart too.    

7.  Don’t Miss the Tram Tour

I’ve always loved the tram tour.  They’re always adding to it and yet keep some of the same parts the same too.  I was sad to see the ‘real’ King Kong be replaced by a screen but it felt realistic and the addition of the Fast & the Furious section was pretty awesome too but beware it’s only during certain times so be sure to go at the right time.

8.  Buy a Wand (or don’t)

Wingardium Leviosa! If you’re a big Harry Potter Fan or if you plan on coming to Universal Studios more than once a year, I’d say get a wand.  There are crazy lines for these magical pieces.  So, what’s the fuss? Well, if you head to Diagon Alley  AKA Harry Potter Land and point your wand to most of the window displays  you’ll see something happen! Can’t explain it; its magic!

 9.  Stay late to ride the rides again

We missed a couple of rides because they closed so make sure you plan your time accordingly. Some rides stay open late when lots of people are long gone so that might be a good time to go to also avoid lines AND the heat! (My favorite ride of the day was the Mummy Ride.  Short but so much fun!)

10.  Have fun!

This is an obvious one and it can be stressful at times but let loose, have fun and meet some amazing characters!  And if you’re headed out this Halloween season, they also have special events taking place and even a Jabbawockeez performance too!