We recently went to the Universal Studios in Hollywood with our toddler.
We are living in between San Diego and LA. So we knew it was only a matter of time until we wanted to check out one of the big theme parks in the LA area. So when my husband’s friends were in town and suggested to go, we jumped on the opportunity.
Nevertheless, we didn’t expect it to be so difficult to really experience the theme park while bringing our 17 month old daughter
It was still an interesting experience and if you plan on visiting the Universal Studios in Hollywood with your toddler, our experience and tips might help you.
Tickets
We purchased our tickets ahead of time through the theme park’s website. We did so to save on time and not to have to wait in line, and it was a good idea. The park was fully booked when we arrived.
They only let people into the parking garage if they had already purchased a ticket ahead of time and did not sell tickets at the entrance.
Hence it is a good idea to pick a date you want to go to visit the park and book your tickets ahead online.
Express Tickets
When you visit the Universal Studios in Hollywood with a toddler, you might want to consider the Express ticket option.
They are quite a bit more expensive, but might we worth it. With these tickets, you can skip the line for many (not all) rides, and therefore reduce your waiting time tremendously.
You can still upgrade your regular ticket to include the Express lane option once you are at the park, for an added charge.
Parking
The Universal Studios in Hollywood offer both general parking and preferred parking.
We opted for general parking as it was the cheapest option at $30. It does involve a longer walk to the entrance but is absolutely doable with a stroller. You can compare the different parking options here.
Rides
The rides at the Universal Studios in Hollywood can be super fun – but if you’re bringing your toddler, you are quite limited in what you can do
Toddler-appropriate rides
The theme park does offer a few rides that toddlers are allowed to go on. With our 17-month old daughter, we ended up just doing one single ride – the Super Silly Fun Land.
While the line looked super short, it still took about 25-30 minutes until we got on the ride. And waiting in line with a wiggly little one is not the easiest feat.
Nevertheless, she seemed to enjoy it – you can watch our ride in my YouTube video documenting our trip.
Other rides and experiences that were small child appropriate that we couldn’t even get in was The Secret Life of Pets and Minions.
These were just booked out way ahead of time, which was a little sad.
Toddler-appropriate shows
While looking for more things to do, we went into the DreamWorks Theatre that featured a short film of Kung Fu Panda. The wait was not too bad and since our daughter enjoys cartoons every now and then she seemed quite fascinated with the show.
It was pretty loud inside though, so definitely nothing I would take a very young baby or toddler to.
The second show we went to see was the WaterWorld show. They displayed the show times outside so we managed to get there right before they started the show.
This was convenient, as we didn’t have to wait in line for long and we could still find a seat.
Nevertheless, it took them a while to get started and while being seated we had to find ways to entertain our restless daughter. She did not seem to be to interested in the show, but could’ve just been too tired at this point.
I do believe that some toddlers, especially a little older ones, would enjoy this show – and might even want to sit in the splash zone.
Reserving rides ahead of time
One of the biggest downsides of our visits was that we didn’t know you had to or even could reserve rides ahead of time.
This was the case e.g. for the Secret Life of Pets. They had no more open slots available for the day, even though we went there right in the morning.
We therefore highly recommend to download the Universal Studio App at least a day ahead of your visit and see if you can already make ride reservations.
Swapping for rides
One thing that Universal Studios Hollywood offers when you come with toddlers or small kids is that you can swap for rides. This means you can all wait in line together, and then just one parent goes on the ride, then takes over holding the kid, and the other parent can go on the ride.
I think this is a great concept for parents who are bringing their small kids and still both want to experience all the rides.
We could not make use of this option due to the wait times but I love that theme parks are offering this.
Waiting times
The biggest downside of our visit was the waiting times for rides.
We knew it would be busy, but waiting 60+ minutes for one ride, and then still wanting to check out the rest of the park or other rides, was impossible.
Our little one would not have waited patiently in her stroller for 60 minutes.
And letting her walk around in the line for 60 minutes seemed not safe and actually a little dreadful.
So we decided to just miss out on the rides and experiences and just walked around the park.
If you are really into rides and want to get the full experience even while attending with your little ones, I highly recommend getting the Express pass.
It is quite a bit more expensive but it’s a good way to skip the lines, get the full experience while bringing your toddler to the Universal Studios Hollywood.
Should we ever go to a theme park again while our kids are still little, we would rather save up a little longer and spend more money on Express lane tickets than to have this experience of not getting on any rides at all.
Food
Since we spent almost a whole day there, we were planning on having lunch at the park. As we were traveling and spending a few days in LA in a hotel, we did not have the opportunity to bring homemade food.
You are allowed to bring (a reasonable amount of) your own snacks and drinks, which is great when out with a toddler. We packed her favorite snacks but mainly planned on having lunch at one of their restaurants.
The theme park offers plenty of food options to choose from. We ended up going to the Palace Deli & Market and picked up some sandwiches and a fruit cup. The food was just okay and next time we would probably bring our own food.
Most restaurants inside the park were quite busy, so we didn’t really have many options. Universal Studios Hollywood also has lots of restaurants outside the main park, at the Universal CityWalk, which you pass by on your way to and from the parking garage.
These might have had better options for us as a family but we did not want to leave just yet.
Another downside was that there were no highchairs available in the dining areas we saw.
So we ended up holding our daughter on our lap while eating, as she is too small to sit in a regular chair and eating lunch inside the stroller does not work for her.
The theme park does offer plenty of treats throughout the park, so if you have a sweet tooth like me or don’t mind a little sugar for your kid, you can try plenty of fun foods.
We tried the Hogwarts’ frozen butterbeer and the Simpsons’ giant donut and they were absolutely amazing – 10/10 would recommend!
What to Bring
When you are planning your visit to the theme park with your family, these are the items I recommend to include in your packing list:
Food, Snacks & Water
The park allows you to bring your own food and water (reasonable amounts). This is super helpful, as you can bring all of your kid’s favorite snacks.
Make sure to pack some healthy food and snack options as well, as the park doesn’t really offer many healthy food options.
Diaper bag with all essentials
The park is very kid friendly and has plenty of changing stations throughout. However, I didn’t see any place where you could purchase items such as diapers or wipes in case you forgot them.
And having extra wipes on hand is never a bad idea especially out and about in a theme park.
So make sure to bring your fully prepped diaper bag with you to the park.
Toys for the wait
One thing we didn’t bring that would have been a good idea is toys.
We figured our kid would be super distracted by everything that is going on in the park, and she was. But nevertheless, especially if you have to spend a lot of time waiting in lines, it is a good idea to bring her favorite toys.
This way, in case she gets bored or just wants to run around, she has something to play with that is familiar and will keep her entertained while in the stroller.
Change of clothes – Prep for all weather
When we planned our day at the Universal Studios in Hollywood with our toddler, the weather forecast said it would be a very sunny and warm day.
However, it was kind of chilly and quite cloudy. So make sure to check beforehand and bring extra layers or a blanket if needed.
And if you plan on visiting the WaterWorld show and are sitting in the splash zone – be prepared to get wet! An extra set of clothes would be a good idea to pack for this instance, too.
Overall Experience at the Universal Studios Hollywood with a Toddler & Our Tips
We had a good time going to the Universal Studios with our toddler, but there are a few things we would do differently if we were to go again:
- Get the Express lane pass from the start
- Check the day before/morning of your visit if you need to sign up or reserve time slots for certain rides
- Bring our own lunch/food & drinks
- Bring family or friends to help entertain and watch the kids so you can actually enjoy the rides and experience
If you are planning to go to the Universal Studios in Hollywood with your little ones, I hope this article helped you to better prepare for your visit!
And if you have already been there, I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments