Lucky for us we were spared by the rain gods on January 26th when we visited Univeral Studios Hollywood. Though it was a Saturday, the crowds were light, probably because most people expected rain. Also, late January is a great time to visit most amusement parks because it is off-season.
While my husband and I have visited Universal Studios many times in the past, this was the first time for us to venture there with our little ones. When we arrived, one of the first things we found is that Univeral offers an all-you-can-eat pass for $19.99. For children under 48 inches, it is only $9.99. The All You Can Eat Pass is good for 1 entrée, 1 side and 1 dessert every time you go through a food service line at Mel’s Diner, Louie’s Pizza and Pasta, or the Jurassic Café. You can go through the line as many times as you want. It does NOT include beverages. No sharing, take-out or refunds. You can save even more by buying the pass online. I would definitely recommend this deal if you will be having more than one meal at the park. We ate lunch before arriving at the park and opted not to take advantage of this deal. We did snack on some pizza slices and churros later on in the day. The pizza was very tasty and it’s one of the items included in the all you can eat deal. We did buy a 32 oz souvenir sipper cup for less than $6 which allows you to buy refills for only 75 cents.
The first attraction we hit was the tram tour, which kept both of our children entertained. Our 2 1/2 year old daughter was a little scared with the King Kong and Earthquake portions of the tour. She just closed her eyes and did just fine. Our 1 year old thought that everything was cool and he oohed and ahhed at every turn. The tour lasts only 45 minutes and goes by really quickly. I wonder how our parents managed when they took us on the old tour that lasted over 2 hours?
The kids got to meet and greet with Dora, Sponge Bob, Shrek and Fiona. Our son even liked shaking hands with Frankenstein, who was quite friendly. Several times a day, a character caravan comes out with Fievel, Curious George and Crash. You can dance along with them and get pictures. The Nickelodeon kids is the best area for small children. There are some interactive water things, playground slides and climbing tubes. There is also the Coke Soak which allows children of all ages to get wet, 365 days of the year. It was 60 degrees on the day we were there, so we avoided that place.
Besides the tram, there are also two other rides. There is the Mummy roller coaster and the Jurassic Park water ride. Neither one are appropriate for small children. I’m not much of a fan of roller coasters , but my husband is, and he absolutely loved the Mummy roller coaster. The park has a child switch program for both of these rides. This program allows you and your spouse to be line together and be able to switch off with each other so that you can both enjoy the rides.
Universal is also hosts to many fun filled shows. Our kids loved the Animal Actors Stage show. Other kid friendly shows include: Shrek-4D, Waterworld, The Blues Brothers and Fear Factor Live.
Remember you can buy a day and get 2008 free when you buy a general admission ticket! SoCal Residents can also get a one-day ticket right now for $50. This offer is good through February 15th. You can then apply that ticket toward an annual pass for only $49 more.
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