Universal Studios Hollywood Review :12 must do activities for 2023

Have you been to Universal Studios Hollywood?

The theme park was on our list during our self-drive holidays in the USA.  If this is the first time you are visiting, don't miss these 10 must-do activities in Universal Studios Hollywood.

Get your discounted tickets from Klook here.

1 Visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Having visited The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Osaka, we had to check out the original Wizarding World in Universal Studios Hollywood. The footprints of The Wizarding World are uncannily similar to that of Osaka. A bonus was that the crowds were relatively light, and you need not wait hours to queue for rides compared to Osaka!


Get your Magic Wand
Get your own magic wand and start to create magic in Hogsmeade. There are plenty of spots where you can cast spells and see magic coming to life here.

Sit on the Harry Potter and Forbidden Journey Ride

This is one ride you should not miss. Soar above Hogwarts in this thrilling motion simulation adventure. When you are done, head to the Flight of the Hippogriff, a child-friendly roller coaster ride.

Drink Butterbeer
The beer that even kids can enjoy. The Butterbeer has a distinctive taste that one could savour all day. Grab the Butterbeer cup as a souvenir to remember your experience.


Take a photo with Hogwarts Express.

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Choo choo, take a photo with the replica of Hogwarts Express. Bonus points if you can grab a picture with the conductor.

Watch Performances

Catch a performance by the students of Hogwarts while you are there. Performance may change accordingly to the season.

2 Experience all the rides

Universal Studios Hollywood has fewer rides than Universal Studios Japan or Universal Studios Singapore. The good thing is that queues are a whole lot shorter too. We managed to catch all the rides there in one day!

Notable rides are Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, Transformers The Ride, Simpson Ride and the upcoming Jurassic World ride.

Transformers The Ride

3 Take the Studio Tour

There are a lot of Studio tours in Hollywood, but nothing beats the Universal Studio Tour.

This one-hour tour brings you around a working Universal Set. Here, you get to catch a glimpse of cars that starred in movies and special effect earthquake and flood settings. Then, have a battle with Jaws and be immersed in two great 3D movies - King Kong 360 and Fast and Furious.

Bring your cameras because you would not want to miss the lifelike props from War of the Worlds.

Hang on to your seat as you pass Bates Hotel. Beware of Norman Bates while you are there. He might be lurking around to take a stab at you!

Norman Bates  @ Bates Hotel

4 Play Carnival Games

A mainstay at Universal Studios Hollywood is the carnival games. Play old-school carnival games at Krustyland or Despicable me Carnival games. The prizes are an official Universal theme. Games start from $5 per play.
Worth a shot trying your luck there!

5 Watch the live shows

Animal actors

Catch live shows such as Animal Actors and Waterworld at Universal Studios Hollywood. See how the movie comes alive on stage.

6 Take photos with Movie Characters

Bring your camera along. Universal Characters roam the Park throughout the day. Catch them when you can!

7 Eat A Giant Donut

Get the Lard Lad Donut that is bigger than your face... It's delicious!

If the doughnut is not your cup of tea, there are over 20 eateries at USH for you to choose from.

8 Take Selfie around the Park

The Park is picture-perfect for Selfies. Remember to bring the camera along!

9 Get discounted tickets from Klook

We got our tickets from Klook. The ticket price starts from  USD 90 at Klook vs USD109 if you purchase directly from USH. For a family of 4, that is a whopping saving of USD 116, enough for a meal for 4 at USH.

Get your discounted Universal Studios Hollywood tickets here.

If you are heading to Universal Studios Hollywood during the peak period, we highly recommend getting the Universal Studios Express and VIP Tickets. You would get to skip the ride queues and have access to particular VIP areas at Universal Studios Hollywood. It's worth the extra, especially during peak periods.

You can check the crowd calendar to see if you will be there during the Peak Period.

Get your Universal Studios Express and VIP tickets here.

10 Grab Universal Studios Hollywood Merchandise

Do drop in at the leading Universal Store to check out the merchandise. You might find a Universal Studios Hollywood exclusive that you fancy to bring it home.

11 Head to Universal Walk after the visit

Universal Studio Hollywood tends to close earlier than other theme parks. Nonetheless, you could continue the fun by visiting Universal Walk after that. It's a charming destination to shop and dine at after the theme park.

12 Stay at Sheraton Universal Hotel

Sheraton Universal

If you can choose a hotel near Universal Studios Hollywood for your accommodation. Given LA's notorious traffic conditions, choosing a hotel where driving is unnecessary would be best. Sheraton Universal Hotel has rooms that can cater to a family of 4. In addition, it provides a shuttle service to Universal Studios Hollywood, so you can just leave your car at the hotel. Since parking can be as high as $50 per car, you would save a pretty penny.

You can book your hotel here from booking.com.

Sheraton Universal

There you have it, 12 must-do activities when you are heading to Universal Studios Hollywood.

Have fun!