At USH, you might want to save Potter for last

Prof Drake

Earning My Ears
Joined
May 26, 2016
We were at Universal Studios Hollywood on Monday, July 8th. This was our second visit at USH and part of a longer trip with my wife, 10yo daughter, and 4yo son. Trip reports from our first USH day (in March) and this trip’s two days at Legoland (July 4th and 5th) are on this board.

We arrived in LA a day early and, because the weather wasn’t too warm, we headed to the LA Zoo in Griffith Park. My only complaint was the opening hours — we closed the place down at 5pm with my creature-obsessed 10yo having seen only about half of it. But the early close did make it easy to get the kids to bed on time, and I’m guessing it might be required for animal care.

We still slept in a little later than planned, having been traveling for a week at this point. But we made it to USH around 9:15, not long after the 9am opening.

Unlike Legoland, there are no signs for handicapped parking. Your best bet is to head for the Front Gate parking. The booth attendant will give you a windshield placard, then you’ll follow the directions of many waving people who will point one direction or another after they see the placard. You’ll probably end up at the front gate or second level of the Frankenstein structure.

Since we weren’t with the early risers, we seemed to hit a lull in which the security and ticket gate lines were short. But the Hogsmeade wait times (visible on the app) told us a lot of people were already inside.

We split off and I went to Guest Relations, where I got an Attraction Assistance Pass. I didn’t have one in March, and no one asked me for one. But this time I got asked for it on most of the rides — maybe because it was high season? Meanwhile, my wife rented a super-overpriced stroller.

Then we had to decide whether to brave the Hogsmeade crowds or save it for later. We waited, which was the right decision. In fact, if I had two USH days with a Potter fan, I’d take them to do Ollivander’s, the rides, shopping, and the projection show (if any) the first evening/night, then come back the next day to cast spells, try butterbeer, and see the daytime performances.

Instead we headed to The Simpsons Ride, which we hadn’t seen the first visit. The wait was short, while our experience last time told us it would be an hour or more for most of the day. This was actually the first exposure to The Simpsons for our kids, and I think they found it fun, and we found it clever. Though I also think they were a bit shocked by the violence of the Itchy and Scratchy ride safety video.

Next we headed to the Despicable Me area and rode the Super Swirly, which is a slow loader we’d seen have a big line later in the day. The water play area wasn’t started up yet.

From there to Minion Mayhem, which was also fun (it’s the one ride my 4yo wanted to repeat) but seemed a little similar to The Simpsons, done close together. Simpsons has ride vehicles, while Minion Mayhem is a theater, but both are moving seats in front of a screen showing a simulated journey with a bunch of similar beats (things “going wrong,” coaster-like sections, explosions, etc). But I’m not sure there’s a way to space these out without a long wait for one of them later.

Next we went to the lower lot, taking the handicapped elevator to the shuttle. I’ve heard there can be a long wait for the shuttle later in the day, but at 11am it was waiting for us.

We started with the new Raptor Encounter, which they do a great job of making a meet-and-greet (for those who wait in line) and a show (for everyone gathered around). Maybe it’s a little too good — our 4yo found it scary, so he and my wife went off to look in the Jurassic shop.

The 10yo and I spent more time with the Raptor, then went to join the family. We didn’t buy anything, because the toys were marked up way above normal retail prices. But we did get 16 pressed pennies of different dinosaur designs.

Like Legoland, but unlike the LA Zoo, USH has unfortunately switched their pressed penny machines to take dollar bills (or credit cards, in some places), cost more, and use a faux “penny” provided by the machine. On the other hand, for these machines it was $5 for 8 designs, which is close to the old price (50 cents each).

We checked in on the Jurassic World technical rehearsal and got told it wasn’t open and they didn’t know if/when it would open. Unfortunately, it turned out that we also couldn’t reach the renewed Dino Play playground. Apparently it can only be reached through the JW queue.

We had lunch at the Jurassic Cafe with no wait. The mahi mahi and roasted chicken were both gluten free, better than any Universal food we had during our last visit, and large enough to feed two people wanting a light lunch. I think this cafe is the best gluten free option in the park. However, our 10yo didn’t like any of the kids’ meal options, so she had a fruit salad and some snacks we brought with us.

Then we went over to the Transformers area and met Bumblebee. He did a great job of being friendly with our shy-feeling 4yo (while only being able to “speak” in snippets from the car radio). I’d watched an online video of the Transformers ride, and knew it was too intense for the 4yo. Since the 10yo wasn’t interested, we got some Transformers pressed pennies and moved on.

Next my 10yo wanted her picture taken with the Anubis character outside The Mummy. She loves coasters and is very interested in ancient Egypt, so at first she wanted to ride. But when we told her it’s meant to be scary, in a horror sense, she decided to skip it. I’m guessing she might want to try it on our next visit. (We have one more visit left on three-entry Costco tickets.)

We then checked on the JW tech rehearsal and it was still closed. It’s too bad, because the 10yo had really wanted to ride it, but I’d warned her it wasn’t guaranteed. Then we took the shuttle back to the elevator, with a very short wait.

On our way to the Studio Tour we picked up a Simpsons pressed penny. On the tour it was good to see some areas (like New York) that were closed for filming on our last visit. Also, our 10yo got to sit on the side with the Jaws shark (the right side of the tram) which she’d wanted, after being on the other side in March. And the whole thing was more pleasant wearing earplugs and knowing we should expect the 4yo to hide against his mom during the Fast and Furious part (by far the weakest part of the tour).

We then finally went to Hogsmeade. The crowds had started to die down and there was no or little line to do many of the spells. And the sun had moved so that a good number of spell locations were in the shade.

The kids had a great time until the music box spell, when the wand flew out of our 4yo’s wand. When we picked it back up, it didn’t work any more. Looking at the tip, the bead on the end had popped out or shattered. Our 4yo was really upset. So I took the wand and drove around to the back door of Ollivanders.

This was a very positive experience. The employee I talked with asked if we’d bought the wand that day and I said no, but it was bought earlier this year. She took it away and came back, saying the wand keeper had been able to do a “complete restoration spell” on it and it should be “like new.” This took something that could have saddened our son for the rest of the day, and beyond, and gave it a happy outcome. Go Universal!

Outside the back of Ollivanders there’s a pretty quiet ice cream vending cart. We hadn’t tried butterbeer ice cream on our last visit, so I bought some. The restored wand revived our 4yo’s spirits — and the ice cream perked him up physically, so our day was back in gear. (The 10yo shared the ice cream, and the grownups each had a taste. Butterbeer is not remarkable as an ice cream flavor, in my opinion.)

We did more spells, working our way up to the train, then everyone else went into Zonko’s/Honeydukes. (I learned last time that the aisles in there are too narrow for my scooter.) There my wife found a Pygmy Puff that was the one thing our 10yo wanted from all of Universal. It’s cute and makes an adorable sound — and apparently there’s even a short adoption ceremony when you get one.

After that the 10yo and I headed to the 3:55 performance of the Triwizard Spirit Rally. I didn’t see these times listed in the app, but you can find them at: https://m.universalstudioshollywood.com/waittimes/?type=all&site=USH (This link works on my phone, but not on my computer's browser, for some reason.)

We skipped this last visit because we were in Hogsmeade mid-day and she’d gotten overheated. We enjoyed it this time, when there was actually some shade. I’d say the dance/gymnastics of the Beauxbatons students was more impressive than dance/martial arts of the Durmstrang students.

The 4yo and my wife joined us partway through, having stopped at the Owl Post to get him an owl stuffed animal/puppet for his birthday. After that we rode Flight of the Hippogriff together, which is short but has a nice hippogriff animatronic and a little bit of intensity for being a kiddie ride. Then to the bar on the castle side of the Three Broomsticks for cold butterbeer (no waiting, and a nice place to sit, unlike the vending carts outside).

Then we went looking for the Scooby-Doo characters, because last visit the 4yo didn’t get to meet Velma, and we also wanted a whole-family photo with them. There’s plenty of media that only appeals to one of our kids or the other, but both of them are fans of Scooby-Doo and the first three Harry Potter films (by the fourth film they’re too intense for our 4yo). So my wife made us t-shirts for our USH visit showing the Scooby-Doo characters being chased by dementors outside Hogwarts. When we got up to the characters (Velma, Scooby, and Shaggy were out by the central plaza) they each engaged different members of the family. I was talking with Shaggy, who made a very in-character show of slowly figuring out what was on my shirt and then bringing it to the attention of Scooby, who was giving our 10yo a hug. Meanwhile, the 4yo got the interaction with Velma he’d been craving. I was impressed with how well they handled it — making it feel like good character improv, rather than taking a picture with people in costumes.

It was still warm, though the shadows were growing, so it was getting to the end of the time when playing in the Super Silly water area would make sense. But we’d also given each kid a small budget for the trip, and our 4yo still had $5 left, which he said he wanted to use to play one of the carnival games in the Super Silly area. Most of them had prices posted, of around that much, so we didn’t think about the fact that the one we were steering him toward (because it was a “guaranteed win” for kids) didn’t have a posted price. Only after he agreed to it did we find out it was $12 to play. That dulled the Universal enthusiasm I’d been feeling.

We were planning to head for the Super Silly changing rooms next, but it turns out you can’t get to them without going through an area where you get wet! My ECV doesn’t do well with water, so instead we went to the Baker St bathrooms to change. Though the day had been forecast for the low 80s when we left home a week before, it was actually in the low 70s, with plenty of sun, which turned out to be comfortable for about 45 minutes of play. While I waited and watched a very friendly Universal employee struck up a conversation, which helped pass the time, and ended up bringing me buttons and jelly beans for the kids. Much appreciated!

They dried off, got dressed, and then we did some shopping. After that we had “dinner” of snacks we’d brought with us (remembering how disappointed we’d been with the food offerings last visit, and not wanting to take the time to go back to the lower lot for more Jurassic Cafe).

Our next destination was Kung Fu Panda. On the way we saw them setting up barriers. We asked what they were for and got told that Hogsmeade was expected to reach capacity during the first two Dark Arts projection shows (at 9:10 and 9:30).

So we had to decide: would we pack in for one of the earlier shows, or keep our kids up even later, for the 9:50 show, and close out the park? The kids really wanted to stick it out, and eventually we grownups agreed, which turned out to be a good decision.

We saw Kung Fu Panda, which has a fun surprise compared with the other screen rides. On the other hand, the river portion feels a lot like the “coaster” portions of Simpsons and Despicable Me. Now I’m wondering if Transformers has a section like this, too.

After that we split up, with the 4yo and my wife returning to Super Swirly and Despicable Me. The 10yo and I went back to Hogsmeade, where they were all set up to restrict access, but hadn’t started. A lot of people were already waiting in place for the Dark Arts show. (The desirable viewing area seems to be near the performance stage.)

We rode Forbidden Journey and there was almost no wait. Then we went to Ollivanders and they were literally holding the door open, inviting people inside for the next show. My conclusion is that *this* is the best time to see the Harry Potter attractions — once people have started claiming spots for the projection show. (Of course, this assumes there is a show the day you go, but the waits were also shorter in the evening/nighttime on our last visit, when there wasn't one.)

Our 10yo was worried that she might be chosen for wand pairing at the Ollivanders show, even though she already has a wand. She was chosen and she was up front about her wand — which worked out perfectly. The wand keeper chose another young woman, but (apparently improvisationally) found ways to work our 10yo in at several points, resulting in her learning about the core of her wand and getting to cast one of the special spells in the room. She was overjoyed! This was another highlight of the day.

We cast more spells after that, including one with lamps (near the corner of the Three Broomsticks) that looked great at night. The Dark Arts show had started by then, and we decided to walk past it to ride Forbidden Journey again (trying to keep our eyes down, to avoid spoilers for our upcoming family viewing). The ride was basically a walk on. We almost did it twice, but there was a surge of people (probably a Dark Arts show had just ended) and I got a text from my wife saying that she and our 4yo had arrived in Hogsmeade.

We met at the handicapped viewing area, which is just past the arch that leads to the back of Ollivanders. This was nearly empty, which was good, because you can only get a good view in this area by moving. You want to be to the left of the arch (further from the castle) to see the projections on the castle, then move to the right (closer to the castle) for the “surprise” at the end. We were able to do this and really enjoyed the show — though by then it was getting a bit chilly and late for our 4yo. He was glad to see the show, but also glad it was time to go, afterward.

The 10yo wanted to show him the lamp spell on the way out, so we did that, then made our way happily to the car. Overall, a great day, with a much better ending than our first visit.

We’re looking forward to one more visit on our three-entry tickets. If there’s more to share from that one, I’ll post another trip report!

My main takeaways from this trip:
  • Nighttime is the best time for Forbidden Journey and Ollivanders, especially on a projection show night. As I suggested above, if you’re coming to USH for two days with a Potter fan (with some patience) do Ollivanders, the rides, shopping, maybe some spells, and the projection show (if any) the first evening/night, then come back the next day to cast (more) spells, try butterbeer, and see the daytime performances.
  • The performers and “repair” people at Ollivanders are great, making a huge difference for both our 4yo and 10yo. I’m so glad Universal has things set up so they can be understanding and improvisational.
  • The Jurassic Cafe food is by far the best gluten free option we’ve found in the park.
  • The handicapped accommodations are great overall (in the park) though they could improve both the ability to reach the Super Silly changing area (it shouldn’t require getting wet) and the Hogsmeade projection show viewing area (which definitely has an inferior view to the regular area, though this can be ameliorated if you can move around).
 
How did the park go with your 4 yo? Did you have to split up? (Older kid going to do one thing, younger kid doing something else? )
 
It went better than I expected. Mostly, the 10yo didn’t want to do things that the 4yo was too short to do (like Revenge of the Mummy). The one exception was Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, which is part of what was good about saving that for after dinner. At that point we’d spent most of the day together and the 4yo had a ride he wanted to repeat (Despicable Me) that the 10yo was happy to skip.

Also, this time we knew that the 4yo would want to either skip the Studio Tour or hide his face for the King Kong and Fast & Furious portions. Luckily he chose to go with us and hide his face (and, like the rest of us, wear earplugs). Otherwise we would have had to split up for a significant stretch then.
 
It went better than I expected. Mostly, the 10yo didn’t want to do things that the 4yo was too short to do (like Revenge of the Mummy). The one exception was Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, which is part of what was good about saving that for after dinner. At that point we’d spent most of the day together and the 4yo had a ride he wanted to repeat (Despicable Me) that the 10yo was happy to skip.

Also, this time we knew that the 4yo would want to either skip the Studio Tour or hide his face for the King Kong and Fast & Furious portions. Luckily he chose to go with us and hide his face (and, like the rest of us, wear earplugs). Otherwise we would have had to split up for a significant stretch then.

That’s going to be the hard part. 9 yo is Harry fanatic, 4 year old is kind of short for her age.
 



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