My family spent Thanksgiving 2022 on vacation at Disneyland. The holidays at Disney never disappoint, and we had a great time.
However, on this trip, we ventured outside of our routine and left Anaheim to do something new for a day: Universal Studios Hollywood!
This was our first time at Universal Studios Hollywood since my husband and I were kids. So, we splurged a bit and didn’t get regular park tickets. We opted for the VIP Experience.
It was amazing!
I highly recommend setting aside a day from your next Disneyland vacation to do the Universal Studios Hollywood VIP Experience.
Here are the reasons why.
Valet Parking is Included
Disneyland is not close to Universal Studios Hollywood. You will need to rent a car to get there. Finding a rental car desk near Disneyland is easy, so it’s no big deal to find a car to rent for the day.
Be prepared for a drive. With LA traffic, it took us a little over an hour to get there, but everything was smooth sailing once we got there.
Why? Because valet parking is included in the price of the VIP Experience! We rolled up to the valet, dropped off our keys with the attendant, and went to the park entrance. So easy.
Just be sure to get your valet parking ticket validated when you check in at the VIP desk.
Getting into the Park is Easy
Once you get through security, scanning into the park is easy. You get to skip the long line of people waiting to scan their tickets to get into the park.
Head to the right and look for the red carpet and the door marked VIP Experience.
That’s your entrance!
We strolled right in, no waiting.
Food is Included
Once we quickly checked in at the VIP desk, validated our valet parking ticket, and were given our VIP Experience lanyards, we were escorted upstairs to a comfortable lounge with couches, tables and chairs, private bathrooms, and a light breakfast buffet.
While waiting for our tour to begin, we munched on pastries, fruit, oatmeal, yogurt, and more. The lounge had a TV, the couches were comfortable, and we had plenty of time to relax and fuel up before the fun began.
We were also offered bottled water, ChapStick, a poncho, and other park essentials to make our visit more comfortable, all free of charge.
Later, we were treated to a gourmet buffet lunch, which was also included in the price. The food was delicious, healthy, and all-you-can-eat.
We munched on pasta, salmon, steak, salads, vegetables, fancy cheeses, many yummy desserts, and more. Soda, water, lemonade, and tea were also included.
Oh, and Dracula and Doc from Back to the Future ensured we were taken care of throughout the lunch.
Great, Scott. It was good! After that delicious meal, we had plenty of energy to keep us going for the remainder of the tour.
A Private Studio Tour is Included
The World Famous Studio Tour is what Universal Studios Hollywood is known for. There are trams to take everyone who visits the park through the lot. But we didn’t need those!
Our small tour group had its own covered but open-air tour bus and exclusive backstage access to the Studio Tour.
The seats were plush and padded, there was a cooler of ice-cold water for our enjoyment, and a private driver and tour guide took us around the lot.
We did all the same things the regular Studio Tour does. We saw King Kong, Jaws, Fast & Furious Supercharged, experienced a San Francisco earthquake, and drove by some of the most famous and recognizable film sets on the lot.
But our bus stopped, and we were allowed to get out and explore the sets on foot!
We walked through the set of Nope, checked out the plane wreckage from the movie War of the Worlds, and got to walk around one of the most famous sets that have been around for decades.
This set is used constantly and is transformed based on what is being filmed. It was most recently used to film one of my favorite shows, "The Good Place." But before that, it was used for horror films, portions of Pirates of the Caribbean, scenes from the Muppets, and more.
I’m a huge fan of "The Good Place." It was so cool to see where the chocolate shop was and walk where Eleanor and Chidi’s relationship blossomed. Again, this is not something you’d get from a regular Studio Tour.
You Get Front of the Line Access
After the backlot tour, we were escorted around the rest of the park and got to experience its most popular attractions.
Attractions like the Special Effects Show, Jurassic World, Revenge of the Mummy, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff, Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, Transformers, and the brand-new Secret Life of Pets attraction. (That one is adorable.)
We didn’t just go in the Express Pass lane for these attractions. No sir. We were escorted right to the front of the line and placed directly on the next attraction vehicle. There was no waiting in line!
Even better, after the tour was over, our VIP Experience lanyards got us in the Express Pass lane for any attraction until the park closed. We had lots of time to go on our favorites again with minimal waits.
We also had plenty of time to explore Hogsmead, Springfield, and Super Silly Funland during or after our tour. We never felt rushed and got it all in.
The Price of Admission is Included in the VIP Experience Price
Unlike some other VIP tours at other theme parks, the price of this VIP Experience included the cost of admission. And I was surprised at how affordable it was! It was not much more than the price of admission with Express Pass.
And when you think about how much the cost of food and parking would be, it really is a no-brainer.
At the end of the day, we were exhausted from all we had accomplished, but we had an absolute blast.
Updates With the Opening of Super Nintendo World
When we did the VIP tour, Super Nintendo World wasn't open yet. But the tour now includes access to Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge. Plus, you can use your VIP lanyard after the tour is over to access the Express Lane. You may also consider purchasing early entry into Super Nintendo World to check it out before your VIP tour.
I highly recommend setting aside a day from your next Disneyland vacation to include a day at Universal Studios Hollywood and the VIP Experience!
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