Universal Studios Hollywood

by Mahin Hassan ” Life is not meant to be in one place.”

Universal Studios Hollywood has seen tremendous change over the past couple of years. It is one of Los Angeles’ most popular attractions. Oftentimes, visiting such a popular theme park is asking to fight a battle – throngs of people, hours-long queues, non-stop walking. The best way to make full successful theme park visit is to strategize and have a solid game plan.

I did my research before I went there, tried to learn from other people’s experiences. I bought online tickets to save my time to stand in entrance lines. On the day, I packed some of my snacks and drove to the theme park. Once the park gates opened, I went straight to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. This is the most popular zone plus I am a big fan of Harry Potter. During the research, I figured you should get here as early as possible for the shortest wait times. Run straight through the entrance plaza and take a right at the fork – you can’t miss the Hogsmeade arch!

Once at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I went straight for the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride over at the Hogwarts Castle. This 4D thrill ride is one of my favorites and is a must for all Harry Potter fans. Even the pre-show queue, snakes through the magical corridors of Hogwarts, past the sorting hat, talking portraits, Dumbledore’s office and more, is highly entertaining. After the ride, I walked around the shops in Hogsmeade Village – including Ollivanders, Zonko’s and Honeydukes! One of my favorites from the movie.

I left the magic of Hogwarts and entered weird and wacky Springfield – home of the Simpsons. The main attraction here is the Simpsons Ride, a motion simulator that takes you on a jaunt through Krusty the Clown’s low-budget theme park. It was the safest roller coaster with a lot of adrenaline rush.

Then comes the best part of the day Universal’s backstage tour where all the magic happens. It is a must-do one hour ride. This is the only Universal park in the world where you’ll get to enter a real, working film studio. You’ll visit sets from iconic movies such as Jaws, Jurassic Park and Psycho who comes after you with knife in hand, and experience unique 4D simulations of King Kong and Fast & Furious.

On lower lot, I was able to enjoy Transformers 3D and Revenge of the Mummy rides, both of which were, as you would expect, super thrilling and action-packed. I was able to take pictures with Bumble Bee and the raptors from Jurassic Park. On the way down to the Lower Lot there are some beautiful panoramic views of Hollywood. I took lots of selfies.

I saw the Universal’s Animal Actors show. This show featured some super adorable pets and we were shown how animals are trained to act in movies. There was a real movie dog from the movie Secret life of pets. Later I was able to pet him and take pictures.

I then moved on to some more light-hearted entertainment. Super Silly Fun Land is a minion themed. kids are sure to have a blast here! Also look out for the SUPER CUTE minion props! I took a funny ride of minions and then was able to meet some cute little minions on my way out.

I dropped by the Universal Studio Store on the way out to pick up some souvenirs and stuffy toys for my collection and that concluded my whirlwind of a day at Universal Studios. I managed to complete most of the key attractions and make lots of memories in just one day.