6 Reasons Why Universal Studios Hollywood’s VIP Experience Is Totally Worth It

My family spent this past Thanksgiving Holiday on vacation at Disneyland. The holidays at Disney never disappoint, and we had a great time.

However, during this trip, we ventured outside of our normal 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, and it was amazing!

Next time you’re working with a client on a trip to Disneyland, I highly recommend suggesting they set aside a day to do the Universal Studios Hollywood VIP Experience.

Here are 6 reasons why:

Valet Parking is Included

Disneyland isn’t close to Universal Studios Hollywood. You will need to rent a car to get there. Finding a rental car desk that’s close to Disneyland is easy, so it’s no big deal to find a car to rent for the day.

Be prepared for a drive. It took us a little over an hour to get there with LA traffic. But everything was smooth sailing once we got there.

Why? Because valet parking is included in the price of the VIP Experience! We simply rolled up to the valet, dropped off our keys with the attendant, and we were off 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 enter 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, got our valet parking ticket validated, 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.

We munched on pastries, fruit, oatmeal, yogurt, and more while waiting for our tour to begin. There was a TV in the lounge, 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, 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, lots of yummy desserts, and more. Soda, water, lemonade, and tea were included as well.

Oh, and Dracula and Doc from Back to the Future made sure we were taken care of throughout the entire lunch!

We had plenty of energy after that delicious meal 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 got its very own covered, 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.

Our bus also 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’s been around for decades.

This set is used constantly and is transformed based on what’s being filmed. It was most recently used for the filming of one of my favorite shows: “The Good Place.” But before that, it was used for horror films, portions of Pirates of the Caribbean, and scenes from the Muppets, among others.

I’m a huge fan of “The Good Place,” and it was so cool to see where the chocolate shop was and walk where Eleanor and Chidi’s relationship blossomed. Again, not something you’d get from the 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 (adorable, by the way).

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 absolutely 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 favorite rides again with minimal waits.

We also had plenty of time to explore Hogsmead, Springfield, and Super Silly Funland, either during or after our tour. We never felt rushed and got it all done at our own pace.

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 really wasn’t 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 in my opinion.

If you’re interested and need more information, contact me or your Magical Vacation Planner today! As you can see, we can guide you from our own experience, so you can have a magical and memorable vacation!