The Simpsons Ride
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The Simpsons Ride is a motion simulator ride that takes guests on a meta journey into Krusty the Clown’s Krutsyland. The story of the ride sees guests chosen to be the first to experience the Thrilltacular, the park’s newest attraction, only for the proceedings to be hijacked by the villainous Sideshow Bob. The ride is quite funny, though the relentless pacing of the scene changes and gags can be a bit disorienting, particularly for first-time riders.
You can’t ride without, of course, going through the amazing recreation of Springfield, which is full of familiar faces and landmarks from the long-running animated series that should please fans and non-fans alike.
Studio Tour
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The World-Famous Studio Tour is one of the oldest attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood and it cuts a nice balance between old studio nostalgia and contemporary thrills. Sure, the King Kong and Fast & Furious “ride” built into the tour is great, but the real charm is exploring the actual working studio as your tram worms its way through the backlot.
Some of the older attractions on the tour, like the Jaws experience, have become incredibly charming in their hokiness, and it is neat to be able to see the mix of still-used backlot streets and older, preserved sets and props from classic films.
Jurassic World: The Ride
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Jurassic World: The Ride is the only water attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood, located in the lower lot of the park. Originally opening in 1996, the ride was semi-recently updated with the branding of the new Chris Pratt-lead films and should delight fans of the entire franchise. The ride itself is mostly an atmospheric dark ride with one large drop at the end that, depending on your seat, may or may not leave you soaked if you didn’t pick up one of the Jurassic World-themed ponchos from the gift shop. The “story” of the ride isn’t as strong as it was when it first opened, but that doesn’t minimize the thrill of that final scare before splashdown.
Waterworld
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The Waterworld stunt show might be the most successful theme park attraction based on a film that is considered a massive flop. Running for nearly thirty years, it remains one of the best attractions in the park, and without a doubt the number one thing to do at Universal Studios Hollywood that isn’t explicitly a “ride.”
The stunts are spectacular, with fire and jet skis and water explosions and even (if it’s working properly on the day) an incredible water plane crash that has to be seen to be believed. They pack more laughs and thrills into 20 minutes than the actual movie did in 135.
Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge
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The newest area to open up at Universal Studios Hollywood is Super Nintendo World. This is an interactive dining and shopping area that invites guests to explore the Mushroom Kingdom. Located in the lower lot, (as of this publishing) the area features only one ride, but it should be experienced by any fan of the beloved video game franchise.
The ride itself isn’t as fast as you’d expect, but the attention to detail and interactivity more than make up for that. Riders are outfitted with augmented reality visors and you’re encouraged to shoot your rival Kart’s with turtle shells for a high score. Little kids in particular will go nuts for this ride.
Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride
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It is a good thing this ride is as fun as it is because they removed the E.T. Adventure to build it…and that is almost unforgivable.
The first thing to note is that this ride is still themed after the Brendan Fraser Mummy series from the 1990s and has nothing to do with the Tom Cruise film from 2017. This is probably for the best since Universal wants to forget about The Mummy as much as anyone.
Revenge of the Mummy is a thrilling experience, sending riders on a high-speed journey in near-total darkness reaching speeds of up to 40 miles per hour. The ride is considered one of the best indoor roller coasters ever made and should be high on your to-do list on every visit.
Secret Life of Pets: Off The Leash
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Illumination films dominate the kid-forward attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood, though the best among them (in the non-Harry Potter category) is Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash.
Right off the bat, the ride has one of the most visually interesting and engaging queues in the history of major theme parks. Even if the wait is long you will NOT be bored. The actual attraction itself is a state-of-the-art dark ride that rivals anything you’d find at a Disney park. Even nonfans of the franchise will enjoy the incredibly practical effects and wall-to-wall puns and sight gags. Universal should invest in more rides like this one, ASAP.
Transformers: The Ride 3D
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It was a sad, sad day when the Backdraft fire special effects show stage was finally decommissioned to make room for Transformers: The Ride 3D. While this new attraction lacks the charm of real, practical effects, this Michael Bay-ified Dark Ride is enjoyable enough for fans of the franchise and probably a better reflection of present-day Hollywood movie-making today.
The ride provides 3D glasses that enhance the visual effects, and that dimensionality combined with the jerky movement elevates this above a 4DX theater experience. Still, this is one dark ride that may not age as well as the others. Still worth riding, especially if there isn’t that long of a queue.
Flight of the Hippogriff
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Flight of the Hippogriff is the only outdoor roller coaster at Universal Studios Hollywood and is an excellent starter coaster for younger kids who might be intimidated by something like Revenge of the Mummy.
The ride is short, at just over a minute, but it offers plenty of safe thrills and reaches a speed of nearly 30 miles per hour. The queue is charming enough, with views of Hagrid’s hut and outdoor other landmarks on the Hogwarts grounds.
This is a fantastic addition to the park and something the Hollywood location was sorely lacking. Universal would be smart to add more junior roller coasters like this one.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
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Though not nearly as impressive as its Orlando counterpart, Universal Studios Hollywood’s Wizarding World section is still one of the most immersive, fun places to explore for even the most casual Harry Potter fan. Butterbeer, wand shops, the nighttime lights at Hogwarts — it’s a feast for the senses.
The centerpiece of it all is Harry Potter & The Forbidden Journey, a technically impressive dark ride that takes guests on a thrilling journey around Hogwarts Castle. Avoiding the Whomping Willow, crashing a quidditch match, narrowly escaping Dementors, and depositing guests safely into a conveniently placed gift shop. What more could Harry Potter fans ask for?
