Getting to Universal

[mom2rtk]

We're toying with taking one day out of our DLR trip to visit Universal. I understand it isn't very close, but am trying to get a realistic idea of the easiest/most cost effective way to get there.

 

[SMD]

Rent a car. Public transportation without Amtrak will take you over 2 hours each way, and once you add in an Amtrak ticket for 2-3 people you might as well rent a car, save some time, and you'll be on your own schedule and can add a stop somewhere else if you feel like it.

 

[mom2rtk]

Rent a car. Public transportation without Amtrak will take you over 2 hours each way, and once you add in an Amtrak ticket for 2-3 people you might as well rent a car, save some time, and you'll be on your own schedule and can add a stop somewhere else if you feel like it.

That's an option we are considering.

Is there no shuttle of some sort?

 

[ParkHopper1]

Rent a car.

Agreed. Taxi or shuttle will be stupid expensive and public transportation is awful and slow in CA and would require multiple transfers between different agencies.

 

[SMD]

Grayline sells a combo park ticket and shuttle. I believe there is one departure from each location each day. If their time line works, that's an option. I tend to think you might be able to find a better ticket deal. But if you decide to leave the park early, at least there's CityWalk, so you're not stranded with nothing to do.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

You have three main options:

• You can rent a car. Be mindful of Universal's multiple paid parking options which can go as high as $35 (http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/getting-to-the-park/). You will need to add those parking fees onto the cost of your car rental if you're trying to decide on the cheapest option.
  
• You can take a bus shuttle from Anaheim. Universal partners with Gray Line to provide through ticketing (including park tickets) and coach service from Anaheim (http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/anaheimshuttle/). As it's Gray Line (the same operator as DRE), kids ride free.
  
• You can take public transit. Take ART to the Anaheim Amtrak station (http://www.rideart.org/), the Surfliner up to Union Station (http://www.amtrak.com/pacific-surfliner-train), and then an LA Metro Red Line subway train to Universal City/Studio City station (http://www.metro.net/). Universal Hollywood runs a regular shuttle bus from the subway station to the main gate during all open hours (http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/getting-to-the-park/).

Two other less useful transit options exist, as well. You can take L.A. Metro bus 460 from Harbor/Manchester to Union Station and then continue with the public transit directions above, but the bus goes local the entire way and takes far longer than the Surfliner. You can also take a Metrolink commuter train instead of the Surfliner, but Surfliner trains run more often and much later in both directions.

Since we plan on relocating to the area and I'm a non-driver, I've studied up on L.A. to Anaheim transit options!

 

[perlster]

[*]You can take public transit. ... Universal Hollywood runs a regular shuttle bus from the subway station to the main gate during all open hours (http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/getting-to-the-park/).

Not exactly ... as the USH site mentions, the shuttle stop is "across the street" from the subway station and pedestrians must actually cross one street, then another - in an "L" shape. I've done this personally a couple of times. You can exit the station, going up to street level, going left or right, and of course, there is no sign stating which you way should go to get to USH. My recollection is that left is the correct choice.



[Ever consider Knott's Berry Farm instead?]


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Way too much detail, but ...
[Just because there's a traffic light doesn't mean it's legal for pedestrians to cross. People coming from the station must cross Lankershim Blvd., cross Campo de Cahuenga Way / Universal Hollywood Dr., turn left, and walk to the shuttle stop. I've looked at a Yahoo satellite map, and it confirms that my memory is correct. If you exited the station to the right, you'd come up on the other side of Campo de Caheunga, but you can't cross Lankershim directly, so you'd have to cross 3 times to get to the shuttle stop (the white rectangle just "below" Universal Hollywood Dr.]

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

Not exactly ... as the USH site mentions, the shuttle stop is "across the street" from the subway station and pedestrians must actually cross one street, then another - in an "L" shape. I've done this personally a couple of times. You can exit the station, going up to street level, going left or right, and of course, there is no sign stating which you way should go to get to USH. My recollection is that left is the correct choice.

Isn't the bus stop next to NBC Universal tower directly in front of the giant Universal City/Universal Studios sign? That's directly across the street from the Red Line exits.

 

[SMD]

Isn't the bus stop next to NBC Universal tower directly in front of the giant Universal City/Universal Studios sign? That's directly across the street from the Red Line exits.

The shuttle stop is about half a block up the hill, but you can't cross Lankershim on that side of the street, so you do have to cross twice. I think a lot of people find crossing a major street daunting in LA because we're not very pedestrian friendly. Though in this case there's really no way around it, since even if you were to walk up the hill you'd still have to cross. For anyone curious about the shuttle, it is a very short ride, it's just that the hill is so steep and cars drive by so fast you won't really want to attempt it.

I'd also add that there isn't really any advantage to paying extra for valet parking at Universall. Regular parking is $10-16 depending on when you arrive, but all of the lots are close. Even the farthest lot is a shorter walk than Mickey & Friends to the main gate. I think preferred parking comes with the VIP Tour. It's a nice perk, but really, parking isn't so complicated that general parking won't meet the needs of 99.99% of people.

 

[Ryan120420]

Not exactly ... as the USH site mentions, the shuttle stop is "across the street" from the subway station and pedestrians must actually cross one street, then another - in an "L" shape. I've done this personally a couple of times. You can exit the station, going up to street level, going left or right, and of course, there is no sign stating which you way should go to get to USH. My recollection is that left is the correct choice.



[Ever consider Knott's Berry Farm instead?]


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Way too much detail, but ...
[Just because there's a traffic light doesn't mean it's legal for pedestrians to cross. People coming from the station must cross Lankershim Blvd., cross Campo de Cahuenga Way / Universal Hollywood Dr., turn left, and walk to the shuttle stop. I've looked at a Yahoo satellite map, and it confirms that my memory is correct. If you exited the station to the right, you'd come up on the other side of Campo de Caheunga, but you can't cross Lankershim directly, so you'd have to cross 3 times to get to the shuttle stop (the white rectangle just "below" Universal Hollywood Dr.]

There are signs. Just as you reach the top of the second set of escalators at the Redline station there is a sign directing you to the left for Universal Studios Hollywood/City Walk shuttle and to the right for the bus plaza. I've been taking the Redline to Universal for over ten years and it has always been there.