USH Questions

[Molokai Gram]

Aloha,

Since Universal Studios Hollywood does not have their own forum and since many of us go to USH when we visit DL, I thought I would post my questions here and see if anyone can answer.

We were at USH a little over a year ago and enjoyed our day there except for the horrible lines. Now I see where I can purchase a special ticket and get front of the line access for up to two times per ride - has anyone tried this yet? I loved FOTL access we had in March when we went to USO and twice is enough for me.

It also seems on the official website that the children's play area Nick Blast Zone is quite extensive and fun. Can anyone compare it for me to the Kids Zone at USO? Is it the same except that it is Nick TV characters instead of Curious George?

And what is the Chipmunks Adventure? And has the tram tour changed? What about the maze for the Mummy? And is the Animal Planet Live very different from the previous animal show?

Mahalo for whatever help you can give me.
Donna

 

[Luv2Roam]

Aloha back!
I may be of little help, but not a lot.
We were there Thursday, May 31. There were no waiting lines. But maybe that was because we were there during the week.
The only time Front of the Line would have made a difference is on Back Draft. And that might have saved us a 10 minute wait. Otherwise, there were no waits. (We were the first people to stand in line for T2-3D, but we had to wait for the show time -- same as everyone else.)
The downside to going on a week day is that there were attractions that were not open -- except the weekends.
For $125 per person, you get even better special treatment with tours. I am not sure of the details since we opted for just the basic admin.
Not having kids, we just walked by the Nick area. It looked fun, but I couldn't compare it to any other.
The Maze for the Mummy sounds neat, but is rather dull. Just imagine a good haunted house set put on by a local charity group at Halloween. It was okay. Glad we didn't pay extra for it. It certainly was not done Disney-style.
It was just a maze with some egyptian old-looking artifacts. Every now and then a person in a mummy costume would lunge at or follow a young girl who would scream. It could have been done a lot nicer. The ceiling wasn't even finished. Just painted black with whatever wires and cables, lighting crap was up there. Looked kinda thrown together, except the swinging bridge area.
We missed the Animal Planet. Whenever we happened upon it, we were always 45 minutes out till the next show. They do not allow guests to come and go. Once the show began, they pulled a tarp down blocking the entrance/exit.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Oh, I don't even know what the Chipmunks ride is, so I am of no help there.
We did go on the back lot tour. We did enjoy it. This was our first time, so I can't compare to what it use to be. You will see a Whoville House (Grinch movie) right beside the Bates Motel! That was pretty cool!
The tour guide said they use to do western shoot outs in the Old Tijuana/Western town sections. They moved it to the front of the park.
It is worth the ride. It's one of the best parts of USH.
Another note on the Mummy maze, go through it. It's worth a look. Just don't expect it to be a major attraction, unless they beef it up on weekends. (And that may be the case.)
I also posted a trip report under DL for our Universal Day. You may want to read it, if you have not already.
Have fun!

 

[pnelson]

Can I add my own questions? We are going in September (midweek) and are also debating front of the line. Is Universal doable in one day or does it require two days? We have an 8 year old? Any advice? By the way, does anyone know where we can get discount tickets?

 

[Luv2Roam]

We were w/o kids, but even with kids, I can't imagine you can't do it in one day. I think two days at USH would be real boredom -- just IMHO. Not unless you REALLY wanted to cover the downtown area too.
To me front of the line is not worth the money. But maybe it would be on a weekend.
They take AAA, but also our hotel had a discount flyer. I'm sure most hotels have that.