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Rides at Universal Studios Hollywood – minimum height restrictions, and what to expect

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Universal Studios Hollywood has twelve exciting rides, one studio tour, and two shows. 

These attractions and rides are distributed between the Upper and Lower lots of Universal Studios Hollywood, connected by an escalator. 

The Lower Lot has three rides – Jurassic World, Revenge of the Mummy, and 3D Transformers.

The Upper Lot has the rest of the rides, the Studio Tour, and two exciting shows.

Most of these rides at Universal Hollywood have minimum height requirements for the safety of the riders.  

This article covers everything you must know about the Universal Studios Hollywood rides.

Avoiding the crowd at the rides

Wait times at Universal Studios Hollywood can get long since the Los Angeles theme park is almost always crowded.

If you want to avoid the lines, be at the theme park when it opens, and start with the rides in the Lower Lot. 

Most people start with the rides and shows in the Upper Lot and reach the Lower Lot later in the afternoon, which is why the Lower Lot has the shortest wait times early in the day. 

Depending on your budget, there are three types of Universal Studio Hollywood tickets you can choose from –

The General Admission ticket helps you skip the ticket counter lines and save money (when you buy online, prices are lower than the gate price!)

If you want to skip the ticket counter lines and the ride queues, opt for the Express Ticket on the booking page.

If you want to skip all the lines, want gourmet breakfast and lunch, and want to be treated like Royalty, opt for the VIP Experience Ticket

Universal Studios Hollywood VIP Tour is the most exclusive way to go behind the scenes at the world’s largest movie studio and Theme Park in Los Angeles.


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Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is the main ride of Universal Studio’s Harry Potter section called Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

You will enter through the towering castle gates and walk past the corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

On the way, you will see locations from your favorite Harry Potter books – Dumbledore’s office, the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, the Gryffindor room, the Room of Requirement, etc. 

Finally, you will get a seat on the ride and soar above the castle grounds on a thrilling adventure, coming face-to-face with magical creatures. 

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is not a roller coaster but a scenic dark ride.

During the experience, the riders are taken through real sets that use wrap-around projection screens to create magic.

Location: Upper Lot
Type: Scenic dark ride
Minimum Height: 48 inches (122 cm)
Physical Restrictions Guests whose waistline is 100 cm (40 inches) or more should try the test seat provided at the attraction entrance to ensure their ability to ride. 


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Flight of the Hippogriff

Flight of the Hippogriff is the second ride of Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Guests must first enter the Care of Magical Creatures grounds and pass by Hagrid’s hut to get to the ride.

As you near the ride, Hagrid offers instructions on the best way to approach a Hippogriff – the magical creature with front legs, wings, and head of a giant eagle and the body, hind legs, and tail of a horse. 

Flight of the Hippogriff is a family-friendly roller coaster, meaning everybody can enjoy it.

Don’t forget to look down and see Hagrid’s Pumpkin Patch.

Location: Upper Lot
Type: Roller Coaster
Minimum Height: 39 inches (99 cm)
Supervising Companion: Children under 48 inches (122 cm) must be accompanied by an adult (14 years or older)

Buy tickets in advance
When you buy Universal Studios Hollywood tickets in advance, you save money and time. Consider purchasing a Universal Express ticket if you don’t mind slightly costlier tickets but want a better experience. Universal Studios Hollywood Express Pass gets you entry into the theme park and one-time Express access to each ride, show, and attraction.


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The Jurassic World Ride

The adrenalin-pumping Jurassic Park Ride is part of the Jurassic World section of the theme park located in the Lower Lot. 

During the Universal Studios Hollywood Jurassic World ride, you sit in a boat and enter an immersive land where dinosaurs roam freely. 

All is well until Indominus Rex starts stalking you. 

The highlight of this thrill ride is when you get caught in a fight between Indominus Rex and her archrival, the Tyrannosaurus Rex.

If you have younger kids with you, check out Blue at the Raptor Encounter after this ride and excavate dinosaur fossils at DinoPlay. 

Location: Lower Lot
Type: Water-based thrill ride
Minimum Height: 42 inches (107 cm)
Supervising Companion: NA


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Transformers 3D Ride

The Transformers 3D ride at Universal Studios Hollywood is an immersive experience that fuses 3D HD media and flight simulation technology to bring out a never-before experience.

The thrill ride is based on the popular Transformers movie and features Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Megatron, and 13 other Autobots and Decepticons.

During this ride, you get thrust into the middle of a war zone and fight alongside Optimus Prime to save the world. 

Even as you protect the Allspark from Decepticons over four stories tall, you must also remember to survive!

Location: Lower Lot
Type: Thrill Ride
Minimum Height: 40 inches (102 cm)
Supervising Companion: Children under 48 (122 cm) must be accompanied by an adult (14 years or older)

Recommended Reading: Universal Studios Hollywood discount tickets


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Revenge of the Mummy ride

The Revenge of the Mummy has been one of the longest-serving thrill rides in Universal Studios. 

This high-speed roller coaster ride was designed around the 1999 action-adventure film The Mummy.

During this ride, be ready to handle warrior mummies, a deadly scarab beetle attack, and gut-churning twists and turns. 

This Universal Studios ride catapults guests at speeds up to 72 km (45 miles) in virtual darkness.

Location: Lower Lot
Type: Thrill ride
Minimum Height: 48 inches (122 cm)
Supervising Companion: NA
Physical Restrictions Guests whose waistline is 100 cm (40 inches) or more should try the test seat provided at the attraction entrance to ensure their ability to ride. 

Avoid waiting in long lines at Universal Studio’s ticket counters. Book your tickets online in advance. Tickets are cheaper online than at the gate!

Visual Story: 13 must-know tips before visiting Universal Studios Hollywood


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Despicable Me Minion Mayhem

Despicable Me Minion Mayhem is a simulation ride where you join Gru, his daughters, and the mischievous Minions on a thrilling ride.

The story starts in Gru’s home; he wants to make the guests actual Minion and initiates their ‘Minion training.’

As one can expect, things don’t go as planned, and the visitor gets launched into an unforgettable trip through Gru’s super-villain laboratory.

Location: Upper Lot
Type: Motion Simulation
Minimum Height: 40 inches (102 cm)
Supervising Companion: Children under 48 inches (122 cm) must be accompanied by an adult (14 years or older)


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The Simpsons Ride

Universal Studios Hollywood’s Simpsons ride is a virtual reality roller coaster, but the action is so natural that most riders let out a gasp or two.

Krustyland, Krusty the Clown’s low-budget theme park, is being sabotaged, and you smash and blast through the park with Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie in this thrilling ride. 

Watch for cameos from countless Simpsons characters as you soar across Springfield.

Location: Upper Lot
Type: Indoor simulation thrill ride
Minimum Height: 40 inches (102 cm)
Supervising Companion: Children under 48 inches (122 cm) must be accompanied by an adult (14 years or older)


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The Secret Life of Pets ride

The Secret Life of Pets is an immersive ride based on the movie of the same name. 

The Universal Studios Hollywood attraction starts before you board the ride – everyone must walk through nine rooms plus hallways before arriving at the front of the ride queue. 

The premise of this latest ride at Universal Studios Hollywood is simple – all animals think you are a lost pet, and with Snowball (Kevin Hart) in the lead, they try to find you a home.

You will join Max, Duke, Gidget, and Snowball on a journey through the streets of New York City to be welcomed into your new home.

During the ride, all visitors see themselves in the mirrors on the side as puppies. 

Location: Upper Lot
Type: Scenic Dark Ride
Minimum Height: 34 inches (86 cm)
Supervising Companion: Children under 48 inches (122 cm) must be accompanied by an adult (14 years or older)

Groups of families or friends who love roller coasters visit both Universal and Disneyland. Find out how to go from Universal Studios Hollywood to Disneyland and vice versa.


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DreamWorks Theatre Featuring Kung Fu Panda

The DreamWorks Kung Fu Panda exhibit at Universal Studios Hollywood is a multi-sensory attraction using state-of-the-art visual effects.

It’s first-ever interior projection mapping, 360 surround sound audio, and sweeping physical effects make it a thrilling journey of awesomeness.

Visitors of all ages love this show which takes you on an adventurous journey with Po, the Kung Fu Panda.

Location: Upper Lot
Type: Motion Simulation
Minimum Height: NA
Supervising Companion: NA

Which Universal Hollywood ticket will it be?
General Admission ticket, the cheapest and the most popular ticket. Or the Express ticket, which helps you skip the lines at all the rides at least once. Or the VIP ticket gets you royalty treatment at the theme park.


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Silly Swirly Fun Ride

Silly Swirly Fun Ride targets younger kids even though nothing adults from joining the fun.

While on this ride, you will soar, spin around, and take a 360-degree view of Super Silly Fun Land below.

The attraction contains 12 uniquely-styled ride vehicles.

Location: Upper Lot
Type: Carousel
Minimum Height: NA
Supervising Companion: Children under 48 inches (122 cm) must be accompanied by an adult (14 years or older)


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World Famous Studio Tour

The World Famous Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood is a 60-minute tram ride tour where you explore a real working movie studio behind the scenes.

You will visit 13 city blocks of the studio lot, built with creative consultation from Steven Spielberg.

Some of the highlights of the studio tour which happens in the Upper Lot are – 

  • Wreckage of the Boeing 747 from War of the Worlds
  • Jaws, Amity Island’s most famous resident
  • An Earthquake simulation that feels real
  • Re-creating of a flood scenario
  • Bates House and Motel from Psycho

Two of the most popular 360-degree immersive rides – Fast & Furious Supercharged and King Kong 360 are part of the studio tour. 

King Kong 360 3D

The award-winning King Kong 360-3D created by Peter Jackson is the world’s most enormous 3-D experience. 

It is part of the World-Famous Studio Tour, which is included with every Universal Studios ticket

During this experience, you will get caught in a terrifying struggle between a 35-foot T-Rex and King Kong.

During the Universal Studios Hollywood’s King Kong ride, your heart will pound, and you will be scared, but you will ask for more when it is over!

Location: Upper Lot
Type: 3-D / 4-D Experience
Minimum Height: NA
Supervising Companion: NA

Fast & Furious – Supercharged

Fast & Furious – Supercharged At Universal Studios Hollywood is a 3-D immersive attraction that takes you into all the movie action.

You will ride along with the all-star cast from the hit movies on an exhilarating high-speed chase that exceeds 195 km (120 miles) per hour and catapult you into the world of fast cars and international crime cartels.

The length of the attraction is 247 meters (809 feet) — longer than two football fields – and uses cutting-edge, hyper-realistic special effects on the world’s most expansive 360-degree canvas.

The Fast and Furious ride, which you will experience during the World-Famous Studio Tour, is not a roller coaster.

Location: Upper Lot
Type: 3-D / 4-D Experience
Minimum Height: NA
Supervising Companion: NA

Items allowed on rides
Security checks happen at the Front Gate checkpoint and every ride and attraction entrance. It is better to bring small bags to get through these checks faster. 


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WaterWorld Show

This 20-minute experience is Universal Studios’ #1-rated show and involves jet skiers, perilous plunges, firefights, massive explosions, and a plane crash you need to see to believe.

At Universal Studios Hollywood Waterworld, World champion jet skiers perform stunts for the audience, and you also see giant fireballs rising 50 feet in the air.

Location: Upper Lot
Type: Show
Minimum Height: NA
Supervising Companion: NA


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Universal’s Animal Actors

During this 20-minute show in the Upper Lot, you will see Tinseltown-trained critters putting pet tricks to shame with their animal antics.

Younger kids love this show because they get to see their favorite scenes from The Secret Life of Pets re-enacted. 

The animals and the human trainers join hands to perform an act you will remember for a long time.

Location: Upper Lot
Type: Show
Minimum Height: NA
Supervising Companion: NA


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Child Switch Room

All rides at Universal Studios Hollywood offer the ‘child switch’ program. 

Regularly there are instances wherein a child can’t (or doesn’t want to) ride an attraction, and that’s where the CHild Switch program comes in handy.

In such a case, one or two adults can wait with the child in the attraction’s Child Switch room.

When the rest of the members return after their time on the ride, they switch with those waiting with the child without waiting in line again.


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Single Rider Lines

Guests who want to experience an attraction without their friends or family in exchange for a shorter wait time can choose the Single Rider option.

Single Rider is based on availability at select attractions and is subject to change without notice.

Currently, the rides with Single Rider Lines are –

  • Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
  • Flight of the Hippogriff
  • Revenge of the Mummy – The Ride
  • Transformers: The Ride 3D
  • Jurassic World – The Ride

Sources

# Universalstudioshollywood.com
# Tripsavvy.com
# Wikipedia.org
# Attractioninsight.com

The travel specialists at TheBetterVacation.com use only high-quality sources while researching & writing their articles. We make every attempt to keep our content current, reliable and trustworthy.

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This article was researched & written by

Edited by Rekha Rajan & fact checked by Jamshed V Rajan

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