Are the attractions at Universal Hollywood too scary for little kids? We'll be visiting with our entire extended family next month and there is a big age range among family members.
Universal Studios Hollywood has attractions for every age group, from a 3-year-old right up to Grandpa. But some of the rides and shows are really loud, really intense, and probably too much for preschoolers. Read on for descriptions to help you decide.
As you enter Universal in the morning, signs will suggest that you go straight to the Studio Tram Tour. That's good advice. The tour, which lasts about an hour, is the heart of the Universal experience, a chance to visit the backlots and really get into the feel of being on a working movie set. You ride in a big open-air tram and the whole family can take the tour together. The educational segments are punctuated every few minutes with thrills--during the tour you'll meet up with King Kong, be trapped in Earthquake, come face to face with Jaws, and enter the tomb of the Mummy. These "rides within a ride" are what make the tour fun and should be fine for everyone except the very youngest kids. The key thing to remember is that all the encounters, while realistic and scary, are very brief--for example, you're on the King Kong set for about two minutes before the tram moves on.
Good attractions for younger kids are the E.T. Adventure, where you fly on bikes to help E.T. get home; Animal Planet Live, a stage show starring a slew of engaging trained animals and a few audience volunteers; and the Nickelodeon Blast Zone. Save your visit to the Blast Zone for the afternoon. This gigantic play area offers many chances for kids to get not just wet, but absolutely soaked, so it's a good choice for the hottest hours of the day. (Many families let kids wear swimsuits under their clothes for this attraction.) The Blast Zone is just what it promises to be, a blast, and most kids would happily play here for an hour or two while older kids move on to the more big-deal rides.
Two attractions that pack a powerful punch are Back to the Future, a wild motion-simulation ride, and Jurassic Park, a major water ride that culminates with you escaping a T-Rex via an 84-foot plunge. (This raft ride is the older child's equivalent of the Nickelodeon Blast Zone--you're guaranteed to emerge dripping!). Terminator 2: 3D is an exciting 3-D show, probably too loud and too dramatic for younger kids, but a real hit with the preteen and teen crowd. You can explore the maze-like Chamber of Doom at Mummy Returns or get trapped in an incredibly realistic fire at Backdraft.
WaterWorld is my pick for the best show in the park--it's billed as an "aquatic Armageddon" and that's a pretty accurate description. You're seated outdoors in a big theater, which somewhat dilutes the intensity of the stunts, so some younger kids love this show, which features boats, planes, jetskis, and an absolutely amazing finale. Other shows that may work for the whole family are the Wild Wild West Stunt Show, a funny cowboy show where the bad guys are played for laughs, and Cinemagic, where you can learn how movie special effects are created. Volunteers are pulled from the audience for Cinemagic and they always try to get quite a few kids to help with the sound effects--and some end up on film. If you think the Psycho segment is too scary for younger kids in the party you can always skip that room and only participate in the lighter stuff.
In short, Universal Hollywood is a very "user-friendly" theme park, and quite easy for all ages to visit. You shouldn't get too exhausted; long series of escalators carry you from one level to another and you spend ample time off your feet while at the various shows. Restaurants within the theme park are limited and can get absolutely swamped with people, so when you're ready for a real meal, exit the park and eat at the adjacent shopping, dining, and entertainment district known as Universal CityWalk. There you'll find a huge selection of restaurants from the Hard Rock Cafe to an extensive food court and they're rarely as crowded as those within the theme parks. If you escape for a leisurely lunch in early afternoon, you'll return to the park rested, refreshed, and ready to tackle a few more monsters.
Updated August 2002.
