Visiting Universal Studios with Children: Spiked Butterbeer

Thatboy and I have not been to Universal Studios Hollywood once since we graduated from college a million years ago.  And yet this year we found ourselves there twice - for their new Run Universal series of races.  And it only took 1 visit for us to become experts.  Seriously, this last visit everything went so smoothly.  We knew exactly how and what to do, so I thought maybe I'd share the tips and tricks we learned.  Especially since it looks like we'll be heading there a couple more times next year!

Getting There

My biggest tip for this is to get there the night before you plan on going to the park.  It just makes things so much easier.  We go up and grab dinner at Universal City Walk, then check into the hotel.  This is partly spurred by the fact we need to grab our race bibs the night before, but honestly, we'd do it the same way even if we didn't.

At certain times of the year, they allow early entry into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  This is helpful in getting to ride The Forbidden Journey which can have long wait times.  Already being close to the park makes it easy to take advantage of that extra time.

Where to Stay

Unlike Disney, there aren't any Universal Studios Hollywood hotels, just "Partner Hotels."  The Sheraton and the Hilton are the closest, but I'm going to let you in on our little secret.  Just a couple miles down the road from Universal Studios is The Garland.  A boutique hotel with a mid-century modern look.  Very old school Hollywood.  And while it's not walkable to the park, they have a trolley that will shuttle you to and from, so you still need to worry or pay for parking at the park.  There's also a great onsite restaurant for the morning you leave.  Thatkid was so excited by their breakfast buffet he had to make sure Thatboy and I both saw it.

Where to Eat

Like any good amusement park, Universal Studios has food options just about everywhere you turn.  And like most amusement parks, the food isn't the reason you head to the park.  But these are some of our family favorites.

Springfield, USA

I love eating in Springfield because it's like a food court, with something for even your pickiest eaters.  Last time we were there, Thatkid and I split a giant order of nachos.  My littlest guy was feeling especially cranky and hungry and didn't want to eat anything but a giant doughnut (which he didn't get).  There are Krusty Burgers, tacos, hot dogs, fried chicken, pizza, pasta, and ice cream!

Wizarding World of Harry Potter

The best food we've eaten in the park was actually at the Three Broomsticks in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  Thatkid says it's the best macaroni and cheese ever.  Thatboy and I prefer the Bangers and Mash or the Shepherd's Pie.  And you can wash it down with a glass of pumpkin fizz!

Don't forget to follow your meal up with a quick stop at Honeydukes Candy Shop.  This is often one of our first stops of the day and we have something to snack on the rest of the time!

Also, this is where you're going to find Butterbeer.  So far we've tried it hot, cold, and frozen and everyone has a different favorite.

Citywalk

We start off our trip with dinner at Citywalk, but last time we ended up grabbing dinner both nights there.  Sometimes it's easier to get your kids out of the park earlier by eating dinner outside of the park.  From there it's a quick jump home!

We always make a stop at VooDoo doughnuts the first night when the line is shortest.  We grab doughnuts for a quick breakfast the next morning.

Johnny Rockets is always fun for kids and very kid friendly.  Plus, everyone loves milkshakes.

My kids favorite restaurant is Margaritaville.  They love the food, the drinks in light up glasses, and of course, the balloon animals.  

Things to Do

Divide and Conquer

We have always done this to an extent.  Typically we do family rides together until lunch, then I stay with Thatbaby who naps in his stroller while Thatboy and Thatkid go off to ride the "big scary rides."  The problem with this MO is that by late afternoon lines for these rides are usually at their longest.  Also, as you may have picked up, this means I don't get to go on any of the super fun rides, as I'm stuck with a sleeping child.

So this time we decided to try it a little differently.  We split up at the very beginning and I did some rides with Thatkid while Thatboy hung out with Thatbaby.  Then we switched.  Then we met up and switched again.  The result of this is that we had short(er) lines and I actually got to ride some rides with Thatkid!

With Older kids

Thatkid loves the thrill rides at Universal.  And he's tall enough to ride them all.  His favorite is The Mummy - a cross between Space Mountain and Indiana Jones for those of you who know Disney.  

This trip he also rode the new Jurassic World ride which he liked, but  keep in mind you will get REALLY REALLY wet.  

I got to ride Forbidden Journey with him, and it was a lot of fun for both of us.  While we were there, we noticed it was the longest line in the park, so if you're interested head there first.  We walked straight onto the ride!

Thatboy and Thatkid also love the Studio Tour, which I feel is a must-do, so we took everyone on our first trip.  That was a mistake because Thatbaby was terrified.  This time around the big boys did it during Thatbaby's nap.

With little kids

Thatbaby is not my brave and fearless child. But even with that caveat, it's important to remember that Universal Studios Hollywood is not really geared toward young children.  Most of their ride heights preclude even brave little guys from riding many of the rides.  I'm hopeful with the new "Secret Life of Pets" area opening up in 2020 there will be some more options for younger guests.

The most kid friendly area of the park is Super Silly Fun Land and the Minions ride beside it.  Super Silly Fun Land has one of those classic "fly around in a circle" rides that you can find at almost any amusement park or fair, as well as a playground and a splash pad area.  Thatbaby would be happy to spend the entire day here, although he also enjoys The Simpsons ride over in Springfield.

Even without rides, there's still a lot for young kids.  This is especially helpful when you do the divide and conquer part. If you plan on getting the "magic" interactive wands, make Olivander's Wand shop your first stop in the park.  So while Thatkid and I rode the Forbidden Journey, Thatboy and Thatbaby used his interactive wand to make magic through Hogsmede.   

While Thatboy and Thatkid rode Jurassic World and Transformers, Thatbaby and I played on the playground beside Jurassic World and took in the Raptor Encounter.  Shows are a great option for smaller kids! 

Shows

We've seen three kinds of shows at Universal.  The first are the interactive, like Olivander's Wand Shop or the Raptor Encounter.

At Olivander's a young wizard is picked to be fitted for a wand.  The first time we did this, Thatkid was the young wizard picked.  He had a lot of things going for him.  The first is that we did it first thing, so there weren't many kids in our group.  Secondly, he was wearing his Slytherin shirt.  Thirdly he was wearing his medal from the morning's race.  Finally, I had read a trick that worked for us.  When you're ushered into the wand room, look up to the top of the stairs where the wizard is and give him a little smile.  Rumor has it they use those first few second to check out the group and decide who they are going to pick.  But even if you don't get picked, the show is so much fun for the kids.  Thatbaby wasn't picked, but all day long he kept repeating the words the wizard had said "I think this wand was waiting for me!"

In Raptor Encounter, Blue from Jurassic World comes out with her trainer and like other character interactions, you can get up close and personal.  Unlike other character interactions, this is fun even if you don't wait in line to be a guest Blue interacts with, because you can watch her exhibit fun behaviors, or interact with the baby raptor who joins her for part of the encounter.  After our turn, Thatbaby wanted to stay and watch every interaction.

Kung Foo Panda bills itself as a "ride" but it's really more of a show - a show with 360 degree projection that really puts you right in the action.  It's a really unique experience unlike any theater you've been in before.  

Then there are the special effects shows - Water World and the Special Effects show.  These are really fun and give you exactly what Universal is all about - movie magic.  A lot of the special effects were a bit much and "scary" for Thatbaby (but this could also have been because it was the end of the night - Water World at sunset is the best because it's light enough to see the action, but then it's dark by the time the fireworks go off!)

One of our favorite parts of Universal Hollywood is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  It truly transports you to a magical village.  We spend so much time in the shops and the rides, and we haven't even seen all the shows there!  It is a place where magic comes to life, and it has our favorite food in the park.  Because we're usually there early in the day, we've never grabbed drinks at the Hog's Head bar, but it's easy enough to make Harry Potter inspired grown up drinks at home.  Especially when you can grab a bottle of butterbeer, or butterscotch rootbeer at many places outside the park.  The regular ole butterbeer that we served at Thatkid's birthday party is fine, but an alcoholic butterscotch root beer is like a butterscotch rootbeer float!  It's so much fun!

Spiked Butterbeer

1 bottle Dang Butterscotch Rootbeer (or Flying Cauldron Butterbeer)

1/4 cup vanilla vodka

whipped cream

butterscotch syrup

1. Pour rootbeer into a glass.
2. Add the vanilla vodka and stir to combine.
3. Top with whipped cream.
4. Drizzle with butterscotch syrup.