Universal Studios Hollywood Rides and Attractions

The Studio Tour is the park's most famous attraction--it is an extended tram ride that winds you through various movie and show sets and the studio backlot. This isn't the type of tram ride where you sit and listen to your narrator (who, by the way, is Whoopi Goldberg) babble endlessly about the stuff around you. No, Universal Studios does things a little differently. Your tram actually goes inside staged movies scenes as they're happening, pulling you into the danger and excitement. Your first trip on the Studio Tour will be both surprising and thrilling. Really! Expect to see a big famous shark known as Jaws, plus action from the Fast and the Furious, King Kong, Jurassic Park and War of the Worlds.

The thrill rides at Universal Studios Hollywood include Jurassic Park the Ride and Revenge of the Mummy the Ride. Jurassic Park winds you around some vicious-looking dinosaurs before sending you flying down a steep waterfall. Revenge of the Mummy is a coaster ride that sends you twisting and turning to get away from, well, the mummy's revenge.

Between the Studio Tour and the rides, you can fill in the rest of your day with shows like Terminator 2: 3D, WaterWorld and Backdraft. You can also take the kids to see the Shrek 4-D show and the Nickelodeon Blast Zone.

One of the park's newest features is Universal's House of Horrors, a walk-through maze featuring entertainment's scariest characters. Expect to get spooked by vampires, dead guys, werewolves and evil dolls that have come to life.

Universal Studios Hollywood Tickets

When you're in the market for saving money on your tickets to Universal Studios Hollywood, you might have a few different options, depending on the time of year and what promotions are being run. Right now, you can buy one admission at full price at get a second day's admission free. This is likely to be a better deal for locals, who have the time for a return visit within the next seven days. If you want to make the most of your visit, pay a little more and buy a "Front of the Line Pass," which gives you priority to board rides and special seating at the shows.

If you're also planning on visiting Disneyland and other Southern California attractions, consider buying a Southern California City Pass. The City Pass gives you a discount for purchasing several theme park admissions at once.

Getting To Universal Studios Hollywood

Are you staying in Anaheim? The folks at Universal will be happy to come pick you up and drive you to the park. A free shuttle (with paid admission) runs between Universal Studios Hollywood and Anaheim hotels--and that's another reason to think about buying the Southern California City Pass.

If you're driving yourself to the park, you'll find it just off of the 101 freeway at Universal Studios Boulevard. It's pretty hard to miss. Make sure to have $10 on hand for parking.