Universal Studios Hollywood Rides Ranking 2026

It’s hard to imagine that the Universal Parks, and all Universal Studios Hollywood Rides, originated from a simple Studio Tour. Wanting to give visitors a peek behind the scenes of moviemaking, Universal began offering tours of its movie studio since the studio began operation in the mid-1910s. Since then, the studio tour spawned a theme park, which officially began operation on July 15, 1964.

Today, Universal Studios Hollywood has cemented itself as the blueprint from which every single Universal Park succeeding it has followed. The crazy thing is, it’s by far one of the smallest theme parks in the Universal Pantheon and in Southern California. Clocking in with just 11 rides and 2 shows, the park is small but mighty. And over the years, many things have been added to the theme park complex, including a shopping and dining area called CityWalk.

Before 2021, I had only been to Universal Studios Hollywood once, way back in 2013. At the time, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was still under construction, and Super Nintendo World was not even close to being dreamed up. Since moving to LA in 2021, I have visited the park between 15 and 20 times, and I’ve grown to absolutely love it.

I will admit, I was a Disney snob for a very long time. I hated the thought of supporting Disney’s biggest rival by going to their theme parks. I mean, why would I waste my time with Universal’s parks when Disney’s are so much better? Universal only has screen rides anyway, right? How can they possibly compete with Disney in terms of quality.

All of that changed when I was about 14 years old and decided to give Universal a chance by going to Universal Studios Singapore. From then on, I was absolutely hooked. I have since become a full blown Universal supporter, and for a while I had actually been to every Universal theme park in the world (until Epic Universe and Universal Beijing opened).

Of every Universal Park, however, the one that has quickly become my favorite is Universal Studios Hollywood. It’s the one I’ve been to the most, it has my favorite Universal ride ever (which I won’t get into yet because I don’t want to spoil this list) and I feel like there’s something just so unique about visiting the park that started it all. Just like how visiting Disneyland is an experience no other Disney Park can come close to because it’s the only one Walt stepped foot in, I feel like Universal Hollywood has that specialness too.

Now when it comes to ranking things like this, I totally get that lists like these are completely subjective. Everyone is going to have different opinions, and even if I try to approach doing these lists as objectively as possible, everything will be tinged by my subjectivity. I still tried to come up with good and objective criteria, but just note that at the end of the day this is still my personal opinion.

If you’ve read my other ranking posts, you’ll know that I’m basing my ranking of these rides on the following criteria: how much they add to the identity of Universal Studios Hollywood, how they are viewed by the public, how well they execute their story and theme, how groundbreaking (or not) they are, how they act operationally, and my own personal preference with regards to their quality.

I won’t delay this post any longer, let’s get right to it!

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11. Silly Swirly

One ride had to be outside the top 10, and unfortunately it’s this one. Silly Swirly is a Dumbo the Flying Elephant-style ride where you board these…creatures (I couldn’t think of a better word and I haven’t seen enough of the Despicable Me movies to know what they are) and fly up into the sky and twirl around before coming back down. It’s tame, it’s kid-friendly, and it’s cute. It’s also the one ride on this list that was a one and done for me.

Don’t get me wrong, there are positives to this ride. The vehicles and ride system are colorful, the views you get of Super Silly Fun Land are amazing, and perhaps, most importantly, it adds so much to the carnival theming and story of Super Silly Fun Land. It also adds a lot of kinetic energy to the area, which is one thing that Universal Studios Hollywood lacks (aside from Super Nintendo World of course).

So all in all, it’s not a bad ride. It’s just that one ride had to come in last here and there’s just nothing overtly special about this ride. It doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel the way, say, Jet Packs at Shanghai Disneyland does. But for what it is, it’s cute and is a welcome diversion for younger guests who may not be able to ride the other rides in the park. If you have littles, this is one of the best Universal Studios Hollywood rides for them.

10. Flight of the Hippogriff

The only other ride on this list that was made with kids in mind, Flight of the Hippogriff is a junior coaster located in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. On the ride, you board a replica of a Hippogriff and twist and turn over Hagrid’s pumpkin patch. The story of the ride goes that Hagrid is trying to teach his students how to properly ride a Hippogriff by letting them ride on a fake one.

The ride begins with you passing by Buckbeak, the Hippogriff from the movies and books. You then crest the top of the lift hill and the thrilling (or mildly thrilling) part of the ride commences. I will say the ride is a lot more thrilling than it looks and goes so much faster than you think it will. After flying through the air, you end up back at the load station and exit the ride.

Again, I think it’s great that Universal has rides like this. Universal is known for their thrill rides that may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Having rides like these in the mix gives people with a low thrill tolerance something to do in the park. Although in true Universal style, even the mildly thrilling rides have some thrill in them.

The design of the ride is also really good. The theming of the ride vehicles, the animatronic Hippogriff at the beginning, and the sets involving Hagrid’s Hut just make for an immersive ride. Unfortunately, it sits at the back of this ranking because it’s not as narratively layered or complex compared to the other rides on this list. That’s not to say that it doesn’t execute its story well, but it just pales in comparison to the other rides on this list, which is why it comes in where it does on this Universal Studios Hollywood Rides Ranking.

9. Revenge of the Mummy – The Ride

It might come as a surprise to some of you to see this ride at this spot. But trust me, I have a good explanation for why it’s here. Revenge of the Mummy – The Ride is a rollercoaster that takes place mostly in the dark. You enter the building and are transported into an Egyptian Temple. Spooky music and great theming sell the illusion that something horrible is afoot in this temple.

You then enter the load area, where you climb aboard a mine car. You then venture deep into the temple. First, you encounter Warden Gad Hassan, who warns you about the curse and that Imhotep lives. You then enter a chamber and mummified hands try to reach out and grab you. After that, you enter the throne room where riches are scattered all around. Imhotep appears and invites you to join him. You then turn a corner and he exclaims that your souls are his. Mummies drop from the ceiling and then you’re blasted off into the dark.

As you twist and turn through the ride, you see the glowing faces of Imhotep. Your mine car then suddenly breaks and you find yourself face to face with a wall. Scarabs start emerging from the wall and soon you’re sent hurtling backwards through the darkness. This goes on for about 20 seconds with Imhotep saying “your souls are mine”. In darkness, the car then turns around and suddenly you’re back at the loading station.

I know, it sounds fun and crazy, so why is it ranked so low on my ranking? Well, for one, while the buildup to the coaster portion is great, the story doesn’t make a lot of sense. First Imhotep starts to seduce us to the dark side, but then condemns us immediately after. The narrative of using a curse to get our souls is great, but I would have rather he cursed us right away so that the story can be about us finding an ancient Egyptian temple and being cursed because we stepped foot inside ala Indiana Jones Adventure. Giving us this choice at the beginning, ironically, leaves us with no choice at all because the narrative development HAS to proceed to us being cursed, meaning the choice was made for us.

Also, for all the buildup, the coaster segment of this ride is…fine. It’s cool that it’s in the dark, but a lot of other rides do this better (Space Mountain and Rock n Roller Coaster to name a few). Also, the story again makes no sense, because are we experiencing the twists and turns because he cursed us? Or are we trying to run away from the curse? It’s not made entirely clear during the ride which answer is right.

And finally, we can’t talk about the quality of this ride without talking about the ending. The ride just…ends. There’s no conclusion, no indication as to who won or lost, no hint as to whether Imhotep has our souls or not. The ride feels like it’s heading to its climax and then abruptly ends. The doors open and you’re back at the loading station. This is the most disappointing part of the ride cause, just as it gets good, it’s over. The whole coaster part is probably less than a minute.

It’s clear Universal tried to add stakes and tension to the ride to make it more thrilling, and it does get some plus points for that. But its lack of a cohesive story, its short thrills, and its abrupt ending all dock it down by quite a few points. I will give them points for trying to tell a story, but it’s clear that the story did not live up to its potential. This is why I rank this ride at this point on this Universal Studios Hollywood Rides Ranking.

8. The Simpsons Ride

I’m already going to warn you guys: I’m not the biggest fan of screen-based rides. Aside from the fact that I get totally sick while I’m on them, I personally think that they’re not the most creative medium to tell a story in theme parks. Relying on a bunch of screens, to me, takes me out of the experience. Now, there are some exceptions to this, of course, but if the whole concept of a ride is just you on a moving vehicle in front of a screen, I’m not going to rank it as highly as other rides that take the time to build immersive sets with animatronics.

Of course, there are only really two rides at Universal where the entire concept is you’re stationary in front of a screen as the vehicle you’re in moves in sync to the film being shown, and The Simpsons Ride is one of them. I personally prefer the next ride on this list for reasons I will get into later, but for now, let’s discuss the Simpsons Ride and why I think it’s the weakest screen-based ride in the park.

The basic concept of The Simpsons Ride is you’re entering Krustyland to ride their newest attraction: a rollercoaster. Krusty the Clown informs you, however, that Sideshow Bob has escaped from prison and is targeting the Simpsons Family. Sideshow Bob gets Krusty to choose the Simpsons to be the first guests to ride his new ride, and the Simpsons take us along with them. Sideshow Bob then gets the Simpsons on the ride, where he plans on disposing of them quickly, with us as collateral.

What follows is a zany, chaotic, and unhinged ride that keeps you on your toes and doesn’t really make a lot of sense, but the whole adventure is very fun. You see the Simpsons fall off the rollercoaster, leading to a chain of events that nearly destroys Krustyland and turns Maggie into a giant baby who almost destroys Springfield. After the chain of events, the Simpsons end up fine, with the ride ending quite abruptly.

This scores above Revenge of the Mummy for me because the story makes more logical sense that the Revenge of the Mummy story. There are actual stakes that are understandable, with Sideshow Bob being after the Simpsons, that puts us in direct danger and gives us stakes and tension. For that reason alone it deserves to be ranked higher than Revenge of the Mummy.

However, that being said, I feel like the ride ends abruptly as well. Not as badly as Revenge of the Mummy, but bad enough that it deserves to be the lowest-ranked screen-based ride on this list. I also don’t understand how we go from being in their house to being on a ride. That logical leap didn’t make any sense to me. Or maybe that jump makes sense if you’ve seen a lot of the show, which I have not.

I also think the buildup to the ride is too long. The backstory of the ride takes a while to set up, which I thought detracted from the experience. Also, the ride is entirely screen-based, something that, again, I don’t particularly enjoy. The animation of the ride was also jarring, mostly because the Simpsons have been animated in 2D for decades, so seeing them in 3D, especially when the pre-show was in 2D, felt like a huge contrast. It’s not a bad ride by any means, but it’s definitely the weakest of the three screen-based Universal Studios Hollywood rides.

7. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem

The next ride is also a screen-based ride, but this one, in my opinion, has a lot more heart than the Simpsons ride. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem is a simulator ride located in the Upper Lot. It’s the second of the three primarily screen-based rides in the park, and is the one that opened the most recently. It follows the characters we’ve met in the movie franchise Despicable Me.

In the ride, Gru has recruited us to turn into minions and join his ranks. In the first pre-show room he tells us all about his new invention that can turn humans into minions (along with showing us how the invention had a few kinks in the past). He then tells us what we can expect to do as minions. As he’s giving the presentation, his adopted daughters Margo, Edith, and Agnes hijack his presentation, telling the audience that they’re all doomed.

We then enter the second pre-show room. Gru then preps us for our transformation into minions. The girls once again hijack the pre-show and Agnes really wants to give Gru a present. Gru, however, tells them that he’s busy, so it’ll have to wait. Gru entrusts the training of the new recruits to the girls, with Agnes revealing that today is the anniversary of when Gru adopted them. Dejected but excited to teach the new recruits, Margo beckons everyone onto the ride.

The ride is as wacky and zany as The Simpsons. The scope of the ride is smaller, and it doesn’t go to as many locations, but it’s still a fun and engaging ride. How the ride vehicles are laid out doesn’t make it the most immersive ride ever, but it gets additional plus points for having a vehicle specifically for people with certain conditions who may not be able to handle the movement of the actual vehicles.

The ride then starts with the audience being turned into minions. Then, Margo, Edith, and Agnes conduct the training. The whole ride is full of gags, and its hyperkinetic energy makes for a chaotic, but narratively cohesive, ride. There are actual stakes, with Agnes almost being crushed by one of Gru’s contraptions. There’s even an emotional payoff when it’s revealed that Gru actually had a whole party planned for their adoption day. It almost got me teared up when that scene played out.

Honestly, story-wise, this is one of the most emotionally satisfying (if not THE most emotionally satisfying) ride at Universal Studios Hollywood. What docks it down to this spot is the setup of the ride. Having one big screen and being able to see the other riders really breaks the immersion for me. It’s like watching a movie in 4DX. It is a great narrative that gets bogged down by poor execution.

If they had used the Simpsons ride design so you can’t see the other cars, that would’ve been so much better. I wish they would convert it to that. Because, as it stands right now, it’s probably my least favorite attraction set-up of any ride in this park, hence its ranking on this Universal Studios Hollywood Rides Ranking. That being said, it’s a good refurbishment away from being a top 5 ride in the park.

6. Transformers The Ride 3D

Located in the Lower Lot, Transformers the Ride 3D is a motion simulator dark ride that combines physical sets with screens. Based on the hit Transformers franchise, the ride follows the Autobots as they try to protect the AllSpark from falling into the hands of the Decepticons. I’ve ridden iterations of this ride around the world, with my first introduction to this ride being in Universal Studios Singapore.

In the queue you wind your way around NEST, a secret government organization tasked with protecting the AllSpark. You’re introduced to the Autobots, who you will be helping in their task to protect the AllSpark. You’re then taken to your ride vehicle, an Autobot named EVAC, and are soon on your way to protect the All Spark.

The ride then begins. You’re dragged into the middle of a fight between the two sides. You’ll be flying down busy streets and battling in the sky, and along the way, you’ll pass through well-themed environments that have screens seamlessly blended into them. There are no animatronics on this ride, but I still find it to be incredibly immersive.

The action sequences are so well-choreographed that it feels like you’re right in the middle of the action. And I like how the ride actively brings you into the narrative. Your character is an active member of the ride instead of a passive observer. I will hand it to Universal, they do know how to immerse you into a story with stakes, tension, and active protagonists.

The set design is also a big reason why this is above the other screen-based rides. Even though it has scenes, the vehicle passes through physical sets, which to me always adds to the immersiveness of a ride. The screens also blend well with the sets, making them feel less flat. I also have to commend them for using a ride system that doesn’t have the ride vehicle stay stationary. I like that it roams around the city and is on a track. That alone elevates it above Despicable Me and The Simpsons.

It can be confusing to tell the good guys from the bad guys during the ride, and it can be a bit overwhelming and overstimulating for some visitors, but this is a good example of how to do a screen-based ride. Like I said, while I don’t entirely like screen-based rides, Universal deserves its flowers for making a screen-based ride that blends with physical sets. It’s a good ride, and I would highly recommend it on this Universal Studios Hollywood Rides Ranking.

5. Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash

I’m going to be honest, if I were ranking these rides subjectively, this would be in my top 3. I love this ride so much, mostly because it’s the opposite of a lot of Universal projects from the last ten years: slow dark ride with many animatronics, detailed show scenes, and a good story with an established beginning, middle, and end. I thought Universal was moving away from these rides because Disney is known more for dark rides, but this was a surprise when it debuted and is a welcome addition to the park.

In Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash, you are the protagonist. Just like most Universal rides, you get transformed into something. In this ride, you are transformed into a dog. The pre-show is probably one of the best queues in the park, full of animatronics, details, and story points. It’s decided that the guests, as recently discovered strays, need to be adopted. So the characters of The Secret Life of Pets, led by Max, Duke, and Snowball, decide to bring you to an adoption center. The ride is basically getting you to the adoption center and getting you ready to be adopted.

First you pass a city scene filled with animatronics all doing different things. Then you enter an alleyway and are attacked by a rogue group of cats. After narrowly escaping them, Snowball has the genius idea of using rockets to get to the adoption center. After blasting off, you end up at the adoption center. You’re given a bath and then are adopted by a family. The ride then ends at a party to celebrate your adoption.

This is the ride that proved to me that Universal is almost (if not already) on par with Disney. Everything about this ride just felt expensive and like they had a huge budget. There were so many animatronics that I couldn’t count them all! The sets were also all detailed and incredibly immersive. I felt like I was in the world of the movie. The plot developments also suited the ride system. The story also had specific acts and told a full, complete narrative, something some rides in this park don’t do.

It’s not a perfect ride, however, and I understand that they had to space out the vehicles for the screen portions of the ride to work, but because of this the ride loads really slow, meaning wait times can get crazy. I also thought some of the transitions between scenes could’ve been done better. Some of them are abrupt and take me out of the experience. It’s for those reasons that the ride gets docked down a few spots.

Other than that, I think it’s an amazing ride that surpassed my expectations. It’s probably the ride that surpassed my expectations the most at Universal Studios Hollywood. It’s in my personal top 3 attractions in the park, but I can’t deny that some of these other rides are better than Secret Life of Pets. But again, I have a bias towards dark rides, so that’s probably why I love it. But objectively, the other four rides not yet named on this list deserve higher rankings than Secret Life of Pets on this Universal Studios Hollywood Rides Ranking.

4. Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge

The marquee attraction of Super Nintendo World, Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge opened in 2023. This virtual reality-based dark ride is based on the hit video game Mario Kart. This ride had a lot of hype in the weeks and months leading up to its debut, especially because the ride opened in Universal Studios Japan and guests there seemed to love it. I remember avoiding spoilers of the ride because I wanted to experience it with fresh eyes. After riding it, I wasn’t underwhelmed, but it also didn’t blow my mind.

The queue of the ride has you walking through environments inspired by worlds found in the game. You then enter Bowser’s Castle, where props inspired by the video game are scattered around the queue area. You then enter the pre-show where they explain how to use the glasses and headsets found in the ride. After the pre-show, you pick up the headset and head to the loading area.

You then board the vehicle, which looks like a bigger, two-tiered version of the Mario Kart vehicle. Wearing the headset, you then attach the glasses to them. Pro-tip: to aim, simply tilt your head left, right, up, or down. You then enter a practice area before getting to the ride portion.

In the ride, you pass through many different environments as you throw shells to hit enemy characters to score points. Remember, the Bowser characters are the enemies, and you won’t get points for hitting a friendly character. The environments are incredibly immersive. There’s an underwater segment, a castle section, a volcano bit, a cloud area, and my favorite area: Rainbow Road. After Rainbow Road, the ride ends and your scores are tallied. You’re then sent back to the loading station and exit through the gift shop.

While I knew the ride wasn’t going to be a fast-racing ride like Radiator Springs Racers as they are confined by space, I kind of wish it was. I think Universal misunderstood what guests wanted from a Mario Kart ride. If they wanted to play the video game, they could do that at home. I think people wanted thrill and speed more than a dark ride, but I digress.

The ride itself is good. The Rainbow Road scene in particular is going to go down as one of the best dark ride scenes ever. But my problem with the ride is that, while the environments are amazing and full of detail, you’re so distracted by the shooting that you just don’t notice them. I actually rode the ride once with the glasses off so I could see the sets, and I thought they were so intricate and detailed. It’s a shame that the glasses get in the way of that.

The gameplay, however, is fun. The use of VR glasses is ingenious, and I liked how it never really felt overwhelming. But like I said, if you can, ride it once with the glasses and once without. It’s a night-and-day difference, and you’ll be glad you got to take a look at the beautiful set design.

It’s not my favorite ride on this Universal Studios Hollywood Rides Ranking. I would rank Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash above this for sure. But objectively, I think it’s a better ride than Secret Life of Pets. Grand sets, cool technology, and the Rainbow Road scene are enough to push it above the rest on this list.

3. Jurassic World – The Ride

One of the best water rides, maybe in the entire world. Jurassic World – The Ride, a reimagining of the former Jurassic Park ride, is a masterpiece in ride design, story, and execution. It seamlessly blends screens, animatronics, and water thrills to create a one-of-a-kind experience. I personally think the new scenes they added to the ride elevate it above the Jurassic Park version.

The entire area was re-themed to Jurassic World, and it’s impossible to miss the drop of the ride that takes place right beside the final escalator that takes you down to the lower lot. The queue of this ride is probably the worst part about the attraction. It’s a little bare, with minimal theming. But as soon as you get on the ride, it all unfolds in a way that’ll have you on the edge of your seat.

First, you pass through this entryway that includes a skeleton of a dinosaur. Then, you see the Mosasaurus aquarium. The ride cleverly incorporates screens for this portion of the ride, with the Mosasaurus causing water to spray on the riders and almost breaking the glass. After riding through Herbivore Valley, you then hear alarms that an asset has broken out of containment. You see the doors to the Indominus Rex area are open.

After that, you approach a lift hill, but to the left you see the Indominus Rex peeking out from behind a gap in the wall. It roars as you make your way up the lift hill. As you’re going up, you encounter raptors, dilophosauruses (the dinosaurs that spit poison), and the Indominus. As you reach the climax of the ride, the Indominus appears and roars. A T-Rex then appears as well, and the two start to fight. As they fight, you’re sent down an 84 foot plunge, splashing down outside and signaling the end of the ride.

This is a near-perfect ride. The additions they placed throughout the ride, like the Indominus at the end and the Mosasaurus aquarium, were really well done. The score of this ride is also top notch, and I like how the narrative builds and builds in tension and stakes, with your own life potentially at stake.

The animatronics are also world class. I thought everything was just so cool and it’s crazy how life-like these dinosaurs felt. The two dinosaurs at the end, the Indominus and the T-Rex, are spectacular and worth lining up for.

The one thing about this ride, however, that pushes it out of the top 2 for me is the ending. I’m talking about the portion of the ride after the drop. The whole park supposedly is in chaos, but you disembark the ride as if the whole park isn’t in chaos. There’s nothing indicating that they have contained the dinosaurs. You simply exit the vehicle without any closure. If they fixed this, it would probably rank number 2 in this Universal Studios Hollywood Rides Ranking.

But for what it is, it’s a great ride. One of the best in the park and probably one of the best water rides Universal has ever done. It’s a thrilling experience that just keeps you on your toes with its tension and stakes. It’s an amazing ride, one that will have you smiling and slightly scared throughout. If it fixes its ending, even just by adding a little video at the end telling us what happened to the dinosaurs, it would catapult itself to the number 2 ride in the park.

2. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

This is a Universal ride I don’t go on anymore because it makes me dizzy, but even I have to admit that it’s probably the best themed ride at Universal Studios Hollywood. Set in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, this ride has you entering the Hogwarts castle for a journey around Hogwarts on an adventure with Ron, Hermione, and Harry.

The queue for this ride is spectacular. You walk through various locations around Hogwarts, complete with talking paintings and so much detail that it can be overwhelming. It’s probably one of the best queues in the entire world, and is so immersive and detailed that it can be considered an attraction by itself.

Then you board the ride vehicle, which uses the innovative kuka arm technology. It’s basically four seats attached to a mechanical arm that swings you around various show scenes. The ride then starts and it begins with Hermoine using magic to get you flying. You then embark on a high-flying, immersive journey around the grounds of Hogwarts. Along the way you encounter dragons, dementors, giant spiders, and the whomping willow.

The ride has some segments that use physical sets, props, and animatronics, while also incorporating screens into the ride’s design. It’s incredibly immersive and will leave you awe-struck (or queasy). You then exit the ride after Harry wins his Quidditch game, ending one of the most inspired, detailed, and overall fantastic ride experiences in the world.

Everything in this ride is perfect. Seriously, I have no notes. This is exactly what a Harry Potter attraction should be like. Immersive, detailed, and full of action and stakes. It is THE ultimate Harry Potter attraction, and will forever be remembered as the first and greatest Harry Potter E-ticket experience.

I remember being blown away by this when I rode it, even though it made me queasy. I was just floored by everything and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. This is the ride that cemented Universal’s legacy for me as one of the leaders in themed entertainment. It’s a groundbreaking achievement that thankfully still holds up. I have to give it its flowers, which is why it’s ranked at number 2 on this Universal Studios Hollywood Rides Ranking.

1. Studio Tour

The undisputed king of Universal Studios Hollywood. The only theme park ride of its kind left in the world. A solid 60-minute experience that has you going behind the scenes of the movies, with some surprises scattered throughout. It’s a great look into the magic of moviemaking.

It starts with a backstage look at some soundstages and offices where Universal shoots movies and tv shows. Throughout the whole tour you have a guide that tells you more about the history of each area and gives samples of some of the movies that were made in these buildings and sets. You then pass through sets like the European village where they filmed The Good Place, the Psycho motel and house, the air crash site of War of the Worlds, and even the theme park from the movie Nope.

Then there are the themed areas of this tour, including areas themed to Jurassic Park and Jaws. There are also mini experiences located on the ride, such as the flooding of the old western town area, Earthquake the Ride, which simulates what an earthquake would do to a major city, and the star of the studio tour: King Kong 360-3D. It’s a wraparound motion simulator ride that takes you to Skull Island for an encounter with King Kong and some dinosaurs.

It’s one of the longest experiences in any theme park anywhere. It’s full of surprises and movie magic. It’s the one ride I have to do every time I’m at the park, even if the line for it is long. I also love that Universal is starting to update the trams so that they’re fully electric in a couple of years. The only bad part about the experience is the queue, but that’s easily forgiven as the ride doesn’t necessarily have any “theme”.

It’s the one ride that I think Universal Studios Hollywood can always claim as uniquely theirs. And while other companies, including Disney, have tried to recreate it all over the world, none of them come close. The fact that it’s a working studio makes it so cool and interesting. If you only have time for one ride at Universal Studios Hollywood, make it this one.

Universal Studios Hollywood Rides Ranking Conclusion

Universal Studios Hollywood is an amazing theme park with high quality rides, shows, and experiences. I know it gets overshadowed by Disneyland, but do not skip Universal when you’re in Los Angeles. It’s got enough to fill an entire day, and has some unique attractions and experiences you can’t find elsewhere. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me on my socials.

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