How to Enjoy Universal Studios Hollywood With Limited Mobility

I was 5 the first time I remember going to a theme park. I was small enough to fit in a stroller, but there was one problem: I had a cast on each leg that went all the way to my hip. I was born with Cerebral Palsy and the casts were part of the treatment I was receiving to make mobility easier down the road. Nevertheless, we had a theme park to go to, so we bought a little red wagon, and off we went. Once we arrived, my family crammed as many pillows as they could into the wagon to help pad the bumpy journey. Luckily, we didn’t make it too far into the park before an employee stopped us and showed us where we could rent a wheelchair. From that day on we left the little red wagon at home, and I sit here today with nearly 30 years’ experience on navigating theme parks with mobility devices. Policies and procedures vary from park to park, so today I’m going to cover Universal Studios Hollywood.

BEFORE YOU GO
Visit the park’s website at universalstudioshollywood.com; This is your go-to site for most things Universal including ride height requirements, accessibility information, and park policies and restrictions found under the “plan your visit” tab.
Another aspect to consider is the time of year and day of the week you plan to visit the park. As of the writing of this article (January 2018) There is quite a bit of construction going on in the park, and that makes walkways more congested with people than normal. I have discovered that Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the best days to go. A lot of people are in school, or at work, leaving the walkways much more open. A park with less guests also means shorter wait times, which we will talk about soon.

Be ready for the security check before you enter the park. If you are carrying bags, purses, fanny packs, or anything like that, it will have to go through an X-ray machine like the ones at an airport. You will also have to pass through a metal detector. If you use a mobility device made of metal, you will pass through the detector and need to be individually checked with a metal detector wand. The process doesn’t take long but can be cumbersome for those who don’t know it is required.

PARKING
There is handicapped parking at every parking option (general $25 preferred $35, and front gate $50) I get general parking and like to use the Frankenstein parking structure as it is the shortest walk unless you want to pay $50 for front gate parking. There is also a decently sized bathroom in the Frankenstein parking structure that is usually empty. Try to avoid the bathroom in the Jurassic Park parking structure; it is very small and always crowded, especially if you have a wheelchair.

YOU'VE MADE IT INSIDE THE GATES
Go ahead, take a minute to bask in the splendor. Once you are ready to start the day, head to the right of the fountain to a building that says GUEST SERVICES. Head in through the double doors and ask for a mobility pass. This is something a lot of parks used to do in the past, and Universal has just started doing it again. They will ask you your first name and how many people are in your party. Most parks allow anywhere from 4 to 6 people total. It is safer to stay with a smaller party. If you have more than the number allowed it will change how you experience the whole day. If you have a larger party, you will have to wait for a selected member of your party to wait through the line in your place. If you have a smaller party, you use the same access points to the rides and attractions as the front of the line pass. If the wait time for any ride is 30 minutes or longer, an employee will give you a return time to come back and take your ride. If the wait time is under 30 minutes, you can just head down the front of the line route.

The wheelchair and stroller rental is next to the guest services building. I’m not going to list prices here as they change, but that info is available on the website. You can also check crutches, canes, or anything else you won’t need while using the wheelchair, and pick them up at the end of the day.

THE UPPER AND LOWER LOT DANCE
Universal Studios Hollywood has an upper lot (The lot you are on when you enter the park) and a lower lot that is accessed by escalators. If you are not able to use the escalators there is a bus that will drive you down to the lower lot. To get to the bus, head over toward the escalators and there will be an employee standing to the right side. Ask them to use the elevators located directly behind them and you will get to go behind the velvet rope. Take the elevator down, and you will be greeted by another employee who will tell you where to wait and how long it will be before the bus comes. It can take up to 20 minutes, but you will get to see a part of the back lot that most guests do not.

SHOWS
The Special Effects Show has accessible seating, but the accompanying seating for the rest of your party is unpadded metal benches, while the rest of the seating is padded metal benches. Enter through the front of the line pass route located next to the regular line.

WaterWorld has accessible seating in all sections, so you can choose to get wet, or stay dry. The accompanying seats are standard bleacher seating. I have entered through the regular line as well as been directed around the right side of the attraction to a different entrance point. It just depends on the day.

Universal’s Animal Actors has accessible seating; The accompanying seats are standard bleacher seating. The alternative entrance is to the left of the main entrance to the theatre.

RIDES
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey: Ask an employee at the front of the castle how best to proceed as the route you take to the ride will vary depending on your mobility needs.

Flight of the Hippogriff: Bypass the entrance and make your way to the very back of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter; there you will find the exit ramp for the ride. Proceed with caution because people will be coming down the ramp in spurts. Once you reach the top, notify the employee that you would like to ride, but do not enter the gate until instructed to do so.

Ollivanders: Make your way to the door just to the right of with wait time sign. Let the employee know that you want to take part and they will let you in when the time comes or give you a return time.

Despicable Me Minion Mayhem: Enter through the front of the line route located right next to the regular line.

The Simpsons Ride: Enter through the front of the line route located to the left of the ride entrance.

Super Silly Fun Land: A water-play area for children. I do not have personal experience playing here, but there are flat areas to utilize if you want to get wet. There are also jungle-jim structures that are not handicap accessible.

Silly Swirly Fun Ride: I have never taken this ride for a spin, but employees are plentiful at Universal and a quick ask will have you swirling in no time.

Revenge of the Mummy– The Ride: Enter through the front of the line route located down a short walkway as you pass the lockers on your right.

Jurassic Park — The Ride: Enter through the front of the line route located to the left as you make your way down the path to the regular line.

Transformers: The Ride-3D: Enter through the accessible entrance to the left of the main entrance.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS
The Walking Dead Attraction: Enter through the front of the line route located right next to the regular line.

The World-Famous Studio Tour: Take the elevator, located to the right of the small escalators, down. You will end up to one side of the escalators; follow the signs for the tour and go all the way down to the posted blue sign with a wait time on it. You will find yourself in a shaded waiting area with bench seating.

TO SUM IT ALL UP
There you have it. I hope you found this article useful. If I missed anything feel free to post in the comments. Its all about sharing the knowledge and helping to make your Universal Studios Hollywood experience the best it can be. If you liked this, keep an eye out for my money saving tips and tricks at Universal coming soon.