Rides at Universal Studios

[Frozen2014]

We're coming to LA / Anaheim in the summer and will stop one day at Universal. I went once when I was 15 and I just remember the studio tour and stunt shows. Loved it!

Now it seems like there are tons of rides. Plus there is Harry Potter stuff, which my son will love.

I have medical issues with my eyes and can't go on anything with quick acceleration (e.g. full adult roller-coasters). Can someone tell me

1. What rides (if any) are tame and safe to go on?
2. What rides have quick acceleration, and thus I should probably avoid.

For example, I assume I should avoid Fast & Furious, Jurassic Park, and Flight of the Hippogriff, but what about things like , Revenge of the Mummy, Simpsons Ride, Despicable Me, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Transformers.

I'm wondering if I'm going to have to skip most rides at Universal. It's hard to tell from the descriptions.

 

[bumbershoot]

Mummy is the only thing that's really an adult coaster. Hippogriff is a short east coaster and you can see it from outside to check if it's ok for you.

Simpsons is a simulator like soarin and star tours. Close your eyes and you realize how little movement there actually is. Despicable me is almost the same but more jostling and the occasional hard "stop" (though since you are not truly moving that's a confusing idea lol).

Only thing Fast&Furious at USH is at the end of the studio tour and you are safe in the tram as effects go on outside the tram. I just read the description of speeds of 120mph...you are watching a movie of that happening. The tram might be rocking and having some movement but the action is in screens.

Any acceleration on transformers and HP is, again, on a screen combined with some motion that makes you feel like you are going fast.


How do you do with deceleration? That's the real force that I feel happens on simulator rides.

Since at the end of Jurassic you do go down that hill that's the only real acceleration I can think of (apart from Mummy) on anything.

 

[Frozen2014]

Thank you. So really only mummy I would need to avoid. Interesting how they are all simulator rides an you're not really moving much.
Good question about deceleration. I imagine a sudden stop isn't good either but regular slaw down is fine.

 

[bumbershoot]

By the way, good for you for caring for your eyes. My cousin had congenital cataracts and no lenses because of her surgeries and shouldn't go on coasters and things like that, but does anyway.

 

[Frozen2014]

Thanks. Since my eye issues (retinal detachment) I tend to just sit and watch my kids at amusement parks. But on this upcomming trip (Disney, one day at Universal), I may take small chances but more at Disney than Universal. Disney's rides don't tend to be crazy thrill rides.

 

[bumbershoot]

By the way, in Orlando the Minions ride has stationary seating up front. I'm not sure if it's the same at USH but ask.

 

[Frozen2014]

That's great to know. I'll check at Universal Hollywood. Thanks for the info.

 

[sharona]

What about Transformers? I haven't been on it in years but I seem to remember it being very herky jerky and having sudden starts and stops. I avoid it because it gave me a headache both times I tried it (USH and USO).

 

[Spyral]

What about Transformers? I haven't been on it in years but I seem to remember it being very herky jerky and having sudden starts and stops. I avoid it because it gave me a headache both times I tried it (USH and USO).

I rode it this past October. Did feel it was very herky jerky as well and I actually felt a bit nauseas during the ride. I never have been before with rides. We are going again in about a week, and I plan on skipping it. Am sure the kids will go on it though

 

[Frozen2014]

Returning to my post as I'm looking again closer at the rides as our trip is nearing. All of them seem to have about 10 warnings in the rider safety notes.

From the notes and YouTube

Avoid

• Transformers (jerky with sudden stops)
• Mummy (rollercoaster)
• Flight of the Hippogriff (rollercoaster)

OK Rides for my Eyes

• Simpsons

Questioning

• Harry Potter and Forbidden Journey (is this a rollercoaster? jerky?)
• Despicable Me (is this a movie with seats that feel like they stop suddenly or it does stop suddenly and is jerky? - ps it looks like there is a stationary seat as poster mentioned above as see it in article on Behind the Thrills)
• Jurassic Park (is this like a log flume? If so, is there just one drop at the end or more?)
• Water World (is this just a show?)
• Shrek 4D (is this just a show?)
• Walking Dead Attraction (is this just a walk through? - as an aside question, is it scary for kids?)
• King Kong (i tried watching on YouTube but its very dark)
• Studio Tour (I did this as a kid and love it so am hoping its ok)

Any help is quite useful as I don't find the website that helpful as it warns of all conditions for every ride

 

[SMD]

I find Despicable Me and Simpsons equally jerky and not much better than Transformers. Jurassic Park is just one drop, they say it's 85 feet, I didn't think it felt that long. Shrek is a 4-D experience, but the seats move a lot. There's an extended simulated horseback scene where you get pounded by the seat back a lot. But there are non-motion seats in the back. Minions may have a non-motion seat as well. King Kong and Earthquake are on the studio tour, they're both jerky, especially Earthquake. Water World is a show. Walking Dead is a walkthrough. Are you kids going to be scared by blood covered zombies with bones and organs exposed jumping out at them and popping up around dark corners but not touching them? If yes, then it's scary.

Edit: I'll add about Jurassic Park, while the drop didn't seem as long as Splash at DL, I was surprised by how much steeper it felt. I thought the lap bar seemed like it was overdoing it compared to the drops on flume rides at other parks, but then I was seated with a tall person and there was quite a gap between me and the lap bar, and I rose pretty far off the seat on the drop and then slammed back down, which I wasn't expecting and didn't remember from when I had ridden it years ago.

 

[Frozen2014]

I find Despicable Me and Simpsons equally jerky and not much better than Transformers. Jurassic Park is just one drop, they say it's 85 feet, I didn't think it felt that long. Shrek is a 4-D experience, but the seats move a lot. There's an extended simulated horseback scene where you get pounded by the seat back a lot. But there are non-motion seats in the back. Minions may have a non-motion seat as well. King Kong and Earthquake are on the studio tour, they're both jerky, especially Earthquake. Water World is a show. Walking Dead is a walkthrough. Are you kids going to be scared by blood covered zombies with bones and organs exposed jumping out at them and popping up around dark corners but not touching them? If yes, then it's scary.

So for updated list...

Avoid

• Transformers (jerky with sudden stops)
• Mummy (rollercoaster)
• Flight of the Hippogriff (rollercoaster)
• Simpsons (rough)

OK Rides for my Eyes

• Water World
• Shrek 4D (sit in stationary seat)
• Despicable Me (sit in stationary seat if exists - otherwise avoid)
• Walking Dead Attraction
• Special Effects Show
• Universal Animal Actors

Questioning

• Harry Potter and Forbidden Journey (is this a rollercoaster? jerky?)
• Jurassic Park (looks tame except for one drop at the end)
• Studio Tour (includes King Kong and Earthquake - jerky)

As for Walking Dead...yes it probably isn't for our kids (although my younger one likes scary things)...but since there are many things I need to avoid, it may be a good option for me while my family goes on the other rides. I'll need to look at a map to see what it's near by.

 

[Steven G]

Note that flight of the hippogriff is pretty tame for a rollercoaster, and it's very short. It's more of a small children's ride.


The other Harry Potter ride is probably the only ride I get slightly nauseous on at universal, and I usually don't get nauseous on amusement park rides. It swings you around a lot, like you are riding a broom, and at least in two points it nearly swings you to be slightly upside down. It is a motion simulator on rails, similar but with more movement than transformers.

I'm pretty sure universal Hollywood doesn't have stationary seats for despicable me.

 

[Frozen2014]

Thanks for the note of the Harry Potter and Forbidden Journey. Doesn't sound like my kind of thing (although would be neat to see the set and surroundings, etc).

Oh that's too bad...The link below does list universal hollywood despicable as having stationary seats, but the article could have been wrong.
http://www.behindthethrills.com/201...lywood-gets-an-opening-date-and-a-sneak-peek/

 

[SMD]

I'd ask about Earthquake day of. It's an older attraction and I've heard it's not always running. From what I remember, King Kong isn't quite as bad so you might be ok on the tram if only 1 is running. I've kind of zoned out on the tram extras. The Universal rides are alright in isolation, but there's a point where I feel like, "Oh, more water squirted on me while I get tossed around in a seat. Great." This weekend I went to DCA for breakfast and USH for dinner and it was kind of a letdown.

 

[Frozen2014]

I'd ask about Earthquake day of. It's an older attraction and I've heard it's not always running. From what I remember, King Kong isn't quite as bad so you might be ok on the tram if only 1 is running. I've kind of zoned out on the tram extras. The Universal rides are alright in isolation, but there's a point where I feel like, "Oh, more water squirted on me while I get tossed around in a seat. Great." This weekend I went to DCA for breakfast and USH for dinner and it was kind of a letdown.

So to understand...the Studio Tour includes Earthquake and King Kong, plus other things? And then from your note, Earthquake is the rough part (so if not running then tour is ok)? I remember from when I was a kid seeing the Psycho House and King Kong (a 2 second thing I think so probably not same thing), Back to the Future clock tower and street, and Jaws. Don't remember it being a rough ride. And back then (this is just under 30 years ago), the studio tour was the main part of Universal. There were a few stunt shows, but they didn't have all these other rides.

 

[Steven G]

For the Harry Potter ride, be sure to ask the staff about a castle tour. They will let you get in the front of the line queue, and you can see all the inside of the castle. At some point near the end of the line you will tell the staff that you are on a castle tour, and they will direct you to the exit. It's also great for young kids who don't meet height requirement.


The studio tour includes driving around various parts of the studio lot. The main events include fast and furious, King Kong, which are all motion simulators while on the tram. as well, the earthquake, jaws, whoville, the war of the worlds airplane crash, and many other areas. Most of them you just ride through. Some things will be closed, depending on what is filming. I don't find the studio tour bad at all, it might be scary for smaller children. Earthquake, King Kong and fast and furious are all kind of bumpy and you feel like you are going fast but really aren't.

If despicable me has stationary seats they don't advertise it. I have been on it a few times and have not seen anything stationary. Note that Florida version of ride does have stationary seating,

 

[Frozen2014]

Thank you for the suggestions. It's good to know that you can just do the castle tour. My son is the big HP fan, but I'm the one in our house that watches all the movies with him so its too bad I'll need to skip the two main HP attractions...but glad that I can still see the castle with him. (I think there are a couple other Harry Potter things to see there too that are not rides?)

Will need to make a call about the Studio Tour when we're there. I know I can't do rollercoasters that have quick acceleration, but not as sure about 'jerky' and 'rough' rides but you would think would be similar warnings.

It's very possible then that the website was mistaken about Universal Hollywood, and was mixing it up wtih Despicable Me in Orlando.

Will probably do a lot of 'waiting around' for my family at Universal....which is the first day of a 10 day trip to LA/Disney (If I'm taking chances, I'd rather do it at Disney)

 

[Steven G]

I am not sure if you have seen this yet, but check out:
http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/site-content/uploads/2011/10/Riders_Guide_July-2016.pdf
This gives all the restrictions and descriptions of all the rides from a disability point of view.

Notably, for Shrek attraction/movie, they do list stationary seating available, but not for minions. However, doesn't hurt to ask.

As far as HP, there is all of Hogsmeade to explore... there is Ollivander's attraction, where you can watch one person in the group (you line up and join a group of about 20-30 people in a small room filled with wands) and have a wand chosen (or the wand choose the person). The rest of hogsmeade is mostly shops, food, and a couple of shows (triwizard rally and frog choir). If it's your first time at hogsmeade, plan to spend at least an hour just exploring the shops and attractions.

you can see more at:
http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/harrypotter/ridesandattractions/

 

[Ryan120420]

Despicable Me in Hollywood dose have stationary seating. Its not advertised and you have to request it.