How to Maximize Your Time at Fan Fest Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood 2026

Fan Fest Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood is packed with exclusive entertainment, themed eats, after-hours access and all the fandom-fueled fun you could dream of. And guess what — it's back in 2026! But with so much to see and do (and limited time to do it), having a game plan is key. Whether you're still deciding which ticket option is right for you or you're counting down to the day you attend this incredible event, we've got the inside scoop to help you make the most of your night. We're using our experience from its opening night to help you follow the best plan for you. From how to navigate the can't-miss moments to what to prioritize and when, here's how to maximize your time at Fan Fest Nights 2026!

15 Tips to Maximize Time at Fan Fest Nights 2026

Universal Fan Fest Nights runs on select nights, now through May 16, 2026. There are some returning experiences as well as brand-new ones! There is an innovative mash-up of Scooby-Doo and Universal Monsters that takes guests to Universal's Backlot's Little Europe sets. Even most returning fandoms are back with a whole new twist.

You have six to eight hours to encounter eight different fandoms, meet characters, walk through experiences, enjoy the immersive Backlot experience, catch a show and get food and drink. It sounds like a lot, but it goes so fast! Our guide to Fan Fest Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood has all the event details and ticket options, but this post focuses on how to accomplish the most and save time at this exciting event.

Being efficient starts at home by buying the right ticket(s) according to your budget, planning when to arrive and deciding on your priorities for the night. Some of these options cost more to save time, but we also offer tips to save time, whether you have a standard ticket without any add-ons or choose to invest more in your night. Everyone can save time at this event.

1. Purchase Fan Fest Nights Tickets in Advance to Save Money and Time

Tickets may sell out in advance or even sell out the same day as the event. You’ll get the best selection and price if you purchase early. You can save some green when you purchase discount Fan Fest Nights tickets from Undercover Tourist. Even if tickets are still available on the day you visit, the price jumps up at the gate. We highly recommend the After 2 p.m. Day & Night Combo or the Full Day & Night ticket if you really want to experience the rides and Fan Fest Nights experiences. This lets you experience a whole day of the park and get a jump on the fun with Early Access and the least amount of time restrictions. Read up on early entry options to see the benefits.

2. Consider an After 2 p.m. Day/Night Combo Ticket or even a Full Day & Night Combo Ticket

An After 2 p.m. Day/Night combo ticket will free up your evening to enjoy the experiences at Fan Fest Nights. You can eat, cross some rides off your list or experience attractions that close for Fan Fest Nights in advance (like the Studio Tour or WaterWorld). You can avoid the entrance lines out front since you are already in the park. There is an option to add Universal Express, which allows access to rides during the day and rides and houses during Fan Fest Nights. You can jump in line for select attractions at 6 p.m. when Early Access starts.

The After 2 p.m. ticket gives you four hours to experience daytime attractions, but it's really helpful for getting a jump on the night. And you can knock a few daytime rides and experiences off your list. You may be able to get select food items early in the day, which can save time at night. Believe me, the night flies by so quickly. If you have theme park stamina and want to experience more of the park during the day (and to do the attractions that close for the event), the Full Day & Night combo ticket is the way to go.

3. Utilize Early Access

Universal sells Early Access Add-On Tickets online. Starting at about $20, it is the most affordable time-saving add-on. They can sell out early though, so buy in advance! You can buy Early Access from Universal Studios directly, even if you buy your discount admission ticket from Undercover Tourist. You must have a Fan Fest Nights general admission ticket to use Early Access. The Early Access ticket allows early entry to select experiences at 6 p.m. But you should still get in line at least half an hour to an hour before, since the line to enter gets long quickly, and this can eat into your early access hour.

Early Access grants you early access to limited in-world attractions. The walkthrough experiences and DreamWorks Theater are usually included.

Early Entry experiences open at 6 p.m. and the event starts at 7:30 p.m. That's 30 minutes later than last year.

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The following are open during Early Access:

• Dungeons & Dragons
• Jurassic World
• The Sailor Moon anime film in the DreamWorks Theatre
• The Sailor Moon meet and greet (check the app for start time, but it's listed as 6 p.m.)
• Some event food locations

4. Arrive Early

Even if you do not have an Early Access ticket, a Full Day & Night ticket or an After 2 p.m. ticket, arrive an hour before the event begins. Lines to enter can be long. Head straight to your first experience. Check the wait times in the app or on displays around the park. The event ends at 1:30 a.m.

5. Visit on a Thursday

If you visit on a Thursday or Sunday "school night" in April or May, you may encounter lower crowds and shorter lines. Not only that, you can save some green as these tickets cost less than a visit on a Friday or Saturday.

6. Consider Universal Express Tickets

You can purchase Fan Fest Nights Express tickets and Express Add-Ons directly through Universal Studios online. Skip the lines and the stress with Universal Express. Be sure to bring or buy a lanyard to keep your Express ticket handy and make scanning it faster and easier. Unlike at Halloween Horror Nights, we found that we did not really need Universal Express as much. But we do recommend Express for the Forbidden Forest and the One Piece: Grand Pirate Show. It would also come in handy if the tram line gets long.

You might benefit even more from Express on a Saturday night. You can save money and time with Early Access Add-On, but you do need to strategize or buy early.

7. Consider Single Rider Lines for Select Rides

If you do not have Express, several rides offer Single Rider lines that may be open when you visit. Ask about Single Rider at any of the Lower Lot rides and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey in the Upper Lot. But reserve rides for daytime or Early Access. Unless this is your only ride time, you can always come back to visit and ride attractions.

8. Eat Before the Event

You can check out our full guide to the foods of Fan Fest Nights to plan out what you might get before the event starts. But keep in mind that food lines can get long, especially for One Piece (zoinks!), but we did go on opening night. Other nights may have shorter wait times. Fuel up before the event so you don't have to invest time in food lines. If you arrive early, limited Fan Fest Nights food may be available during the day. On opening night, we could get Yoshi smoothies all day long. Mobile order pick-up can still take a while during the event. But overall, you should save some time with mobile order.

9. Follow a Plan

Have a game plan in mind before you start. Know your must-do experiences and the experiences with the longest or shortest waits. Follow the wait times noted on park signage and the app. Within the first hour of the event, wait times for experiences and rides start increasing.

Early Access will allow entry to select attractions, so you can knock those out before the event starts. We ended up using some of our Early Access to get ahead of the crowd for our must-do experiences that opened at 7:30 p.m.

The most crowded/popular things on opening night (and our suggested strategy):

• Sailor Moon meet and greet — She is listed as coming out at 6 p.m., so hop in line early if you can. Her line was cut for much of the night.
• Forbidden Forest: Search for the Hippogriff — Team members completely close the Wizarding World about 6:30 p.m. You can line up outside the Wizarding World and be among the first to enter the castle for the walkthrough experience and beat the lines.
• Scooby-Doo x Universal Monsters — We did not experience long waits for the trams, but it was crowded in the sets. This experience can take two hours out of your night, especially if you are invested in solving the mystery. Time your visit well so it does not cause you to miss other must-do experiences.
• One Piece dining at Sanji's Galley — Lines were long all night for this takeover of Hollywood and Dine. Consider mobile order or hop in line during early entry if dining here is a priority.

• One Piece: Grand Pirate Show (they cut the lines for this popular show, so arrive early!)
• Line to meet Mario and Green Yoshi — In an interesting turn of events, the colorful Yoshis are very easy to meet. After you solve a puzzle in Super Nintendo World, you can meet Mario and Green Yoshi together. But this line was quite long. And the land closes at 12 a.m., so the line may be cut off early. Either skip Mario and Green Yoshi or solve the puzzle early in the night.

Ultimately, check the wait times in the app and on displays, and follow the shortest lines. Keep an open mind and go for enjoying the most experiences even if you are not a fan. Maybe you'll become one!

Visit Super Nintendo World early because it closes early and caps lines even earlier. Mario Kart closes at 10 p.m. and Super Nintendo World closes at 12 a.m.

The experiences with the shortest waits or no waits include:

• Jurassic World (open during Early Access)
• Dungeons & Dragons (as it is a returning experience and is open during Early Access)
• Meeting colorful Yoshis
• Food in Wizarding World or Lower Lot
• Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon show (open during Early Access)

Knowing which attractions have short to no waits can help you prioritize because these can be done at any time.

10. Know Your AAP Options

If you require accommodations for a disability, know that Universal now requires you to register in advance. Once approved, you can pick up the Attraction Assistance Pass at Guest Relations on the right-hand side immediately after you enter the park. If you use an Attraction Assistance Pass, usually you have to collect a return time for each attraction, one at a time. But if you are traveling far to access experiences that are near each other, you may be able to collect a return time for multiple experiences at once. Hop over to our Attraction Assistance Pass post to learn more about how to acquire and use it.

There is alternate transport between the Upper and Lower Lots for people with physical disabilities who cannot use the escalators.

11. Prioritize Experiences Over Rides

The rides are not going anywhere, but the Fan Fest Nights experiences, shows and fan zones are only here for a limited time. If you have never visited Universal Studios Hollywood before, we recommend the Full Day & Night Combo ticket or visiting for a full day on a day that is different from the one you are attending Fan Fest Nights. Be aware that some rides may close early. If you just want to do a few rides and save your energy for the night, we recommend the After 2 p.m. Day & Night combo ticket.

Rides that close early in 2026:

• Jurassic World - The Ride at 12 a.m.
• Mario Kart at 10 p.m.
• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at 11:15 p.m.
• Last Backlot tram leaves at 12:30 a.m.

The event ends at 1:30 a.m.

12. Download the Universal Studios Hollywood App and Park Map

The app will show you a park map, wait times, show times, some character times and food locations. Another thing that will help you plan your night is to look at the park map. Then you know where all the experiences, fan zones and food locations are, so you can set up a game plan. Just be flexible. You can also use the app to mobile order food. That might come in handy at some of the more popular spots.

It wasn't open on opening night, but we saw Dungeons & Dragons: The Syglar Scheme pop up in our Universal Studios Hollywood app on later nights. Collect digital medallions at The Backlot Club in the Lower Lot. Scan all three towers and then pick up a prize at the Universal Studios Tour near the park entrance.

13. Consider the VIP Tour

If it’s within your budget, sign up for a VIP Tour for Fan Fest Nights. It includes:

• Admission to Fan Fest Nights
• Guided walking tour of the event
• VIP trolley transportation
• Unlimited Express Access to select in-world experiences, rides and attractions
• A gourmet dinner (alcohol excluded) in the private VIP dining room
• Complimentary valet parking
• VIP credentials and lanyard

You can definitely do it all with this tour! There is a VIP Add-On option this year.

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14. Know How to Budget Your Time

Wait times may vary depending on how busy the night you visit is. Budget about two hours to do Scooby-Doo Meets The Universal Monsters: Mystery on the Backlot. It requires a tram ride to and from the backlot. Plus, it takes time to stop at each clue and work through the crowds. You'll want to take time to immerse yourself in the experience, interact with characters and see everything that's hoppening.

Food lines and even waiting for food after you order can take a lot of time. Budget an hour for each restaurant location just to be safe (and even more time for One Piece dining). You can mobile order to skip the standby ordering line.

15. Don’t Bring Banned Items Through Security

All bags are x-rayed and/or inspected. Leave these items behind:

• Any type of explosive or weapon
• Alcoholic beverages, marijuana or illegal drugs
• Segways (unless utilized as an ADA mobility device), hoverboards and drones
• More than 2 liters of water
• Food (except for special dietary needs and snacks) or gum
• Glass
• Laser pens

Other rules:

• No food, drinks, bottles, recording, flash photography, flashlights, or laser pens are permitted in the in-world experiences.
• Line jumping leads to expulsion from the park. No place-holding in line.
• No touching, pushing or hitting any person, including Universal Fan Fest Nights characters.
• No weapons of any kind, including items that resemble weapons.

There are also some strict guidelines for cosplay and general clothing:

• Do not create a false impression that you work for Universal or are emergency personnel. This includes, without limitation, wearing clothing or accessories identified with law enforcement, security, firefighters, emergency responders or the military; performing or interacting with other guests as if you are a Universal employee, performer or character; or otherwise disrupting other guests.
• You must be fully clothed, including shoes and shirts.
• Except as required by Universal or for religious or medical reasons, you may not wear any covering that fully or partially obscures your face, including costume masks and facial coverings.
• Face painting (both full and partial face) is permitted. However, alcoholic beverages will not be served to guests whose face painting covers more than one-half of the face, applied vertically, at Universal Studios Hollywood or at any venue owned or operated by Universal at Universal CityWalk Hollywood. For all guests, Universal reserves the right to refuse to serve alcohol to anyone if unable to verify the identity of the guest, at Universal's discretion, in accordance with state law.
• Prosthetic makeup that conceals any part of the face other than the forehead (including makeup that conceals the eyes, nose, or mouth) is not permitted.
• Do not wear clothing that Universal determines is indecent, exposes excessive portions of the skin, or that Universal views as inappropriate for a family environment (including, without limitation, gory or gruesome clothing or accessories).
• Service animals may not wear or be part of a costume.
• No weapons of any kind are permitted. No items that could be used as a weapon are permitted, including, but not limited to: firearms, explosives, fireworks, chemical dispensing devices, clubs, sticks, knives, swords or other object(s) that may be used in any way to inflict bodily injury on another person.
• No item that resembles a firearm or is manufactured in the shape of a firearm is permitted, including, without limitation, sci-fi and fantasy guns.
• Costume accessories (weapons and props) may be permitted subject to these requirements:
  
  • They must be made of soft, lightweight material (e.g., foam, cardboard, or light, hollow plastic).
  • They cannot have any sharp edges.
  • They must not be functional (e.g., bows must be unstrung).
  • They must otherwise adhere to these Costume Guidelines (e.g., no item that resembles a firearm is permitted, but a foam sword, cardboard shield or lightweight staff may be).
• No special or atmospheric effects, including, without limitation, balloons, smoke, fog, powered effects and sound effects.
• No veils, long trains, stilts or oversized costumes that could pose a safety hazard to guests or team members are permitted.
• Costumes may not interfere with security screening. Costumes cannot be more than 25 inches wide and/or 80 inches high to meet Universal’s metal detection regulations. Costumes are subject to secondary x-ray screenings.
• For your safety and that of other guests, some costumes may not be permitted on certain rides, shows or attractions. Costumes (including capes) must fit inside a ride vehicle and not interfere with restraints. You may be asked to remove part of your attire or accessories before participating in certain rides, shows and/or attractions or you may not be admitted to the ride, show or attraction. You may leave such attire or accessories with a non-riding or non-participating guest or secured in a locker.

The above costume guidelines are subject to change without notice. If a guest violates any of these guidelines, Universal has the right to: 1) ask a guest to modify or remove their costume or change into attire that is compliant with these guides and/or Universal's Code of Conduct, or 2) refuse the guest entry to Universal's property or require the guest to leave Universal's property. Universal's interpretation of these guidelines is final.

Are you planning on attending the first-ever Fan Fest Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood? You can purchase your Fan Fest Nights tickets at Undercover Tourist in advance to save money. 

Related: Our Ultimate Guide to Universal Fan Fest Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood 2026

Related: Our ~Delicious~ Guide to Fan Fest Nights Food

Keep hopping!