For a limited time, Buy a Day, Get a 2nd Day FREE for General Admission Tickets at Universal Studios Hollywood! Valid for visits through Dec. 17, 2025.
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. 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 the days to this brand-new event, we've got the inside scoop to help you make the most of your night. We're using our experience from opening night to formulate the best plan. From how to navigate the can't-miss moments to what to prioritize and when, here's how to maximize your time at the very first Fan Fest Nights!
15 Tips to Maximize Time at Fan Fest Nights 2025
You have six to eight hours to experience eight different fandoms, meet characters, walk through experiences, enjoy Hill Valley, catch a show and get food and drink. 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, new event. That 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 (great Scott!) 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. ticket as it lets you get a jump on the fun. Read up on early entry options to see the benefits.
3. Consider an After 2 p.m. Day/Night Combo Ticket
If you really want to experience rides and Fan Fest Nights experiences, a Day/Night combo ticket will free up your evening to enjoy the experiences at Fan Fest Nights if you've already crossed rides and food off your list in advance. (Save $30 when you purchase this ticket through Undercover Tourist!) 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. (However, we did not feel that we needed Express when we visited.) You can dine on Fan Fest Foods early — some are available early — and knock out some rides before the event kicks off! And you can be in line for select attractions at 5:30 p.m. when Early Access starts.
4. Utilize Early Access
Universal sells Early Access Tickets online. Starting at about $20, they are the most affordable time-saving add-on. They do 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 also have an admission ticket to use Early Access. The Early Access ticket allows early entry to select experiences at 5:30 p.m. But you definitely want to 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.
Here's what's open for Early Access:
- Star Trek in Upper Lot in the former Walking Dead attraction to the right of Starbucks
- Jujutsu Kaisen in DreamWorks Theatre
- Dungeons & Dragons in the Lower Lot behind Transformers.
4. Arrive Early
Even if you do not have Early Access or a 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. Head to the experiences that open at 7 p.m. because they will have the shortest lines.
5. Visit on Thursdays and Sundays
If you visit on a "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 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. when we visited Fan Fest Nights. You might benefit more from Express on a Saturday night. We say save money and time with an After 2 p.m. ticket or Early Access if you can.
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.
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 be having before the event starts. But keep in mind that food lines get long. On a low-crowd night we waited over an hour for food at some locations. Fuel up before the event so you don’t have to invest time in food lines. If you arrive early, some Fan Fest Food locations are open during the day with short lines. Mobile Order pick up can still take awhile during the event.
9. Follow a Plan
Have a game plan in mind before you start. Know your must-do experiences and their locations. Follow the shortest wait times noted on park signage and the app. Within the first hour of the event, wait times for experiences and rides start increasing.
It seems as though the most popular attractions at Fan Fest Nights are Dungeons & Dragons, Back to the Future and meeting One Piece characters, but that can vary. Early Access will allow entry to Dungeons & Dragons, Star Trek and Jujutsu Kaisen, so you can knock those out before the event starts.
The tram takes you down into the studio lot to explore Hill Valley from "Back to the Future." This is an ongoing immersive experience that seems to be a place to spend a lot of time in.
Ultimately, check the wait times 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!
Do Super Nintendo World early if doing the egg hunt and meeting a Yoshi who is not green is a priority for you. Allow enough time to enjoy Back to the Future (you can easily spend 1.5 to 2 hours here).
Keep an eye out for magical creatures in the Wizarding World, and allow some time to meet One Piece Characters and Wicked Characters.
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 both of them at once. Hop over to our Attraction Assistance Pass post to learn more about how to acquire and use it.
11. Prioritize Experiences Over Rides
The rides are not going anywhere, but the Fan Fest Nights experiences and fan zones are only here for a limited time. If you have never visited Universal Studios Hollywood before, we recommend the After 2 p.m. 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. If you do want to ride rides, be aware that some rides may close early.
Rides that close early (actual closing times subject to change):
- Jurassic World - 12 a.m.
- Mario Kart - 10:15 p.m.
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey - 11:15 p.m.
- Last Fan Tram to Back to the Future leaves at 12:45 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 reserve dining at The Three Broomsticks in the app once you have entered the park if you want the 3-course meal.
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!
14. Know How to Budget Your Time
Wait times may vary by how busy the night you visit is. But budget about two hours to do Back to the Future. It requires a tram ride to and from the backlot. Plus, it's on a 45-minute loop of storylines and action. You'll want to take time to immerse yourself in 1955, interact with characters and see everything that's hoppening.
Plan on an hour to do the egg hunt and wait to meet a different-colored Yoshi. Green Yoshi is out in the open, and he's quick and easy to see. Yoshi meet times are in the Universal Studios App. Do the egg hunt and different-colored Yoshi early in the night because Super Nintendo World can close early. It closed at 12 a.m. when we were there.
If you are short on time, skip Jujutsu Kaisen unless you are a fan. It's in Japanese with English subtitles.
We saw a few lines to meet One Piece characters and the Wicked characters. Budget about 10 to 15 minutes for each.
Food lines and even waiting for food after you order can take a lot of time. Budget an hour for each restaurant location. Hopfully, waits will be faster than they were for us. If you need to save time in the Wizarding World, go for for a delicious Meat Pie or house churro at the Magic Neep Cart vs. getting the 3-course meal at the Three Broomsticks. You can reserve The Three Broomsticks upon entering the park after 2 p.m. But this meal can take awhile (up to two hours)!
You can find Hogwarts Always show times in the app. The shows were every 3o minutes from 9 to 11:30 p.m. when we visited.
15. Don’t Bring Banned Items Through Security
Fan Fest Nights has stricter rules than normal park hours. Don’t waste time heading back to your car to return your water bottle, gum or other banned items. 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
- Water (you can bring an empty water bottle)
- Food (except for special dietary needs) 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: Universal Fan Fest Nights Coming Spring 2025 to Universal Studios Hollywood
Related: Our ~Delicious~ Guide to Fan Fest Nights Food
Keep hopping!
