Universal Studios Hollywood is both the hottest and coolest place to be this summer, especially with the Universal Mega Movie Summer event June 13 through Aug. 9, 2026, and the opening of a brand-new Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift coaster. The summer events, along with park staples such as Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Jurassic World — The Ride, Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash! and Super Nintendo World, means there is a lot of excitement at Universal Studios Hollywood this year. And you’ll find that you are not the only one excited about these new additions, which means you need to know how to manage summer crowds at Universal Studios Hollywood to have a great day in the park. Here are our tips for a well-planned day, along with tips to beat the heat.
FAQs
- How can I save on Universal Studios tickets this summer? Undercover Tourist has refundable, discount Universal Studios tickets, including Universal Express tickets, VIP Tours, general admission and Buy a Day get a Second Day FREE tickets!
- Are there any summer events at Universal Studios Hollywood? Enjoy special entertainment, food, merch and characters during Mega Movie Summer. Plus, an all-new roller coaster opens in summer 2026!
- Is Early Access worth it? The Early Access add-on is an affordable way to get a head start on your day, as long as you can realistically get to the park entrance over an hour before park opening.
- Are there ways to skip the lines for no extra cost? There are a lot of free ways to avoid crowds such as consulting the Undercover Tourist Los Angeles Crowd Calendar and park plans, as well as using single rider lines, child switch, and good strategies in the park.
Summer Overview at Universal Studios Hollywood
Movie fans have a lot more to explore in summer 2026 with the new Universal Mega Movie Summer. Keep an eye out for new characters, dance parties, DJs and huge movie props in the park. Get your selfie skills up to date for photo ops, and prepare to try new themed eats. Oh, and don't froget your poncho before you make a splash on Jurassic World - The Ride.
CityWalk has dining options as well, including special Mega Movie Summer items at select restaurants such as Antojitos, NBC Sports Grill & Brew and Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville. You can make dinner reservations at the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium in advance. May we recommend their shakes? Or get a new Minions-themed doughnut from VooDoo Doughnut on your way to the car.
Here's how to beat the heat and avoid summer crowds at Universal Studios Hollywood while taking in all the new offerings in summer 2026!
Strategies to Manage Summer Crowds at Universal Studios Hollywood
Here are things you can do to avoid the summer crowds at Universal Studios Hollywood. Some of these tips also save some money!
Arrive Early!
We never get tired of doling out this advice because it is SO important. Arrive early. Try to be at the park when it opens. LA freeway traffic can get very backed up in the morning, so if you have to take the freeway, allow extra time for rush hour traffic. Arrive an hour before the park opens and 30 minutes to park and walk to the gate. Universal has increased security with bag checks and metal detectors. Sometimes the turnstiles open earlier than scheduled, so it pays to be there early. If that happens, the Wizarding World is open before the rest of the park. Knock out those rides before heading to the Lower Lot at official park opening!
Enjoy the Lower Lot in the Morning for the Shortest Lines
The morning hours offer the shortest lines of the day, especially in the Lower Lot. There are usually little to no lines for the first hour of Jurassic World — The Ride, Revenge of the Mummy and Transformers: The Ride-3D. You can hop on those rides first thing and get the Lower Lot done for the day if you get there early. Everyone else will be in Super Nintendo World (also in the Lower Lot). We like to get a splash on Jurassic World followed by The Mummy coaster to cool off. Your wet clothes can keep you cool for some time as you head up to the Upper Lot.
We toadally recommend a poncho if you don't like to get wet. That ride is wetter than ever these days. Want to save money on a poncho? Pop by the poncho disposal bin near the ride exit before rising to pick out a used poncho from the bin for free.
Other fun things to do in the Lower Lot include meeting dinosaurs — such as Blue the Velociraptor, Juliet the Triceratops, Baby Tango and the new Baby Dolores — and Transformers.
If you do not have Early Access to Super Nintendo World and are let in the park 30 minutes before opening, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and Flight of the Hippogriff sometimes open before everything else. Try to ride these first before attempting to head down to the Lower Lot. Guests trying to get to the Lower Lot will be held at the top of the escalators until closer to park opening.
If you do not have Early Access or Universal Express, you may want to utilize the Single Rider line for Bowser's Challenge early and then come back to that land to spend more time later. Crowds tend to drop off during the last few hours of park operation. This is a great time to play games and explore.
Maximize Your Time with a Park Plan
We highly recommend Early Access for Super Nintendo World, but if it's sold out or it's not in your budget, we have a solid Park Plan to help maximize your visit!
Many guests head straight to Super Nintendo World first thing, and we can’t blame them! But if you arrive before opening we recommend 'apparating' over to the Wizarding World to ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and then hitting Lower Lot immediately after. You can complete all the rides outside Super Nintendo World in the Lower Lot pretty quickly and then head back up the escalators to the Upper Lot attractions and the Studio Tour.
We recommend returning to the Wizarding World later for shopping, dining and casting spells. If you wait until the afternoon to hit the Lower Lot, you will have the longest wait times of the day, whereas Harry Potter lines can stay consistent or even get shorter as the day goes on. We often find ourselves coming and going throughout the day since Hogsmeade is so centrally located. We like to get those magical rides in before the park officially opens, then leave and come back for an early lunch, and then again later in the day to do our shopping, explore and have fun with Wizarding World wands.
Forbidden Journey does have a Single Rider line, but it does not walk through the castle. You definitely want to walk through the regular queue (or with Universal Express) at least once if you are a fan of the movies or books!
Some of our favorite snacks are available in the Wizarding World. There are house churros, and we toadally recommend the Hogwarts Meat Pies! Hop over to our post on the best food and drink in the Wizarding World to learn more!
Diehard Harry Potter fans will want to experience every inch of Hogsmeade (including the restrooms), so if you have some wizard wannabes in your family, budget about three hours of your day to exploring Hogsmeade. Be sure to hop over to our Superfan's Guide to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Hollywood for the must-see details.
While both rides in the Wizarding World accept Universal Express, the Ollivander's wand pairing ceremony does not. The wait time is consistently long right after opening and during that first hour of operation. It seems to take a dip around lunchtime. Then it dips further in the late afternoon/early evening. The shortest wait of the day is an hour or two before park closing. If you are visiting on a busy holiday weekend, you can expect longer lines than on other days.
Meet Characters and See Photo Ops When Attraction Lines are Long
Midday is when ride wait times peak. Use this time to shop, meet characters and take photos. 
There are special photos ops and characters out during Mega Movie Summer. Snap a selfie with Glinda or Elphaba from Wicked, and interact with new Minions & Monsters characters in Super Silly Fun Land. Learn more about the Mega Summer Movie Event in our Universal Studios Hollywood events post.
Pick the Best Day to Visit Universal
Summer is the busy season at Universal Studios Hollywood. But some days are busier than others. Visit in early June and the second half of August for lowest crowds. If you are comparing two days and want to know the best day of the two to visit, hop over to the Undercover Tourist Crowd Calendar. Generally, Tuesday through Thursday is better than Friday through Monday. Avoid holidays if you can.
Plan Your Meals
Whether or not you are a Harry Potter fan, you will definitely enjoy the pub food in the Wizarding World. We suggest an early or late lunch at the Three Broomsticks. The foods and drinks in the Wizarding World are surprisingly good and come in generous portions. They say the Great Feast feeds four, but six people (especially if some are tadpoles) could easily share it. The best time to get in without a wait is early when they are transitioning from breakfast to lunch.
If you plan to eat dinner in the park, be sure to check out the restaurant's closing times. Some restaurants close early. We recently had our hearts set on some pizza at Luigi's and some nachos at Bumblebee Man’s Taco Truck. But we found out a little too late that they closed early (two hours before park closing). The restaurants post their hours in advance on in-park signs, so do your research earlier in the day. At the end of a long, hot day, you do not want any surprises.
Toadstool Cafe is the newest and most popular restaurant found in Super Nintendo World. We have a whole post on Super Nintendo World food and novelties. Follow this link to the reservations page and make a reservation up to 60 days in advance.
Budget some time for this dining location. It can take some time to wait to order food and then wait for the food to arrive. So don't arrive starving! Be sure to order everything you want, including dessert, all at once. Use your time in there as an escape from the sun.
Do Not Bring a Large Bag to Save Time and Money at the Lockers
Two rides require you to store items in a free locker. Universal Studios changed the locker size to much narrower lockers for The Mummy and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. If your bag does not fit, you'll have to purchase a larger locker at $5 a pop, or leave it with a non-rider. Scan your park ticket to open a locker. Take your park ticket with you so you can scan it again to open your locker to retrieve your belongings.
Stay Late for Hogwarts Shows and Shorter Wait Times
The end of the night brings cooler temperatures, shorter lines and sometimes a projection show (with some pyrotechnics)! Read up on tips for watching Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle shows. Hogwarts shows are not yet confirmed for summer 2026.
Super Nintendo World looks cool at night and has more comfortable temperatures. It has shorter lines and lower crowds at night as well!
Purchase the Best Ticket or Add-Ons to Help You Maximize Time
The ticket you choose can help you maximize time and beat the crowds. Undercover Tourist has options for a variety of budgets. We'll list them lowest to highest in cost.
Get a Second Day FREE!
Save $100 and get a jump on a FREE second day in 2026, with the limited-time Buy a Day, Get a 2nd Day FREE - General Admission Ticket through Undercover Tourist. There are no blockout dates for your first visit, but there are blockouts for the second visit:
- July 3, 4, 25
- Sept. 5, 6, 12, 19, 26
- Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24
- Nov. 27, 28
You can use your second day through Dec. 16, 2026!
This costs the same as a 1-day ticket, but you can spread your visit out over two summer days and save money over other expensive add-ons. Or save your second day to come back in the fall or even for the start of Grinchmas!
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. 16, 2026
Early Access Add-On (to Save Time and Beat the Heat)
If visiting Super Nintendo World is a high priority for you, there is an Early Access option that we highly recommend. It's relatively affordable as far as ticket add-ons go at $20-30 per person when it comes to getting a great start on your day. You can purchase online from Universal Studios directly (even if you already bought your discount tickets through Undercover Tourist). But purchase Early Access as soon as you get your ticket, because it does sell out most days!
Super Nintendo World is a beautiful land with minimal shade. The Early Access will allow you to play the outdoor challenges with the shortest waits on cooler temperatures before the California sun gets strong.
Early Access gets you in the land one hour before park opening so you can play all the games and ride Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge before the crowds arrive. That means you need to arrive about 45-60 minutes before Early Access to make the most of your time.
Make a reservation for Toadstool Cafe at this link or in the app up to 60 days in advance. Or make a reservation with the QR code displayed inside the park if it's available. There usually are no walk ins, so make sure to set yourself up for success early!
If you are strategic, you can hit Super Nintendo World, then ride the other Lower Lot rides at park opening, dine at Toadstool Cafe, and complete the Lower Lot in the morning before heading to the Studio Tour and Upper Lot. You can usually get by without paying extra for Universal Express this way.
Universal Express Select Add-on
In between Early Access and the full Universal Express is this newer, but more limited option (available through Universal as an add-on). For about $40-50 per person, you can skip the lines for these three attractions:
- Jurassic World: The Ride
- The World-Famous Studio Tour
- WaterWorld
Who might benefit from this? This option is perfect for the person who doesn't love thrill or screen rides but would love to accompany their family member or friends who bought Universal Express tickets in the Express line for the Studio Tour and WaterWorld. You can skip a few lines for less money than Universal Express. You cannot substitute other rides.
Universal Express Tickets
A Universal Express ticket offers a stress-free day where you can experience most rides once without having to wait or worry about following a park plan. If Express is within your budget there is an option to upgrade a regular admission ticket at the box office in the park. However, Universal Studios Hollywood only sells 10 percent of park capacity as Universal Express, so you'll have to decide quickly if it is worth it for you before it sells out.
The Universal Express ticket includes access to the Mario Kart.
The price to upgrade in the park varies based on the day and crowd level. Prices may go up with demand! You can get a hoppin' deal on all Universal Express tickets (which include park admission) and general admission tickets through your favorite froggy friends at Undercover Tourist. (Save up to $146!) It's hard to know in advance how much it will cost to upgrade in the park. If it is important to you to have Express access, then it is safest to purchase in advance.
If you really want to ride again and again, you can upgrade to Unlimited Universal Express inside the park. The price varies. These are great ways to operate outside the crowds in summer at Universal Studio Hollywood.
Go on a VIP Tour
If this is your one chance to see and do it all, spring for a VIP Experience (psst ...you can save up to $178 per person when purchasing through Undercover Tourist). This is the easiest way to break from the summer crowds at Universal Studios Hollywood. You'll get front-of-the-line Unlimited Universal Express access to all rides and seated shows, plus a private tour of the Backlot. You'll gain entry to areas other guests can only dream about. Your food and valet parking is included. Plus, you get your very own theme park entrance! Your park admission is included.
Read more about the VIP Tour in our blog post. With two meals and unlimited bottled water, valet parking and getting to do everything you want, it whisks you away from the crowds on a busy summer day. You probably never realized how much you would enjoy being pampered in a theme park. After a VIP Tour you won't want to do it any other way.
Your VIP Tour also allows you unlimited access to skip the line for Mario Kart! That is significant, as we've seen wait times reach 240 minutes!
Use No-Cost Tools to Skip the Lines
Several tools can help you maximize your time at Universal Studios Hollywood and beat the heat for no extra cost. Check the Universal Studios app or the wait time signs located throughout the park to get a sense of where the shortest lines are in real time.
Child Switch
Child Switch to save time if you have a little one. We recommend using the afternoon to take the relaxing tram ride that is the Studio Tour and sit (and possibly get wet!) to watch the Water World show when you need a rest. Kids will enjoy having some water playtime in Super Silly Fun Land to beat the heat.
Virtual Line Pass
Universal Studios Hollywood has been introducing virtual lines for some experiences during busy times. They are not always available. They are most frequently used for new attractions. There is a new attraction in summer 2026, but we do not know what lines will be in place for Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift. Hop over to that post for the most updated information.
A virtual line can allow you to enjoy other aspects of the park instead of spending hours waiting in a long line for popular shows and attractions. The new Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash! ride offers a virtual line at times. If it runs out, keep checking back in the app at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. as more could be released throughout the day.
Super Nintendo World also sometimes utilizes a virtual line reservation to be able to enter the land when it hits capacity. The land is small and very popular, so once it fills up, the virtual line system helps control the flow of guests entering the land.
To join a virtual line, be sure to download the Universal Studios Hollywood app before you visit. Once you enter the park, check for any virtual lines and reserve your place. You cannot hop in a virtual line until you are on property. The Secret Life of Pets ride also has a kiosk to collect a virtual line space. It looks like a subway pass machine and is located to the left of the ride entrance.
Wait Time Alert and Show Reminders
You can set a Wait Time Alert for rides and a show reminder for shows. You can do it in the Universal Studios Hollywood app. It's possible that shows could open a virtual line. If not, set reminders before shows so you don't miss them. We recommend setting a reminder in the app for 60 minutes before the showtime you want to see.
For rides and experiences, such as Ollivanders, set a Wait Time Alert in the app for when the attraction reaches an acceptable, shorter wait time. You can even practice this at home. You'll get an alert on your phone when the wait time drops to your preferred time! We find these alerts super helpful and they can keep up from having to constantly check wait times or the clock.
Single Riders Line
The Single Rider line is one of our favorite FREE ways to skip the lines at Universal.
You can use it for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey in the Upper Lot and for all the rides in the Lower Lot, including Mario Kart. The Mario Kart Single Riders line is to the right as soon as you walk through the Warp Pipe to enter the building. Just like with Forbidden Journey, it does skip the immersive queue elements, but it does save you a lot of time. Team members may close Single Riders lines from time to time if they get too long.
Ways to Beat the Heat at Universal Studios
Universal Studios is the hottest place to be this summer — literally hot — so don’t let the sparkling snow on the rooftops in Hogsmeade fool you! The Southern California sun is strong. Start out your day by slathering on the sunscreen. Wear light-colored clothes, hats and sunglasses, and bring a swimsuit for the kids for the water play areas. If you are really sensitive to the sun, you can bring an umbrella for additional shade. Hand-held fans or neck fans and cooling towels always come in handy!
The Super Nintendo World characters, challenges and challenge lines are outside in the sun. Be sure to wear sun protection and bring water with you. That's another reason to visit that land at the end of the day or during Early Access. The Mario Kart line is indoors. Toadstool Cafe is indoors as well, so a mid-afternoon lunch or ride will get you out of the sun for a bit. Your Toadstool Cafe reservation is for joining the physical order queue inside, so it does take some time to order and receive food.
You can plan your attractions based on the heat of the day (the day will be at its hottest from about 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.). When you are hot and feeling low on energy, a seated show sounds very welcoming.
WaterWorld offers a way to cool off by getting wet if you sit in the soak zones. You may find that the front rows and left side bleacher section (when facing the water) is the wettest.
The Studio Tour offers a shaded and misted line. The tour itself guarantees 45-60 minutes of sitting in a shaded tram. You may get drops of water on you from time to time — but just enough to refresh you.
Jurassic World — The Ride ride offers guaranteed soaking. But that line will get long quickly on a hot day. Ride early or consider using Single Rider. There are Cool Zone stations around the park with giant fans blowing cool mist on guests, and some ride and show lines offer misters.
Take a ride on the air-conditioned The Mummy coaster after Jurassic World to feel the refreshing, cool breeze while you are wet!
You can always cool off with a cold treat such as a frozen Butterbeer or Butterbeer ice cream in Hogsmeade. A Squishee in Springfield USA or a Felonious Float from Minion Cafe in Super Silly Fun Land will do the trick as well. This summer, there's a new Irene’s Orange Banana Float from Despicable Delights. You will find plenty of ice cream and shakes (and many other fun Universal treats) in the park. There are some other new Minions items at the Minions Cafe in 2026, including Howard’s Berry Lemonade Cupcake and James’ Carbonara pasta tossed in a garlic cream sauce with pancetta and peas.
Mommy Frog and I love the tropical adult drinks at Isla Nu-Bar. You can find the bar in front of Jurassic World — The Ride. When we use the souvenir cups that come with the drinks, it takes us back to our summer vacation.
Speaking of food and beverage, in the Upper Lot, enjoy Fast & Furious-themed food and drink at Hollywood & Dine or Cocina Mexicana. Chomp Jaws-themed foods at Mel's Diner.
There are Jaws-themed ice cream dishes at Hollywood Scoops in the Lower Lot.
Have more tips for beating the heat or managing the summer crowds at Universal Studios Hollywood? Share them in the comments below, along with any questions you may have!
Related: Not-to-Miss Universal Studios Hollywood Attractions and Shows
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Keep hopping!
