Is the Universal Studios Hollywood Annual Pass Worth It? | 2022
Back in December 2019, I bought my first California Neighbor Universal Studios Hollywood Annual Pass, and unbeknownst to me, I wouldn’t be able to use that pass until the summer of 2021!
It sounds wild to think that I’ve technically had a Universal AP for over two years, yet I’ve only actually been going for less than a year. Prior to owning an annual pass, I had only ever been to Universal Studios Hollywood once, on my 21st birthday - I am now 26, going on 27! 🥴
I was really excited to get my Universal Studios Hollywood annual pass at a discounted rate since I live in California! I was even happier to know that the discount applied to anyone living in California, rather than just Southern California residents, like most Los Angeles and regional theme parks do. That’s a huge plus for me because even if I were to move out of L.A., I would still be able to have an annual pass for less than the norm.
However, though less expensive, the California Neighbor Pass certainly does come with its fair share of blackout dates. So much so, that I actually decided to upgrade my pass in late 2021 to the Gold Annual Pass. I also chose to upgrade so that my pass dates matched those of my boyfriend’s whom I gifted a Gold Annual Pass to for his birthday in August 2021!
I want to get into the details about that, but I have to do it my way…which is a good, old-fashioned, pros and cons list detailing all of the reasons you should and shouldn’t get a Universal Studios Hollywood Pass!
While going through this list, keep in mind that my most recent experience with an annual pass is based on the Gold Pass, however, I am going to make these points as general to any pass as possible. Then, at the end, I will give my opinion on if you should get a Universal pass or not, but ultimately, you can use my pros and cons list to determine for yourself if it would be worth it for you! Let’s go!
Pros of a Universal Studios Hollywood Annual Pass:
Fair Pricing - If you’re planning to go to Universal even once or twice in a single year, I’d honestly say that you might as well just upgrade to an annual pass. And, if you’re a California resident, there’s truly no reason not to do it! The California Neighbor pass is only about $20 more than the price of a regular day’s admission, so even if you have an inkling that you might come back just once more within the year, it would be worth it. It’s an extra $20 for California Residents or an additional $40 or so for a Silver Pass. Aside from that, if you truly only want to go for one day and one day only, there are so many ways you can find discounts to Universal Studios Hollywood and pay anywhere between $105-$144 per person. When comparing that to an average day at Disneyland, it’s a steal.
It’s Not a Massive Park - Okay, as you move onto the cons, you’ll see this point come up again, and that’s because, depending on how you look at it, it can be a good or bad thing. Right now, it’s a good thing. I love being able to go to Universal Studios Hollywood and not feel completely overwhelmed by its size. There’s just enough at the park to keep you entertained, without feeling like you need to spend a week there to experience the best of the best. However, if you have the annual pass, you'll be spending more than one day there, obviously, and there will still be cool, new things for you to experience each time you go.
There Are Actually Slow Days to Take Advantage Of - As you might know, I also have a Disneyland Magic Key (formerly known as a Disneyland Annual Pass), and no matter what day of the week, week of the year, or time of day I go to Disneyland, there will always be a crowd and there will always be wait times for the big name rides! A huge pro with Universal Studios Hollywood is that there are actually days and times that you can go and not be overwhelmed by the crowd and not wait 120 minutes to ride your favorite rides! More specifically speaking, if you find yourself at the park in the hours just after opening, or if you attend on a random weekday like Monday or Tuesday, you’ll likely only have to wait a short time for the best rides. A couple of Mondays ago, Arjuna and I went for the morning and afternoon and only waited 11 minutes and 31 seconds to ride Jurassic World! Yes, I timed it, you’re welcome!
No Reservations Required - Ever since the pandemic hit, a lot of theme parks have been adjusting their entry so as to limit the crowds. When parks were first reopening, advance reservations were required at a lot of theme parks, and while some kept those requirements, Universal Studios Hollywood did not. Meaning, when you have an annual pass, you can go whenever you want (given your blackout days, of course). No reservations required means that you have the freedom to go enjoy rides spontaneously and without having to plan ahead! It’s a true benefit of having a pass.
Fun Attractions & More to Come - Universal Studios Hollywood has some of my favorite theme park rides ever, like Jurassic World and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. One thing I love about all of their rides, attractions, and entertainment, in general, is that they’re so immersive from the moment you step into the queue to the moment your experience is over. To make the pass even more enticing, Super Nintendo World is set to open up soon and when you have an annual pass, you also get access to that new world!
Unique Studio Tour - I’d say that this one is dedicated to all of the movie buffs out there, but honestly, the Studio Tour is fun for everyone! It’s such a unique experience and one of my favorite things to do at Universal Studios. You learn about movie sets, fun movie facts, have the potential to see actors while at work, see the places where some of your favorite movies and tv shows were filmed, PLUS you get to experience 3 different attractions while on the tour! I don’t know what’s not to love about this.
Cons of a Universal Studios Hollywood Annual Pass:
Inconvenient Hours of Operation - Hands down, my biggest ache and pain of being a Universal Studios Hollywood Pass Holder right now is how crappy their hours of operation are! I bought this pass in hopes of going to Universal spontaneously after work for a little wind-down, but to my shock, the parks close at 5 pm on weekdays…the same time that many of us get off work! Meaning, there’s absolutely no time to go to Universal Studios during the week, unless you have a random off day, a flexible work schedule, or feel like using some PTO. That also means that if you want to go, you’re going to have to go on a weekend, which is usually when most people go, and your wait times and crowds are bigger and arguably less fun. Major bummer!
It’s Not a Massive Park…thus leaving you with much longer wait times since there aren’t many rides. There’s not a whole lot to this point, but long wait times are a serious downer for me.
It Needs Some Updates - As much as I know they’re trying to keep current, I definitely feel that there are certain areas and attractions at Universal that need a makeover. For instance, The Mummy & Transformers. In my honest opinion, I think these rides are a waste of space and should be the first to go when making any renovations to the park. I love The Mummy movies, but am not a fan of the ride, it also just feels irrelevant to what’s popular today. Same with Transformers, except I do find it somewhat relevant, but the technology of the ride itself just can’t compete with the caliber of Universal’s newer and other park’s great rides.
It’s Not Evergreen - When I say it’s not evergreen, I mean to say that Universal Studios can feel a bit repetitive and can get old after you’ve gone so many times. I don’t know if there is enough newness to keep the park feeling fresh and new every time you go, ultimately meaning that you’d likely only want to have an annual pass for one year. This is fine, but it would be cool if there were consistently new changes and updates to attractions and entertainment that kept me and others interested for more than the duration of a single annual pass.
So…should you get a Universal Studios Hollywood Annual Pass?
In short, yes. I think that if you can afford it and if you are living in California (more specifically, Los Angeles) you should definitely get a Universal Studios Hollywood Annual Pass. Obviously, my list of pros stretched far beyond my list of cons, and that was probably a decent tell of what my answer would be. Though it’s not the most glamorous park, and there aren’t a ton of rides, the atmosphere is amazing, the value for money is unmatched, its convenience to my home is fantastic, the rides they do have are really fun, and their zones for certain fandoms like Minions, Harry Potter, and The Simpsons are phenomenal! They’ve done a great job of bringing in so many different franchises into one central location, and I have a great time whenever I go. Though I’m hoping they expand their weekday hours, I have zero regrets about buying my annual pass.
After reading my list of pros and cons, will you be buying a Universal Studios Hollywood Annual Pass this year? Let me know in the comments section below and feel free to share this post with your friends who are debating buying a pass!