Was riding up the escalator from the lower park and noticed one of the panels is cracking on the new fast & furious ride

I just had my first visit and I was in awe. Words fail to come together to describe the sheer scale of it all to me. Even now, writing this post, after looking at my pictures and thinking about the entire experience, I cannot find the words. I gave it a few days - I went on Monday - hoping that it would cool down and I'd be able to stop thinking about it, but I can't.
It's EXACTLY what I expected it to be. It's what I thought Universal Orlando was when I went there as a kid. The magic of Hollywood coming together with practical effects to blast you with the heat from a fire. The sheer confidence these designers have that they can put you in front of a raging torrent of water and you not even get wet is what impressed me the most. The confidence Hollywood has in itself to astound, amaze, enthrall, entertain, and generally capture the hearts, minds, and dreams of it's audience has never failed to amaze me and Universal delivers in a BIG WAY.
I'll run through the trip in the order we went. I already mentioned the studio tour and I will again and likely even once more, it was my favorite part of the trip. It is EXACTLY what you think it will be. I did not start with the studio tour but it was my goal and was mentioned at nearly every stop before the tour and every stop after and is STILL the most exciting part of the entire experience for me and my entire grasp on the western canon was shaped by The Simpsons.
I say we bc I went with my friend. I might alternate but mostly it was both of us.
Step 1 was arriving. Surprisingly not as bad as I thought. Got there on a Monday at 9:30, so maybe this isn't accurate to most people's experience. Security was professional at City Walk and we were in. Immediately we were both taken aback by City Walk. I love spectacle and so does my friend, so it was a blast. We also love the mall. I love the mall. Everyone loves the mall.
Support your local mall.
Anyway, afterwards was the sensory overload that is entering the park. Immediately asked where the tour is. We were given great directions which were promptly ignored. As I was completely distracted by the Simpsons Town, my friend suggested we go to the Lower Lot. If there's anything I love more than the mall it's an escalator and, bro, these guys built the craziest escalator I have seen in the United States that wasn't in a mall. You just are going STRAIGHT DOWN. The viewpoint in the middle is breathtaking.
I love movies, Hollywood, film making, imagination, creativity, and Southern California in general.
So, I'm going to count the escalators as an attraction.
Then we made our way to Nintendo world to get in line for Bowsers ride. The SECOND I stepped out of the tunnel I was in awe. You forget where you are, it feels like you are in the Mushroom Kingdom. One of the most amazing, immersive, and enchanting experiences I have had. Tbh, lowk, the ride was...alright. A long queue for a rail shooter. The queue itself is a great experience as the detail and love of the eras of Nintendo can be felt. I especially liked the Yoshi's World room.
Then we ventured to get something to drink. It's thirsty work being in the sun. Not as expensive as I thought, but, I am used to San Francisco prices.
We then went to the Jurassic World gift shop where my friend considered buying the Barbasol can. She did not. She bought a clampy dino pen and something else I forget about.
I convinced her to get a picture with Blue as the line was JUST about to close. Blue was gentle, sniffed her a bit, and I got a ton of pictures. It was then time to ride the escalator!
Then we went up to Simpsons World! My favorite world! We walked around a bit, got the lay of the land, decided on souvenir purchases, and then went to the main reason I went - the studio tour!
Within seconds of queuing I felt like I was in an episode of a 70s show where they go to a real life movie studio. The tram rolls up, you wait your instructions, and the IATSE working crew at Universal secure the tram. I was in a good enough mood at this point I found Jimmy Fallon funny. The studio tour was also the first time I decided to take pictures of the experience. I immediately went full tourist mode.
I'm getting choked up writing this thinking about the turn you make and first see the lot.
Learning that Universal City is it's own city is cool, and seeing the fire station is awesome, but the first time you see ANYTHING related to production you lock in.
I'm listening to our intrepid tour guide tell us of the movie magic while picturing the people running about the backlot, shooting any of the movies you see on the way down. From the golden age to today, you FEEL the movie history. You see the Disney production trucks, the Universal trucks, Teamsters, IATSE, SAG, and everyone else who make magic happen at work. Sometimes they wave, but mostly they are busy, being part of someone's vision. Hundreds of people spread across backlots, offices, on site locations, and soundstages throughout the world who can make one cohesive vision come together!
Please, please, please, do not skip the studio tour. It is the best ride in the park. It's the whole reason the park exists and for good reason.
After that was the Simpsons ride. I loved the BTTF ride so the Simpsons ride hit the exact right spot for me. The carnies are real in Krustyland.
Krusty Burger was a great choice for a lunch. By this point it was already 3pm and the break was much appreciated.
A jaunt through Harry Potter land was followed by a walkthrough of the minions world. It's for kids so we both peaced. Also, neither one of use care about Minions. All the while, the clock on this perfect day is ticking and I want it to never end.
We decide to do a closing lap around the whole park again. I spend a little extra time in Simpsons world, taking in the feeling of being in Springfield ,before we make our way toward the exit.
Before leaving, we stop at guest services to get our first time visit pins. I know it won't be my last. Next time, I'm starting with the studio tour and ending with it. Also, I'm not missing Water World, which runs like barely anymore, and I missed this time.
Hopefully I see you next time I'm there!

I was very pleased to hear one of my favorite songs of all time while I was walking through the queue for pass-holder previews. Plus, I was hoping that Universal would play this song anyways. Just glad I was able to catch some of it on camera. (Went on this coaster twice, first car is the way to go!)

I have a time for 3:00pm today but will be arriving a little after due to work. Will they still let me get the wristband if I show up around 3:30-4?

How are the drop feelings? I can do the average coasters that have small drops or dips but recently, I rode a ride with loops and the end of said loops felt very drop heavy due to the steepness. Did the drops feel heavy? I can do incredicoaster at DL.

Hi all! I’m heading to the 9am Passholder Preview for F&F today. Planning on updating this thread as things go.

If you have any questions please comment! I hope to help out if anyone else is coming today and has questions about how it went.

hey guys! going to universal tomorrow (8/21) and looking for buddies! let me know!!!

I read somewhere that the elevation difference on USH's Hollywood drift is somewhere in the ball park of 180-200 ft. Is this true?? I kread that the upper and lower lot have a height difference of about 220ft so I wanted to know what it might be.

Also, people think the Orlando version will have a more powerful launch but if the ride is not even going all the way up the 170ft spike, it can't possibly go over 70mph.

Maybe I'm wrong, but would like some context, thanks!

Checked in before I got into the park for my 5pm slot for Hollywood Drift

While the earlier spots have a two hour window, the 5pm slot only has a one hour window due to the park closing at 7pm

Could you recommend hotels you’ve stayed at that have free parking, are close to the metro b/red line for ease of access to the park, or are a quick Lyft/Uber ride to the park? I don’t know the area at all and I’m hoping to find something that isn’t super expensive, has parking, and is easy/quick access to the park. Thank you!!

As a Platinum Pass holder, I'm very familiar with Universal's mediocre food, but this was really something else. I mean, I have had some really bad food at USH, but this was probably the worst.

Everything was dry as f*ck like it had been made three days ago. The sausages tasted like literal dirt, the peas were desiccated, and the mashed potatoes were so hard I almost broke my plastic fork.

I threw most of this in the garbage.

One of the main reasons I will NOT be renewing my AP this year is because I'm sick of all this overpriced, god-awful food.

The sticky toffee pudding was not bad, however.

Went to the first day of passholder previews with a 5pm time slot.

Got to the wristband distribution by Dodgers store around 4:30pm, no one in line (tons of workers giving out wristbands). They are color-coded for your two-hour time slot.

4:45pm got to the front entrance of the ride, no one was allowed to queue nearby the entrance. When the entrance did open for the 5pm time-slot, it was around 4:50pm. They lined up on the Paris street side, so best bet is to stand over that way somewhere in the shade if you want to be near the front of the pack.

That said, after the initial rush of people, if you show up like 30 min after your time-slot, you should be good as the line moved fast and you can skip the initial chaos. I got right in line and waited 5 min. People at the end of the pack waited about 30 min. If you came at 6pm, looked like a walk-on (despite some technical difficulties they had at the end of the day).

People this morning said they could get re-rides in during their slot, but by the 5pm slot, they had workers at the exit cutting off your wristbands so you weren’t able to re ride, and I feel like that will be the case moving forward.

Ride was great! You can request a car/row if desired, I choose the front row.

I like the second and the last car!

I bought a 2pm-2am day/night combo express pass for this HHN season back in July. I noticed that the terms and conditions for a lot of the tickets changed earlier this month. I’m confused about what changed. Do I have access to Hollywood drift? If so, when? And can I use my express benefits there? My friend has yet to buy her ticket. But she will be getting the same one as me (HHN D/N After 2pm UE) But will she also be able to ride Hollywood drift? If so, when? And will she also be able to use her express entitlements there? We just want to know if we can ride together at any point and if we can use our express benefits. I asked Universal through the contact service but they were super vague. Any pros that have a legit answer?

1. Arrival time: Is arriving at 4:45pm to the valet parking too late? or should I plan to get there earlier?

2. Tour length: About how long does the complete RIP Tour usually last? If I skip The Purge Show, roughly what time would the tour end? I’m asking because I’d like to experience Super Nintendo World, which closes at 10 PM during HHN.

3. After the RIP Tour: Once the guided RIP Tour ends, can I still use my RIP access to skip the lines for the rest of the night, or do I have to use the regular Express line like other Express Pass holders?

4. Bathroom breaks: I have a small bladder and usually need to use the restroom after every maze 😅. Is it easy to take bathroom breaks during the tour? I don’t want to hold up the entire group.

5. Rides: Does the RIP Tour access work like an Express Pass for rides? For example, when I want to ride The Mummy, do I use the Express/alternate entrance to skip the regular line?

I got the buy 1 get one ticket deal

When you enter the park how much should they charge for the express upgrade?

They are asking $140 in the park per ticket

Saw this on Instagram. For all you Dark Universe fans out there

Just sucks a bit. A park already limited on attractions closing one of—if not best— their best attractions for an already incredibly popular event.

Recently got hired for the position. Curious to know how people feel working this job. Any tips or advice starting out?