Universal Hollywood VIP Tour: 2024 Ultimate Guide & Review
In the VIP Experience at Universal Hollywood, you’ll explore the theme park with an extremely knowledgeable tour guide, in a maximum 13-person group. The tours last a minimum of five hours and include one meal, an extended Studio Tour, unlimited Express Pass access, and more.Here’s everything you need to know about the VIP Experience at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2024.What is the VIP Experience at Universal Hollywood?
Get behind-the-scenes access to this combination movie studio and theme park, experiencing sites that few visitors ever get to see. You'll have an extensive guided tour of the studio’s film lot, gaining special access to locations off-limits to the general public, a gourmet lunch, valet parking and express access to the park’s many thrilling rides and shows.The VIP Experience lets you skip the line unlimited number of times throughout the day. Not only that, you get first access to the seats, and the tour guides know where to sit on each ride to get the best experience.Universal Hollywood VIP Experience Highlights:
Universal Express Unlimited access to all rides, shows, and attractionsThe pass includes access to reserved seating at all showsGourmet catered lunchFree valet parking
What's Included in the VIP Experience?
1-Day Park admission to Universal Studios Hollywood
A VIP Guide to tour locations closed to the general publicTour historic backlot locationsUnlimited (Per Day) express access to each ride, attraction and seated showA gourmet meal in the private VIP dining roomLight refreshments served in an exclusive VIP loungeValet ParkingEntry/Admission - Universal Studios Hollywood
What's NOT Included in the VIP Experience?
Carnival games (available to purchase)Hotel pick-up and drop-offMovie tickets for Universal CityWalk CinemasFood and drinks not listed above (available for purchase)
Accessibility
Wheelchair accessibleStroller accessibleNear public transportation
How much does the Universal Hollywood VIP Experience Cost?
The Universal Studios Hollywood VIP tours start at $379 per person.The biggest differences between the Universal Studios Hollywood VIP and the Orlando VIP tour is with Hollywood— the cost of admission is included in the price of the VIP tour!How Long Does the VIP Experience Last?
5 – 7 hours
The duration of the VIP Experience varies between 5-7 hours, depending on the type of tour package you choose, and your start time.
VIP Experience Check In
After checking you in, you're given a special lanyard we'd get to keep as a souvenir.
You’ll head upstairs to their VIP Lounge. We had about 25 minutes to eat breakfast. They had coffee, tea, juices and water. There’s a buffet with an assortment of croissants, sandwiches, pastries, fruit, oatmeal, etc. 
After we finished eating, our guide gathered us together to go over the schedule for the day. We were also given a VIP Survival Kit containing sunscreen, bottled water, and a poncho. Backlot Tour During VIP Experience
We started our VIP Experience with the Backlot Tour. The tour of the Universal Backlot is one of the coolest parts of the VIP Experience. This tour takes you behind-the-scenes to the movie sets, sound stages and the huge prop warehouse.Unlike the regular Backlot Tour, where you hop in a tram with a ton of other people, the VIP Experience comes with a private trolley, and you can actually get off it at different locations and walk along the sets that are off-limits to general admission guests. As we went behind the scenes, we got to ride around on a fancy bus. 
We were even able to visit the iconic courthouse and clock tower from "Back to the Future." We also walked along the cobblestone streets of the famous Little Europe back lot, a memorable filming location of "The Good Place" and Universal's classic monster films of the 1920s.
During the back-lot portion, we go to experience Jaws, F & F, and King Kong.
The Prop Warehouse
I had no idea there's a massive prop warehouse in the Universal backlot that has rows and rows of movie props. Going into the prop warehouse is only possible by doing the VIP Experience.
Super Nintendo World
Next, we headed to Super Nintendo World and skipped lines.Universal Studios Hollywood's VIP tour is the only way to really get special access to Super Nintendo World. We were escorted directly to the front of SNW’s big attraction, Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge. At the time, it had a posted wait time of 100 minutes during our visit.Due to the popularity of Super Nintendo World, sometimes guests must use the virtual queue for a chance to enter the land. This is Universal Hollywood’s way of crowd controlling that area of the park. With the VIP Experience, you are guaranteed access to it.
Wizarding World of Harry Potter
After the Backlot Tour, we headed into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter-Hogsmeade. We rode Forbidden Journey, and Flight of the Hippogriff.We also had time go grab a Butterbeer and got into the shops including Honeydukes. We were able to try some of new Florean’s ice cream recently added to the WWoHP.
VIP Experience Gourmet Lunch
After knocking out some of the attractions in the park, we headed to Jardin de Paris for a gourmet lunch buffet. This restaurant is only accessible to those guests who are doing the VIP Experience.You also get to dine with characters like Dracula.
VIP Experience Rides and Attractions
We started in the Lower Low and finished our tour on the Upper Lot. Here’s what we rode during the VIP Experience:Revenge of the MummyJurassic Park: The RideTransformer’sMario Kart: Bowser’s ChallengeForbidden JourneyFlight of The HippogriffSecret Life of PetsDespicable Me Minion MayhemWaterworld Show
After the VIP tour, we Utilized Our Unlimited Express Pass
After the VIP tour ended, we still had a couple of hours left before Universal Hollywood closed for the night. We used our unlimited Express Pass to enjoy more rides on our own.We used my pass to enjoy skip the line access to attractions we wanted to ride again, like Revenge of the Mummy, and Jurassic World: The Ride.The built in Express Pass was super handy because attractions like Secret Life of Pets had wait times of over 45 mins the day we visited.
Is the VIP Experience at Universal Studios Hollywood Worth It?
Yes!The cost alone is worth it to book a VIP Experience. When comparing it to the cost of an Express Pass and all the additional perks you get— It’s a bang for your buck. Especially if you’re visiting Universal Hollywood for only one day or during peak visiting times like the Holidays or HHN season.If your priority is to maximize your time and experiences, the Universal Hollywood VIP Experience is absolutely worth the price. Especially if you’re thinking of upgrading a regular admission ticket to include the Universal Express Pass.The included free valet parking save you $30.We were able to ride everything in a single day, including watching WaterWorld, doing the spell locations, and experiencing the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which usually can't be done with a regular ticket.