New safety protocols to be seen at Universal Studios
Masks, temperature screenings, social distancing and limited capacity are among changes
Universal Studios Hollywood will return this week with the new Secret Life of Pets dark ride, revamped Jurassic World water ride and favorites like Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey and the Studio Tour after a yearlong coronavirus closure.
Universal Studios Hollywood will reopen on Friday following more than a year of closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Annual and season passholders can return to the park on select dates during special preview Bonus Days running Thursday through
May 16.
Universal Studios Hollywood and other California theme parks have been closed since March 2020 under COVID-19 health and safety reopening guidelines issued by the state and were permitted to reopen with rides and attractions on April 1.
Universal began soft opening “technical rehearsals” with rides and attractions during the Taste of Universal food festival that concluded on Sunday, April 11.
Theme park tickets and advance reservations — limited only to California residents — will only be available online at
the Universal website. Visitors must have a valid California zip code when purchasing tickets. No tickets will be sold at the front gate due to the state’s COVID-19 mandates.
Season passholders who tried to make reservations starting on April 5 ran into “technical difficulties” that Universal says have now been resolved. Single-day admission tickets for the Universal theme park went on sale April 8 to the general public. Single-day visitors, passholders and those with unused tickets are all required to make advance online reservations.
Due to state restrictions, Universal could reach capacity at times and be forced to close the park’s gates until enough visitors leave.
California theme parks were allowed to reopen on April 1 at reduced capacity with rides and attractions provided the counties they reside in reach the red/substantial tier 2 risk status of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s updated Blueprint for a Safer Economy.
Starting on April 1, California theme parks could reopen at 15% attendance capacity in the red/substantial tier 2, 25% capacity in the orange/moderate tier 3 and 35% capacity in the least-restrictive yellow/ minimal tier 4. Los Angeles
County — home to Universal Studios Hollywood and Six Flags Magic Mountain — has moved into the lessrestrictive orange tier.
Magic Mountain in Valencia, Legoland California in Carlsbad and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo reopened on April 1. SeaWorld San Diego reopened on Monday, April 12. Disneyland and Disney California Adventure in Anaheim will return on April 30. Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park will reopen to passholders on May 6 and to the general public on May 21. California’s Great America in Santa Clara will return on May 22.
What is Universal Studios Hollywood’s maximum attendance capacity? Officials won’t say, but the park drew about 9.2 million visitors in 2019, according to Themed Entertainment Association/AECOM. That means the park attracts approximately 25,000 visitors on an average day.
Universal Studios Hollywood’s maximum capacity is approximately 21,000 visitors, according to the Park Database, which collects data on the attractions industry. Universal could allow in approximately 6,000 visitors at 25% capacity and just under 9,000 at 35% capacity, based on the Park Database estimates.
Universal visitors will be greeted by a new arrival procedure. Temperature screenings will take place inside the Jurassic parking structure before the security checkpoint.
Inside the park, COVID-19 health and safety reminders will be visible everywhere you look.
Universal Studios Hollywood will follow the now-familiar “new normal” of COVID-19 health and safety protocols with limited capacity, required masks, temperature screenings, social distancing, enhanced sanitization and contactless payments.
Masks will be required throughout the visit — including on rides, in queues, at shows, during character photo opportunities and on the Studio Tour.
The reopening of the Hollywood theme park will feature the debut of the new Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash dark ride along with the addition of an Indominus Rex animatronic dinosaur on the Jurassic World water ride. Most rides will reopen with the park while some will return at a later date due to government restrictions.
The Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and Transformers 3-D dark rides, Revenge of the Mummy and Flight of the Hippogriff roller coasters, Silly Swirly Fun spinning ride, “Universal’s Animal Actors” show and the Fast & Furious — Supercharged and King Kong 360 3D attractions on the Studio Tour will open when the park returns.
Some rides and attractions — including Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, Simpsons ride, “WaterWorld” stunt show and Dreamworks Theatre — will reopen later in
the summer. In the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the Ollivander’s wand pairing experience, “Tri-Wizard” stage show and “Frog Choir” performance will also return at a later date.
Indoor rides will use already existing outdoor queues to abide by social distancing mandates. Universal will alter loading patterns on ride vehicles to create physical distance between parties.
Riders who lose their masks will be provided new ones — plus the park will sell themed masks. Universal employees will distribute 3-D glasses for attractions and clean them between each use.
Universal Express frontof-line passes will be sold online in advance. Single rider lines will be unavailable per state guidelines.
Despite the capacity limited crowds, expect socially distanced ride queues to look a lot longer than normal. Frequent sanitization of rides will likely slow loading and lengthen wait times.
Socially distanced character meet-and-greets will be available throughout the park.
Mobile food and drink ordering will be unavailable. Additional tables have been set up throughout the park to facilitate increased outdoor dining. Visitors can remove their masks to eat and drink in designated dining areas. Sipping, snacking and strolling will be prohibited.
Capacity will be limited in shops. All retail locations will be open, but hours may vary.