Universal Studios Hollywood Planning Grand Reopening This April

Universal Studios Hollywood has announced they are planning to resume operations and welcome guests back to the theme park beginning on Friday, April 16. The occasion will commence with a special park preview for Annual and Season Pass Members starting on Thursday, April 15.

While most rides will be operational, some rides and attractions will reopen at a later date as the theme park complies with government restrictions. Universal Studios Hollywood says they are continuing to work in partnership with health and government officials to implement new health and safety procedures that include controlled capacity to enforce physical distancing and required face coverings. In accordance with government guidelines, only California residents may visit the theme park at this time.

“We are incredibly thrilled to finally be able to open Universal Studios Hollywood, return team members to work and welcome guests back to enjoy our amazing rides,” said Karen Irwin, President & COO, Universal Studios Hollywood. “It has been a very challenging year and we are overjoyed to have arrived at this moment.”

Tickets to Universal Studios Hollywood will be available to California residents only and can be purchased online beginning on Thursday, April 8. The theme park will also celebrate Annual and Season Pass Members—who will be among the first to visit—with a series of complimentary Bonus Days on select days from Thursday, April 15 through Sunday, May 16; these Bonus Days can be reserved by Annual and Season Pass Members online starting on Monday, April 5. Annual and Season Pass Members will be able to resume regular use of their passes starting on Monday, May 17.

Due to capacity limits, until further notice, guests with unredeemed tickets purchased prior to April 8, 2021, will need to make an advance reservation at www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com for their visit dates. Guests can also visit the site for more information about Annual and Season Passes, including Pass Members Bonus Days and re-activation of Passes, reservations for previously purchased tickets or to purchase theme park tickets.

After more than a year of closure, Universal Studios Hollywood is ready for its close-up and set to call “action” on the all-new The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash! and Jurassic World—The Ride, which features the spectacularly realistic new dinosaur, Indominus rex.

Here’s what guests can expect:

A stroll along the cleverly themed Pets Place will bring guests to the front of Katie’s NYC apartment building where the innovative The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash! ride resides. This all-new tech-savvy adventure inspired by Illumination’s blockbuster The Secret Life of Pets films, answers the question, “What are your pets really doing when you’re not at home?”

This impressive new ride combines 64 technologically-advanced animated figures with hyper-realistic media and projection mapping designed to take guests on a journey to meet some of their favorite Illumination characters from the movies, including Max, Snowball, Gidget, Chloe, and Duke, along with a host of other animal friends, who have all been transformed and transported into the live-action world. From blinking eyes to eyebrow movements, from head tilts to head nods, from moving mouths to smiles, from ear curls to lip curls, from full torso twists to physically walking, the depth of mobility and function programmed within each of these loveable characters creates an experience unlike any other theme park ride.

The grand reopening of Universal Studios Hollywood also brings guests face-to-face with Jurassic World—The Ride’s all-new, extraordinarily realistic dinosaur, the Indominus rex, who stakes her claim at the ride’s finale in a forceful battle with her arch-rival, the Tyrannosaurus rex.

Breaking new ground with highly complex innovations, this fully-articulated lifelike Indominus injects intense new thrills, excitement, and intrigue to the already dynamic ride. Spanning nearly 55 feet horizontally from head to tail and over 22 feet vertically, the Indominus’ imposing presence will be amplified by the fluidity of her motions and synchronized movements that deliver an unprecedented level of authenticity. From the subtle blinking of her eyes, the flexing of her arms and claws, and clenching of her jaw as she bears her razor-sharp teeth, the colossal Indominus rex will lunge from her hillside setting, stalking guests just before they descend the giant waterfall drop to escape her grasp.

Of course, these new experiences are among the many attractions and themed environments that await guests upon their return to Universal Studios Hollywood, including The Wizarding World of Harry Potter which features a bustling Hogsmeade village and the critically-acclaimed rides, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, and Flight of the Hippogriff, Transformers: The Ride-3D, Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride, Despicable Me’s Super Silly Fun Land, and Springfield, U.S.A., home of America’s favorite animated family, The Simpsons. The theme park’s signature attraction and world-renowned Studio Tour, which takes guests behind-the-scenes of an authentic production movie and television studio and where they can experience such thrill rides as Fast & Furious—Supercharged and King Kong 360 3D, will also open.

Because the safety and well-being of guests and team members is a top priority for Universal Studios Hollywood, the following guidelines outline the theme park’s new health and safety protocols, also highlighted in the video below and detailed on the Universal Studios Hollywood website.

· Temperature checks for all Guests upon arrival. If temperatures exceed 100.4° Fahrenheit / 38° Celsius or greater, Guests will not be permitted to enter.

· Face coverings required for all Guests throughout their visit. Face coverings also will be available for purchase.

· Controlled capacity within the theme park, and limited occupancy at all CityWalk venues to help enforce physical distancing. Some areas and programs may remain temporarily closed.

· Rigorous cleaning and disinfecting at all food locations, restrooms, and all other high touch points.

· Physical distancing practices at all locations throughout the park and at rides and attractions.

· Eating and drinking permitted only in designated dining areas.

· Contactless payment options wherever possible.