Welcome to Travel Splurges where we chronicle the services we paid a little extra for while traveling. Were they worth it? Keep reading to find out!
Theme parks come with loads of fun, but also loads of annoyances such as crowds, overpriced souvenirs, long AF ride lines, and torturous parking situations usually 10-15 minutes away from the entrance.
BUT at Universal Studios Hollywood, there's an option to avoid the parking garage maze and madness. It's called Front Gate Parking.
For $50, you can nab a parking spot that is literally 20 feet from the main security entrance and the iconic Universal Studios Hollywood globe. The pass also comes with bottled water and a pack of gummies for everyone in your party. HOWEVER, these spots are limited and usually sell out before 10am. Case in point: we arrived at the parking structure at 9am (the park had just opened) and by 9:15am when we got to the parking ticket gate, there were only 10 spaces left.
WAS IT WORTH IT?: Hmmm. I would definitely recommend this if you have babies and toddlers or a big group in tow. I enjoyed the thrill of being so close to the gate, and yes, when we returned to the car after a hot day in a very crowded theme park, I was very happy I had made the splurge. But $50 is a lot of money to cough up, especially when you add in the cost of tickets, food, and souvenirs. Also, it was only me and my 8-year-old so I felt a little guilty because we totally could have walked too.
But given that I bought only the basic park ticket that day without any Universal Express options (we waited ONE FULL HOUR for the Hogwarts ride), I considered it worth it.
Peep some of our pictures from the day below!
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