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Burbank Studio Tours Compared

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Having previously visited and reviewed the three big film studios north of Hollywood, I thought I would compare the Burbank Studio Tours!

Burbank Studio Tours

Burbank Studio Tours

For those who don’t know, there are three working studios located near each other in the Burbank/upper Hollywood area: Universal, Warner Bros., and Walt Disney. Each place handles tours differently and seems better suited to different demographics. So, if you are wondering how each of these tours compares and which one is for you, keep reading!

Universal Studios Tour

I’ll start with the first one I did and I would wager is lots of people’s first (and only?): Universal! You see, you can’t actually schedule a straight Universal Studios Tour. However, there’s a ride at the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park that takes you on a cart ride through the studios! The “ride” is included with park admission and can be repeated to see different things.

You can get an extended look at the lot by booking a VIP Tour. I was lucky enough to book it and posted a Universal Studios Hollywood VIP Tour Review back in 2024. We were able to get off the bus and walk through some of the props department. We also got to step on the lot where some “Pirates” movie and “The Good Place” show was filmed.

Neither of these options guarantees access to specific lots though and experiences can vary greatly. The tours can’t access lots where filming is taking place. Plus, Halloween Horror Nights can interrupt the studio tours with props and houses.

I think Universal Studios Tours are more of an add-on to a theme park day. Yes, you visit the back lot and maybe get to walk on a lot when you are VIP. However, it left me wanting more from a studio tour and I was happy to have the WB Studio the next day. If you are curious what a studio lot is like and don’t want to spend all day at a studio, then this is sufficient.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour

The second option is the Warner Brothers Studio Tour. WB has really leaned into the studio tours with multiple tour options. They also host seasonal events to celebrate movie anniversaries and/or holidays throughout the year. On my visit, I only had time to do the standard studio tour. This gets you a 1 hour guided tour of the lot with access to other experiences they estimate will take 2 hours. In my Warner Bros Studio Tour Hollywood Review, I stated that it took me about 2.5 hours total. However, I could have taken much longer if I hadn’t had something else planned for later in the day.

I think the Warner Bros. Tour is best for the folks who really want to see and experience a back lot. Even the standard tour allows you to get off of the cart and walk onto a set! Plus, after the guided portion, then you get to see sets from “The Big Bang Theory”, “Friends”, and more! It was so cool to get a picture on the “Friends” couch/set! There’s sections on “Harry Potter”, “Game of Thrones”, and “Batman”.

Warner Brothers is for people who really want to learn more about the movie making process. You can easily spend a whole day here. I hope to take a longer tour someday, personally. I really enjoyed this tour. However, I enjoy learning about how things work. If you think your group might get bored with a multi-hour experience, then this probably isn’t for you.

Walt Disney Studios Tour

Lastly, there’s the Walt Disney Studios Tour. I think it’s great that the D23 Disney fan club is offering this tour for members. It’s wonderful to visit where the magic was made. Although, this tour focuses on the company’s animated films, which makes it a totally different experience.

As I stated in my Walt Disney Studios Tour Review with D23 this storied lot gave me real pinch-me moments. However, it was a little dry (compared to the other two tours). I would say this is best for hardcore Disney fans. It was amazing to be able to visit Walt Disney’s office and see what it was like when he was alive. It was so cool to walk around where history was made. However, it’s not a traditional studio tour like the others. You don’t get to walk onto a set. Rather, the tour focuses on the animated films that were produced here in the Animation Building. It also highlights the Disney Co. history that happened here.

I love that the tour includes a visit to the Disney Legends Plaza and you get to shop in the special studio employee store for unique merch! Overall, I’d suggest this only for the big Disney fans.

Which Burbank Studio Tours is the best?

I know that people will want to know which Burbank Studio Tours is the best. However, I think it’s subjective and you need to pick the one that suits you/your group best. Universal is a theme park with the studio tour as an add-on. That’s probably better for folks with children. The Disney one is best for big Disney fans. Warner Bros. is great for getting a more intimate look at shows/films actually being made.

So, have you done a studio tour? Which one did you prefer?

Universal Studios Hollywood VIP Tour Review

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Last month, I was fortunate enough to do the Universal Studios Hollywood VIP Tour when I visited the park for the first time. Given that it’s an expensive day, I thought I would write an overview of the day and a list of pros/cons to help anyone deciding if this tour is worth the high price tag.

Universal Studios Hollywood VIP

Universal Studios Hollywood VIP

Given that I had only one day to experience this park, I decided to splurge and try the VIP tour experience. On the day I took it, a random Tuesday in September, this tour cost $379! Unfortunately, that is one of the cheaper days! Although, that price includes your park ticket, a light breakfast, lunch, and more!

Check-in and Breakfast

When you book this experience online, you don’t receive an email with park tickets. Instead, you check in to the right of the regular park entrance at the VIP entrance. At check-in they give you a special lanyard to wear for the day. Then, you are allowed to head upstairs to the VIP lounge to relax and enjoy a light breakfast. I was impressed with the food spread for the breakfast. I enjoyed a croissant sandwich and a guava cheese pastry with some water. You are free to relax in the lounge until your tour time, however I headed out into the park for the Super Nintendo World Early Access. Then, I returned to the lounge afterwards for my tour.

Park Tour

For my tour, we started with the park portion of the day. Over the course of about 3 hours, we hit all of the major attractions found at the park! The lanyards allow you to skip the ride lines all day long, since it acts as a Universal Express pass. However, the tour guide is able to take you in the back way to some rides and skip even some of those lines! Plus, the tour guide holds all of your bags so you don’t have to deal with lockers! Our tour guide was even able to fit in the Waterworld show for us! I was pleased with how much we were able to accomplish in three hours!

Lunch

About 3 hours after the scheduled tour time is lunch. My tour time was 10:45 AM and my lunch time was 1:40 PM. USH calls it a “gourmet meal” but it’s really an elevated buffet lunch, similar to a nice wedding meal. There were some characters roaming around the dining room. Unfortunately, they all skipped my solo adult table and I didn’t get to see any of them. They mostly focused on the tables with children. I suppose that’s why it’s not advertised as a character meal. The food was pretty good, but nothing stood out as particularly amazing to me personally. Also, there’s only two bathrooms for the whole restaurant. So, don’t wait to use the restroom here.

Studio Tour

After lunch, we had the studio portion of the tour. This was the main reason I booked the Universal Studios Hollywood VIP Tour. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to see the lot where Back to the Future was filmed as it was closed for filming. Some additional areas were closed for Halloween Horror Nights and some of the other areas were closed off for filming and/or refurbishment. I understand that’s the nature of these things, but it was disappointing nonetheless. I enjoyed the brisk walk around the props department.

Pros

  • Skip lines – The longest lines I waited in were for check-in, Early Access entry, and lunch.
  • No lockers – It was so useful to have our tour guide take our stuff before we got on rides and to be waiting outside the ride with our stuff. It was great to not have to deal with lockers.
  • Backstage lot – We got to see where they filmed “The Good Place” and some other places that the regular tram tour doesn’t take you.
  • Tour guide – Navigating a new park can be confusing, so having a knowledgeable tour guide is useful.
  • Includes park admission and Express Pass – On the cheapest days, it’s a little over $100 more than a regular park ticket with Express. So, that probably makes it worth it on those days.

Cons

  • Expensive – $369 is the cheapest this tour gets. Around the holidays, it’s $499!
  • No guarantees – Since Universal can’t predict when something will be filming on the lot, they can’t guarantee which lots you will get to see.
  • Fast paced – I don’t recommend this tour for those who tire quickly. It’s a fast paced day.
  • Not exactly personalized – They try to please a group, so there’s no guarantee will you have time to hit up a certain ride.

Tips

  • Consult park hours – If you want to do both the Early Access Hour and the VIP tour, I recommend booking a tour 30-40 minutes after the park opens. I had a 10:45 tour with a park opening of 10:00 AM. I did the Early Access Hour from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM and then casually walked back up to the upper lot with time to spare for my tour. They ask you to return to the lounge 15 minutes before your tour time.
  • Not ideal for sightseeing or pictures – This was a fast-paced tour. Some people grabbed some Butterbeer and then basically had to chug it. I would suggest taking pictures and being leisurely outside the tour as you should have extra time before/after the tour to explore.
  • Wear comfortable shoes – It’s a lot of walking.

Is the Universal Studios Hollywood VIP Tour worth it?

I think the value of this experience depends heavily on the day you visit and what you value. I think most people will do fine with a regular park ticket and Express Pass. However, it was nice to splurge and enjoy this experience. I don’t know that I would do it again, but it was neat to do once.

Have you ever done it?

Hilton LA/Universal City Hotel Review

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Last week, I posted my Super Nintendo World Early Access Review. Today, I want to tell you about the Hilton LA/Universal City Hotel I stayed at while visiting the Burbank area.

Hilton LA/Universal City

Hilton LA/Universal City

Given that I had plans to attend the early access at Universal, I knew that I wanted to stay close to the park. That quickly narrowed down my choices. I was concerned that a shuttle would get to the park later than I wanted and I didn’t want to deal with taking a Lyft. I decided on the Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City due to its walkability to the park and its nice accommodations!

King Room

Typically, I book a standard room with two queen sized beds. However, since I was traveling alone, I went for the one king size bed this time. It was so luxurious to have such a large bed all to myself! The room itself was nicely furnished. The bed was very comfortable! Everything looked modern and felt very high quality. I was impressed with the number of outlets available given the lamp and clock had additional plugins.

My only complaints about the room are very small. I noticed a distinct lack of towel holders, however that is not uncommon for hotels. I also realized that the mini refrigerator ran a little warm and didn’t keep my water very cool.

Location

I was pleased with the location of the hotel. In fact, it’s currently the closest hotel to Universal Studios Hollywood! There’s a shuttle that runs between the park and the hotel. Unfortunately, it never showed up when I was ready to go. So, I always just walked over to Universal. I will say that the first time I walked over, I got a little confused. I think the walk could use more signage. However, it was very convenient to be able to walk over and back whenever I wanted to.

Pros

  • Location – It’s the perfect location for walking over to the park for early access.
  • Comfortable bed – The bed slept great!
  • Luxe feel – Everything about the room was modern and sleek.
  • Views – I had a fantastic view of the city and Super Nintendo World! I enjoyed watching sunsets/sunrises from my room.
  • Modern – It’s obvious the rooms have been updated recently as it looks good and there’s additional plugins in the clock and lamps.
  • On-site restaurants – I didn’t have time to try them, but it was nice to know they were there if I needed them.
  • Gift shop – I actually lost an earring this trip. Thankfully, the gift shop here had an assortment of earrings and I was able to get a pair that worked for me without spending too much.

Cons

  • Pricey – It can be a little pricey to stay here. I managed to get a good deal (Hilton Honors member) of $282 and $288 on a Monday and Tuesday in September. I know I saw higher rates for HHN nights and weekends though.
  • Could use more signs – There needs to be additional signage to help guests navigate their way to the park and back.
  • Heard some noise – I heard some children running/yelling one night. Thankfully, they went to bed at a reasonable hour. Also, the more I travel, the more I realize how common it is to hear things. So, this one wasn’t bad compared to other places.

Is the Hilton LA/Universal City worth it?

I really enjoyed my stay here. It was perfect for my short visit to the area and park. I would definitely stay here again, but I might also consider another (cheaper) place with a shuttle if I wasn’t doing the early access again.

Have you ever stayed here?

Super Nintendo World Early Access Review

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I was recently able to experience the Super Nintendo World Early Access at Universal Studios Hollywood in California. If you are considering purchasing this add-on, then this review is to help you decide if it’s worth it.

Super Nintendo World Early Access

Super Nintendo World Early Access

Super Nintendo World is the newest addition to Universal Studios Hollywood. When it first opened, it was very busy and could be difficult to gain entry to the land. So, Universal started selling tickets to this early access experience that grants people an extra hour in the land prior to the park’s opening. While it is easy to come and go in the land now, an extra hour in the land sounded good to me. So, I decided to try out the experience for myself.

Good for First Time Visitors

This was actually my very first time visiting this park. So, it was nice to follow the crowd around the park and down the escalators to the lower lot. However, just know that this leisurely walk isn’t for sightseeing the rest of the park. I came back afterwards to take in things that I had passed in a hurry and I recommend others do the same.

What can you accomplish?

During my extra hour in this land I was able to walk around the entire land and take lots of pictures without people standing in the way. Additionally, I was able to ride the one ride in the land – Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge! I also was able to meet the characters that often have long lines. I met Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Princess Peach! There was time to play a few games, but it wouldn’t have been enough time to play them all at this point. So, you can accomplish a good bit during this extra hour since the land is much less crowded than during the day.

Is Super Nintendo World Early Access worth it?

If you have visited the land previously, it’s probably not worth it. However, if you have one day to explore the park (like me), then I think it’s totally worth the extra $20-30/person. Also, if you are a big Nintendo fan or just enjoy immersive theming, then this is definitely worth it. Have you ever done this add-on experience?