At midnight on New Year’s Eve, the four of us were standing in Springfield at Universal Studios Hollywood, watching fireworks go up right over the Simpsons’ hometown, and every one of us had sore legs. We’d walked into the park around nine that morning. Vika, Josh, Emily and I spent the whole day and the whole night there, and we would do it again.
But there’s one thing we got wrong, and it left all four of us hungry, cold and a little cranky with hours still to go before the countdown. When I was planning this trip I couldn’t find much from families who had actually done New Year’s Eve at Universal, so here’s the full day, start to finish, with the honest parts left in. If you only want the cost and how to book, that’s near the bottom.
Why We Spent New Year’s Eve at a Theme Park
For us the appeal was simple. A full day and night of celebrating together as a family, all in one place, and it felt safe to us. Universal throws a New Year’s Eve party it calls EVE, with DJs, a countdown and fireworks at midnight. On our visit the party was part of regular park admission, so check this year’s details before you buy anything.
We went with the VIP Experience that day. We had already done Universal on regular tickets during a spring break trip, and this time we wanted to actually get on rides on a winter break crowd day and get closer to the backlot. I’m putting together a separate regular versus VIP comparison, so I’ll keep the ticket talk light here and stick to what the day was like.
The Morning Starts Upstairs in the VIP Lounge
We got to the park about half an hour to 45 minutes before our ticket time, and there was no line. We got scanned in, went through security, found the right window, and they took us upstairs to the VIP waiting room. Coffee was waiting, and breakfast was included, which was a nice way to start a very long day. The lounge looks right down over the entrance plaza, so you can watch the park fill up while you eat.
Parking was included with the VIP ticket too, which regular admission doesn’t give you. Then the guided part starts, and our group headed out with a guide on the VIP trolley.
The Backlot Tour Is the Part You Can’t Get Any Other Way
The VIP backlot tour makes stops the regular tram doesn’t. We saw the prop shop, we went onto a real soundstage, the set of St. Denis Medical, and we walked around the square where Back to the Future was filmed, plus the sets from The Good Place.
Here’s a tip I didn’t expect. Our guide mentioned that a couple of days before our visit, the Back to the Future area had been closed for production. Over winter break, shows are usually on hiatus and fewer movies are filming, so you’re less likely to find parts of the backlot closed off. We got lucky, and the holidays are part of why.
Front of the Line, Almost Every Ride
This is where VIP really earned it on a holiday crowd day. You skip the line for the rides, and we went straight to the front for Harry Potter and Mario Kart, and rode a lot of things more than once. The one letdown for me was Earthquake, which was closed, for maintenance as I remember it. So not every ride, but close.
Even with VIP, you are on your feet all day. Honestly, the only time we sat down was on a ride or at a meal. The holiday decorations were still up everywhere, which made the walking a lot more fun.
When we walked through Springfield, we got the giant donut, and all of us had some of it. It’s one of those things you do because you’re there, and it ended up being one of the photos we like most from the whole day.
Lunch Was Included, and It Was a Real Meal
Lunch came with the VIP ticket, served as a buffet, and it was a proper sit down break in the middle of the day. My plate is in the photo, crab legs and sushi included. Keep in mind that breakfast and lunch were covered, because that’s exactly where our plan fell apart later.
Sunset, a Tram Ride to Sit Down, Then the Party
Late in the afternoon we had some time to kill, and we wanted to spend a little time sitting, so we rode the regular Studio Tour tram. We skipped that line as well.
Then the sun went down, and the park turned into a completely different place. There were different music areas around the park, each one with a DJ playing a different style. There was music pretty much everywhere we walked, and the whole place felt like a party.
The Mistake: We Didn’t Plan Dinner
Breakfast and lunch came with our tickets, so dinner was the one meal we had to figure out ourselves. And we didn’t plan it. We figured we’d play it by ear.
By early evening we were hungry, the kids were hungry, and once the sun went down it got a lot cooler. Yes, even in Southern California. So we walked out the gate to CityWalk, which is right next to the park. A couple of places were booked or quoting waits of a couple of hours, and everyone was getting cranky, grown ups included.
Then we walked into Buca di Beppo, looked at the menu, and everyone said, perfect, we could eat here. The wait was about 45 minutes. Vika had eaten there before, the kids and I hadn’t. The food was fine, but just sitting down together was a huge relief. Dinner was somewhere around six or seven, maybe eight at the latest, and then we walked back into the park.
Midnight in Springfield
After dinner we did a couple more rides. A little before 11:30, Josh and I rode The Simpsons Ride, and then we stayed in Springfield to watch the fireworks. Then came the countdown, and the fireworks went up right there over Springfield.
The kids enjoyed the fireworks, but by then we were all tired. We’d been on our feet since nine in the morning, and our legs hurt for a while afterward. It was still worth it, a nice cherry on top of our day.
Is New Year’s Eve at Universal Studios Hollywood Worth It for Families?
Yes. I’d recommend New Year’s Eve here to any family, and with teenagers, absolutely. We loved every minute. VIP or not, it’s worth doing. Without VIP, just expect to stand in line longer.
With younger kids, it may not be the best way to spend New Year’s. They’ll get tired, and it’s loud between the music and the fireworks, so bring headphones they can wear.
Three Things We’d Do Differently
- Bring layers for the evening. It gets a lot cooler once the sun goes down, even in Southern California.
- Book the earliest slot you can. It’s a long day, so prepare for it. Even with VIP you’re still on your feet, and an early start gives you the most time in the park.
- Plan dinner and make a reservation. On New Year’s Eve, reservations fill up quickly, and this is the one we learned the hard way.
What the VIP Experience Costs, and How to Book It
At the time of writing, Viator lists the VIP Experience from about $360 per person. That covers park admission, the guided backlot tour, front of the line access, a meal in the VIP dining room, the lounge and valet parking.
You can book the exact VIP Experience we did on Viator. If VIP isn’t in the budget, there are general admission tickets and front of the line tickets on Viator too, and the New Year’s Eve party itself was included with regular admission on our visit.
This article is not sponsored. Nothing was comped by Universal, and we didn’t tell them we were going to write about our day. The Viator links above are affiliate links, so if you book through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
Common Questions About New Year’s Eve at Universal Studios Hollywood
Does Universal Studios Hollywood do anything for New Year’s Eve?
Yes. Universal throws a New Year’s Eve party called EVE, with party areas and DJs around the park, a countdown and fireworks at midnight. Times and details change, so check Universal’s site for this year’s schedule.
Is the New Year’s Eve party included with park admission?
On our visit it was. The music, the countdown and the fireworks were all part of regular park admission. Check the current details before you buy, since that can change.
Where is the best place to watch the fireworks?
We watched from Springfield, the Simpsons part of the upper lot, and the fireworks went up right over us. Universal has also listed the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Plaza and the Lower Lot as viewing spots.
Is New Year’s Eve at Universal good for kids?
For teens, absolutely. With younger kids, think about stamina and noise. It’s a long day on your feet, and the music and fireworks are loud, so bring headphones they can wear.
Is the VIP Experience worth it on New Year’s Eve?
For us it was. More of our time went to rides instead of standing in line, breakfast and lunch were included, and the backlot tour went places the regular tram doesn’t. You’re still on your feet all day, though.
Where can you eat dinner on New Year’s Eve?
CityWalk is right outside the park gate, with plenty of restaurants. On New Year’s Eve, make a reservation ahead of time. We didn’t, and we waited about 45 minutes after a couple of places quoted us waits of a couple of hours.
Flying into Los Angeles for the trip? Here’s our take on the United Club at LAX.
