State of USH - What's Next?

[Jerroddragon]

If Fallout Stays then I'm for sure investing in a a full cosplay as a Vault Dweller

 

[Viator]

Universal's seemingly about to prepare for another major film project on the lot. Unclear where it'd be, if it'd be Falls Lake again or somewhere else.

 

[Viator]

 

[Jerroddragon]

I’d love an option of just the studio tour if the studio tour no food/attractions was an option I’d definitely take that

 

[Jerroddragon]

Just a Heads up as well not a huge Update but the Grabber has taken over AMC theaters out front and inside the Theater are costumes from The Black Phone 2 and also Van Helsing

 

[Viator]

More has been specified about the new Guided Walking Tour, as both that and the VIP Experience are "Separate Add-On" Experiences.

Guided Theme Park Tour Add On:

• Starts at 200$ per person (Will range from 200$ to 305$ at the highest)
• Unlimited Express
• Guided Walking Tour
• Meal at a In-Park Location or at a Citywalk Hollywood location
• Valet Parking

VIP Experience Add On:

• Starts at 250$ Per Person (Will range from 250$ to 355$ at the highest)
• Unlimited Express
• Expert Guided Tour, including the VIP Trolley around the Universal Backlot
• The VIP Gourmet Meal at Moulin Rouge
• Valet Parking

Additionally, you can buy the VIP Experience Outright even still, as the main full ticket; but I wonder if that might be getting retired in favor of the Add-On.

 

[Viator]

Via Reddit, USH Citywalk operated stores are becoming cashless. Dining venues seem to be coming next.

 

[Pacific]

Huh…

 

[Jerroddragon]

Via Reddit, USH Citywalk operated stores are becoming cashless. Dining venues seem to be coming next.

I know it won’t happen but we needs laws stopping this

Cash is cash, I dislike businesses can just choose to say US dollars are useless here

Sea world I know does this as well and it’s also BS

 

[Freak]

Via Reddit, USH Citywalk operated stores are becoming cashless. Dining venues seem to be coming next.

Yeah I kinda hate this.

 

[Pacific]

I know it won’t happen but we needs laws stopping this

Cash is cash, I dislike businesses can just choose to say US dollars are useless here

Sea world I know does this as well and it’s also BS

As a customer, it sucks (not for me personally because I never carry cash). As an employee, however; its a god send (besides when online services go down).

Therefore, mixed feelings. They need to provide cash to card machines.

 

[Freak]

As a customer, it sucks (not for me personally because I never carry cash). As an employee, however; its a god send (besides when online services go down).

Therefore, mixed feelings. They need to provide cash to card machines.

I think it’s really funny how they just announced this just a couple of days out of the AWS shutdown. If that were to happen again and hey don’t take cash….well….they're gonna lose some serious money.

 

[Evan]

Honestly I don’t really mind or care. Cash is not the way these days, and is relatively high risk for a busy theme park. Lots of user error, shorts, audits throughout the day.

Digital payments are seamless, and usually less user error / shortages / audits needed.

I think most businesses will do this as time goes on, and theme parks can easily offer a place to exchange cash for a card you can use in the parks at vendors.

 

[Mad Dog]

Honestly I don’t really mind or care. Cash is not the way these days, and is relatively high risk for a busy theme park. Lots of user error, shorts, audits throughout the day.

Digital payments are seamless, and usually less user error / shortages / audits needed.

I think most businesses will do this as time goes on, and theme parks can easily offer a place to exchange cash for a card you can use in the parks at vendors.

The one thing I dislike when they go to cashless is that many places add a tip section for all stuff, even things like cashiers for merch and
quick service stations, that shouldn't receive tips because they don't receive a tip rated type pay. I'm a generous tipper, for real tip employees,
but tips for everyone kind of defeats the purpose.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

TEA Attendance Report suggests USH 2024 attendance level is down 10% compared to 2023, a drop of nearly 1M guests for the year (2.8k guests less a day on average).


Universal on their quarterly reports also suggested that USH is down attendance wise this year.

Disneyland Resort in the same timeframe (2023-24) increased 0.5%, Knott's by 6.5% and SFMM by 0.5%. Even SeaWorld San Diego increased by 0.8%.

For those who visit USH frequently, what do you think is happening? Did Universal get too pricey or better offers elsewhere? I understand that we're coming off a year with SNW opening... but the point of these expansions is to grow your attendance incrementally long-term, not for a 1-year boost. Was the drop due to HHN?

*And yes, TEA attendance reports are not 100% accurate... but they provide a decent overview of the industry and generally are aligned with what is reported on official reports from the companies themselves.

 

[Jake S]

I haven’t been to Universal Studios Hollywood on a non-HHN night for more than five years when I had an annual pass for a year. The problem (for me) is that a single day ticket is way too expensive for the experience you’re getting and there isn’t enough to do to justify getting an annual pass.

If I was much more into Super Nintendo World, maybe that would change. But there just aren’t enough attractions, or enough great attractions, for me to regularly visit it.

 

[Jerroddragon]

TEA Attendance Report suggests USH 2024 attendance level is down 10% compared to 2023, a drop of nearly 1M guests for the year (2.8k guests less a day on average).

View attachment 28159
Universal on their quarterly reports also suggested that USH is down attendance wise this year.

Disneyland Resort in the same timeframe (2023-24) increased 0.5%, Knott's by 6.5% and SFMM by 0.5%. Even SeaWorld San Diego increased by 0.8%.

For those who visit USH frequently, what do you think is happening? Did Universal get too pricey or better offers elsewhere? I understand that we're coming off a year with SNW opening... but the point of these expansions is to grow your attendance incrementally long-term, not for a 1-year boost. Was the drop due to HHN?

*And yes, TEA attendance reports are not 100% accurate... but they provide a decent overview of the industry and generally are aligned with what is reported on official reports from the companies themselves.

For Disney thats impressive, for all the talk online about it costing to much...I guess not because more people went this year then last year and they raise the price of food, merch, tickets and LL in the last year

USH compared to Sea World/Six Flags...its good but also what was the numbers before? Knotts is up so much because the Six Flags pass is 175 bucks and I can go to both parks now, unless this is not counting after summer but if it is then Knotts Jumping makes a lot of sense to me because of the Cheap AP and if this before that then I assume many who can't afford Disneyland but are locals are heading to Knotts and to be fair Knotts does feel packed when I go, two shows I tried to see last month (this is in line 40 mins before they started) would not let me in with 100's of others because they are full and the food lines to me are a joke, just insane lines that Knotts does not seem prepared for


As for why USH might be down, No new rides or experiences this year outside the summer event which, was fun for mostly locals but character meet and greets aren't going to drive people to the park unless its like FNAF or something insanely in demand like that.
Also people on this site are claiming many are ready to get APs and fly over here for the coaster so maybe some are waiting for that before coming

I dont know if it would have changed the game enough but I think what could have helped this year is
1) HTTYD was added to the Dream works theater it would have tied in with the summer event and movie and the new land over at Epic (I mean at the end of the attraction you could have a map of the land at Epic and a QR code telling you how to get more information)
2) Some sort of show in the plaza for summer or a new Harry Potter Fantastic Beasts show on the little stage in the land would have helped draw more people
3) Added something to the Tram themed to Oz which would tie into the summer event and also promote the next movie

Edit: I'm piggybacking off of Jake....USH needs to use some land for more theme lands....People here fight me on the hotel area being used but Jake and I'm sure many others have the same issue the park has less then 15 attractions/shows. The events USH throw are the best in the state HHN and Fan fest blow away the after dark events at Disneyland but the park needs 2 more lands and no redoing the Simpsons isn't apart of that

 

[Evan]

TEA Attendance Report suggests USH 2024 attendance level is down 10% compared to 2023, a drop of nearly 1M guests for the year (2.8k guests less a day on average).

View attachment 28159
Universal on their quarterly reports also suggested that USH is down attendance wise this year.

Disneyland Resort in the same timeframe (2023-24) increased 0.5%, Knott's by 6.5% and SFMM by 0.5%. Even SeaWorld San Diego increased by 0.8%.

For those who visit USH frequently, what do you think is happening? Did Universal get too pricey or better offers elsewhere? I understand that we're coming off a year with SNW opening... but the point of these expansions is to grow your attendance incrementally long-term, not for a 1-year boost. Was the drop due to HHN?

*And yes, TEA attendance reports are not 100% accurate... but they provide a decent overview of the industry and generally are aligned with what is reported on official reports from the companies themselves.

Not frequent… but as an international guest who visited last year …

I just don’t think it has repeat value for most. They got their boost from the locals and tourists coming to see what’s new in 2023, which was enough for them, and they haven’t been back.

I know any of our future California plans would include Disneyland, but we would not go back to USH anytime soon.