This Just In - Current USH Happenings

[ItsAtrap]

The area in red has no administration offices, its all retail.

Yep. Lots of admin offices in that red area.

 

[SofaKing381222]

It's only been a week since I've been up to CityWalk, and I assure you upon my arrival today, every person there was subject to my bitchy resting face.


due to the new security section being open, the pedestrian bridge over USBlvd is closed which causes another excuse for vehicle park goers to aggressively push pedestrians. In addition to that getting into CityWalk from this section takes so much longer since you have to circumnavigate the entire globe. The days of quick photos of yourself with the globe are gone; it's now only available with forced theme park lines.


As you can tell, im not a fan of the security extension in implementation...


Photos to come shortly.

 

[Chris]

I agree that Saddle Ranch is in the way. 

 

[Ryan]

Considering everything going on its safe to assume that the proposed hotel going in Saddle Ranch's place is either not happening or severely altered... y'know, beyond the indefinite delay.

 

[javierm27]

Not sure if this has been discussed but Metro has approved their pilot program to start charging for parking at 9 stations, 2 of those are NoHo and Universal City.  The program looks to launch in winter of 2016.


http://thesource.metro.net/2016/03/24/metro-board-approves-pilot-parking-fee-program-at-nine-metro-rail-stations/

 

[RyanTTD]

Wizarding World opening day ticket update:


1-Day Ticket for the 7th is almost sold out:





Front of Line is sold out on the 7th and is close to a sell out on the 9th.





V.I.P is sold out on the 7th:

 

[Byzantinefire]

Wizarding World opening day ticket update:


1-Day Ticket for the 7th is almost sold out:





Front of Line is sold out on the 7th and is close to a sell out on the 9th.





V.I.P is sold out on the 7th:

Another April Fools day joke i suspect.

 

[RyanTTD]

Another April Fools day joke i suspect.

Nope. Its on Universals ticketing website, your welcomed to go look for yourself if you dont believe me.


https://store.universalstudioshollywood.com/PurchaseTickets.aspx


Also 2016 Season Pass, CA Resident Annual Pass, CA Resident Plus Annual Pass, and Gold Annual Pass is alsmost sold out for the 7th.

 

[eivega]

Are they accounting for existing passholders when they sell out single day tickets?  AP holders who are not blocked out can still enter the park that day, correct?

 

[RyanTTD]

Single day tickets for the 7th have sold out and the 2016 Season Pass , CA Resident Annual Passes, and Gold Annual Pass have also sold out.


If you want to visit on the 7th and currently do not have a ticket, you must purchase a 1-Day Anytime ticket or Platinum Annual Pass.

 

[12th Man]

The Lankershim Pedestrian Bridge is now open, and just in time!

 

[k_peek_2000]

The Lankershim Pedestrian Bridge is now open, and just in time!

The past few days, crews have been out there basically 24 hours a day trying to get it done.

 

[Jon Fu]

Universal is announcing a new hotel program:

Universal Studios Hollywood Introduces All-New Preferred Hotel Program,
Partnering with Over 20 Los Angeles Area Hotels
to Provide Premium Consumer Benefits with Every Stay
 
Preferred Hotel Program Provides Flexibility to Book via
Universal Studios Hollywood’s Desktop and Mobile Websites
​

 
​

Universal City, California, April 25, 2016 – Universal Studios Hollywood is rolling out the welcome mat to guests booking their stay at any one of over 20 Los Angeles partner hotels as part of the destination’s newly launched Preferred Hotel Program.


The diverse array of hotels extends from ocean side in Santa Monica to the heart of the San Fernando Valley, and from a vibrant Hollywood and West Hollywood to a bustling downtown L.A., providing travelers with a broad selection of neighborhoods that best suit their vacation and business needs while visiting the City of Angels.


The Preferred Hotel Program, accessible through Universal Studios Hollywood’s desktop and mobile websites, features a listing and descriptive overview of each of the hotels along with a “book now” option designed to make the process as easy as possible. Many of the select hotels also offer a variety of amenities, including complimentary shuttle service to Universal Studios Hollywood, free hotel parking and complimentary breakfast. When guests confirm their hotel package, which consists of hotel accommodations and tickets to the theme park, they will receive the added benefit of one hour early entry to “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™.”


Over the past five years, Universal Studios Hollywood has undergone an unprecedented revitalization. Today, over 75 percent of the destination has been reimagined and can be characterized as an entirely new theme park experience.


In addition to the just opened “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter,” the summer arrival of “The Walking Dead” permanent attraction, and the recent additions of “Fast & Furious: Supercharged” as the grand finale to the world-famous Studio Tour, “Springfield,” “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem,” “Transformers: The Ride 3D,” the “Nighttime Studio Tour” and the new “Special Effects Show,” Universal Studios Hollywood is continually exploring new, groundbreaking ways to provide guests with the ultimate Hollywood experience. More information is available at www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com. Guests can link directly to the Preferred Hotel Program by visiting www.universalstudioshollywood.com/hotels. Like Universal Studios Hollywood on Facebook and follow @UniStudios on Instagram and Twitter.

 

[Ryan]

I assume the shuttle service to USH is the only thing that the hotels are really adding, and the "early entry" is not exclusive either. Checking out the prices and after having myself done hotel shopping in the area a few weeks back, I can honestly say that money-wise this has very little advantage to the customer. What it does, and what Universal is probably aiming for is the acknowledgement that North Hollywood, the Valley and the surrounding Burbank area is this bubbling hot mess of confusion for the customer. It's very easy to see tourists fall haphazardly into a seedy dive motel as the market is insanely divided. Now at the very least Universal can nudge tourists themselves into a better decision, lending itself to a better overall vacation since they themselves will be the center.


But there's still the fact that there is a severely insane pay gap here. I personally had to dig deeper into my vacation fund and shockingly wound up with a stay at the UC Hilton for my upcoming trip as the least expensive option in the area that I felt safe to stay in... and that was anything but cheap. I admire what they are doing here, but it needs to be acknowledged that this is unintentionally reinforcing the idea of a USH-based vacation being overtly expensive and an upsetting lack of family-friendly appease. This is not the fault of the city or the two UC hotels themselves: they aren't made to cater to the family/theme park crowd, it's instead to the wealthy Hollywood crowd. 


Unlike Anaheim, there's zero range to be found here. Universal themselves put out the announcements of theme park-exclusive hotels and the construction has been a complete non-starter. (you can even drive past the barren site) I'm not sure if there was a delay with the contractor, Lowes or just cold feet on Universal's part themselves, but it's almost kind of bizarre they didn't set out to have a chain in the intermin possibly plant a small location in the area, especially considering how long delayed the project has been. We can go on and on about the local factor but at least for one hotel, just ONE the market exists for it. I know it. It just reinforces the notion that they still don't know what the hell they're doing in many aspects. 


So, good initiative but ultimately sending the wrong message. 

 

[Freak]

So Orlando announced that they are now offering plastic cards for their annual passes. Your turn USH….oh wait, they're still deciding what passes they want to sell, huh? 

 

[Rideguy70]

I know, I've been hoping for plastic cards as well.  Given how green they want to me, it would make sense to have a card that can be recycled.  Plus, I don't know if it's happened to anyone else, but the bar code on my paper pass gets worn down over time... often to the point where I need to get my pass reprinted.  Does that happen to anyone else?


In the meantime, I've been using the StoCard app on my iPhone, which allows you to upload all those club cards you get a various places like grocery stores all in one app.  You can add in custom codes, and I've done it for my Universal pass.  It never gets questioned at all at the main gate, and they are always able to scan it right off the phone.  The parking gate people always give it a second look, though.  But it does work for them as well.

 

[RyanTTD]

Screw plastic cards, I want an iPhone app.   They can scan park tickets off of cell phone, why cant I have an app with my pass on it?

 

[chris.g]

^ Even Six Flags did it before they did... 

 

[RyanTTD]

^ Even Six Flags did it before they did... 

Seriously. 


Disneyland, SeaWorld, and Knott's have apps that allow you to load your pass onto as well.


For the price that Universal charges, I find it  ridiculous that they don't have an app. 

 

[Alexshow.]

I'll just casually drop this here, like any normal human being would.. (Tweet by Parent Site of USHForums, IU)