LA 2025

Last month, we took a summer family trip to Los Angeles. The highlight was a two-day visit to Universal Studios — but we packed a few other stops along the way too.

Right before we headed to the stay, we visited UCLA since my daughter (now in 11th grade) has some interest in the school. The campus was beautiful, and the surrounding college town had a great vibe. That said, however, it didn’t feel particularly unique or striking — more in line with the solid public universities I’ve visited before, like UDub or UIUC. Great schools, no doubt, but without that extra “not-usual” factor you might get from somewhere like Stanford.

We stayed at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Glendale. Originally, I considered getting a hotel near Hollywood for easier access to Universal, but Glendale turned out to be a great choice — just a less than 30-minute drive to the park and super convenient thanks to its location next to the Americana at Brand.

For dinner, we walked over to Din Tai Fung (Glendale location). As always (and as every Din Tai Fung), it was crowded — but the food didn’t disappoint.

Afterward, we enjoyed the fountain show at the Americana. It’s small, but I heard it was created by the same company behind the Bellagio fountains in Vegas. Having a lively shopping and dining area right near our hotel made Glendale feel like the right choice.

On Day 1 at Universal Studios, we began with early access to Super Nintendo World at 8 a.m. (the gates actually opened around 7:30). The walk to the Nintendo area took about 30 minutes — the staff guided us all the way. Thanks to the early access, we could ride Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge three times before general entry began. Even though we’d seen tons of YouTube videos ahead of time, the experience was still amazing.

We had lunch at Toad Cafe, and surprisingly, it was really good. Most theme park food is forgettable, but this place delivered both in quality and in fun Mario-themed presentation. Easily the best dining experience in the park.

I usually avoid anything close to a roller coaster (unlike my wife, who loves them), but The Simpsons Ride was perfect for me — no real drops, just a clever 3D motion simulator. It ended up being my favorite ride of the day.

I expected the Studio Tour to be just a calm sightseeing ride, but it turned out to be way more interactive — featuring a mini disaster movie setup, a King Kong 3D experience, and even a classic Jaws scare.

Even though Waterworld flopped as a movie, the stunt show based on it remains one of Universal’s best live shows.

And to wrap the night, we watched The Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle. No fireworks — just an amazing projection and laser show. Visually stunning, and probably much more eco-friendly too.

On the second day, we parked at the regular E.T. Parking Lot. The staff warned us it was a 15+ minute walk, but it actually took less than 10 — through a surprisingly nice path via CityWalk.

While my wife ran to ride Jurassic Park, I wandered into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

I had planned to skip Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, but my wife convinced me to at least check out the waiting area inside the castle — and it was totally worth it. The theming was top-notch, and it really felt like stepping into the movie.

We also caught a magic show, had lunch at Three Broomsticks, and — finally — I got to try Butterbeer.

There are two takeaways for Universal Studios:
• The park gets way too crowded in the afternoon.
• One day is simply not enough — two-day tickets are the way to go.
Going early is key if you want to actually enjoy the rides.

On the way back, we stopped at the Getty Museum — always a favorite. Big thanks to Mr. Getty for opening such an incredible place to the public.

We spent the night at Harris Ranch (our go-to I‑5 rest stop) to avoid a late-night mountain drive. The next day, we made it home and grabbed lunch from In-N-Out — the perfect California wrap-up of another 761-mile family trip.