Universal Studios Hollywood - Tips and Tricks

So, you finally decided to go to Universal Studios in Hollywood, CA. Do you know what to do, eat and how many days should you plan on being there?  If you are like me and love people watching, let me give you OUR secret in conquering the theme park without having cranky and hungry kids who are overly tired from waiting in never-ending lines.

My goal for the day - if the wait is over 20 min (30 min tops), skip and come back later.

Stay
2 hotels are closest to Universal Studios. I bet you couldn't decide which one is better.
The truth is they are both priced similar and are located across the street from Universal Studios parking structure. Also, there is a shuttle that transports you between the theme park and the hotels. We have stayed at both hotels BUT my preference is the Sheraton Hotel. Here is my only reason: the shuttle picks you up at Sheraton Hotel before making the second stop at the Hilton. If there are a bunch of us seated on the bus from Sheraton, the shuttle may skip Hilton entirely.

Tickets
You can purchase the tickets on the website and at the gate. BUT you can also buy the ticket or season pass at Costco (online or in-store). I personally prefer to buy it on Costco but understand that you have to make an entire payment upfront and no parking comes with it.

If you are thinking about whether or not you should buy Universal Express, I would say -- why pay extra $180-$279. If you plan your day correctly, you'll be able to watch all the shows and go on the rides numerous times without waiting in line for hours. 

Play -- Itinerary for the Day

You don't need to get to the park first thing in the morning. I mean, yes - it helps but why rush why you are supposed to be on vacation, right? Say, the park opens at 9am and there is an early entry at 8am -- you can still enjoy your breakfast first and then get to the park between 9-10am.

Try to go in the same order to start BUT be flexible should there be a delay or ride closures. 

1. Kung-Fu Panda: It's a multi-sensory, motion simulation attraction. You will sit in the chairs that are in theater style. Kids loved it.
2. Transformer Ride: 3D/4D thrill ride. If you get here early, you can go on the ride multiple times as the lines will most likely be 10-15 min long only. Enjoy!!
3. Mummy Ride: A thrill ride
4. The Simpsons Ride Motion simulation 
5. The Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
6. Studio Tours: 3D/4D tour that involved going to Kong island, Fast & the Furious and studio backlot tour
7. Flight of the Hippogriff: A thrill ride
8. Harry Potter & the forbidden journey: A thrill ride

By this time, it's time to wind down for lunch. We typically love eating at Gru's Cafe. You can get BBQ chicken with corn, Nachos and many other items.

The lines are so long everywhere else and after lunch, it's time for you to go watch the shows. There are plenty of shows to watch -- Animal Actors and Special Effect show is where we tend to hide from the sun and rest our tired & sore feet. After the shows, we hang around Hogsmeade. If you haven't purchased your magic wands, you need to visit Ollivander's. At this time, our kids go around to play with their magic wands.

Pay attention to when Frogs Choir or Tri-Wizard Tournaments shows will be... it's kind of cool to immerse yourself while drinking Butterbeer. We tend to stay around here until about 3pm (people watching near Starbucks before we go for more shows, attractions, character meet & greet and also repeat some of the rides.

6pm seems like a good time to visit Jurassic World ride. The lines had somewhat dwindled down as people are getting ready for dinner. After the ride, go for dinner at Simpsons Land. We typically choose, Cletus Chicken Shack or Moe's Tavern -- oh the food is heavenly.

After all the rides are done and around 7:30pm, we watched Waterworld. You still have plenty of time to go repeat attractions before making back to Hogsmeade to watch the Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle which tends to be our closure for the night.

Buy

Our kids are not really into snacking but they always ask for dipping dots ice-cream. Other than that, we bought 1 souvenir cup to refill soda (and water into our own bottles) throughout the day. The free refill expires at midnight.

Other than the Hogwarts robe and the wands (which we have bought 2 years ago), we didn't really buy anything at the theme park. We went into almost all the stores to window-shop and interact with cast members who are in character. 

Conclusion

Yes, you can visit Universal Studios - Hollywood for a day and enjoy the attractions without running to beat the crowd. At the end of the day, I hit 10,000 steps which I think isn't so bad for an entire day of fun. 

How do you conquer Universal Studios - Hollywood? Let me know.

Parents Need a Time-Out!!

We dated 7 years before we tied the knot. Then waited 2 years to have our firstborn and 2 years after for the 2nd child. We had much alone time before our kids but when the kids came in our lives, those alone times became non-existent.

We are truly blessed to have family living nearby. We need not hire sitters when grandparents, aunts and uncles are a stone throw away. We attempted to go on date nights when the kids were little. Of course, those initial date nights were horrible because we felt guilty to enjoy ourselves without our kids. Naturally, we talked about kids during the night and rushed home within an hour. Fast forward 8 years (and 20 years into the relationship), we noticed we lost the US because we were being awesome parents. We were both climbing corporate ladders and providing for the family with the needs and the wants. Life came between US and we started to lose ourselves. 

The first thing to get back into the groove is CHANGING our mentality (on date night). We realized that it is not just a wish or a want, but more like a need. If we don't do this for us, there will not be US in the future. Secondly, when we are concentrating on us, we made a promise to NOT TALK about the kids. Trust me, that was the tough one. Third, we said to ourselves that these alone time need NOT be an extravagant night with dinner at a fancy restaurant. With those 3 factors in mind, we have our date every Friday night leading to Saturday afternoon while the kids are enjoying the quality time with the cousins at their grandparents' house.

We have done desserts night at a local shop or Netflix movie night. We typically spend less than $50 for our dates. On weekdays, our kids are put to bed at 8:30-9pm and even if they're not sleepy, they are told we need our alone time. The main thing is we are making time and enjoying each other company. Perhaps, we will go away for a couple of nights one of these days.

For Saturday evening and the entire Sunday, we spend time with our kids exploring what SF Bay Area has to offer. The words of advice I received and took to heart is -- Make time for your spouse. When your kids have grown up and left, it'll just be you and your spouse.

How do you make and spend time with your loved ones without the kids?

Kids Friendly Family Roadtrip - SF Bay Area to LA

When our kids were young, we made our frequent pilgrimage to southern California primarily to go to Disneyland, Legoland and Universal Studios. We got on/off the plane and spent an entire vacation in the parks or the hotel. Since then, we have ventured off to travelling internationally - but then again, that's an entirely new blog.

At the end of the summer holiday, I have noticed that we haven't travelled anywhere. Kids enjoyed attending an array of summer camps, but according to my son - "but we didn't get to go on summer vacation." I struggled and looked to find a decent vacation bundle but unfortunately, I ran into a new predicament. Domestic airlines are no longer offering seat choices at the time of the booking and we have to pick seats on the first-come-first-serve basis. OY!

Think, mama! THINK! Then came up with an idea to take our Tesla out for the long drive. Let's see how efficient is this Tesla supercharger network.

Weeks leading to the trip, I have watched many YouTube and studied awesome things to do with the kids on and off the road. I even made a fancy spreadsheet detailing every part of our trip towards Southern Cali. 

One thing I read many many times is to be flexible when we are on the road. So yes - we do our best to keep to our schedule, but we have omitted and added while we were on the road.

First Day: The day of the trip 

If you noticed on the spreadsheet, we were hoping to leave at 5am. But with the last minute packing and feeding the kids, we didn't leave until 7am. But I figured, we will be OK as we are not going to be hitting the traffic just yet.

1st Stop: Big Basin Redwoods State Park (Boulder Creek, CA)

Arrival: 8:30am
Departure: 10am
Cost: $10 for parking (and trail map)

We noticed as we ascend into the redwoods, the GPS signal went out (and so was music streaming) on Tesla. The cell phone signals were also spotty. But we made it to the entrance into the Visitor Center.

** Clean flushing toilets near the visitor center.
** Don't miss a quick photo opportunity with beautiful redwood trees by the restrooms.
** There is a small museum to explore (for free) next to the visitor center.


We decided to take a quick hike. In front of the visitor center is a parking lot (which is empty at this time) and this parking lot also led us to a Redwood loop trail that is less than 1-mile. It is an easy hike for young kids, and definitely wheelchair/stroller accessible. You'll see the Big Basin's main attractions at this trail. Mother of the Forest, Father of the Forest and more. Big Basin Redwoods State Park is definitely a must-go place for photo-ops. 

2nd Stop: Carmel Beach (Monterey, CA)

Arrival: 11:30am

Departure: 12:30pm

About 70 miles down south is a gorgeous beach with white powdery sand. There is a parking lot with plenty of parking spaces (with the entrance on Ocean Ave). This, too have flushing toilets. My kids enjoyed the beach so much that they didn't want to leave. 

3rd Stop: Tesla Chargers at Del Monte Shopping Center (Monterey, CA)

Arrival: 1pm

Departure: 2pm

This was definitely a great time to get energized. While the car was charging, we took a quick lunch at Cali Pizza Kitchen. When we were done eating, the car was charged to the max. Onto the next stop.

4th Stop: Bixby Creek Bridge (Big Sur, CA)

Arrival: 2:30pm

We actually set the GPS to go towards Pfeiffer beach. About 17 miles down Highway 1, there is a bridge that is the Golden Gate Bridge of the Big Sur. We pulled over the side of the highway at the scenic at the vista point. Be watchful of the kids when you get out of the car and while walking along the cliff. 

5th Stop: Pfeiffer Beach (Big Sur, CA)

16 more miles down from Bixby Beach is Pfeiffer Beach.
Well, we attempted to go there... BUT a park dude had blocked off the road and turned us around. If you can get there, good for you. Supposedly, it has purple sand but we didn't get to see it. Onto next stop.

6th Stop: Elephant Seal Boardwalk (San Simeon, CA)

By the time we turned around near Pfeiffer beach, we had no signal on the car or the phones. We were lost. I couldn't set the course to Moonstone Beach and I had no clue where the Elephant Seals viewing area either. We were sure we had to be on our way to our next charging stop. Luckily, about 72 miles away from Bixby Creek Bridge, we stumbled upon Elephant Seal Boardwalk. There is a huge parking lot to park and rest. Boy - it was windy there at the viewing area and these animals are nothing like the sea lions at Pier 39.  A quick 20 minutes stop was definitely worth it. 

7th Stop: Moonstone Beach (Cambria, CA)

Somehow, we got a brief moment of a signal on the car. I quickly set the route towards Moonstone Beach. The ground at this beach are all colorful pebbles. While there are many debris and deadwood on the beach, it is such a beautiful place to visit for a stroll down the beach. Our kids had so much fun choosing a rock they want to bring home, but we ended up leaving. 

8th Stop: Bubblegum Alley (San Luis Obispo, CA)

My daughter has a sweet-tooth. She loves her candies and will wait to have her daily piece of bubblegum while she's at her grandparents' house. Naturally, I have to get her to the gum wall, except I don't know when I can actually take her to Seattle. When we got to the bubblegum wall, she didn't want to be near it or even take a picture. My son on the other hands will do anything for the picture. I was afraid, he may try to lick one of these gums if someone was to dare him. EWWW... GROSS!

On Thursday night at downtown San Luis Obispo, they host a farmers market. BUT it felt and looked more like a street fair with awesome eats. That's where we ended up eating our dinner.

9th Stop: Tesla Chargers at Madonna Inn (San Luis Obispo, CA)

This is an hourly charge that we needed to get to our next destination. Unfortunately, we have nowhere we wanted to go while we were charging here. Unless if you want to make an advance reservation to stay at their cool themed rooms or eat dinner at their steak house. We forego dinner here because we kind of look like trash after travelling and frolicking at many beaches. 

10th and Final Stop: Sideway Inn (Buellton, CA)

It's a clean and comfortable hotel. We arrived at almost 10pm due to many stops. We were exhausted from the awesome day. As soon as we got to the room, we took our shower and zonked out for the night. 

Second Day: Ready-Set-GO

1st Stop: Breakfast at Paula's Pancake House (Buellton, CA)

We arrived pretty early. The website said to get there before 8, so we make sure we do that. No wait, and we were seated to enjoy our delicious scrumptious breakfast. Danish pancakes were light, thin and fluffy, especially when topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. 

2nd Stop: Solvang Downtown (Buellton, CA)

We walked around the beautiful town of Solvang. Unfortunately, at about 9 in the morning, the stores were still closed. BUT we found great street parking and enjoyed window-shopping.

3rd Stop: Sunnyfields Park Playground (Buellton, CA)

Wood-chipped ground and castle/ship extremely large and clean playground for the kids to run and let their steam loose. They loved playing pretend for a good 45 minutes.

4th Stop: Ostritchland USA (Buellton, CA)

Literally, an ostrich farm. They had a lot of ostriches that needed to be fed. We paid only $5 per person for the entrance fee and each tray of feed (pellets) is $1. I can't even put it in words how cool this experience is. You can buy an ostrich egg to take home to experience more.

5th Stop: Tesla Chargers at The Collections Riverpark (Oxnard, CA)

While the car was charging, we ate at the food court. Although so many eateries around, our kids aren't keen to eat any. But we decided to eat at a pho' shop within this food course.

6th and Final Stop: Sheraton Universal Hotel (Universal City, CA)

I'm actually sad that this road trip came to an end. But for the next 2 days, kids will enjoy Universal Studios before we tackle the road back home. I couldn't wait for the next adventure. Time to start planning.  

10 Minutes From Stove To Table: Quick Home-Cooked Meal For My Starving Kids

We are an Asian family. My husband is Filipino and I am from Myanmar. My kids' preference is to eat Mac & Cheese, buttered noodle or nuggets all day long but we can't have that.

If you know me well, you'd know that I am a terrible cook. But my kids seem to think I'm the best cook in the world. To be honest, I hate cooking especially from scratch. I bought crockpot, Instant-pot, and many other gadgets to make my kitchen life easier. I need to buy and try air-fryer one of these days. Anyways, if you are like me and not much of a cook but hate spending so much money ordering out through our trusty Doordash - perhaps you will get creative with things around the house. Most of my meals can't be duplicated, because I have no idea what I have put in them.

Then, there are days like today where the kids are starving & they need food pronto. They came home after Taekwondo class and dying of hunger. I went into the refrigerator and see what I have.

I saw Smoked Pulled Pork that I have purchased from Costco - approximately $14 for 2lbs. I prepped the pulled pork in the microwave as the instruction said, but still had no idea what I'm going to make. After 7 min in the microwave, I ripped open the plastic package and still no clue what we are having for lunch. But at the same time, I had a skillet heated on the stove already!

Recipe for a delicious quick meal:

• A drizzle of olive oil
• One teaspoon of chopped garlic
• Half a bag of the heated pulled pork
• A tablespoon of Yoshida Sauce
• Half a teaspoon of sugar

Stir violently until something delicious is "brewing" on the stove.

Serve with steamed rice & stir-fry cabbage with carrots. 

VOILA!! Kids happy within 10 min, and meal costing less than $10. All items were bought at Costco. And no, I don't know how to dress the meal for presentation. Plus, why waste green onion when my kids are just going to put them aside. 

(Oh, I should make a disclaimer that we always have steamed rice available all day long in our household 😉)

Theme Parks Can Be Fun For Kids Who Don't Like Rollercoasters

I am a rollercoaster junkie. I love the air in my hair and the lift of my body right when the coaster drops. If I have my way, I will travel the world seeking out the best and the tallest or scariest rollercoasters. Then, I married my husband who said, "why should I pay someone to scare me?" Our offsprings took their father's gene for the love for rollercoasters but took my gene for the love of theme parks. So my adventure continues.

When our kids were young, we had our annual passes to Bonfante Gilroy Garden, Happy Hollow Zoo and Great America along with Disneyland. Now that the kids are a little older, they no longer want to get on the kiddie rides. We have shed and consolidated many passes and chose to keep Universal Studios Hollywood for now.

Here are the reasons why we are the theme park junkies:

Reason 5: People Watching

We enjoy taking many mini (ok - LONG!) breaks throughout the day especially when it's hot, cold or wet, wait-time is long or too short. If you know us by now, we procrastinate and take our time on our vacation

Reason 4: Food

Theme park food has come a long way; especially if we are talking about Universal and Disney. Besides the normal fun junk food, they make sure there are options available for folks who are health-conscious, vegan, and kids friendly food like Mac & Cheese.

Reason 3:  Parades & Shows

Multiple hours of sweat and hard labor are put into these productions. Have you seen the Disney Aladdin on the broadway? Well, you can pay $80/ticket or watch it at Disneyland. Oh right, they don't have it at Disneyland anymore. But Frozen is to die for -- literally!!! We also love the shows involving animal, magic, trapeze, music, stunts, lights, oh my.... 

Reason 2:  Motion Simulation Rides

This is the reason kids love theme parks. The realistic motion gives you the thrill without the worry and the fear of dropping out of the car. 

Reason 1: Definitely should not be reason #1.... but it is in my book for now. I like that the theme parks are integrating the technology and have wait-time (along with showtime, park map, dining menu) available on the palm of my hand. I can plan my day better and utilize the time wisely. With the technology, I avoid exhaustion and meltdown which resulted in all of us enjoying our mini-vacation getaway from the reality of life, even if it's just for the day.