Universal, Disneyland or a Warner Bros. studio tour?

The short answer

Decide first between a ride day and a studio tour. The Universal Studios Hollywood and Disneyland products are theme-park admissions, while the two Warner Bros. products are guided tours of a working studio.[3][1] SkyGate's Warner Bros. listings describe sets, soundstages and self-guided exploration, and list no rides.[5][4] The VIP Experience at Universal is the one product here that combines a guided tour of movie sets with park admission and express access to rides.[2]

Universal Studios Hollywood: standard tickets

The Universal Studios Hollywood Ticket has three options: 1 Day plus Express Admission, 1-Day General Admission and 2-Day General Admission. The two general admission options list attractions including The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Fast and Furious Supercharged, Revenge of the Mummy and the Behind-The-Scenes Studio Tour.[1] The Express option lists express access to a similar set of rides and adds Mario Kart, but its text does not mention the Studio Tour, and XTOUR has not verified whether it is included.

The options differ for families. The general admission options sell child tickets for ages 3 to 9, while the Express option sells only a ticket for ages 10 and over. SkyGate's page says children under 3 are free, some rides have a minimum height between 99 and 122 cm, and ID or biometrics are required to enter the park.[1] SkyGate's VIP listing gives the park's address as 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City.[2] See the Universal Studios Hollywood page on XTOUR.

Universal Studios Hollywood VIP Experience

The Universal Studios Hollywood VIP Experience is a single option that includes one-day park admission, unlimited Universal Express access to participating rides, attractions and seated shows, a guided trolley and walking tour of movie sets, and a gourmet meal. SkyGate's page says the timeslot you choose is the start of the VIP tour, after which you can stay in the park during its opening hours. Children under 5 are not allowed, and children under 17 must be with a paying adult, according to the same page.[2] The listing does not say where VIP check-in is, and XTOUR has not verified it.

Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park

The Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park Ticket is for the two Disney parks in Anaheim, which SkyGate's listing gives as its address. Its twelve options combine three choices: one, two or three days; one park per day or Park Hopper; and with or without a Lightning Lane Multi Pass. A 1-Park option admits you to either Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park on a given day, but not both, while a Park Hopper option lets you move between the two parks on the same day, subject to availability. The Lightning Lane options add one reserved-window entry at each available attraction.[3]

SkyGate's listing says every ticket needs a theme park reservation made online through a linked Disney account, that multi-day tickets need a reservation for each day, and that the second and later days must fall within 13 days of the first. Its voucher text says a ticket does not guarantee park entry.[3] One option, 3-Day 1-Park per Day, carries Park Hopper wording in its voucher text, which contradicts its title; XTOUR has not verified which applies, so ask SkyGate before booking it. Every option sells adult tickets from age 10 and child tickets for ages 3 to 9.[3] See the Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park pages on XTOUR.

Warner Bros. studio tours in Burbank

Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood is at 3400 Warner Blvd. in Burbank, and the operator describes guided tours of the studio lot, its soundstages, backlots and sets. The operator also says backlot availability is subject to change daily due to production on the lot.[6] These are tours, not rides: SkyGate's options list a guide and self-guided time, and no ride access.[4]

The Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood: Guided Tour has four options. Three are the Hollywood Studio Tour with an English, Spanish or French-speaking guide, which the option text describes as a one-hour guided tour followed by two hours of self-guided exploration. The fourth is TCM's Classic Films Tour in English. SkyGate's highlights name the Friends fountain and Central Perk set, Harry Potter's Sorting Hat and Stage 48: Script to Screen.[4]

The Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood: TCM Classic Films Tour sells that same classic-films tour as its only option. Its option text describes a 1.5-hour tour, made with Turner Classic Movies, of films and shows from the studio's early days to the 1970s, followed by two hours of self-guided time. SkyGate's page says it visits the Property Department and the Rose Garden, which are not part of the standard tour.[5] Choose it over the standard tour for classic Hollywood; choose the Guided Tour listing for a Spanish or French guide, or for the sets its highlights name, such as Friends.

On both listings you present the voucher to the guide and scan it at the studio entrance after a mandatory security check. Both sell adult tickets from age 11 and child tickets for ages 5 to 10, do not allow children under 5, and do not allow video recording or large bags.[5][4] See the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood page on XTOUR.

How to choose

• For a day of rides and shows with the Studio Tour named in the option, a general admission option of the Universal Studios Hollywood Ticket.[1]
• For rides with express access and no child ticket, its 1 Day plus Express Admission option.[1]
• For a guided tour of movie sets plus park admission, Express access and a meal, the Universal Studios Hollywood VIP Experience.[2]
• For the two Disney parks, the Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park Ticket; pick Park Hopper only if you want both parks on the same day.[3]
• For a working studio without rides, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood: Guided Tour, or the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood: TCM Classic Films Tour for classic films.[5][4]

Before you book

• Disneyland tickets need a separate online park reservation for each day.[3]
• Universal requires ID or biometrics at the park entrance.[1]
• Adults on the Warner Bros. tours need government-issued photo ID at check-in.[4]
• Park opening hours are not in SkyGate's listings, and XTOUR has not verified them.