Transport to Universal Studios

We are buying a Southern California CityPass庐 for when we travel to Anaheim and San Diego this September .... We are just wanting to know if this Pass includes the free shuttle to Universal Studios ??? Or how else do we get there and prices ??

Thanks

Correena New Zealand

Transport to Universal Studios

The CityPass doesn%26#39;t include a free shuttle.

You have 3 ways to get to Universal from Anaheim:

1. Hire a car (about an hour%26#39;s drive -- simple route). Cost for the day will be around $70 or so when you include petrol, insurance, and parking in additional to the cost of the car hire. This is by far the easiest, quickest and most comfortable method of transport.

2. Take a coach bus. ';All Anaheim Tours'; offers shuttle service to Universal from Anaheim:

tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g33252-d2544鈥?/a>

The cost is $40 per adult and $31 for children, return. You don%26#39;t indicate how many there are in your family but even if there is only one child and one adult, the cost would be $71 -- more than the cost of a hire car!

Grayline Tours also has transfer services from Anaheim to Universal. (Ordinarily, you need to buy a ticket to Universal through Grayline in order to get such a transfer -- which is provided free IF YOU BUY A UNIVERSAL TICKET FROM THEM. However, if you contact them, I believe they will transfer you FOR A FEE. Here is their website:

graylineanaheim.com/sightseeing_tours.cfm

Note: they are offering a $3 discount off the CITY PASS if you buy it from them now. Email or phone them regarding the cost of the transfer (I could not find it on their site).

3. Make your way via public transit to Universal Studios.

You must first transfer to Union (Rail) Station, located in downtown Los Angeles in order to access L.A.鈥檚 local metro rail and metro bus system. (Anaheim is in a southern suburb of Los Angeles, outside of the city limits).

In order to reach Union Station from the Disneyland area, take either a taxi or a bus to the nearest rail station (either Fullerton or Anaheim -- your hotel%26#39;s concierge will tell you which is better for you). The taxi or bus ride should take 10-15 minutes. Take either a Metrolink train (a regional train -- metrolinktrains.com) or an Amtrak train (the national train company-- Amtrak.com) to Union Station. NOTE: There is no ';c'; in Amtrak.

At Union Station, transfer to the %26#39;red line%26#39; metro rail system to the Universal Studios stop -- 21 minutes. Once at the Universal Studios stop, cross Lankershim Blvd and wait at the bus stop on the right side of the road for the free tram up the hill to Universal. Alternatively, you can walk up the hill (about a 10-12 minute walk).

The transfer should take as follows:

10-15 minute taxi ride or bus ride to the nearest rail station.

35-40 train ride to Union Station

21. minute ';red line'; metro rail ride

1 minute ';free traim'; ride ';up the hill'; to Universal

Total transfer time = 1 hour, 12 minutes excluding the waiting time between conveyances.

The cost of the transfer is as follows:

1. Taxi to and from your hotel (about $20 return) or ride the bus for $2.50 return PER PERSON

2. Train to Union Station (between $6.75 and $13.25 depending on which train company you select, your age -- child, adult or senior (pensioner) -- and which day (weekday or weekend) you travel.

3. Red Line metro rail -- $1.25 per ride ($2.50 return) PER PERSON. NOTE: Do not buy the outbound and return tickets for the metro rail at the same time since the tickets expire 2 hours after you purchase them!

Total cost of transfer (assuming there are 2 adults traveling and you select the taxi over the bus): between $47 and $49.50 TOTAL

The advantages of options #1 and #3 are:

a. You can come and go when you wish (you are not constrained by the schedule of the coach bus).

b. The train ride is a little bit more pleasant than riding or driving on the freeway (motorway). Also, the trains and metro rail are not affected by traffic so you will not be delayed if you use public transit.

Of course, the disadvantage to using public transit is that you have to find your own way. However, everyone can easily direct you to Universal. It is a well-known destination and there will be many others making the same ride.

Have fun!

Transport to Universal Studios

Thanks so much for your prompt reply .. we are so excited about coming to America and having good family fun time together ... Is food very expensive over there and how much would you recommend budgeting for a day... We are 2 adults and 2 kids 11yrs and 13yrs

It is always hard to say whether food is expensive because it is all relative to how much food costs where you are from and what you are used to paying for food in restaurants.

Therefore, this website gives you all the restaurants in Disneyland, Disney%26#39;s California Adventure, Downtown Disney, the three resort hotels and some in the surrounding area. It can be found at www.dlresortinfo.com

It is not totally up to date and some menu items and prices may have changed a bit but it definitely gives you an idea of what you may pay for food.

One thing that everyone agrees is expensive is the water to if you can buy some offsite and bring some everyday, that will save you some money.

Another thing our family likes to save money and time on is breakfast. We bring along a box of cereal, a few plastic bowls or paper and some plastic spoons, buy some milk and have cereal in our room.

We still do at least one character breakfast.

Hope this is helpful.

When we went a few years ago with my son and daughter (then 15 and 10) I budgeted $100 a day for food and snacks. Worked out quite well.

Hi Cenny, if our exchange rate stays like it is, you will not find eating in the U.S. expensive. What a great time to go with our dollar buying so much US - you lucky things!!