PHOTOS: Here's A Look at a Reopened California Theme Park!

Over a year after California theme parks first closed amidst the global pandemic, we are BACK and visiting Universal Studios Hollywood for a look at all things rides, dining, shopping, and more!

Let’s Go to Universal Studios Hollywood!

What exactly does a reopened theme park look like in California? We stopped by Universal Studios Hollywood to find out!

Capacity Restrictions

Upon reopening, Universal Studios Hollywood is located in a county (Los Angeles County) that is situated in the Orange tier, meaning that the parks can operate at 25% capacity. In addition, attendance is currently limited to California residents, and travel parties must contain no more than three households.

Lots of Space

Signs were placed around the park reminding guests to keep to social distancing guidelines.

Distancing Reminders

There were markers on the ground at attractions and restaurants telling guests where to stand to maintain appropriate social distancing.

We’ve Seen These Before!

There were also places set up to keep guests to the right of pathways and roads.

Keep to One Side!

Crowds were relatively light, due to limited capacity.

You’re a Wizard!

That was the case even going into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Click here to read about California’s modifications when it comes to theme park guidance.

Dining

In the Orange tier, indoor dining is allowed at theme parks with limited capacity. Universal Studios Hollywood has already been open to guests through their ticketed “Taste of Universal” event, similar to Disneyland’s “A Touch of Disney.” Outdoor dining, though, is also readily available.

Watch For Those Distancing Markers

Hand sanitizing stations are easily accessible and the floors have markers and directional arrows to show guests where to go and where to stand.

Time to Sanitize

There are signs marking designated dining areas, too.

It’s Minion Cafe Time!

And entrances and exits are clearly marked.

Planning a trip to Disneyland’s reopening? Here’s a list of the restaurants currently scheduled to be available!

Queue Areas for Rides

For the time being, all ride and attraction queues must be located outdoors.

Queue Area

The queue areas are roped off to form lines that sort of snake around the area.

Click here to read about Governor Newsom’s plans to have California “fully reopen” by mid-June.

Rides and Attractions

Waiting in line is barely half the fun! What does riding a ride look like right now at the newly reopened California theme parks? Like what we saw at first when the Florida theme parks reopened, physical distancing is definitely in full swing! Some rides require signing up for a virtual line, including the new The Secret Life of Pets ride.

Time to Join the Virtual Line

We got in line for the Universal Studios Tour and noticed that guests were being loaded on every other row.

Loading Procedures

We also rode The Secret Life of Pets: Off The Leash. According to state guidelines, California theme park queues must be outdoors and indoor rides must be limited to no more than 15 minutes.

Wait, This is Adorable

But we did get a chance to go through the inside portion of the queue here.

Click here to read what physical distancing looks like right now on the rides at Disney World.

Face Masks

Like Florida’s theme parks, Universal Studios Hollywood and other California parks have strict face mask policies in place. The use of proper face coverings is required at all times. Signs around the park reminded guests to keep their masks over their noses and mouths.

Social Distancing Signs

Many of the protocols are ones we’ve already seen at Disney World, and the policies are similar. It will be interesting to see how this translates in a few weeks when Disneyland officially reopens.

Click here to read about California’s restrictions on who can visit their theme parks when they first reopen.

Stay tuned for even more coverage from the grand reopening of Universal Studios Hollywood, and in the coming weeks be sure to follow along for the historic reopening of Disneyland!

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