Guests visiting Universal CityWalk (including it’s popular AMC Theater) will now have to go through the standard Universal Studios Hollywood security screening protocols before stepping on property from the shuttle, parking, and/or guest drop off areas. While some lament the inconvenience for those only visiting CityWalk, the change does make things easier for those who are also visiting the theme park.

Here’s everything you need to know about the new security procedure at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal CityWalk.

What to Expect

Universal Studios Hollywood has expanded its security bubble, that is, the spaces in which guests can access the property after passing through a security screening checkpoint. Previously, only guests visiting Universal Studios Hollywood theme park were required to go through security screening while guests visiting CityWalk could access the shopping center straight from the parking areas. Starting this week, however, that security bubble has expanded to include the entire CityWalk area.

While this expanded security bubble does add some additional considerations for those only visiting CityWalk, the move makes it much easier for those visiting the theme park to visit the restaurants and shops in CityWalk during their visit. Previously, if you wanted to hop to CityWalk from the theme park, you were required to exit the security bubble and then had to undergo another screening if/when you wanted to return to the park. Instead, the new move follows in the same direction that Disneyland Resort has been using for some time now to expand the security bubble and make it easier for guests on property to access all amenities more easily.

In total, there are three guest security screening areas, of which, one is the same Main Entrance security screening area that already existed prior to this week. The other two new screening areas face into the main parking portals for the property with one near Jurassic Parking structure and the other near the ET / Curious George parking structures. All three security areas lead straight into CityWalk with direct unobstructed access to the theme park, as well — as long as you have theme park admission.

 

Jurassic Park Security

While multiple entrances straight into CityWalk formerly existed from this enormous parking structure, now all guests are funneled to a single security checkpoint area on what was formerly a flat parking lot for busses and large vehicles. As before, security screenings still consist of bags going through a conveyor belt screener which are reviewed by Universal security staff as guests walk through metal detectors for additional screening. Once clearing the security checkpoint, all guests are directed into CityWalk near the NBC Sports Grill & Brew. This same security plaza is where guests can exit CityWalk to return to the Jurassic Park parking area.

For now, all other former entrances into CityWalk from Jurassic Park parking have been sealed off (where are for emergency exit only) and new signage now directs all guests in this structure to the new security screening plaza. New walkways and escalators were built into the structure to help making getting to the new security plaza more obvious.

Guests taking shuttles to Universal will now be dropped off into this same security plaza via a new dedicated shuttle drop off area that connects to the broader security screaming checkpoint.

 

ET / Curious George Security

Access to CityWalk from the ET and Curious George parking structures isn’t too much different from before. While the entrance from the CityWalk guest drop off area (near Buca di Beppo) has been sealed off, you can still access this back half of CityWalk from the new security screening area located close to Margaritaville on the site of the former iFLY Indoor Skydiving. Drop off guests will now enter a walkway leading into the parking area. As with the other security screening areas, your bags will enter a conveyor to be screened while everyone is asked to walk through the metal detectors. Once clearing the security checkpoint, all guests are directed into CityWalk; this same security plaza is also where guests can exit CityWalk to return to the ET / Curious George parking area.

 

Main Entrance Security

Mostly unchanged from before, the main entrance security screening area near the front of the park remains in operation. Guests who will be utilizing this area will be those with Preferred, Front Gate, or accessible parking as well as those who are parking at Frankenstein parking structure and/or those visiting from nearby hotels.

 

See it for Yourself

Security updates at Universal Studios Hollywood are now in effect!