Starting today, September 6, Fear Factor Live at USH will run only on weekends! The show will go to daily performances during peak holiday seasons only. This is due to a number of reasons, the main being that attendance projection isn't high enough to guarantee full contestant partcipation from guests for each show.

Other attractions also go back to off peak schedules as well. Van Helsing will go back to operate on "scare hours" now instead of continual operation. Waterworld will show only 2 performances daily, with more shows added on weekends.

For Front of the Line Passholders, off peak season means that behind the scenes access at live shows is back. After select shows, guests with FOL's can stay for an extended behind the scenes look at how the shows operate. Park hours will be from 10-6 on weekdays and 9-6 on weekends, with hours extended if needed by attendance, though highly unlikely. Also note the box office hours are now 9-4, for those with Premium Celebrity Annual Passes who wish to receive free parking, you must arrive before 4pm.

Starting today, September 6, Fear Factor Live at USH will run only on weekends! The show will go to daily performances during peak holiday seasons only. This is due to a number of reasons, the main being that attendance projection isn't high enough to guarantee full contestant partcipation from guests for each show.

Other attractions also go back to off peak schedules as well. Van Helsing will go back to operate on "scare hours" now instead of continual operation. Waterworld will show only 2 performances daily, with more shows added on weekends.

For Front of the Line Passholders, off peak season means that behind the scenes access at live shows is back. After select shows, guests with FOL's can stay for an extended behind the scenes look at how the shows operate. Park hours will be from 10-6 on weekdays and 9-6 on weekends, with hours extended if needed by attendance, though highly unlikely. Also note the box office hours are now 9-4, for those with Premium Celebrity Annual Passes who wish to receive free parking, you must arrive before 4pm.

Do you happen to know the hours for the rides, and shows, such as Van Helsing, Waterworld and will jurrasic park be open next week as well, what is the height requirement on that ride?

Do you happen to know the hours for the rides, and shows, such as Van Helsing, Waterworld and will jurrasic park be open next week as well, what is the height requirement on that ride?

This week Waterworld is showing at 1:15pm and 4:45pm. This will most likely stay the same all through off peak. If a third show is added for any reason, it will most likely be in the 3 o'clock hour or right at park closing. The rides will be continuous as usual. Terminator will operate on 30 minute cycles instead of 15. The same goes for Special Effects. Currently, no rides are scheduled to go down for refurb at the moment. However, Jurassic Park will most likely have its refurb either in late fall or early next year after the holidays. The Lower Lot will open at 10:30am and close at 5:30pm on weekdays now. The height requirement for JP is 46 inches. Van Helsing operates on "scare hours" now. They will be open from 10:00am-11:00am then close for 30 minutes. Reopen at 11:30am-12:30pm, close for 30 minutes, and so on throughout the day. The exception is at the 2:00pm hour, they will close for 45 minutes, reopen at 2:45pm-3:45pm. They will have their final break and reopen at 4:45pm and close for the day at 5:30. Please not these times may be subject to change as well. You can obtain the daily hours for each attraction at the front gate or at the digital studio boards.

This week Waterworld is showing at 1:15pm and 4:45pm. This will most likely stay the same all through off peak. If a third show is added for any reason, it will most likely be in the 3 o'clock hour or right at park closing. The rides will be continuous as usual. Terminator will operate on 30 minute cycles instead of 15. The same goes for Special Effects. Currently, no rides are scheduled to go down for refurb at the moment. However, Jurassic Park will most likely have its refurb either in late fall or early next year after the holidays. The Lower Lot will open at 10:30am and close at 5:30pm on weekdays now. The height requirement for JP is 46 inches. Van Helsing operates on "scare hours" now. They will be open from 10:00am-11:00am then close for 30 minutes. Reopen at 11:30am-12:30pm, close for 30 minutes, and so on throughout the day. The exception is at the 2:00pm hour, they will close for 45 minutes, reopen at 2:45pm-3:45pm. They will have their final break and reopen at 4:45pm and close for the day at 5:30. Please not these times may be subject to change as well. You can obtain the daily hours for each attraction at the front gate or at the digital studio boards.

thank you!

Thanks for that info! In 3 weeks I'll be making my first trip to USH.

How does the Fear Factor show work?

How does the Fear Factor show work?

The Fear Factor Live show is an adaptation of the television show. Guests are chosen through an audition process to participate as contestants in the show. During the show, they compete with one another in a series of stunts and challenges adapted from the television show. Use the following link to view the casting requirements and other information on the show. Fear Factor Live! (http://themeparks.universalstudios.com/hollywood/website/fear_factor_live.html)

Also, keep in mind during the off season, Fear Factor is only showing on Saturdays and Sundays. There are NO showings during the week. In case you plan to visit on a weekday. The audition process runs throughout the day at different times. It takes around 45minutes to an hour to audition. This is in addition to the 30 minutes the show takes. If you plan on auditioning for the show, prepare to take around 2 hours out of your day for this alone.

Great info!

Would you happen to know the probable show times for Fear Factor Live! in early October (Oct 2nd, in particular)?

Thanks Dustin! My boyfriend really wants to audition lol

They have not been released that far yet. I would assume they will go with 4 shows per day. Maybe more depending on demand. The problem is, they need a large number of contestants per show, with low attendance in theme parks during the non peak seasons, this is hard to come by. That is why they cannot afford to have the shows on weekdays. Weekday projections are in the low thousands. You can call 1-800-UNIVERSAL closer to your visit and they can probably give you an idea of what the scheduled times will be. But to be safe I would assume in the area of 4 per day. Most likely a late morning show, two afternoon shows and a show at late afternoon.

Thanks Dustin! My boyfriend really wants to audition lol

I suggest getting to the park before it opens. Grab a small bite to eat and once the park opens, head directly to the audition center and find out when the first audition will be. It will probably be within 15-30 minutes of park open. So you can probably get one attraction in before that. The first audition process is for the first show, and so on... After you audition, if you make it, you won't really have a lot of time to do much else before your showtime. Since this eats up a good portion of time, that is why I suggest getting it over with as soon as possible so you can have the rest of the day to enjoy the park.

Also remember that the Studio Tour closes before anything else, 4:15pm. That takes 45minutes. After Fear Factor you should go do that and then hit the rest of the park. Front of the Line Passes will be helpful when you go. They are now $89 and you can upgrade for free to an Annual Pass at the end of the day.

Front of the Line Passes will be helpful when you go. They are now $89 and you can upgrade for free to an Annual Pass at the end of the day.
Would Front of the Line Passes be needed if we weren't auditioning for the Fear Factor show? Since the park should be less crowded, I figured they wouldn't really be necessary.

I suggest getting to the park before it opens. Grab a small bite to eat and once the park opens, head directly to the audition center and find out when the first audition will be. It will probably be within 15-30 minutes of park open. So you can probably get one attraction in before that. The first audition process is for the first show, and so on... After you audition, if you make it, you won't really have a lot of time to do much else before your showtime. Since this eats up a good portion of time, that is why I suggest getting it over with as soon as possible so you can have the rest of the day to enjoy the park.

Also remember that the Studio Tour closes before anything else, 4:15pm. That takes 45minutes. After Fear Factor you should go do that and then hit the rest of the park. Front of the Line Passes will be helpful when you go. They are now $89 and you can upgrade for free to an Annual Pass at the end of the day.

Thanks for that info. We haven't decided if we are going on Saturday and Sunday or Sunday and Monday (we have discount 2 day tickets). But I'll make sure we hit the Fear Factor stuff first. He auditioned for the TV show and didn't make it, so this is his chance at redemption lol. I'm not one for fearless attempts, so I'l lbe sitting on the sidelines for this attraction. About how long does the show last?

Would Front of the Line Passes be needed if we weren't auditioning for the Fear Factor show? Since the park should be less crowded, I figured they wouldn't really be necessary.

If you are going on a weekday, you won't need them. The weekends will be more crowded than the weekdays. You may need them, you may not. It all depends on how long you plan on waiting in lines. The benefit to having the Front of the Line Pass in the offseason is you actually get more for your money because you get backstage access at some of the shows and attractions. Where as in the busy seasons, they do not offer this. What it is basically is a behind the scenes look at select attractions. For example, at Waterworld, at select showtimes, after the show, you stay in your seat. Afetr the rest of the crowd exits, the Front of the Line guests get a private Q&A with the stunt team and they select guests to demonstrate different stun techniques and explain show elements. It lasts roughly 10 minutes. Just an added bonus if you want it.

However, if you dont want to pay the extra money for it, then I don't suggest it. The only added bonus you will get is for the $89 you get an Annual Pass for free basically. All you have to do is upgrade to your annual pass before you leave. So if you plan to come back anytime within the next year, it is a good deal.

We've heard that there is some activity for kids regarding the Fear Factor show. Something about eating chocolate-covered bugs of some kind. Seems like it happens either during the pre-show, or during set changes. Would you happen to know the details about this?

Along with the contestants who audition for the show, they also have smaller challenges where they pick audience members, usually at the beginning. The audition process is only for the contestants who are performing in the large scale stunts. They need to be assured that the guest is physically and mentally able to handle what they are going to be doing. Then there is the insurance paperwork they need to go through. But for the other challenges, they will pick people from the crowd. I have not seen the show since it went to weekends only and there was talk about changing the format somewhat, though I don't know if they have. No worries though they still will pick people, I just don't know exactly when I apologize.