Universal Studios (California)

...I spent a day at Universal Studios Hollywood. I had visited the Florida version of the studios some ten years ago, and although the memories of that trip are somewhat faded by time, I can safely say that the Hollywood studios were superior, due to the fact that they are a working film studio.

Situated in LA, in the Hollywood Hills, the studios are not in the area of the city where most of the attractions and theme parks (Disneyland ...
...may find themselves staying, and Universal is approximately an hour’s drive from here. It is easy to find, located just off one of LA’s main freeways, and is well signposted once you get near to the park.

ENTRY AND ARRIVAL

Parking is plentiful, but is not free of charge, as Universal is part of a complex of attractions, some of which do not have an entry fee. We paid $8 for all day parking in a multi-storey ... more

As part of my recent holiday in the USA, I spent a day at Universal Studios Hollywood. I had visited the Florida version of the studios some ten years ago, and although the memories of that trip are somewhat faded by time, I can safely say that the Hollywood studios were superior, due to the fact that they are a working film studio.

Situated in LA, in the Hollywood Hills, the studios are not in the area of the city where most of the attractions and theme parks (Disneyland etc.) are situated. This area, Anaheim, is where the majority of tourists may find themselves staying, and Universal is approximately an hour’s drive from here. It is easy to find, located just off one of LA’s main freeways, and is well signposted once you get near to the park.

ENTRY AND ARRIVAL

Parking is plentiful, but is not free of charge, as Universal is part of a complex of attractions, some of which do not have an entry fee. We paid $8 for all day parking in a multi-storey car park approximately 10 minutes walk from the theme park entrance. We could have paid $12 for preferential parking, a little closer to the park.

To reach the theme park, you must walk through Universal City Walk, a complex of restaurants, shops and entertainment venues. This was a pleasant build up to our day at the theme park, and would also be a great place to spend an evening or while away a few hours shopping or having fun if you had time to spare in the area.

We paid $43 per person to enter the park as we bought our tickets through Virgin. Standard entry is slightly more expensive, so at around £30 per person, it is not a cheap day out. However, I believe that some good deals are available on multi-day passes, family tickets and annual passes. Our Virgin ticket actually included a second day’s entry free of charge, but as we only had one full day in LA we were not able to take advantage of this.

On the day that we visited, opening hours were from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with some rides closing at 5 p.m. However, opening hours vary depending on the time of year, so it would be advisable to check before your visit.

QUEUING

Queues to enter the park were not too long, but we did visit in the off season. We would have struggled to fill two days there, as the queues for rides and attractions were all fairly short due to the park being quiet. There were a couple of things which we did not have time to see, but these would not have filled a whole day.

Looking at the areas provided for queuing, however, was quite horrifying, as it appeared that some queues could be ten times as long as they were when we visited. In these circumstances, several days would definitely be required to do the park justice.

Some of the queuing areas featured entertainment or a build up to the ride, and those which were outside treated visitors to a constant mist of cool water to make the heat more bearable (it was a nightmare for people like myself who are prone to frizzy hair though!)

GETTING AROUND

On arrival at the park, you are given a map showing where each attraction is located, and a list of the day’s shows and special events. Maps are also located at frequent intervals around the park, and a large illuminated board in the centre lists all the main rides and attractions, together with the current queuing time. The queuing time is also displayed at the entrance to each ride – something we found invaluable as several of the main attractions/shows run at set times, so it was useful in deciding whether we had time to do something else before going to one of these.

The park is divided into two sections: the Upper Lot and Lower Lot. Most of the park is situated in the Upper Lot, but the Lower Lot is home to some of the best attractions and should definitely be visited. The two lots are linked by three covered escalators, but a lift is available for disabled access. I felt that the space in the park was used very well and I didn’t feel at the end of the day as though I had walked for miles.

Disabled access appeared to be excellent, with many of the attractions and rides having full access, and plenty of attendants on hand to offer assistance – or simply directions around the park. The park was also scrupulously clean and tidy and generally well looked after.

ATTRACTIONS AND RIDES

One of the things that struck me about the park is that it is ideal for families/groups where not everyone is keen on rides. Although there are a couple of thrill rides, the park is more about experiences, and most of the attractions offer an opportunity for everyone to participate. Very few have height restrictions, although a couple are not recommended for pregnant women or people with certain medical conditions.

Although we didn’t visit everything in the park, we did a fairly full tour. These are some of the main attractions.

• Studio Tour

This is not to be missed and is fascinating for anyone who has an interest in films. Riders board a tram and are taken on a tour of the Back Lot – the studio area of Universal. Although some parts of the tour have clearly been built especially for this tour, others offer an opportunity to see real film sets, the offices of well-known film makers and to drive past sound stages where films are currently being made. At the time that we visited, Dr. Seuss’s “The Cat in the Hat” was in the process of being filmed, as was the American version of the TV show “Coupling”.

The tour also allows riders to witness a number of special effects, to see a timeline of film posters, and to enjoy an extremely entertaining commentary from the tour guide, interspersed with film clips and specially recorded video commentaries from film stars and directors, such as Ron Howard, displayed on television screens within the trams. Our tour guide was excellent and delivered a hilarious and extremely well-timed guide to our tour. Even though she probably recites the same script day in day out, we felt as though it was the first time she had said it as her enthusiasm was clear.

• Shrek 4D

A specially made film featuring the stars of Shrek and following on from the story in the original film. Viewers are issued with 3D glasses, but the show has a fourth dimension, allowing you to actually feel some of the effects!

• Backdraft

Visitors are taken through a number of rooms, each one showing a filmed interview with some of the people involved in the making of the film Backdraft. Then, you are taken into a room and treated to a demonstration of the fire effects that were used in the film.

• Jurassic Park The Ride

This was probably the best ride in the park for us. A water ride, where visitors start on a pleasant trip through Jurassic Park past animatronic dinosaurs, until everything goes horribly wrong and the boat takes a ‘wrong turn’, culminating in a long drop with an enormous splash!

• Back to the Future The Ride

Another ‘white knuckle’ ride, but somewhat disappointing, as the Back to the Future car in which riders sit doesn’t actually go anywhere, and is merely a simulator which twists, turns, shudders and bumps in time with a video on the screen in front.

• The Mummy

A walk-through attraction, mostly in the dark, where visitors are treated to all kinds of scary experiences including a spongy floor, ‘cobwebs’ hanging from the ceiling, and plenty of other things that will make you jump and probably make you scream! The attraction features live performers – some of which come to life when you are least expecting it! The best/worst part of this was walking through a tunnel where the walls revolve, giving the illusion that the floor is also rotating and making visitors hold on to the rails for dear life!

• Nickelodeon Blast Zone

A children’s area of the park, with a fantastic climbing frame (I use the words loosely – it’s bigger and better than any climbing frame I ever went on as a child!) There is also an area with water cannons and a big cascade of water which spews out from underneath a rocket every few minutes, where children and adults alike can get as wet as they want (or don’t want!) to!

• Shows

The park is home to a variety of shows, some permanent, some semi-permanent. There are a range of special effects stages, where visitors can witness first-hand some of the effects used in popular films, plus a live show with trained animals, a tribute to the stars of I Love Lucy, a rock’n’roll Spiderman show and a live Blues Brothers show. The only show which we had time to watch was the parks top recommendation: Waterworld. Although the film of the same name, on which the show is loosely based, was a flop, the show is definitely not to be missed! Visitors sit in benches in an auditorium (all seats appear to offer a good view, although the front few rows come with the warning that you will get wet if you sit there!) The show was 20 minutes or so of fantastic stunts and special effects in a specially built set, comprising a ‘sea’ and a set of ‘floating’ buildings. The performers rode jet skis and jet boats, and enacted some dramatic fight scenes with water guns and fire weapons. There were plenty of explosions, dramatic falls from high buildings and daredevil jet ski antics, and the whole thing kept everyone on the edge of their seats!

EATING, SHOPPING AND FACILITIES

There are various shops around the park, some selling general merchandise and others dedicated to a particular character or film. Characters who seemed particularly prominent in most of the shops included Shrek, Rugrats and SpongeBob Squarepants! Merchandise is not cheap, but is all good quality. Souvenir drinks holders are also available in most shops and refreshment outlets, which cost $10, but include 99c refills all day.

There is a limited choice of restaurants, most of which are fast food, but with some nice areas to sit outside in the shade of plentiful umbrellas. We saw traditional burgers, fried chicken, pizza, Mexican and “Cinnabon” buns! There are also plentiful stands around the park selling a variety of unusual ice creams and cold drinks. Alcohol is available, and large bottles of beer can be bought, and poured into plastic cups, to be consumed anywhere in the park. It is a tribute to the well managed attraction, with an enthusiastic, well-behaved audience who are really there to enjoy the experience, that no one takes advantage of this by getting drunk. I found myself wondering what the results would be if alcohol were to be served in a British theme park and decided it did not bear thinking about!

There are plentiful toilets, and you are never far away from some convenient facilities. They were all spotlessly clean, and interestingly enough, all seemed to be perfumed with a watermelon fragrance!

FINALLY

Universal is a great day out for families, couples and adult groups. Although I would be unlikely to visit again unless a few years had elapsed since my previous visit, due to most of the attractions losing their appeal after one visit (unlike more traditional thrill rides), I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is in LA and wants something a little different from the Disney experience. At peak times, queues could get very long, so it is worth looking out for special deals on multi-day tickets. Spend the evening at City Walk to make a full day of your visit.

 

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