From classics like Psycho, Child's Play, and Jurassic Park, to more modern films like The Mummy, Fast and Furious, and Les Miserable, and even farther to their animation studio, Illumination, that has made hits like The Lorax, Despicable Me, and Sing, Universal has been cranking out movie magic since it first started in 1912. This well experience company has made many movie favourites, but has also churned out not one, but two amusement parks. This summer I had the chance to go to the one in beautiful Los Angeles, California for the first time. So allow me to lead you through the my first visit to Universal Studios Hollywood
First off, I'd like to say a huge thank you to Emily C. for giving my family and I the opportunity to have the ultimate Universal experience. Our day was amazing, and big part of that was because of you, thank you.
Now let's be honest, Universal Studios Hollywood, is a lot smaller than the one in Orland, Florida, but that doesn't mean you can't have just as much fun. Probably my favourite thing about Universal Studios, in general, is their simulator rides. These babies make you feel as though you are in the actual movie, or TV show, with out even getting out of your seat. They have one for Transformers, The Simpsons, Despicable me, and finally, my favourite, Harry Potter. They give you a chance to ride with the Autobots, and become a freedom fighter, or to fly with Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, as you fight off dementors, or to cause mayhem in Gru's Lab with the Minions. They take you even farther than your imagination and allow you be apart of their fictional universe in ways that I didn't think were possible. Although they can be hard if you have motion sickness, like my mother who was green in the face by there end of The Simpsons: The Ride, it's still amazing, and each simulation has a crazy amount of detail to the story that they are based on, as does the buildings that the rides are in.
Speaking of the buildings, let's talk about them for a second. As a mentioned Universal definitely has an eye for detail, and they show this in absolutely everything in the park. From the moment you walk in, you are blown away by the all famous Universal globe, but if you look behind it you'll notice a street that's dressed like an older version of New York City. These brick buildings were glorious, and to set the scene, there was actors dressed in their periods accurate costumes talking to each other from their windows, and making jokes about people as they by on the streets below them. And that wasn't even the best part! Gru's house looked exactly like it did in the movie Despicable Me, as did Super Silly Fun Land. This is something that I still have no clue how they did considering the movie was an animation, but every detail was there, from Gru's car, to drawing that Margo, Agnes, and Edith, Gru's adopted daughters, drew on the wall, to little props that you can recognize from the movie, and that was just child's play compared to the beauty that is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter!!
For The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Studios really went above and beyond, as a huge Harry Potter fan and a proud Hufflepuff, I entered the area with a very critical eye and was not disappointed. The winter scene that they layed out for Hogsmead was simply magical, and every single thing was perfectly in place. Whether it was the many employees being in wizard clothing, or the Butterbeer carts, or the spots where you could cast spells with purchased wands, or little items and stores that are from the books and movies, it was all there, and I swear I almost cried when I first saw the Hogwarts Castle. Every little detail was there, and it truly made me feel as though I really was a wizard in Hogwarts for a minute, so thank you for allowing me to escape reality and live inside that amazing world of fantasy even if it was for only a little bit.
The best ride in the park is hands down the Jurassic Park water ride. My family and I went on that ride 4 times in 2 hours. The ride is simply stunning, and is a beautiful tribute to the movie as it starts out calm and breath taking, and ends with a scary 50ft T-Rex and a thrilling 84ft plunge. It's a great way to cool off from the heat, because you will get soaked, and I mean soaked. You can tell the ride is a park favourite, and rightfully so.
Then there's the famous Studio Tour. The tour itself is around 45 minutes, but is well worth it. Complete with behind the scenes tricks, sets and props from your favourite shows and movies, surprise visits from your favourite characters, and two 360, 3-D simulators from Peter Jackson's King Kong, and Fast and Furious, the tour is a must do. It's hosted by the brilliant Jimmy Fallon, and has the perfect balance of information and comedy.
Enough about the rides, and the materialistic things, its time to talk about the overall service and experience. Universal Studios has the best service, and employees, and is the most considerate of the guests. I've been to Disneyworld and Disneyland, and Universal's service put both parks to shame. Their employees were super kind, sweet, and always answered any questions you had with a smile and a joke, without you even having to ask. They have a crazy amount of staff who reach to anyone who looks distressed. They were funny, and got to know the guests they were talking to. They could take a bad mood and make it good again. Not only did the park have water fountains literally everywhere to keep their guests hydrated, along with signs at the end of every ride reminding them to enjoy their day to drink lot's of water, but they had these 'cool stations' all over the place that were fans that sprayed a fine mist onto people who walked by so that you wouldn't suffer from heat stroke. I found this absolutely amazing and super considerate. I probably wouldn't of survived the day if it wasn't for those stations and all the water. I mean a Canadian in +40 degrees Celsius (Around 105 degrees Fahrenheit) doesn't exactly mix well, so I was very thankful for the superb service and all the consideration.
Now if I were to recommend one thing for someone going for their first time, it's to get the Front-Of -The-Line or A-Gate pass. It made all the difference for us, as the lines do tend to get rather long, so the pass is well worth the money. It changes everything, trust me, you won't regret getting it.
After reading this, I hope that you begin to plan your own visit to the park soon, because it is truly amazing, and I can't think of single bad thing to say about it. It is simply magical.
Signing off,
The Nerdy Blogger,
(Brooklyn Wilkins)
P.S. QUOTE OF THE POST: "In dreams, we enter a world that's entirely our own." ~Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter
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