Theme parks: You either love them or you hate them. I, for one, love them! Lucky for me, in Southern California there is no shortage of theme parks. Anyone who knows me knows I am a HUGE Disney fan, and I would live at Disneyland if I could. But, Annual Passes are pricey, and so I'm forced to cap my visits there to once per year. However, there are less expensive options, and one of those options is Universal Studios Hollywood!
Universal is one major attraction in LA that I have never been to, so it was the perfect option for an end of summer adventure! If you live in the area, you've probably noticed that Universal has been ramping up their advertising lately. I've been hearing a lot of ads on the radio and on Hulu, making the park look awesome, and the marketing worked on me. And get this, if you have AAA and live in So Cal, you can get a 9-month season pass for only $119! To put this in perspective, a one-day pass for a California resident can cost you up to $129. So really, why would you not get a season pass? Blackout dates apply, of course, but it's still worth it!
Rides in Review
Let me start by saying Universal is no Disneyland. First of all, the scariest ride at this park are the escalators to get down to the lower lot of the park. I've never seen an escalator this steep. I kept waiting for someone to tumble down and take me with them. The day after we were at the park, we were watching an episode of Ridiculousness where someone fell down an escalator and one of the panelists said "dude must be at Universal Studios."
1st stop: Studio Tour. I was sooooo excited for the famous studio tour. Highlights include: sitting on the right side of the tram and having the famous Jaws shark come right at me, being afraid that the Norman Bates actor wasn't an actor at all, and that he may actually use the giant knife he was wielding, and all the times the middle aged humans sitting next to us were trying to film the insides of dark walls (i.e., the entire time). Also, the tour is narrated by Jimmy Fallon. Can't go wrong.
2nd stop: The Revenge of the Mummy ride. I had absolutely no idea what to expect with this ride. I really thought it was going to be similar to the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland. I couldn't have been more wrong or unprepared- this ride is a slightly fast, pitch black roller coaster. Everything was cool until the coaster halted to a stop- and then some "beetles" started crawling up my legs. And while I was still in horror over the fact that this was happening, they shot us back through the coaster, backwards, in the dark. No Indiana Jones here. Despite my fear of bugs, this was my third favorite ride in the park!
3rd stop: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. NOW we're getting somewhere. This made me feel like I was closer to Disneyland, because the level of detail is UP THERE. We stopped for some Butterbeer (FROZEN, which beat cold 80%-20% on my Instagram poll I posted that morning) and it was delicious. The cream they top the drink with was yum! 10/10 do recommend. We ventured into the castle to what was my second favorite ride of the park and 1st favorite queue: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Highlights include: Uh, the entire interior of the castle?? I was mesmerized by the talking paintings that actually looked like talking paintings. You walk through in wonder and really consider what house you belong in (Gryffindor? Slytherin? Ravenclaw? Divergent?) then they put you on the ride, take you up, flip you upside down, and all that good stuff. Points deducted for: Giant Spiders.
4th stop: Jurassic Park. I had been hearing that Universal is closing the Jurassic Park ride (a classic, why must you go?!) so I had to get on this thing before it disappears for good (September 3rd is the ride's last day running as-is). The only way I condone a re-do of this ride is if they add Chris Pratt's face to it everywhere. This is the only way I got through the depression of the announcement that Tower of Terror was being replaced by Guardians of the Galaxy in California Adventure. As is, I loved this ride. People are not exaggerating when they say you are going to get wet. Do not think this is some Splash Mountain situation where it's a game of "What seat is going to get soaked?" You all will be soaked. Embrace it. Points for: Lots of green plants and the giant in-your-face T-Rex. Also look out for the stray Mickey Mouse ears floating before the drop!
I'm skipping over all of the other stops that I wasn't a huge fan of. Most of the other rides at Universal are motion simulators/screen rides, and it becomes a bit repetitive once you've gone on a couple. The Simpson's ride has warnings that if you're claustrophobic, you maybe shouldn't ride. Being claustrophobic, this made me very anxious. It didn't end up being that bad claustrophobia wise, but I didn't find the ride fun at all. Make sure you evaluate your ability to handle motion sickness before boarding rides like this one!
Oh, and the Waterworld show was pretty cool too! The stunts and effects far exceeded my expectations. Watch out for actors and actresses from your favorite network shows! Also watch out for Leo from the Bachelorette...
After the Park...
Instead of opting for a giant pink Simpson's doughnut in the park (which look amazing!), we stopped at Portland's own Voodoo Doughnut, which is new to Universal CityWalk as of 2017. The line was long of course, but so worth the wait. We split a Voodoo Doll (shaped like a voodoo doll, filled with raspberry, and topped with a pretzel stake) and I also had the most delicious doughnut with Cap'n Crunch Crunch Berries Cereal on top! (Yes I am a Millennial, and I 100% buy into anything with cereal from my childhood on it). WORTH THE CALORIES AND THE WAIT.
Leave a comment below if you have any must do's in the park, have a question about the park, or just want to say hello!
Check out tickets for Universal on the AAA website here:
https://discounts.calif.aaa.com/partner/universal-studios-hollywood/?pid=74410
And the Official Universal Studios Site here:
https://store.universalstudioshollywood.com/PurchaseTickets.aspx
Parking is $25.
Comments