Universal Studios - what a fun-filled movie day!

Main Entrance

Universal City is an actual city. It has its own post code, own fire station, and of course is home to Universal Studios. For more than 50 years Universal has produced movies form the sound stages and back lots of its studios. For more than half of that time they have operated the Universal Studios theme park. 25 years ago I spent a day of my honeymoon at Universal, and today I revisited this popular theme park in California.

Has it grown over the years! More attractions, more rides, more high tech effects, and more people visiting it each year.

Simpsons ride

My aim was to have at least one ride on all the rides and see each of the performances. This I achieved, bar the animal show, as I ran out of time. Some I went on more than once, such as the Transformers ride and the Mummy ride, which I went I on 4 times each. I went on several others twice, such as the new Simpsons ride.

The highlight was going on the back lot tour to see the various outdoor western, metro, Mexican, dinosaur sets, which have detailed fronts but no backs. Cabot Cove was still there as it was 25 years ago, the set for Murder She Wrote, Mchale's Navy and Gilligan's Island. We actually drove along Wisteria Lane. The highlight was going through the 360 3-D King Kong experience and the subway earthquake.

We arrived when the park opened at 9am, and only left when it closed at 6pm. It was a fun filled day and could have spent more time there to appreciate all that it offers. 

Wisteria Lane

The up-keep of the Universal Studios amusement park is excellent, and new attractions are being added all the time. The one they are working on now is the new Harry Potter ride. The staff looked the part in the costumes appropriate for each ride, and were still smiling at the end of the day.

When the park closed we went and explored the new City Walk area of shops and restaurants, where we had dinner before retuning to the next-door Hilton Universal City for our last night. A quick spa in the outdoor whirlpool before packing our bags for an early morning departure tomorrow morning.