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DESTINATION
IDEAS
California
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West
Bargain Travel West guide to unique destinations, sight-seeing, budget travel
vacation ideas for the independent traveler in the U.S., Canada and Caribbean.
Los
Angeles Tour and Attraction Discount Tickets
Travel Bargain destination
in Los Angeles
UNIVERSAL
STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD
Tram Studio Tour and Theme Park
Universal
wasn’t the first
movie studio to offer a tour of its sound stages and back lot, but
it was the first to turn the movie studio tour
into an amusement park. The tour at Universal has expanded over 30
years into a sprawling complex of entertainment, special effects and
character
performance shows spread over the hillside which rises above the movie
studio itself which Carl Laemmle founded, created famous monsters and
the disaster film. Movie studios are actually glorified lumber yards,
where crews and actors move in for a while to create some movie magic,
living in trailers,
then
depart once again to leave the sound stages to truck drivers and set
carpenters.
The
tour itself is a narrated tram ride through the back lot with pauses
and stops at automatic effects and through former film
sets, left behind from movies shot on the lot, the debris of famous
directors. The Bates Motel and mom’s house from Psycho left behind
by Alfred Hitchcock was the first and still the most recognized icon.
Riding on
a tram through the streets of the back lot it’s possible to spot
a famous actor or director cross the street in a brief flash, but just
in case, the tour has seeded some spots along the route with cast performers
dressed to look like a movie character. You’ll sure catch Norman
Bates stuffing a body in a trunk outside his motel, before the tram
heads up past the house, which you’ll discover is only ¾ scale.
The
European street, seen in countless TV shows and movies supposed to
be in the old towns of Europe was built for the Louis Milestone 1930
Oscar winning version of the WWI epic “All
Quiet on the Western Front”, but possible most familiar
with villagers carrying pitchforks in a handful of Frankenstein
monster classics and Mel Brook's farcical revisit to Young Frankenstein
(see Mary Shelley Frankenstein
Memoirs). Steven Spielberg has contributed
the most to the delights of the tour.
Bruce
the Shark
from
Jaws swims
in
the Amityville harbor pool most recognized from the Angela Landsbury
70s TV show “Murder She Wrote”, taking a swipe with his
gnashing teeth at the tram stuck on a shaking bridge (sit on the
right side
of the tram for the tooth shot), the debris left behind from the
747 crash of the Spielberg version of “War of the Worlds” with
Tom Cruise, litters the wooded back reaches of the property. Ron
Howard
has contributed
the capsule
from “Apollo 13” and the soon to open Whoville from “The
Grinch”. The newest attraction on the tour, currently making
appearances in an ad campaign near you, is the new King Kong. The
former mechanical
giant
gorilla from the 70’s movie was destroyed in the studio lot
fire a couple of years ago, so Peter Jackson was asked to add a sequence
to
his King Kong with Jack Black for use in the 3-D 360 stop on the
tram ride where visitors put on 3D glasses for a full surround rear
projection
screen bad breath up-close fight to the death between the King of
the Apes and a Tyrannosaurus Rex, making maximum use of hydraulics
and spatial
disorientation for a quite thrilling two minutes.
The actual tram tour is only a portion of the Universal Studios Hollywood
experience. The campus of amusements would take a full three days
to experience, not as big as Disneyland, but rivaling in scope. Some
of
the other premier attractions:
Jurassic
Park
In the lower lot, another Spielberg contribution, an outdoor river
ride through the world of cloned dinosaurs, entering the giant gates
of the
fictional Jurassic Park where failing systems has allowed the dinosaurs
to run loose, eating their handlers and spitting water at the passing
boat of park visitors, ending in a rise through the dark DNA lab
about to explode, just missed by an attacking Tyrannosaur before
plunging
into the last splash. Probably the best ride in the park, though
why getting
spit on by an angry venomous Dilophosaurus is entertaining would
take a psychologist to figure out.
Waterworld
Stunt Show
The biggest show in the park, where you will also get wet, depending
on where you sit. The amphitheater with explosions roaring speed
boats and falling stunt men was first built for a Miami Vice stunt
show.
The post-apocalyptic “Waterworld” with Kevin Kostner
was a very expensive flop of an action movie, but perfect for a
water based stunt
show, and has made its budget back by entertaining amusement park
visitors. Avoid the green seats on the lower rows if getting splashed
is not your
thing, but by all means sit up close if it is. Your eyebrows will
get a toasting from the big explosion at the finale.
Terminator
2: 3D
The Terminator movie franchise goes through new incarnations
and Arnold Schwarzenegger has passed through the governor’s
mansion and tabloids, but in this theater show of firing guns
and mechanical cyborgs, John
Conner is still a teenager and the Terminator a leather jacketed
motorcycle riding avenger. A mix of 3D movie and now you see
it now you don’t
sleight of hand the characters go in and out of the movie, as
you’re
trying to figure out the magic.
Shrek
4D
The green ogre, Shrek, Princess Fiona and Donkey entertain in
another theater show mixing 3D movie and effects in a newer
more young
children family friendly performance comedy act. Other characters
and shows
include The Simpsons, The Blues Brothers, Animal Actors, Universal
classic horror
monsters Frankenstein and the Wolfman in the House of Horrors
show, and the Mummy ride through the dark mystery thrills of
spooky ancient
Egypt.
For the more staid not-so-thrill seeking movie buff, on the
lower lot, tucked in the back the NBC Universal museum exhibit features
authentic
props, photographs, wardrobe and artifacts from actual movies
from Universal’s
film legacy.
Front
of the Line Pass
For some special attention and to get through the park a bit
quicker, Universal Studios Hollywood offers a priority pass,
for which you
get to go to the front of the line for preferential seating,
and at a number
of shows stay after to meet the performers and get a behind
the scenes look at how the magic is done.
All
You Can Eat
Meals at the food stands can be pretty pricey, no escaping
if you get hungry, and in case you get a hankering to actually
eat
something
called
Donkey’s Waffles or Doc Brown’s Chicken. The
park offers an All You Can Eat Pass which can save some
money with a family brood
of voracious “mommy I’m hungry” Velociraptors
to feed.
Vistiting Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal
Studios Hollywood is not exactly in Hollywood, but just over the hill,
a five minute drive through the Cahuenga Pass on the Hollywood
Freeway in its own actual postal zone Universal City. Tickets are pricey.
$74 for General Admission (which actally gets you and annual pass in
2011), $66 for under 48 inches, intended for children but techically
includes “little people” and I suppose, Gnomes. A Front of
the Line Pass is $119 and VIP $249. You can also get a combo ticket which
includes Sea World in San Diego. The
Universal Studios Tram Tour requires a ticket for the
whole amusement park. The Universal City Walk shopping,
restaurants and entertainment
zone is outside the park and does not require a ticket (see City
Walk
Awesome Date). The park entrance and ticket booths are through the
City Walk, look for the big Universal Globe. Parking the Universal
Studios
Hollywood is in lots up the hill from Lankershim Blvd or its own
entrance directly off the 101 freeway. Or if staying
in the real Hollywood,
you can ride the subway metro line from the Hollywood & Highland
center (see Hollywood & Highland). © Bargain
Travel West
Compare the best hotel deals in Los Angeles on TripAdvisor
Web Info
Universal
Studios Hollywood
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