Day Seven - Universally Awesome
Today we decided to go to Universal Studios. We left the hotel around 8:30am and were met with the sluggish rush hour traffic you'd expect somewhere like LA. We managed to get to Universal just as the clock struck 10am. This also happened to be the time the park opened. We decided to get preferred parking which literally had us just a hundred or so feet from the front entrance of the park. We immediately headed to the back of the park in search of The Revenge of the Mummy.
The park is actually kind of wierdly set up in two levels. You have to take four rather steep escalators to get from the top level to the bottom level. Its a huge, steep, distance between the two. The Mummy was on the bottom level.
When we got down there we walked onto the ride as it wasn't very busy at all. Then we walked over to Jurassic Park and walked onto that. Then we turned around and went back to the Mummy and walked right on that again.
By the end of that ride we were all a bit famished so we took the escalators back up to the top level and had a late breakfast at Cinnibon. Yummy, but not as good as the ones in FL. After that we moseyed through shops, took photo op pics, and basically just looked around. We were waiting for the 1230 Terminator 2 3D show to start. We got in line for that around 1215. After Terminator Dad sat down and me and Tabi went and watched Waterworld.
It's kind of funny really, wasn't Waterworld one of the biggest movie flops ever? And here it has this packed show at Universal? Although I'm wondering if maybe they shouldn't repalce it soon. I mean the movie is over ten years old and thus outdated...and again...who actually likes it? Besides me that is?
After Waterworld we all traipsed over to the Studio Tour. This is the only ride of the day that had a line, and low and behold we had a priority pass. When we first entered the park this morning a guy stopped us and asked us some survey questions, for out time he gave us the priority pass. So we skipped the line.
It's been like 12.5 years since I did the tram last, so obviously much has changed. The King Kong part is gone, and many of the sets and props are from more current shows. It's a really great tram tho. We drove by the CSI studios and the door was open a crack so I could see a bit inside. We got to go through the airplane crash set from War of the Worlds. We drove down Wisteria Lane. We visited Tortuga, or the set that played Tortuga in Pirates. And we went by Old Port Royale from Pirates which actually serves as many a film set in many a movie. We could see the part that got burnt down last summer, the place where the clock from Back to the Future is...they're is full swing rebuilding right now. Of course we couldn't go in there, but when the set reopens this summer I guess the Trams will be alllowed back in, so I'll just have to come back.
After the Tram ride we had lunch at Mels Diner. A cool 50s style diner on the upper lot. Then we went back down to the lower lot and Tabi and I did the Backdraft show. Also thinking this one should be replaced sooner than later. I mean...the movie is a bit old and who really remembers it that well? Get something new in there. Why not the MIB ride from FL?
After that we went back up the escalators and Tabi and I walked through the House of Horrors, which basically was scary dark rooms where people jump out (but don't touch - they were very clear about that) you. It was fun. Tabi got really really freaked out. Especially when we had to push aside the bodies in plastic bags to get by. In the end she ended up running away from me.
After House of Horrors we did some shopping and then left the park. We walked around City Walk for a bit, and then had dinner at the Hard Rock cafe. Then it was back to the car and we drove back to DL in half the time it took us this morning. All in all a super fun day. And excellent because of the lack of crowds. Lets hope Disney is just as empty tomorrow!
Brynna
The park is actually kind of wierdly set up in two levels. You have to take four rather steep escalators to get from the top level to the bottom level. Its a huge, steep, distance between the two. The Mummy was on the bottom level.
When we got down there we walked onto the ride as it wasn't very busy at all. Then we walked over to Jurassic Park and walked onto that. Then we turned around and went back to the Mummy and walked right on that again.
By the end of that ride we were all a bit famished so we took the escalators back up to the top level and had a late breakfast at Cinnibon. Yummy, but not as good as the ones in FL. After that we moseyed through shops, took photo op pics, and basically just looked around. We were waiting for the 1230 Terminator 2 3D show to start. We got in line for that around 1215. After Terminator Dad sat down and me and Tabi went and watched Waterworld.
It's kind of funny really, wasn't Waterworld one of the biggest movie flops ever? And here it has this packed show at Universal? Although I'm wondering if maybe they shouldn't repalce it soon. I mean the movie is over ten years old and thus outdated...and again...who actually likes it? Besides me that is?
After Waterworld we all traipsed over to the Studio Tour. This is the only ride of the day that had a line, and low and behold we had a priority pass. When we first entered the park this morning a guy stopped us and asked us some survey questions, for out time he gave us the priority pass. So we skipped the line.
It's been like 12.5 years since I did the tram last, so obviously much has changed. The King Kong part is gone, and many of the sets and props are from more current shows. It's a really great tram tho. We drove by the CSI studios and the door was open a crack so I could see a bit inside. We got to go through the airplane crash set from War of the Worlds. We drove down Wisteria Lane. We visited Tortuga, or the set that played Tortuga in Pirates. And we went by Old Port Royale from Pirates which actually serves as many a film set in many a movie. We could see the part that got burnt down last summer, the place where the clock from Back to the Future is...they're is full swing rebuilding right now. Of course we couldn't go in there, but when the set reopens this summer I guess the Trams will be alllowed back in, so I'll just have to come back.
After the Tram ride we had lunch at Mels Diner. A cool 50s style diner on the upper lot. Then we went back down to the lower lot and Tabi and I did the Backdraft show. Also thinking this one should be replaced sooner than later. I mean...the movie is a bit old and who really remembers it that well? Get something new in there. Why not the MIB ride from FL?
After that we went back up the escalators and Tabi and I walked through the House of Horrors, which basically was scary dark rooms where people jump out (but don't touch - they were very clear about that) you. It was fun. Tabi got really really freaked out. Especially when we had to push aside the bodies in plastic bags to get by. In the end she ended up running away from me.
After House of Horrors we did some shopping and then left the park. We walked around City Walk for a bit, and then had dinner at the Hard Rock cafe. Then it was back to the car and we drove back to DL in half the time it took us this morning. All in all a super fun day. And excellent because of the lack of crowds. Lets hope Disney is just as empty tomorrow!
Brynna