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Home / Neighborhood / San Gabriel Valley / Arcadia Weekly / Summer at Universal Studios Hollywood

Summer at Universal Studios Hollywood

by Pasadena Independent
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gregsgetaway 7-22-13

Universal Studios Hollywood will always hold an exciting place in my heart. From the first time I visited as a boy and experienced the behind-the-scene movie magic of the Studio Tour, to my last visit when I encountered the thrilling King Kong 3D ride, the theme park has been a Southern California staple attraction for me.
To recapture some of the old memories and to make some new ones, a friend and I recently returned to the park.

Our getaway began with Transformers: The Ride-3D, the park’s newest attraction. This immersive ride blurs the line between fiction and reality as it fuses HD 3D media and flight simulation technology to transport guests into fantasy war zone from the actual “Transformers” movie. While strapped into my seat, I was able to fly through space and fight alongside the character Optimus as we tried to save the human race.

Once earth was safe, we took a trip behind-the-scenes on legendary Studio Tour to explore Hollywood’s most famous backlot in the world’s largest working movie studio. Probably my favorite “ride” of any amusement park, this tour travels through 13 city blocks on four acres of the historic lot.

Along the tour guests encounter things such as the plane crash from “War of the Worlds,” meet crazy Norman Bates at the Bates Motel from the movie “Psycho,” experience explosive special effects from “Fast and the Furious,” and come face-to-teeth with “Jaws.” As the tram drives along the backlot, comedian Jimmy Fallon comes on the tram’s HD monitors and shows fun movie clips.

The Studio Tour also features a journey into Skull Island and a an encounter with King Kong 360 3-D, the world’s largest 3-D ride experience. Created by film producer Peter Jackson, this adventure begins when the tram enters a darkened soundstage and guests are caught on a bridge, in the middle of a mega-fight between a menacing 35-ft-tall T-Rex and massive King Kong. We got so close to the action we could feel the breath of the monsters and water as it flew from their bodies.

To create this attraction, the studio literally surrounds the tram with two 187-ft-wide by 40-ft-high curved screens, representing the equivalent of 16 movie theatre screens.
After the studio tour we headed to Krustyland and the boarded The Simpsons ride. With show characters Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie by our side we rode through a kaleidoscope, carnival-like midway, highlighted by state-of-the-art digital projectors that cover an 80 ft. diameter dome surface with an image four times the standard High Definition found in most home theaters, and twice what you’d experience in a normal digital theater.

Another cool attraction at Universal Studios is Shrek 4-D, an outrageously fun attraction in a 3-D theater, where visitors put on OgreVision glasses and are sent to Lord Farquaad’s “dungeon.” Here they become part of the fairytale action as their seats move and they feel water, wind, mist and other special effects.

Universal Studios is located at 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608. Hours: 9am – 10pm during summer. General admission is $84. The Studio Tour is included with all theme park admission. For more information on visiting visit: www.universalstudioshollywood.com.

Besides regular admission, the park offers a VIP experience for $299 that allows you to go behind the scenes and visit closed sets, plus VIP privileges, with escorted priority access to all rides, shows & attractions. Then there is the Front of the Line special for $169, which includes park admission with one-time priority access ( no waiting in line) to each ride, show & attraction.

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