Lower lot
After this amazing tour, it’s time for some more action and thrill rides. Via a few escalators, you reach the lower lot of the park. In Backdraft, you’re a witness of a gigantic fire in a factory. At the special-effects stages, they explain you how special effects are made and used.

Now it’s time to cool down. We’re entering the world of the dinos in Jurassic Park, the Ride. In this ride, you get in a boat the goes through the jungle. You’re attack by dinosaurs. At the end of the ride, the boat goes down a waterfall. It’s one of the best water drops we’re experienced. When you enter the ride, know that you’re getting wet. The scenery is great.

The only roller coaster in this park is Revenge of the Mummy, the Ride. It’s an indoor roller coaster. At the entrance are lockers for your backpack. Each car of the coaster is equipped with surround sound. The car is launched into the dark with a high speed, so be aware of your neck. Half way the ride, it turns backwards. It is one of the better roller coasters we have done in our life!

Back in the upper lot, we go our last attraction of the day: Van Helsing, Fortress Dracula. This is a haunted house you need to walk through. Inside are some real actors who try to scare you, but as for the rest, it’s not really spectacular.

For the people who love shows, you can go to Waterworld. This show should be great, but we missed it. Maybe we’ll see it next time. If you’re hungry, you can get a lot of food, but it’s expensive. For our dinner, we did choose a restaurant on City Walk.

It was a great day!!!

Today is our big fun day. After checking out of the hotel, we’re heading to Universal Studios. It’s easy to find; just follow the signs from the freeway. As you enter the parking lot, you need to pay for it. Last year it was $8, but now it’s already $10. The parking areas are marked with movie themes, like Curious George, Jurassic Park, and Frankenstein.

After parking our car, we walked through City Walk to the ticket boots. A ticket for the park costs around $50, but there are many ways to get a discount. You can use your AAA card or search for a voucher in your hotel. Almost in every hotel in LA you can find vouchers for a discount. Ours was good for a discount of $8 per person.

Upper lot
Our first attraction of the day is the Shrek 4D show. As a fan of the movie, I find this show great. After that, we go "Back to the Future." In this show, you get in Doc Browns high-flying time-traveling machine. It’s a rough ride, but we never saw such a good simulator.

After our journey back in time, we’re going for the most important attraction of the Universal Studios: the Studio Tram Tour. You will be driven through the back lot of Universal Studios, where you can see real movie sets like a New York steer of "The Sting," the creepy, old mansion from "Psycho," the snowy Whoville of "The Grinch," and many more. But there is also more action. Jaws attacks the tram as it passes over a bridge. You’re in a flash flood, and just as the tram crosses a bridge, it collapses. The two most sophisticated attractions are King Kong and Earthquake. If you want to know what really happens to you, you’ll have to be part of the action. During the 45-minute ride, you’re informed about everything you see through a live guide, but you can also see movie scenes on the screens in the tram.

Another good show is Terminator 2:3D. It’s a show with some real actors and a 3-D movie. This gives you the feeling that you’re in the middle of the action. It’s nice to see, but we found it not too spectacular.

There are lots of fun things to do at Universal Studios. It is easy to see why this is the number one attraction in L.A. We were there on a Monday and got to see everything in a day without much queuing. The rides are not for thrill-seekers, as the park is geared for a relaxing time with family and friends. Do enjoy all the rides and the Universal Studio Tour. We ended the day by catching a movie at Universal Theatres on Universal City Walk. You get to save by setting off the ticket cost with the parking costs, giving you the cheapest movie tickets in Hollywood. Awesome fun.

Now, Universal Studios is a huge place. It is split into two places, the amusement park and the studio area. We went with some relatives. The lines were long, so I would recommend tickets ahead of time via the phone or internet. The worst part was waiting in the lines, which took all of 1 hour or so.

Once in, it was quite an assortment of themed rides and games. From the T2 ride/show to the Jurassic Park water ride, it was quite up to the hype of an amusement park. We went from ride to ride, although people started to line up outside the bigger rides as the day went on.

After a day of rides, we went to the Studio Tours. Waiting in line, we were called and jumped on our tram. The tram ride took you through several lots that were used for movies and TV shows. We also were treated to a "ride" when the tram entered a warehouse and shook as if we were in an earthquake. Still an old-time standard and fan favorite is the old, reliable mechanical shark from JAWS. As the tram came to an end, so did the evening. It was a lot of fun, but we were ready for bed.

As I put my walking shoes on for my day at Universal, I thought about how much I wished I had had a little more information before I walked in the front gate the first time I went. I’ve been to the park four times, both with and without children. Here's a brief rundown, to help you plan your day.

Universal Studios is fun for all ages. There is something for everyone here. Make sure and get a park map when you get your tickets, as it will help you decide your route before you get too overwhelmed.

They have lots of activities: the Studiotour, Rugrats Magic Adventure, Blastzone, The Blues Brothers, Waterworld, Animal Planet, Terminator 2: 3D, Back to the Future The Ride, Spiderman Rocks, Mummy Returns, Backdraft, Jurassic Park, ET, Shrek 4-D, and Van Helsing The Ride. Blastzone and Rugrats Magic Adventure are Nickelodeon activities. Blues Brothers, Waterworld, Animal Planet, and Spiderman Rocks are shows, and Waterworld, Blastzone, and Jurassic Park are WET rides. Terminator 3D is my absolute favorite. Be sure to sit either right in the front or on the far side of either side of the auditorium - you won't regret it. ET is a great ride for kids and adults, as is Back to the Future. They're both virtual rides with motion and special effects. Backdraft can be scary for little ones, because it's hot and there's fire.

I recommend going in the off-season to avoid LONG lines for the attractions. Summer is always busy, as is Christmas. I found the best time is February, when it’s a little chilly in the morning, but the crowds are a lot sparser. I don't recommend bringing really small children (babies), because there's a lot of territory to cover and most of the rides are scary and have a height requirement. Food is a bit pricey, as can be expected. I bring my own water bottle and put a few granola bars and beef jerky in my purse so I don't snack too much. There are plenty of places to eat.

Try to get there when the gates open if you only have a 1-day pass, because there's a lot of ground cover and you can wait in line for half an hour or more for some rides.

Of course, wear comfy shoes and bring a sweater. Don't forget your wallet, as souvenirs are expensive. Don’t forget the camera and extra film and/or batteries. You can purchase those items there, but they’re expensive.

Parking is free at the park and is in a covered garage, which is nice. City Walk, outside the park, is a stretch of land like you've never seen before. Restaurants of every kind and shops line the walkway into the park, tempting you to eat and spend your money. Be STRONG - save your money for the park.

As of 2005, they have a new rain-check guarantee. Go to their website to see the restrictions.