The Los Angeles version of Universal Studios is nowhere near as good as the one in Florida. If you are in the area, it is worth a visit, but if you have been to the Orlando version, you will be disappointed!

Many of the attractions are the same, such as ET, Back to the Future and Terminator 3D but many of the other ones such as Earthquake, Jaws and King Kong are incorporated into the Studio Tour and are very tame in comparison to Florida equivalents. If you are a first time Universal visitor, you are sure to be impressed.

Other attractions here include City Walk – shops and restaurants including Hard Rock Café. Water World a water stunt spectacular, Jurassic Park Ride and Backdraft.

All rides are very good fun, but as I mentioned before, the Orlando version is much bigger and better.

I wasn't actually expecting much of Universal Studios. I'd heard it was really stagey and more of a theme park than a real look behind the scenes. And it is. Buts it's also great fun. Be prepared to just enter into the fantasy world of movies and enjoy it.

There are several different rides and shows, all based on various movies. The ones I particularly recommend are Jurassic Park (log flume ride), the Mummy (ghost house ride or rather walk), and Terminator 2 (a lovely combination of live action and 3D effects). The studio tour is also pretty cool. You get loaded into these little cars and taken to the backlots of the studio. The drive takes you through sets you've seen in a hundred different movies and there are also a few special effects along the way - King Kong, Jaws etc. you know they're coming but they're still great.

Universal Studios is such a fun day out. I loved the blurring of reality and movie fantasy. Tips. There's not a lot of shade and the heat can get really punishing. Take a lot of water - everything is expensive in the Studios. If you have a time and aren't too wrecked, spend the evening at Universal complex. There's lots of shops, a huge cinema (no surprise) and lots of cafes, nice restaurants and cool bars. You should be able to get a few dollars discount off the ticket and off some of the food places with the promotional flyers given out along Hollywood Blvd. The Studios are easily reachable by the metro and there's a free shuttle to the gates. But you may have to wait a long time for the shuttle back to the Metro the later you leave.

Universal Studios theme park is based on movies made by Universal (duh).

Some of the attractions are rides, like Back to the Future and Jurassic Park. My personal favorite is Jurassic Park because it’s like being in the movie, and there's a ten-story drop at the end that is such a rush!

Other attractions, like Backdraft, are like walk-through, interactive experiences -- it’s hard to describe.

Outside the park, there is Universal City Walk, which is a strip about 2 blocks long with shops, movie theaters, restaurants and clubs. Hard Rock Cafe is at the end of the City Walk -- and as with all Hard Rocks, it is overpriced, but still fun.

This is a great place for movie enthusiasts, and also for those who don't care for roller coasters. The shows are awesome, and there's plenty to do for a day. There are many options for food and fun.

I worked at Universal Studios Florida for a number of years, so of course, I had to see the ''real thing!'' Our trip was rather rushed. Allow the better part of a day to see the whole thing, and plan well if you want to see shows like Water World.