A Whole New Universe in Florida

• October 29, 2009
• Rated 4 of 5 by jaygami1986 from London, United Kingdom

Well having done quite a few reviews of my time in different American states, my next review is focussing more on a specific tourist attraction, rather than my visit to the state, the reason being that this attraction has so much talking time, theirs millions of things to describe about it, and to be honest its actually one im going to enjoy the most talking about. This new review is about the beautiful, magnificent universal studios in Orlando Florida

History:
Universal studios first opened on June 1990 and became universals second theme park after the original one was opened in Hollywood, its huge size and attractions made it a direct competitor with Disney Land, which had been around for many years. The investment cost Universal somewhere in the region of $250 million, however during the early stages of its life several problems with the rides occurred causing some negative publicity at the time.

Tickets:
Ok before we move onto the main attractions within the area, it would first make sense to show the prices for entry into the park. You can buy tickets at the main entrance, however we booked ours through a tour operator in Chicago before we left as we thought it would be quicker. One recommendation is if you buy your tickets on the day, be prepared to leave early, the waiting can be quite frustrating, so the earlier you get their more time you have to enjoy the sights and attractions. Ok so regarding the ticket prices, of course they varies upon length of visit, to be honest we took two days to cover the entire theme park, you could do it in one day, but to be honest its pushing it.
The prices are as followed;
 2 day 2 park tickets, which allow a two day access to both the Universal Studios and the Island of Adventure theme park. Adults cost was about $117, and children (3-9) was $107, this is the pass we got, it worked out cheaper booking it online as when we got their the prices were at least $15 more than the prices you see above.
 If you simply want to buy a one day pass just for the Universal studios tour the prices are; $67 for adults and $56 for children. The prices can be cheaper if you book in advance or if you book in group or bulk buying. So if their per say four or more people the prices reduce with each additional person.



Furthermore, you can also purchase a fast track ticket like most other theme parks, this would allow you to jump the line and go to the front. For more info and if you wish to book advance online, use the link below, found it to be very useful. (http://www.wdwinfo.com/universal/parkinfo/tickets.html)


The Theme Park:
Ok will this next section focuses more on the actual theme park as a whole, the rides and attractions I saw and the general feeling about the place. Perhaps the most powerful thing you notice once approaching the studio is the big roman type deco near the entrance, with surrounding palm trees and bluer than blue sky it really makes you feel as if your in a tropical jungle, the huge sign that says welcome to Universal Studios just stands out and you soon realise you're here.
Once you've got past the ticket and security sections, which believe me is just as secure as an airport, they check your bags and in some cases search you, which is understandable considering the loom of terror can happen at any time. Once you pass this you approach a huge moving straight escalator, which takes you from the gates to the main park. The music playing in the background and kids talking loudly about how excited they are really make you feel as if your about to go somewhere special. Some two and half minutes pass and once you reach the end of the escalators your welcomed by a cartoon character, I actually remember being chased by Tom and Jerry, which was weird to say the least, but still fun.

The theme park can be broken down into six different areas, all of which have different rides and settings. The six main areas are;
 Kid zone
 World expo
 New York
 Production Central
 San Francisco /Amity
 Hollywood

The first section will be the Hollywood area, it's hard to miss as it's the only one next to the entrance, it's got some really cool aspects to it, and it actually has my favourite attraction, the Terminator 2:3D show. This show is something out of this world, and it has so many similarities with the actual film. The waiting time for this show is roughly 30 minutes so I would advice people to go here first as it tends to increase during the afternoon. Once you've got inside, your welcomed into a waiting room, were some welcome committee will welcome you to "Cyberdine" and they then take you into a theatre. I won't spoil the plot of the show, but it has a combination of some awesome 3D effects and real life character role playing, which is awesome. Believe it or not, but the character role play of Sara Connor was actually the real same women that played her in the film. It would seen she was doing some two week special appearance, I actually managed to get her autograph and to date is the most famous person I have meet.


The show lasts a while, but once you're finished you get a chance to visit the shops, were you can purchase some replica merchandise. I bought some delightful dog tags which cost me $30 lol, rip off, but heck it was the cheapest thing their. Theirs also a brilliant display of film props used in the movies, such as Arnolds jacket, the motorcycle he uses and the machine hand (You no which one im referring to).

Ok so once you've managed to tear yourself away from this exciting area, you can wonder into production central. I loved this area as a child because they had to nickelodeon studios, were I was actually a participant on one of the game shows aired in America, I even got to gung my parents, now that was something. However, most the main attractions in this section closed down, and in 2007 the new areas included the Shrek 3D tour, its much like the terminator ride, but it shows more about how the film was made, some of the areas were the voiceovers were done and so on. This area was my least favourite, perhaps due to the previous excitements I had revived their, it couldn't be beaten.

We gradually moved our way from this section after about three hours, and were then introduced to the New York area. What I really loved about this area was that it had different sets of what New York looked like, from New York 1920's with the old buggsy Malone cars, to the present day New York, with taxis, and modern deco. The rides in this section again were simply brilliant; we went on both the Twister and Revenge of the Mummy show. The twister ride is like a real life simulator of what it may be like when a real twister is in your city, and it's simply brilliant, the CGI affects makes it seem really real

Finally my favourite and most exciting area, San Francisco / Amity. You may have heard of the famous Jaws ride and the earthquake ride, well this is their home. The Jaw ride has perhaps the longest waiting time, it's roughly and hour waiting time, but its well worth the wait. You're riding in the boat, and all of a sudden some gigantic huge and realistic shark pops out of the water. It's something that seems really real, the special effects, the blood in the water and the famous Jaws music seriously makes you feel a bit scared.

Food:
There are tons of places were you can pig out and have some food, for those who want something classy they have a number of restaurants, however your betting booking in advance as some of the waiting times can be really long. Each attraction area also has small huts were you can purchase sandwiches, pizza's, burgers and so on. What's also pleasant about this place is you are in fact allowed to bring in your own food, which can also be a perk. They have several designated areas were you could sit down with your friends and family, benches to sit down on, and nice scenic views to add on top of that.

From journal Travelling Through America & Canada

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Univeral Studios

• October 25, 2009
• Rated 3 of 5 by Meggysmum from Oxford, United Kingdom

Universal Studios in Orlando opened in 1990. It is located at the Northern end of International Drive and is on the same site as City walk and Islands of Adventure.

I find this the most disjointed of all the Orlando theme parks but I would think that it has more teenage appeal than many in the area. The park is split into several areas but I didn’t find them particularly distinctive and can’t really remember why a certain attraction would be in a certain area.

Entrance to the park is past the very photogenic Universal globe and then through the huge gateway. Bag searches and electronic turnstiles are the norm for this area and the queues move quite quickly. There are several attractions that are particularly popular so like all parks it is a good idea to plan what you really want to see.

Shrek 4D is probably the first attraction you will spot. This is very popular and has a huge queuing area which leads you into a "pre-show" to get you up to speed on the story of Shrek (as if you didn’t know!). This is followed by a 15 minute film with plenty of brilliant 4D effects and a good story although some younger children may find it a little scary.

Jimmy Neutrons Nickletoon Blast is opposite and that is a part simulator and effects story that is also popular with youngsters. Sometimes Shrek and Donkey or Dora the Explorer will be in the area to sign autographs. The donkey is expertly done and is very witty, certainly makes the parents laugh!

There is a larger children’s area that houses Feels playground which is great and even has a little water ride in it. ETs adventure is located in the children’s area. This always seems to have a huge queue, made worse by the fact that everyone is given a card and asked their names which is entered on a computer. After the rather gentle air ride you are welcomed back with your name but it is very hard to hear and I think it misses most people anyway.
My favourite ride is Men in Black. This shoot-to-score ride takes you through rooms that look just like the film and then send you to defend the city from aliens. There is a huge alien at the end and if you know how to beat it you get a huge score which infuriates your family! (Guess who knows the secret?)

As you progress around the lake you come to some of the older attractions that are starting to show their age. Jaws is not open everyday but is a boat ride that turns into a disaster. The boat pilots are the key to how much you will enjoy the ride. The models are not great but join in with the screaming and your kids will be terrified anyway.

Twister and Disaster are based on the disaster movies that were popular in the late 70s. They are both long attractions so make sure you have planned enough time to visit them. Disaster takes you on a simulation of a San Francisco Subway during an earthquake and involves 65000 gallons of water. Make sure you are not at the end of the train as the effects are really much better in the middle. Twister is based on a tornado and most of it is rather boring so give it a miss if there is a big queue.

The Revenge of the Mummy was the only coaster in the park when we visited (Hollywood Rip Ride Rockitt has just opened). It was an effective ride that is all enclosed with plenty of beetles and scary effects. It reaches good speeds and is quite exciting. The walk through the queuing area was very long so I would hate to think how much waiting occurs in high season.

Terminator 2 3D is a fun presentation involving actors and pre-recorded films. I thought that this was very effective and quite exciting but again wouldn’t be suitable for younger children.
Universal Studios does have several other attractions.

Unfortunately because we always visit in October several of them are shut as they are revamped for their Halloween night specials. This is quite irritating as there are stage make-up presentations and special effect features that I would like to see. Also, as the park is decorated for Halloween there are parts that look odd because they obviously will have features added to them at night so the park tends to look a bit derelict and unloved by day.
There are plenty of shopping opportunities and places to eat. Photographs have to be collected at the guest services area and need to be viewed before you leave the park.

Having visited several times I would have to say this is not my favourite park as I find that it certainly doesn’t take up a whole day. Visiting in October has the disadvantage of Halloween but the advantage that we have hardly ever had to queue for more than about 10 minutes for any ride. Get a two-park ticket and visit Islands Of Adventure as well, especially if you like thrill rides.

From journal Orlandos other Big Ones!

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Ticket Nightmare!

• September 30, 2009
• Rated 3 of 5 by lanceinpace from pace, Florida

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A Universal Experience

• September 16, 2009
• Rated 5 of 5 by tartlette from Bath, United Kingdom

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Amazing Park

• September 2, 2009
• Rated 5 of 5 by Fiver29 from Barrow in Furness, United Kingdom

Universal Studios was our first stop on our theme park travels. It also turned out to be one of the top two that we visited.

The park is split into six areas; Production Central, New York, San Francisco/Amity, Hollywood, Woody Woodpecker’s Kidzone and World Expo.

Production Central
****************

This is the first section you come across after you pass the turnstiles and here we took in two of the rides. Well not rides so much as experiences, the first was Shrek 4D. As you can probably guess from the ride name it’s a 3D film with the added dimension of moving seats and water/air sprays. The film sees the return of Lord Farquaad, who kidnaps Fiona. Shrek and donkey must rescue her. The 3D animation is good, and at some points very effective, luckily there are only small squirts of water, which considering the film could have been a lot worse. Overall I’d give this attraction 7/10.

We also went straight across the road from Shrek 4D to Jimmy Neutron’s Nicktoon Blast. Again this is a 3D film, but this time you sit in blocks of 8 seats which rise of the floor and move around with the film, and again you get squirted with water a couple of times. The kids enjoyed this one much more than Shrek, despite the fact initially my son had to be dragged in because he really didn’t want to see it. By the time it had finished he wanted to go again, so this ride gets a 9/10.

Also in Production Central is the Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket, which looks fantastic, but as my daughter wasn’t tall enough we had to miss it out.

New York
********

There are two rides in this section. The first time we visited the park we missed out Twister, which is a ride based on the film of the same name, and to be honest I wished we’d missed it the second time, because it was a lot of standing around and waiting for an extremely poor experience. Only 1/10 for this one.

The Revenge of the Mummy ride was a different kettle of fish. This had to be one of my favourite rides, although the first time we went on it, it scared my daughter half to death and she screamed none stop all the way round (she was able to laugh about it later though). You can’t take bags on this ride, so you have to use a locker, luckily they are free for the first hour. 9.5/10 from me on this one (I think it would be a -9.5/10 from my daughter though).

Also in this area is the Blues Brothers show, which plays 5 times a day. But we were never around at the right time, and the kids weren’t really that bothered about watching it.

San Francisco/Amity
*****************

This is an annoying area, because there are loads of stalls like fairground stalls, all of which cost extra on top of the fortune you’ve paid to get in the park. So there were a lot of "no’s" going on there. The only ride we went on was the Jaws ride, which my son enjoyed because Jaws popped up right next to him. The operator of the boat really does make a difference to the ride. The first time we went on there was an older gentleman who just went through the motions , whereas the second time a young woman took control and she was brilliant, she really put her heart and soul into the acting and it made the ride much better. 8/10 for this one.

Hollywood
*********

We actually just walked through Hollywood each time. There are a lot of bits and pieces relating to the old movie stars and a tribute to Lucy, who I presume was someone famous at sometime, but there was nothing there to interest the kids. And we were never around at the right time for the Terminator 2 attraction, but I never really rated the films, so I wasn’t bothered about that.

Woody Woodpecker’s Kidzone
**************************

We only went on the ET ride here, which is a very slow and sedate ride helping ET get home. It’s a bit annoying when you have to queue up for your ET passport, although I can understand why they do it to thin the queue out a bit so you virtually walk straight onto the ride. A little dull so only 4/10 from me there.

There’s also a playground in this area, but it’s mainly for very small children (under 5’s) apart from a couple of larger slides.

Barney also plays here, and there’s a show which highlights the ability of animal actors.

World Expo
*********

The smallest section with only two attractions. The Simpsons Ride, which again is a 3D experience, but is probably the best one of the ones we went on. The kids loved it, I went on twice and the kids went racing aback round a couple more times on their own, leaving me time to rest my weary feet! So 10/10 for The Simpsons.

The other ride is the Men in Black Alien Attack. Here you have to shoot aliens and compare your score to the rest of the people in your party. Luckily I’d read the folder left in the villa with information about the area, which told you what to do to get a good score on this ride, so I won the first time around. 8/10 for MIB.

Shops
*****

Apart from the rides there are loads of souvenir shops and plenty of places to get snacks and drinks. We purchased the souvenir cup which meant refills were only 92c each, we saved a fortune doing that, because it was so hot the drinks were disappearing as fast as the cup was filled up. Each ride had its own shop at the end, but as you’d expect the items were wildly overpriced, not that it stopped the kids buying things though.

Toilets
******

The toilets were all very clean, and always had plenty of loo roll. But for some reason the doors didn’t quite reach the door frames so people could see you on the toilet, which is something I didn’t like at all.

Meet and Greets
**************

At regular times during the day it’s possible for kids to meet Spongebob, Shrek and Donkey, Hollywood characters and Madagascar stars.

From journal 9 Days In Florida

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