Universal Studios HollywoodUniversal Studios Hollywood was arguably the largest US park I had yet to visit. I was able to remedy that this past weekend. While the Japan and Orlando resorts feel like theme parks with movie tie-ins, the Hollywood park genuinely feels like a movie studio because it actually is one.
To get myself in the spirit of movies, I made a detour to visit the Hollywood Sign. Finding a suitable viewing location was challenging. The Griffith Observatory wasn’t open yet and Google Maps suggested I go back by the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A Google search turned up a better location, Lake Hollywood Park.
A word for the wise, do not try this drive at night. Also do not try it in a large vehicle or break the speed limit. It will not end well. I felt like I was navigating Lombard Street. It was a series of steep hairpin turns in a densely populated neighborhood. I saw several bikers and tipped my cap to them.
I painlessly street parked (for free no less). Maybe it was a product of an early visit, but Lake Hollywood Park seemed like a dog park. There were no weenie dogs, but there was the Hollywood Sign. It lacks the splendor of other landmarks like Niagara Falls, but it’s such an icon that I felt compelled to see it.

- Count the number of dogs to people. It's a high ratio.

- But the dog park gave tourists a nice treat, a perfect view of the sign.
15 minutes later, I was rolling into the labyrinth known as the Universal parking garage. Every time I grumble how annoying SFNE’s parking situation is, I need to remember what it’s like to park at Universal. Maybe the locals knew better, but I ended up in the bottom floor of the ET lot. I was the only car there at 7:30 am and the only car when I left at 12:30.

- Why do I feel like I picked the worst garage?
I got my morning exercise walking the mile or so to the main entrance. Fortunately the walk is quite pleasant, as CityWalk is a sensory overload of neon signs, booming songs, and delicious smells. I made no stops in the morning, but I scouted out some lunch options for later in the day.

- It wouldn't be a Universal visit without CityWalk.

- This was the second most impressive tree at the resort.

- The top spot went to the Whoville tree. They brought the cartoon to life with its funky shape.
By purchasing my ticket on the park’s website, I was eligible for early entry to the Wizarding World. Thankfully, few had the willpower to wake up early on a Saturday. This was the emptiest I have ever seen the Wizarding World and it allowed me to appreciate all the little details from the books I grew up with.

- I was visiting during Grinchmas.

- While most wanted to take their photo with the globe, I was nostalgic and focused on the retro sign.
80% of the crowds went to Forbidden Journey, 10% went to the shops, and 10% went towards Flight of the Hippogriff. The latter 10% was primarily families with young children and it also included yours truly. I wanted to knock out the lower capacity ride first.
At first sight, the coaster looks identical to the Orlando and Japan installations. And in many ways, it rode identically. Even though this was a custom Mack coaster, the layout and theming felt no different than the Vekoma roller skaters. This does everything a family coaster should.
5 out of 10

- Technically this was a custom layout, but it felt identical to the one in Florida.
Up next was Forbidden Journey. Out of habit, I started trekking towards the fluffy, fluffy bunnies filled with medicine and goo only to discover they were only required for bags. It felt like a rare treat not being wanded on a thrill ride at Universal. Using my good friend the single rider line, I was able to get three wait-free rides on this dark ride.
The ride was identical to the Japanese and Orlando counterparts. And that’s a good thing. This is one of my favorite dark rides. The ride system makes this ride. It provides plenty of thrills while still offering the versatility to you to enjoy the scenes. Forbidden Journey is the perfect blend of screens and practical sets.
One minor negative is that I found the lighting a bit off during the dementor sequence. The animatronics are pretty impressive on the other two versions, but they were barely visible here. Maybe I just caught the ride on a bad day, but outside of that, it’s a darn near perfect attraction.
9.5 out of 10

- It's a wonder Hogwarts could stay open considering all the near death experiences that happened there.

- A rare photo in the Wizarding World without Muggles.
The park’s best attraction is undoubtedly the World Famous (yes that’s in the name) Studio Tour. Using world famous in the title is a bold move and usually something reserved for a cruddy dining establishment, but here it’s warranted. The Studio Tour is what put Universal on the map (well theme park that is).
Saying the tour is long is an understatement. I consider Splash Mountain to be a long ride at 9-10 minutes. The Studio Tour took an hour! And I enjoyed every minute of it. We had an excellent tour guide and it covered a little of everything- soundstages, practical sets, movie history.
The other thing that sets the Studio Tour apart are the show sequences. It’s essentially 6 attractions in 1. You have the Studio Tour plus a flash flood, Jaws, Earthquake, Kong 360, and Fast and Furious Supercharged.
The latter two were the best. I know Skull Island isn’t the most well received ride at Orlando, but I liked it and the sequence on the Studio Tour was no different. I also enjoyed the Fast and the Furious bit too even though I’m not a fan of the movies. The 360 degree screens did an incredible job incorporating you into the action.
It’s rare for a non-thrill ride to be my favorite attraction at a park, but the Studio Tour won the Oscar for the park’s best ride. The attraction really is an orgy for movie aficionados. It has everything you’d expect plus the bonus show scenes. This Studio Tour alone was worth the price of admission.
10 out of 10

- Movie fans, grab some vaseline and a box of kleenex.

- Thankfully we had a good tour guide and not this goof ball.

- The tour took us through movie sets.

- Is it a bad sign I recognized this set from Big Fat Liar?

- And through a graveyard of Universal Orlando attractions.

- This made me sad Japan's Jaws was on rehab during my visit.
Parque Espana is home to the legendary escalator ride complete with holiday quality lights and infectious music. Universal is home to an infamous escalator ride linking the Upper and Lower lots. Before my visit, I figured this would be like going from the upper and lower levels of a mall. This was anything but.
Universal is built on a hill. A large hill in fact. I don’t know what the elevation difference was, but we were towering over the show buildings. The journey between lots took 10 minutes, but it offered some impressive views of the California mountains, lower lot, and Jurassic Park construction.

- The hillside location offered some spectacular views.

- Taking the stairs was a mistake.

- While I would have ridden it, I suspect most others would have skipped it with the weather being a (for the area) frosty 65 degrees.
I have always heard that Orlando’s Mummy is the superior coaster. After my first ride on Hollywood’s, I wasn’t so sure. The theming was familiar. There was the treasure room, the scarabs, and the fluorescent cutouts. But the ride layout was far different.
The first time I rode Orlando’s Mummy, I was caught off-guard by the launch. The same happened at Hollywood. I won’t spoil it, but I will say it’s perfectly executed. The forwards bit had 2 surprisingly good moments of airtime mixed with laterals
if you rode in the back. Up front, the only bit of air occurs as you enter the switch track.
The biggest difference between Orlando and Hollywood’s Mummy is the backwards bit. In Orlando, the backwards bit is over in a flash. In Hollywood, you have a full-fledged segment. It lacks the wild pacing of the forwards bit, but it’s enjoyable. And it leads to the third act of the ride which is a complete WTF.
Like Forbidden Journey, I also used the single rider line to rack up 4 rides. Without question, my favorite row was the back since it maximizes the thrills on the first half. In the end, I think I prefer Orlando’s Mummy since it’s more consistent in every seat, but Hollywood’s is no slouch.
8 out of 10

- It seems to be common opinion that Florida's is better, but I found this one right up there.
Transformers wasn’t a priority of mine, but I’d be remiss to skip it considering it was next door and a complete walk-on. Admittedly, this isn’t my favorite ride in Orlando. I even preferred the Jimmy Fallon ride to Transformers, which is a horrifying statement. However, I enjoyed it more in Hollywood.
I know the ride is the same. Maybe I liked it better since I didn’t just ride Spiderman. And for whatever reason, I was able to follow the action better. Like Fast and the Furious, Transformers isn’t my favorite IP (in fact, I find the films unwatchable). But I liked the ride, primarily for the system.
8 out of 10

- Not riding Spiderman minutes before made Transformers seem quite a bit better.
After masochistically torturing myself by taking the stairs to the upper lot, I took some time to tour the park. I think the attention to detail on the Upper Lot is the best I’ve seen at a Universal Park. Harry Potter speaks for itself, but I was absolutely blown away by Springfield.
In Orlando, you have the Simpsons Ride, the creepiest Dumbo ride ever, and some shops. In Hollywood, you trade the Dumbo ride for an elaborate town complete with a mockery of the DMV, a fancy backdrop, a Slideshow Bob escaping from prison, and a nuclear meltdown sequence. I was not expecting that at all!

- To those who have been to Orlando, this is a familiar sight.

- However, this is not. I was very impressed.
I wanted to watch one show before leaving. While the consensus favors Waterworld, I saw it in Japan. Instead, I went with the Special Effects Show. The jokes were cheesy, but the effects were cool. The fight sequence was reminiscent an episode of Arrow and I always support the use of fire.
8 out of 10

- No one was chanting "Fight, fight, fight" like in middle school.
On the way back to the car, I remembered I could use my dining pass to sample the food offerings of Magic Mountain. From the turkey sandwich I had two years ago, I knew that was a risky prospect, so I loaded up on some mini donuts. They were pricey, but oh so good.
In 4 hours, I experienced everything that I cared to see at Universal. Contrary to the radio ads, I felt no need to stay until after dark to see snow at Hogsmeade. I can look out the window and see snow in my apartment’s parking lot. I’m not sure when I’d return to Universal Hollywood simply because of the other competition in the area, but it’s a very good park for what it sets out to accomplish.