 Let me start off by saying that you will need a lot of money when you go to a Univeral park. The entrance fee was higher than expected and everything inside the park seemed just as overpriced. Now that we got that out of the way I can tell you that this park is a lot of fun and it offers experiences that you don’t normally get in a coaster park. You probably can’t get a park any cleaner; even the parking garage was spotless. The food was great and the theming was top notch park wide. The lines during the week aren’t bad at all. I think that the most that we waited for anything was 15 minutes. Ride Reviews
These are not based on the coaster review scale.
Studio Tour (Back Lot): 8 out of 10
This is pretty much the reason we went to Universal. My wife was really looking forward to this ride and her anticipation was met with a great experience. This is a tram tour that takes you through a selection of sound stages that are set up for the ride itself. The King Kong and Jaws scenes were probably the most entertaining. We also drove by the Leave it to Beaver and Psycho house (which happen to be on the same block, hmmm?). This is definitely a must ride it you’re at the park.
Jurassic Park the Ride: 7 out of 10
Theming really makes a difference and this ride is themed to the max. It’s a boat ride so plan on getting a little wet. (Spoiler Alert!!!) The ride starts off by taking you through the large Jurassic Park gates and into a park filled with dinosaurs that squirt the boat with water. Later in the ride things start to go horribly wrong and you’re alerted to the fact that a T-Rex is on the loose. Next you enter a large building and begin a long climb up a lift hill and we all know what lift hills are for. During your trip through the building you’ll notice a lot of things have gone wrong for the Jurassic Park staff and that little dinosaurs like to start breaking things as soon as they escape captivity. Now it’s time for the lift hill payoff, a large steep drop right in front of a T-Rex that’s attempting to eat the boat. Now I’ve been on a lot of rides similar to this one but none of them can compare with the large angry T-Rex jumping out of the wall. After you ride it once it kind of loses it’s excitement.
Terminator 2: 3D: 6 out of 10
This is a stage piece with a little bit of 3D and special effects thrown in. The acting is pretty lame but the special effects are out of this world. If you’ve seen T2 you probably remember liquid guy, well he comes out of the screen and into your lap and they spray you with some kind of cold mist when he does. I don’t know where the mist came from but it really added a little something. This is a great way to get out of heat.
Back to the Future the Ride: 5 out of 10
If you like motion simulators then you’ll probably like this one. They have a tendency to make me sick and this one started down that road just before the ride ended. You fly around in the Delorian from the movie jumping through time. It’s cool but it’s a motion simulator, so enter at your own risk.
Backdraft: 4 out of 10
If it’s hot out you might want to avoid entering a room that’s filled with fire. If you’re me then do the opposite. This was an interesting experience and seeing a warehouse on fire usually isn’t especially when you’re in it. You can avoid this one if you’re limited on time.
ET: 4 out of 10
This ride actually starts off really cool. You fly around in a suspended car with your feet dangling as you try to get away from the cops. The set up was nice and the scenery was well done. Half way through the ride everything turns totally wacky and you wind up on ET’s home planet, which is populated by glow in the dark puppets that have huge smiles, AND THEY’RE EVERYWHERE! If you ride it be sure to make fun of ET’s planet.
Special Effects Stage: 3 out of 10
If you care how special effects are made then you’re in for a treat. I didn’t care much but it was indoors and I do care about air conditioning. Revealing secrets about special effects seems to strip it of it’s specialness.
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