A whole new world (Universal Studios (Florida))

Name: jaygami1986

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Product:	Universal Studios (Florida)
Date:	31/01/08 (160 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: everything

Disadvantages: the waiting times

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. I have actually visited this attraction on three separate occasions, once when I was eight, again when I was thirteen and just recently when I was 21, and to be honest it gets better and better each time, and I preferred my last visit, primarily because it made me feel more childlike and made me look back on when I was younger. It just goes to show you don't have to be a child to enjoy universal studios.
This review will focus on the various attraction sites around the studio and more to the point the attractions I visited; hopefully it will give readers a small insight into a huge world.

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. However, Universal backed back with improved rides, more family entertainment, but at the same time attracting an older generation to the theme parks, which at the time Disney could not do.

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. What some people might notice is the big section which looks like a park, with a city clock tower next to it. For those back to the future fans, this was the set for the famous films, primarily the bit when the clock tower gets hit by the lighting storm that takes the car back to 1985.it actually makes you feel as if you're in the film.

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. The Mummy ride wasn't half bad either, but it something you expect, I didn't seem to be overexcited about the ride.
This area also has several musicians playing live jazz music. Dressed in their black suits and hats, they look like mob bosses, but they sing, dance and play the instruments really well. It adds to the atmosphere of being in 1920's America.

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. The earthquake ride is somewhat like the twister ride; it simulates what would happen during an earthquake, again simply brilliant.






All the rides in the area are brilliant, adding some rollercoaster it makes it much more exciting, but it should be said that there is lots to see as well as do. Although the rides are a primary reason why many attend, the scenic views, the lakes and the live actions stunts that are in the surrounding area allow are quite a joy to watch. There is actually a big lake in the centre of the theme park, were water stuntmen on boats and jet skis perform some brilliant stunts, splashing water on those near the vicinity.

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.
Foot courts available include;

 Starbucks
 Monster Café
 Pizza Hut
 Ben and Jerry
 Nathan's Hot Dog
I would make recommendations on Nathan's Hot dogs, their probably the best I've tried in my entire stay across the U S of A.


If you're in Florida, it would be stupid to not give this place a visit; it's a great day out for both the older and younger generation. They have something that is suitable for everyone and its defiantly family friendly. However, my third visit wasn't as pleasant as the other two previous visits. During the 90's the rides were much more appealing, they had the exciting ET ride, the Back to the Future rides with the sets, as well as some really magnificent 3D shows.

One final point, you should if you can afford it buy the tickets that allow you to jump the waiting lines, because the average waiting time for each ride can be anywhere between 30 minutes to over an hour.

Summary: Florida.............