I didn't know what to expect when I got to Universal Studios yesterday, I've never been before, but was actually a bit surprised when I got there. When you first enter they don't check your tickets, you walk through a part with a lot of shops, you then choose whether you want to go to Universal or Islands of Adventure, once you get to the gate of one of those, that's when they check your ticket.
I picked Universal yesterday and will be doing Islands of Adventure later today.
It was quite interesting to walk down the street in Universal, it looked like any street you see in the movies, until you got to an attraction, I actually kept walking on the sidewalk and forgetting I could walk in the middle of the road!
Now, I used the Dibb website to find out which parks would be quiet on what days, but as I walked around Universal it still struck me how quiet it was compared to Disney! The lines for the rides weren't as long, and there just seemed to be less people walking around the park. Not that I mind, I was just a bit surprised.
I headed around the park in a counter-clockwise direction, so the first few attractions I got to were Terminator 2 3D, Horror make-up show and E.T.. All good attractions, I haven't watched Terminator but it was quite an interesting attraction, took a while to get to the really exciting bit but it was good. Terminator was timed so that I could get right to the make-up show straight after. They show the techniques make-up artists use in horror films. It was really funny and there were a bit of audience participation. E.T. was a nice little kid's ride where you go to E.T.'s home planet.
I then got to the Simpsons part. It was really cool how they've made it like Springfield. I went on the Simpsons ride, it's a simulator taking you through a theme park (Krustyland) but Sideshow Bob is trying to kill you so there is loads of falling of roller-coasters etc.. I don't like big rides, and that applies to the ones simulating a big ride as well, but, although I felt nauseous when I got off the ride I did enjoy it and I'm glad I went on it.
As I was feeling nauseous I bypassed the Men in Black ride, thinking I would get back to it later, I also walked past the new Harry Potter part, it doesn't open until July 8th but there were some people sitting outside hoping it would be a soft opening day. I wish it had been open so I could have gone in, but I have better things to do when I'm in a theme park than just sit outside a ride that's not even open yet. I hope (and think) the people that were sitting there had been to Universal before so that they weren't missing out on the rest of the stuff in the park.
I went to the Beetlejuice show, which was quite good. Even though Frankenstein's bride couldn't sing.
I then managed to catch some of the Despicable Me characters in the Party Zone, before heading to Shrek 4D, which was quite fun.When I got out of the Shrek auditorium there was a lightning storm right over our heads. The souvenir shop was packed and some people were standing under the little bit of roof outside. I quite like lightning storms, but when the lightning struck just a few meters ahead and I could feel the instant rumble of the thunder in my bones I decided to watch it from inside the shop. Which didn't last long as the rain started to come down so hard they had to close the doors. They even opened the doors to the auditorium so people could sit in there and wait it out. After about half an hour the rain eased up and the lightning had passed so we could go outside again.
The only attraction with a really long line, like the ones you get in Disney World, was the Despicable Me one. Understandable. Everyone loves the minions. I had to wait in that one for about a hour before I got in. It was worth it though. It's a big cinema screen with seats that move, you "turn into a minion" and go through Gru's lab on training, and then something goes a bit wrong. It did make me nauseous again, but I did enjoy it.
It was quite amusing to see how different Universal was from Disney when it came to the parade, or rather, leading up to the parade. In Disney people start finding a spot 45 minutes before the parades/firework and the road is mostly kept clear at least 15 minutes before it starts. At Universal most people started finding spots to stand as late as 5 minutes before parade start and people were walking down the road until 10 seconds before the parade got to that section! It was a short and sweet parade with very few characters, a bit of a let down after Disney to be honest. Not saying I didn't enjoy it, because I did, but I kind of wish I had gone to Universal before Disney so I wouldn't compare them so much.
I enjoyed Universal, but I wish I didn't feel sick so easily from going on rides. I should have just gone on the rides anyway, crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. Some of you might be wondering why I go to theme parks when I feel sick so easily; the thing is, I do enjoy them, I don't like Alton Towers or other places with only big rides but with Disney and Universal it's also about the parks themselves, not just the rides.
I am really looking forward to going to Islands of Adventure today, they have a Harry Potter part which is open and have been open for a long time, so I'm looking forward to seeing that as well as the rest of the things they have there.
I picked Universal yesterday and will be doing Islands of Adventure later today.
It was quite interesting to walk down the street in Universal, it looked like any street you see in the movies, until you got to an attraction, I actually kept walking on the sidewalk and forgetting I could walk in the middle of the road!
Now, I used the Dibb website to find out which parks would be quiet on what days, but as I walked around Universal it still struck me how quiet it was compared to Disney! The lines for the rides weren't as long, and there just seemed to be less people walking around the park. Not that I mind, I was just a bit surprised.
I headed around the park in a counter-clockwise direction, so the first few attractions I got to were Terminator 2 3D, Horror make-up show and E.T.. All good attractions, I haven't watched Terminator but it was quite an interesting attraction, took a while to get to the really exciting bit but it was good. Terminator was timed so that I could get right to the make-up show straight after. They show the techniques make-up artists use in horror films. It was really funny and there were a bit of audience participation. E.T. was a nice little kid's ride where you go to E.T.'s home planet.
I then got to the Simpsons part. It was really cool how they've made it like Springfield. I went on the Simpsons ride, it's a simulator taking you through a theme park (Krustyland) but Sideshow Bob is trying to kill you so there is loads of falling of roller-coasters etc.. I don't like big rides, and that applies to the ones simulating a big ride as well, but, although I felt nauseous when I got off the ride I did enjoy it and I'm glad I went on it.
As I was feeling nauseous I bypassed the Men in Black ride, thinking I would get back to it later, I also walked past the new Harry Potter part, it doesn't open until July 8th but there were some people sitting outside hoping it would be a soft opening day. I wish it had been open so I could have gone in, but I have better things to do when I'm in a theme park than just sit outside a ride that's not even open yet. I hope (and think) the people that were sitting there had been to Universal before so that they weren't missing out on the rest of the stuff in the park.
I went to the Beetlejuice show, which was quite good. Even though Frankenstein's bride couldn't sing.
I then managed to catch some of the Despicable Me characters in the Party Zone, before heading to Shrek 4D, which was quite fun.When I got out of the Shrek auditorium there was a lightning storm right over our heads. The souvenir shop was packed and some people were standing under the little bit of roof outside. I quite like lightning storms, but when the lightning struck just a few meters ahead and I could feel the instant rumble of the thunder in my bones I decided to watch it from inside the shop. Which didn't last long as the rain started to come down so hard they had to close the doors. They even opened the doors to the auditorium so people could sit in there and wait it out. After about half an hour the rain eased up and the lightning had passed so we could go outside again.
 |
| Before it came down too heavy |
It was quite amusing to see how different Universal was from Disney when it came to the parade, or rather, leading up to the parade. In Disney people start finding a spot 45 minutes before the parades/firework and the road is mostly kept clear at least 15 minutes before it starts. At Universal most people started finding spots to stand as late as 5 minutes before parade start and people were walking down the road until 10 seconds before the parade got to that section! It was a short and sweet parade with very few characters, a bit of a let down after Disney to be honest. Not saying I didn't enjoy it, because I did, but I kind of wish I had gone to Universal before Disney so I wouldn't compare them so much.
I enjoyed Universal, but I wish I didn't feel sick so easily from going on rides. I should have just gone on the rides anyway, crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. Some of you might be wondering why I go to theme parks when I feel sick so easily; the thing is, I do enjoy them, I don't like Alton Towers or other places with only big rides but with Disney and Universal it's also about the parks themselves, not just the rides.
I am really looking forward to going to Islands of Adventure today, they have a Harry Potter part which is open and have been open for a long time, so I'm looking forward to seeing that as well as the rest of the things they have there.
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