USA 2004

Los Angeles: Universal Studios & Venice Beach

Even though I really didn’t feel like it and didn’t really see the point in spending $48 on Universal Studios, I let myself be talked into going.

We arrive pretty early, and thankfully it’s not too crowded. We get in at ten, after being moved from one spot to the next for half an hour. We later realize that this is a great trick the Americans pull: sending you from one waiting point to the next in super-long lines.

We go through the following “attractions” one after another:

Universal Tour: Not bad, but unfortunately you’re just shuttled along the standard route with pre-set halls and not-so-great effects - you aren’t taken to current new movie sets or any of the halls currently in use. All in all, pretty nice compared to everything else.

Back to the Future: A ride in the DeLorean through a virtual world; not particularly up-to-date, but since it’s included, why not.

Backdraft: Three different halls showcase how parts of "Backdraft" were filmed. In the first two halls, only two behind-the-scenes videos are shown, which are likely included as bonus features on the retail DVD as well.
In the third hall, a special effects show was finally presented, which has no connection to the film. It’s still quite entertaining, though, since there are plenty of loud bangs, and things get hot and wet.

Special Effects - Van Helsing and Riddick: Here, too, three halls demonstrate how a few special effects were actually created.
The first halls are entertaining, especially because audience members were involved in the presentation. The American way of presenting things in a crowd-pleasing manner and getting the crowd excited is put into practice very well here… Still, it’s a lot of fun.
Hall 3 offers, again with the help of volunteers, a demonstration of how the sound in the film is produced; this part, however, was rather boring.

The Mummy: The advertising throughout LA and at Universal Studios promised a lot. In reality, the quality of the indoor roller coaster was only on par with the rest of the park: mediocre. The plunge into the depths and the massive acceleration at the start were nice. The rest of the ride in the middle wasn’t exactly spectacular, and in my opinion, it wasn’t particularly well animated either.

Jurassic Park: Here, you were ferried through the dinosaur park - which looked really, really fake - in a boat-like multi-person vehicle. It was funny that you got splashed really wet at various points and that there was a downhill ride at the end. In my opinion, you can find similar rides at any major fair.

Van Helsing Fortress: In my opinion, the worst attraction in the entire park. You walk through the "Van Helsing Fortress", a shoddy haunted house featuring a mix of live actors and poorly staged figures from the movie. If I hadn’t had someone in front of me to scare, I’m sure I would have been startled at some point… but just by the fact that it’s dark in the Fortress and someone comes around the corner and goes “Boo.”

Terminator 2 3D and Shrek 4D: These two attractions are summarized here because they are very similar in style. Both are 3D-animated short films based on the feature films, and their content fits into the overall storyline. The difference between them is that Terminator features real actors who repeatedly "merge" with the 3D film, creating the impression that you’re right there in the action. Shrek, on the other hand, shines with water sprays and shaking seats.
Overall, I personally liked these two attractions the best, since they were apparently filmed exclusively for the studios and even feature the main characters as an added bonus.

All the other attractions, apart from the tour, can also be experienced at a fair or seen on a DVD or on TV.

After the studios, we eat at In-N-Out Burger. Delicious, very cheesy, but no better than Burger King.

We end our day at Venice Beach. I have the amazing opportunity to fulfill a little dream: playing beach volleyball at Venice Beach.
We play until the sun goes down. A day couldn’t end any better.

We’re staying at the Crowne Plaza.