Universal Studio Tour — Attraction in West Hollywood

Heck you are at Universal Studios, so don’t miss out on the studio tour. It is a classic must do. The tour is taken in an open air roof covered trolley. The tour lasts about a hour, it could be longer depending on how long you stay at the photo opportunity station. Each trolley has a driver and guide. Our guide was hilarious. Very fun personality.

We started by driving through some classic old outdoor city backdrops. We drove through the area where they have studios that film current TV shows. But since it was a weekend, the area was dead.

We experienced a San Francisco subway station train cash, explosion with fire, earthquake , and flooding. Pretty cool. The cooler thing is how do they clean that all up to do it again for the next tour bus trailing minutes later. Speaking about bumpy rides, the Jurassic Park experience was cool. The trolley experiences the chase from the dinosaurs.

Desperate Housewives homes on Wisteria Lane was neat to see. The landscaping is real and immaculately kept. The homes were not full scale but more than just a front wall. They use this setting for other films and shows. Talking about famous suburbs, we spotted Doc’s DeLorean parked outside of Lyon’s Estate subdivision gates.

We had a Jaws encounter in the harbor of Amity Island. That pesky Jaws created quite a mess. The trolley went through Jupiter Claim, the western theme park, featured in Jordan’s Peele’s 2022 movie Nope.

The stop and trolley change over was at the photo opportunity station. The stop is at the Bates Motel. Norman is walking and staring ominously at his gawkers. The photo stations are staffed and they can take photos for you with your camera.

Stations: Hollywood sign backdrop: They have a mini version on a hill. So from the angle they take it, hey it looks like you’re there to the untrained eye. Cheesy, yes. Norman Bate’s car with mother’s house in the background: The house is in the distance on the hill. The trolley will drive by to get to this s stop. Look for mother in the window, she’s there. Fast n Furious cars: There are three. You can take photos with each of them. The engines roar too. Jaws: Poor Jaws is strung up and hanging with pooled blood dripping g from his mouth. King Kong: This one was super odd looking and the most cheesiest. So cheesy, it was hilarious in the best way. The prop is his fist with his arm from his hand short of his elbow. But the backdrop photo is a photo of him chest up with arms. So it doesn’t align with the prop. The prop up close looks like car tires, tubing and cheap cloth. Movie magic!

You can stay as long as you want at this station until closing time. To get back, hop onto any of the departing trolleys which roll through every...

After an exciting day at Disneyland, my wife and I headed to Universal Studios Hollywood. Having previously visited the Orlando park, we were curious about the LA location, especially since it’s the original and includes actual working studios.

We started with the iconic Studio Tour, which had no lines—a pleasant surprise! Universal has upgraded to electric carts, making the experience quieter and more eco-friendly. The tour itself was fantastic, taking us through scenes like King Kong: 360 3-D, the Flash Flood, Earthquake: The Big One, Jaws, and Fast & Furious: Supercharged. Each set was thrilling and immersive, really capturing the spirit of the movies. Unfortunately, Bates Motel was closed due to filming, but in a fun twist, we still saw "Norman Bates" chasing is on another part of the set, which added a spooky, unexpected touch!

We were excited to see the new attraction from the movie Nope. The set was nicely designed and gave us a behind-the-scenes feel, though the special effects were a bit underwhelming compared to some of the other experiences. That said, the Studio Tour as a whole was still a major highlight of our visit, offering a unique peek into Hollywood.

Moving on to the rest of the park, we were a bit disappointed that the Jurassic Park ride was still closed, but Super Nintendo World made up for it. The attention to detail was incredible! We loved the Mario Kart ride—fast, fun, and full of interactive elements that made us feel like we were inside the game.

WaterWorld was another standout, with high-energy stunts, impressive effects, and a storyline that kept everyone on the edge of their seats. The Kung Fu Panda Adventure was also unique, utilizing a 3D screen that made us feel part of the action, and The Secret Life of Pets ride was a nice, family-friendly experience that’s great for fans of the movie.

Overall, my wife and I had a fantastic day exploring Universal Studios Hollywood. From the Studio Tour to the themed lands and rides, there was something exciting at every turn. If you're in LA, it’s definitely...

We visited Universal Studios Hollywood for the first time on 12/3/2024. Our guide was fabulous - she kept us engaged the entire time and managed delays very smoothly. The studio tour is basically a string of mini rides, separated by sightseeing, talking about Universal Studios history, present shows, and viewing some special effects. Yes you read that correctly - there are mini rides in which the tour tram cars will rock, shake, be twisted at angles, surrounded by 3D images, very loud noises, and intense scenes, etc. This is not merely a tour - it is a another ride. The BIG problem with our tour was the TV screens showing our guide and video clips kept cutting in and out so we missed a lot. Its an issue USH needs to fix ASAP. Now the first mini ride was King Kong 3D - I was able to keep my eyes open for some of it and only closed my eyes in falling scenes to prevent feeling nauseous. Overall, I thought it was well done for what it was. We also got caught in a flood, earthquake, explosions, shark attack, and more! So it was a very eventful tour lol! We enjoyed all of it EXCEPT the Fast and Furious mini ride - it started with a party and the women were dressed in attire not appropriate for children (think club clothing showing too much) and the studio tour should always be child friendly. The Fast and Furious franchise is not something we are interested in or watch, so the chase scene was pretty disengaging. Plus, given how many other rides use similar technology - we just want something different then lets shake you to make it feel real. I think USH should cut the Fast and Furious section once that themed rollercoaster opens and replace this portion of the tour with something else more family friendly. Honestly - I would love it if it was Harry Potter themed since many only come to USH for Harry Potter and so many of us cannot ride...