Universal Studios, Hollywood

Back on the 23rd of December, while Carlos and I were visiting all of our family in California, Shannon, Dad, and I decided to take a day trip to Universal Studios in Hollywood. I hadn't been back there since 1999 when I visited with my Dad (looking at potential colleges) and Arnold Schwarzenegger was there for the opening of Terminator 2:3D. It is funny that during this trip, that same ride was only days away from closing!

We drove to Hollywood from Lancaster (about an hour trip), parked in the huge parking garage and made our way through CityWalk to the entrance of Universal Studios. We got there right when it opened and headed straight for the Tram Ride -- we actually made it onto the first tram of the day! The Tram Ride was just as I remembered it and a lot of fun. I really enjoyed seeing the Back to the Future clock tower (and other props), King Kong, Earthquake, and Jaws!

 

After riding the tram, we went on the Simpsons Ride (which used to be the Back to the Future ride) and it was fun, but quite jerky. From there, we took the gigantic escalators down to the lower level of the park where we rode Transformers (very fun!) followed by the Mummy (fast and dark).

 

Next, we rode the Jurassic Park ride. I really love this ride (the scenery and dinosaurs look amazing), but I do not like getting soaked. We were in the front row of the boat, so we were thoroughly drenched by the final fall! We dried off a bit and snacked on some Dippin Dots before heading back to the upper level of the park. Next we visited a special effects show (meh) and finally the Terminator 2:3D ride. I really liked it and am glad that I got to ride it again before it closed a couple of days later. After saying goodbye to the Terminator, we decided to call it a day and headed back to Lancaster!