Universal Studios Hollywood is more than just a theme park. It’s a real working studio, where big-screen blockbusters like “King Kong”, “Jurassic Park”, “Back to the Future” and dozens of others have been shot since opening. door in 1915.
Dubbed simply the “Global City” when it opened, the studio charged visitors a 25-cent entrance fee to see movies being filmed.
In 1964, the studio opened its first official ride — a rear tram tour that gives visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the movie sets and props used in Universal’s films, and if Luckily, they can watch a movie being filmed right in front of their eyes.
Related: The best hotels near Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood has added more rides and attractions over the years and grown into the world-famous theme park it is today. You can still catch a glimpse of the cinematic magic in the making, but you can also take in attractions based on your favorite movies (and in one case video games).
Here are six of the best games you won’t want to miss on your next visit to Universal Studios Hollywood.
Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge
Location: Lo Ha.
Driver requirements: Must be at least 40 inches tall to ride and 48 inches tall to ride alone.
Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge is the only ride (though not the only way to have fun) in Universal Studios Hollywood’s newest enclave – Super Nintendo World.
To join the ride, you must first journey deep into Bowser’s Castle (aka the ride queue).
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Along the way, you’ll see the production of Mario Kart items like Bullet Bills and Bob-Ombs, lockers with each character’s racing uniform, and clues that reveal Bowser’s plan to stop Team Mario .
Before hitting the gas for a real-world Mario Kart race, you’ll receive a specially designed visor that allows you to view both the physics set and the ride’s augmented reality features.
Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge perfectly blends the real and virtual worlds to effectively transform you into a video game character.
Your score at the end of the game (or at the ride) depends on how well you control your vehicles and how many bad guys you threw turtle shells at them while you were racing.
It may take some getting used to since you use your hands to steer the car, but to throw a turtle shell, you look in the direction of your target and pull the trigger on the steering wheel.
This game is just as addictive as any video game and you’ll probably want to play it over and over again to try and improve your score and beat Team Bowser.
Jurassic World – Trip
Location: Lo Ha.
Driver requirements: Must be at least 42 inches tall to ride and 48 inches tall to ride alone.
A peaceful and educational boat tour through the dinosaur theme park… what could possibly be? Not spoiling the trip, but the answer is “a lot.”
Jurassic World – The Ride isn’t your typical tube ride.
Before you climb to the top of the 84-foot slope that drops into the biggest body of water of your life, your ride begins as a slow-moving journey past a swimming (if a little agitated) Mosasaurus, a Stegosaurus child and a Parasaurolophus .
As tends to happen in amusement parks full of dinosaurs, things quickly take a turn for the worse and your boat is suddenly stalked by some very large predators with very sharp teeth. You can escape the dinosaurs, but you will not escape the splashing water.
Jurassic World – The Ride is a must-do for any fan of the movie franchise or prehistoric reptiles in general. However, if you’re worried about getting wet, wear a poncho while riding and store your belongings in the free locker.
The Revenge of the Mummy — The Ride
Location: Lo Ha.
Driver requirements: Must be at least 48 inches tall to ride.
Revenge of the Mummy — The Ride is a roller coaster ride that takes you back in time. Not back to ancient Egypt, but to 1926 when the events of the 1999 movie “The Mummy” took place.
This tour will take you deep into Imhotep’s tomb, which is hidden by an ancient curse he left behind. Unlike the traditional roller coaster, Revenge of the Mummy – The Ride is part slow moving game in the dark and part roller coaster.
Most of the show’s scenes take place during the slower parts of the ride, including lots of mummies, artifacts, and some crawling scarabs. Your car then sped off into the dark, reaching speeds of up to 45 miles per hour.
Fun fact: If you can read the hieroglyphs, the hieroglyphs that appear throughout the ride, including the queue, are real and more or less translate into a no-entry warning. However, at that point, it’s too late for you to change your mind, so you’ll have to take your chances.
Pet’s Secret Life: Turn off the leash
Location: Thuong Lo.
Driver requirements: Must be at least 34 inches tall to ride and 48 inches tall to ride alone.
Pet Secret Life: Off the Leash is a family-friendly dark ride that turns you into an lovable and totally acceptable pet.
The ride uses a combination of screen-based technology and physics sets with fluffy, furry animatronics. It takes you on a journey through the streets of New York City on your way to adoption.
During your ride, you’ll see Max, Duke and their friends perform some adorable mischievous antics. Of course, before being adopted, you need to go to Gidget’s hair salon to refresh. This is arguably the funniest part of the ride as you can watch yourself in animal form being dried off after a shower.
This is a trip the whole family will enjoy. Before or after your trip, look for Snowball bunny chatting with passersby from the balcony of a nearby apartment.
Studio tour
Location: Thuong Lo.
Driver requirements: All ages are welcome.
The Studio Tour is unlike any other theme park tour in the world, and there are a few reasons why.
First, you can watch a movie or TV show in production.
Second, you can see actual props and backgrounds from movies spanning almost 100 years.
Third, it combines a 3D experience and special effects that make you feel like you’re in iconic studio movies.
During your nearly 60-minute tour, you’ll walk through scenes from “Psycho,” “Jaws,” “War of the Worlds,” and more.
You’ll also see realistic illustrations of how the filmmakers created flash floods and earthquakes, as well as 3D reconstructions of “The Fast and the Furious” and “King Kong” that put you right in the middle of the action.
This trip may be different each time you visit. This is because many of the Wild West and city streets often used in movies can be used as your tram passes, so you never know who or what you might see. What.
Pro tip: You can bring food and drinks (including alcohol) on this tour. There is a snack bar at the entrance to the Studio Tour, so you can buy snacks before taking the tram.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Location: Thuong Lo.
Driver requirements: Must be at least 48 inches tall to ride.
For “Harry Potter” fans, there’s no better place to fulfill your dream of becoming a student at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry than a visit to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Here you can drink Butterbeer, practice wand magic, and stroll the halls of Hogwarts.
In the school you’ll find props copied from books and movies, such as Dumbledore’s office, the Gryffindor common room, and the Sorting Hat.
The ride uses a unique technology that rotates your seat as it moves forward along a hovering track, mimicking a magical flight through the castle grounds, the Forbidden Forest, and other scenes. other familiar.
During the trip, you will encounter mystical creatures, both good and evil. In addition, the combination of the screen and the physical set makes the experience more realistic.
If you are prone to motion sickness, this trip can be too stressful. You have the option of walking through the castle (the journey through the queue is well worth it) and entering the lounge to wait for your fellow wizards while they ride.
bottom line
There are no “bad” rides at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Some are fun for kids, some for adults and some for the whole family. There are even play areas for kids who don’t yet know how to ride (or need a stroller break).
In fact, you can usually hit all the games at Universal Studios Hollywood in one day. In particular, these are the games that we will run to as soon as the gate opens, wait the longest, and go back and forth.
