Universal Studios

Today John and I spent the day at Universal Studios LA, a virtual playground for adults. We are in town for the AFP annual conferece but came in a couple of days early for a weekend of play. We started the day with the Studio Tour, as the voice from nowhere suggested we do, which takes you through the actual lots where movies and shows are filmed. It is crazy interesting to see how they create the scenes that they do and to actually experience some of those effects first hand. The subway station earthquake was impressive, the Mummy spinning cave...that I could have done with out. You sit there in the tram while these claustrophobic cave walls spin in circles around you and it feels like you are just turning circles - waiting for the first person to vomit and lose. Outside of the tour, we hit up the majority of the attractions that didn't have a 40 minute wait or the word Horror in the title. The second was my rule. I can barely take the haunted railroad thing at Frontier City. Something about the anticipation of things jumping out of the dark. We started on the Jurassic Park ride. Noted 12 times: you will get wet. I was in control until the huge T-Rex came out of the waterfall, preceeding the 30 foot drop. The picture stop on the way out showed John screaming and Laura...wait, where is Laura? Oh, there she is, you can see the back of her head curled into a ball in the front row. Next stop, The Mummy ride. Of course, we were right back into the dark cavelike surroundings and me, attached to John's side alternating between snatching his hand and covering my eyes. All I remember is something about joining someone in the afterlife and then the quickest acceleration I have ever experienced, hurdling at what I am certain is an unsafe speed through the dark until slamming on the breaks inches from a wall and then taking the entire trip back in reverse. I haven't had that terrified but happy; screaming but laughing feeling in too long. The strange thing... As we were walking into the rides we kept seeing these signs that say Child Switch Area with no further explanation. Child Switch? Am I the only one not clear on what that is? When I hear switch, I think beating with sticks or black market exchange. Certain that neither of those would be in clearly marked areas, I still have no idea what it meant. All I know is that if you need to switch your child, you have several spots available to you in Universal City, LA. In addition to rides, they have special effect shows like Backdraft and two 3D adventures. Terminator 2: 3D and Shrek 4D. The last 3D movie I saw was at Disneyland when I was like 11 and all I remember is Michael Jackson and maybe space? Terminator had a mix of video and live actors. Strobes and fog and the liquid terminator inches from your face. The skynet hunters did manage to get a few gasps, but it was Shrek 4D that definitely stole the show. You get the drift of what 4D means when the first time Donkey sneezes, you feel the spray of water hit you and your mind translates it into snot. "Gross." Surprise number two? When the screen spiders virtually drop onto the crowd and the sound of them crawling fills the room, that puff of air on the back of your neck brings the "bugs on me" paranoia too close to home. When not riding you are eating and paying 8.95 for a slice of pizza or churros. You know, I had forgotten how much I love churros. Cinnamon goodness in a stick. Outside of the theme park is the CityWalk with all sorts of shops and restaurants. Most importantly, Ben & Jerry's and a wonderful Chocolate Brownie Fudge cone to end the day. Well, half of a Chocolate Brownie Fudge cone as I gave John the rest after his fell to an untimely demise. Friends don't let friends eat cones and close trunks. All in all, it was a brilliant day. I felt like a kid. I felt like John and I were dating. So happy to be with each other, so happy to just be in that day. It was the perfect size park to see in one day and other than the "Blues Brothers" butchering classic jazz there is no downside to a day at Universal. Definitely a two thumbs up day.