OH Guide: Universal Studios Hollywood (on a budget)

Even the most jaded So Cal resident can’t resist the lure of Hollywood magic. It’s in our DNA. But I have to admit; Universal Studios Hollywood was a place I’d only been to a couple times when I was a kid. I have vague memories of the Universal Studios Tour with a kitschy Jaws shark, some sort of collapsing trick bridge, an E.T. ride and the Bates Motel; but I wonder if I’m actually just remembering the television commercials, not my own, actual recollections. Weird. Kitt the talking car, a Cylon from Battlestar Galactica, a giant phone and some other props, He-Man and She-Ra and a Back To The Future Ride...

But until The Simpsons ride opened this last year, Universal Studios remained on the periphery of my theme park attention span.

Then came the current recession and quite frankly, there went our vacation plans. So it was pleasant to find a particularly good value in the current Universal Studios Hollywood deal. Through April 30, purchase a single day pass and get an annual pass for free. At $67 for So Cal residents, that’s not a bad investment for the coming “staycation” season.

Our family had a pretty amazing trip. Times have changed Universal Studios, for the better. Sure, you’ve got all the old favorites: the world-famous back lot tour of a working studio--not just an amusement park--but real props and "hot" sets from active television and movie productions. Sometimes you forget that it's a real studio when you're in the upper levels of the park. But down below, make no mistake--it's Hollywood.

What else? Right now, they have a few cars from the new "Fast & Furious" movie on display. And I swear if you stand close enough to the 1987 Buick Grand National you can almost sense Vin Diesel's presence pulsating through your body...grrrowl. You’ve got some movie-themed shows and rides from oldies-but-goodies: Waterworld, T2 and Jurassic Park, as well as some more recent additions like Shrek 4D, Revenge of the Mummy and of course: The Simpsons Ride. As I mentioned before, that's the attraction that put Universal Studios Hollywood back on the map for us. The Simpsons Ride is probably one of the most creative motion rides in any theme park, bar none. I’d say it’s worth the price of admission alone, but there’s plenty more to keep you busy (and often: wet).

The thrill rides at Universal have height requirements from 40' on up. However, the park really does a solid for families with small kids by offering them the option to "child swap" between parents who need a good jolt. We took advantage on this on Revenge of the Mummy when our 9-year-old son had a sudden change of heart when he overhead another guest talk about how the ride goes backward as well as forward (he eventually relented and rode).

Also impressive is The Adventures of Curious George water/ball/jungle gym play-area suitable for the below 40' crowd, yet curiously alluring to bigger folk as well. While our three-year-old daughter wasn't with us the day we visited the park, I wanted to check it out. Luckily for me I know what my boys like--and after trying to use the whole "hey guys, it's Curious George. You know that mischievous little monkey in those books, adopted by some dude who looks like a huge banana!" I finally hooked them with the foam ball cannons. Boys and guns--go figure.

Once inside the foam ball room, it was all about taking out the kids with the ball launchers. Foosh! Slam! Fortunately for the little ones, I was quickly distracted by two ginormous baskets hanging at opposite ends of the room. The baskets being filled to their tipping points with foam balls dangled and rocked directly above the unsuspecting toddlers furiously shoving buckets of balls into sucking apparatuses. In the end, we were all bathed in a glorious shower of dirty pastel foam orbs as a reward for all our efforts.

Want so save some money? Bring a lunch and pocket some snacks. However, food is not that outrageously expensive, and there’s plenty to choose from (a bonus for foot-weary parents: grab a beer or wine margarita. Just not before going on the The Revenge of the Mummy ride--ugh!).

It was a relatively crowd-free Monday at Universal. Wait times were almost non-existent--although I'd recommend putting the Backlot Studio Tour early on your agenda. That's the one thing you don't want to miss. And from the look of the miles of chain and turnstiles, it probably gets packed during peak season. But on this early Spring trip, we were able to burn most of the day and still not see/experience everything. Plenty of stuff for next time. After all, with a season pass, we can come back any time.

Something else to consider, if you do find yourself visiting the park on a packed day you might want to think about purchasing the Front of the Line Pass. For $114 you get priority access to all rides and shows and reserved seating for all shows. The perks are worth the extra bucks; especially when you find yourself with five minutes to get from the Mummy ride to the Waterworld show which clear across the park. There's something extra-sweet about being able to walk right up to the best seats in the house instead of having to shove yourself into the soak-zone seats like the other late-suckers.

We concluded our trip with some window-shopping in Citywalk, including a sci-fi geek-out at Things From Another World comic and sci-fi movie memorabilia store.

If you haven't been to Universal Studios Hollywood lately, it's definitely worth another look. And right now, the price is right.