Universal Studios Hollywood

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Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Uniglobe
Location Universal City, California, USA
Website Official site
Owner NBC Universal, The Blackstone Group
Operating season Year-round
Rides 12 total
  • 3 roller coasters
  • 2 water rides

Universal Studios Hollywood is a movie studio in Universal City, California, and is the original Universal Studios theme park. Woody Woodpecker is the mascot for Universal Studios Hollywood and the rest of the Universal Studios Theme Parks. It is one of the oldest and most famous Hollywood movie studios still in use. Its official marketing headline is "The Entertainment Capital of LA," though during the summer it is often advertised as "The Coolest Place in LA." It was initially created to offer tours of the real Universal Studios soundstages and sets. It is the first of many fully-fledged Universal Studios Theme Parks, along with Universal Studios Florida, Universal Studios Japan, and the upcoming Universal Studios Singapore, Universal Studios Dubai, and Universal Studios South Korea theme parks.

Contents

[edit] Universal Hollywood tour

Fountain at park entrance
Fountain at park entrance

From the beginning, Universal has offered tours of its studio. In the silent-film days, Carl Laemmle's tour included a chance to buy fresh produce, since then-rural Universal City was still in part a working farm.

Shortly after MCA took over Universal Pictures in 1962, accountants suggested a tour stop in the studio commissary would increase profits, and in 1964, the modest tour was expanded to include a series of dressing room walk-throughs, peeks at actual production, and later, staged events. This grew over the years into a full-blown theme park - the narrated tram (formerly "Glamortram") tour still runs through the studio's active backlot, but the staged events, stunt demonstrations and high-tech rides overshadow the motion-picture production that once lured fans in Universal Studios Hollywood. Universal City also includes hotels Universal Hilton & Towers, the Sheraton Hotels and Resorts), a multi-screen theater, and Universal CityWalk, which offers a collection of shops and restaurants, as well as the Gibson Amphitheatre, a concert venue.

The company has since created Universal parks in other locations: Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida and Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, Japan. Universal once owned Port Aventura, Spain, which was sold in 2004.

[edit] Back lot fire

Smoke during the fire. The Courthouse facade is visible to the left of the smoke plume
Smoke during the fire. The Courthouse facade is visible to the left of the smoke plume
Damage to the sets after the fire
Damage to the sets after the fire

A Three Alarm fire broke out on the backlot of Universal Studios on June 1, 2008.[1] The Los Angeles Fire Department had reported that Brownstone Street, New York Street, New England Street, the King Kong ride, some structures that make up Courthouse Square, the War of the Worlds movie[2] set, and the Video Vault had burnt down. (Not to be confused with the actual Film Vault, The Video Vault contains the duplicates of the films). Aerial news footage later showed, the actual Courthouse facade survived the fire, although the west side of it was slighty chared. Over 516 firefighters[3] from various local fire departments, as well as two helicopters dropping water, had responded to the fire. 14 Firefighters, & 3 Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy sustained minor injures. It was the seventh serious back lot fire to strike Universal since 1932. The fire was finally out after 12 hours, since firefighters encountered low water pressure. Universal Studios Hollywood and CityWalk allowed over 600 people to come in and park. The fire was raging, but staff told patrons that the park and CityWalk would be opened at noon. At noon they told the growing crowd it would open at one, then two and finally three. At three thirty they issued a statement that the entire complex would be closed on the day itself, angering many tourists who had been waiting since eight thirty in the morning to enter the park.[4] Destroyed were 40,000 to 50,000 archived videos chronicling Universal's movie and TV classic shows, dating back to the 1920s, including the films Knocked Up and Atonement, the NBC series Law & Order, The Office, and Miami Vice, and CBS's I Love Lucy.[5] Universal Studios' workhorse sets, buildings and rides were lost, however, YouTube stands as de facto memorial to Universal Studios' lost rides and buildings.[6] The result was a completed disaster. The back lot was on fire, not the theme park, as some sources claimed. The Universal president Ron Meyer made a statement saying nothing that cannot be replaced was lost, which means that everything will be rebuilt again spending at least 50 million dollars however days after the fire it was reported that the King Kong attraction will not be rebuilt and will eventually replaced with a new attraction[7].

[edit] Admission prices

General Admission for Universal Studios Hollywood is $64.00. However those under 48 inches tall are admitted for $54.00, and children 2 years and under are admitted for free. Visitors may also choose to buy an annual pass with or without black out days.

[edit] Attractions

Statue at the entrance of the park
Statue at the entrance of the park

The attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood are split into two areas on different levels, connected by a series of escalators called the Starway.

[edit] Upper lot

[edit] Lower lot

[edit] Park characters

View of the studio backlot at Universal Studios Hollywood. The studio tour takes visitors through the backlot
View of the studio backlot at Universal Studios Hollywood. The studio tour takes visitors through the backlot

Universal Studios has a number of costumed characters roaming the park grounds, representing many different genres. Some are portrayals of Hollywood icons, like the Marx Brothers, Marilyn Monroe and Lucille Ball. Others are based on Universal's vast media library, such as:

To augment its collection, Universal Studios Hollywood has licensed many other popular characters, like those from, Shrek, Nickelodeon shows SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer. Most recently, as promotion for their movie and in preparation for their future attraction, the Simpsons can now be seen in the park. The Marvel superheroes used to be here, but Marvel's contact with Universal ended.

[edit] Former attractions

Upper lot:

Lower lot:

  • The World of CineMagic (June 1991 - July 2001) replaced by Special Effects Stages
  • E.T. Adventure (June 1991 - March 14, 2003) replaced by Revenge of the Mummy (Hollywood)
  • Lucy - A Tribute (March 1991 - December 2007), replaced by the Universal Experience

[edit] Dining

Upper lot:

View of the lower lot
View of the lower lot

Lower lot:

[edit] Shopping

Upper lot:

Lower lot:

  • Tomb Treasures (Revenge of the Mummy)
  • Jurassic Outfitters (Jurassic Park: The Ride)

[edit] Former shops

Upper Lot:

Lower lot

  • E.T.'s Toy Closet closed in 2003 and are now lockers for Revenge of the Mummy


[edit] Future attractions

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/01/studio.fire/index.html
  2. ^ http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/01/studio.fire/index.html
  3. ^ http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/01/studio.fire/index.html
  4. ^ http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/index.html#fire
  5. ^ ap.google.com, Fire at Universal Studios destroys sets, videos
  6. ^ latimesblogs.latimes.com, YouTube enshrines Universal Studios' lost attractions
  7. ^ travel.latimes.com, Universal Studios Hollywood to replace ‘King Kong’ with new attraction
  8. ^ Ann Brigham, “Behind-the-Scenes Space: Promoting Production in a Landscape of Consumption,” pp. 207-223 in The Themed Space: Locating Culture, Nation, and Self, ed. Scott A. Lukas (Lanham, MD, Lexington Books, 2007), ISBN: 0739121421

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

34°08′31″N 118°21′14″W / 34.142, -118.354

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