Studio Tour

[gpiltz]

Ok, thinking ahead into the future of park expansion, does the current entrance to the tour make sense?

I remember the days when it boarded right by the main entrance (I was born in 1982, but boy do I feel old!), as well as when it was accessed from the Lower Lot Studio Center.

Is there any value into moving the entrance again, to either of these locations or even a new, fourth entrance?  Thoughts?

 

[Jonathan]

I hear ya! I was thinking the other day about this same thing and the different locations the tour had once been. I felt old after that.

I wish they would move the entrance back down to the lower lot. Sadly their doesn't seem to be enough space unless they remove a soundstage and I don't see that happening anytime soon, if ever.

 

[gpiltz]

In another forum, there was discussion of developing new soundstages along the eastern edge of the property as part of the vision plan, and retiring some of the front lot ones.  Would love to see that be an opportunity to expand the lower lot offerings, adding a show, the studio tour, and a god family dark ride.  Almost all of the big ticket attractions are down there, all in a row.  Stage 28, west of Transformers has the Phantom of the Opera set and is the second tallest; Stage 22, 24, & 25 are just west of that.  Not sure about the stage east of Transformers, but all those could expand the streets.  Food for thought.

 

[Miss Betty Juice]

If they touch stage 28 i hope Lon Chaneys ghost haunts them all.

That said, I think if we expand on the lower lot we damage the current tour route. I still just don't think it's feasible...

 

[UniversalFan]

If they touch stage 28 i hope Lon Chaneys ghost haunts them all.

That said, I think if we expand on the lower lot we damage the current tour route. I still just don't think it's feasible...

Yeah, I kinda agree, if they continue to expand, then the tram would have to go to that narrow space, and plus, most of the front lot roads are too small for the trams.

 

[William]

The area that houses the current entrance to the tour (near the Jaws photo op) will be very crowded if the entrance to the Wizarding World really is put directly adjacent to it. Two of the most popular attractions' entrances right next to each other? Yikes.

 

[Allen The Actor]

If they touch Stage 28, I will PERSONALLY haunt Universal! I've played the phantom before haha. Oh, and my friend/ex girlfriend's great great great(?) grandfather was Lon Chaney,so ill get her to haunt them up as well! Haha

For the Universal expansion plan, the plan is to install and build more new soundstages and new facilities. If they build replacement new soundstages elsewhere as planned, I don't see what's wrong with using the existing ones besides stage 28 for new rides! It's all super long term though

 

[Jon Fu]

Quick question: has anyone ever rode the Studio Tour facing towards the back? Or in any other unusual way?

Tried looking back on the tram during the member meetup, and I was genuinely excited at how different the tour felt. Maybe I'm grasping for straws after having been on the tour hundreds of times, but hey - it was new.

 

[FakeName]

Quick question: has anyone ever rode the Studio Tour facing towards the back? Or in any other unusual way?

Tried looking back on the tram during the member meetup, and I was genuinely excited at how different the tour felt. Maybe I'm grasping for straws after having been on the tour hundreds of times, but hey - it was new.

Its very interesting as you go further away from the Producer's Car. Sometimes A/V doesn't work, you feel a lot more of the tram brakes pressing hard. The ride is rough! I like riding on the front row of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th car, but not in the middle of the front row because of the glass: I wish they removed it. You'll hear the monitors and possibly the glass bouncing each other making a creek throughout the tour....Gets annoying!

I've been to events (Emergency Preparedness Month) on the backlot where the tram doesn't have the other three cars connected. When the Producer's Car goes through Earthquake....the hydraulics were meant for a full four car compliment. Now, I wonder how the VIP Tour handles it?!

 

[Jon Fu]

Its very interesting as you go further away from the Producer's Car. Sometimes A/V doesn't work, you feel a lot more of the tram brakes pressing hard. The ride is rough! I like riding on the front row of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th car, but not in the middle of the front row because of the glass: I wish they removed it. You'll hear the monitors and possibly the glass bouncing each other making a creek throughout the tour....Gets annoying!

I've been to events (Emergency Preparedness Month) on the backlot where the tram doesn't have the other three cars connected. When the Producer's Car goes through Earthquake....the hydraulics were meant for a full four car compliment. Now, I wonder how the VIP Tour handles it?!

Good point about Earthquake. I've never been in there with one tram, but the plates do separate between the second and third tram - and the first plate is very intense (for whatever reason).

I have been in King Kong though on a trolly, and it's a surreal experience. It didn't seem any more intense, but the attraction is probably more nuanced and controlled as a result of modern tech.

 

[Allen The Actor]

Quick question: has anyone ever rode the Studio Tour facing towards the back? Or in any other unusual way?

Tried looking back on the tram during the member meetup, and I was genuinely excited at how different the tour felt. Maybe I'm grasping for straws after having been on the tour hundreds of times, but hey - it was new.

That was fun, hu? Your reaction to watching the tour backwards was priceless I love doing that on all the rides, both at Universal and Disney. When you've been on everything a million times, you always try to think of new ways to keep the ride fresh, and doing it backwards is pretty fun!

I've done Jurassic Park sideways when it was only me and my cousin in the boat. She took up one row, and i took up another, and we sat completely sideways. Dropping sideways was kinda scary!

 

[William]

It isn't really fun riding simulators sideways or backwards.

 

[Allen The Actor]

Except Transformers! You get to see a lot of the wizardry at work!

 

[Krusty]

Except Transformers! You get to see a lot of the wizardry at work!

I never thought to look backwards on Transformers until I saw you doing it! I decided to look backwards through Jurassic Park shortly before closing and watched all the dinosaurs return to their sleeping positions. Me and Ruben were staring at the parasaur like "COME ON GO BACK UNDER THE WATER!" Hahaha.

 

[UniversalFan]

Totally. It's a different experience when you turn your head to the back. I've done it on JP, but did it surprise me getting wet from the water effects.

 

[Allen The Actor]

... Me and Ruben were staring at the parasaur like "COME ON GO BACK UNDER THE WATER!" Hahaha.

I DO THAT ALL THE TIME! A few years ago, it would flop forward face first into sleep mode under water super quick and it would make this big splash and it was HYSTERICAL! Like, visualize yourself slamming your face quickly on same cake on the counter. Same visual. Hilarious.

 

[Krusty]

I DO THAT ALL THE TIME! A few years ago, it would flop forward face first into sleep mode under water super quick and it would make this big splash and it was HYSTERICAL! Like, visualize yourself slamming your face quickly on same cake on the counter. Same visual. Hilarious.

Oh man, I would kill to see that! Haha! We were all cheering and stuff when it finally went back under. The other few people on the raft and the people watching the cameras probably thought we were insane. We're secretly five years old.

 

[Allen The Actor]

That's the only way to be you need to always find new ways to enjoy the rides, especially when there aren't as many of them!

 

[William]

I've only looked backwards on JP up until you start entering the show building. It's pretty interesting seeing all the elements and effects restart for the next boat.

I just realized we're way off topic!

 

[BruceTheShark]

I have a better idea: get rid of F&F Close Up and replace it with an E.T. segment. That movie gets no love on the tour!

Maybe F&F Close Up will simply become Vin Diesel: Extreme Close Up and it will just be the wax figure in the center of the half circle posing with a soundtrack of cheers and camera flashes going off.