Studio Tour

[Al2020]

The Lamborghini and G550 Wagon aren't related to Supercharged It's for a different production that was filming for quite a few days.

And yeah, the park is going to be absolute chaos next year...

I already can imagine it . A very hot summer with a 2-3 hour wait for each ride attraction and now I believe they won't be able to handle the potter crowds next summer

 

[JPLA]

What, no glass globe?

Much progress on the retaining wall around this building that's getting expanded.

 

[12th Man]

I think this is a new Gate A sign. I don't see any evidence of a dedicated line all the way to loading area so this sign is probably somewhat confusing to unfamiliar guests.

I am here at the park and the studio tour is madness. Now I know why they have that Gate A sign, it is actually the line for gate A passes! This park will be a mess next year.

 

[12th Man]

I think this is a new Gate A sign. I don't see any evidence of a dedicated line all the way to loading area so this sign is probably somewhat confusing to unfamiliar guests.

 

[JPLA]

Tram car crushed by Kong now on display between the entrance to King Kong 360: 3D and the collapsing bridge.

Cool Spot fans were a very welcome touch since trams were queued up to enter Supercharged.  Universal was running express trams again which interrupted the flow of trams coming from the tour.  I didn't ask who was getting to ride the express trams or for how long it would be available.  I didn't notice any 8"x11" printouts like the times I went for the passholder preview. 

 

[Allen The Actor]

I'm guessing the Express Trams you saw running were for guests who unsuccessfully went through Supercharged a few times during the regular tour and it didn't work.

 

[Wesker69]

YAY!!!!!! The crushed tram prop is back!  I actually have a pic of it from last week... I happened to spot it over near the WOTW set.. also, not sure if anyone else has noticed, but the Lost World set seems to be more visible, didn't get a pic though because all 3 times I rode the Studio Tour I sat on the Jaws side because... well.. Jaws.

Anyway... so everyone is fapping over the 10:04pm clock being put onto the courthouse, which IU got a pic of today errr yesterday. I'm sorry, but no... that was complete and utter laziness on Universal's part. Why is the façade still encasing the courthouse exterior? Why aren't the lions flanking the clock? I mean really... why go through the trouble of putting the clock on the courthouse if you aren't going to restore the actual clock tower façade? Everyone getting excited over the clock being thrown up there & praising it is bad because it just shows Universal that they don't have to take that extra step to provide us with greatness. Ghost Whisperer has been gone for years, the courthouse should've reverted back to its BTTF exterior once they were done. If a production needs it to look a certain way, do what they do with anything else on the backlot... make the necessary changes, film it, then revert it back to normal. I hate when people praise Universal for being lazy.

/end rant

Seriously though... Universal should've made an effort to restore the entire façade to its former glory since it is one of their most famous sets on the backlot.

Plus, 30 years ago today (July 3rd, 1985), BTTF was released in theaters.

 

[Alexshow.]

I'm going to defend Universal on this. Atleast they got the clock itself back which seemed like perfect sense. It does suck that the lions are not there but, its atleast an attempt. Sure, it could be a crappy attempt but its an attempt nethertheless.

 

[Allen The Actor]

Yeah, it'd be great for them to restore the courthouse facade to look as it did in the film, and add the Panthers and expose the columns. Especially considering it's the film's 30th anniversary and it's also 2015.

One of the reasons the new facade was put in place was because the courthouse exterior is too iconic and recognizable as the set from BTTF, so productions can't use it as-is anymore. But it'd be great to restore the facade to its original look at least temporarily before any other productions need to use it.

No need to be so hostile towards Universal's effort though...or use vulgar/inappropriate language...

 

[JPLA]

I think the new Gate A railings that go almost all the way to the escalator now match the existing railings better.  Helps that they are painted all the same color.  Such a simple thing but it looks much better here.  I'm hopeful Universal will update the gold dome lighting fixtures next.  Also, a couple of the new loudspeakers on top of those poster poles sounds terrible: there's a lot of distortion.  Needs fixing.  Small things like this ("small" relative to Hogwarts) can really overshadow numerous positives.  Universal has plussed so many areas I hate to see them screw it up over small, manageable touches that matter SO much.  Well, they do to me.

Beautiful day!

 

[Wesker69]

Okay.. question... since there is only one escalator down & then the stairs... it seems pointless to have a Gate A "queue railing" on the bridge, when everyone has to go down the same escalator/stairs to the actual queue/load area. Unless they plan on staffing the end of this new bridge queue on extremely busy days (which we'll be seeing soon enough, especially once potter opens) when the loading area queue is full, requiring them to pulse the line as if it was a maze for HHN or a regular ride..

Figured I'd toss that question/thought out there...

 

[JPLA]

Okay.. question... since there is only one escalator down & then the stairs... it seems pointless to have a Gate A "queue railing" on the bridge, when everyone has to go down the same escalator/stairs to the actual queue/load area. Unless they plan on staffing the end of this new bridge queue on extremely busy days (which we'll be seeing soon enough, especially once potter opens) when the loading area queue is full, requiring them to pulse the line as if it was a maze for HHN or a regular ride..

Figured I'd toss that question/thought out there...

There are times the regular queue stretches up the stairs/escalator and across the bridge.  Gate A passage would get you past all that.  During the first day of Supercharged passholder previews the lower lever got so crowded they had to stop guests from descending the escalator because there was no room at the bottom.  So there are times the Gate A flow is useful. Other times it may merely be psychological and people feel they have something special just because they're in a different line.  On those truly crowded day, unless properly managed by staff it all falls apart at the top of the escalator, though.

 

[Wesker69]

So I guess we should expect to see someone staffing the end of the bridge/new railing to pulse the amount of people going down the escalator/stairs... If it has gotten so bad that the line was on the bridge, then they're going to have to stop the line at the end of the bridge. I know Gate A doesn't have as much queue space as the standby either. Then of course there is the other queue for the foreign language trams..

blah.... I just gave myself a headache just thinking about the mess the studio tour is going to be come next spring haha...

 

[Jon Fu]

Also, a couple of the new loudspeakers on top of those poster poles sounds terrible: there's a lot of distortion.  Needs fixing. 

Those speakers have been there for a few years, and they've all been hell for maintenance. They're high end speakers meant to be used in theaters - not the outdoors - and Universal has been cycling them in and out with replacements.

 

[JPLA]

Sound barriers up across from Whoville.  Also, it appears they're expanding the warehouse into new space created by installation of retaining wall.

 

[martydmc12]

Is there anything happening at Courthouse Square (the Clock Tower) on the Nighttime Studio Tour, meaning anything Back to the Future related?

There was that rumour from a year or so ago, about how they would do some sort of BTTF stunt show during the Nighttime Studio Tour, but that rumour was quickly squashed.  Then this picture surfaced on the BTTF Time Machine Restoration Facebook page, which clearly shows the Clock tower in it's current state.

 

[JPLA]

Lots of trees removed for hill across from Whoville.  Also, warehouse expansion continues. 

 

[CowMissing]

Studio Tour featuring Ron Howard (Open) Universal Studios Hollywood

 

[JPLA]

Structures in Old Mexico undergoing refurbishment.  No rain or flash flood.  In fact the tram didn't even stop.

Amity structures getting new roofs.

Rather substantial new wall going up across from Whoville.

Warehouse expansion continues.  Anyone know specifically what this warehouse is for, or will be for?

Parking structure getting its camouflage for the neighbors.

Falls Lake getting ready for a shoot having to do with an airplane.  Tram guide insinuated it's a high profile project.  Hmm, what did Sully Sullenberger's plane look like?  Could this be US Airways Flight 1549 floating on the Hudson River?  I have no information but that's all that comes to mind.

 

[JPLA]

New production directory adds to a studio feel to the entrance area of the studio tour.

Flash flood and Old Mexico continue being refurbished.

New roofs in Amity don't happen quickly, it seems.

New wall is in place.  Looks very sturdy--definitely not a short-term wall.

Airplane in Falls Lake is coming together nicely.