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By Rick West |
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Grinchmas at Universal Studios Hollywood is a fledgling event, with 2009 being its second year (at least, in the new form that the company has given it). It should be said - and will be read - that Grinchmas is a holiday event that theme park enthusiasts should not miss out on, because it something truly unique and special. What makes it unique? The attention to detail is incredible - from the large snow play area for everyone to the huge, wildly-curved Whoville Christmas tree, to the stunning make-up of the Who talent and the Grinch. This year's event kicked off with a media preview that was hosted by the Whos, with Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca on hand to take the Grinch into custody for allegedly stealing Christmas. However, the Grinch became an old, green softy when Cindy Lou Who gave him a kiss! The ceremony was saved and the tree-lighting continued with the help of Lee Baca ordering Grinchmas to begin. In 2008, the Grinchmas event was set up at the Curious George play area, next to the Shrek attraction. The snow area was much smaller and the Whoville Christmas tree was designed to fit over the water area's giant rocket ship. It was nice - but the crowds it attracted absolutely pointed out the need for a bigger location in 2009. And that's exactly what we got. The Whoville snow play area and Christmas tree stage now occupies the old Wild West Stunt Show area - where Halloween: The Life and Crimes of Michael Myers was this past October for Halloween Horror Nights. There are bleachers on opposite ends of the area for parents and loved ones to sit and relax as the kids go absolutely nuts in the snow, making snowmen, snowballs and whatever else it is that kids do. Unfortunately, people also want to throw the snowballs - not just toss them gently. Visitor, beware... think Saving Private Ryan with ice and snowballs. That's pretty accurate. I actually stood and watched a Whoville worker asking people to not throw snowballs at the same instant he got nailed in the side of the head with one, lobbed from afar. I'm thinkin' the "no throwing" thing is an uphill battle for the Universal people; where there is snow, there will be snowballs. And where there be snowballs... yeah. One of the downsides to the snow area is that there are so many guests constantly walking over it, most of the surface is smooth, hard ice. This poses two issues - the first is the danger of falling as you're trying to maneuver the area; the second is that younger kids simply can't dig or pick up any snow, because it's all been mashed into ice. I'm not quite sure how to remedy these issues. More workers constantly raking the ice back into snow? That's kind of hard when you're working against wall-to-wall guests. And you can't close the thing every 15 minutes to refresh the snow. So I believe that Uni is doing the best that can be done in a situation such as this. Hopefully, it is not more of a problem than it's worth. I've got visions of someone slipping and falling - and then suing; in today's world, that would very possibly be the end of the snow feature during Grinchmas. Hopefully, no one does that. The massive Whoville Christmas tree is impressive, to say the least. That it's up on a stage gives it even more height. It's curved wildly, like soft serve ice cream on a cone - wavy and crazy! This year the tree sits atop a stage, making it even taller. I have to say, of the theme parks we've visited this holiday season, Universal Studios Hollywood's takes the "Coolest Tree" award, hands-down. A close runner-up would be Legoland's Lego tree... but the clear winner this year is definitely Universal Studios Hollywood for us. Just the design alone - the curvature of the tree structure itself - is enough to put it over the top. Amazing, fun stuff. Kudos to Uni and the folks behind the design and manufacturing of this magnificent tree! Universal Studios Hollywood also features lots of roaming Whos; men and women in superb make-up that are outrageously fun and amusing, to say the least. Being that this is Universal we're talking about and this is an event that requires heavy guest interaction - unlike Halloween Horror Nights - the Who cast is made up of outgoing, enthusiastic actors that thrive on the energy of the guests and the experience they get improvising with guests non-stop. Those that we spoke with while preparing this story were all very nice and very happy that Theme Park Adventure was taking pictures and taking notice of how cool they all are. We love the Whos. And TPA loves the Whos' make-up. It's the incredible make-up on the Whos and the Grinch that caught our attention huge last year as we covered Grinchmas. When we started working with Universal on what we wanted to cover this year and how, we instantly requested that we be able to visit and photograph the make-up area and show all of you just how elaborate this process is and what goes into creating the Who cast for Grinchmas. Our make-up appreciation usually goes out to haunted attractions or Halloween events. Grinchmas however, is freaking awesome when it comes to the detail that goes into the Who make-ups; it's like you're on a movie set instead of visiting a theme park holiday event. The quality that we are applauding here is nuts - so much more appealing and special than masked characters in Christmas costumes walking around silently. The Whos at Universal have to mingle, act and interact with guests non-stop and they absolutely are Whos when they are onstage. Take the time to look at the exclusive make-up process images below once you're done reading this. The site is set up in a remote section of one of the park's large parking garages and it is the location where all involved in Grinchmas go to put on their wardrobe, wigs, and ultimately, make-up. It's a hustle and bustle of actors and actresses quickly getting prepared to do their thing - and everyone was very nice despite us obviously being outsiders in their environment. Shooting the make-up process is a special opportunity in itself, as the management at Universal had to get the legal approval of the Dr. Seuss folks before we could even think about bringing our cameras anywhere near this command post. It's an involved approval process and TPA thanks both Universal and the Seuss people for making this happen for our readers. The whole of Universal Studios Hollywood is decked-out for Christmas, from CityWalk to the Lower Lot of the theme park, near Jurassic Park and the Mummy. In fact, down below, there is "native-sounding" holiday music playing; the type of Christmas soundtrack I suppose you would hear if you were a guest on Isla Nublar. From wreaths to snow to pretty colored lights - Universal Studios does Christmas right and everyone seems very pleased with the surroundings and effort put forth by the company. On the world-famous Studio Tour, guests get an extra surprise when visiting the Whoville set - a complete song and dance number by the Whos and the Grinch! It's a delightful addition to the already-wonderful Tour and guests really get into it; the amount of cameras being whipped out and flashes going off indicates that the stop in Whoville is a major success once again - something that Universal didn't have to do, yet they have and it is a beautiful treat for guests. This year's Whoville production was different than last year's, which was also refreshing (Uni could have simply recycled it and most people wouldn't have even known). Unfortunately, we don't have footage of this year's event, but if you haven't checked out our YouTube production from Grinchmas 2008, you should check it out! It's really cool that wherever you go at Universal Hollywood, the management has made sure that you are still reminded of the Grinchmas celebration at hand as well as the Holiday Season in general. We've been to some other parks that barely have any holiday decorations up beyond their Christmas trees or entrances. Universal Hollywood did it right (without cramming merchandising down our throats at every turn) - and we love it. To end the day, there is an awesome Whoville Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony back up at the snow play area that is not to be missed. Unlike other theme parks, the way Universal has set this up is that there are multiple shows each night to accommodate the enormous demand of people wanting to witness this. There is even a queue and the shows run back-to-back from before park closing until well after operating hours have ended. You might see the queue (which can extend from the entrance of the area all the way down past House of Horrors' exit and toward Baker Street) and think, "No way. I'm not waiting in that just to see a Christmas tree lit up!" In all honesty, as that was not a part of the media preview of Grinchmas, we felt that way and just about passed on this aspect of Grinchmas - until later shows were added the night we were there, and we we able to catch the ceremony for ourselves. Wow! WOW! Talk about heart and soul. The Universal Studios Hollywood Grinchmas Tree Lighting Ceremony is nothing short of fantastic - it's a full-blown production that features all of the Grinchmas cast and absolutely thrills the audience, young and old guests alike. It's funny, sincere, and very elaborate; much more so than any other theme park's ceremony - if they even have them anymore. I don't often compare when it comes to this type of thing directly, but Universal absolutely out-themed and out-does Disneyland's magic this year as far as the holiday events go. Uni may not have a castle to throw LEDs all over or a nightly fireworks show - but it tops the Mouse House hand-over-fist when it comes to the heart and sincerity of the holiday season. From the incredible attention to its Whoville characters' make-up and overall interaction with park guests to the fun and very well-done Grinchmas shows found throughout the park (and on the Studio Tour), as well as the most awesome Christmas tree of them all... Universal Studios Hollywood absolutely is the most heart-warming of all the SoCal theme parks' holiday events for 2009 and we give everyone involved huge props. Grinchmas at Universal only lasts 13 days - but we see that definitely expanding in the future; at least, we certainly hope that it will as Comcast takes over the theme park operations and says it's excited to do so. Time will tell - it would be a tragedy to scale this event back or keep it the same, rather than expand it, which we'd really love to see happen in 2010. The demand is there, the crowd sizes are good and Universal's attention to detail for Grinchmas deserves more than a mere 13-day run. Grinchmas should and could last all of December and we'd be very happy campers! Much thanks to everyone at Universal Studios Hollywood for allowing us to share the magic of Grinchmas with our readers and to peek behind-the-scenes of the make-up operations! Bravo! |
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By Rick West |
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Once in a while, Theme Park Adventure does leave the parks and venture out into the night. Once in a while. On Saturday, December 5th, TPA visited The Jon Lovitz Comedy Club at Universal CityWalk in Hollywood. Strangely enough... it wasn't to see a stand-up performance, but rather, a concert! Guitar legend Dick Dale brought the house down with his absolutely amazing playing style - and his sincere interaction with the audience. If you have never been to The Jon Lovitz Comedy Club, let me explain the venue... The club is a three-story structure which allows for ample seating and viewing of the stage on the first floor. The acoustics are very good - we were absolutely impressed by the sound system. There are bars on each floor (okay - truth be told, I didn't drag my butt up to the third floor, so I am assuming there is a bar up there just like the first two floors) to keep your whistle wet and the club serves a great selection of food to keep your stomach full as you're entertained. The stage has a Hawaiian motif and the rest of the joint is very plain - but nice; clean and definitely quaint. You know when you go to a club and it's either really homey or you never quite feel comfortable or welcome? Jon's club is definitely homey. Everyone is very nice, absolutely chill and very friendly. And hell, it's an added and somewhat surreal bonus to go there and have Jon himself floating around through the patrons, saying hello and posing for pictures. All in all, it's a great venue at a great location within CityWalk. So we took our seats on the second level and ordered some drinks. As Dick Dale took to the stage, we didn't know what to expect, really. Obviously, we were ready for some awesome guitar playing - but every performer has his or her own style, and Johanna and I had never seen Dale perform before. For the younger Theme Park Adventure fans, here's a quick Dick Dale 101 lesson: Dick Dale is known as "The King of the Surf Guitar", with a career spanning decades and a sound defining the surfing and "beach" lifestyle from Southern California to the sands of Hawaii. His sound represents a culture, has a distinct vibe and has been showcased on records, in film and even theme parks. TPA readers will recall (or are about to learn) that it was Dick Dale that recorded the first soundtrack for Disneyland's Space Mountain once sound was installed on the trains in 1995. Perhaps Dale's most famous song, "Misirlou", was featured in Pulp Fiction and in turn, the Black Eyed Peas sampled the hell out of it for their song, "Pump It". At 72 years-old, Dale has dealt with reoccurring rectal cancer on and off over the decades, and openly talks about it during his show saying, "I don't give a shit what the cancer says... I'm gonna play my music and that's that." In fact, it was his open dialogue about his fight with cancer that left the audience both moved and tremendously supportive of Dale. Applause and cheers of love and respect filled the club when Dale railed against the cancer, spoke of his treatments and announced that he would not let it slow him down. For someone his age to be kicking ass the way he does - you can't help but respect the hell out of him and love what he does as a performer even more. For more than an hour, Dick and his band absolutely delighted everyone with amazing playing, humorous dialogue with the audience and genuine charisma. The thing that is cool about Dick Dale (okay, there are a lot of cool things - so this is one of them) is that he is left-handed. He plays his guitar upside down and according to Dale, he doesn't have any formal training and cannot read music. To the excitement of the crowd, Dale's concert also featured him playing on the drums, harmonica and yep - even a trumpet. A trumpet! Totally random and cool! He did a great impression of Louis Armstrong - trumpet in one hand, guitar hanging off of his shoulder and house lights shining down. It was too cool. As I mentioned, Dick Dale played the drums as well, which you sometimes see performers do during a concert... BUT... what was really musically intriguing and just simply awesome was when he took those drum sticks and played the bass his band mate was holding up for him! Say what? Yep - and we have the pictures below to prove it! Musically, Dick Dale is an anomaly; and that is the type of artist that delivers the best in what they do. Dale is all about unconformity; a rebel at heart that doesn't believe in drinking booze or taking drugs. He is walking history and we were so lucky to be in his presence; it's one of those moments and shows that you never forget, you know? Before I wrap, it's important to note that while this article is about Dick Dale's show, the club itself is typically a nightclub in Los Angeles for comedy. From Wednesdays through Sundays, The Jon Lovitz Comedy Club is home to top of the line stand-up comedians. Each Wednesday, Jon Lovitz himself takes to the stage for some good fun at 8:30 P.M. The club also offers special valet parking rates - Sunday through Thursday, the rate is only $3.00 and on Fridays and Saturdays, valet is only $7.00 for a three-hour period. Not bad! Theme Park Adventure is excited about an upcoming comedy show on Christmas night... Gabriel Iglesias! Good stuff! We're hoping Santa leaves tickets for us, because Gabriel is one fluffy funny guy that will leave the audience Ho Ho Hoing in their seats - it won't be a very silent night this Christmas at Jon's club! We walked away from the performance grateful that we were able to witness this music legend perform in such an intimate environment. With surf guitar riffs still ringing in our heads, we left the club and made our way home. It was our first - and hopefully not last - chance to see Dick Dale perform... and what an absolutely bitchen night it was! Theme Park Adventure thanks Jon Lovitz and his team for a truly great night out on town at CityWalk. Thank you to CityWalk management for inviting us and a special shout out to Joey Sorice at The Jon Lovitz Comedy Club for making us feel so welcome. We encourage all of our readers to check this gem out - I know how easy it is to walk past these places when you visit CityWalk because there is so much going on all around you. However, if it's laughter you seek, or if this venue has a musical guest on hand, you won't be let down. The Jon Lovitz Comedy Club is absolutely one of our new favorite spots in Los Angeles - check it out! |
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By Rick West |
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On Friday, November 27th, Theme Park Adventure and other members of the media gathered at Universal Studios Hollywood's CityWalk complex to help celebrate the kickoff of the 2009 Holiday Season. It was a short, but sweet and heart-felt event that was accented by performances and celebrity appearances, of course ending with the lighting of the 40' Christmas tree, adorned with 100,000 LED lights! First up was the mariachi house band from Camacho Mexican Restaurant (a favorite of ours for eats when visiting Uni Hollywood). They strummed and trumpeted their way into the season, getting the crowd really fired up with a fantastic rendition of Feliz Navidad. Great stuff! Next came the Brazilian dancers from the new Samba restaurant and lounge at CityWalk. They jiggled and shook their way into the event as onlookers and photographers alike cheered them on - it was kind of "typical", but amusing to hear the male members of the press shouting, "MORE!" at the end of each number. Boys will be boys, yes? Santa joined the party and brought along comedian Jon Lovitz; whether or not he's been naughty or nice... that might be debated! But Lovitz was definitely on hand to promote his new comedy club, which opened earlier this year at Universal CityWalk. The event was rounded-out by the Be-TALLS, which was a group of tongue-in-cheek Beatles "impersonators" on stilts. Cute, but kind of a weird addition to a sampling of CityWalk entertainment and dining venues. Maybe they're going to open a Beatles restaurant or gift shop? Maybe not... At the end of the celebration, Lovitz pressed the candy cane switch with Santa and the huge Christmas tree came to life with tons of bright LED lights to the delight of the crowd. Falling snow accented the cheers of excited onlookers as Santa took to his ornate chair and began taking pre-orders by his smallest fans! The Holiday Season is now in full swing at Universal Hollywood CityWalk! Click here to see what's in store for the complex's 35 nights of awesome entertainment! Congrats to our friends at Universal Studios Hollywood and CityWalk - here's to a great Holiday Season 2009! |
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By Rick West |
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When the devastating fire roared through the Universal Studios Hollywood Backlot last summer, the beloved King Kong attraction was consumed by the flames - and with it, a huge piece of theme park history that many of us have grown up with. Theme Park Adventure was thrilled and somewhat amazed when Universal revealed that it would be rebuilding King Kong for the Studio Tour. Let's face it - the same amount of tourists come to Uni regardless of whether or not King Kong is part of the Tour anymore. So why even bother spending the money to rebuild something that has already been done? Let's get right down to it. This report is going to be filed as heavy speculation. We say that, because Universal has NOT released confirmation that the images we are showing you are of the King Kong rebuild effort. However, based on what we have read on other Uni fan sites and comments we have heard from Universal employees, everything indicates that indeed, Kong is underway in the Backlot area of the property, just next to the Collapsing Bridge. In coming weeks, we will get confirmation that these images are in fact, King Kong in the re-making. And we will continue to bring you coverage of this attraction's construction right through re-opening. So for this first report, we will go with the assumption and true gut feeling that this is, in fact, Kong being built. There isn't much to see yet - just an area next to the Collapsing Bridge that used to be a parking structure. The site is fairly large and has been stripped of foliage and leveled. There is some vertical construction already - but nothing major as of this posting. What we do know is that the new King Kong attraction is going to be presented in 3-D. And we'll call it like we see it - we think that people are going to be wishing that we were getting massive animated figures again, as opposed to a movie. Early reports indicated that Kong would be Peter Jackson's version and that the Tour trams would be caught in a major battle between the ape and a T-rex. Visions of epic proportions delighted and excited the mind - imagine rocking and rolling like we do in Earthquake, except with two massive animatronic figures battling it out on either side of the tram. God... what an awesome spectacle that would be! We now know that there apparently are going to be no practical beasts in this new attraction; just the 3-D film. Truthfully, that is really disappointing to us. It is hard to imagine getting worked up and thrilled by a 3-D movie in a park that is already inundated by film-based attractions - T2:3D, Shrek, Simpsons and eventually, Transformers. I truly believe the fans were counting on Universal Creative to dig deep for this one and produce something truly awesome. At least for now, it appears that the "easy" path was taken in the case of King Kong. So now comes the direct challenge to Universal... thrill us. Thrill us, make us eat our words, deliver something truly unique and as technically beautiful as the original Kong was (thanks to the genius of Bob Gurr and friends). We WANT to be impressed. We WANT to say, "Woah... okay, now that is amazing!" We WANT to come out of Kong that first time wanting to get RIGHT back on a tram and experience it again. What we don't want is to come away from this talking about what could have and should have been and how theme parks do everything as cheap as possible these days while charging guests more and more at every turn. The ball is in your court, Universal. There are more than a few people watching. And waiting. |
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By Rick West |
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With Theme Park Adventure now being based in the Greater Los Angeles area, Universal Studios Hollywood has become its home base park. This gives us the opportunity to visit as frequently as we'd like and keep our readers updated on all of the changes going on at Uni. Simply given the nature of this property - half of it being a working studio - there are changes constantly. That is what makes Universal Hollywood so much fun to us - we never know what we will see or what may be happening any time we visit. My personal favorite item at Uni is the Studio Tour. To me, that is the lifeblood - the true heartbeat of Universal Studios Hollywood. I love boarding the tram and being taken down into the working area of the studio. Will we see someone from CSI? Will Conan O'Brien (or his desk) make a quick appearance to say hello to people aboard the Tour tram? What movie is being shot in which sound stage? And will we get to go down Wisteria Lane, or is Desperate Housewives shooting? It's all good, Hollywood fun - and I love it. Johanna is a ride girl, and her favorite obsession at Universal Hollywood is Jurassic Park. It can be hot or freezing out - whenever we visit, I know that I am in for a couple rides on Jurassic... I have long given up trying to stay dry at Uni when we go. My general dislike for water rides is cast aside (there is no arguing - she's the boss when it comes to what we ride) and away we go... only to return minutes later sprayed, splashed or soaked. I can make the most hellish "caca face" in the world; it doesn't matter. We're back in line before you can say, "Ultrasaur". So, before summer, as spring unwraps itself here in Southern California, we wanted to bring you an updated account of what's happening at Universal Studios Hollywood. The park is still definitely doable in a day - but it will be a full day, so plan accordingly. At CityWalk, the remodel of Wolfgang Puck is complete and the "new" L.A. Bistro is now open for business. It's chic, not terribly expensive given the venue and guests seem to be enjoying it completely. This makes a great lunch or dinner choice if you want to escape the theme park environment for a while during the day or better yet - once the park closes. Universal Studios is not open late like other theme parks. Currently, we are thrilled when the park is open past 6:00 P.M. That is pretty much status quo for the next couple of months as we head into summer. Then, the park will usually close around 8:00 P.M. or 9:00 P.M. While afternoon arrivals are totally doable as well in the longer hours days, it is very important to keep in mind that even when Universal is open later - the Studio Tour is not. The last tram usually leaves well before 5:00 P.M. It would be an absolute loss to show up in the afternoon to enjoy Universal with your friends and family, only to find that you've missed the last tour of the day by 15 minutes. That's is not a good thing. So even if you are planning on hitting Uni as the sun goes down, at least be there by 3:30 P.M. to ensure you get to do the Studio Tour. And now, when Uni is closing as early as 5:00 P.M., note that the Studio Tour will close as early as 3:15 P.M. or so. Plan accordingly, movie fans! While on the subject of the Studio Tour, the biggest news is of course, that the Phoenix Project (the name given the rebuild effort of the Backlot) is steaming along quickly and construction is really shaping up. The reconstruction is nearly complete in some portions - and it looks at this point that we will absolutely see trams navigating the brand-new Metropolitan area as early as the beginning of summer, barring any unforeseen delays. Studio Tour guides are still openly announcing that King Kong will be returning to the Backlot - but they are all adding that it will not be for another year and a half or so. There is nothing new from studio executives or the PR department about this, so we take this information for what it's worth and will keep our ears perked and let you know if/when anything changes or when there is anything new to report. According to the very good site, TheStudioTour.com, the new location for Kong could be the parking structure next to the Collapsing Bridge. An interesting and very possible speculation - we will keep you posted. On the hillside opposite of the Collapsing Bridge, is a vista point where studio types often can be seen surveying the Backlot rebuild at any given time. Some park their carts there and sit eating their lunch, others have guests with them, eagerly snapping away with their cameras. Recently, we saw a cart from Universal Creative parked there - go Uni Creative! Everyone is clearly excited about and focused on this awesome new chapter in the Universal Studios Hollywood story. One of the things you will notice as you ride the Tour is once in the Backlot, there is a lot of lumber stacked everywhere for the Phoenix Project. The construction effort is so massive that there simply isn't room in one place to pile all the wood; so keep an eye out if you visit soon - and you will see what we mean. The interesting thing is, the location of where each pile is destined for is spray-painted on the side of each stack. So while it may appear that the lumber is just lying around waiting to be used whenever another stack is depleted - that isn't the case; this is a highly-coordinated effort and every bit of material is accounted for and sits at the ready. Even satellite construction areas are set up where prep work is being done and then larger pieces of completed facade, etc. are being taken to the Metropolitan area to be added to the buildings. One such location is across the way from Park Lake, off to the left as you approach the Parting of the Red Sea. Since movie filming in general has slumped off in California and there is no Metropolitan area available to shoot in yet at Universal, there aren't too many productions going on out in the open anywhere for Tour guests to catch a glimpse of. Most of the movie magic (and television shooting) is going on inside the many sound stages at Uni. Two films that will be in theaters soon that used the sound stages are Land of the Lost and Drag Me To Hell. Television shows being shot currently on the Backlot include CSI and Life. Desperate Housewives also shoots at Universal - and as a result, all of Colonial Street/Wisteria Lane is often a hot set. During the week, it is rare that the trams get the opportunity to take guests down the street. If you visit Uni during the week this time of year, expect not to see Wisteria Lane - it will likely be a closed set, the Tour guide will probably have to be off of his or her mic and the closest you'll get is a couple of Buena Vista Television trucks or a few picture cars from the show parked just past the Chicken Ranch set, after JAWS. It's disappointing for guests not to get to visit Wisteria Lane - but hey, it is a working set and Uni is a real studio. That's the way it is, kids! Back up top at Universal, several picture cars from the Fast & The Furious films are on display, near the exit of House of Horrors. During busier times in the park, these cars can be a challenge to photograph, given the amount of folks wanting to pose with them for their own pics. However, if you're a fan of the films, be sure to check it out before they are gone. Our guess is, they will likely be available for viewing for quite some time. Before wrapping this Universal update, we wanted also to let you know that work continues at a very rapid pace now on the new Creature From the Black Lagoon musical. Auditions have been held, theater construction is underway and some key hints about what this thing will be like are coming to the surface (pun intended). This new musical, which is going into the theater that once housed Castle Dracula and the Conan the Barbarian show, is going to be fairly large-scale, with some serious cash apparently being thrown at it. The story itself will be along the lines of Disney's Beauty and the Beast Broadway show, as more of a love story than horror tale. And the same designer that created the costumes for Disney's The Lion King on Broadway has apparently been the one tapped to create this musical's wardrobe. That said, it appears that we could be in for a real treat as opposed to traditional theme park "entertainment" when it comes to stage shows. Theme Park Adventure is watching the development of this show very carefully and will update you all accordingly as the show gets closer to opening! And that, as they say in Hollywood, is a wrap! Until next time, folks... see you in movie land! |
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Story by Rick West |
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Fresh in our minds is the fire that destroyed the Back Lot area of Universal Studios Hollywood. Also lost in the devastating blaze was the world-famous King Kong attraction. Universal vowed to rebuild New York Street and other portions of the Backlot that were lost - and since then, Theme Park Adventure has been bringing its readers updates from the theme park. The rebuild effort is in full swing now and we were thrilled to learn that the effort has been named "The Phoenix Project". I immediately thought back to Johanna Atilano's report for TPA shortly after the fire - which we dubbed "Like a Phoenix Rising" - it remains on this page if you scroll down and have a look. The Phoenix Project is advancing nicely and visitors on the Upper Lot can look down to the Backlot and see individual "blocks" where the new facade buildings will be going up. In one area, that is already happening; since these are facade units - the construction should proceed very rapidly, changing literally daily with stunning speed. Should any of the New York Street sets be made "practical" - meaning they can be used for interior shooting as well as exterior - that could take longer. However, according to the Studio Tour Guides, construction is on schedule and we could have the Backlot restored to full operation by this summer or fall at the latest. TPA applauds Universal's effort and is very excited to bring you continued coverage of The Phoenix Project. One of the main questions on everyone's mind - to the point of being addressed even by the Tram Guides now - is, what will be built to replace the lost King Kong attraction? While Universal has neither confirmed or denied, Wikipedia is reporting that Kong will be rebuilt by Universal and will be titled King Kong: The 8th Wonder of the World. In the Wiki report, it is stated that the new attraction will feature a battle between the massive ape and a T-rex (one can only hope that if this is accurate, the trams will be caught in the middle of the two battling behemoths! That would be something! The Wiki report also states that the attraction will also feature an up-close encounter with Kong as was featured in the original attraction that was lost in the fire. Theme Park Adventure is staying on this breaking news and will update our readers when the time comes as to just what is being rebuilt and what we can all expect. While the main focus these days is on the massive rebuild project on the Backlot, we felt it was important to share with our readers several fantastic additions that have been made to the Studio Tour to help make up for the lost length of the experience due to the trams not having the Backlot or Kong to experience. As part of the "enhancements" made to the Studio Tour, guests now encounter "hot sets" - where they are told that they have come across Hollywood movie-making magic in progress. The first of these new "hot sets" is a revisiting of the famous old Collapsing Bridge, which for a while, had been out of operation. After the fire last summer, the trams resumed traversing the rickety old landmark - and recently, "explosives" elements such as blasting wire and TNT units have started being added to the bridge. Now, just before crossing the span, guests see a large explosives stockpile and audio now enhances the experience as the bridge is "blown up" while the trams cross. It is exciting and absolutely popular with the crowds that scream and then cheer. To have a classic such as the Collapsing Bridge not only back in operation but part of the new "enhanced" Studio Tour is awesome. Long live the Bridge! As guests continue to enjoy the Studio Tour, the next "hot set" or live-action encounter is in the Six Points area of the Backlot. The trams come across a group of guys "practicing" a gunfight and are invited to stay for a few minutes to watch a run-through. The "oohs!" and "aaahhhs!" from Tour guests are real, which means that as "set up" as these little hot set encounters may be to locals or those that can tell they are merely part of the experience - these additions are working and are very successful. We love that. No trip to Universal is complete without a trip down Colonial Street - or more commonly known now to park visitors and TV fans alike... Wisteria Lane. Used for all of the exterior (and some practical) shots for Disney's wildly-popular Desperate Housewives show, Wisteria Lane is now in a perpetual "hot set" state, complete with an employee positioned at the entrance giving each tram "clearance" onto the set. Guests will find large Buena Vista Studios trucks lining the street and there are working light rigs, etc. in place because the show is shot on this location and from time to time, trams are waived off because this set actually is hot. But when the trams do wind down this famous chunk of Universal history, be sure to have your cameras ready - because Wisteria Lane sure is kept nice and photo-friendly! Finally, the biggest and most popular crowd-pleaser of all is the addition of Norman Bates to the Psycho set. Guests are thrilled to find Norman up to his old tricks again - and the excitement is awesome as everyone's favorite psycho advances on the tram! If you're seated in the last car, you're in for a treat - heck, you may even get to stay behind and meet Mother! Visitors aboard the Tour laugh, clap and are totally into it - be sure to keep an eye on Norman as he continues to stalk the tram as it makes its way up the hill and past the Bates House. Major props to Universal for including Norman as well as the other actors and incorporating these new "hot sets" into the Studio Tour. Just beyond the Psycho sets is the very grim and absolutely dramatic War of the Worlds set that features a jumbo jet that has crashed into a suburban neighborhood. Debris still smokes and car alarms still cry out as an eerie quiet falls over everyone on the Tour. It's an amazing and all-too-real set. Keep your cameras handy for this as well. Note - if you want to have a clear view of the Six Points "stunt demo", you will need to sit on the left-hand side of the tram when you board (this also gives you great views of the Fast and the Furious attraction, Earthquake and the Psycho House). For a clear shot of Norman Bates (as well as many other Tour favorites - JAWS, Collapsing Bridge, Court of Miracles), you will want to be seated on the right-hand side of the tram as you board. All seats are good on the Tour - but if there is a particular shot you're looking to get, use the above seating suggestions and you'll do just fine. After the Studio Tour, there is still a lot to do at Universal. From the Simpsons Ride to the very cool Studio Archives on the Lower Lot, it is very easy to spend a whole day and evening at Universal Hollywood. One thing that we find very cool about Universal (and likewise, very greedy of other parks) is that for attractions such as Revenge of the Mummy that require guests to store carry-on belongings in lockers, the park offers them to guests free of charge while they ride those attractions. Major props to Universal for not nickel-and-diming its guests to death with the locker rentals. That is a huge plus that many may not even think about - but it says a lot about Universal management and the way the theme park operation is run here in California. Thank you for that. The strangest coming attraction at Universal Hollywood is a Creature From the Black Lagoon musical. Yes. Musical. We do not know much about this - except that we aren't being Punked. This show is definitely in production and there is signage up in the park. Obviously, this is going to be very interesting... it will either be a monster success or will end up all wet. We'll keep you posted! As your day winds down at the theme park, there is also plenty to see and do (and eat and drink) at CityWalk. Some of our favorite dining spots are Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, Camacho's Cantina and Hard Rock Cafe. All are a bit more expensive than traditional restaurants - but the food and service is always top-notch and we never have any regrets when we dine at CityWalk. It's the perfect way to end a great visit to Universal Studios Hollywood. Oh, and the hot chocolate at Chocolaté Loco is amazing - just don't slosh any on your hand because it's hot. Trust me. Before the spring arrives and the tourists come with it - get on over to Universal Studios Hollywood and check out everything new and exciting as well as have your own look at The Phoenix Project progress. It's a real-life studio drama that is going to have an exciting conclusion that we cannot wait to see! |
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