It’s not the cheapest attraction in LA and it might be a big step for a solo traveler to enter a theme park, but fear not, your money is well worth it. The subway can take you to the Universal studios. I scored a discount on my general entry ticket and still thought I paid too much. At first I wasn’t at ease, walking around by myself, surrounded by families, groups of friends and couples, but I had a great day. When you’re in a roller coaster, it doesn’t really matter that you’re on your own.
The whole park is one big movie set, or rather several sets. A must-do is the studio tour. You can drive through the sets of Wisteria Lane, the Bates hotel from Psycho or sets used for CSI or Heroes. Don’t think it is a relaxed ride, because suddenly the bridge you’re on can collapse or things start exploding. Everything is staged for you to have a great experience. It gives you a good impression of the movie industry and the special effects they have.
The haunted house is a personal favorite, although I must say I was a bit scared. I don’t like it when you know something is going to happen, but you don’t know what it is. This was a house you had to walk through. So to be safe I followed some people closely, hoping that I would see what was going to happen. I walked through sets of horror movies like Chuckie and Frankenstein. Fine threads hung from the ceiling and felt like spider webs. Real life actors wandered through the house and you never knew when one was going to ‘attack’ you with a knife. Some parts even smelled horrid. The corridor where you had to push body bags aside to pass made me chuckle. What an idea!
Another highlight is The Simpsons ride. I had no clue what it was when I entered. The first impression was of bright colours; Krusty’s theme park. First I saw a movie about the attraction, then an introduction and finally the attraction. It turned out to be a simulator that took you through Krusty’s theme park while being attacked by a guy with strange hair. Everything was in Simpsons style and for that moment you were one of the family.
The Universal Studios are amazing. The atmosphere is good and everything is in the appropriate movie theme. You can learn about films, sets and special effects and alternate that with some great rides. Although I am not a fan of the city LA, I’d go back for this theme park. It made my time in LA worth it.