Category: Universal Studios Hollywood

Universal Studios Hollywood is ever changing, and here’s the start of our more frequent coverage. This update includes the celebration of the Chinese year of the Ram, Springfield construction, Studio Tour work, Wizarding World of Harry Potter construction, and other things around the park!

Springfield is coming along very nicely, and parts of it will start to open up late March.   Springfield will have a wide selection of food options, recreated from the popular Simpsons series. The version found in the Orlando resort was a huge hit with guests, convincing enough to use the -already limited- space at the Hollywood park to recreate Springfield.   The old Ben & Jerry’s next to the Special Effects stage is under reconstruction to meet the Springfield needs.  Look at that Springfield Skyline, in a couple of months that’ll be in the shadow of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

Shrek 4D has reopened after the Wizarding World of Harry Potter buildings next to it were finalized. The line now maneuvers under the WWoHP scenery, to an all new switchback line (similar to Studio Tour line) on the back side of the 4D theater.   But the Wizarding World buildings sure look spectacular alright!  The construction is moving rapidly, there are workers seriously everywhere you look along the Wizarding World lot.  Shrek line! I meant… Wizarding World…  The huge ride building is enclosed, receiving AC vents. Lots of work going on inside! And then just to imagine how massive Wizarding World will be for Universal Studios Hollywood!  Lots of progress on the castle. 

Happy Lunar New Year! Today was the first day of Universal’s celebration of the year of the Ram.  All of Universal Plaza was beautifully decorated with lanterns and flowers.  With an amazing center piece! All chines horoscopes were presented on different lampposts around the plaza.  Even the selling of snacks was done in style!  Beautiful decorations. I found it really unique. Looked wonderful!  There was almost no one as I entered the plaza, at about noon. Later, when I left the plaza, it was definitely a lot busier.   Curious George, in style! Even though there weren’t many people out on the plaza, as soon Mandarin speaking Megatron came out, people came running from everywhere. Quite funny, there were many Asian tourist tours at the park today, and as soon as Megatron came out, many of them were surprised to hear Mandarin, and came over. Very exciting to see. And indeed, this ‘event’ speaks to a large Universal audience. 

Some interesting Jurassic Park River Adventure details. The first animatronic Dino from the second scene of the ride works again, and better than the last couple of months. The tall animatronic Dino in the first scene has been fixed, its ‘skin’ ripped, and looked horrible. this has been replaced. The car scene is still not functioning, at least the audio that was going with it has been turned off. The last times the audio of a sliding car was on, but the car itself didn’t move an inch. And then I figured something really cool/interesting… Jurassic Park isn’t only home to Dinosaurs, but also to MICE! I was taking shots of the splashdown from this angle, at the ride’s building, when I noticed mice running out of the drop tunnel onto the rocks, some disappeared inside the tunnel again, and I decided to keep watching one of them, that after a certain splashdown got wet, and returned inside the tunnel, in a hole in the wall. I find it hilarious that actual tiny mice live in a ride that is to portray a world of gigantic creatures. How’s that for irony!

The Studio Tour’s new entrance! Looking very nice!   The exit and entrance are divided by a huge set of planters, on the other side of the entrance plaza appropriate stylish lights have been added! On board Studio Tour. The Psycho mansion is being reconstructed and receiving some love!

That was it for today! Thanks for reading, we will be posting Universal Studios Hollywood updates more frequently, as our coverage has expanded here as well!