| Best regards
| |
| | thing that gotall of this started decades
|
| Cary Ordway
| |
| | ago. The tour is stillconducted on the
|
| LA visitors get close-up look at
| |
| | famous trams that snake their way
|
| movie-making
| |
| | throughthe Universal back lot. The trams
|
| While movie-making is done "on location"
| |
| | have been updated tooffer TV commentary
|
| more than everbefore, the Los Angeles
| |
| | by stars like Whoopi Goldberg, but
|
| area still is home to a steadystream of
| |
| | theexperience was much the same as it was
|
| movie and television productions ? so
| |
| | back in the 70's ?only the TV shows and
|
| many thatit's not unusual to come across
| |
| | movies have changed. Longtimeattractions
|
| filming on any given tripto L.A. And
| |
| | like the original Psycho house are still
|
| out-of-towners never seem to get tired
| |
| | there,but now the tour includes a stop on
|
| ofvisiting movie studios and famous
| |
| | Wysteria Lane to seethe Desperate
|
| movie-making locations.
| |
| | Housewives. You can still see where
|
| Today most of the studios are closed to
| |
| | Spartacuswas filmed, but now you also
|
| the public exceptwhen audiences are
| |
| | drive right through the planecrash scene
|
| needed for live shows or when the
| |
| | from War of the Worlds. A new Fast and
|
| callgoes out for extras to populate
| |
| | Furiousdemonstration adds another thrill
|
| various movie scenes. Butthere are
| |
| | with two race carshurtling toward the
|
| several that do allow tours, including
| |
| | tram through the magic of hydraulics.
|
| some wherethe chances are good you'll see
| |
| | Universal Studios is one of the best and
|
| a real movie star.
| |
| | easiest ways toget a close-up view of
|
| The granddaddy of movie studio tours has
| |
| | L.A. movie-making, but there aremany
|
| to be Universal
| |
| | other fascinating locations around town.
|
| Studios Hollywood, which now includes its
| |
| | For example,the Paramount Ranch in Agoura
|
| movie studio touras just one small part
| |
| | Hills was home to productionslike Dr.
|
| of a Disneyland-like theme park
| |
| | Quinn Medicine Woman, the Flintstones:
|
| withelaborate rides and attractions all
| |
| | Viva Rock
|
| having something to dowith the movies.
| |
| | Vegas and numerous TV series. And, did
|
| Built along a hillside in Universal
| |
| | you know that youcan visit a Culver City
|
| City,the theme park has grown over the
| |
| | industrial area that was once the
|
| years incorporating newattractions that
| |
| | "Forty Acre Back lot," the former
|
| match up with some of the hottest
| |
| | location of Mayberrywhere all the outdoor
|
| moviesproduced at Universal.
| |
| | scenes on the Andy Griffith Show
|
| We first visited Universal more than 30
| |
| | werefilmed?
|
| years ago so, onour recent visit to the
| |
| | In addition, there are still other
|
| park, the overall experience seemedmuch
| |
| | interesting studio toursyou can take:
|
| more of a complete entertainment package
| |
| | Warner Brothers Studios, Burbank ? We
|
| than when thetour was just a movie studio
| |
| | enjoyed this two-hourtour which we took a
|
| tour with few additionalattractions. We
| |
| | few years back. Visitors are escortedin
|
| had been back to the park in the 90's
| |
| | groups of 12 through the Warner Brothers
|
| but,even since then, this theme park has
| |
| | lot, with stopsalong the way at
|
| seemed to growdramatically, adding new
| |
| | television and movie sets. All of the
|
| attractions on a regular basis
| |
| | setsand props here are real and not just
|
| toencourage visitors to return.
| |
| | for the benefit of thetourists. Visitors
|
| Visitors to the park are now greeted with
| |
| | get to see the costume department aswell
|
| a choice ofparking, lower priced parking
| |
| | as the mill that creates the sets. Since
|
| that requires a littlewalking and premium
| |
| | numerousproductions are ongoing at any
|
| parking that is closer to the park.
| |
| | given time, you may have abetter chance
|
| Wechose the former because we need the
| |
| | here of seeing a star ? we didn't, but it
|
| exercise ? but, alas,the park has
| |
| | wasfun seeing the actual sets for shows
|
| installed an elaborate 21st Century
| |
| | like Friends. Phone
|
| system ofescalators to whisk visitors all
| |
| | 818-972-TOUR.
|
| over the hilly terrainboth from the
| |
| | Sony Pictures Studios, Culver City ? If
|
| parking lot, and from the theme park down
| |
| | you want to visitthe studio that made the
|
| tothe actual movie lot.
| |
| | Wizard of Oz, this is the place.
|
| One of the highlights of our Universal
| |
| | It's the former MGM Studios and offers a
|
| visit was adiscovery we made: the Front
| |
| | walking tour ofthe studio's back lot,
|
| of the Line Pass. It is a bitpricey ? at
| |
| | sets, sound stages and historicscenery.
|
| $99.95 it's about double what you'll pay
| |
| | In more recent years, the studio is where
|
| if youbuy a regular pass online ? but it
| |
| | Men in
|
| totally changes theexperience. Instead of
| |
| | Black and Spiderman were filmed, and
|
| waiting in long, hot lines all day
| |
| | where shows like
|
| (typical of most Southern California
| |
| | Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune are taped.
|
| theme parks) we werequickly zipping
| |
| | Phone 323-520-TOUR.
|
| between the best attractions,
| |
| | NBC TV Studio Tour, Burbank ? These
|
| neverstanding in line more than five
| |
| | studios are where manya live television
|
| minutes. We felt we saweverything we
| |
| | show has been taped, including the
|
| wanted to see in one day, but were not
| |
| | Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The guided
|
| nearlyas exhausted as we might have been
| |
| | walking tour takesyou into the warehouses
|
| standing in lines thateach appeared to be
| |
| | where costumes and props arestored,
|
| 45 minutes to an hour long.
| |
| | control room areas and the tour gives you
|
| For middle-age guests who have given up
| |
| | a greatoverview of how network television
|
| on theme parksbecause of the lines, the
| |
| | is produced. Phone
|
| Front of the Line Pass will putyou right
| |
| | 818-840-3537.
|
| back in the game.
| |
| | AT A GLANCE
|
| Most rides at Universal are relatively
| |
| | WHERE: Universal Studios Hollywood is
|
| tame ? not quite thekiddie-land variety,
| |
| | located in Universal
|
| but something less than the
| |
| | City, just north of downtown Los Angeles.
|
| rollercoasters at Six Flags. The
| |
| | The theme park iseasily accessed using
|
| hydraulic rides like Back to the
| |
| | Highway 101 North. General parking is
|
| Future continue to be popular, as well as
| |
| | $10 while preferred parking is $20.
|
| moderate thrillrides like the roller
| |
| | WHAT: Universal Studios Hollywood offers
|
| coaster in the Revenge of the Mummyand
| |
| | the most completeexperience of any movie
|
| the 85-foot waterfall drop for the boats
| |
| | studio tour ? a major theme parkand a
|
| in the
| |
| | tour through the actual working areas of
|
| Jurassic Park ride.
| |
| | Universal
|
| We were especially impressed with the
| |
| | Studios.
|
| Waterworld show,which apparently is doing
| |
| | WHEN: Year-round. Keep in mind that
|
| a lot better than the movie everdid. A
| |
| | summertime temperaturescan be warm under
|
| group of actors and stunt persons puts on
| |
| | direct sun, so wear sunscreen and
|
| a showfilled with acrobatic feats and
| |
| | dressappropriately.
|
| pyrotechnics climaxed by analmost
| |
| | WHY: While the Universal Studios tour is
|
| full-scale airplane startling spectators
| |
| | the most slicklyproduced of the movie
|
| by landingin the water right in front of
| |
| | studio tours ? which is notnecessarily an
|
| their seats.
| |
| | advantage ? it offers a major theme
|
| There are numerous rides, attractions,
| |
| | parkright next door. Any trip to
|
| top-notch shows ?everything to keep you
| |
| | Universal Studios Hollywood isas much
|
| busy for much longer than a day. Butdon't
| |
| | about visiting the theme park as the
|
| forget to take the studio tour ? the
| |
| | movie studio.
|
