It’s that time again. I have started traveling again for my summer and early fall adventures. I don’t know why but it’s the sight of a cool place that makes me love this hobby of mine. It all started with going to Disneyland in California when I was a sophomore in high school (2005) and flying to Anaheim was a new experience for me. I loved being out of school for part of that week. It took a few years, but I travelled again but to somewhere bigger next year in 2015 as part of my birthday, and my stepdad took me to London, England. This was all planned by him, and each location chosen for a reason. From going to Kings Cross Station, to inside Stonehenge AND Buckingham Palace, and much more. It was a great trip and I think it spoiled me after that point.
My latest trip was to Los Angeles in sunny California, at the end of September 2023. Home to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Chinese Theatre, and Universal Studios not far away from the many hotels and hostels of Hollywood Blvd.
I decided to go to a cool themed bar called the Beetlehouse LA on my first night of travel. Think about dinner and a live show of Tim Burton characters singing on an open floor. The reservations close fast usually so I got mine way in advance for that night. Worth every penny to see the Corpse Bride and Edward Scissorhands singing while I ate a themed menu that night. The performers are amazing and even walk around to talk to the dinner guests around them. I was dressed up that night as undead Chrissy, because why not, when in LA… and they loved my look too. This is the place for a great night out.
TW: Fake Blood
The next two nights I explored the world of Universal Studios and the many fun behind the scenes places there. The Studio Tour is an hour-long fun trip around the backlots of the park where they still film today. Over 3,000 movies and show episodes have been filmed there, and they reuse so many of the things with just a simple paint job or camera angle difference. Did you know that the same neighborhood layout is used for one of the older movies from 1923? The original black and white Hunchback of Notre Dame was the same ‘neighborhood’ we see in Desperate Housewives.
I chose to explore the lovely place that is Super Nintendo World. It is well worth the wait and time to get food in this area, and to buy a refillable cup. It is a lifesaver when I was thirsty.
Also at the park are several fun rides and locations that offer a fun look into movie worlds. I chose to go into the world of the Mummy, Minions, and Jurassic World. These are great rides that are simple and fun to be on. So much imagination went into the ideas to keep guests happy, and they don’t need to be so extreme you lose your cell phone from the action. The Mummy ride you shouldn’t have your phone because its so fast, but it is a short enough boost of speed that I wasn’t scared of damage.
After all the fun at the park on that Saturday I went back to my hotel and got dinner. I spent 10 hours at the park, about 2 hours waiting as I wanted to be early in case the lines were long. It was a great experience to see and do, and here are some fun tips I learned for that day!
Before you choose to do anything for the trip to Universal Studios, download the app onto your phone to find out ride times. Most of the time I did not need this, but as you will see in part 2 of this mega blog… you will need it for Hollywood Horror Nights.
When getting tickets for Universal Studios Hollywood you can use the main website or Groupon. Either option will give you the option to use ‘Pay in four’ with a service. I think mine was through Klarna and this is paying off a full priced ticket in 4 to 6 weeks. It is very helpful to people on a budget, and you can still have fun the day you choose to go. You also can get Halloween Horror Nights tickets this way as well! These are often cheaper than average entry to the park in the daytime.
There are lockers in the park. The entry way into the park is past an area called the ‘CityWalk’ and that is food, clothes, beauty products, and gift shops associated with the park. These do cost some money, so I did not use them.
On the other hand, inside the theme park itself are lockers right by the Mummy and Jurassic World ride locations in the lower lot. They are located close to the elevators you go down into the location. They are free for 90 minutes and cost $5 afterwards. This is VERY helpful due to the Mummy ride not allowing bags, although Jurassic World seems to want to do this but have storage for items at your feet.
You will get a different experience if you ride alone, or in a group. This is new to me since most of the time rides are just one line and they fix you at the end to get into seats.
Stay tuned for Part 2!
Comments