LA Part deux

5^th day Universal studios

The idea of shaving dressing up smartly, calling ahead and pretending to be Rupert Grint did cross my mind however we awoke with not much time spare so headed straight there, just 1 stop away on the train so nice and easy to find. On arrival it looked fairly like a usual theme park but with no big roller coasters up in the sky, however as we approached I saw that the buildings were actually a small town with all types of shops and that you had to pass through part of this to even reach the entrance. A huge red carpet with a Universal globe rotating at the end began the entrance with the magic slightly lost by the security checking your bags then through the entrance and into the adventure, there are loads of different things to go on some being fairly standard however many of them are spectacular. The only ride that is fully outside is the Jurassic park ride, it's like the tour on the film crossed with a log flume, really good with some dinosaurs on the way with a bit of a story to send you down a big drop through a waterfall.

Then there is The mummy ride, an indoor roller coaster that goes forwards then backwards then forwards again. The 3d terminator experience, a cross between a stage show and a 3d movie with the characters really jumping in and out of the screen. The special effects stage where you are shown many methods to create an environment or place a character somewhere from using a picture painted on glass to a green screen and motion capture.

The best parts of the day for me had to be the studio tour and Waterworld, the tour drove you around the sets with demonstrations as you went and videos showing the clips from films and tv shows in which they were used, even the bus itself had some cameo roles. This was all a big build up to the new King Kong section, you were driven inside a huge room and then a 3d 360 degree film began, it was the fight scene of Kong and the dinosaur with you as the target, the carriges moved, water was sprayed, it was an amazing experience, wherever you looked there was something happening.

The other show that I was equally astounded by was Waterworld, here you are in a small amphitheatre however the stage is water and all around is a wall and towers, it looks exactly like a set from the film and except for the audience interaction from the characters it almost felt like you were watching a film live, explosions, jet skis, boats, guns, fighting and then the most suprising part, the say they accidentally hit their planes and it comes crashing through one of the walls into the water. Truly awesome a day that I would highly recommend to everybody.