LA - Day One

I'm in Los Angeles for the week. Day one, we went to Universal Studios. I've been a couple of times, and it's always been really fun. For the most part, it's overpriced souvenirs and food. But there were a handful of really fun rides that I was able to go on. Here's a bit of a breakdown.

Universal Studios Tram Ride - Featuring King Kong as himself

The tram ride is Universal Studios' key attraction. You get on a tram, and they take you around to various places on the back lot. So you can see the big sets where Back to the Future was filmed, see the streets that fill in for New York or London or Europe or Ancient Rome, and you can see the huge soundstages where your favorite shows and/or movies were filmed. We were even taken down the street from Desperate Housewives and the enormous "crash" set from War of the Worlds.

But, along the way, they also do little "mini-rides" - there's an earthquake one and a flash flood one. Spitters from Jurassic Park will pop out and spray you with water. Jaws will attack you and your tram-mates.

And they have King Kong. For as long as I can remember, a huge robot King Kong would attack the tram in an attempt to scare everyone. But now, they have a huge 360 degree / 3D little movie. You pull into this tunnel, put on your 3D glasses, and it begins. T-Rexes attack the tram and King Kong comes to save the day. It's actually really well done, and it was one of the most fun parts of the whole tram.

But I can't talk about the tram ride without talking about my future wife, Alia. She was the host of the ride, and I developed a huge crush on her. She had a huge personality, a great stage presence, and she was absolutely adorable. Next time you go, ask for her and tell her I said hi.

The Simpsons Ride

I'm a huge Simpsons fan, and I was really excited about this. You visit KrustyLand, and you get on Krusty's newest attraction. It's one of those big stationary rides with a huge screen that moves all around. In fact, it actually replaced the Back to the Future ride.

It's actually pretty well done, and it's just as funny as the show. My aunt didn't even watch the show, and she enjoyed the ride and humor. It's a great addition.

Jurassic Park

When I was a kid, this was the best thing ever. It was my favorite movie, and I got to live it. The ride is actually a recreation of a scene from the book - a river adventure that gets attacked by the dinosaurs. Its really cool to get welcomed to Jurassic Park (the same way the characters are welcomed) - it sent a chill down my spine every time I've done it - because, like I said, we're talking about my favorite movie as a kid.

The dinosaurs look realistic enough, and there's plenty of ways they try to get you wet. Water is constantly spraying at you, dripping on you, or splashing on you. It's probably a nice relief on a hot summer day, but it was overcast and a little chilly today. So not terrible but not awfully welcome.

Of course, like all the rides, it's supposed to be a "normal" ride and something goes wrong. The dinosaurs have escaped and the ride gets detoured into the most dangerous parts of the park. Raptors attack, spitters attack, cars fall down beside you, and then the big guy shows up. And right when all hope seems lost, the ground drops out from under you, and you free-fall into the water.

And SPLASH - you're covered in water. I was still wet a couple hours later, but it was still the best ride of the day. It takes me back, and the drop is the biggest thrill you'll find.

The Mummy

This is basically just an indoor roller coaster. There's some Mummy stuff in there, some flashing lights, and a couple of chambers. It's the only roller coaster at the park, but it's pretty short. It's a bit like the runaway mine train at Six Flags and only a tiny bit flashier.

Terminator 2 : 3D

This one is fun, but it's a bit dated. Terminator 2 is about 20 years old, and there have been two Terminator films since. They use the cast of T2 (Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, the kid who played John Connor, and of course, Arnold) so it all feels a bit old.

But the 3D adventure was actually done by James Cameron, and it all feels very professional. According to Cameron, it's actually a continuation of the second movie. And despite the dated feel, it is still very well done. They have actors playing tour guides and a movie explaining it. And the show itself is a combination of a live stage show (with actors playing the characters) and a 3D movie.

And it's sad because the 3D also seems a bit dated. But it's still a fun show and the story is well done. Not sure how long it will be there, but it's still fun.

Tonight is a Dodger game and tomorrow, I will get to see the ocean. I'll be here until Friday, and the whole week is jam-packed.

I'll be back...