What you'll see

Witness how animals work with actors and actresses within the movie industry.

So how is it?

“Cute”, “funny” and “adorable” are words I would use to sum up Universal’s Animal Actors. Though the production and script hasn’t changed since the inception of the show, it still remains a popular family favorite at Universal. The trainers are generally personable and the array of demonstrations performed by the “actors” is truly impressive. Add to the fact that the animals, though extremely well trained, can be unpredictable at times, which only adds to the hilarity of the whole thing. Plus, they make great use of audience participation if you’re the type that doesn’t mind getting involved.

However, despite my own positive review, it doesn’t seem to be a fan favorite on our forum. The main criticism lands within the changes in the script, or lack thereof. Since the days of Animal Planet Live! (2001), the show has, for the most part, remained the same. And with that, I largely agree. While the trainers and animals bare absolutely no blame and are themselves excellent, the folks over at Universal Creative need to take advantage of their excellent staff and create something new and up to date. Nothing at Universal would be more deserving of that attention.

In all, I would definitely recommend this show for a) a first time visitor, b) a child, or c) an animal lover. Chances are, if you’ve seen one show, you’ve seen them all. Though I must admit, there’s always that level of unpredictability that might add in to the revisit factor.

So amongst all my ramblings, if this seems like a concept that might interest you – by all means, I highly recommend you take time out of your schedule and make this show a stop. It’s a great performance by any means and I’m sure you and your family will enormously love it. On the other hand, if you seek something a bit more rambunctious, I wouldn’t hesitate to skip this and go see WaterWorld instead.

Tips and Tricks

Before you visit

Though this show doesn’t fill up as quickly as WaterWorld, there’s still a chance you might miss out, so arrive 15-20 minutes before posted show times – though it should be fair to note that they aren’t as hesitant to let people in while there’s a performance in play, so use your own best judgment in this case.

Seating

Seating is much like the Special Effects Stage, but on a bit grander scale. Granted, in this case, I wouldn’t hesitate as much to sit in the front given the leveled seating. If presented with the chance, I would always choose a seat located within the center (marked in green) in order to gain the largest possible viewing angle of the entire stage. I would knock out back seating altogether, since it slopes up rather high until a certain point, which could leave you squinting throughout the whole show.

Parents

I absolutely positively recommend this show for the entire family. There’s nothing violent about it and the whole thing is pretty much ho hum in terms of loud effects.

There’s also a great chance for your child to participate in one of their bits, so if your child is interested, be sure sit near the front to increase your likelihood of getting called upon.

Photographs & Discussions

You can view photos of Universal's Animal Actors over at our Photo Album. We also have a discussion forum dedicated to the show for any questions or comments you may have.