Author: Chris

In the initial article of this “A closer look at” series, I discussed how Universal and other theme park companies duplicate their attractions for a litany of reasons. I also mentioned how we’d be going through Universal Studios Hollywood’s attractions to see how they’d fare against their siblings across the world. I went into this not considering the order I would cover Universal’s roster of attractions, but a reader comment gave me inspiration to initially cover Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride – Hollywood’s first coaster. Appropriate for a number of reasons, but most of all timely due to its…

If you’ve followed the site for any length of time, you may have noticed a handful of articles about how Universal’s annual pass situation has changed over the years. We’re going to detail some of those changes, alongside the most recent one from late last week in an attempt to understand how Universal may have tarnished their goodwill with the pass-holder community by overplaying their hand with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It all began back in 2014 with removal of several annual pass benefits. Changes like this were to be expected as the park was in the middle…

Editor’s note: this is currently a live document, with continuous updates from our editorial staff. Last updated: 10:48 PM PST … It’s less than 24 hours until the Wizarding World officially opens the gates and the crowds are expected to be beyond massive. As with anything else Universal has done regarding this date, the park has tried to be prepared as much as possible. A wristband for the grand opening of the Wizarding World But because plans like this always involve an insane amount of details, expect this to change and change often. We will do our best to be…

Universal debuted Universal Boulevard today, featuring a larger Universal Studios Store and a new Starbucks embedded in a new spectacular new stretch of facades that line Universal’s main thorough way. Replacing the hodgepodge that marked Universal’s previous entrance (most notably Universal’s House of Horrors and Hollywood Photoland), the new facades feature Art Deco architecture based off landmark buildings found across the Los Angeles area – with homages given to Hollywood greats such as famed make-up artist Jack Pierce and producer Irving Thalberg in the form of store front labels and window displays. Universal’s founder Carl Laemmle is also given a…

Every day brings us closer to the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood, and there’s a lot to take in. Multiple attractions, many shops, a few restaurants and the alleged nectar of the gods known as Butterbeer. We’d like to take this opportunity to lay out what to expect from each one when you get there. This is drawing on similar experiences from the other two instances of the land, with photos from Universal Studios Japan (which means Hollywood will not be receiving Japan’s Black Lake – sorry). The shops consist of just under…

The day many people have waited for is here. As of this moment, Hogsmeade is open to guests and muggles are shouting “Observatory” as their benches take them through a 3D game of Quidditch on the Forbidden Journey, while others are riding with a Hippogriff. But don’t go rushing off to the park without understanding the current situation. You should temper your expectations as a lot of moving pieces are just starting to get into place. Known as a “soft opening” for other companies, Universal refers to the status of the Wizarding World as a “Technical Rehearsal.” This means everything…

The park maps at Universal Studios have recently been updated to reveal that a change is coming to the Hollywood Grill inside the park. Wedged in the corner down the walkway from the park entrance and the path to WaterWorld, it’ll soon be subject to a makeover and new name – Hollywood and Dine. This change is likely spurred by the update across the path as the new building facades are beginning to emerge for the new shop and dining venues, evoking a city-theme to better fit in a single theme. As the park map indicates, the closing and re-opening…

Following a trend that has began at CityWalk Hollywood in recent years, Jillian’s Hi-Life Lanes has apparently closed with the now ominous “New Restaurant Coming Soon” sign plastered on their doors. Phone calls to Jillian’s were not answered and their Facebook page is now shuttered. The apparent closure of Jillian’s Hi-Life Lanes follows a string of CityWalk closures in recent months, including the closure of Jody Maroni’s Sausage Kingdom in favor of LudoBird and the closure of GameStop, Salvatory Shoes, Tommy’s Hamburgers and the relocation of Things From Another World for the expansion of the Universal Studio Store. The bowling…

December 8, 2015 – After over 4 years since the original announcement, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has a final release date as a part of Universal Studios Hollywood. In just a few short months, on April 7, 2016, muggles from far and wide will be able to make a trip to Hogsmeade on the west coast, the third iteration of the park, following the similar lands in Japan and Florida. From what began many years ago with fanfare will reach conclusion early next year, as the Five-Year Plan reaches its climax. Following the transformation of park, with Despicable…

November 16, 2015 – After months of anticipation and questions, the new annual pass system has returned to Universal Studios Hollywood. The initial details reveal a host of changes, including the lower level passes exclusive to California residents and a simplification of black out dates.