02/25/2007   English German
  Edition # 66  
San Francisco, 02-25-2007

Universal Studios

On the last day, after we had already checked out of our accommodation, we quickly rushed to the "Universal" movie studio, where you could take a tour bus through the various filming locations. Universal understood that people not only want to see the studios and filming locations but are also looking for a Disneyland-like experience with the whole family.
Figure [1]: The tour vehicle at Universal

And what a cost it is! When you arrive by car, a guy at the entrance asks if you want to park directly in front of the park or if you'd prefer to walk 15 minutes through a commercial hell of fast-food restaurants and souvenir shops. The first option costs $20, the second $10. We chose the second option because we like commercial hells for research purposes. Once you've made it through the hell, the next shock comes: At the park entrance, the admission costs a whopping $61 per person!

Figure [2]: The plane crash scene from "War of the Worlds

Through gritted teeth, amidst screaming children and overwhelmed adults, you hand over the amount, and the guy in the ticket booth calmly asks if you'd like to buy an annual pass (No!), if you're sure (Yes!!), if you want a Front-of-The-Line pass ($99) so you don't have to queue anywhere (No!!!), and if an All-You-Can-Eat coupon might be worth it? (No!!!!).

Inside the park, you can either buy more souvenirs, eat fast food, attend one of the Disney-like shows, or ride themed roller coasters. We only wanted to do the studio tour, where you drive past various buildings labeled "Stage 23" with a tour vehicle and an entertainer, then later comes "Stage 24," and further back there's a gray concrete block labeled "Stage 25.

You drive through a Western setting, then the tour vehicle goes into a building, flames shoot up, the vehicle rocks back and forth, etc., quite well done. Then there's the replica of the great white shark to see, flames shoot up again as a gas station in the water (?) catches fire.

The television series "Desperate Housewives," which is quite popular in the USA, is also filmed on the premises. We drove through this street with the tour bus, and it looks just like a typical suburban street somewhere in America.

Figure [3]: Angelika photographs the set of the TV series
"Desperate Housewives" from the tour bus at Universal Studios in Los Angeles.>

All in all: Quite nice if you need to kill some time before your flight home takes off, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. However, it's something you should do, otherwise you might feel like you've missed out on something.

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