Universal Studios Backlot Tour
Encyclopedia
The Studio Tour is an attraction at the Universal Studios Hollywood
theme park in the USA.
The Tour is the signature attraction at the park, and goes into a working movie studio
. Guests sit in a multi-car tram for the duration of the ride. The Tour lasts about 45 minutes and is led by a live tour guide who can be seen throughout the tram on video screens. It travels through the Front Lot, Backlot
and various attractions, passing sets and props from movies along the way.
The tour inspired a smaller but similar version at Universal Studios Florida
, which was removed in 1995.
In 1991, the tram boarding was moved to the lower lot following the construction of the Starway escalator system. In 1996, boarding moved back to the upper lot to make room for Jurassic Park: The Ride
.
As the movie studio continues to evolve, the tour evolves alongside it. In late 1989, CD players finally gave the tour guides a chance to rest their voices. In 2000, the CD players were replaced by DVD players and LCD screens, allowing the tour guides to show scenes from movies filmed at the locations the tram passes.
Since 2006, the studio tours bypassed the Collapsing Bridge, due to aging and wearing. However, the bridge has since undergone renovations, and was added back to the tour schedules in August 2008. Since July 2010, the Collapsing Bridge is now used as a representation of the Skull Island city for the new King Kong: 360 3-D
attraction.
Sets from the Universal films Psycho
, War of the Worlds
, Back to the Future
, The Sting
, The Great Outdoors and How The Grinch Stole Christmas are visited in the tour. Disney has also used the backlot for movies such as the Pirates of the Caribbean
film series and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
, specifically for town scenes. There are also 'general purpose' sets visited, such as the neighborhood Wisteria Lane from Desperate Housewives
, and a neighborhood that is made to look like an old west town. This neighborhood has six streets, each with the essentials of a saloon
and sheriffs station. Before the advent of sound, up to six westerns could be shot at once. The tour also winds through sound stage
s, and the tour guide explains what movies, television shows, music videos, commercials, and/or still camera photo shoots are currently shooting on the lot. Stage One, where The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
was filmed from June 2009 to January 2010, was added to the tour. O'Brien and announcer Andy Richter
staged events outside the studio on occasion as part of The Tonight Shows Tour-ific Tramtacular sketch. The tram also passes by miniature models of the ship and Skull Island from the 2005 film King Kong
.
Until June 1, 2008, the tour also passed through a group of facades resembling city streets of New York (used in the filming of Bruce Almighty
and some elements in Transformers), Bring It On: In It to Win It
, and New England, as well as the Courthouse Square
set famously seen in the Back to the Future trilogy
. However, these sets were constructed mainly of wood and therefore were highly flammable, and burned to the ground in an early morning fire. All the sets have been rebuilt and a new attraction at the Studio features King Kong: 360 3-D
, which opened July 1, 2010.
The area beside the Psycho house (known as Psycho Flats) used to be the site of Falls Lake - a large water-tank and waterfall used in numerous productions. Falls Lake has now been moved, and the area is currently occupied by the huge outdoor airplane crash set built for War of the Worlds, directed by Steven Spielberg
. Spielberg and crew were on the Universal backlot for three days shooting on the massive outdoor set. A commercial Boeing 747
aircraft was chopped into pieces and transported to Universal, where the full set has been left fully dressed as it was during filming. The only change made to the set following filming was to move the houses on the right of the tram off the road (so the tram can pass safely). As in the movie, there are no bodies in the plane wreckage, but during the Halloween season, a combination of cast members and dummies are put in place as crash victims.
, an 8.3 earthquake, a short encounter with Jaws, a look inside The Mummy's Tomb, and the newly added The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift car stunt show.
Jurassic Park
When the tram passes through the Isla Nublar set, guests are sprayed by animatronic Dilophosaurus
. It is very similar to the end of the Jurassic Park ride.
Psycho: Bates Mansion (1964)
The Psycho house was one of the big draws of the Universal Tram Tour back in 1964, and continues to be instantly recognizable even now. The film Man on the Moon, a biopic about Andy Kaufman
's life story, was filmed in 1999 at an area near the house. While in production, Jim Carrey
, who portrayed Kaufman in the film, dressed up as "mother" and leapt out from behind the Psycho house with a rubber knife and jumped on the tram, scaring the passengers, including the guides. The tour guides and tram operators reported the incident to the film crew who told them that the person in the costume was none other than Carrey himself. It was break time during filming and he got bored and was trying to channel the creative energy of Kaufman. Carrey wanted to repeat the stunt one year later while filming How The Grinch Stole Christmas which was being filmed behind the house, but this time in full Grinch costume. However, he was stopped by the production that wanted to keep his costume and make-up under wraps until the film came out.
Flash Flood (1968)
The effect has appeared in countless films including Big Fat Liar
and Fletch Lives
. There is a story that when a group of dignitaries and celebrities including John Wayne
visited the Flash Flood in the early days, the water levels were still being perfected and the group got soaked.
The Collapsing Bridge (1974–2006, 2008–2010)
The tour guide tries to take the tram around a bridge rather than going over it, but suddenly the tram driver takes the tram towards the bridge. Just as the tram reaches the midpoint of the bridge, it creaks and massive timbers fall away, causing the bridge to "drop" the tram a short distance. The tram drives on and guests can see the bridge rebuild itself for the next tram.
The bridge was used less frequently starting in 2005, and by March 2006 was no longer part of the regular tram tour due to mechanical problems. The Collapsing Bridge was repaired and returned as part of the Studio Tour in August 2008 after the June fire closed much of the normal tram route. As of July 2010, King Kong: 360 3-D is located in front of the Collapsing Bridge. The bridge itself is still there, but King Kong: 360 3-D has temporarily replaced it. The current route is blocked by a crushed tram, used as set dressing for King Kong.
JAWS (1976)
The Jaws event opened a year after the release of Steven Spielberg
's 1975 film
. It is an animatronic attraction that features the shark and other sets. The actual hero prop boat 'Orca' was placed in the lagoon as a center piece, but has since been removed. The shark as seen in the attraction has had cameos in multiple television shows and films including the made for TV film The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island
in 1981, and on the episode "Hooray for Hollywood" from Diff'rent Strokes
in 1984.
Earthquake (1988)
Earthquake: The Big One, which replaced the Tower of London set, is a simulated 8.3 Richter scale earthquake inside a sound stage
set to look like a San Francisco subway station. The attraction features a gimbal
which shakes the tram, a burning gasoline truck that collapses through the roof, fire and spark effects, a derailing subway train, and a flood of water. The entire attraction resets itself in just 1 second, ready for the next tram.
Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (2001)
The tram guide tells guests that they are going to take a look at some props from the film The Mummy
, but instead the tram is led into Imhotep's cursed tomb, where he sucks them into a powerful revolving sandstorm. The guide eventually leads the tram out of the sandstorm, and Imhotep is defeated. In the middle of 2006, the tunnel was repainted to match the theme of the Revenge of the Mummy ride in the lower lot.
The Fast & The Furious: Extreme Close-Up (2006)
Extreme Close-up is a demonstration of some of the special effects used in The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift. The attraction started construction in March 2006 and opened on 15 June 2006. The area was formerly occupied by a model used in Dante's Peak
.
King Kong Sea (2006)
The guide leads the tram to a body of water around Skull Mountain Island. Suddenly, the waves part, and the tram travels between them, and guests get a view of the mini island.
Psycho: Bates Motel (2008)
As the tram passes the Bates motel, the guests witness Norman Bates carrying a corpse to a car. After placing the body in the trunk, he notices the tram and walks towards it with a kitchen knife as the tram leaves just in time to escape. Norman Bates may be portrayed by an Anthony Perkins
lookalike or a Vince Vaughn
lookalike. If the actors are not available, a cardboard cutout of Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates is used in the office window.
Whoville Comes To Life (2008)
During the holiday season, at the Whoville set all of the Whos, even Max the dog, perform a musical spectacular for the guests' enjoyment. The songs are remixes of songs from the movie. This is part of Universal's Grinchmas celebration.
King Kong: 360 3-D (2010)
Studio Tour guests don 3-D glasses as the tram enters a sound stage
dressed as a recreation of Skull Island
. Two Venatosaurus attack and begin to chase the tram, which disturbs King Kong
, who begins to fight them. The fight continues from one side of the tram to the other, as air and water effects are blown onto guests to further the illusion. Near the end of the experience, a V-Rex gets a hold of what is supposed to be the last tram car and pulls it from the train, throwing it down a pit. Kong defeats the V-Rex and roars in triumph. Previously, the tour showed a large pond area with a small scale boat to show how the filming of the boat arriving to Skull Island was done.
The tram stops inside a rock cliff which begins to collapse. The tram gets past the cliff safely, but not before having a collision with the rocks. The attraction was replaced by Battle of Galactica in 1979.
Battle of Galactica (1979–1992)
This high-technology attraction featured animatronics and live actors in a spectacular laser battle. This was the first themed attraction to feature audio-animatronic characters outside a Disney park, and was the first dark ride
to combine sophisticated animatronics and lasers with live actors. It was replaced in 1992 by the foundations of Back to the Future: The Ride
.
Runaway Train (1974 - 198?)
The tour guide leads the tram across a train track, thinking it is safe to cross. However, a train suddenly rushes from the tracks and stops just in time before colliding with the tram. The guide leads the tram away from the tracks to safety.
Avalanche Tunnel (1974–2001)
The tour guide leads the tram into a revolving tunnel, simulating an avalanche, including fake snow spinning around the tram, and damaged signs, along with special sound effects. It was replaced by Curse of the Mummy's Tomb.
King Kong Encounter (1986–2008)
The tram enters 1976 New York City
where King Kong is on the loose and grabs and shakes the tram, which eventually escapes his grasp and gets out of the city safely. The 7-ton, 30 feet (9.1 m) Kong figure was the largest and most complex animatronic figure in existence for many years. The sophistication of the attraction broke new ground and paved the way for today's themed attractions, including a Universal Studios Florida version
. The Kong sequence was also featured in the film The Wizard
starring Fred Savage
and Christian Slater
. This attraction opened on June 14, 1986 and was completely destroyed by a fire in the early morning of June 1, 2008. As of June 3, 2008, Universal Studios officials stated that the experience would not be rebuilt, and instead was replaced by a new contemporary King Kong attraction
based on the 2005 film
.
Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood is a movie studio and theme park in the unincorporated Universal City community of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is one of the oldest and most famous Hollywood movie studios still in use...
theme park in the USA.
The Tour is the signature attraction at the park, and goes into a working movie studio
Movie studio
A movie studio is a term used to describe a major entertainment company or production company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to film movies...
. Guests sit in a multi-car tram for the duration of the ride. The Tour lasts about 45 minutes and is led by a live tour guide who can be seen throughout the tram on video screens. It travels through the Front Lot, Backlot
Backlot
A backlot is an area behind or adjoining a movie studio, containing permanent exterior buildings for outdoor scenes in filmmaking or television productions, or space for temporary set construction....
and various attractions, passing sets and props from movies along the way.
The tour inspired a smaller but similar version at Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida is an American theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Opened on June 7, 1990, the park's theme is the entertainment industry, in particular movies and television. Universal Studios Florida inspires its guests to "ride the movies," and it features numerous attractions and...
, which was removed in 1995.
History
From 1915 when visitors sat on bleachers for 25 cents, to the 1964 introduction of pink and white GlamorTrams, to the current technological sophistication, the behind-the-scenes view of a working movie studio has been a large attraction. During the early years of the tram tour (1964–1965) all of the attractions at Universal were reached via the tram. The tour originally departed from the front lot comissary. In 1965, the upper lot studio tour center opened.In 1991, the tram boarding was moved to the lower lot following the construction of the Starway escalator system. In 1996, boarding moved back to the upper lot to make room for Jurassic Park: The Ride
Jurassic Park: The Ride (Universal Studios Hollywood)
Jurassic Park: The Ride is a water-based amusement ride that is based on Steven Spielberg's hit film Jurassic Park and Michael Crichton's novel located at Universal Studios Hollywood. The ride was actually researched and built while the Jurassic Park film was still in its production phase. It...
.
As the movie studio continues to evolve, the tour evolves alongside it. In late 1989, CD players finally gave the tour guides a chance to rest their voices. In 2000, the CD players were replaced by DVD players and LCD screens, allowing the tour guides to show scenes from movies filmed at the locations the tram passes.
Since 2006, the studio tours bypassed the Collapsing Bridge, due to aging and wearing. However, the bridge has since undergone renovations, and was added back to the tour schedules in August 2008. Since July 2010, the Collapsing Bridge is now used as a representation of the Skull Island city for the new King Kong: 360 3-D
King Kong: 360 3-D
King Kong: 360 3-D is an attraction which is included in the Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood. The attraction takes guests to a recreated version of Skull Island from Peter Jackson's 2005 award-winning blockbuster remake King Kong. It employs audio animatronics as well as 3-D HD imagery...
attraction.
Film sets
Psycho (1960 film)
Psycho is a 1960 American suspense/psychological horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins. The film is based on the screenplay by Joseph Stefano, who adapted it from the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch...
, War of the Worlds
War of the Worlds (2005 film)
War of the Worlds is a 2005 American science fiction film adaptation of H. G. Wells' novel of the same name, directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Josh Friedman and David Koepp. It is one of three film adaptations of War of the Worlds released that year, alongside The Asylum's version and...
, Back to the Future
Back to the Future
Back to the Future is a 1985 American science-fiction adventure film. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, produced by Steven Spielberg, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover and Thomas F. Wilson. The film tells the story of...
, The Sting
The Sting
The Sting is a 1973 American caper film set in September 1936 that involves a complicated plot by two professional grifters to con a mob boss . The film was directed by George Roy Hill, who previously directed Newman and Redford in the western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.Created by...
, The Great Outdoors and How The Grinch Stole Christmas are visited in the tour. Disney has also used the backlot for movies such as the Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean is a multi-billion dollar Walt Disney franchise encompassing a series of films, a theme park ride, and spinoff novels as well as numerous video games and other publications. The franchise originates with the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, which opened at Disneyland in...
film series and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement is the 2004 sequel to 2001's The Princess Diaries.Most of the cast returned from the first film, including Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews, Héctor Elizondo, and Heather Matarazzo...
, specifically for town scenes. There are also 'general purpose' sets visited, such as the neighborhood Wisteria Lane from Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
, and a neighborhood that is made to look like an old west town. This neighborhood has six streets, each with the essentials of a saloon
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
and sheriffs station. Before the advent of sound, up to six westerns could be shot at once. The tour also winds through sound stage
Sound stage
In common usage, a sound stage is a soundproof, hangar-like structure, building, or room, used for the production of theatrical filmmaking and television production, usually located on a secure movie studio property.-Overview:...
s, and the tour guide explains what movies, television shows, music videos, commercials, and/or still camera photo shoots are currently shooting on the lot. Stage One, where The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show that featured Conan O'Brien as host from June 1, 2009 to January 22, 2010 as part of NBC's long-running Tonight Show franchise...
was filmed from June 2009 to January 2010, was added to the tour. O'Brien and announcer Andy Richter
Andy Richter
Paul Andrew "Andy" Richter is an American actor, writer, comedian, and late night talk show announcer. He is best known for his role as the sidekick of Conan O'Brien on each of the host's programs: Late Night and The Tonight Show on NBC, and Conan on TBS...
staged events outside the studio on occasion as part of The Tonight Shows Tour-ific Tramtacular sketch. The tram also passes by miniature models of the ship and Skull Island from the 2005 film King Kong
King Kong (2005 film)
King Kong is a 2005 fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson. It is a remake of the 1933 film of the same name and stars Naomi Watts, Jack Black and Adrien Brody. Andy Serkis, through performance capture, portrays Kong....
.
Until June 1, 2008, the tour also passed through a group of facades resembling city streets of New York (used in the filming of Bruce Almighty
Bruce Almighty
Bruce Almighty is a 2003 American comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac and written by Steve Koren, Mark O'Keefe and Steve Oedekerk. It stars Jim Carrey as Bruce Nolan, a down-on-his-luck TV reporter who complains to God that He isn't doing His job correctly, and is then offered the chance to try...
and some elements in Transformers), Bring It On: In It to Win It
Bring It On: In It to Win It
Bring It On: In It to Win It is a 2007 teen film. First a sneak peek on The Jake Show Season 2 premiere, directed by Steve Rash and starring Ashley Benson, Michael Copon and Cassie Scerbo. It is the fourth film in the Bring It On franchise, which focuses on competitive cheerleading. It was shot at...
, and New England, as well as the Courthouse Square
Courthouse Square
Courthouse Square is a backlot located at Universal Studios. The set is composed of several facades that form an archetypal American town square with a courthouse as its centerpiece...
set famously seen in the Back to the Future trilogy
Back to the Future trilogy
The Back to the Future trilogy is a comedic science fiction adventure film series written by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis, directed by Zemeckis, produced by Amblin Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures. The main plot follows the adventures of a high school student Marty McFly and...
. However, these sets were constructed mainly of wood and therefore were highly flammable, and burned to the ground in an early morning fire. All the sets have been rebuilt and a new attraction at the Studio features King Kong: 360 3-D
King Kong: 360 3-D
King Kong: 360 3-D is an attraction which is included in the Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood. The attraction takes guests to a recreated version of Skull Island from Peter Jackson's 2005 award-winning blockbuster remake King Kong. It employs audio animatronics as well as 3-D HD imagery...
, which opened July 1, 2010.
The area beside the Psycho house (known as Psycho Flats) used to be the site of Falls Lake - a large water-tank and waterfall used in numerous productions. Falls Lake has now been moved, and the area is currently occupied by the huge outdoor airplane crash set built for War of the Worlds, directed by Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
. Spielberg and crew were on the Universal backlot for three days shooting on the massive outdoor set. A commercial Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
aircraft was chopped into pieces and transported to Universal, where the full set has been left fully dressed as it was during filming. The only change made to the set following filming was to move the houses on the right of the tram off the road (so the tram can pass safely). As in the movie, there are no bodies in the plane wreckage, but during the Halloween season, a combination of cast members and dummies are put in place as crash victims.
Staged events
The Studio Tour includes some special demonstrations, as well as some small segments. For example, a simulated flash floodFlash flood
A flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic low-lying areas—washes, rivers, dry lakes and basins. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a storm, hurricane, or tropical storm or meltwater from ice or snow flowing over ice sheets or snowfields...
, an 8.3 earthquake, a short encounter with Jaws, a look inside The Mummy's Tomb, and the newly added The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift car stunt show.
Jurassic Park
When the tram passes through the Isla Nublar set, guests are sprayed by animatronic Dilophosaurus
Dilophosaurus
Dilophosaurus was a theropod dinosaur from the Sinemurian stage of the Early Jurassic Period, about 193 million years ago. The first specimens were described in 1954, but it was not until over a decade later that the genus received its current name...
. It is very similar to the end of the Jurassic Park ride.
Psycho: Bates Mansion (1964)
The Psycho house was one of the big draws of the Universal Tram Tour back in 1964, and continues to be instantly recognizable even now. The film Man on the Moon, a biopic about Andy Kaufman
Andy Kaufman
Andrew Geoffrey "Andy" Kaufman was an American entertainer, actor and performance artist. While often referred to as a comedian, Kaufman did not consider himself one...
's life story, was filmed in 1999 at an area near the house. While in production, Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
, who portrayed Kaufman in the film, dressed up as "mother" and leapt out from behind the Psycho house with a rubber knife and jumped on the tram, scaring the passengers, including the guides. The tour guides and tram operators reported the incident to the film crew who told them that the person in the costume was none other than Carrey himself. It was break time during filming and he got bored and was trying to channel the creative energy of Kaufman. Carrey wanted to repeat the stunt one year later while filming How The Grinch Stole Christmas which was being filmed behind the house, but this time in full Grinch costume. However, he was stopped by the production that wanted to keep his costume and make-up under wraps until the film came out.
Flash Flood (1968)
The effect has appeared in countless films including Big Fat Liar
Big Fat Liar
Big Fat Liar is a 2002 American teen comedy film directed by Shawn Levy, written and produced by Dan Schneider and Brian Robbins, and starring Frankie Muniz, Paul Giamatti, and Amanda Bynes...
and Fletch Lives
Fletch Lives
Fletch Lives is a 1989 comedy film starring Chevy Chase. It was directed by Michael Ritchie with a screenplay by Leon Capetanos based on the character created by Gregory Mcdonald. Fletch Lives was released by Universal Pictures. It is a sequel to the 1985 film Fletch.- Plot :Chevy Chase once again...
. There is a story that when a group of dignitaries and celebrities including John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
visited the Flash Flood in the early days, the water levels were still being perfected and the group got soaked.
The Collapsing Bridge (1974–2006, 2008–2010)
The tour guide tries to take the tram around a bridge rather than going over it, but suddenly the tram driver takes the tram towards the bridge. Just as the tram reaches the midpoint of the bridge, it creaks and massive timbers fall away, causing the bridge to "drop" the tram a short distance. The tram drives on and guests can see the bridge rebuild itself for the next tram.
The bridge was used less frequently starting in 2005, and by March 2006 was no longer part of the regular tram tour due to mechanical problems. The Collapsing Bridge was repaired and returned as part of the Studio Tour in August 2008 after the June fire closed much of the normal tram route. As of July 2010, King Kong: 360 3-D is located in front of the Collapsing Bridge. The bridge itself is still there, but King Kong: 360 3-D has temporarily replaced it. The current route is blocked by a crushed tram, used as set dressing for King Kong.
JAWS (1976)
The Jaws event opened a year after the release of Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
's 1975 film
Jaws (film)
Jaws is a 1975 American horror-thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Peter Benchley's novel of the same name. In the story, the police chief of Amity Island, a fictional summer resort town, tries to protect beachgoers from a giant man-eating great white shark by closing the beach,...
. It is an animatronic attraction that features the shark and other sets. The actual hero prop boat 'Orca' was placed in the lagoon as a center piece, but has since been removed. The shark as seen in the attraction has had cameos in multiple television shows and films including the made for TV film The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island
The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island
The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island is a made for T.V. movie released in 1981.-Synopsis:The film is a sequel to the TV movie The Castaways on Gilligan's Island. Gilligan and his friends still own and operate the vacation resort The Castaways...
in 1981, and on the episode "Hooray for Hollywood" from Diff'rent Strokes
Diff'rent Strokes
Diff'rent Strokes is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from November 3, 1978 to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985 to March 7, 1986...
in 1984.
Earthquake (1988)
Earthquake: The Big One, which replaced the Tower of London set, is a simulated 8.3 Richter scale earthquake inside a sound stage
Sound stage
In common usage, a sound stage is a soundproof, hangar-like structure, building, or room, used for the production of theatrical filmmaking and television production, usually located on a secure movie studio property.-Overview:...
set to look like a San Francisco subway station. The attraction features a gimbal
Gimbal
A gimbal is a pivoted support that allows the rotation of an object about a single axis. A set of two gimbals, one mounted on the other with pivot axes orthogonal, may be used to allow an object mounted on the innermost gimbal to remain immobile regardless of the motion of its support...
which shakes the tram, a burning gasoline truck that collapses through the roof, fire and spark effects, a derailing subway train, and a flood of water. The entire attraction resets itself in just 1 second, ready for the next tram.
Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (2001)
The tram guide tells guests that they are going to take a look at some props from the film The Mummy
The Mummy (1999 film)
The Mummy is a 1999 American adventure film written and directed by Stephen Sommers and starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah and Kevin J. O'Connor, with Arnold Vosloo in the title role as the reanimated mummy. The film features substantial dialogue in ancient Egyptian language, spoken...
, but instead the tram is led into Imhotep's cursed tomb, where he sucks them into a powerful revolving sandstorm. The guide eventually leads the tram out of the sandstorm, and Imhotep is defeated. In the middle of 2006, the tunnel was repainted to match the theme of the Revenge of the Mummy ride in the lower lot.
The Fast & The Furious: Extreme Close-Up (2006)
Extreme Close-up is a demonstration of some of the special effects used in The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift. The attraction started construction in March 2006 and opened on 15 June 2006. The area was formerly occupied by a model used in Dante's Peak
Dante's Peak
Dante's Peak is a 1997 disaster film directed by Roger Donaldson, written by Leslie Bohem, and starring Pierce Brosnan, Linda Hamilton and Charles Hallahan. The film portrays the effect of a volcano erupting near a small town in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The film is loosely...
.
King Kong Sea (2006)
The guide leads the tram to a body of water around Skull Mountain Island. Suddenly, the waves part, and the tram travels between them, and guests get a view of the mini island.
Psycho: Bates Motel (2008)
As the tram passes the Bates motel, the guests witness Norman Bates carrying a corpse to a car. After placing the body in the trunk, he notices the tram and walks towards it with a kitchen knife as the tram leaves just in time to escape. Norman Bates may be portrayed by an Anthony Perkins
Anthony Perkins
Anthony Perkins was an American actor, best known for his Oscar-nominated role in Friendly Persuasion and as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho , and its three sequels.-Early life:...
lookalike or a Vince Vaughn
Vince Vaughn
Vincent Anthony "Vince" Vaughn is an American film actor, screenwriter, producer and comedian. He began acting in the late 1980s, appearing in minor television roles before attaining wider recognition with the 1996 movie Swingers...
lookalike. If the actors are not available, a cardboard cutout of Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates is used in the office window.
Whoville Comes To Life (2008)
During the holiday season, at the Whoville set all of the Whos, even Max the dog, perform a musical spectacular for the guests' enjoyment. The songs are remixes of songs from the movie. This is part of Universal's Grinchmas celebration.
King Kong: 360 3-D (2010)
Studio Tour guests don 3-D glasses as the tram enters a sound stage
Sound stage
In common usage, a sound stage is a soundproof, hangar-like structure, building, or room, used for the production of theatrical filmmaking and television production, usually located on a secure movie studio property.-Overview:...
dressed as a recreation of Skull Island
Skull Island
Skull Island is a fictional island first appearing in the 1933 film King Kong and later appearing in its sequels and in the two remakes. It is the home of the eponymous King Kong and several other species of creatures, mostly prehistoric and in some cases species that should have been extinct long...
. Two Venatosaurus attack and begin to chase the tram, which disturbs King Kong
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
, who begins to fight them. The fight continues from one side of the tram to the other, as air and water effects are blown onto guests to further the illusion. Near the end of the experience, a V-Rex gets a hold of what is supposed to be the last tram car and pulls it from the train, throwing it down a pit. Kong defeats the V-Rex and roars in triumph. Previously, the tour showed a large pond area with a small scale boat to show how the filming of the boat arriving to Skull Island was done.
Former events
Rockslide (1974–1979)The tram stops inside a rock cliff which begins to collapse. The tram gets past the cliff safely, but not before having a collision with the rocks. The attraction was replaced by Battle of Galactica in 1979.
Battle of Galactica (1979–1992)
This high-technology attraction featured animatronics and live actors in a spectacular laser battle. This was the first themed attraction to feature audio-animatronic characters outside a Disney park, and was the first dark ride
Dark ride
A dark ride or ghost train is an indoor amusement ride where riders in guided vehicles travel through specially lit scenes that typically contain animation, sound, music, and special effects....
to combine sophisticated animatronics and lasers with live actors. It was replaced in 1992 by the foundations of Back to the Future: The Ride
Back to the Future: The Ride
Back to the Future: The Ride is a simulator ride based on and inspired by the Back to the Future trilogy and is a mini-sequel to 1990's Back to the Future Part III. In the United States, it was replaced by The Simpsons Ride...
.
Runaway Train (1974 - 198?)
The tour guide leads the tram across a train track, thinking it is safe to cross. However, a train suddenly rushes from the tracks and stops just in time before colliding with the tram. The guide leads the tram away from the tracks to safety.
Avalanche Tunnel (1974–2001)
The tour guide leads the tram into a revolving tunnel, simulating an avalanche, including fake snow spinning around the tram, and damaged signs, along with special sound effects. It was replaced by Curse of the Mummy's Tomb.
King Kong Encounter (1986–2008)
The tram enters 1976 New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where King Kong is on the loose and grabs and shakes the tram, which eventually escapes his grasp and gets out of the city safely. The 7-ton, 30 feet (9.1 m) Kong figure was the largest and most complex animatronic figure in existence for many years. The sophistication of the attraction broke new ground and paved the way for today's themed attractions, including a Universal Studios Florida version
Kongfrontation
Kongfrontation was a ride at the Universal Studios Florida theme park, in Orlando, Florida, the main attraction in the park's New York section. It opened as one of the original attractions at the park on June 7, 1990 and was closed on September 8, 2002. Revenge of the Mummy opened in its place on...
. The Kong sequence was also featured in the film The Wizard
The Wizard (film)
The Wizard is a 1989 adventure dramedy film starring Fred Savage, Luke Edwards, and Jenny Lewis...
starring Fred Savage
Fred Savage
Fredrick Aaron "Fred" Savage is an American actor, director and producer of television and film.He is best known for his role as Kevin Arnold in the American television series The Wonder Years and as the grandson in The Princess Bride...
and Christian Slater
Christian Slater
Christian Michael Leonard Slater is an American actor. He made his film debut with a small role in The Postman Always Rings Twice before playing a leading role in the 1985 film The Legend of Billie Jean...
. This attraction opened on June 14, 1986 and was completely destroyed by a fire in the early morning of June 1, 2008. As of June 3, 2008, Universal Studios officials stated that the experience would not be rebuilt, and instead was replaced by a new contemporary King Kong attraction
King Kong: 360 3-D
King Kong: 360 3-D is an attraction which is included in the Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood. The attraction takes guests to a recreated version of Skull Island from Peter Jackson's 2005 award-winning blockbuster remake King Kong. It employs audio animatronics as well as 3-D HD imagery...
based on the 2005 film
King Kong (2005 film)
King Kong is a 2005 fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson. It is a remake of the 1933 film of the same name and stars Naomi Watts, Jack Black and Adrien Brody. Andy Serkis, through performance capture, portrays Kong....
.
Notable tour guides
- John BadhamJohn Badham- External links :...
, Director - Michael HitchcockMichael HitchcockMichael Hitchcock is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and television producer.In 2011, Hitchcock became a writer and consulting producer for season 3 of the FOX television series Glee, where he had guest starred in season 1 as rival glee club director Dalton Rumba.As an actor, he has...
, Actor - Michael OvitzMichael OvitzMichael S. Ovitz is an American talent agent who co-founded Creative Artists Agency in 1975 and served as its chairman until 1995. Ovitz later served as President of the Walt Disney Company from October 1995 to January 1997....
, Entertainment Executive - Benjamin SalisburyBenjamin SalisburyBenjamin David Salisbury is an American actor best known for playing the role of Brighton Sheffield on the CBS television sitcom The Nanny from 1993 to 1999.-Biography:...
, Actor - Tony Sepulveda, Vice President of Casting, Warner Bros.
- Ryan SlatteryRyan SlatteryRyan Paul Slattery is an American film and television actor, writer, producer, and director. Slattery is most notable for his work in the MGM film Sleepover as Peter, the kind-hearted boy who befriends Yancy, played by Kallie Flynn Childress.- Early Life and Education :Slattery was born in...
, Actor - Jack WagnerJack Wagner (actor)Peter John "Jack" Wagner, II is an American actor and singer, best-known for his roles on the soap operas General Hospital, The Bold and the Beautiful, and Melrose Place.-Early years:...
, Singer and Actor - James Kyson Lee, Actor
- Conan O'BrienConan O'BrienConan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....
Host of the "Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" - Ron HowardRon HowardRonald William "Ron" Howard is an American actor, director, and producer. He came to prominence as a child actor, playing Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show for eight years, and later the teenaged Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days for six years...
, Director - Jimmy FallonJimmy FallonJames Thomas "Jimmy" Fallon, Jr. is an American actor, comedian, singer, musician and television host. He currently hosts Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, a late-night talk show that airs Monday through Friday on NBC...
, Comedian - Leonardo DiCaprioLeonardo DiCaprioLeonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer. He has received many awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Aviator , and has been nominated by the Academy Awards, Screen Actors Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television...
, Actor
External links
- Official site
- theStudioTour.com - Unofficial website covering the development and history of Universal Studios.
- Inside Universal - Unofficial website covering Universal's theme park and CityWalk.
- Souvenir Books Studio Tour - Inside Universal - History