Conference koolit::disney

    In the March 19,1990 Amusement Business, on page 20, there is a short
    blurb about the opening of the Universal Studios Florida park.
    
    Universal Studios Florida will premiere in May, Grand opening June 7.
    
    
    Universal Studios Florida will open to the general public sometime in
    May with an official grand opening gala and ribbon-cutting ceremony to
    take place on June 7, announced Tom Williams, executive vice president
    and general manager of the park.
    
    On hand for the June 7 extravaganza will be Steven Spielberg, as well
    as a host of other celebrities from the movie-themed attractions in the
    $600 million entertainment comples.
    
    The plans call for celebrities to cut a ribbon and sael a time capsule. 
    The time capsule, which will be opened again in the year 2015, will be
    installed at the main entrance arch to the studio with various
    memorabilia from participating well-known starts.

    Over the weekend I caught part of an interview with the V.P. for
    Marketing for Universal Studios on the Travel Channel.  Some
    information on the Florida tour:

    The cost will be around $29 per adult.  As he said this is comparable to
    what they were charging "down the street".

    It will take about 13 hours to see all the attractions.  He seemed to
    think that this could be done in one (long) day.  It seems to me that
    if you did it all in one day you would need two more days to recover. 
    The point he was trying to make was that for your 30 bucks, you got
    more value than you-know-where.

    My sense was that the flavor of the park will be more of being part of
    your favorite films, (you boat gets attacked by jaws, your gondola gets
    swatted by King Kong, you meet up with Marshmallow Man from the
    Ghostbusters films, etc.)  The flavor at Disney/MGM is more movie
    nostalgia and how movies are made.

    This is just an observation but...
    
    I find it somewhat "ironic" that when Disney decided to build its
    studio park, it's obviously modelled after the quite successful
    Universal Studios Tour in California.  You've got the stunts shows, the
    audience participation shows, the tour itself, etc., although all with
    the Disney spin.  And now that Universal is opening up another park
    with its rides that are recreations of scenes from different movies, it
    could be argued that they're borrowing from Disney's success with its
    "Magic Kingdom" parks and more specifically, the "Fantasyland" areas of
    these parks.
    
    But like I said, it's just an observation and in no way, shape or form,
    will deter me from going to both parks on my next trip to Orlando
    (whenever that will be)...  but I may have to allot more time if
    Universal is going to be that big...  :-)
    
    - Skip

    I'm not sure I want to go two days (and spend the money). Thirteen
    hours sounds like a lot of time and a way for them to get you to buy
    two-day passes.
    
    I'll be interested in hearing from those that go in May and June as to
    whether it is actually big enough to require that much time to see
    everything.
    
    I guess going from 9 A.M. to 10 A.M. isn't so bad. I've allocated one
    day for Universal Studios. Looks like a full day.
    
    100 days to go.
    
    Mike

�   I guess going from 9 A.M. to 10 A.M. isn't so bad. I've allocated one
�   day for Universal Studios. Looks like a full day.

    Mike,

    You'd probably get more value for your money if you went from 9 A.M. to
    10 *P.M.*  :-)

    Len,
    
    Been quite a day....needed a Disney fix and jumped in here but
    obviously am too stressed to even read what I'm writing.
    
    I agree......$29 for one hour is kinda expensive.
    
    C'mon July hurry HURRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    
    Mike_who_has_waited_14_years_to_return_to_AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
    

    RE: last few

    Well, if they operate *this* Universal like the one in California, you
    may not have any choice on that "you'll need 13 hours to see it all".

    I will preface this by saying that I have not been to Universal Studios
    in 10 years, but I will relate my last (and I *do* mean "last") trip there
    for you just to get the rumors started.        ;-)

    At the end of the 2+ hours tour, you are dumped at an area of the
    grounds where make up demos, stunt shows, et al. are performed for you. 
    These shows were (are?) timed such that there is virtually no way for
    you to take them all in due to over-lap, length of the shows, etc.  In
    other words, you wind up spending 10 or more hours there with most of
    that time spent trying to synchronize with the stupid end-of-the-tour
    attractions!  To me, their implementation was a rip-off and I have not
    returned since.

    Now...does anyone have any pre-opening hype (i.e. brochures or
    something) which dispels this?  Also, after someone goes PLEASE post the
    salient details here for us working stiffs.  Finally, has anyone in our
    California offices been to Universal lately who can update us on how
    things work these days?


    David.

re: .7

Hmmm...  I was out at Universal three years ago and found the contrary to be 
true.  It takes a little planning but I found I could pretty much go from show 
to show with little trouble (and perhaps some luck).  I think the most I waited 
to get into a show was about 20 minutes.  If I remember correctly, the show 
times are posted which helped to plan my day.

It was a Saturday so I showed up as the gates opened (I think, 9 a.m.) and went
straight for the studio tour which took a couple of hours.  After that, I hit 
each of the five shows (taking time out for lunch of course) and was out of 
the park by mid-afternoon (probably about 3-3:30).

It could be that things have changed and they've adopted a schedule similar to 
that used by parks like Sea World.

Actually, the only unsuccessful part of that visit was that one roll of film 
didn't come out at all and among other things, it included a picture of the 
shark from "Jaws IV" on a trailer just sitting among other cars in one of the 
studio's parking lots.  An odd sight, indeed.

But it should be interesting how the Florida park works out with the "rides" 
and the like.  It would seem to me that they might experience the same kind of 
problem that Disney has with the long, long, long lines for the popular rides.
Oh well, I suppose we won't find out 'til June.  And I won't find out first-hand
'til sometime after that :-(...

- Skip

    Since I'm going May 17-21, I just made some phone calls. Universal 
    hasn't set the date it plans to open for preview yet, they only would 
    say "Mid-May". However, the phone number for them is (407)363-8000.
    The operator I spoke with suggested making a call when arriving in
    Florida to see if it's open yet. I get the impression there will not be
    publicity for the preview opening, only the Grand Opening and
    afterwards. 
    
    It's one of the first calls I will be making from the CBR. It would be 
    fun to be among the first to see it. 
    
    Linda (only 27 more days)
    

    I was in Orlando the past few days on business, and a Orlando paper I
    read said that Universal is currently in a "soft opening" mode of
    operation and would be for the next two to three weeks.  These opening
    are by invite only.  The article also said the opening of "The Hard
    Rock Cafe, Orlando" was being delayed so that it would coincide with
    the opening of Universal Studios.
    
    If I can find the article at home I'll post it here tomorrow.
    
    Tony
    

    The article in it's entirety, as promised....
    
    UNIVERSAL STUDIOS OPENS TODAY FOR SPECIAL GUESTS
    
    By Susan G. Strother of the Sentinel staff
    
    reprinted without permission......
    
        The Hollywood-style gates at Universal Studios Florida will swing
    wide this evening (4/23/90) as Orlando's newest park opens for special
    guests.
        For the next three weeks, Universal employees, construction crews,
    vendors, and their families are invited into the park on evenings and
    on weekends.
        The controlled visits, known in industry parlance as a "soft"
    opening, will give Universal's staff a chance to test rides and shows
    before the general public is allowed in at the end of May.
        The Kirkman Road attraction has been more than a decade in the
    planning and, at $600 million is more than three times original cost
    estimates.
        General admission to the studio tour will cost $30.74 for adults. 
    The limited opening is free for invited guests.
        "You open the attraction to the general public when you are in a
    position..... to offer the best experience to the public," said Tom
    Williams, the park's executive vice president and general manager.
        The first exhibits open to early visitors will include a horror
    makeup show based, in part, on "The Phantom Of The Opera"; a post
    production show in which visitors piece together a segment of "Murder,
    She Wrote"; and an animal show that will feature furry, four-legged
    stars such as Lassie.
        Last year, the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park allowed employees and
    families in several weeks before the grand opening May 1.  Each year,
    Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. opens its seasonal Busch Gardens parks to
    special guests before the general public is allowed in.
        "No park wants to be caught with their pants down on opening day,"
    said John Gerner, a former theme-park consultant and now president of a
    small film company in Housatonic, Mass.
        "They don't want to be caught with things not workin right, people
    making mistakes and mechanical breakdowns.  These are all things that
    can happen when you bring in huge numbers of employees and expect them
    to start doing their job right from day one."
        Universal's goal is to smooth any wrinkles before the June 7 grand
    opening and a travel-industry reception in the park the evening before.
        The company no doubt realizes the the best of plans can go awry. 
    The Disney-MGM studio had problems despite its soft opening.  The
    company did not accurately estimate crowd size, and for weeks after the
    park officially opened visitors were frustrated by long lines and
    equipment breakdowns.
        To ensure that Universal is prepared, the parked decided a month
    ago to increase employment by 30 percent.  Advanced ticket sales have
    been stronger than expected, Williams said.
        Orignallly, the company was going to hire about 2,700 employess but
    now will put about 3,500 on the payroll.
        Several thousand guests will visit the park daily during the soft
    opening.  It is expected that, once the park is fully operational,
    average attendance will be more than 16,000 daily, or about 6 million
    quests a year.
        None of the park's rides will be ready for guests today, but all
    will be open before the general public arrives next month.  The rides
    include those based on the movies "King Kong", "Jaws", "Earthquake" and
    "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial".  The company earlier said that its "Back
    to the Future" ride will not open until 1991.
        The opening of the "Hard Rock Cafe", which had been scheduled for
    the end of this month, has been pushed back until early June, in time
    for the park's grand opening.
    
      

    I called Universal this morning to check on the opening date. The
    operator told me that it will open on May 21 (my last day in Florida).
    All attractions will not be operating. Admission at that time will be
    $15.95 for adults and $12.95 for children under 12. 
    
    We are planning to spend our last (part) day there, leaving and going 
    directly to the airport. Will report in when I get back.
    
    Linda
    (less than 4 days to go!)

    We drove by Universal Studios and it looks pretty impressive!  There was
    a board outside saying it was opening the first week of June...
    
    The whole of Orlando is littered with great big adverts for it, and there's
    even a Universal shop at the airport.  I think it gonna be BIG.
    
    Karen

rep < Note 178.13 by VOGON::KCAMPBELL "Disney Dreamer" >

>    We drove by Universal Studios and it looks pretty impressive!  

    Karen,
    
    Since you drove by  it,  it  is  still located across from the Sheraton
    Towers, on the road where the  Marietta Corp.  is located, northern end
    of International Drive?
    
    The reason I asked is that back in '82 this  was the location where the
    Universal sign was  and  where the unions where picketing Universal for
    using non union workers shortly after breaking ground (sure took them a
    long time to build this park).
    
    Claude

    I can't give you an exact location, but yes it was on International Drive.
    It had a huge drive and lots of lawns and flower beds, and you could see
    the huge buildings the "rides" are housed in.
    
    Karen

    The street address in the Orlando Official Visitors Guide is
    1000 Universal Studios Plaza, Orlando. (407)363-8200
    
    On the attached map it looks like exit 30B off Route 4, and the name of
    that street on the map is Kirkman Road. It's on the same side of Route
    4 as WDW, if the map is correct. 
    
    
    
    Linda (three more days)

    Spoke with them agian to see how much would be open in May. 
    Guest relations said the opening is a preview, and they will still be
    in rehearsal, but it is the cheapest price to get in. She told me the 
    following will definitely be open:
    
                      ET
                      Hitchcock
                      Ghostbusters
                      Belushi Brothers
                      Murder She Wrote post production
                      Phantom of the Opera Horror Make-up Show
                      Demonstrations of training of animals for production
    
    Hours are 9-9, subject to change. After the Grand Opening in June, 
    summer hours will be 9-11.
    
    I'm dying to check it out!!
    
    Linda

    
    We drove by it also this past week, it is right off of I4, exit 30B,
    on the left side. The advertising is all over the place, and on the
    radio Saturday it said that when the offical opening on June 7th
    occurs, all but three of the 18 rides/attractions will be open.
    This past week or so was a dryrun where only employees or invited
    guests were allowed in, as they worked out the process....
    
    				-Annie
    

    I guess that the "Back to the Future", "King Kong", and "Ghostbusters"
    (I think) are the three that aren't ready just yet.
    
    I hope they're ready by July. I expect the price to inch up also.
    
    Mike
    

    Yes, the park is off of Kirkman near the old Sheraton Twin towers. 
    Exit 30B is correct.  (I used to live just a few miles down the road
    from there at Center Park Apartments!)
    
    Joel

    Seeing as Fate has willed that I be down in Orlando at the end of June,
    my curiosity about the Universal Studios park has risen just a tad. 
    We'll be down there for about 3-4 days so we might just be able to
    squeeze in some time at Universal...
    
    But I'm a bit confused...
    
    I've been to the studio park in California and enjoyed it quite a bit 
    (see .7).  The format of that park was pretty simple.  The major thing
    was the tour itself and then, there were five shows (three stunt shows,
    an animal show, and an audience participation show).  But it seems from
    everything I've read that the park in Florida will be quite different. 
    In an earlier reply, someone mentioned something about 18 "rides" and
    I've seen other mentions of the types of rides (all based on different
    movies like "Ghostbusters", "E.T.", "King Kong", etc.).
    
    My questions for anyone in the know are pretty simple.  How is all this
    going to work??  Do I get in line for the "King Kong" ride like I would
    for Space Mountain at the Magic Kingdom??  Or is it like the tour in
    California, where the tour tram detours into a building where it is
    "attacked" by King Kong??  And for that matter, does the Florida park
    even have a "real" studio tour??
    
    And my reasons for asking are pretty simple.  We'll be there about
    three weeks after the grand opening and if you have to queue up for all
    the different "rides", I doubt we'll go because the joint will most
    likely be extremely crowded (like the Disney Studios were last year)
    and we'd be in lines the whole time.  Or if we do go, we'd probably
    take in only the studio tour because we could get there early enough...
    
    Anyways, if anyone has any more info on how the park will be layed out
    or if any of the early June travelers have "trip reports" from actually
    going there, I, for one, would be very interested.
    
    - Skip

   I just went down to Personnel and got my Universal Studios Florida
   Fan Club Membership Card.

   This card gets you:

     - Hertz car rental discounts
     - Spencer Gifts discounts
     - Texaco "benefits"
     - USAIR exclusive offers
     - Discounts on a number of Florida resorts, hotels, and campgrounds

   It also offers a (disappointing) 10% discount on the purchase of
   Universal Florida Studio passes, annual studio passes, and merchandise. 

   I recall the AAA magazine saying AAA membership gets you a 15% discount.

   Looks like the attractions at US/Florida for 1990 will be:

      - Kongfrontation
      _ E.T. Bicycle Adventure
      - Ghostbusters protechnics and special effects
      - Phantom of the Opera Horror Makeup Show
      - Murder She Wrote Post Production Theater
      - Alfred Hitchcock's "The Art of Making Movies"
      - The Funtastic World of Hanna Barbera
      - Animal Actor Antics
      - 24 foot, 3-ton Jaws shark from JAWS
      - plus a "heart-pounding, palm-sweating, train-wrecking 8.3 Richter scale
        Earthquake"

    Universal Studios is off Exit 29 or 30B off I-4.

    Mike

From: [email protected] (RENE STUTZMAN)
Subject: Universal Studios goes head-to-head against Disney
Date: 18 May 90 05:07:57 GMT
 
 
 UPI Arts & Entertainment
 
	ORLANDO, Fla. (UPI) -- Universal Studios Florida, set to open next
month, has hauled King Kong, E.T. and Jaws into Disney's backyard in
what promises to be a battle royal for tourists.
	At stake is a chunk of the $5 billion spent annually by tourists in
the Orlando area, one of the most popular vacation destinations in the
world.
	``Will Universal effectively steal visitors from Disney? I don't
know. It's clear, though, that for the first time, Disney has some
head-on competition for one of its parks,'' said John Rutherford with
the Orlando-Orange County Convention and Visitors' Bureau.
	Universal Studios Florida, a $600 million movie studio and theme
park 12 miles north of Walt Disney World, makes its splashy,
star-studded debut June 7.
	Celebrities are to ride limousines down a recreated Hollywood
Boulevard, past Schwab's Pharmacy, a Hollywood Walk of Fame and Mel's
Drive-In, a burger joint featured in the movie ``American Graffiti.''
	Behind them in the prop ``bone yard'' is a chariot from ``Ben
Hur,'' a buggy used in ``Gone With the Wind'' and a stagecoach from the
John Wayne picture ``The War Wagon.''
	Visitors, said Barry Upson, one of the park's planners, will take
part in 13 of ``the most unique motion picture-based attractions ever
created.''
	There are four rides. On one, a four-story King Kong swats a tram
loaded with tourists on a bridge.
	On another, a giant shark grabs a boatload of tourists in its teeth
and shakes it in a re-enacted scene from ``Jaws.''
	In ``E.T. Adventure,'' guests ride flying bicycles past the moon,
and in a recreated subway tunnel across the park, they are tossed around
by an earthquake measuring 8.3 on the Richter scale.
	``The magnitude and magnificence and detail of our studio and back
lot and the blockbuster attractions ... can only be seen at Universal,''
said Steve Lew, president of Universal Studios Florida.
	Lew predicts the park will draw from 5 million to 6 million guests
its first year.
	That compares with 30 million visitors Disney's three Florida parks
-- Magic Kingdom, EPCOT Center and MGM Studios -- drew in 1989, according
to Amusement Business, an industry journal.
	Disney's Florida complex is far and away the most popular theme
park in the country, with Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. ranked No. 2
with 14.4 million guests in 1989, and Universal Studios Hollywood No. 3
with 5.1 million guests, Amusement Business reported.
	Where Disney is most vulnerable to Universal is at its year-old MGM
Studios, a theme park also based on the movies and also featuring
working sound stages.
	Disney-MGM is smaller than Universal Florida, has three production
sounds stages, compared with six for Universal, and has, for now at
least, fewer attractions.
	Universal, which has had four sound stages in operation for 18
months, can already claim to its credit ``Parenthood,'' the 1989 Steve
Martin movie, and by the time of the grand opening, work is to have
begun on ``Psycho IV'' with Anthony Perkins, said Norm Rice, vice
president and studio manager.
	Until the opening of Disney-MGM, Universal Studios Hollywood was
the only major movie-based theme park in the country. It opened in 1964.
	But ask executives who first came up with the idea to put a movie
theme park in Florida, and each company claims credit.
	Lew said Universal made its announcement in 1981, but the project
then stalled because of high interest rates and was not resurrected
until 1986.
	Disney spokesman John Dreyer said Disney announced plans for
Disney-MGM in 1985, but Dick Nunis, president of Walt Disney
Attractions, said Disney executives first began tossing around the idea
of a studio theme park in the 1940s, before even the opening of
Disneyland.
	Originally, Universal Studios Florida was to mirror the company's
Hollywood theme park, but when it became apparent that Disney was
designing something similar, ``We cleaned the slate of the attractions
.... and did all new ones,'' Upson said.
	Disney-MGM has a tram ride, the backbone of the Universal tour in
Hollywood. Disney-MGM also has a stunt show, the same as Universal
Hollywood.
	Nunis scoffed at the suggestion that Disney had copied those ideas.
	``We have, probably without any question, the finest design
engineers, `the Imagineers,' as anybody else in the world. I don't think
we need to copy anybody,'' he said.
	Nunis also said he was not worried about Universal bleeding away
guests.
	``It doesn't bother me at all,'' he said. 
	``When EPCOT opened, the other attractions, such as Sea World and
at that time Circus World and Cypress Gardens, showed dips in attendance
but recovered in a year or two,'' said Chuck Ross, an executive with
Laventhol & Horwath, an accounting firm that specializes in the hotel
and tourism industries.
	He said Orlando-area hotel guests currently stay an average of 4 to
4 1/2 nights.
	``If the length of stay increases in Orlando, I think all the major
attractions will continue to thrive. If, however, the length of stay
does not increase, then I think we'll see some rather intense
competition,'' he said.
	``I think it's an absolute tossup,'' Rutherford said.

    Seen on the 11:00 news in Orlando last night:
    
    Universal Studios opened today (Monday, 5/21).  First guests lined up 3
    hours prior to opening.  Some 'glitches in the system' . . . most
    visible one was a boat tipped on it's side in the water . . . no
    serious injuries reported.
    
    I was talking to my husband while the report was on, so NOT paying full
    attention, but the pictures being shown looked very much like
    Disney-MGM, the only Studio tour I've ever been on.
    
    FWIW
    
    Maryann 
    
    P.S.  I have a free night in Orlando tonight, but I'm going to WDW
    (particularly to EPCOT!!!)
    

    Just got back to work this morning. I'm having a severe case of 
    withdrawal. Unfortunately, didn't get to Universal. We went out 
    Sunday afternoon to shop at Disney Village Marketplace, so swung
    by U to check it out. The parking lot was packed, and the line 
    down the drive was bumper to bumper all the way. I don't know why 
    people were there -- it didn't open until the next morning. Anyway, 
    we had to catch a flight at 4:10, so didn't want to risk it. 
    
    Although one of the stores in the airport has a big neon sign in the
    window and sells U shirts, etc., they didn't have any brochures or
    information to hand out. 
    
    Linda

    There's an article in today's Boston Globe about how Douglas Trumbull
    and company have more or less taken the town of Housatonic, Mass. to
    build this great new ride for the Universal Studios park.  It's the
    "Back to the Future" ride and the article goes into a little detail
    about it...
    
    "... and last fall Berkshire Ride Film Corp. launched its first major
    project -- a four-minute, $16 million special-effects film designed to
    be the pivotal part of Universal Studios' state-of-the-art simulator
    ride 'Back to the Future,' slotted to open in the company's new Florida
    theme park in 1991.
    
    "'Trumbull has taken tremendous care to make this the most incredible
    experience ever,' says Doug Binder, a spokesman for Universal Studios
    Florida.  'The ride will be a total sensory experience.  You will
    actually feel heat and cold.  When you go over a waterfall, you'll feel
    the wetness of the water, and when you fly through flames, you'll smell
    the smoke and feel the heat.  Some attractions use a flight simulator,
    others use the Omnimax dome and others have sense ticklers, but no one
    has put them all together before.  This will be the ride to surpass in
    the future.'
    
    ....
    
    "The special-effects film, scheduled for completion by the end of June,
    will be the climax of the 36-minute long "Back to the Future"
    attraction.  Twelve cars designed to look DeLoreans, with eight seats
    in each, couple with an 80-foot Omnimax dome screen, will, according to
    Trumbull, give passengers the feeling that they're soaring at high
    speeds through space, down volcanic tunnels aflame with red-hot lava,
    over glacial ice fields and past gigantic dinosaurs."
    
    - Skip

    I just got back from Orlando and I did visit Universal Studios. The park 
    does not open 'offically' until late June of 90.  Currently, Universal
    is open on a `preview' status (ie: 1/2 price to get in = $15.00) and 
    not all the attractions are open. In fact only about 3 attractions 
    are open. 
    
    Once everything at Universal is working, it will give MGM a very good
    run for it's money. Maybe more....   
    
    I would hold off on visting Universal  for a least a few months. They
    were having a very tough time handling  the small crowds and the few
    attractions they had open.   
    
    It is very simmilar to MGM as you wait in line to see different
    attrations.
    
    The boat accident mentioned in an earlier reply is hype.  The boat
    overturned in the lake is part of the parks' set.
    
    
    Universal appears to be a first rate theme park but worth the wait
    until everything is up and running. 
    
    Andy  

    re: .27
    
    Andy,
    
    Does Universal have any kind of "real" studio tour, where guests board
    trams and are taken through the "back lot" (similar to what Disney/MGM
    and Universal in California offer now)??
    
    - Skip

    re. 28
    
    Yes they have a studio tour and it was open last week. We did not take
    the tour because of the enourmous line (it was one of the few
    attrations open) and we felt it would be simillair to the MGM tour. 
    
    It is my understanding that the studio tour takes you around the back
    lots and also into some of the production areaa. (Nikelondeon, Murder
    She  Wrote...) Universal is a working studio and it is very possible
    that you will see some filming going on.  We witnessed a comercial
    being filmed. (it was in Spanish so I don't know too much else except it
    was for an instution called "Target"). I was also told that some people
    from the studio tour were invited to be extras in the crowd scene.
    
    Some of the other attrations:
    
    Kongfrontation:  King Kong, This attraction was closed but was given a
                     LOT of hype.  Ride a cable car as King Kong
                     attacts N.Y. 
    
    Earthquake       not open. Advertised as reproducing an earthquake 
                     that was 8.3 on the reiter (sp) scale 
    
    Jaws:            also closed but will be one of the major drawing cards
                     of the park.  Your boat is attacked by a giant shark.
    
    E.T.             also closed. May not be opened  for the grand opening. 
                     Ride a bike across the sky with E.T. 
    
    GhostBusters:    not opened yet. also given a lot of hype. Live show 
                     with ghostbusters battleing ghosts 
    
    Back to the Future:  Not opened. Not too much info on this...
    
    Phantom of the opera
    Make up show          Open, not completely operational.  was pretty
                          neat.
         
    Aflfred Hitchcock:     was open and fully operational. A film about 
                           A.H. and recreation of the shower scene from 
                           `Physco'. the 3-D film was great. (yes, better
                            than Captian E.O)
    
    Murder She wrote       Open. did not visit this exhibit. 
    
    There is also a boardwalk area with games. Many places to shop and
    several places to eat (from snack bars to full restrurants) We ate at
    the Studio cafeerteria. Despite the name this was a very formal
    resturant. The food and service was flawless.  Lunch for Two w/ dessert (try
    the desserts!)  $35.00 
    
    
    Once again, Universal is going to be a top notch, one day trip, theme
    park. It is not fully operational as of  yet (05-29-90) and would not 
    recomend going until the majority of the attrations are open. (Grand
    opening: Late June) Universal is promoting this park BIG. call first to
    find out what is actually open.  Tickets are going to be about $30.00
    
    I think crowds and long lines are going to be a problem.
    
    Andy 
    

    I guess everyone intending to visit Universal Studios should think
    about setting aside one of the last few days of your stay in Orlando
    rather than go early in your visit. The later you go the better your
    chance of seeing more attractions.
    
    Mike_who_already_has_moved_his_scheduled_US_visit_5_days_back

    I visited Universal on 21st. As has been previously reported very
    little was open, still much construction going on, Very poor cast
    members, street scenes very good.
    
    It will be a Ride theme park, It will not be like Universal in L.A.
    there is not the back lot tour as in L.A. It will be individual
    rides.
    
    I left feeling very disappointed and a little angry at Universal
    for opening the park at $15.00. This cost was not justified. the
    queues were horrific. We barely stayed 3 hours fortunately we were
    staying 5 mins away But many people had travelled a long way to
    be disappointed. 
    
    The park will be different to L.A. but I'm sure it will be good.
    But I left with a sour taste in my mouth, I'm glad my trip from
    the UK was not just to see Universal.
    
    Simon (London) 
      

    Rep to <<< Note 178.31 by YUPPY::PITMANS >>>

>    I left feeling very disappointed and a little angry at Universal
>    for opening the park at $15.00. This cost was not justified. the
>    queues were horrific. We barely stayed 3 hours fortunately we were
>    staying 5 mins away But many people had travelled a long way to
>    be disappointed. 

    That's one thing that  Disney apears to do right, open a park when it's
    READY TO BE OPEN.  Yeah they do soft opening and  such  but most of the
    bugs  have  been worked out by then, and what was to be  open  for  the
    Grand opening is usualy running.  I had  gone to Epcot the first time a
    month  after  it's  opening,  the  landscaping  was  perfect, the  only
    rides/attraction not open  were a copule still being constructed (Dream
    Flight and Horizons and  a  country that was a year off in opening) and
    those areas were cordened off with Plywwood stack on end and painted in
    mural  designed so you didn't realy notice any lanscaping  missing  and
    the only construction was usualy a shell of the ride etc.

    I've been to other places, like MarineLand in Niagra Falls Ontario, and
    they had just opened a new section, and  there  was  no  lanscaping  to
    speak  off  just dirt.  They had just opened  thier  new  Steel  Roller
    Coaster ride, and the  picture of it in the add and brochure, showed it
    going over a pond, through a mountain etc.  Well there wasn't any pond,
    and the mountain looked like a large Sand pile similar to  the  one  at
    the various DPW here in NH.  Even though I enjoyed the new ride, I left
    disapointed in the  fact  the  the  place was still being worked on and
    they didn't do anything to  conceal the construction material etc., and
    there was still a lot of rides in the new section to be opened etc.
    
    Claude

    There was an article on Entertainment Tonight on Monday trying to
    compare Universal and MGM. After five minutes of "my park is better" 
    from both sides, the conclusion was to wait and see. There were some 
    interesting scenes of the new Universal rides, though. 

  It was reported in the UK last weekend that Universal Studios intend 
  building a theme park in Europe. They are currently looking at two 
  locations, Paris, and Essex near London. From the point of view of a theme 
  park Paris is thought to be the best location. However from a film making 
  point of view the UK is thought to be superior.
  
  Robin@OLO
  

    On the Today show this morning, Gene Shalit interviewed Steven
    Spielberg and their talk was about the Universal Studios park.  There
    were a few glimpses of the park itself (mainly, its Hollywood Boulevard
    section with a re-creation of Schwab's Drugstore).  They also showed
    part of a horror make-up show which featured make-up effects from "An
    American Werewolf in London" and "The Fly" (the remake).  A second part
    to the interview will air tomorrow morning and will feature a look at
    the "E.T." ride.
    
    - Skip

From: [email protected] (RENE STUTZMAN)
Subject: Universal opens $600 million Florida theme park
Date: 7 Jun 90 21:32:59 GMT
 
 
	ORLANDO, Fla. (UPI) -- Universal Studios Florida, a $600 million
studio-theme park, made its debut Thursday but while dozens of Hollywood
stars chatted with park executives, patrons fumed about long lines and
unopened rides.
	``It's miserable,'' said Janie Ward, 34, of Williamson, Ga., who
stood in line at the Ghostbuster ``Spooktacular'' attraction with her
husband and seven children. ``We've been waiting in line here an hour
and a half.''
	``If the rest of them are like this, we're going to leave. We've
spent $300 this morning to stand in line,'' said her husband, Mike Ward,
36.
	More than four dozen celebrities, including Bill Cosby, James
Stewart and Michael J. Fox, and a handful of political heavyweights,
including Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., and Gov. Bob Martinez, took part in
the park's ribbon-cutting ceremony.
	``The magic of Hollywood lives, indeed, in Orlando today, and it
will for many years,'' said actress Janet Leigh.
	``It's the kind of magic I think God would have created if he'd had
the funding,'' said Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture
Association of America.
	The 444-acre park had been open at half price to paying guests for
more than two weeks while workers raced to get its 13 attractions
opened, but on Thursday morning, despite assurances from park
executives, many were still not operating, and guests who had paid $30
apiece were unhappy.
	``That's the bad thing. The rides don't open until noon, and you
have to clear out by 5 p.m.,'' said Jim Greer, 36, a banker from Euless,
Texas. ``There have been a lot of people who have come by yelling,
`Nothing's open. Go home.'''
	A park spokesman said guests who requested it would be given a
refund or a ticket for a return trip on another day.
	Park officials did manage to open at midday two of their most
spectacular rides -- Earthquake, a simulated earthquake measuring 8.3 on
the Richter scale, and Kongfrontation, in which King Kong swats at
tourist-loaded gondolas.
	However, a third major attraction, Jaws, which features a
mechanical shark chomping down on a tourist-loaded boat, remained
closed.
	The park has six giant sound stages, making it the world's biggest
studio outside of Hollywood.
	``With dozens of street locations, we can make it look like any
place, any time,'' said moviemaker Steven Spielberg, the park's creative
consultant.
	``It's been great fun because we've been able to figure out how to
let people ride the movies,'' said Spielberg.
	The park's back lot is studded with re-created Hollywood landmarks:
the Brown Derby, Schwab's Pharmacy, Pantages Theater, plus a re-created
Hollywood Walk of Fame. There are also street facades from New York, San
Francisco and a New England fishing village.
	The park, expected to draw an estimated 5 million to 6 million
guests in its first year, is 12 miles from Disney-MGM Studios, also a
working studio and theme park that opened a year ago. Universal
officials previously accused Disney of stealing its blueprints.
	``We're not going to talk about that today,'' said Jay Stein,
president of MCA Recreation Services Group. ``As far as we're concerned
Mr. Eisner (Disney Chairman Michael Eisner) was invited to be here
today. We wish he would come see our park, and we wish him the best of
luck.''
	At a news conference, officials with the owners of Universal, MCA
Inc. and Rank Organisation, a British entertainment company, said they
expected to make a decision in the next few months on whether they would
build their European theme park in Rainham, England, or Paris.
	They also promised an announcement within the year on the opening
of a second gated theme park adjacent to the just-opened Orlando park.
	Universal Studios opened the country's first studio theme park in
Hollywood in 1964.
--
This, and all articles in this news hierarchy are Copyright 1990 by the wire 
service or information provider and licenced to Clarinet Communications 
Corp.  for distribution.  Except for free samples, only paid subscribers 
may access these articles.  Any unauthorized access, reproduction or 
transmission is strictly prohibited.  We will reward the first provider of 
information that helps us stop violators of this copyright.  Send reports 
to [email protected].  
    
    [note: Digital's agreement with Clarinet allows manual posting of
    articles to notes conferences. - LG]

    According to a story I heard on WZOU (Boston), they said that people
    were very upset because of mechanical problems, long lines and ticket
    prices.  I guess Universal didn't have the right kind of guest
    relations to keep the complainers quiet.
    

    One man interviewed on NBC Nightly News said he had stood in line for 
    3 hours for the E.T. ride and it had broken down twice. He was not a
    happy person.
    
    Linda

    Geee, what whinnners! 1.5 hours in line?  when WDW opened, we spent
    2-4hours in line for each attraction.
    
    we suffer from instant gratification syndrom, of which burmback's
    book contribute to the problem.
    
    ed
    

    Yeah Ed but at least the attraction worked.
    
    Hope they get the kinks out soon.
    
    Mike

    It was also reported on the radio WBZ that actual fist-fights broke out
    between guests and staff. They also mentioned that 2 of the big rides
    were still down today. By the way WBZ will be running contests starting
    this weekend to win a trip to Universal.
    
    Bill

    I don't know whether it's good news or not, but I've just received 
    my new MKC card. Included in the package was a 'Universal Studios 
    Florida' Fan Club membership card. It entitles you to:-- 
    
    10% discount on admissions. 
    10% discount on merchandise inside Universal Studios Florida ($10 
    minimum purchase. Film and collectibles excluded.)
    10% discount at participating Spencer Gifts stores.
    Discounts at Hertz Car Rental
    Discounts on Universal Studios 'Star Vacation' packages.
    Also valid for special savings on admission to Universal Studios 
    Hollywood.
    
    It's valid until Oct 31st 1993, so they should have sorted out 
    their problems by then!
    
    Mike in Warrington UK

    I guess I am the first to input after experiencing "Universal".  We
    attended on June 3 when it was $15.75 and partially open.  Although as
    I found watching thr grand opening on TV all day Thurs. we saw as much
    or more than the folks who attended that day.
    
    I have got to say as a Disneyholic ( 17 trips in 15 years) my family
    was greatly impressed, they will (when they get fully functional) give
    MGM a run for their money.  
    
    The animation and sensations in Hanna Barbara was much better and left
    you more comfortable than either Star Tours or Body Wars ( I hope I
    have the names right) It is a space simulation with the Jetsons.
    
    ET was just great (the wait that day was 1 hour, but it started to rain
    and cleared out a large portion of the crowd) we went on twice as the
    wait was so short.  The sensation of riding through the air on the
    bikes is great and the simulated forest that you go through in route to
    the ride is fantastic.  The overhead suspension really adds to the fun.
    
    Murder she Wrote is a audience participation show in the making of the
    TV show, great fun.
    
    Alfred Hitchcock is also sit down with a run through off all his movies
    with audience participation in actual scenes form "Vertigo, Rear
    WIndow,Sabatour.  We spent a whole hour there.
    
    Phamtom of the Opera is a make up show with again audience taking part.
    
    Ghost Busters was unbelieveable,just fantastic, the size of the
    structure is just awsome and the special effects cannot be beat.
    
    We save the first half of Earthquake, which again is audience
    participation with a simulated quake.  The ride was not ready yet, they
    were still testing the cars using sandbags.
    
    The backlot tour was really enjoyable and the building are all full
    which is different from MGM New York set.  
    
    They have all the different restaurants as in Epcot, French, Chinese,
    Irish Pub, a Cape Cod setting and also Mels Diner for fast foods.
    
    I'm sure I'm missing some but I want to tell you about our experience
    on Opening Nite.  We had spent all day watching and taping the Grand
    Opening and listening to all the unhappy people and feeling bad that
    things were not ready as promised(We just knew when we left on Sun that
    they were not even close to being ready.)  Hard Rock Cafe had its grand
    opening the same evening and my boys insisted on taking us to dinner
    there, it was not crowded, was lots of fun and we had a nice meal.  As
    we left at approx. 7:30 the 30 stretch limo with all the stars were
    just returning to Universal and we were all excited to think we might
    catch a glimpse of some of the stars.  We followed the limos to the
    main gate hoping they would open the windows or doors and we could get
    pictures and alot of them did.  We spoke to Michael J Fox, Jimmy
    Stuart, Linda Blair, Angie DIckenson, Steven Spielburg.  This was a VIP
    by invitation only party and we stayed and watched the people going in.
    
    It was strange that we were the only ones in the area without an invite
    and noone stopped us, as a matter of fact one of the Security people
    came over and handed us passes and told us to have a good time, we
    almost fainted.  My boys age 20 and 21 live in Fla. and their normal
    attire is cut offs and rock shirts so we really were not dressed for
    the occasion but could not turn down an opportunity like this. It was
    like a dream, everything was free more food and drink than you could
    consume in a life time and the stars were all there for pictures and
    the rides were running with no line.  (Kong, Jaws, Earthquake were
    still not opened) any way we got video's and pictures with everyone
    that was there and enjoyed all the entertainment, they had stunt shows,
    and live acts and music.  Unreal,it sprinkled a little and people came
    out of nowhere giving us umbrellas and rain gear.
    
    Sorry this is so long but I am still living the excitement of it all.  
    I was impressed and feel it will give MGM a run for its money when they
    get their act together.  A year pass is only $85 which I didn't think
    was bad. You really will need two days to do it all unless you don't
    encounter lines (ha-ha). Can't wait to hear some other first hand
    accounts.
    
    Terry

    Terry,
    
    How did you find videoing in US? That is, did the attractions offer
    much opportunity to tape and was your camera in any danger (water or
    jolting) during any of the attractions?
    
    Thanks,
    
    Mike

    I saw a quick teaser on TV this morning on MGM and Universal going head
    to head for the tourist dollar in Orlando. The show is on tonight
    (Tuesday 6/12) but I'm not sure if it was Entertainment Tonight or
    Evening Magazine.
    
    I think it's Evening Magazine. Can anyone confirm?
    
    Mike

    The two "rides" vs "shows" which were ET and Hanna Barbara left you
    unable to tape on the rides themselves as a matter of fact in Hanna
    Barbara they made you put all of your loose materials cameras, purses,
    bags on the floor next to the ride as it is very turbulent, in ET they
    have carrier baskets attached to the bikes to hold such items, there is
    a good chance for video's in ET not sure if the reason we refrained was
    because they asked us not to take pictures, not sure.  In the pre-ride
    area of both rides there is opportunity to video and is worthwhile.
    
    We took quite a few in Alfred Hitchock also.  Hope that helps.  I have
    to guess that Kong and Jaws would be alittle hectic also.
    
    
    Terry

    Terry,
    
    Does hectic mean "...could damage your camera.." ?

    on hanna barbara definatly, on the rides that are not opened yet I am
    only basing it on what I have seen in the ads, they look as though they
    are quick stopping and would jossle you around quite abit.

    Todays USA TODAY has an 8 page add insert on Universal Studios.
    
    

    This article is from Amusement Business dated June 18, 1990.  The story
    starts on page 1 and is reprinted without permission.
    
    Two-For-One Tickets Last-Minute Addition At Universal-Florida

    By Tim O'Brien

    Orlando- Tom Williams thinks Murphy of Murphy's Law fame was an
    optimist.
    
    Williams, executive vice president and general manager of Universal
    Studios  Florida now believes that anything that can go wrong is
    absolutely  guaranteed to do so.

    He subscribed to that philosophy on June 7, opening day for the $630
    million  attraction.  That's the day the gates opened and most of the
    rides didn't.   Technical glitches in the prototypical, heavily-themed
    rides kept some from  performing at all, while others were up and down
    all day.  Many of the  non-ride attractions experienced similar
    problems.
    
    "E.T. (the ride) worked flawlessly for a month, then we had all kinds
    of  problems with it on opening day," Williams told AB a few days
    later,  "The  amount of problems we experienced that day surprised me." 
    At one point  during the afternoon, the majority of the studio's 13
    attractions were down.

    About 1,000 customers demanded and got their money back or were given a 
    ticket to come back at a later day.  It was late afternoon on opening
    day  when Williams made what may have been the wisest decision of the
    week.  He  let it be known to the press that anyone who came to the
    park through the  weekend would get a two-for-one deal.

    "I made that decision about 20-minutes before I was to be interviewed
    by a  local television station, so the word got out real quickly," he
    said.  The  decision was well received by the press and by studio
    visitors.

    On Friday (8), the ride situation improved a bit, but the crowds were 
    light.  Attendance over the weekend was light to moderate, according to 
    Williams.

    "Today (June 11) we have all but two of the attractions up and running.  
    Some need a bit of fine tuning and adjusting, but they are open for our 
    guests," Williams said, adding that the others should be in working
    order by  the end of the month.

    Meanwhile, the two-for-one deal continues.  "I can see it continuing 
    through the immediate future," he said.  It is a very positive thing
    and  when we're confident that our attractions are consistently
    performing,  we'll stop it."
    
    Williams said his concern isn't getting the people there, but making
    sure  that everyone leaves happy.  "The local press was very fair to us
    during  the week and the general attitude seems to be 'give them a few
    weeks to work  thing out' and everything will be fine," he said.
    
    THE GALA OPENING

    While the paying customers couldn't enjoy some of the mechanical 
    attractions, they did get the opportunity to see some top class
    Hollywood  stars.  A plethora of invited celebrities attended the gala
    ribbon cutting  and later could be seen walking or riding through the
    park.

    To name a few:  Bill Cosby, Robert Wagner, Jimmy Stewart, Ernest
    Borgnine,  Michael J. Fox, Charlton Heston, Sylvester Stalone, Sissy
    Spacek, Ben  Vereen, Jane Seymour and Anthony Perkins.  In addition,
    Florida's Governor  Bob Martines and an impressive political line-up
    showed up as did the  facility's top creative consultant, Steven
    Spielberg.

    Jay Stein, President, MCA Recreations Services Group, and Sid
    Steinberg,  president and CEO of MCA, were also present.

    Universal's equal partner in the project, England's Rank Organization,
    was  represented by a contingent, including its chairman, Sir Patrick
    Meaney.

    Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Assn. of America, spoke
    to the  crowd and summed up his reaction to the new facility quite
    succinctly:   "This is the kind of magic that God would have created if
    he would have had  adequate funding."

    Mixing file production with a tourist attraction is nothing new for 
    Universal Studios.  "We've been in the film business for 75 years new
    had  have had the public on the backlot for about 25 of those years,"
    said  Stein.  "We see no creative conflict in mixing tourism with the
    making of a  picture.  We've been doing it since 1964 in Hollywood and
    it was a concern  at that point.  Now we know the two can co-exist
    quite nicely."
    
    Norman Rice, Universal Studios Florida vice president and studio
    general  manager, thinks the combination is good.  "The part that's so
    good is that  the attraction side's busiest days will traditionally be
    weekends and  holidays, the days that our shooting schedules are
    usually the lightest,"  he told AB.
    
    The entire park, including the buildings holding the attractions, was 
    designed and built with production in mind.  The retail stores and 
    restaurants, housed in themed facades, have multiple entrances so one
    can be  closed if filming is taking place on one of the side streets. 
    "That way we  can film and the retail store or restaurant won't have to
    close and lose  revenue," Rice said.
    
    Stein added that the mixture is what makes this attraction unique. 
    "The  combination of those two elements are what brings the people
    here.  The  film making aspect and the Bakelite design will attract the
    adults and the  attractions will keep the kids happy."
    
    Asked how many people the studios will have to put thought the gate to
    reach  profitability, Stein laughed and said "a lot."  Company
    projections call  for an attendance of six million for the first year. 
    "It really depends on  how you interpret the financial statement, but
    attendance somewhere in the  three million to four million range will
    put us in the black."
    
    In a press conference on opening day, a reporter asked Stein how real
    the  corporate and spiritual competition was with the Disney
    attractions.  "What  competition?" he quipped.
    
    Walt Disney World, or Brand-X as it was referred to several times
    during the  weekend, showed its class by buying a full-page ad in the
    Orlando Sentinel  congratulating Universal on its opening.  The next
    day, Disney had a  full-color insert in the paper promoting it own
    attritions.

    However, one Orlando radio station wasn't as kind to Universal.  On
    Friday  morning, it ran a parody of a Disney World commercial that
    closed by  saying "Come to Disney World, the theme park that works."

    Just a quick comment before the trip report can be attempted.
    I was there on July 3rd and it was PACKED!  Waited almost 2
    hours for Hanna Barberra (sp) and between 1 and 1.25 hours for
    everything else.  Disney has it all over Universal in terms of
    crowd control.  Jaws, King Kong and Earthquake was still not open,
    but they give you a complementry pass to visit them again.  I had
    6 (3 adults, 3 kids) passes and the free ones will admit adults,
    which is a $7 savings right there.  I went back at 8am 2 mornings
    later and sold all six tickets for $110. 
    
    Gary

    -hope to hear from you-
    
    We will visit Disneyland and the Universal Studios in september. Can
    you help us with more information about the universal studios tour?
    -admission fees?
    -what are the possibilities; do you have to buy tickets for all the
    attractions
    -how long do you need to see most of the attractions
    -we have heard that is possible to get tickets early in the morning to
    visit the taking of a soap or a series (to be part of the life
    audience) do youy know whether that is true?
    -which things do we really have to go to, all suggestions are welcome.
    -I read in these notes that personnel in the US gives cards/member
    cards that give you reductions, in Holland personnel has no actions
    like that, even not for Dutch parks or activities. Can somebody tell me
    more about this, and is het possible for a European employee to get
    those.
    (Both my boyfriend and I are working with DEC)
    
    Hope to hear from you as soon as possible, we are really looking
    forward to go.
    
    marianne
    
    
    

    Rep to <<< Note 178.53 by UTROP1::WIJDEVEN_M >>>

    Can't help you on your other questions, never been there, but
    
>    -I read in these notes that personnel in the US gives cards/member
>    cards that give you reductions, in Holland personnel has no actions
>    like that, even not for Dutch parks or activities. Can somebody tell me
>    more about this, and is het possible for a European employee to get
>    those.

    Please read 2.31 for details on obtaining a MKC card for Disneyland.
    
    Claude

    When I recently applied for my MKC card (following the note that 
    Claude has just pointed you to), I also asked for any other 
    'deals' for Florida to be included. I received a Universal Studios 
    discount card which seemed to closely parallel the MKC, reductions 
    on admissions, merchandise etc. I don't know whether you would get 
    this as standard, so it's probably worth specifically asking for 
    it to be included.
    
    Mike in Warrington, UK

    I just sent a message to Sheila Fantozzi to ask for a MKC card, and I
    also asked her for possibilities to get reductions on admissions etc.
    for Universal Studios.
    Thanks for your help.
    Still hope to hear more about the other questions regarding our visit
    to Universal Studios. 
    
    marianne 

    Marianne, since you will be going to Universal in LA [not to be 
    confussed with Florida one], look in your hotel for flyer on the
    studio.  Ask at the desk in your hotel.  There should be a discount
    pass in it.
    
    I recomend also ventering over to Burbank to tour NBC and take its
    tour and sit in an audience.  While I was there, I sit in on Jonny
    Carson, a talk show host.  Very interesting.
    
    If you have a car, take the coastal highway south.  nice.
    
    Also, a short trip away is Las Vegas.  Ok if you like gambling.
    
    The price of Universal Studios when I was there last was $17/adult.
    The price could only have gone up.  Rest assured, its far better than 
    [sorry Mickey] WDW MGM studios.
    
    have fun
    ed
    

    Thanks for your answer Ed, we will go to Las Vegas, San Francisco,
    Santa Barbara after visiting LA, Disneyland and the Universal studios.
    I hope we have the possibility to go to NBC, we only have 2 weeks and a
    strict timeshedule.
    
    Does anyone know what we really should see at the Universal in LA, and
    how long it would take to see the most interesting things. We's like to
    plan our days now to be sure we use every minute we have the right way.
    
    It is really fun preparing a visit to DL and the Universal's this way, 
    with people who have been there and have experience.
    
    marianne

    Marianne,  we spent the whole day at Universal.  And it wasn't just 
    standing in lines.
    
    Note of caution, please be awear that LA traffic is bad.  It can be
    more like a parking lot.  It can take hours to get short distances.
    Don't plan your schedule minute by minute, and certainly, don't look
    at a map and see that two points are ten miles apart and expect to
    get that distance covered in 15 minutes.
    
    ed
    

    It's been over nine years since I last went to Universal Studios in
    California, and I understand a lot has changed.  I know that we
    definitely didn't feel it was worth the admission.  Disneyland, on the
    other hand, was wonderful!
    
    As for traffic, that too may have changed, but I found that if I waited
    until 9:00 AM to leave for the day, I had just missed all the traffic. 
    Likewise, I wouldn't drive again (if possible) until after the evening
    rush hour.  I never had a problem with traffic, except in San Francisco
    (where my timing was bad, and we arrived at rush hour).  Watch the
    traffic reports and wait until after it has passed.
    
    Have fun!
    
    Susan

    The attached article is from Amusement Business dated July 16, 1990. 
    The  story appears on page 71 and is reprinted without permission.
    
    UNIVERSAL IRONING OUT PROBLEMS
    
    By Tim O'Brien
    
    "We're pleased with the growth in attendance and, right now, our daily 
    figures are on par with our annual projections."
    
    That's the report from Tom Williams, executive vice president and
    general  manager of Universal Studios Florida.  The facility, which
    opened officially  to the public on June 7, has been plagued with rides
    and attractions that  haven't been working the way they were supposed
    to.  Two rides are still not  in operations (AB June 6)
    
    "Kongfrontation and Earthquake will be in operation real soon,"
    Williams  predicted, adding that the mechanics for the rides have been
    finish for more  than a month and that computer software has been the
    problem.

    "In Kongfrontation, the problem has been the main program, the one that 
    talks to all the other programs.  The programming needed some fine
    tuning in  Earthquake also.  The ride was working, but it was more
    shake than quake, so  we wanted to get it right before we opened it."

    In the meantime, Williams to AB that each person who pays to get in,
    gets  another ticket to use sometime in the future.  That policy was
    started on  the second day of operation when people complained they
    weren't getting  their money's worth.  It will continute until all
    rides are in operation.

    With attendance hitting stride "for the past two and a half weeks," so
    have  per caps.  "We've been real delighted with our food and drink per
    caps,  which are above our projections.  Our merchandise per caps are
    almost right  on, and should hit projections once the shop in
    Kongfrontation opens," he  said.

    Despite lower than anticipated gates in the beginning, Williams said no 
    layoffs were needed.  "We just had to reorganize various work
    schedules," he  said.

    The television ads that highlighted the two non-working rides were also 
    pulled from rotation.  "We had three or four versions of our major ad,
    so  we pulled those without any problems.  We did that so we wouldn't
    mislead  anyone into thinking that they were in operaton.

    With the end of the major problems in sight, Williams is excited about 
    "getting on" with the summer season.  "We'll be 100 percesnt operation
    real  soon.  That's something I've been looking forward to for quite a
    while."

    

    In the AB dated July 16, there are also several articles about
    Universal Studios Florida.  Unfortunately, due to time constraints with
    my schedule, I won't be able to get them transferred into the notes
    file.  One article starting on page 68 is entitled "UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
    FLORIDA VISITIORS TAKING TO HEAVILY-THEMED EATERIES" and on page 69,
    "CENTRALIZED KITCHEN AREA KEEPS UNIVERSAL COOKING", both articles by
    Tim O'Brien.  I don't know wht the big deal is about the centralized
    kitchen, Disney had used that method right from the start on the
    Florida property.
    

    
    Moderator:  If this question goes against the spirit of this
    conference, please delete it.
    
    My fiance and I are going to Orlando the end of September for our
    honeymoon.  We're looking to spend one day during our stay at Universal
    Studios.  Back when Universal opened (and perhaps even now), the park
    was giving away coupons for a free visit back since several of the
    rides were not operational.
    
    If anyone has two tickets that they are not going to use, please let me
    know.
    
    Thanks,
    Joan Sklenak
    MED::SKLENAK

re to < Note 178.63 by THERA::SKLENAK >

>    Moderator:  If this question goes against the spirit of this
>    conference, please delete it.

    Good question, I have never been  to Universal Studios, so I don't know
    wether  Universal    conciders    their    admission    tickets  to  be
    non-transferrable as Disney  does with theirs.  As long as they are not
    marked non-transferable then I'll leave this reply here, otherwise I'll
    (or  Len  or  Mike)  will    delete    it  should  they  be  marked  as
    non-transferable.

    Does any of the recent Universal  Studios attendess have a ticket stubb
    to verify this?
    
    Claude_with_his_moderator_hat_on

    Hmmm we were at Universal Studios on July 20th and Kongfrontation,
    Jaws, and Earthquake were still down. Also, Ghostbusters went down in
    mid-day and The Making of Movies (Hitchcock) was like a yoyo.
    
    I'm saving my comp tickets and will use them in a couple of years when
    everything (plus Back to the Future) will be working.
    
    Mike

    The following  two  articles  are  copied  without  permission from the
    September 10th edition of Business Week.
    
                       "MCA MAY HAVE CREATED A MONSTER"

        By Ronald Grover in Los Angeles, with Antonio n Finis in Miami

       Its new theme park is floundering--and that just part of its woes
    
      It  was  their sixth trip to Orlando.  Phil and Sheryl  Leibert  were
    anxious  to  see  Universal Studios Florida, MCA Inc's new $630 million
    theme park.    But within three hours after they were admitted, the two
    New Yorkers and  their  children split and headed for rival Walt Disney
    Co's Epcot Center or  Sea World.  "If your going to take $100 a family,
    you had better make sure that everything is working," complained Sheryl
    Leibert, disgusted.  "Even the vendors ran out of soda." 

      Three  months after opening its 444-acre  theme  park  with  all  the
    hoopla Hollywood could muster, Los Angeles-based MCA  has a big problem
    on its hands.  Rides based on its  adventure  movies  Jaws, Earthquake,
    and King Kong rarely work.  Steve Lew, the  parks chief, says the rides
    will  be working soon.  Nevertheless, the glitches have meant  thousand
    of free tickets handed out to angry customers.

      The  Florida  theme park isn't MCA's only headache.  Efforts to  sell
    the movie  theather  owned  by Cineplex Odeon, the debt-plagued theater
    chain MCA owns  half  of,  are  moving ponderously.  And the sale of it
    moneylosing toy unit nearly  fell  apart, forcing the company to revive
    the  deal  at  a  cost   of  $3  million  to  get  the  buyer,  Acclaim
    Entertainment Inc.  to take it  off  MCA's  hands.  True, the company's
    overall earnings in the first half increased  by  a respectable 10%, to
    $76.4 million, on sales of $1.9 billion.   But  operating  earnings for
    its most recent quarter fell 6%, to $91.9 million.

      'RIDICULOUS.'  The Florida park is MCA's most visible problem.    The
    six-ton  King  Kong  ride  isn't  manhandling  trams full of guests  as
    promised,  the 24-foot-long Jaws sharks reguraly fails to bare its huge
    teeth, and the  Earthquake  ride  hasn't  been  trembling at 8.3 on the
    Richter scale.  The only screaming that customer have been doing is for
    refunds--and after shelling out a  free  ticket  to nearly every paying
    customer, MCA is more than ready to scream, too.

      So on Aug.  13, it  filed  suit  against Ride & Show engineering Inc.
    which made the Jaws and Earthquake rides  (see  side-bar report below).
    Ride  &  Show,  a five-year-old amusement-ride designer,  disputes  the
    claims.  "It is ridiculous to say we don't know what we're doing," says
    Joseph B. McHugh, vice-president of marketing for the company.

      MCA Chairman  Lew  Wasserman  and  President Sidney Jay Sheinberg are
    keeping mum.   But  Wall  Street  analysts  aren't.   "This is a better
    company than it was  three years ago," says Raymond Katz, entertainment
    analysts for Shearson Lehman Brothers  Inc.   "But it is still just not
    working right." Katz is among several  analysts  who are lowering their
    earlier profit forecasts for MCA.  He has dropped his estimate for next
    year's earnings by $.30 to $3 a share.

      MCA first unveiled its plans for a theme  park  in  Florida  nearly a
    decade ago.  But it spent almost five years  finding  a partner to help
    with the financing.  Cineplex Odeon eventually signed on, but it backed
    out  in 1989 and eventually was replaced by British entertainment giant
    Rank  Organisation  PLC.    Then the company rushed to open the project
    well before  it  was  ready.    For instance, work on an amusement ride
    based on the smash movie 'Back To The Future' wasn't yet finished.

      TOYS "R" BUST.  Analysts at first expected the Florida park to add as
    much as $25 million a year in earnings beginning  in  1991.   But, says
    Jeffrey  Logsdon, an analysts  with  Los  Angeles-based  Seidler  Amdec
    Securities Inc.  the company  now estimates that to break even, it will
    have to attract at least 3.5  million  people a year.  Logsdon beleives
    that MCA will be hard-pressed to meet even that target.
    
      All  this comes hard on the heels  of  MCA's  most  persitent  recent
    problem, Cineplex Odeon.  MCA bought 49% of Cineplex in May, 1986.  But
    over the past 18 months, MCA has written off more than $40  million  to
    cover  its  part of the theather chain's mounting losses.  The red ink,
    company executives  have  told  analysts, is more than like to continue
    through the rest  of the year.  And that was before a deal for Cineplex
    to sell 38 screens  for  $31  million  ran  aground in mid-august, when
    financing couldn't be arranged.

      MCA almost had  another  busted  deal  on its hands.  Last April, the
    company thought it had sold its LJN Toys unit, which lost $99.5 million
    over the past three years,  to  Acclaim  for  $28.7 million in cash and
    stock.  But MCA agreed in  July to return $1 million in cash and buy up
    to $2 million in a new Acclaim  stock offering.  The added payment came
    after an accounting dispute that required MCA to accept $3.8 million in
    LJN  receivables.    One  big  problem  was  100,000  Friday  the  13th
    computer-game cartridgesthat LJN couldn't sell.

      About all  that  has  been  going right at MCA is that risky bisiness
    known as Hollywood.   Hits such as Back To The Future III and Bird on a
    Wire have propelled earnings in the First half from MCA's movie unit to
    $138 million, a 34% increase  from  a year earlier.  And analysts think
    that the company may have still another winner in Kindergarten Cop, and
    Arnold Schwarzenegger film scheduled for release at Christmas.
    
      A good run of Luck at the box office could cover lots of problems for
    MCA.  This summer, however, It's MCA's Florida  fiasco  that is drawing
    the biggest audience.
    

                          THRILLS, CHILLS--AND GLITCHES
    
                        By Kathleen Kerwin in los Angeles
    
      Back in the '70s a new quicksand pit and the Incredible Hulk were all
    it  took  to  boost  attendance  at Universal Studios Hollywood.   Now,
    bigger thrills are needed to lure a jaded generation raised on dazzling
    movie special  effects.    So  when  MCA  Inc.  built Universal Studios
    Florida, it spent  an  estimated  $200 million-plus for rides such as a
    giant robotic shark that attacked a boatload of tourists, a three-story
    animated King Kong, and a bone-jarring imitation earthquake.
    
      Universal was not alone in its plunge.  Walt Disney Co., Knotts berry
    farm,  and  other  theme-park  operators  have   joined  the  race  for
    "animatronics,"  robots,  and other computerized contraptions aimed  at
    the fun-seekers show shell out more than $4  billion  a  year  at  U.S.
    amusement parks.  Yet as the bugs plaguing Universal  show,  technology
    has its price.  Says Joseph B.  McHugh, vice-president  of  Ride & Show
    Engineering  Inc.,  which  made  the  Jaws  and Earthquake rides:  "The
    complexity of  the  systems  means more components that can shut a ride
    down."
    
      The scariest propect for a park operator is a Jaws that doesn't bite.
    And all it takes  is  one  software bug.  At Universal, the trick is to
    synchronize a moving tram and an animated shark or gorilla that runs on
    a fixed program.  "If they're  not  coordinated  exactly, they run into
    another  and parts get bent," says Q.    David  Schweninger,  cheif  of
    Sequoia Creative Inc., Kong's creator.  Universal rides are "way out in
    front of everyone else," he says.  "The price  you  pay is that you'rte
    going to have teething problems."
    
      Universal's  snafus may spell a slow-down in high-tech rides just  as
    that end of the business was poised to dominate the $250  million  U.S.
    ride industry.    The  companies  involved  will  at  least become more
    cautious.  "There are lessons to be learned here," says Schweniger, who
    adds that ride makers may now insists on more shakedown time before new
    rides open.
    
      But none of this is  likely  to  halt  the  shift to high-tech rides,
    which promise more safety and less  real estate.  Changing demographics
    also favor gentler high-tech rides over old-style gut-wrenchers such as
    roller coasters.
    
      JET  PILOTS.    Disney  opened  the  floodgates  to  a  new  wave  of
    participatory  rides  in  1987  when  it launched Star Tours,  a  $32.5
    million  space  extravaganza    that    combines  the  motion-simulator
    technology used to train jet pilots with movies of exceptional clarity.
    Ride makers are scrambling to  produce  dozens  of  variations  on  the
    simulator ride--such as motorcycle chases and  undersea adventures--for
    theme parks, casinos, and special theaters.
    
      Makers of high-tech rides are increasingly looking  to overseas parks
    for  most new business.  At home, they  hope  to  expand  into  humbler
    venues, such as midsize regional parks and shopping malls,  as the cost
    of the technology falls. But first, they must get the bugs out.

    
    	Okay, Universal Studios Florida has been open to the public for 
    over four months now. And -- judging by the mixed reviews the place has 
    gotten in here as well as in the national press -- I guess the place
    has got some problems.
    	But, even so, I bet most of us DEC Disney dweebs are planning on
    spending at least a few hours here during our next trip to Orlando. So, 
    how's about we start pooling our information ? Could those noters who've
    been to Universal Studios Florida fork over some info about the place, 
    specifically :
    
    	1) How much time does someone need to really see Universal Studios
    Florida ? One day ? Two days ?
    	2) Which attractions are " must-sees " and which of them are dogs ?
    Are any of the restaurants or shops on the property really worth going
    out of your way to see ?
    	3) Most of us have heard that the " Jaws " attraction will be shut
    down for rehab work 'til next summer, but what about new attractions at
    Universal Studios Florida -- like the " Back to the Future " simulator
    attraction ? When is that supposed to open ?
    	4) And does anybody know if there are going to be any special 
    seasonal celebrations at Universal Studios Florida ? I mean, Disney
    seems to have Christmas and Easter locked up, but -- what with
    Beetlejuice, Frankenstein and all those other classic Universal movie
    monsters wandering the lot -- it seems like this Orlando park would be
    a natural spot for a huge Halloween bash ?
    
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    	NOTE TO ALL YOU MODERATORS : I realize that this technically is
    deviating from the Disneyana nature of this note file, but -- let's
    face facts, folks -- Universal Studios Florida is the first serious
    competition Walt Disney World has ever had in the Orlando area. If and
    when MCA gets its act together, this place could really give WDW a run 
    for the tourism dollar. And -- to strengthen the connection -- most of 
    the rides now operating ( Well, operating SOME of the time .. he he he )
    were designed by former Imagineers. These folks used the expertise they
    developed at Disney to create some pretty outrageous rides for Universal's
    Florida park, and -- chances are -- sometime in the not-so-distant
    future -- we're going too see a " Can you top THIS ? " competition
    springing up between these two entertainment giants, as they each try
    to come up with the most exciting attractions for their studio theme
    parks.
    	So, I think a real informational note -- detailing what's worth 
    doing and what's going on at Universal Studios Florida -- would provide 
    a nice counter-point to all the WDW items we'll find in this file. Plus
    it'll give people planning to visit Orlando a legitimate information 
    source about this new park, so that they'll be able to make an informed 
    decision about whether or not they should set aside a day or so during 
    their next Florida trip to check this place out.
    	Of course, you folks have the final call on this. If you don't 
    think that a beefier Universal Studios Florida note belongs in the 
    Disneyana file, feel free to delete this note so that we can maintain
    the Mouska-status quo. But, IMHO, I think a lot of noters would prefer
    to find a more detailed Universal file in here.
    
    				ROBESPIERRE
    	

    Since it was a mod who started this note I don't think there's a
    problem with it here.
    
    I cannot say much about Universal Studios because when I went in July
    almost everything was either down or went down while I was there. 
    
    From what I recall I'd say that the park can be done in 1 day if you
    have patience and get there early. Obviously if you want to go on an
    attraction more than once you may find a need to go back a second time.
    
    We ate at the Hard Rock Cafe so I cannot comment on the other places.
    
    The Hanna-Barbera post-attraction area is pretty good. We enjoyed that.
    we did not go into the attraction.
    
    The Murder She Wrote Post Production attraction is
    enjoyable...especially the last room.
    
    The Phantom of the Opera Makeup Show was disappointing. I think they
    should change it...not as entertaining as I would have thought.
    
    I can't say much more. Because 5 attractions were down the day we were
    there the lines were prohibitively long. We were told 90 minutes wait
    time for most so we left there around 2:30...we spent a total of 4-5
    hours there and were very disappointed. We weren't the only ones who
    were bumed out. The parking lot was at about 60% and that's being very     
    generous.
    
    Crowd control, atmosphere, creativity, reliability....all these areas
    need improovement. Like anything else it has kinks in it and it will
    take a year before they get their act together.
    
    Eisner shouldn't worry about the competition.
    
    Mike

    Well, at SIGGRAPH this past summer, one of the entries in the Film and
    Video Show was the film from the Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera
    attraction.  The basic idea is that Elroy Jetson has been kidnapped by
    Dick Dastardly and Muttley and your pilots, Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo are
    in hot pursuit.  You fly back in time to Bedrock, home of the
    Flintstones, and then back to the future (pun intended) to the home of
    the Jetsons.  Seeing as the auditorium didn't move side to side and all
    around, some of the effect of the film was lost, but it had a lot of
    neat computer graphics and real character animation (well, as real as
    H-B gets...).  I can't really compare it to Star Tours or Body Wars,
    but it's probably pretty decent...
    
    - Skip

    Rep to <<< Note 178.67 by AKOV11::HILL >>>

>    	NOTE TO ALL YOU MODERATORS : I realize that this technically is
>    deviating from the Disneyana nature of this note file, but -- let's
>    face facts, folks -- Universal Studios Florida is the first serious
>    competition Walt Disney World has ever had in the Orlando area. 

    Robespierre,
    
    As Mike pointed out,  one  of  the Mod's started this note, let me just
    say that it wasn't Mike or me though ;^). 
    
    A little history lesson. 
    
    In the COMCAD::HOL-TRAV.V1 file  (Holiday_travel version 1 file), which
    was created on 19-FEB-88, it  didn't  take  long for someone to enter a
    topic  on  WDW,  which  was  topic  #6 enter by Dave FSBIC1::DCOHEN  on
    22-FEB-1988.   
    
    Well about a year later and some  200+  replies  (of  which  some  were
    rather lengthy ones, of which yours truely entered  some  of  them), up
    comes along reply 207 enter by Tom BUSY::BUTLER sugessting that maybe a
    notesfile  dedicated  to Disneyana should be created, since topic 6  at
    the time  was  the  busiest  topic in the file, only to be chalenged by
    topic # 18 "Hawaii for honeymooners?" with some 150+ replies go figure?
    ;^)
    
    Well  on  23-FEB-1989  up  comes  along  Len in reply .225 anouncing the
    INDMKT::DISNEY  file  (Would  of be me if I'd of had a RD54 instead  of
    this measly little RD53 on my GPX ;^().
    
    When the file  was  finaly  closed  down,  Topic  #6 had a total of 239
    replies.
    
    So  I  guess  what  I'm  getting  at,  is  I  don't mind if you discuss
    Universal  here,  but  if  it  ever gets to 200+ replies maybe I ask if
    maybe we should create a notefile just for Universal studios. ;^)
    
    Claude_with_his_moderator_hat_on_backwards_;^)
    

    One thing I wanted to ask of those who've been to the new Universal
    park is:  are there any stunt shows??  I haven't seen anything 
    mentioned in any articles, but the stunt shows are quite prominent in
    the California park and extremely well done.  Last time I was out to
    California, they had three:  a Miami Vice show, a Conan show, and a
    Western show.  What does the Florida park have, if anything??
    
    - Skip

    We were at Disney World late July.  While walking around market
    square we happened to be talking to one of the store clerks.  She
    mentioned that Disney had sent some of their Imagineers over to
    Universal to help iron out some of the bugs in Kong, Jaws and
    Earthquake which were down when we were there.  She also mentioned
    that Kong's arm just "fell off" one day so they were having BIG
    problems.
    
    Disney doesn't view them as straight head on competition so why
    not help.  It has a more global meaning though, as no one down there
    wants anything bad said about Orlando and surounding areas.
    
    One of our kids is an ET fan so we went through that ride twice,
    first thing in the morning before the crowd got there.  Later the line
    up was an hour plus.  The forest was kinda neat.
    
    dmm

    For you  future  WDW  guest.   I just heard from one of the folks in my
    group, that has returned from FL.,  that Universal is no longer handing
    out free passes for a future visit.  They now are claiming all the open
    rides are up and running and there is  no  longer  and  need to provide
    free passes to disgrunted visitors.
    
    Only time will tell.
    
    Claude

    This may not be the place to ask this but here goes. In January I am
    taking my familly (two adults and two teen age girls) to Disneyland.
    Not an inexpensive exercise from Australia, I might add. We have booked
    through the MKC for four nights in the Disneyland Hotel. One of the
    tour options we want to do is the Universal Studios tour in L.A. Can
    anyone give me an update of what is and what is not operating after the
    recent fire. What is the prognosis for January? Thanks in advance.
    
    John Bolton

    re: .74 (effect of the fire)
    
    Well, judging from the fact that the studio tour was up and running the
    day after the fire, the prognosis looks good.  But the fire did destroy
    20-25% of the backlot (and came dangerously close to the master vault
    where Universal stores the master prints of many of its films).  Most
    notably, the New York Street set (used for films like "Dick Tracy" and
    "The Sting") is pretty much gone, along with much of the town square
    set used in the "Back to the Future" films.  Also, the King Kong
    attraction which was part of the actual tour suffered some damage and 
    is closed for repairs.
    
    There's still a lot to see at the Studios which was not affected by the
    fire and I imagine that by January, Universal will have everything back
    in order and will be re-building the damaged sets.  But it'd probably
    be a good idea to call and find out what's up and running (or use your
    travel agent to get that info).
    
    Now, the obligatory (:-)) Disney news:  I heard that Sylvester Stallone
    was filming his new film at the Universal lot and had left the studio
    only a short time before the fire started.  Well, the fire destroyed
    the set he was using and he has moved the production to the Disney/MGM
    Studios in Florida.  If true, my guess is that he needed a New York
    Street and didn't want to go to New York to find one...
    
    - Skip

    I hear that Matsushita Industries (parent of Technics and 
    Panasonic) has bought Universal. There aren't many of the 
    'American' movie companies still owned by Americans now, are 
    there? Still, perhaps they will inject some extra capital, and get 
    the Orlando Universal attractions running reliably. 
    
    Seems strange though, considering that so many of Universal's old 
    movies are about the Japanese getting defeated in WWII. Just shows 
    that there is no room for emotion in business!
    
    Mike in Warrington, UK.

    I have just returned from Florida, went to Universal Studios, and
    everything is indeed open. The rides were very good, especially
    the earthquake one. The Back to the Future ride is opening in 91.
    The only thing that was missing was the JAWS ride. In fact, they
    never mention it at all. I know that they orginally had planned
    for one, as I have an old brochure, but there are no signs of it
    as you walk through Amity Square. 
    
    Jeannie
    

    I'm going back to Florida in November so hopefully EVERYTHING will
    be working okay.  There are certainly seems to be more things there 
    than I imagined.  Hopefully Back to the Future will be ready in
    time.
    
    One question - I have never been to a Hard Rock Cafe.  Do you need
    to book up.  Is the one in Orlando in the Universal Park or elsewhere?
    
    Anyone got current prices on entrance fees.
    
    
    Rocky (claire

    Rocky,
    
    We went right in...no admission. Have your hearing tested immediately
    upon exiting the place.
    
    What will always amaze me is the line of people waiting to buy shirts.
    
    The one in Orlando is accessible through Universal or outside.
    
    Mike

When I was doing the Disney/Orlando thing in November, the advertised opening
for Back To The Future was either Spring or Summer 1991.  All in all I thought
that Universal will be something to see in a few years when there's more to see.
I didn't feel that I had gotten $30 worth entertainment.  Maybe my judgement 
was jaded having spent the previous 5 days in the Disney environment.

Hard Rock was an absolute zoo.  It was so packed that you couldn't harldy move
(real smelly from cigarette smoke too) so we left.

Mark

    
      Can any recent Universal visitors comment on the condition of the
    rides. I have heard from some people that there are still major 
    problems with frequent breakdowns during the day. If this is really
    the case, I may wait another year or two to give this park a try.
    Another Disney day is not a bad idea!!!!
    
    
                                      -Rob
    

    
    re: .81     -< Are all rides running??? >-
    
    I went to Universal Studios for the first time a couple of weeks ago. 
    Everything that was supposed to be open was open.  There was a problem
    with the Earthquake ride and it was closed down for a couple of hours,
    but was reopened in the afternoon.  
    
    All in all, I thought the attractions were very good, but the Universal
    people have a long way to go in dealing with guests.  While we were
    waiting to enter the E.T. attraction, there was a boy in a wheel chair
    behind us.  The attendant made it very clear that the family had to get
    the boy onto the bikes, off the bikes, and they (the family) were
    entirely responsible for anything that might happen.  The father was
    not pleased with this, and rather loudly made an unflattering (and
    true) comparison to WDW.
    
    They had a big sign in front of the BACK TO THE FUTURE ride, counting
    down the hours until it opened (it was in the 2600s then).  As we
    walked by at about 5 pm, we noticed that there were some people in the
    building, so we went over to check it out.  It seems they were doing
    some sort of technical testing of the ride - basically they were
    letting people go on it to work out any bugs.  So we got in line, and
    ended up going for two rides, but it took a long time because they have
    a lot of bugs to work out.  
    
    My impression of the ride:  when it officially opens, RUN - DON'T WALK
    - to get in line for this ride because the lines will be huge.  It
    immediately became my favorite ride in the Orlando area.  As my son
    said, it was awesome.
    
    Regards,
    --Jay
    
    

    Jay,
    
    So tell us about the Back to the Future ride.
    
    Mike

    
    The Back to the Future ride is a simulation ride.  The premise is that
    you are volunteering to test the new 8-passenger, convertible time
    machine.  But, while you are waiting in line, you find out that the
    test area has been invaded by the teen-aged Biff Tannen (who has
    evidently stowed away on a previous trip to 1955).  Security's attempts
    to capture him prove futile.  When your turn comes, your group of 8 is
    brought into a room for final preparation (at this time, many other
    groups from other queues are getting the same preparation).  But during
    this debriefing, Biff breaks in, locks up Doc Brown, and steals the
    original DeLorean.  The only recourse Doc Brown has is to send us after
    Biff.
    
    At this point, the doors open and we can enter the car.  When everyone
    is set (and presumably everyone is set in the other cars), the car is
    lifted up to another level.  At this level, there is a panoramic
    screen, almost 180 degrees on the horizontal and 90 degrees on the
    vertical.  All the other cars are likewise getting the same show.  Once
    the chase starts, the effects on this huge screen are breathtaking and
    you are completely enveloped by the chase.
    
    If you start to get motion sickness, they advise you to look at the
    small screen in your vehicle.  This shows Doc Brown who is giving you
    advice during the chase.  But I was only peripherally aware of this as
    I was caught up in the chase.
    
    Unfortunately, Biff is a wimp, and we catch him much too soon.  But it
    was long enough for me to fall in love with this ride.  I think it is
    the best ever.
    
    --Jay
    

    
    	Well, it's official ! The " Back to the Future " simulator
    attraction has completed its testing period and will be open to
    the public on Thursday, May 2. Folks visiting Orlando at this time
    might want to make of visiting Universal Studios Florida on this date,
    'cause Universal's planning a major shin-dig to open the attraction.
    Both Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd will be on hand for the 
    ribbon cutting. Sounds like a pretty fun time to be at the park.

    I'm glad I was down there during the testing period - actually
    Technical Rehearsal was what they were calling it.  It is an awesome
    ride!
    
    Suzanne

    re:   <<< Note 178.86 by PHONE::POIRIER "Disney Bound" >>>
    
    >>It is an awesome ride!
    
    Amen!!!!
    
    --Jay
    

    We are leaving for WDW, etc. in a couple of weeks and my son
    really wants to go to Universal Studios -- he thinks that there
    is a STAR TREK: The next Generation Exhibit that he can ride on, etc.
    
    Since we will be on a very tight schedule, I wonder if it is worth 
    it for us to spend one of our days at Universal.
    
    Any advice?
    
    Ann

    It's a great park - definitely worth a one day visit.  There
    is no Star Trek ride, however, there is a place where you can actually
    get on to a video tape with Star Trek the next generation.  They take
    film of you and friends and place it on to a video tape with scenes
    from the show.  Sounds good but it costs extra money - 29.95 rings a
    bell.

    
    	Can anyone tell me what is the admission price for kids and
    	adults are to enter UNIVERSAL Studio in Florida? Also are all
    	the rides open or just a few?
    
    	Thanks in advance!
    
    	Manny 

    You can expect the 1-day adult passes to be around $30 and the kids
    (under 12?) to be about $20-25.
    
    Someone who has just returned from US would be the best resource for
    the actual price and what was operating.
    
    Mike

  Whatever the price, you get 10% off with your DEC discount card. Universal 
  appear to be a little more generous than Disney.
  
  Robin from Warrington

    15% discount with your Universal Studios Fan Club Card....get one at
    your local PAC Center.
    
    Mike

	I went to Universal Studios Florida last Tuesday.  I arrived early 
    	in the morning because I wanted to do the main attractions first 
	to avoid long lines.  I did Back to the Future first and must 
	warn you that this is a very rough ride. The seats are not 
	padded and there is no support for your neck so you experience 
	a wip lash effect on your neck when the vehicle starts jerking.   
	Ghostbusters, E.T., World of Animation, and the Ninja Turtles 
	street presentation were all very good.  I was a bit disappointed
	to find that Kongfrontation was closed (crew was repairing his
	arm).   Jaws is still closed and no clue as to when it will
	reopen.  

	For lunch we went to the Studio Stars Gourmet Restaurant;  
	the food was exceptionally good. 

	I'd like to mentioned an incident that happened while we were
	waiting in line for Alfred Hitchcock-The Art of Making Movies.
	The girl that was just before me in line fainted and it took
	about 15 minutes before a health aid person came to assist her.
	I was surprised at the slow response to an emergency situation.
	

	Michelle

    Wait a minute...the Ninja Turtles were at Universal?
    
    Mike

    Mike, you got me thinking.  I remember seeing the Turtles right after
    stepping off the ride that took us to the Canyon.  Oops, I think it
    was MGM.  Sorry folks, that was in MGM.
    
    Michelle
    

    Has anybody been to Universal Studios lately?  Is everything
    operational now?  Is it worth going there?
    
    Vinzenz [38 days and counting........]
    

    I read in my AAA newletter that if you purchase your Universal Tickets
    at the AAA office you get them at the rate before they upped there
    prices.  I don't have the pricing with me but it was a good discount.
    Does anyone know where the Worcester AAA office is located (Mountain
    Street)  I have no idea how to get there.
    
    Pat
    

    We had a couple of days there during our vacation (Weds 3rd and 
    Tues 9th July to be exact). It's worth going, although it's not 
    Disney by any means. Jaws seems to have been shelved until '92 
    because of mechanical difficulties (although we couldn't get a 
    straight answer from the 'cast members'. They're nowhere near as 
    polite or well briefed as Disney people.), but everything else is 
    running - sort of. During our time in the park, ET, Back to the 
    Future and Kongfrontation all broke down for some considerable 
    time, although not while we were riding them. My personal opinion 
    is that it's 'closer to the edge' than MGM, appealing more to the 
    'white knuckle' brigade. Back to the Future is quite extreme for a 
    simulator, very sudden and violent, although it blends well with 
    the film. Kongfrontation frightened my 8yr old daughter, although 
    she handled Earthquake no problems. 
    	    Use the usual tactics, get there at opening time, target 
    the popular attractions first, and then drift through the others 
    as lines allow. It was heaving by 11:00 both days. By that time, 
    the Hanna-Barbera ride had lines of 1-1.5 hours most of it around 
    the building in baking sun. It's worth a half hour line, but not 
    much more. Universal is also now included on the itinerary of the 
    Brazilian Tour Parties, so when they target an attraction the 
    lines grow very rapidly. I'd been trying to figure out what they 
    reminded me of, but I only realised it as I saw them heading down 
    the street for the Beetlejuice/Ghostbusters show. It's like 
    soldier ants on the march, nothing stands in their way, and they 
    leave everything picked clean behind them!
    
    	    I did enjoy it, there are some nice touches like ET using 
    your name at the end of the ride, but I couldn't help thinking how 
    much better Disney could have done it given the raw material.
    
    Mike in Warrington.

RE  178.93 

 >  15% discount with your Universal Studios Fan Club Card....get one at
 >  your local PAC Center.
 >
 >  Mike

Hmm the back of my Universal Studios Fan Club card says 10%....

Any one have any new word about the AAA discounts? I called my
AAA office and they said they only offer Passes to Universal Studios
as part of a package deal.

Todd///

    Went to Universal Studios last week.  They had a sign in ticket window
    that said discount given for AAA members and ARP members.  I asked how
    much discount I would have gotten if I had remembered to bring my card.
    
    I was given 10% discount without showing proof of membership.
    
    Alice
    
    p.s. I was on a business trip in Orlando so only had time on one day 
         from 3:00 to close but really enjoyed it.

Article: 4252
From: [email protected] (Tony Pelham)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.disney
Subject: Universal Studios Review
Date: 14 Oct 91 16:46:10 GMT
Sender: [email protected] (USENET News System)
Organization: GE Simulation & Control Systems
 
 
I just recently visited Universal Studios theme park in Florida
with my family. I thought it would be helpful to give a review
for those who might be considering visiting Universal while
coming to WDW.
 
GENERAL
 
This is the off-season here, we got $9.00 off each ticket for
Florida resident season. Still, it was more crowded than I had
expected. Wait times for most attractions were 20-40 minutes,
more than we experience at WDW attractions in the offseason.
 
 
The following are my reviews of each of the major attractions
 
 
BACK TO THE FUTURE
 
Excellent. A simulator ride with dome-type wide-screen display.
Much more exciting than Star-Tours at MGM. Very rough ride, in
fact I started to get slightly nauseous after several minutes of
the 4.5 minute ride. Don't go after eating! 46" minimum height
restriction.
 
KONGFRONTATION
 
Fair. A big disappointment. Two large animated Kongs are
encountered (not a the same time), one for the right side of the
"cable" car, one for the left. The advertisements are misleading
as the cable cars do not ride on cables and Kong does not grab
the cables as shown in brochures.
 
 
ET.
 
Good. Kids liked this one. You ride in a  gondala type contraption
that vaguely resembles  a group of bicycles and a jeep. This is
similar to Peter Pan type fly through at the Magic Kingdom. A
yawner for older kids and adults.
 
 
JAWS
 
Closed due to technical problems. Open in 93?
 
EARTHQUAKE
 
Closed for repairs.
 
WILD WEST STUNT SHOW
 
Very Good. Good stunts and enjoyable show. Not as good in my
opinion as Indiana Jones Stunt Show. Technical problems
cancelled one of the shows.
 
 
ANIMAL ACTORS
 
Good. Brief show featuring Lassie, Benjie, and orangutan and
birds. Part of this was malfunctioning when we went.
 
 
HANNA_BARBERA THEATRE
 
Good. A simulator based romp through a Jetson, Flintstone and
Scooby-Doo wide screen cartoon. Much like a tamer version of
Back to the Future. Small children will prefer this.
 
MURDER SHE WROTE MYSTERY THEATRE
 
Fair. A three part production where ostensibly the basics of
post-production are explained with an example from Murder She
Wrote TV Show. This felt rushed and was too complicated too pull
off successfully. The middle portion added sound effects like
MGM Monster Sound Show, but not as well.
 
ALFRED HITCHCOCK 
 
Good. Three part with first part showing clips (some 3D) of
Hitchcock films, second showing how Psycho shower scene was
created (with one audience volunteer). Third part shows some
effects from famous movies and how they were accomplished
 
NICKELODEON STAGE TOUR
 
Did not have time to visit.
 
BACKSTAGE PRODUCTION TOUR
 
Fair. A very short tram ride that  did not go inside any of 
the soundstages.
 
GHOSTBUSTERS
 
Did not visit
 
DYNAMITE NIGHT STUNT
 
Fair. This is the finale for the evening. Consists of three segments,
boat chances, simulated gunfire and two massive explosions. The
actual show is fairly short. The buildup takes ~15minutes.
 
 
 
OVERALL
 
Universal Studios currently offers more attractions than MGM, but
seems to still have some operational problems, even after 1-1/2
years of operation. Air conditioning was out at several
attractions, and problems were encountered at three others, in
addition to Earthquake and Jaws being out of commission. 
 
I would think twice about coming in the peak season, since I can
envision longer waits and more breakdowns. 
 
 
 
Tony
--
Anthony J. Pelham <[email protected]>    General Electric Company
UUCP:   ...!mcnc!sunny.dab.ge.com!pelham        1800 Volusia Ave, Rm 1509
Voice:  +1 904 239 2647                     Daytona Beach, FL 32015
Mail:  Rm 1509, GE SCSD, Box 2825, Daytona Beach FL 32115-2825 USA

        
    
       Just got back, and kids 12 and under are free untill Dec 22, 1991.
     If you travel US air you also get a discount.
    
       The park is great, everything was working when I was there.
    Back to the future, Earthquake, Kong, ET. were great, Kong
    does actually hit your cable car. Even Nickleodean was fun
    they had the parents againts the kids. The Ghostbuster/Beattle
    Juice show was good, the inside show was a little disappointing.
    
      Overall I thought it was much better than MGM Studios. We
    went to Universal first and MGM the following day and I was
    disapointed, the only thing I liked was the Muppet 3d show
    which was really good. MGM seems geared for small children,
    where as Universal has more for everyone.
    
    
      
    
      

    
    there have been no updates on Universal Studios for awhile...
    
    anyone have a status on rides open and so forth?  some of the 
    previous notes mentioned JAWS was down until '93 sometime...
    
    We are going the first part of April and I'm curious what to expect
    to be closed, and what the crowd will be like....
    
    --Bert

    Note .104 made me remember that I had never posted comments 
    about Universal from our trip in December. 
    
    We went on the Monday before Christmas. Like everywhere in 
    Orlando at that time, the park was packed. We arrived shortly 
    after 9:00AM just after the gates opened, and there was still 
    quite a crowd ahead of us. 
    
    Universal tries to make the street scenes look like real places, 
    and I think they do a great job. San Francisco looked like SF, 
    NY like NY, Martha's Vineyard like its counterpart. It's a 
    little more fun than the generic streets at MGM.
    
    First stop was Back to the Future. The wait was about 20 minutes. 
    The various movies shown on the screen in the waiting area 
    got us right into the story. We were in a front row car, so
    couldn't see any other vehicles. I thought it was the best
    ride I had ever been on, much better and wilder than Star
    Tours. 
    
    Next stop was ET. Unless you have young children who insist 
    they must go on this ride, skip it. It isn't worth the
    wait. The difference between Disney's crowd-handling and
    Universal's was evident on this ride: Each vehicle, whether
    a space ship or a group of bicycles, held aobut 11 people. 
    The staff was not getting people ready to load, so 
    vehicles were leaving with only 2 or 3 people on board!
    This when the line to ride was 45 minutes long!
    
    Next stop was Earthquake. The demonstration of the use
    of blue backgrounds, superimposing, and miniatures 
    was OK. The ride, althought brief, was very realistic. 
    Flames shot through the broken pavement, water flowed
    down the staircase; I could understand why young 
    children were frightened. 
    
    Next we tried to go on the King Kong ride, but the line
    was 1.5 hours long. We decided we didn't need to see
    the big ape quite that bad, so continued on to lunch
    at the Hard Rock Cafe. 
    
    The food at the Hard Rock was only OK, nothing special
    and priced on the high side. We didn't get to see much
    of the inside of the restaurant because our table was 
    just inside the door. 
    
    After lunch we tried some of the Photo Set-ups (man with 
    shark, man with space shuttle). None of them came out. 
    We walked around a lot. All of the lines were too 
    long. We went back to the hotel to get ready for the
    HDD that night. 
    
    We will go back another time to do the things we missed, 
    but will definitely pick a different time of year to do
    so. 
    
    Linda

    I was at Universal the week following thanksgiving. Crowds were
    on the light side. My friend Jeff and I walked into the King Kong ride,
    waited about 25 minutes for the Back to the Future Ride and ET ride,
    and we waited about 15 minutes for the Earthquake ride. We did just
    abouteverything in the park, as well as going back to do both
    Earthquake King Kong twice.
    
    The second time we rode the King Kong ride a part of the ride
    was inoperational. (I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't
    seen it). I agree with the previous comments about ET. Poor crowd
    management kept the lines longer than they should have been.
    
    I really enjoyed the Murder SHe Wrote tv production tour.
    
    Jaws is suppose to come in the spring time frame I hear.
    
    Tickets to Universal were 25.00$us from the Worcester AAA
    office. Boston AAA doenst carry the tickets.
    
    Todd///

Florida AAA offices carry Universal Studios tickets.  They were quite happy
to give me the discounted price based on my Massachusetts AAA card.  The
$25/adult price is the best I've seen, certainly better than the discount
with the Universal Studios Club card from Employee Activities.

I was able to get my tickets at the AAA in Pompano Beach, but I'm sure there
must be a AAA in Orlando that stocks the tickets.

I'll also make it a point to check out the Nashua AAA offices.

By the way, since the two-day passes are about $50, you don't save anything
if you're planning on spending two days at Universal.  I don't know how
much it costs to upgrade to a two day from a one day (probably $25).

   Gary

    Those of us who sufferred through the Spring and Summer Universal
    Studios fiasco in 1990 will be more than happy to use our free passes
    that were passed out that year.
    
    Mike

    I saw a blurb in the paper the other day that Universal Studios
    (Orlando) is adding four new attractions this Spring/Summer.  Most of
    the new additions appear to be stage shows.
    
    There will be a Beetlejuice Rock 'n' Roll Grave Revue, a Rocky and
    Bullwinkle show, another show which I can't remember (grrrr), and a
    play area based on "Fievel Goes West" offering a mouse-eye view of the
    Wild West.  I believe all but "Fievel" will debut this Spring; he'll
    arrive in July.
    
    Interesting that US will have Rocky and Bullwinkle while Disney owns
    the rights for the video releases...
    
    - Skip

    The show I couldn't remember isn't really a show at all.  It's called
    "Lucy: A Tribute" and is a display of memorabilia and clips.
    
    Hmmm, which would you rather do??  Go to US and see a bunch of Lucy's
    stuff that has been gathering dust in someone's attic for years or go
    to Disney-MGM and "star" alongside Lucy in one of her most famous
    sketches??  :-)
    
    - Skip

    
      Well,
    
          I went to Universal for the first time last thursday.  I was
    pretty happy with the park in general.  ET was not operating but,
    Back to the Future, Earthquake, and Kongfrontation were all running.
    We did Kongfrontation first,  it was pretty good but I guess I expected
    more because I was a little let down.  Next was Earthquake, I was
    really very impressed with this attraction.  The effects here are much
    better than C-Canyon at MGM, IMO.  Back to the Future was next, (Hint
    be sure to sit in the front of the Delorean, if you sit in the back
    your view is partially blocked).  I thought that the preshow here was
    great!  The ride I did not quite enjoy as much.  Since the car is open 
    I did not get the feeling of motion like I do in an enclosed space,
    like Star Tours.  It does have some pretty violent starts and stops but
    my vote goes with Star Tours on this one.
    We watched a boat chase show on the lagoon then went over to the
    Hitchcock art of making movies attraction.  This was very well done and
    really enjoyable.  From there we went to the Animal actors show which is
    also very good but, very short.  From there we went to see the Make Up
    show which was good as well.  We wandered around the streets for the
    rest of the day, did some shopping, had our picture taken with Fred and
    Barney.  The streets are very well done, there are excellent photo opp-
    ortunities here.  Crowds were pretty heavy most of the day, we started 
    at the rear and worked forward not waiting in significant lines until
    11:00.  I was happy with what Universal had to offer, I found the 
    employees to be very friendly and outgoing, which is something Disney
    needs to get back to.  I will certainly go back the next time I am
    in the area.
    
                            -Rob
     

    Rob,
    
    	Did you see mostly families with older kids or not?  I was planning
    on NOT going to Universal this time around but the kids are asking and
    the wife is begging.... the kids ages are (9,7,5,2).  
    	Will they enjoy it or will I just blow $100+ on admission to just
    have them have a terrible day?
    
    Thanks,
    
    Tony
    

    Tony,
    
       It is hard for me to say exactly if your family would enjoy the
    park or not.  I don't believe there is much that a 2 year old would
    enjoy except the Hanna-Barberra stuff.  They do have the Nickelodeon
    production studios which might be good for the kids.  King Kong is good
    if you want to baby-swap the 2 year old,  the same goes for earthquake 
    and Back to the future.  The animal actors show appeals to just about
    everybody.  There is a western theme stunt show throughout the day.
    The kids might not enjoy the Hitchcock of Murder she wrote stuff but ,
    would probably go for the Ghostbusters show. 
    I honestly don't know if I still have the guide book or not
    but if I do I could sent you a copy.
    
    
                              -Rob
    
    

    Can anyone comment on the nightime fireworks/explosion show at
    Universal Studios? Is it worth staying for? Would you opt for the shows
    at EC, MGM, or TMK instead?
    
    Thanks,
    
    Mike

    
    	Yeah, I've seen the Lagoon Stunt Show a couple of times and it's
    worth seeing at least once. Mind you, don't go over to Universal late
    some afternoon and pay admission to get into the park * JUST * to catch
    this show. From beginning to end, it's barely 15 minutes long. The
    show's hardly worth making a special trip over to the place for.
    	But -- if you're already planning on spending a day at Universal
    Studios Florida -- the Lagoon Stunt Show will make a nice camp for your
    day. Spend your morning and afternoon checking out the various
    attractions around the park, then stroll up the Hard Rock Cafe for 
    dinner. Try to time things so that you'll be finishing dinner about
    half an hour - 15 minutes before the stunt show gets underway.
    	Truth be told, there's no bad spot for viewing the show. The boats
    and planes run up and down the length of the lagoon several times, so
    -- wherever you're standing -- you're guaranteed to catch some of the
    action. However -- if you're really impressed by pyrotechnics ( And
    -- more importantly -- aren't frightened by loud noises ) -- try and
    keep the big fishing trawler in the center of your field of vision.
    It gets truly impressive when that puppy blows !
    	If you're looking for a dramatic way to end your day at Universal,
    the Lagoon Stunt Show is okay. It's not nearly as memorable as the
    fireworks or " SpectroMagic " parade at WDW's Magic Kingdom,
    Disney/MGM's " Sorcery in the Skies " or EPCOT's " Illuminations, "
    but -- if you're still over at Universal as the park starts to close
    -- it's still worth a look-see.  

    Has anyone visited US in 1990 and in 1991 or 1992?
    
    There were many problems back in 1990 and it turned a lot of people
    off.
    
    Have things gotten better since the Spring and Summer months of 1990?
    
    Mike_who_is_going_anyway

    Mike,
    
          I was at Universal in March of this year, one ride (ET) was not
        working.  Everything else was running, I did not hear of anything
        breaking down during the day either.
    
    
                                  -Rob
    
    

    Thanks Rob.
    
    I'm wondering what has changed and improoved over the last two years.
    One of the problems I noticed in 1990 was that the queuing areas
    weren't always shaded. Plus, there weren't as many
    "streetmosphere-type" things going on to offset some lines.
    
    On the day that I went Kongfrontation, Ghostbusters, Earthquake, and
    Alfred Hitchcock was on the blink. Et's line was long enough to read
    "War and Peace" while waiting, and of course Jaws wasn't working. My
    wife is really not too keen on returning. Luckily I have free passes so
    cost is not an issue but time is.
    
    Mike

    We were there the first week of April and still no ET.  Other than
    that, everything else was great.  We went on a Sunday morning and the
    lines were very small.  One hint - if you go on a Sunday do either
    Earthquake or Kongfrontation first - they seem to have the longest
    lines (especially Kongfrontation).
    
    We were there on a slightly overcast day, so I guess I didn't notice
    the queing areas - I think most of them are under a building overhang.
    
    Nick studios didn't open until 10:00 even though the park opened at
    9:00.
    
    Have fun
    -sandy
    

    I was there early January, and there was no ET then either.  The rest
    of it was OK.  Reminded me of why I never stopped to go in to the one
    in LA, even though I had to drive past it to go home every day (back
    before we moved LQO).
    
    I was especially disappointed in Earthquake.  Nice effect, but nothing
    like the real thing.
    
    tom
    (CA native)

    We went the Friday the employees voted down a union. 
    Earthquake, Kongfrontation, and ET had 1+ hr lines before they
    went down. My brother was on Earthquake went it broke, and they
    gave him a ticket to the front of any other line.  The lines to
    working rides got much longer about 3pm. I don't know if it was
    because of ride breaking or the high-school across the street
    let out. Complaining at the Customer services window as we were
    leaving resulted in free tickets for everyone. A followup letter
    arrived about a week later. We returned the next day and
    everything was working and the lines were much shorter,
    averaging 20-40 minutes compared to the 60+ the previous day.
    The free tickets saved US. Based on friday it was a pass, but
    sat proved that it was worth spending the day.
    (doing BttF twice in 10 minutes near closing helped.)
    
    BTW, ET is "it's a small alien world", not a thrill ride.
         Earthquake is better than catastrophe canyon.
         Kongfrontation is a waste of time, neither interesting nor thrilling.
         Back to the Future is the simulator ride benchmark. 
              (leaves BW && ST in the dust.)

    
    We did US April 13, everything was working, nothing was down all
    day.  Being the week before Easter Sunday, the crowd was massive
    starting around 10:30am, and yet they were only open from 8am - 7pm.  
    Stated opening time was 8am, but it was already letting people in at 
    7:40 when we arrived.
    
    DEFINITELY do the big rides in the first hours of park opening...
    then relax and plan a show schedule for the rest of the day.
    
    Eat at the Hard Rock off the normal schedule (after noon, after 7pm)
    if you want to avoid a huge time delay. Mel's diner is OK, but it's
    really just a cool setting for a fast food burger counter, but we liked
    it for a quick lunch.
    
      
    Avoid the Ghostbusters show (the only one I thought was a waste
    of time)....don't wait in a massive line for kongfrontation, it's
    definitely not worth it.
    
    All thumbs up for ET, Hanna Barbera, Earthquake, and Back to the
    Future!
    
    I don't really do too much comparison of MGM and US because I feel
    that while US is technically very slick, and the sets and lots are
    meticulous, MGM has the old 'classic' 50's movie feel that I also
    like.......I like both and would do both on any trip, but I'm also
    a HUGE movie fan.
    
    --Bert  

    I, too, thought they were both (MGM US) is a class of their own.  MGM
    is very movie-ish while US is very attraction-ish.  Both got high marks
    from our family.  MGM has the TMNT live and that was the highlight of
    our whole trip!
    
    -sandy
    

    OK you BTTF Freaks, can anyone answer this question with any certainty?
    
    If the  Screen  your  watching  one  large one for all the simulator to
    watch on the  various  levels  of  teh  BTTF  ride  or is there a small
    individual one for each car?
    
    The reason I ask was based on .84 your led to believe it's one big one,
    and that all the  car's  run at the same time, but the impression I had
    while riding it was one  small one for each car.  
    
    Let me clarify this I was seated in the right front seat, tried to look
    over the edge of the garage  roof on my side and saw nothing, just dark
    space.  Yet the Screen appeared small  and  centered to us.  We were on
    the top level of the building second stageing  room  to  the left (they
    way they were staging us, it appeared they have 6 room to a level).  If
    it was 1 large screen then they are doing something  to  clear  up  any
    distortion and make it look like your facing it square on.   I say this
    because when I did the I-Max over at KSC we were on the left side and I
    did notice  a  slight  distortion while viewing the screen, you'll also
    notice this effect  I'm  talking  about  while doing the 2 Imax screens
    over at Horizons in Epcot.
    
    Claude

    I'll try to find the article that I cut out of a newspaper about 9-10
    months ago. It said that there is only one large screen, and the cars
    are on different levels to give clear viewing for the cars further
    back. The article had a picture taken from the front right side of the
    attraction, showing rows of cars all facing the same screen.
    
    Linda

    There are 24 "cars", 3 rows of 8, each sitting 8 people. (192 people/cycle)
    The screen is one large omnimax type of screen, with the screen curved
    both horizontally and vertically. The rows of cars are also curved. 
    You are unlikely to notice any of the other cars unless you are 
    outside front-seat, lower level and turn very far to see the room.

    There is definitely only one screen.  When we went last summer we went
    on 3 times.  I remember looking out once the cars get raised, and I
    could see all of the cars dipping and dodging in unison.

    Also, I remember the ride to be very different than Claude.  I recall
    the screen being large (not small as he recalls).  To me, the screen
    looked to be similar to an IMAX or Omnimax type of screen.  Nice ride.

    Sorry, Claude!
    
    	    I'm with the majority here! It's definately one large 
    screen. I'm not sure I'd have noticed any distortion, my eyeballs 
    were having difficulty focusing with the violent movements and the 
    speed of the film!
    
    	    The second time we did it, we were bottom car extreme 
    right, and I was watching the other cars at the point where you 
    are heading for the molten lava. It's almost as impressive as the 
    film, seeing all the cars making a violent nose-dive in 
    formation!!
    
    Mike B. Who_might_check_it_out_again_in_only_52_days!!

    Ok I give,
    
    But like I said I only did BTTF once, first thing, and went we got off,
    the line was  already  long that day, so we went elsewhere in the park.
    Since I was on the lop level 2nd  car  from the left, was seated in the
    front row right most seat, I did try to  look over the front and to the
    side and didn't see any of the other cars. 
    
    I  also  didn't notice any distortions of the screen like  I  would  of
    expected.    (Check  out  the  2  Horizons screens in Epcot, play close
    attention to  screen  distortions  as  you travel from side to side and
    you'll see what I mean)
    
    Claude

	Has anyone been to U.S. recently. I may spend 1 day there on my up-
coming trip to WDW.

	Is 1 day enough?  Is Nickelodean worth the time for the kids (10-14)
to go see?

	Any recent info appreciated.

	Jim M.

    Jim,
    
    It would be a long day. My suggestion is to get a two-day pass and plan
    on spending 6-8 hours in the park both days. By doing this you are
    giving yourself two mornings to see some attractions before the lines
    grow. ALso, this gives you the opportunity to use your afternoons for
    strolling around the park.
    
    Remember, either way ya gotta do BTTF and E.T. first thing on one of
    those mornings.
    
    Mike

    My family found one day to be plenty.
    
    Of course, ET was closed, and we skipped the Stunt Show, and we live 15
    miles away from Universal Studios California...

We did it in a day last year.

The park opened before the scheduled time.

We missed the Hitchcock thing - too long a wait.

ET was closed - but we rode back to the future twice.

We did Hot-dogs for lunch.

Left a couple of the shows early to get to the next one.

Nick studios is well worth it. Apparently better when there is something in
production - so if you have a choice as to which days you go it would be good
to phone to see what's in production When.

It is worth going for one day. Two would be better, especially if you want to
do the hard rock cafe.

    Just got back yesterday.... trip report will come someday...
    
    but for what its worth for the month of February at Universal you get
    the second day free.  The only restriction is that it must be used
    within 7 days of the initial visit.
    
    We were not planning on going here but with the second day free decided
    to go.... it was worth it.
    
    Tony
    

    My sister and I were there the first week in February.
    Because of the lack of crowds we were able to do it in one day
    and we didn't rush or miss anything.  We didn't think that Nick
    we that great, it was more geared for young children.
    
    We picked up the second day pass, but decided not to use it,
    as there wasn't anything we missed.
    

    
    I read a little sweepstakes thing in the paper this weekend that
    indicated that the JAWS ride would be back in the summer of 1993...
    
    anyone who's been recently heard any news of this?  I'm going the
    first week of june and could be excited at a chance to catch a
    new ride at Universal.
    
    --Bert

    
    ok, I decided to no be a 'schmoe' and call the info number in .16 for
    the studios.
    
    the person on the phone couldn't give me a date, but did confirm
    that re-opening of JAWS is scheduled for summer '93.
    
    anyone have any other info that can pin down the date a little closer?
    
    --Bert

    
    I was there last week. The sign saying that JAWS will be re-opening
    sometimes in either June or July. (I dont remember which month).
    
    Kevin
    

    Don't hold your breath. Nothing like waiting three years for an
    attraction. 
    
    Hmmm will the wait for TZTT be three years?
    
    Mike 

    Some earlier notes compared Universal to MGM.
    
    Obviously which park you're likely to enjoy more depends largely on
    what you are looking for.
    
    I like to be dazzled by scale and technical accomplishment.
    
    On those grounds I was far more impressed with Universal Studios.
    
    I think they have broken barriers in realism in their attractions.
    
    There were so many things I saw that I had no idea how they were
    done, particularly in the Ghostbusters attraction.
    
    And I think many of their rides sorta broke some old rules regarding
    how close to the action you get.  For example, someone mentioned that
    Kong actually touches the cable car you're in.  I know with certainty
    that he didn't actually touch it when I did that ride (I was looking
    for it because I also got that impression) but it sure seemed that
    way and that's something that you never would've expected.
    
    Earlier in the ride, there's a fire explosion and you can actually
    feel a rather hot blast of air.
    
    Similar things happen in Earthquake.  Things come close enough to
    reach out and touch, you get wet, etc.
    
    In short, I think you can't go into a Universal attraction with what
    I think is the normal expectation that things won't happen to me.
    It's more than things for you to see.
    
    At least that was the impression I was left with.

    
    I agree with .140
    
    I was particularly struck by the pre-ride areas in the ET/King
    Kong/Back to the Future rides.....WDW closest are the pre-ride
    areas for Start Tours and Body Wars.
    
    I am also impressed with the Universal rides and the 'realness'
    of the effects.  Even knowing it's a ride, Earthquake can give
    you a lump in the throat and butterfly in the stomach when
    the lights go out, the water roars, and the explosions flare....
    You almost forget for a moment that you aren't on a real subway
    car about to be demolished!
                     

    The only things missing from the Kong frontation pre-show area
    are the graffiti, muggers, and the litter.
    
    Rode the NY subways many times.

    
    re -.1 
    
    I suppose you mean that the magnitude of litter and graffiti is
    not great enough?   8^)
    
    Actually to me the graffiti, litter, and purposeful disrepair
    of the subway station were realistic....I didn't notice any muggers,
    though.  I never rode a real New York subway (even though I've been to
    Manhattan twice) so I guess Universal is as close as I'll get.
    
    I'm really looking forward to my trip the first week of June.
    
    

    > The only things missing from the Kong frontation pre-show area  
    >  are the graffiti, muggers, and the litter.          
    
    Perhaps the muggers and the litter, but if you didn't see any graffitti
    you definitely are thinking about the wrong ride.  ;-)
    
    re: .141
    
    Yes, the point about the "pre-ride areas" is worth noting.  If you're
    going to make people wait large fractions or multiples of hours in a
    line, it's awfully thoughtful of them to at least provide interesting
    and entertaining things while they are in the line.
    
    This is a a GREAT innovation for these theme parks IMO.
    
    	Dave Blickstein

    Just saw on tv here in the U.K about Jurrasic Park , the new S.B film
    they said that they were either building or planning a theme park
    based on the film at Universal studios . they didnt saw if it was
    in L.A or Orlando .  Any comments on this .
    
    
       Cheers   
                  ED.........

    re: .145
    
    Ed,
    
    I've read that Universal is planning to add a water ride based on
    JURASSIC PARK to both their Hollywood and Orlando theme parks.  I
    believe these are expected to be completed in the summer of 1995.
    
    Whether or not they'll include genetically-engineered dinosaurs as part
    of the ride remains to be seen... :-)
    
    - Skip

    When I was at Universal in Orlando last month, I stopped by at the
    Jurassic Park Visitors Center.  I was told that a ride is planned (at
    least for Orlando) that would be based on the river from Jurassic Park
    (the book).  However, having just seen the movie this past weekend,
    none of the river scenes from the book made it into the movie (lost on
    the cutting room floor due to time?), so I don't know that they would
    theme an attraction around something that wasn't in the movie, would
    they?
    
    Cheers,
    Ken
    

    
    one of the stories in the paper over the weekend was about the special
    effects company that did the mechanical dino effects.  When asked
    where all those dinos were, the owner just smiled.

    re: .147 (the ride)
    
    I'm not sure if the river scenes were ever filmed, but I imagine a JP
    water ride at Universal would be something like "the Jungle Cruise
    Meets JURASSIC PARK" and recreate some scenes from the movie.
    
    re: .148 (the dinos)
    
    Well, perhaps he was smiling because most of the dinos in JP are now
    just a whole mess of 0's and 1's locked away in some database
    somewhere.   :-)
    
    - Skip

    Spash Mountain Meets Jurassic Park? 
    
    :-) zip-a-dee doo-dah zip-a-dee-RRRRWWWRRROOARRRR!!!
    
    *AH*! CHOMP!
    
    *SPLASH*
    
    todd///
    
    

    Having just seen JP last night (not for the kids!!!), the best
        line in the movie was:
    
    Dr: "So we've got some minor problems with the park.  Walt Disney
            had the same sort of problems when they built their park too."
    
    Goldblum: "Yes, but when the Pirates of the Caribean ride breaks
            down, the pirates don't eat the guests."

    	Someone told me there was a discussion in here about the
    	"Orlando Magic" card that can get me discounts to various
    	Orlando attractions -- like Universal Studios, which is 
    	what I'd be primarily interested in getting it for.
    
    	Where is that discussion?  

    Check topic 179.*
    
    Mike

    	You can get the address/phone number in note 179.*.  Also, if
    you're interested.  On specially marked cartons of "Tropicana" OJ you
    can send away for one.  All you need is two "proof of purchases" and
    the order card on the carton.
    	We used ours this past year.  Obtained a great rate at the
    hotel/condo wwe stayed at.  I don't recall a "Universal Studios"
    discount.  I used the U.S. card I got from personell along with the MKC
    card.  Along with the 10% discount on the tickets they were running a
    special for the month of February, "buy one days admission get the
    second day free!"  Without this "deal" we wouldn't have gone.  It was
    worth it.
    
    Tony

    Universal is running a special through the end of October where you
    get two days admission for the price of one.  All you need to do is
    buy a regular one-day ticket on the first day and enter the park as
    usual (discounts can be used!).  Then you trade the ticket in at the
    tables near the exit turnstiles any time that day before leaving the
    park.  They give you a special two-day ticket, marking the first day
    as used.  The new ticket is then valid for up to seven days from that
    day.
    
    Note:  All members of your party must be present when the tickets
           are traded to show a picture id and sign the new tickets.
           (They are reasonable about this.  Nicole, age 5, didn't need
           an id but she did need to sign the ticket since she can print
           her name.  Printing only her first name was acceptable.)

    As of 9/6 Jaws was still listed as "Coming Soon."  However as we
    were walking by that area that afternoon I noticed a sign outside
    and people in the queue area so we decided to see what was going
    on.  The sign said it was in technical rehearsal - we could ride
    it but it might be subject to interruptions.  We opted to take our
    chances...
    
    It is the best ride we've ever been on.  Add Kongfrontation and
    Earthquake together and you still won't get a Jaws!  It is amazing.
    We rode it twice in a row with no waiting.  It was just as intense
    the second time even though we knew what to expect.
    
    A couple of warnings:
    1.  You will most likely get wet.  When I say wet, I mean it.  This
        is not a wimpy Catastrophe Canyon wet.  It's not soaking wet (as
        in it's pouring out but I'm too cheap to buy a poncho wet) but
        it's more wet than a Splash Mountain front seat wet.
    2.  You will also get very hot.  The explosion/fire portion of the
        ride is unbearable.  Your skin hurts and it's hard to breathe.
        It definitely adds to the tension of the ride (which is a very
        good thing) but it's too hot.  I wouldn't want to be wearing a
        rain poncho during that part, it might melt.
    
    Ruth

    >The sign said it was in technical rehearsal - we could ride
    >it but it might be subject to interruptions.  We opted to take our
    >chances...
    
    I would have been a little nervous about this after 
    seeing Jurassic Park.
    
    ;^)
    
    Jodi-

    >I would have been a little nervous about this after 
    >seeing Jurassic Park.
    
    I haven't seen Jurassic Park.  However, I was a little nervous
    because we had just experienced a bad ET ride.  We were stuck on
    it for at least 1/2 hour while they had technical difficulties.
    They kept starting it only to have it stop very abruptly.  My
    neck was in bad shape when we finally got off.  We were not eager
    to experience any more ride interruptions.
    
    As for the ET ride, they gave us a VIP ticket when we got off which
    allowed us to bypass the line at any attraction.  We used it to ride
    ET again.  The treatment we got when we used it more than made up for
    the morning's trouble.

    Ruth,
    
    Reading about Jaws makes me wonder if there is some tweaking remaining
    to be done before it officially opens. Getting wet is one thing but
    getting real hot is another. It sounds like the heat is greater than
    you feel at Indy Jones or TGMR (Western Ride).
    
    Mike

    I heard last night on Entertainment Tonight that there is going to be a
    new area added to WDW. Needless to say it will be based on Steve
    Spielburg's blockbuster movie Jurassic Park.  There will be five new
    hotels in the area along with some animals from the movie.  If it is
    anything like the other areas in WDW it should be spectacular.  Did not
    hear the projected completion date, but expect it should take two to
    three years.  I am beginning to wonder how much more they are going to
    put in the park.  Perhaps someday the park will be complete.
    
    Tom - MKO
    

    This is part of an expansion of Universal Studios in Orlando, not
    WDW.
    
    -- Bill

That's my understanding also.

Here's some info from the internet re: the Universal expansion...

    
  ORLANDO, Fla. -AP- Universal Studios Florida will undergo a 10-year,
$3 billion expansion that will include a second theme park and five hotels,
allowing it to compete head-on with Walt Disney World, officials said.
  

  Universal Studios Florida is a joint venture of Matsushita Electric
Industrial Co.'s (MC) MCA Inc. unit and Rank Organisation PLC. Disney
Co. (DIS) owns Walt Disney World.   

  ''We have demonstrated that we can have our own place in the sun,''
said MCA President Sid Sheinberg of MCA Inc.   

  Another 600 acres is being added to the present park's 200, making
a total of 800 developed acres at the movie-TV-based tourist attraction
a few miles southwest of downtown Orlando.   

  The second theme park will include an adventure ride based on the movie
''Jurassic Park'' and other shows by producer-director Steven Spielberg,
who is creative consultant for Universal.   

  The theme park, equal in size to the present studios attraction, is
to focus on entertainment for the family, offering high-tech rides and
special effects. Spielberg said it would consist of 20 events or rides.
  

  Groundbreaking on the expansion is expected in 1995. Employment will
go from about 4,000 to 18,000 when the project is completed within a
decade, officials said.   

  Raymond Katz, analyst on the leisure industry for Lehman Brothers,
said the project means greater competition for Disney and other tourist
attractions in the area.   

  ''If the Orlando market does not grow to accommodate the expansion
of capacity, it will be a dogfight for the tourists coming there,'' Katz
said.   

  Company officials would not give an exact cost figure for the expansion
project, but two company sources confirmed the $3 billion figure on conditions
they not be identified.   

  Sheinberg and Mike Gifford, managing-director of Rank, said financial
partners were still being sought.   

  (END) DOW JONES NEWS 09-15-93   
    6:10 PM

    Another Jaws update as of 10/20..

    The ride is completely open and it's fantastic!  I mostly agree with 
    the earlier report of heat from the explosions and fire.  It is
    intense and feels for a moment like standing a foot away from a roaring
    fireplace.  Not enough to hurt,  but quite hot.

    As for getting wet, my wife was on the shark side of the boat (the
    left) and Jaws came within 2 feet of her.  She got a little splashed
    but not soaked.

    The ride was really great!
    
	Garry

There were few entries about the possibility to have a Euro-US, either near
London or Paris. Does anybody have an update on this ?

What sort of food can U get at the Orlando Hard Rock Cafe ? What prices ?

	\patrick

    Patrick,
    
    The menu items at the Orlando HRC are basically the same as in other
    HRC with the emphasis of course on burgers.
    
    Bring your earmuffs.
    
    Mike

    Just a quick FYI...
    
    Universal Studios (FL) is currently running a special promotion thru
    mid-December, where kids 11-under are admitted free. One free kid with
    each adult admission.
    
    At 4 and 1, we thought our kids were too young, so we passed on it.
    Another thing on our to-do list for the next trip.
    
    Freddie

Patrick,

For information about Eurodisney read note 10.

Donald.

    > Perhaps someday the park will be complete.
    
    I believe there is a Walt Disney quote to the effect that idea is
    that the park would never be "complete" and that it would keep changing
    and expanding.
    
    	db

    A friend just called Universal Studios regarding height restrictions
    and was told that children must be at least 40" to go on certain
    attractions.
    
    Mike

    >A friend just called Universal Studios regarding height restrictions
    >and was told that children must be at least 40" to go on certain
    >attractions.
    
    Those would be Back to the Future and Hanna-Barbera.
    
    Back to the Future allows you to do a child swap like Disney.  They
    require you to go to a specific level (maybe 1) so you need to tell
    the attendants before selecting a level.  Unlike Disney, they provide
    a small waiting area with seats.  They don't do a good job of policing
    it so it's quite easy to go for multiple rides - there was a man there
    waiting with me whose older kids were on their fourth or fifth ride.
    
    Hanna-Barbera (how do you spell that?) has some non-moving seats at
    the front of the theater so small children can watch the movie.  You
    need to tell the attendants so they can herd you to the front of the
    theater.  The movie isn't as fun to watch from these seats but I
    liked turning around to watch the other seats moving.
    
    Another gotcha at Universal Studios is that some of the rides require
    each person to be in their own seat, including small children.  Jaws,
    Earthquake and Kongfrontation are the only ones I can think of with this
    restriction but there may be others.  ET doesn't have this restriction.
    
    Ruth

    Back to Future does have the height restriction but when we went a
    few years ago it was 48" not 40". ARe you sure they said 40" ??
    Maybe they lowered it from 48", I do not know but I would
    make sure.  At that time our daughter was right
    at the 48". We were in an hour long line for it, we check our daughter
    at the front and she barely made it so we stayed in line. When we
    got to the front the attendant said she was too short, I was so mad
    I raised so much hell on the spot they let her in and she was fine.
    The way they handle it was not at all nice, it should have be much
    clearer ahead.
    
    If your child is 48" tall (ot whatever is requirement) then make sure
    you do not miss Back to the
    Future. This ride is fantastic, and MAgic Kingdom has nothing that
    comes even close. I have not gone to MGM yet so no comparison there.
    Most of Universal Studios rides are reasonably
    good but Back to Future is in a class by itself. Hanna Barbera       
    in the moving seats is also an excellent fun ride. I would have never
    thought it would have been good but it really is. I rate 
    Back to Future #1, Hanna Barbera #2, at Universal. ET is a dud but
    little kids will enjoy it. I would assume that Hanna Barbera is similar
    to the MOM ride at Jordan's Furniture in Avon ( i believe), they
    seem to look about same but I never went on MOM.
    
    NOTE I have not been on the Jaws ride, so do not know how it is.
    Comparison above was against Earthquake, Kong, Ghostbusters, ET.
    My only strong suggestion about Universal Studios is try to go 
    during slow season, during peak season ride lines are 1 Hour + long.
    You can go for 10 hours during day and spend 9 hours in lines, 40
    minutes walking between and 20 minutes on rides. NOw is that a vacation
    or what, just like WDW in busy times. Pay big bucks to stand in line.
    
    					Harold
    

    I'm sure of the 40" as Nicole was only 42" tall and was able to
    go on.
    
    Ruth

    I would agree with that. They probably changed it years ago or a
    did not remember it correctly. But I am almost certain it was
    stricter years ago. 40" sounds reasonable.
    			harold c.
    

    We spent Monday, March 21 at Universal Studios. We arrived right after
    the gates opened and headed for the one ride we had by-passed on our
    earlier trip: Kongfrontation. There was no line in front of the
    building and the sign said a 10 minute wait so we went right in. the
    only reason the wait was 10 minutes was that it took 10 minutes to walk
    to the loading platform for the trams! This ride was great! Even my
    husband liked it! I conned him into having our picture taken in the 
    beast's fist at the end of the ride. 
    
    After Kong we moved quickly to Jaws. This ride was not open during our
    earlier trip. After a 20 minute wait we boarded the boat. We were
    warned well in advance that we would get wet. We were in the back row 
    on the outside and were only spashed with a few drops, while others were
    very wet by the end of the ride. The shark attacks several times and
    those teeth look very real when they are aimed at your leg! 
    
    We watched the Murder, She Wrote post production show, the Ghostbusters
    show, Rocky and Bullwinkle and other characters at a personal
    appearance outside the R&B stage, and visited the tribute to Lucille
    Ball. We met actors impersonating Charlie Chaplin and Lucille Ball and
    Desi Arnaz. 
    
    It was a worthwhile day, and we feel that our two trips have covered almost
    everyting at Universal. We would go back again during another trip to
    Florida. 
    
    Linda 

    
    	I AM PLANNING ON GOING TO UNIVERSAL ON MY TRIP DOWN TO ORLANDO NEXT
    WEEK AND I'VE GOT A FEW QUESTIONS.
    
    *	I KNOW THAT THERE IS A CHARACTER BREAKFAST THAT THEY OFFER WITH THE 
    HANNA BARBARA CHARACTERS.  IT ALLOWS YOU TO GET IN THE PARK EARLY & YOU
    GET 1ST DIBS ON ET (WOW!).  HAS ANYONE BEEN TO THIS & IS IT ANY GOOD. 
    ITS MORE THAN IM SPENDING ON THE EMPRESS LILLY AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW
    IF IT'S WORTH IT.
    
    *	ALSO WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT BOYS 5 & 6 GOING ON ALL
    RIDES-INCLUDING JAWS???
    
    *	AND HAS ANYONE GONE ON A NICKELODIAN SHOW?  THE ONE THEY ARE TAPING
    IS FOR KIDS 10-14 WHICH MEANS WE WOULD ONLY BE IN THE AUDIENCE.  DOES
    THIS TAKE UP TOO MUCH OF THE DAY??
    
    THANKS FOR ANY INFO.   LISA

    >>>NICKELODIAN SHOW
    
       Lisa, whether it's Universal Studios or Disney/MGM Studios both
       will tell you to allow several hours if you attend a taping.
    
       I think it's somewhere between 2-3 hours.
    
    Mike

    
    I went on the Character breakfast last year and i shall be doing
    it again this Christmas. Your met at the gate by some of the Characters
    and then you take a ride down to the food area where you have an all
    you can eat Breakfast. Once you have started eating the Characters
    start to appear, they go to each table for photo's...
    
    Andy..B

    
    
    Just wondering, seeing that USAir is the official carrier for Universal
    Studios and DISCOUNTS are offered for flying that airline, what's do
    I need to do to get the DISCOUNT????
    
    John
    

Simple...
To get your USAir discounts (plural) at Universal Studios show your boarding
pass AND your frequent flier card for a bunch off.  Also, off season they
often do two days for the price of one.  Look for signs.

Bill

    
    Universal have just started another 2 days for the price of 1, I went
    twice last week and had a great time. Had my first trip on the Jaws 
    ride as it was closed when i last went..
    
    Andy..B

How long does it take to drive from WDW (onsite, GF) to Universal?

     Carol

    I'd guess maybe 1/2 hour.

    I'd say 20 minutes door to door if traffic is normal... Had to drive every morning
    last week past Universal through Orlando to row.  This drive took me
    30-33 minutes.
    
    -Jay
    

    It can be between 25-35 minutes depending upon where you are staying.
    It takes longer to get to universal from the GF than it does the CBR.
    
    To avoid the crowds I'd suggest leaving your hotel room at least one
    hour before Universal opens.
    
    Mike 

    We plan to be at Universal in LA this fall.  I have heard that the
    CASPER attraction will be ready, or is already, and a WaterWorld
    attraction as well.  But I've also seen ads for a Jurrasic Park ride
    for CA. Does anyone have info on that ride and when it will be open?
    
    Bob

    Found this info on the Net:
    
    Including taxes, passes are priced as follows: 
    
              Vacation Value Pass:
              $95.34 for adults (tax included)
              $77.32 for children (tax included)
              free for toddlers under the age of three
    
              One-day passes:
              40.81 for adults (tax included)
              32.86 for children (tax included)
              free for toddlers under the age of three 
    
              Two-day passes: 
              $58.30 for adults (tax included)
              $46.64 for children (tax included)
              free for toddlers under the age of three 
    
              Celebrity Annual Passes:
              $73.14 for adults (tax included)
              $62.54 for children (tax included)
              free for toddlers under the age of three 
    
    
                               

    Went to Universal two weeks ago, and saved $4 each by
    showing our USAIR boarding passes.  Evidently USAir is the
    official airline of Universal Studios, so save them passes
    when you get to Orlando.

	We went to Universal last week.  They are in the process of
constructing a new theme park (I don't recall the name, but it's
supposed to have 3 coasters).  They seem to be building the new park
on what used to be the parking lot.  They have  constructed a new
parking garage much further from the main gate.  What this means is
you pay $6 to park miles from the entrance.  They do have those moving
sidewalks but you still end up with a very long walk.  If we had known
this we would have taken the free shuttle service from our hotel.
(I'm presuming we would have been dropped off near the entrance.)
	The new attraction here is Terminator 2 - 3D.  My husband
went in (while I watched the kids).  THey are rating this attraction
PG 13.  He said it was very violent (and was surprised at the number
of small kids allowed to watch it).

ELizabeth

    I think the new theme park is to be called something like "Adventure
    Island" and I also thought I read somewhere that there is a Jurassic
    Park flavor to the park.
    
    The T2-D2 attraction is at the location where the Tribute to Lucy 
    attraction used to be....or so I've been told.
    
    Mike

Re: the new parking garage

We actually appreciated coming out to a car that had not been baking in the hot
sun all day!  They provide people movers for you so you're not walking all the
way in and it's a pleasant transport, cooled with over head fans, decorated
with plants, and accompanied with appropriate music.  I don't think that it
takes any longer than walking in from the old parking lot did.

Re:  Terminator 2 3D

This was the surprise hit of our vacation.  A not to be missed attraction!  My
sons both being adolescents, I didn't think much about how appropriate it is
for smaller children...although I do not remember it as being excessively
violent.  It was very quick-paced, loud, and sensory-attacking! 

    We went to Universal the last week of April. Like a previous noter, I
    went with my adolescent sons and we all agreed it was a great show. It
    will be a violent show - the movies were rated `R' for that reason, but
    I don't think the violence is overdone and is less than the theatrical
    releases.
    
    One thing we all liked about Universal is that even though you have to
    wait in line, like you do a WDW, at least they entertain you while
    you're in line. The waiting area for T23D is setup like the front lobby
    for Cyberdyne, which I'm sure you'll remember is the company in the
    movie that created Skynet which started the whole Terminator thing.
    They have monitors all over the waiting area and they have a simulated
    tv network which shows Cyberdyne commercials, etc. It was quite clever
    and definitely helped relieve the boredom of waiting.
    
    Pat
    "Cyberdyne, we care so you don't have to"

    From the Advertising they were putting up, it will be called Universal
    City and will consist of several lands like the Magic Kingdom.
    
    Thera are building several 5 story parking garages on the periphery of
    their property, freeing up the parking lot to be built on.  The Rotunda
    will be the gateway to the new park.  They are building slidewalks to
    move you from the parking to the main gates.
    
    Coming this summer/fall will be a new show/ride based on the movie
    Twister.  This is taking the place of the Ghostbuster's ride. Also by
    this summer they will have a new ride showing what they are building.
    
    /jim

re: the location of the Terminator attraction

  The Lucy tribute is still there, and as far as I can remember it's in
the same location as it was 2 years ago.  Lucy is across the street from
the entrance to Terminator.