Darkbeer1
Well-Known Member
Well, the same could be said about the Disneyland Resort of today... If I could just avoid seeing another Starbucks on my next visit, it would put a smile on my face. Alas, even Knott's has one now...
-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
California Adventure only Annual Pass (Fun Pass) available at Costco starting Sept. 1
- Thread starter Disneysea05
- Start date
Well, the same could be said about the Disneyland Resort of today... If I could just avoid seeing another Starbucks on my next visit, it would put a smile on my face. Alas, even Knott's has one now...
GiveMeTheMusic
Well-Known Member
USH opinions aside, the studio lot itself is constantly packed with production. Now more than ever, as TV shows fight for soundstages and sets as there are so few available.
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
Grinchmas is the best time at the park. I actually enjoy Christmas at Universal more than at Disneyland.
I love Water World as well, more than the actual movie itself. I'm hearing they want to get rid of it...actually from Water World to Shrek 4-D, stores included, is what I'm hearing is getting the boot.
I agree that Universal is a fun change of pace. I actually like that it's not Disneyland, as I'm not one to visit Disneyland and only Disneyland.
Darkbeer1
Well-Known Member
Heck, it is fun to take the tram through where they filmed parts of Pirates of the Caribbean, Desperate Housewives (ABC- Disney owned), and the Dick Tracy film (alas, many of those sets was lost in the major Backlot fire in 2008).
And NBCUniversal/Comcast has plans to expand those working backlot facilities in the next few years. The local NBC station (channel 4) recently moved its studios and production facilities onto the property.
D
Deleted member 107043
Except that Disneyland has always been a theme park. USH, at least from this visitor's perspective, puts it's ever expanding theme park forward and pushes the movie production further and further into the background. It's so far removed from the visitor experience now that unless you take the tour one can easily forget that they're supposed to be in a working movie studio. The fact that we're all here referring to it as a "park" speaks volumes about how most people regard the place.
Well you can still see active fishermen in some corners of Fisherman's Wharf too, but that isn't why anyone goes there, much in the same way that few are entering to USH expecting to see live film production.
GiveMeTheMusic
Well-Known Member
While it's unlikely you'll see live production from the tram, as the tram typically routes around live production due to noise issues, the bulk of USH property is live studio facilities that are constantly humming with production. The theme park area is separate from the studio itself, even though on the lower lot area the existing attractions are surrounded by active soundstages.
As time goes on, the park will take over more production space for expansion because it's just too profitable and production space can be erected elsewhere. But for now, it's not comparable to Fishermen's Wharf at all - it's still first and foremost an active studio and the majority of it is inaccessible to the public.
D
Deleted member 107043
I think you're over analyzing what's being said. If the real movie production at Universal STUDIOS Hollywood is inaccessible to ME then that's why the theme park feels like a tourist trap to ME. Get it?
GiveMeTheMusic
Well-Known Member
I guess - but who has the expectation of seeing production in front of their faces at a Studios park? I'd wager very few visitors to USH, USF or DHS walk in thinking they're going to be walking around real studios all day - they go for the rides. It's no more of a tourist trap than any other theme park. USH actually comes the closest with the tram tour by taking you on a tour of a real studio, something USF and DHS no longer even pretend to attempt.
Phroobar
Well-Known Member
USH posts what production is happening on the lot that day. When something is going on I expect to see something setup on the tour. The other two never film anything anymore.
D
Deleted member 107043
FWIW Paramount does offer real studio tour to a limited number of visitors. This looks intriguing to me. Has anyone here ever tried it out?
http://www.paramountstudiotour.com/studio-tours.html
http://www.paramountstudiotour.com/studio-tours.html
GiveMeTheMusic
Well-Known Member
I haven't done theirs, but WB offers one as well. The WB one is great, and I'm sure the Paramount one is as well due to the intimacy.
yookeroo
Well-Known Member
Hasn't real movie production always been inaccessible at Uni? This is nothing new.
Travel Junkie
Well-Known Member
Haven't been on the tour but used to work at Paramount. It's a cool lot. Universal, Paramount, and WB are the most interesting studios overall and if you like Disney like we do here throw that one in too. Sony and Fox are eh IMO.
D
Deleted member 107043
Good to know. I'm putting them on my bucket list of things to see in SoCal some day.
D
Deleted member 107043
Hmm... maybe, but I always thought the tour started out back in the 60s as a backstage trip through actual production facilities. Now the trams mostly take visitors through a series of staged experiences.
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
This is false. I've seen production multiple times on the tour. The last one I saw was Invasion. Lights, cameras, boom mics, actors, crewmen, the director yelling "Action!"... Saw it all.
yookeroo
Well-Known Member
Growing up, Uni always had some staged experiences (flash flood!). This would be the late 60s/early 70s. I assume they still tour actual production facilities among the staged stuff. But it's been a while since I've been there.
D
Deleted member 107043
The gist of it is that all the theme park stuff added in the past 20-30 years has taken the spotlight away from whatever legitimate filmmaking there is going on in the backlot. I'm old enough to remember when the only thing to do at Universal was the tour and see a handful of Hollywood production type shows.
Darkbeer1
Well-Known Member
Actually no, in fact, if you go back to the LONG history of Universal Studios Hollywood and the beginning (1915 - 1930), Carl Lamelle (founder) charged admission and a box lunch for a nickel to watch filming, but when they stopped silent productions and went to adding sound, they had to stop that due to needing to keep the area quiet. But for those years, the crowd would cheer for the Hero and Boo the Villain, and the actors loved the added atmosphere to get into character even more.
Then in 1964, the "modern" version of the Tram Tour started, and I remember going multiple times as a kid.
The way it was set up, you paid admission and got in the queue to board a tram, and then made multiple stops including some designed for the guests, such as special effects and make up demonstrations. At the end of the tour, you exited to an area that was shops and restaurants.
In the early years, they added better tour stops (you got off the tram, walked to the few stages used for the tour as a group and then re-boarded a tram as part of the same Group (though it might have been a different tram), a break area (Prop Plaza), which everyone got off the tram and had access to restrooms, shops and a quick service restaurant on the upper level, and then got back in the queue to become part of a new group for the second half of the tour. This allowed the tour to be longer, and give folks a break (and a chance to get into their wallets). Also, since the tour was ALWAYS first, the exit area (now called the upper lot) could open later in the day, and help with labor costs. Also, the first main stop is now the current lower lot, and the building that is now Transformers hosted two main stages, first as two separate shows, then converted to the same show on each stage to increase capacity.
The upper lot grew with a museum, and more shops and restaurants and photo ops. I remember the vending machines that would make a "hot wax" statue right in front of you as a kid for about $1, loved doing that. Also, they had a cheesy Snow Effect (Snow flakes coming out of a squirrel cage) that was a good photo op. Then the upper lot grew with show venues and more photos ops and entertainment.
Well, Universal found they were maxing out the capacity of the tram tour, so we got the first form of FastPass in the industry. Now, most folks were still sent to the Tram Tour first, but on very busy days, they would have the Upper Lot open early, and then hand out return time vouchers to ride the tram later in the day, to keep the main queue waits down, and increase total capacity for the day.
Today, it is the VIP Experience at Universal that gets you the backstage access, as part of its long tram tour, you do get to make stops along the way and get out and explore (the main tour is a one-stop tour that lasts about 1 hour). The VIP tour will allow you to tour a working Studio set (but not actively filming),I have been on the Voice Stage just before the season one year, and they made sure no photos were taken, but they also have done other stages, it depends on what is available. And stop is Six Points (western area), and even allowed to enter some of the buildings, many of which were built as working sets and not facades decades ago.
The Property Department is also a regular stop, where you can walk around the actual warehouse.
The War of the Worlds set is also a regular stop where you can walk the area.
So it is still available, but at the higher price, but similar to what WB offers for there most expensive tour that also comes with a meal.
And yes, Paramount does offer tours to guests.
And then nobody has mentioned Sony, which also does tours in Culver City, and is popular for those Jeopardy/Wheel of Fortune fans. Alas, weekdays only.
I would rate them
Universal VIP, since you get the same basic experience as Paramount and WB for the same price, but it includes the Theme Park and Front of the Line access inside the Theme Park)
Paramount VIP, then the other two Paramount options (regular and after dark)
Sony, due to its limited amount of some unique things in a historic location.
The WB, opting for the Deluxe (What Universal and Paramount call VIP), and then the "VIP" (aka regular) tour.
I don't like the WB tour for the main reason, they make you lock up your cameras during most of the tour.
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
Lots of people sleep on Universal's history. I think it's great, but then again I'm a film buff.