Universal Studios Florida vs Universal Studios Hollywood

Better park?


  • Total voters
    32

DisneyAndUniversalFan

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
This isn't including the resort as a whole for Orlando, we're only taking about the Studios parks here, which park is better?

The original Universal Studios Hollywood, with it's Upper and Lower Lot, Springfield and Hogsmeade?

or the newer park, Universal Studios Florida, with Production Central, New York, Hollywood, San Francisco, KidZone, Springfield, World Expo and Diagon Alley?​
 

Tom Morrow

Well-Known Member
This is going off my only visit to USH about 15 years ago. I know it has changed and improved quite a bit since then. However, I remember not being very impressed at all, you could truly feel that it was a place that did not start out as a theme park and developed over time, as it's kind of a jumbled mess. However - the absolutely amazing studio tour is good enough to make the two parks a tie. If I went back, with USH now having a much better attraction lineup than back then, combined with the studio tour, it might put it over the top for me. As a whole, UOR is obviously much better, though.
 

cheezbat

Well-Known Member
Studios in Hollywood as of right now. While Diagon Alley, Bourne, Men In Black, and ET are highlights at USF, Hollywood has Jurassic World, Hogsmeade, Waterworld, and Secret Life of Pets on top of the amazing backlot tour. Both have versions of the Mummy, Despicable me, and Simpson’s, but even though USF also has Fast and the Furious, Fallon, Shrek...it’s just not enough to do it for me. It’s close, but USH takes the win on this one for me. (Honestly, FNF and Rockit are detractors for USF in my opinion.)
 

Robbiem

Well-Known Member
I voted for Hollywood. The original tram tour is a classic and you can’t beat the history aspect of seeing actual filming locations from old movies. Its much more unique. Florida is intentionally more of a park but lacks the history aspect of the original
 

bryanfze55

Well-Known Member
As close to a tie as you’ll get between US theme parks.

I know a lot of people have wanderlust for the Studio Tour, but it was just “meh” to me. Forbidden Journey is better than Gringotts, but Hogsmeade at USH just isn’t as immersive due to sightline issues. Diagon Alley is better overall. Throw in Men in Black, a better Mummy, ET, and Rip Ride Rockit... gotta give it to USF.

However, when Secret Life of Pets and the Mario ride open... it’ll probably swing to USH.
 

BubbaisSleep

Well-Known Member
Back in the day there was a clear winner.
Sadly, USF has fallen far from grace these last few years while IOA keeps getting better. While I enjoy Jimmy Fallon & Gringotts, they are screen heavy rides that replaced non-screen rides. Add that with Fast & Furious which committed a crime, the public has made it clear the park is mostly screens. I really hope they add the Nintendo World here if the 3rd park doesn't resume construction soon.

USH was always a tiny park but it's starting to become the greatest hits which makes for a great day visit. I can't wait to ride SLOP & Mario Kart.
 

Frankenstein79

Well-Known Member
Florida's setup is much better, even though I wish there was more a Monster presence. Plus it has not 1, but 2 Harry Potter sections that it connects to by train.

Also Hollywood's escalator to hell/heaven makes me sick just watching it on videos.
 

LittleMerman

Well-Known Member
To be fair I've only been to IOA and US Hollywood. Hollywood was fun and the studio tour was awesome but it's mostly indoor screen-based attractions due to filming at studios. They can't have many outdoor thrill rides because of the screaming. I didn't realize this before I went and it got boring and physically sickening to me.

Florida has almost everything Hollywood has and more. Plus it's two parks with a water park and multiple hotels.
 

1HAPPYGHOSTHOST

Well-Known Member
Hollywood you can't beat the original. Florida is filled with sequel parks. Disneyland 2 aka Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios 2, even a Busch Gardens that was originally in California. You can't beat the originals Florida no matter how hard you try.
 

JT3000

Well-Known Member
Hollywood you can't beat the original. Florida is filled with sequel parks. Disneyland 2 aka Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios 2, even a Busch Gardens that was originally in California. You can't beat the originals Florida no matter how hard you try.
"The originals are all better because they're the originals" is a nonargument. One park having existed prior to another holds no value in and of itself. If we approached everything with this logic of "the original will always be best", we'd never make any progress. In any field. And where does one even draw the line with regards to amusement attractions? IS DHS' Rise of the Resistance better than DL's because it opened first? 🤷‍♂️

We should judge the parks based on the actual value they hold in the here and now.
 
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bryanfze55

Well-Known Member
"The originals are all better because they're the originals" is a nonargument. One park having existed prior to another holds no value in and of itself. If we approached everything with this logic of "the original will always be best", we'd never make any progress. In any field. And where does one even draw the line with regards to amusement attractions? IS DHS' Rise of the Resistance better than DL's because it opened first? 🤷‍♂️

We should judge the parks based on the actual value they hold in the here and now.

Has nothing to do with the originals, that poster is just heavily biased towards all things California. He would probably argue that California has better alligators.
 

Sctble

Member
For me, Universal Studios Florida of the 1990's wins hands-down. It felt like a full, diverse park experience with a large array of attractions to take a couple days to appreciate, whereas Hollywood felt like a diluted experience. The one time we visited Universal in Hollywood... while it wasn't an unenjoyable experience by any means, it felt like a large step-down from the Florida counterpart. I remember being very disappointed with the Jaws segment on the Hollywood tram tour in comparison to the full boat ride experience in Florida. Was expecting a California version of the boat ride, not a brief ride-by with a (far less impressive) shark animatronic swimming by for a brief moment. Kong on the Hollywood tram seemed a little anticlimactic compared to the Kongfrontation ride in Florida of those days. Back To The Future and E.T. seemed equal in quality.
Mind you, we didn't get to ride Jurassic Park or do the Backdraft experience when we visited Hollywood, as they were down to technical issues. Had we done those, the score might be a tad closer. Hollywood did have it's charms, and it was nice to see actual filming sets & locations. But as a theme park experience in-whole, Florida's Studios was heads & shoulders above back in those days.

One other mention. As others have pointed out, I agree the layout in Florida is also better, though as a kid I enjoyed the long escalator rides in Hollywood and views of surrounding SoCal mountains.
 

Sctble

Member
He would probably argue that California has better alligators.
Well to his credit, they are bigger.
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1HAPPYGHOSTHOST

Well-Known Member
"The originals are all better because they're the originals" is a nonargument. One park having existed prior to another holds no value in and of itself. If we approached everything with this logic of "the original will always be best", we'd never make any progress. In any field. And where does one even draw the line with regards to amusement attractions? IS DHS' Rise of the Resistance better than DL's because it opened first? 🤷‍♂️

We should judge the parks based on the actual value they hold in the here and now.
There is a reason why an original is sooo beloved that they felt they needed to clone it. Looking at you Magic Kingdom which is a poor imitation of Disneyland which is vastly superior.
 

JT3000

Well-Known Member
There is a reason why an original is sooo beloved that they felt they needed to clone it. Looking at you Magic Kingdom which is a poor imitation of Disneyland which is vastly superior.
Your own personal opinion aside, you've failed to explain why the "clone" can't also be beloved. More to the point, Universal Studios Florida isn't a clone of anything. They lifted one or two landmark buildings from Hollywood and that was it. The rest of the park is completely different, and while there is overlap, it has always contained an assortment of attractions that either opened there before Hollywood or can't be found in Hollywood at all. Even the opening day attractions were fully realized versions of the short segments that could be found on Hollywood's tram tour, not mere imitations. It isn't Universal's Magic Kingdom.*

*That would be Universal Studios Japan, which deemed Florida, not Hollywood, as the template worth copying.
 
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1HAPPYGHOSTHOST

Well-Known Member
Your own personal opinion aside, you've failed to explain why the "clone" can't also be beloved. More to the point, Universal Studios Florida isn't a clone of anything. They lifted one or two landmark buildings from Hollywood and that was it. The rest of the park is completely different, and while there is overlap, it has always contained an assortment of attractions that either opened there before Hollywood or can't be found in Hollywood at all. Even the opening day attractions were fully realized versions of the short segments that could be found on Hollywood's tram tour, not mere imitations. It isn't Universal's Magic Kingdom.*

*That would be Universal Studios Japan, which deemed Florida, not Hollywood, as the template worth copying.
I disagree. Once Universal discovered they could make a theme park wit the success of turning the original movie studio into a theme park also they butil florida. i didnt say the others cant be beloved by others but they lack the gravitas and history of the original parks. there is no denying that. Universal Orlando has no soul it is a corporate product. Universal Hollywood was a working iconic movie studio and you can feel that all over. Disneyland you can feel Walt. You can feel Disneyland was someone's vision and hard work brought to life. someone's dream realized. Magic Kingdom is just a pale copy with no soul. sure people love that park but you miss the point of why the original park was built to begin with in Magic Kingdom. They wanted a Disneyland without understanding why Disneyland works. Nice park but nooo Disneyland.
 

Sctble

Member
Even the opening day attractions were fully realized versions of the short segments that could be found on Hollywood's tram tour
That was our biggest disappointment when visiting Universal Hollywood. Like I said earlier, we went to the place expecting full attractions like we had experienced at the Florida counterpart for years. Granted, this was in the 90's before you could easily research a place online in a matter of minutes. Part of the problem was our own ignorance, but also the advertising was kinda misleading as well. I remember the Uni Hollywood brochures and other literature back then making it seem like Jaws, Kong, Earthquake, etc were individual, full attractions just like E.T. and BTTF. So naturally we thought it would be a west coast version of USF, not brief snippets in a 45-minute tram ride.
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But still, we didn't hate the place by any means, and enjoyed our time there. Had we not been comparing it to USF, there wouldn't have been as many let-down's. It just felt like an appetizer of the Fla studios.
 

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