Universal Studios Los Angeles

[Statz2k10]

Originally Posted by latino_esq

Wait a second there. A lot of people suggesting Magic Mountain over Universal, for adults. But that's not always necessarily the case. It depends on what you are into.

If you are looking for roller coasters galore, MM is your place no doubt. Universal has a few but nowhere as near as MM. Universals attractions are centered more around the Hollywood experience, special effects etc.

One thing Universal does have over MM is City Walk where you have a variety of restaurants and places to get a drink. Last time I was at MM there were really no good restaurants to hang at and grab a drink. It is pretty much limited to small eat and go spots where you can expect the main meals to be centered around hamburgers etc.

So if you're looking for a place where your day solely revolves around walking and walking from one roller coaster to another all day, MM is your place. If you are looking for a place to maybe mix in some hanging out time, grab a couple of drinks, etc, Universal is your spot.

I think I went to City Walk. You don't have to pay to go here correct? Just pay for parking and I think that's even cheaper if you can prove you buy something. I went to the DOdgers Club house there.

[annonymous0381]

Universal Studios is a small theme park compared to Disneyland. If the park isn't crowded you could probably see the park in a full day or maybe from 9am until 6 for example. If you have never seen Universal studios it's worth going on the team ride. After the park cittwalk shopping and dinning complex is right next door for dinner and drinks.

[bpeeps]

Originally Posted by Statz2k10

I think I went to City Walk. You don't have to pay to go here correct? Just pay for parking and I think that's even cheaper if you can prove you buy something. I went to the DOdgers Club house there.

Correct. Don't waste your time at CityWalk. It's a tourist trap blight if you've already seen it. And the attractions at Universal are old and outdated (save for the Transformers ride). Hopefully Harry Potter will breathe new light into it in 2016. There's a reason everyone is suggesting MM.

[theraven24]

Originally Posted by bpeeps

Correct. Don't waste your time at CityWalk. It's a tourist trap blight if you've already seen it. And the attractions at Universal are old and outdated (save for the Transformers ride). Hopefully Harry Potter will breathe new light into it in 2016. There's a reason everyone is suggesting MM.

I only suggested Magic Mountain because it is geared more towards adults.

I prefer Universal Hollywood to Magic Mountain.

[HarryKerryJr]

The studio tour portion of Universal can be interesting, especially if one is a fan of movies or TV. Magic Mountain is all about the thrill rides and has quite a downscale shady (many shootings in the past) clientele. It is a local favorite because of the thrill rides and no "frills." But the people frequenting MM? No thanks. Universal is safer and oriented more for tourists, but quite a number of locals go to the FREE Universal City Walk that does have legitimately decent restaurants, and I find the local clientele there, while diverse, far less likely to open fire or stab someone because they think you are from a rival gang. Except for the thrill rides themselves (an absolute must visit for anyone who loves LOTS of thrill rides and considers themselves connoisseurs of thrill rides), MM is PATHETIC!

[bpeeps]

Originally Posted by HarryKerryJr

The studio tour portion of Universal can be interesting, especially if one is a fan of movies or TV. Magic Mountain is all about the thrill rides and has quite a downscale shady (many shootings in the past) clientele. It is a local favorite because of the thrill rides and no "frills." But the people frequenting MM? No thanks. Universal is safer and oriented more for tourists, but quite a number of locals go to the FREE Universal City Walk that does have legitimately decent restaurants, and I find the local clientele there, while diverse, far less likely to open fire or stab someone because they think you are from a rival gang. Except for the thrill rides themselves (an absolute must visit for anyone who loves LOTS of thrill rides and considers themselves connoisseurs of thrill rides), MM is PATHETIC!

The studio tour portion of Universal is actually pretty fun, especially if you get a good tour host.

I would say Magic Mountain has the apperance of being "safer" than Universal, due to the fact everyone goes through a metal detector (or wanding if anything is detected). At Universal, they only search your bag if you have one. Your claims of being more likely to be stabbed or shot at Magic Mountain are pretty laughable.

One Dead, Four Injured at Universal last May.

It's LA, crime happens everywhere. You can find crime at both parks just from the sheer amount of people that live in the area and frequent both. As long as you mind yourself and don't get involved with any incidents, you'll be safe in both parks. If you don't like MM, that's fine, but don't go spouting hyperbolic anecdata and misinformation.

[bpeeps]

Originally Posted by theraven24

I only suggested Magic Mountain because it is geared more towards adults.

I prefer Universal Hollywood to Magic Mountain.

It's one of those cases where I went to Disneyworld and Universal Orlando before I had visited the California counterparts so when I got here, I was like, that's it? The Florida locations have this grandiose atmosphere and magic quality to them. You don't get that same feeling in the California parks; space restrictions adding to that.

Not to mention, the Universal Hollywood attractions are old and outdated. You may like it more, but there's no argument against that. I remember when I first went to UH and that terrible Blues Brothers show was still running with actors who looked half asleep and could barely lip sync to the songs. The amphitheater is never used and wasted space. The horrible outdated, special effects show they had was a joke. Remember Backdraft before Transformers replaced it? Good riddance. Shrek is fun once. The Simpsons is good to experience every other year, but not worth the wait in the lengthy line it usually has. The only interesting rides people ride again and again are on the lower lot and they're all aging with no updates in sight. Even though it's old as hell, Waterworld is still great to experience. Other than that, what else is there?

I will give credit where it's due. The one thing Universal consistently updates and changes is the Studio Tour, which is why that's great to go on multiple times a year. Universal has a total of 13 attractions and most of them are shows and simulation rides. When you compare Universal to MM, which updates its rides or gains a new one every year, the experience doesn't add up. I think you get your money's worth from a day at MM over Universal. Especially considering MM has plenty of regular non-thrill rides, carnival games, and sports games if roller coasters aren't your cup of tea.

I still enjoy going to Universal, because it's close and easy to get to. But I don't know if I'd recommend it to tourists looking to kill a day.

[theraven24]

^^^ The majority of Magic Mountain's rides are old and have been there since I was a little girl, some even older than Uni's attractions.

[bpeeps]

Originally Posted by theraven24

^^^ The majority of Magic Mountain's rides are old and have been there since I was a little girl, some even older than Uni's attractions.

It's funny because I thought to pre-empt that reply with an edit to my original comment stating MM has plenty of old rides, but I thought you would be able to understand what my point was. I'll clarify.

Not including attractions, MM has seven rides that opened within the last ten years. UH has 3 rides that opened in the past 10 years. UH averages a new ride every 2 - 3 years, while MM averages a new ride every year. And every so often, MM closes a ride and completely updates it, Superman, X1 to X2, Colossus to Twisted Colossus, Batman Backwards, etc. Though this doesn't take into account the disparity in the amount of attractions both parks have.

While many of MM's rides are old, they are still in the park because they're fun rides to ride. Riddler, Scream and Goliath are super old, but the rides themselves have stayed pretty current. You can't say the same for UH, a lot of their attractions are stale and become quickly outdated. When one of their rides ages, it feels like it. Creature from the Black Lagoon lasted a year. Special Effects has been moved and changed so many times, yet it's still the same outdated show. The Mummy ending on the studio tour with Whoopi. UH's rides are quickly dated.

It's similar to when you re-watch movies like Jurassic Park and are amazed at how well the dinosaurs look and how special effects hold up to this day still. And then you watch something like The Matrix Reloaded where you can spot the CGI actors and the special effects look extremely dated.

[Irco]

Originally Posted by theraven24

^^^ The majority of Magic Mountain's rides are old and have been there since I was a little girl, some even older than Uni's attractions.

This is true the rides at Magic Mountain have been there for a while and are usually fast and brain jarring. I don't go on much roller-coasters anymore because I tend to get dizzy when the blood leaves my brain into my feet. But to get to Magic Mountain in Valencia you would most like take "the 5".