Universal Studios Orlando: A Review

Universal Studios Orlando, in Florida is not as great as it is made out to be. The way the movie making is presented (mostly shows and “rides” that might as well be shows)gets really old after the first few hours. I personally can’t stand going to Universal Studios Orlando and have to do so quite frequently when friends come to visit, so I know more about the place than I care to. It is definitely interesting and an enjoyable experience but you really don’t need to spend the whole day there and certainly you do not need to go back. The ads make it sound like a great deal if you buy a two day pass, but there really is no reason to go back another day; you’ll waste your money. The lines are pretty short and even on a busy day you can see all the attractions before the mid afternoon. And it’d be one thing if there were sights to view or little shops (quality ones) to stroll through, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. \

The atmosphere is designed to make you feel like you are surrounded by old movies stores and horror shops and basically different types of stores and places that fit in with rides on that section of the park. Problem is, the only places that look interesting do not exist. They are just hollow props that look like buildings and shops! Its a waste of space for them and a let down for us. Rides like Kongfrontation and Earthquake are also such a letdown- they are extremely short and not that exciting. I have to say that almost every ride or show I’ve experienced there, with the exception of Jaws, has left me watching numerous people fidget. People aren’t afraid to go through their purse, or talk to their friend, or read their map during the attractions because they realize they aren’t going to miss anything. They are boring.

I do admit though that my viewpoint is a little myopic surrounding the quality of Universal Studios Orlando as a theme park, and perhaps that is because I am not a big movie fan. Many classics and all time favorite movies that other people constantly quote and name drop the actors names, I rarely have any clue what they are talking about. So I do recognize that it is very possible that Universal Studios Orlando really does have a lot of extremely fascinating things about it and tons of stuff to learn about behind the scenes of favorite shows and past films. So perhaps I’m really missing out on being able to appreciate certain things that others might understand as brilliant methods of making movies. But to review the Universal Studios Orlando theme park as someone who can find fun in anything, I can honestly say that after seeing the park once and enjoying everything as you see them fresh, I never had much interest in going back. I guess I sort of felt that once the secrets were revealed and you already knew the story behind the scenes as they teach you, what’s the point in hearing them say the same things you already know on another date?

However, to make sure that I’m not being too biased as to cheat you out of something you’d really enjoy, I must admit that if you are really interested in movies, you should check Universal Studios Orlando out once, but try to get the 2-day pass, if offered, that allows you into the other Universal Studios theme park, Islands of Adventure. The Islands of Adventure was built a few years ago as a similar sort of theme park to Universal Studios Orlando due to its focus on movie themes and characters in its exhibits, but was designed to be more as a thrilling adventure than the original Universal Studios Orlando. Islands of Adventure has some very advanced and exciting roller coasters and virtual reality rides like Spiderman that are so well done that you actually end up screaming at some points even though you are sitting in a little box car staring at a flat screen directly in front of you. The rides at Islands of Adventure are quite amazing, but from my experience, you can explore this park in less than one day as well. So if you are able to get the two day pass that allows you to jump from Universal Studios Orlando to Islands of Adventure, (they may not offer it during certain seasons), you get a little variation of both fun rides and interesting education.