ood is split into two areas on different levels, connected by a series of escalators called the Starway. These areas are known as the Upper lot and Lower lot. As of January 2013, Universal Studios Hollywood contains 5 shows, 5 rides, and 2 play areas for children. Each lot features a collection of rides, shows and attractions as well as food, beverage and merchandise shops.[22][23][24] Upper lot[edit] The lower lot is home to 3 current rides: The Mummy's Revenge indoor roller coaster, Transformers 3D Ride (dark ride) & Jurassic Park (water ride).

ime show was replaced with Coke Soak. In 1999, T2 3-D: Battle Across Time and a Chicken Run Walkthrough opened on the upper lot. Additionally, Beetlejuice's Rock and Roll Graveyard Revue was closed.
In 2000, the Rugrats Magic Adventure replaced Totally Nickelodeon. In 2001, the Nickelodeon Blast Zone opened. Also in 2001, Animal Planet Live replaced the Animal Actors School Stage. In 2002, the Special Effects Stages replaced The World of CineMagic, Spider-Man Rocks opened where Beetlejuice's Rock and Roll Graveyard Revue once stood and The Mummy Returns: Chamber of Doom replaced Chicken Run Walkthrough. The Wild Wild Wild West Stunt Show was also closed and has yet to receive a replacement. In 2003, Shrek 4-D replaced Rugrats Magic Adventure on the Upper Lot. Additionally, E.T Adventure was closed to make way for Revenge of The Mummy The Ride which opened in the following year. In 2004, Van Helsing: Fortress Dracula replaced The Mummy Returns: Chamber of Doom. The following year, Fear Factor Live replaced Spider-Man Rocks. In 2007, Universal's House of Horrors opened, replacing Van Helsing: Fortress Dracula. Both Lucy: A Tribute and Back to the Future: The Ride were closed, prior to being replaced in 2008 by The Simpsons Ride and The Universal Story Museum respectively. Also in 2008, the Nickelodeon Blast Zone was rebranded to The Adventures of Curious George. In 2009, Creature from the Black Lagoon: The Musical replaced Fear Factor Live in the Upper Lot.
In 2010, the Special Effects Stages and Backdraft attractions were closed to make way for Transformers: The Ride which was announced in 2008 (Special Effects Stages was moved to the former Creature From The Black Lagoon building and reopened as Special Effects Stage).[19] King Kong 360 3-D also opened. On May 24, 2012, Transformers: The Ride opened on the Lower Lot.[19] On December 31, 2012, Universal Studios Hollywood closed T2 3-D: Battle Across Time for Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem, the attraction at Universal Studios Florida, set to come in the April of 2014. [20]
Universal Studios Hollywood has plans to open The Wizarding World of Harry Potter which will feature the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride sometime in 2015-2016.[21]
Former attractions[edit]
See also: List of former Universal Studios Hollywood attractions
Like all theme parks, attractions are sometimes closed due to age - or sometimes just due to sheer lack of space - and replaced with more contemporary attractions. Universal has seen this action used a great deal of times, with many attraction closures. The following is a timeline of the notable events in Universal Studios Hollywood's history.
Park layout[edit]

Universal Studios Hollywood is split into two areas on different levels, connected by a series of escalators called the Starway. These areas are known as the Upper lot and Lower lot. As of January 2013, Universal Studios Hollywood contains 5 shows, 5 rides, and 2 play areas for children. Each lot features a collection of rides, shows and attractions as well as food, beverage and merchandise shops.[22][23][24]
Upper lot[edit]


The lower lot is home to 3 current rides: The Mummy's Revenge indoor roller coaster, Transformers 3D Ride (dark ride) & Jurassic Park (water ride).


Entrance to Jurassic Park, the only water ride at Universal Studios Hollywood.


The Mummy's revenge is an indoor roller coaster. The 1 minute and 30 second ride coaster operates at 45 miles per hour. The warning sign says the ride includes backward motion.
The Upper lot is home to a variety of family based shows. It is also home to many dining and merchandise shops as well as the park's entrance. For older guests the park offers Universal's House of Horrors, a year-round haunted house. The Upper lot is home to all of the park's 5 shows including The Blues Brothers Revue, the Universal's Animal Actors Show, the Special Effects Stage, Waterworld: A Live Sea War Spectacular and Shrek 4-D, a 3-D film which features additional immerse features.[22] There are 2 rides located on the upper lot which include: the Studio Tour and the The Simpsons Ride are offered. The Studio Tour is a 45 minute ride which uses tram vehicles to take the visitors to the theme park's back-lot. The tour is the signature ride at the theme park and the wait time varies by day and seasons. The wait time ranges from 5-80 minutes, depending on the amount of visito

n August 2008, Universal changed its position and decided to rebuild the King Kong attraction, basing the new attraction on the 2005 film adaptation. Attraction history[edit] In 1965, The War Lord To

ire broke out on the backlot of Universal Studios. The fire started when a worker using an acetylene torch for welding accidentally let it set fire to the surroundings.[12][13] The Los Angeles County Fire Department had reported that Brownstone Street, New York Street, New England Street, the King Kong attraction, some structures that make up Courthouse Square, and the Video Vault had burned down (not to be confused with the actual Film Vault, The Video Vault contains the duplicates of the films). Aerial news footage showed the miraculous survival of the Courthouse building survived the fire (for a third time) with only the west side of it being slightly charred. Over 516 firefighters[13] from various local fire departments, as well as two helicopters dropping water, had responded to the fire. Fourteen firefighters and three Los Angeles County sheriffs' deputies sustained minor injuries. The fire was finally put out after 12 hours, since firefighters encountered low water pressure.
Destroyed were 40,000 to 50,000 archived digital video and film copies chronicling Universal's movie and TV classic shows, dating back to the 1920s, including the films Knocked Up and Atonement, the NBC series Law & Order, The Office, and Miami Vice, and CBS's I Love Lucy.[14][15][16] Many audio master tapes from Universal Music have been destroyed as well.[17] Universal president Ron Meyer stated that nothing irreplaceable was lost, meaning everything will be rebuilt again, at a price of at least $50 million. Days after the fire, however, it was reported that the King Kong attraction would not be rebuilt and would eventually be replaced by a new attraction that had yet to be announced.[18] In August 2008, Universal changed its position and decided to rebuild the King Kong attraction, basing the new attraction on the 2005 film adaptation.
Attraction history[edit]
In 1965, The War Lord Tower opened as one of the first attractions in the theme park. This was followed by the opening of the Animal Actors School Stage in 1970. In 1974, the Rockslide staged event was added to the Studio Tour. The following year The Land of a Thousand Faces opened on the Upper Lot. In 1979, The Battle of Galactica replaced Rockslide as a staged event on the Studio Tour. In 1980, Universal Studios Hollywood replaced The Land of a Thousand Faces with the Castle Dracula Live Show. The Wild Wild Wild West Stunt Show also opened in the same year. In 1983, The Adventures of Conan: A Sword and Sorcery Spectacular opened, replacing the Castle Dracula Live Show. In 1984, The Screen Test Theatre was closed and replaced by Star Trek Adventure. The A-Team Live Stunt Show also opened. In 1986, the park added the King Kong Encounter to the Studio Tour. The following year the A-Team Live Stunt Show was replaced with Miami Vice Action Spectacular.
In 1990, An American Tail and Fievel's Playland opened on the Upper Lot. This was followed by the opening of E.T. Adventure, Lucy: A Tribute and The World of CineMagic in 1991. In 1992, Backdraft and Rocky and Bullwinkle Live opened. Beetlejuice's Rock and Roll Graveyard Revue also began, replacing The Adventures of Conan: A Sword and Sorcery Spectacular on the Upper Lot. In 1993, the Battle of Galactica event on the Studio Tour was removed and the area was utilised for Back to the Future: The Ride. In 1994, Spectrablast opened for a limited season. Both Spectrablast and Miami Vice Action Spectacular were replaced later in the year by Waterworld: A Live Sea War Spectacular. The Flintstones Show opened, replacing the Star Trek Adventure. In 1996, Jurassic Park: The Ride opened. In 1997, two shows were replaced: The Land Before Time show replaced Rocky and Bullwinkle Live; and Totally Nickelodeon replaced The Flintstones Show. Just one year after it opened, The Land Before T

ded a lunch box containing chicken inside. There was also a chance to buy fresh produce, since then-rural Universal City was still in part a working farm. This original tour was discontinued in around 1930, due to the advent of sound films coming to Universal.[1] The arrival of Universal Studios Hollywood (the theme park)[edit] Shortly after Music Corporation of America took over Universal Pictures in 1962, accountants suggested a new tour in the studio

Contents  [hide]
1 History
1.1 The first studio tour
1.2 The arrival of Universal Studios Hollywood (the theme park)
1.3 Backlot fires
1.4 Attraction history
1.5 Former attractions
2 Park layout
2.1 Upper lot
2.1.1 Rides
2.2 Lower lot
2.2.1 Rides
3 Park characters
4 Public transportation
5 References
6 External links
History[edit]

The first studio tour[edit]
From the beginning, Universal had offered tours of its studio. After Carl Laemmle opened Universal City on March 14, 1915, he would later invite the general public to see all the action for an admission fee of just $0.05, which also included a lunch box containing chicken inside. There was also a chance to buy fresh produce, since then-rural Universal City was still in part a working farm. This original tour was discontinued in around 1930, due to the advent of sound films coming to Universal.[1]
The arrival of Universal Studios Hollywood (the theme park)[edit]
Shortly after Music Corporation of America took over Universal Pictures in 1962, accountants suggested a new tour in the studio commissary would increase profits. On July 15, 1964, the modern tour was established to include a series of dressing room walk-throughs, peeks at actual production, and later, staged events.[1] This grew over the years into a full-blown theme park. The narrated tram tour (formerly "GlamorTrams"[2]) still runs through the studio's active backlot, but the staged events, stunt demonstrations and high-tech rides overshadow the motion-picture production that once lured fans to Universal Studios Hollywood.[1][3]
Backlot fires[edit]
Universal Studios Hollywood's backlot has been damaged by fire 9 times throughout its history.[4] The first was in 1932 when embers from a nearby brush fire were blown towards the backlot causing 4 movie sets to be destroyed and over $100,000 damage.[5] Seventeen years later in 1949 another brush fire caused the complete destruction of one building and damage to two others.[6] In 1957, the New York street film studio set was destroyed by an arson fire causing half a million dollars damage.[7] Ten years later, in 1967, twice as much damage was done when the Little Europe area and part of Spartacus Square was destroyed. It also destroyed the European, Denver and Laramie street sets.[8] In 1987, the remaining portion of Spartacus Square was destroyed along with street sets and other buildings. As with the 1957 fire, this was suspected to be the result of an arsonist.[9] Just three years later another deliberate fire was started in the backlot. The New York Street set, the Ben Hur set and the majority of Courthouse Square was destroyed.[10] In 1997, the seventh fire occurred at the backlot.[4] A portion of the Courthouse Square was again destroyed leaving the Courthouse itself to live another day.[11]
The most damage was done on June 1, 2008 when a three alarm f