Universal Studios

Hi friends, today I’m recapping our day at Universal Studios! Yay, we finally made it there after initially thinking we’d miss out because of the devastating LA fires. Universal Studios closed for two days and reopened on Friday, and we were lucky enough to go on Saturday when the sky was so blue you’d never guess the area had been covered in smoke just days before.

Before I start, I have to say that we were in a happy travel bubble. While we knew about the fires, we didn’t fully grasp how bad they were. We weren’t following the news at all. We were just focused on what was right in front of us. And on Saturday, that meant nothing but glorious, clear blue skies.

 What we didn’t realise was that back home, our family and friends were glued to the news, watching the unfolding disaster and worrying about us. It wasn’t until I caught up with a friend a week after I got back home that I understood just how serious things had been. She told me the coverage was on all day, on almost every channel.

It also made sense why my son had called me that Saturday morning, practically begging me to get out of LA and avoid Universal Studios since it was closer to the fires. No matter how much I reassured him we were safe, he wasn’t convinced. I could tell that if the roles were reversed, I would have definitely felt the same way.

After the call, I didn’t feel great. My eldest and I have a wonderful relationship, and it was hard to hear how worried he was. I also felt a little like the naughty kid who had disobeyed their parent!

But once we worked it out (after many texts and conversations), the excitement of the day took over. So now it’s time to share all the amazing moments from our day at Universal Studios. Along with another gazillion photos!

Nintendo World

First stop Nintendo World where it felt like you were in the actual video game!

Springfield

I’m not a huge Simpsons fan, but part of my “research” for the trip involved watching a few episodes. Walking through Springfield at Universal, I was amazed by how they brought the show to life. Even as a casual viewer, it was so fun to see it all in person.

Transformers

I’m a huge Transformers fan, so meeting Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, and Megatron was so cool! Megatron was the cheekiest and came out with the funniest lines. I was a tiny bit nervous around him, haha! It was such a fun experience, and we all loved how the characters stayed true to their on-screen personalities.

The Transformers ride was so much fun, too! We were lucky that we got to go on it because not long after, it was shut down for the rest of the day!

Jurassic Park Ride

My clever cousin brought ponchos for all of us so we wouldn’t get wet on the ride. We ended up looking like walking Bunnings ads (an Australian hardware store)! But we stayed dry and were totally prepared for the splash zone! Thank you, Cousin J!

I’m scared of dinosaurs—even though I know they’re not real, they sure look and sound real! So, I may have ridden this ride with one eye open and one eye closed. By the end, though, both eyes were definitely shut tight. If you know, you know!

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

My younger cousin couldn’t believe I had only watched the first Harry Potter movie. She’s watched them all and read some of the books! But luckily, I did watch at least one so I could appreciate the experience of being in such a realistic Harry Potter world. The ride was amazing, and I fully enjoyed it with mostly two eyes open!

Studio Tour

I think the Studio Tour was the highlight of the day for me. I loved seeing all the sets and hearing all about what movies were made there. It was fascinating! But it also wasn’t like your usual tour with a guide doing a lot of talking. You didn’t just sit back and listen. No sir! You got to experience it all firsthand.

There were special effects, interactive exhibits, and even moments where you felt like you were part of the action. It wasn’t just a tour–it was like you were in a movie! Truly amazing!!

Haha! At the Bates Motel, an actor came out, stuffed a pretend body in the boot, and then chased our tour tram with a knife!

The Psycho house-yikes!

I think this is where War of the Worlds was filmed—the plane crash disaster set-up looked a little too realistic!

Can you hear the soundtrack as soon as you see this?

The iconic pillars from Back to the Future!

We had such a wonderful time!

Sigh! It was sad to leave, and once again, we made so many wonderful memories. I always feel so nostalgic writing these recaps, but it’s a great way to document such an amazing time!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you have a wonderful day!