The drive to universal I hated, LA is a smelly town but once at our destination we had a great time. It was a more adult feel compared to disneyland . The older ride are outdated but still fun. The new rides are incredible. The props show is great to see. When you arrive plan your time well (shows are at certain times only) so you can see everything. The Studio tour was lots of fun, and bring lots of film, and extra batteries for those digital cameras. Plan on spending a whole day at universal and like all tourist traps try going during the winter season.

Both Universal Hollywood and Orlando rate excellent for the morale of their employees. Everyone seems to be enjoying their job! The park is clean and we enjoyed the rides. My kids really loved getting to see their favorite characters.

Find out if your company offers employees a "Universal Fan Club" card. We paid only $30 for entrance as compared to the regular $52 price tag. We also saved at restaurants and shops in Universal City Walk and within the park. Your next good discount card would be AAA. Universal Studios doesn't have a "Fast Pass" like Disneyland, but they do offer a "Child Switch" so you and your spouse can take turns on the ride while the other watches younger children in a room with toys and videos and you don't have to go back to the end of the line. Plenty of fun things to do and see for all ages in one day. We stayed at the Sheraton Hotel across the street for $139 with our "Fan Club" card where we sat in the jacuzzi with a child actor and saw George Forman. We ate breakfast at the western restaurant right outside the entrance of Universal Studios, where our waiter was also an actor (of course). Servings there are HUGE so we never even stopped for lunch and could spend more time doing stuff at Universal Studios. Bring a water bottle though, because drinks are expensive and drinking fountains are hard to find. Universal Citywalk has special discounts on parking and movies and even free dinners for kids....check out their web site to print coupons. Have fun!

Just got back from 2 days at Universal (Apr 7 and 8). The Van Helsing castle was a disappointment. It was like your local haunted houses on Halloween. Not scary at all. I think they can do much more with this attraction. There was never waiting there, which speaks volumes. Why don't they have the shadow of the wolf growing on the walls? That would be cool. The Back to the Future ride is getting a little dated; the way you are directed through the ante-rooms is pretty corny, but once you're on the "ride" it is great fun (think Star Tours, but a bit better), but now that we are getting used to digital, the IMAX effect seems dated, too. The Waterworld show is spectacular, and so much fun! The actors/stunt folks make it fun from the moment you walk in until you leave. BTW - you don't need front of line pass to stay after and see the props or speak to the cast - it's there for everyone. Please don't be intimidated by the 84 ft fall from Jurassic Park; my kid almost made himself sick thinking about going on that ride, but once he did, he LOVED IT!! We went on it over and over and over. Smooth ride down - wonderful thrill. We didn't even get wet. If you sit in the second or third rows, middle, you WILL NOT get wet. The Return of the Mummy takes off like the California Screamin' roller coaster, but you're in the dark. It is pretty darn fast - quite a G-force on take off, and guess what? You get to do it backwards, too. I'm kind of a sissy about these things, but, hey, after my first ride, screaming with my eyes closed, I had to do it again (and again) so I could watch the graphics on the walls. Very fast ride. Quite a thrill. Studio tour is fun. Blues Brothers revue is fun to watch - once, otherwise, it is the same musical over and over and over, but I guess so is Waterworld, but the stunts are spectacular you have to see more than once. The Nickelodeon water park is a must for the hot days and your kids. Bring their bathing suits - it is too fun. Even for the grown ups. There are plenty of characters walking around, and we had no problem getting photos with ALL of them. The hero characters, Marilynn Monroe, Beetlejuice (who literally belches in your ear) and the Nutty Professor who looked very authentic and had the voice down pat. Like anywhere, the food venues are $$$ expensive; get the hand stamp, go to Citywalk right outside the entry, eat, relax, enjoy, and return to the park. The Lucy Tribute is basically a Lucille Ball museum with many on-loan items such as some of her emmy's and scripts, etc., lots of photos, memorabilia, clothing, and a documentary that runs every 45 minutes, but you don't have to wait outside, it's on a loop. The Shrek 4-D is more like a two-part thing; the waiting area forces you to stand through about a 10 (seemed like 15) minute prop skit, and projection, and then you were let into the theater which was a fun 4-D effect (the 4th dimension being "feeling" things - I won't give it away); Terminator 2 3D was the same, you have to stand through a projection deal with a live person, and then enter the theater which was a mix of movie and live actors. We had a great time!