Studio Tour

I think this was my favorite experience from the day. Although we loved so many things it was hard to choose. I loved seeing the history of the studio and where so many films were made. It’s pretty amazing to see how some of that magic is made. There are some surprises thrown in. I don’t really want to say too much, because it’s much better for your first time for it to be unexpected. We loved the whole thing! Our guide was great too. They have the Fast and the Furious now on the tour. If you visit universal studios, don’t miss this.

Great ride.
When visiting Universal Studios this last week, I actually did remember this ride from long ago (not even sure what age I was). They definitely update the King Kong segment with a scene out of King Kong 2. I think before it had an animatronic king kong and now it has a 3-​D scene from the new movie. They also added a fast and furious segment, which was amazing! Jaws and the subway earthquake segments are still there!

There’s usually a lot of people waiting to get on this «ride» but no worries, the line moves quickly. Make sure to grab your 3-​D glasses before you get on the tram.
The tour has changed since I was last on it a few years back. They’ve added the Fast and Furious segment at the end, king kong vs. t-​rex, and World of Wars set. I’d highly recommend this tour to everyone. It’s a great chance to rest your feet but still be on a ride. :)
Hosted by Jimmy Fallon (who doesn’t love him!?), some places you visit are:
1. Brick wall from Spiderman (It’s fake soft brick that looks real).
2. Set of: Mindy Project, Saving Mr. Banks, Psycho, Desperate Housewives, War of Worlds (the plane is real), Bones, Jaws, and other movies/​shows I’ve never heard of
3. 3-​D fight between King Kong and t-​rex
4. 3-​D getaway/​car chase with Fast & Furious crew

Oh one of the most popular of all of Universal Studios is the Studio Tour now back in the day before Universal became more like a theme park the Studio Tour was mainly the only ride here. So to go back in time… The Studio Tour which back in the day I called the Tram ride was one of the best experiences a lot of the stuff done are not being done now or have been replaced with other stuff. Still back in time we experienced going across the wooden collapsing bridge which you still see today, then they had a tunnel which is now one of the studios where it was a tunnel all white to be like snow the spun around like you were spinning around you know optical illusion lol. A few that we see today was also around back in the day like Jaws, the flooding old town, the parting of the sea and some of the building structures. The studio where they have the earthquake experience today was a battle zone from the 80’s TV Sci Fi show Battlestar Galactica there were also some other cool sets they went on too. So on to today the now lots have changed now we see the houses of Wisteria Lane from the hit show Desperate Housewives to the plane crash scene from Tom Cruise’s film War of the Worlds to King Kong 3D to Norman Bates at the Bates Motel to the new set of the Fast and Furious which was excellent I enjoyed that very much. So I recommend the Studio Tour for sure on your trip to Universal Studios it is a must see and ride and of course they will always add new things to this for years to come.

The Studio Tour is an iconic attraction at Universal Studios. I remember as a kid, I was in awe seeing various sets used in movies as well as the interactive portions of the tour.
It has been almost 13 years since I last visited Universal Studios and the Studio Tour is still one of my favorite things to do at the park. They still have some familiar highlights of the tour such as seeing the clock tower from Back to the Future, JAWS, and even the BART set with the earthquake going off. There are newer additions to the tour now such as the blue wall used for XMEN (which was formally used as a backdrop for ending of The Truman Show), and the Fast & the Furious.
The highlight of the tour for me this time around was when we passed by the Bates Motel, which is one of Alfred Hitchcock’s sets. There’s a visitor that walks out of the motel and I couldn’t stop cracking up on how creepy he was. You can refer to my Business picture to get an idea of what I mean.
It a great tour for everyone, especially if you’re a movie buff. Plus its a nice and relaxing change from all the other rides you’ll experience at Universal Studios too.

If you are visiting Universal Studios, this is a must do. The new addition recently has been the Fast & Furious. Everything about this ride is great. The guides are great, friendly and clear with their narrations. You may get drenched depending on where you end up sitting. I prefer sitting on the left side of the vehicle as most of the attractions will be on your left. Try avoiding the first carriage in the tram as you would have passed the attraction when the guide is explaining something. You will see some of the sets of popular TV serials. I don’t want to ruin the suspense and thrill by explaining every detail. You are at Universal Studios. Have fun!

Such a great, fun, informative tour. Kids of all ages will enjoy this tour. I particularly enjoyed going in the Juradsic Park and Fast&Furious attraction of this tour. I also liked seeing the cars and going to sets of known movies. Really an opportunity for photos and videocams.

My have things changed since I was here about 4 year ago! I’ve been coming here as a kid, and remember Battlestar Gallactica (the original with Lorne Greene) as being the big draw. Now that’s gone, but they did keep Bruce the shark, as well as the flash flood in the Mexican Village.
They added 3D stuff (like most of Universal is 3D), redid King Kong after the fire, added War of the Worlds props, and Fast n Furious finale. Too bad they took away the Earthquake simulation. When did that happen?
The tour even starts off differently, and you go though the area where the Universal workers hang out. That’s new.
Its part of your park admission. Go there first, as the line gets long. Or splurge and get the «front of the line» pass and skip the wait.

The studio tour was REALLY cool!
My friend loves it and couldn’t stop raving about it so I had to check it out. It’s a pretty long tour! Like 30 – 45 minutes for sure.
They do a really great job in describing how everything works behind the scenes in movies and it’s all really impressive. I always grew up wondering how they did certain shots or scenes and they did a really good job in explaining.
A few times the tram is brought into a building and it’ll be sort of a ride feels. You’ll have your 3D glasses on during then.
If I learned anything from this tour is that Universal loves their 3D/​4D stuff but has definitely started to overdo it by a smidge.

What I liked about the studio tour is that they added the 3d King Kong section. That was a lot of fun! Just be careful of you’re sitting on the sides, there’s a chance that you’ll get wet ^_^

The studio tour is a must for anyone who has never been and loves movies. As an LA native, it is cool to come here and experience the changes that come to the tour every now and then. I tend to bring visiting friends here and let them experience the movie making magic that happens on the backlot.
Coming here as the first stop of the day allows you to check out the backlot without waiting in a crazy line. The tour will vary depending on film schedule, but highlights include king Kong 360, the new metropolitan sets, little europe, the skull island miniature set, the Mexico flash flood, amnity island from jaws, the set from war of the world’s and so much more.
During halloween, they change the tour to be a walk through maze which is cool. they also have the whoville set right next to the bates motel set.
I find a lot of the stuff repetitive, but I grew up coming to Universal as a kid. It’s fun to come back and see the faces of those who have never been as well as see the new additions such as the fast and the furious experience.

The best tour of my life!!! Enjoyed it a looooot with my wife and family! So much new info about movies) so enjoyable! Definitely worth the wait! The guid was funny and awesome guy. I welt like i was inside the movie, you dont realize how the movies are shote till you get on this tour! Fast and furious cars are insane ! Thanks god I got the annual pass and will come here again!

The tram ride will always be a favorite of mine, I love the movies and information that they spoke about. I’m a huge Psycho fan so I practically squealed when the infamous Psycho house and motel came into view. Extra bonus points for seeing an Anthony Perkins lookalike.

Absolutely a must do at Universal Studios! The tour guide was really good, well informed, and did a great job explaining and introducing the various scenes and effects we saw.
One of the highlights was watching how a train crash/​earthquake scene is done. You go into a subway station scene and watch a train crash, electric wires crackle and pop, a fire start, and then a flood of water come in. Then you see samples of movies that have used the same set your sitting in on the small screen on the car. We also saw a flood scene that was used in a couple movies as well.
The tour also includes King Kong 360 which is awesome. You’re surrounded by huge screens on a moving track and watch as you make an escape from dinosaurs with the help of Kong. This was really well done and a lot of fun. It’s amazing how they make you feel that you’re driving fast, escaping something, when you’re really just stationary.
You also take part in a Fast and Furious chase/​capture sequence. This one was pretty cool and pretty cheesy. Still a lot of fun though with a lot of cool effects used.
The one disappointment was they didn’t take us through the Back to the Future scenery! I was really excited to see Hill Valley! I think I saw it from high up, but I was really sad we didn’t get an up close look at it. Maybe next time.
Must do at Universal Studios if it’s your first time. If it’s not your first time, you can probably pass as it will likely be the exact same and takes 30+ minutes.

I enjoyed the studio tour, especially at night. It has been over 15 years since I rode this ride. I really enjoyed the King Kong 3D experience. It was fun to see the behind the scenes where all the magic happens. I got excited about seeing wisteria lane because I love the desperate housewives show. A lot has changed in 15 years and I bet it will just keep getting better. I liked how they still kept the classics tho like jaws and psycho. Kudos to the drivers and the tour guides who kept things lively and funny during the ride. Since it was during grinchmas we got to see the residents of whoville perform a song and dance. I think everything is better during Christmas tho, it’s magical. Awwwww

One awesome tour. Waited 1 hr for it and the ride was 1 hr and 30 mins long. One of the longest ride or tour in the park. The line went pretty fast. But had to say I liked the water flood and the earthquake simulation part. The 3d part was amazing too. It a guided tour and getting to see New York City was amazing. As a tip this tour is better done in the day time. At least u will get better pictures

Universal Studios has turned into a plethora of 3D simulations. I love them, I just tend to get a little motion sickness sometimes. With that said, the Studio Tour is my favorite part of the park.
Every time there’s something new or different to look at. There’s always different sets and crews taking over the backlot so the route isn’t always the same.
The past 2 times I went, I didn’t get to drive through the Metro New York area. The Europe area is also closed for refurbishment.
One thing I really enjoy, Norman Bates is always present. Whether he is standing outside the iconic house with his knife, or doing something sneaky by the motel, he always makes an appearance.
During Grinchmas, they have dancers come out and do a number when you get to Whoville. They also decorate the set for Christmas!
The newest additions to the tour, King Kong and Fast & the Furious, are both 3D simulations, but unlike all the other rides and rather very unique to the tour.
You should definitely ride the Studio Tour, it is a MUST SEE at Universal Studios!

The studio tour is the best thing to do at Universal Studios. It’s great seeing settings of actual movies and tv shows; like the neighborhood in Desperate Housewives, or the plane crash scene in War of the Worlds, and my favorite the Psycho house and Bates Motel!
The lines are always extremely long, my boyfriend and I came around 4 and it was an hour wait. Luckily for us my dads company rented out Universal; so the studio tour closed for everyone at 6:15, but for us the studio tour kept going until 9pm ;)
We came back around 6:30 and it was empty; didn’t have to wait in line at all. Didn’t even have to sit next to anyone on the tram. It was great!
The 3D parts of the tour are fun! It’s just like being on a ride! King Kong and the new ride Fast and Furious were both amazing, they did a great job on the 3D and making it look so real.
If you come to Universal Studios I definitely recommend taking the studio tour, it’s a fun time!

We waited 45 minutes for this, but the lines move fast. They have shade in most of the waiting area as well as misters which really help with the heat.
The kids really enjoyed themselves, especially the Bart and King Kong part ;)

This is one of the best parts of the theme park. Bring your kids, sit back, and enjoy 45 minutes of a guided tour of Universal and actual sound stages. You’ll also get to experience King Kong in 3D and Fast and Furious. You’ll get a little wet on both KK and FF so make sure you sit in the middle if you don’t want to get wet.
This ride is good post a few rides when you just want to sit back and relax. Or after lunch if you just want to relax.

Aside from seeing a set or 2 that’s been used in recent filming, everything is the exact same as I remember it from back in the 90s. Not to say that is a bad thing. It’s nice when you want to just sit back and relax for a bit. The King Kong experience is pretty awesome and I’m excited to go back and see the Fast and Furious experience

We went almost immediately to go do the Studio Tour because of it’s popularity. We waited about 20 – 30 minutes but the wait was worth it as the Studio Tour was lengthy and pretty fun. There are two 3D experiences included in the ride (right now it’s King Kong and Fast and Furious) along with an earthquake experience. All are pretty fun.
I knew most of the things that the tour guide told me but that’s probably because I’m a huge cinephile and familiar with Los Angeles history. However it was really cool to see all of the buildings and sets where things were filmed.
WARNING: You will get wet on this experience if you sit towards the outside of the car. I was sprayed with so much water during King Kong that my side was wet. It even got in my eye at one point because I was actually looking AT the experience. No big deal, though, because it was a hot day and I dried off. However, I still think it was a little too much water.
The fire effects were cool on the rides but man it actually made me kinda scared! I guess that’s movie magic for you.
It’s a fun thing to go do once, but I can’t see myself wanting to do it again and again because I doubt they update the ride that much (they just added Fast and Furious onto the Tour).

Beginning my day at universal studios in the morning was here — at the studio tour. I ended up waiting about 75 minutes, but it wasn’t to bad considering I met many new people from all over the world. It’s never bad to build connections, especially while waiting in a line.
After getting onto the tram, which was the second one, seated on the far left on the middle row, the tour began. I had a pretty good view, but everything on the right side was pretty much out of reach. Too many other tourists. Pretty much my glimpse of everything on the right side was through the screens of other people’s iPhones.
Aside from that, the show began kind of slow, talking about the studios and sound stages. He talked about the history of the studio, and about some upcoming shows which felt kind of «advertise-​y». I still remember what the guide said, it went along the lines of «Here is the sound stage where we’re building our new show, Supermarket featuring some actor/​actress which shows every Saturday at 9 on whatever network. But I suppose it was pretty cool seeing a set look so realistic, even if it was through a door with 3 construction workers standing directly in front of it.
After that though, things really started to pick up, and this is where it earned my stars. This was during the 3D experiences, as well as the new Fast and Furious experience as well. It looks like the actors are really there, even though it’s just a screen. The experience was fast-​paced, fun, exciting and was filled with thrill. It was a blast!
Other highlights of the tour was during the flash flood flood part, the murderer guy, and the jaws scene. (even though I only saw some fire through their screens, it was on the right side.) However, aside from the 3D experiences something that really took a place in my mind was the airplane wreck scenario area. It was stunning!
Jimmy Kimmel was alright, but everything just felt kind of too corny and trying to hard. Absolutely great tour otherwise! Make sure to see it if you’re ever at Universal Studios, IF the wait is under 100 minutes oh my. fyi, on a Saturday afternoon wait times could get up to 120 minutes.

Great tour and a must if you’re at Universal Studios.
Make this one of your first stops in Universal Studios, if not your very first since this does take almost an hour and the lines could get long for this. You can get front of the line passes for more, but you don’t need to spend if you get here early enough. We got here when the park opened and there was no wait and we got front seats in the second car.
As far as the cars go, there are some decent seats and spots — but things happen at both sides. If you want to experience the flood, sit on the left 3^rd car. If you want the full experience of Jaws, sit on the right side about the 3^rd car. If you just need to take pictures of the clock tower from back to the future, you need to be on the left. The left side applies to seeing the movie cars. Right side for the Bates Motel. And on and on. You could probably better prepare yourself if you watch one of those Youtube tour videos to see which side you want to sit on and which car. I wouldn’t recommend the first car though.
They have videos playing during the tour with comedic moments from Jimmy Fallon. Well put together, but I didn’t watch as much as I wanted to take as much as the live surroundings had to offer. There’s a little bit for almost everyone on the tour and something should peak an interest along the way. They’re seemingly always tweaking something, so there’s usually something new whether minor or more.
There’s 2 4D type experiences here. One is King King which you need 3D glasses for. The other is now Fast & the Furious (which I think replaced the Mummy) which you’ll also need the glasses for. Both are well done with plenty to look at in both directions no matter where you sit. You’ll be placed in a subway tunnel for some special effects, in an area with a storm, and of course be driven past many sets and some historic areas.
The tour guide is very pleasant and entertaining.
So you can either sit back and enjoy or get the cameras out, but this tour is worth coming here alone and certainly worth it for any movie/​TV show fan. Highly recommended.

The classic attraction at this park. It’s changed a little over the years, but they still show you some things from the past like the Psycho house, the city street scape, Jaws, and other sets from Murder She Wrote and other movies. I like the new King Kong part of it. Definitely executed well. The tour is informative and great for all ages. I just wonder if younger generations have even heard of many of the movies that they reference.

I think this is my favorite things to do at the park. So much great stuff packed into one tour. Now there are small so called rides on this tour which make it all the more entertaining. I was here earlier in the day and the line was rather short. The tour is full of knowledge and all sorts of fun sets from movie here and then. This is a must ride if you go to universal. Heck I would say it is the flagship of the whole Universal experience. Do not miss this tour. You will never know what you are missing. I will say I have taken the tour twice now and they have updated it nicely in the 7 years since I last took it. New sets, New twist mixed in with some of the old stand byes. Great Tour.

I was looking forward to this tour more than any other part of the Universal Studios experience, but unfortunately found it came up short. The experience began with a rather lengthy wait, even though we had Front Of Line Passes — it’s just that mobbed.
I wouldn’t mind the wait, but it didn’t feel worth it. You sit on long tram trains as you tour the studio, listening to your guide, who you can’t actually see except for on video screens, and who is rattling off a semi-​humorous script for what is obviously the umpteenth time of the day with forced cheer. Periodically the video of her cuts away to Jimmy Kimmel skits that are nearly unbearable to watch — just not funny.
There isn’t much to see for the beginning of the tour, unless you enjoy looking at the outside of windowless buildings. It picks up a bit for a King Kong 3D experience. After that, there is some fun seeing the sets: Norman Bates hotel from Psycho, Wisteria Lane from Desperate Housewives, and the Lake and Island from Jaws were high points.
I would have preferred more detail about the history of the filming of the movies and shows involved, and less of the on-​board «entertaining» that wasn’t.

The studio tour, in my opinion, is the reason to go to Universal Studios. Sure, the theme park is cool and all, but the rides and other attractions don’t stand out. But nothing screams LA more than movie studios, and the backlot tour makes you a great inside look at Hollywood’s industry.
The ride seems to take around 45 minutes, during which time you’ll get to see sets and props from many films that were shot on the backlot. The shark from Jaws will attack your tram, you’ll get to see how they make rain on the set, and you’ll see miniature cities that were built and used in movies. Additionally, if you’re lucky, you may get to see a movie or show filming from afar. (My first time there, we saw Desperate Housewives shooting).
The tour is very informative and very fun. Before I lived in LA, it was a highlight of my tourist experiences. Additionally, the tour is now conducted in multiple languages, and the shade situation in the summer while you wait for a tram seems to have improved.

If you’re visiting Los Angeles, one of the MUST SEE stops is the Universal Studios «Studio Tour.» Seriously. You can’t be a thorough tourist if you haven’t hit up this attraction.
During this approx. 45 minute tour, you ride on a long tram car with a guide who explains the movie magic and history of Universal Studios. You enjoy some peaks into current projects and a glimpse into the past. Without spoiling too much, I’d advise you to watch out for JAWS, Psycho, some crazy dinosaurs and a huge plane crash.
This tour is definitely the primary attraction of Universal Studios and is easily 5 stars. Enjoy the ride!

This is the most legendary ride in Universal Studios. It’s been here since I was born and I first came here when I was like 4 years old and some dude put me up on stage to ride with E.T. the loveable alien. It’s been a staple of my life ever since. No trip to Universal Studios is complete without a visit to the Studio Tour!
The line is always on the longer side, and it was pretty horrible as the day we decided to grace this place was freezing cold. So while we were in line, we were freezing cold. Once we got on the actual studio bus, we were still freezing cold. The cold never gave us a chance, and since this is a long outside ride, lets just say, it wasn’t the warmest experience.
It last about an hour, so you will get your time’s worth. You’ll see the old and the new as well Jaws! You gotta love jaws. They removed the animatronic King Kong and replaced him with a TV type projection. It was cool, but nothing beats animatronics in my book.
You’ll see the old studios and you’ll hear a bunch of lame jokes from you host and watch Jimmy Fallon on the TV monitor for a while. Used to be Jay Leno I believe.
Either way, it’s a fun experience and you can’t go to Universal Studios without coming here or you will have to face the wrath of the studio ghosts!

This would be a must to do as you in Universal studio and off course have to visit the studio. The tour isn’t long about 45 mins and the King Kong ride (best ride in the park) makes the tour even more worth it.
We were taken through sets of Desperate Housewives neighbourhood, beach from Jaws, forest from Jurassic Park and much much more.
In the end the tour caps it of with the 3D King Kong ride with Tram moving and shaking around. The concept of the ride is King Kong vs the dinosaurs and sequence was taken from the last movie of king kong. Make sure to follow King Kong on both big giant screen.
Its a must DO!

Ce n’est pas le meilleur studio tour de LA mais c’est quand même sympa. On peut y voir les décors de nombreux films, notamment la Guerre des Mondes, Bruce Tout Puissant, Retour vers le Futur, Desperate Housewives… on croise les voitures célèbres (K 2000, Fast and Furious…) et on profite même d’une attraction 3D (le train entre dans un tunnel et l’on assiste à une belle projection sur écran Imax dans un immense simulateur). Les effets spéciaux nous sont expliqués via des démos en direct (pluie, torrents, feu, tremblement de terre…) et le parcours est assez long sans être ennuyeux.
Les instructions de Jimmy Fallon à l’écran sont très drôles, et les guides sont sympas.
A noter: lors de notre passage en février 2014, un tournage était en cours ce qui a un peu ralenti le train, et le passage dans le lac près de Requin des Dents de la Mer était suspendu (tran dévié, lac vidé et requin en maintenance).