Our Trip to Universal Studios Hollywood Part 2: Jurassic Park, The Mummy & Transformers (Trips & Travels)

I continue my review of Universal Studios LA with the park’s Lower Lot.  To see Part 1, click the link here!

Jurassic Park: The Ride:

Jurassic Park: The Ride, is Universal’s oldest ride still in operation (not counting the Tour Guide), being completed back in 1996.  The ride’s age is evident compared to the other attractions—the lines are basic with only small, barely audible TV screens to entertain (for any average amusement park line this would be advanced, but for Universal line standards it’s downright primitive).  Nowhere does the ride rely on special effects or 3-D technology—being a good old-fashion log flume ride with real props and animatronic dinosaurs.  The dinosaurs are impressive to see up close, though the immersion is somewhat ruined by some of them falling apart from age.  The carnivore dinosaurs held up better due to their placement as jump scares in darker areas.  I particularly enjoyed the multiple water-squirting Dilophosaurus stealthily placed throughout the ride to spray unsuspecting riders.

My wife and I ended up being the first ones to ride Jurassic Park as soon as it opened…that ended up being a major mistake.  Turns out starting up a giant, complex amusement park ride requires a lot of time, meaning our ride was essentially the test ride to make sure everything was running soundly.  As a result, we got to experience multiple bugs throughout the ride, such as music and dialogue being cut abruptly short, carts stopping at inappropriate times (ruining jump scares) and animatronics not fully functioning.  By our second time around riding (which was much later in the day), all the bugs had been fixed, though by then the line had grown from a 0-minute wait to a 70-minute wait.  On both instances, however, the best, most exhilarating part of the ride is the huge 80-foot waterfall drop where a T-Rex comes right out of nowhere to conveniently block the riders from a waterfall pouring on them.

Revenge of the Mummy:

Revenge of the Mummy is a super-fast, heart-racing blast that takes place almost entirely in the dark—lit up merely by its freaky visual effects.  It’s certainly one of my favorite Universal rides based purely on adrenaline, and I love how it unexpectedly goes backward halfway through the ride.  Even my wife, who got very queasy from riding it twice, said it was one of her favorites.  My only gripe with Revenge of the Mummy is the ride’s short length, as it ends just as it’s getting really good and left me desiring more (though perhaps that’s the plan, as we did end up riding it twice).

Transformers: The Ride:

It’s better than the movies…the end.

Alright, alright, Transformers: The Ride is an absolute blast with a fantastic combination of effective 3-D, 4-D, and bench movement (though I did get a bit motion sick by the end thanks to the ride’s erratic movements).  Yet what I truly appreciate is the effort placed into Transformers’ line as it builds up the ride's plot with cheesy, entertaining story information.  It’s a great distraction from the lengthy wait (we had to wait about 30 minutes) and makes the line feel swifter as a barrage of TV screens continuously inform us new recruits what’s going on, what the mission is, and how to prepare—all the while characters such as Optimums Prime and the Vice President either wish us good luck or tell us to turn back now!  The ride’s plot is better than its actual movies for similar reasons to Minion Mayhem: it’s quick, doesn’t take itself too seriously, and focuses primarily on the Transformers.