Universal Studios Hollywood vs.

Orlando: Which is better?

Scott Craven, The Republic | azcentral.comPublished 9:42 a.m. MT July 22, 2016 | Updated 12:53 p.m. MT Jan. 26, 2018

Diagon Alley at Universal Studios. Jeff Metcalfe/The Republic

(Photo: Scott Craven/The Republic)

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Now that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is open in Southern California, why would
anyone fly 1,800 miles to a hot, humid, alligator-infested place to see essentially the
same thing?

A few years ago, it was clear the better Universal Studios was in Orlando.

But when the Hollywood theme park opened the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and
then a zombie-infested maze based on "The Walking Dead," that gap was narrowed
considerably, especially for those living much closer to California.

So which is the best to visit when it comes to overall experience?

It's still Universal Studios Orlando.

Studio Tour
Studio Tour is an excellent narrated ride in Upper Lot and one of the best
attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood.

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Started in 1964, the Studio Tour was the original (and, at first, only) attraction
at Universal Studios Hollywood. The 45-minute tour, hosted by a guide and
supplemented by on-ride HD video screens, takes you past the front lot
soundstages and backlot sets where thousands of films, television shows and
commercials have been filmed over the years.

On your way past these sets, you will pass several special effects
demonstrations created specifically for the tour, including a simulated
Earthquake in a San Francisco BART station, a Flash Flood in Old Mexico, and
an attack by Bruce the shark from Jaws... in a New England seaside village
that later was used as the set for Cabot Cove, Maine in "Murder, She Wrote."
A fire on June 1, 2008 destroyed some sections of the Studio Tour, including
the original King Kong encounter and the Courthouse Square set featured in
"Back to the Future." A new 3D, 360-degree King Kong experience opened in
2010, and in 2011 the Studio Tour's on-board video presentation was re-
written and re-filmed with host Jimmy Fallon.

In June 2015, a new "Fast & Furious: Supercharged" 4D encounter debuted as

the final act on the tour. Featuring many of the stars of the "Fast & Furious"
movies, the encounter takes you on a simulated high-speed (and explosive)
chase through downtown Los Angeles.