Line #95 Ride/StudioTour


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/studio_tour.jpg]]
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3	The ''Studio Tour'' (previously known as the ''Universal Studios Tour'') is the main attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood, and also the very first Ride/UniversalStudios attraction in history. [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin As its title suggests]], the ride takes guests on a tour of Universal's backlot, and features both educational elements about the studio and its history and moments of pure entertainment.
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5	The tour's origins goes all the way back to 1915, just three years after the founding of Universal Pictures. The "tour" at this time cost just 25 cents, and allowed the public to explore the Universal City studio lot and watch films being shot up-close. This version of the tour was successful, but closed down in 1930 when the MediaNotes/RiseOfTheTalkies suddenly meant that rowdy crowds of spectators were no longer welcome on film sets. The tram tour as we mostly know it today was introduced in 1964 under the name "[=GlamorTrams=]". Since then, the tour has constantly evolved with both the times and changes the backlot has undergone over the years.
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7	Due to the sheer size of Creator/{{Universal}}'s backlot, the tour consists of many sections, varying between the studio's sets and props and numerous detours through sequences dedicated to the studio's films. The tour is hosted by both a live host and by a celebrity via video footage. Celebrities that have hosted the ride include Creator/WhoopiGoldberg and currently Creator/JimmyFallon.
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10	[[folder:Current sequences on the tour:]]
11	* ''Metropolitan Area'': The studio's big city sets, which includes the Clock Tower from ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture''.
12	* ''King Kong 360 3-D'': A motion simulation attraction that puts guests in the middle of a battle between [[Film/KingKong2005 Kong]] and the inhabitants of Skull Island. Later became the inspiration for the ''Ride/SkullIslandReignOfKong'' ride at Universal Orlando.
13	* ''Collapsing Bridge'': A severely unstable bridge that the tram just barely manages to travel over. Was once a recurring part of the tour, but nowadays is only run when ''King Kong 360'' is under refurbishment.
14	* ''Jurassic Park Sets'': A showcasing of some of the props and sets from the [[Franchise/JurassicPark famous franchise]], with a ''Dilophosaurus'' encounter happening along the way. In 2024, few new dinosaur animatronics and props are added.
15	* ''Flash Flood'': In the backlot's Mexican Street sets, guests find themselves in the middle of a sudden flood.
16	* ''Denver Street'': The backlot's [[TheWildWest western]]-themed sets.
17	* ''Little Europe'': Town sets where many of Universal's Europe-based films have been shot, including ''Film/Frankenstein1931''
18	* ''Earthquake: The Big One'': Based off of ''Film/{{Earthquake}}'', a trip through a San Francisco subway station that soon turns catastrophic when an earthquake strikes. Later served as the inspiration for the former [[Ride/EarthquakeTheBigOne ride of the same name]] at Universal Studios Florida.
19	* ''Film/{{Jaws}}'': A quick visit to the town as seen in the famous film, which includes an appearance from the menacing shark. Was eventually expanded into the ''Ride/{{Jaws}}'' attraction for the Universal parks in Florida and Japan.
20	* ''Colonial Street'': The backlot's modern suburban neighborhood, likely best-known for being the setting of ''Series/DesperateHousewives''.
21	* ''Psycho House'': The Bates Motel and Bates Mansion set from ''Film/{{Psycho}}'', where Norman Bates himself will occasionally make an appearance.
22	* ''Film/{{War of the Worlds\|2005}}'': The destroyed neighborhood sets from the 2005 film.
23	* ''Jupiter's Claim'': The Western-inspired theme park sets from ''{{Film/Nope}}''.
24	* ''Fast & Furious: Supercharged'': Another 3-D simulation experience, this time themed around ''Film/TheFastAndTheFurious'' movies. Like many other experiences on the tour, it was eventually made into [[Ride/FastAndFuriousSupercharged its own attraction]] at Universal Studios Florida.
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27	[[folder:Former sequences on the tour:]]
28	* ''King Kong Encounter'': Based on the 1976 version of ''[[Film/KingKong1976 King Kong]]'', this scene put guests right up against the giant ape during his rampage through New York. The sequence and its entire building burned down in a huge backlot fire that occurred in 2008. The sequence was not rebuilt, and its site was instead used to expand the city sets, though in 2010 it received a SpiritualSuccessor called ''King Kong 360'', which is located in a different part of the backlot, though very close to where the original King Kong Encounter was located. The original Encounter served as the inspiration for ''Ride/{{Kongfrontation}}'' at Universal Studios Florida, which has also since gone defunct.
29	* ''Rockslide'': A very short-lived bit of the tour that put guests into the middle of a rockslide. Due to how unreliable the effects were for it, it was replaced with ''Battle of Galactica''.
30	* ''Battle of Galactica'': A laser battle sequence set in the world of ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica\|1978}}'', and notably the very first non-Disney themed entertainment attraction to use animatronics. Was demolished to make way for ''Ride/BackToTheFutureTheRide''.
31	* ''Burning House'': A house facade that was used to demonstrate fire effects in movies. Its location would eventually become the site of ''[[Ride/JurassicParkRiverAdventure Jurassic Park: The Ride]]''.
32	* ''The Ice Tunnel'': The original finale of the tour, depicting a trip through a very avalanche-prone glacier. Later rethemed into ''Dante's Peak Volcano''.
33	* ''Film/DantesPeak'' ''Volcano'': Similar to the Ice Tunnel, but instead set in a volcanic mine shaft. It was eventually rethemed again into ''Curse of the Mummy's Tomb''.
34	* ''Curse of the Mummy's Tomb'': Based directly off of ''Film/TheMummyTrilogy'', this finale once again reused the special effects in the Ice Tunnel, but this time themed to Imhotep's cursed tomb. The attraction was completely demolished in the '2010s and replaced with ''Fast and Furious: Supercharged''.
35	* ''The Fast & The Furious: Extreme Close-Up'': A brief demonstration of the car effects used in the film series. It was closed in preparation for ''Supercharged'', and currently sits unused to this day. In 2024, the gate entrance is rethemed into a Dino Paddock as part of the Jurassic Park/World set.
36	* ''The Red Sea'': One of the several lakes on the backlot, which for a time was used to demonstrate a "Parting of the Red Sea" effect and later to showcase the miniature sets used in ''Film/KingKong2005''. The lake was removed entirely in the '2010s to allow for the relocation of several of the studios' soundstages.
37	* ''Whoville'': The sets from ''Film/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas2000''. Removed in 2020 after years of deterioration in the California sun and now an empty space featuring vehicles that used in Universal films and theme parks.
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41	!!Tropes that appear in the ''Studio Tour'' include:
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43	* AbandonedArea: The tram takes a brief detour through the set of ''Franchise/JurassicPark'''s Site B, where it soon turns out that it's not quite as abandoned as it seems when two ''Dilophosauruses'' pop out at the riders.
44	* AdaptationalNiceGuy: [[spoiler: Norman Bates friendly interacts with guests rather than chasing them with his knife like he usually does. This event occurs for the 60th anniversary of the Studio Tour.]]
45	* AlienAbduction: ''Battle of Galactica'' centered around the Cylons and their Imperious Leader capturing the tram and its passengers.
46	* AlwaysABiggerFish: ''King Kong 360'' begins with a pack of Venatosauruses chasing the ride vehicle, only for one of them to soon get eaten by a V-Rex while the rest flee in fear.
47	* AmusementParkOfDoom: The Jupiter's Claim set from the film, Nope.
48	* AncientTomb: The tour used to feature ''Curse of the Mummy's Tomb'' as the finale, where guests would find themselves at the mercy of Imhotep.
49	* BehemothBattle: ''King Kong 360'' has the guests being right in the middle of a battle between Kong and three V-Rexes that's very similar to the one that occurs in the movie.
50	* {{BFG}}: Hobbs of course has one in ''Supercharged'', which he happily displays to Agent Novak.
51	-->'''Dom''': Cop, I suggest you clear out of here, otherwise we can't guarantee your safety.
52	-->'''Agent Novak''': Guarantee my safety? I'm the one holding the gun!
53	-->'''Hobbs''': ''(comes walking in with a massive gun)'' Yeah, but mine's a ''whole'' lot bigger than yours.
54	* BigDamnHeroes:
55	** The big ape himself shows up to save the riders just in the nick of time in ''King Kong 360''
56	** In ''Battle of Galactica,'' an unnamed Colonial Warrior disrupts the Cylons' launch sequence, allowing the tram to escape.
57	* BusFullOfInnocents: All the guests aboard the tram become this repeatedly with each major conflict they end up in the middle of.
58	* CaptainErsatz: The metro station in the ''Film/{{Earthquake}}'' segment is meant to resemble a [[UsefulNotes/BayAreaRapidTransit BART]] station, from the Brutalist style of the station design to the train's distinct pointed-nose lead car. The system maps on the station walls look similar too and reference real-life San Francisco Bay Area locations (such as the San Francisco International Airport and the East Bay), again with station names and geography mixed up a little bit.
59	* CarFu: When Shaw threatens the riders with his flame throwing car in ''Supercharged'', Dom stops him by crashing his car right into Shaw's vehicle.
60	* CarPorn: A whole section of the tour is dedicated to showcasing the numerous amount of cars that have been used in Universal's movies from over the years.
61	* ChristmasEpisode: A former feature of the ''{{Theatre/Grinchmas}}'' event had the tram briefly stop at the Whoville set to watch the Grinch and the Whos put on a small performance.
62	* ClipShow: The tour contains several compilations of Universal's movies, usually as a way of passing time.
63	* DamageProofVehicle: Whether in between a battle between a giant ape and dinosaurs or in a dangerous high-speed chase, the studio tram always comes out unharmed.
64	* DeadlineNews: In the former ''King Kong Encounter'', video monitors in the tram and [=TVs=] visible through apartment windows showed a news reporter in a helicopter reporting on Kong's rampage. As the tram gets closer to the monster, she screams in terror and the picture starts spinning before cutting out; then a burning helicopter ''drops out of the sky'', just missing the visitors on its way down.
65	* DisposingOfABody: On some versions of the tour, Norman Bates can be seen doing this on the Bates Motel set.
66	* EverythingTryingToKillYou: Universal sure seems to have a very chaotic backlot, as within a span of 45 minutes guests are menaced by earthquakes, flash floods, dinosaurs, killer sharks, crime syndicates, and mother-obsessed killers. In the past tours, there are Cylons, rock slides, and a submarine.
67	* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin:
68	** A ride named ''Studio Tour'' is a tour of Universal Studios. Who would've thought?
69	** Several of the sequences are this as well, such as ''Flash Flood'' and ''Collapsing Bridge''.
70	* ExpansionPack: In a non-video game instance, there's a more elaborate [=VIP=] version of the tour available for a hefty upcharge that allows you to walk through several of the backlot's sets and soundstages, as well as the studio's prop warehouse.
71	* FireBreathingWeapon: In ''Supercharged'', Shaw wields a flame thrower against the riders, threatening to fry them if they don't give up the witness.
72	* FrankensteinsMonster: During the nighttime tour, the monster makes an appearance in the Little Europe set.
73	* GiantSpider: Riders get uncomfortably close to one in ''King Kong 360'' while tangled up in the vines.
74	* HairTriggerAvalanche: There used to be a scene on the tour called ''The Glacier Avalanche'', in which, as you would expect from the title, involved the tram getting stuck in the middle of one.
75	* HalloweenEpisode: Formerly during Theatre/HalloweenHorrorNights, the attraction became the ''Terror Tram'', where it was hosted by some sort of horror character and had guests getting off the tram and walking through the sets of ''Film/{{Psycho}}'' and ''Film/WarOfTheWorlds2005'', with scareactors galore.
76	* HeKnowsTooMuch: In ''Supercharged'', Owen Shaw and his gang is after a witness that holds information that would prove dangerous to his operation.
77	* HighSpeedBattle: ''Supercharged'' is this, with the protagonists having to ward off Shaw and his forces while moving at top speed through a highway.
78	* HouseFire: The tour once featured a look at a house facade that's always on fire. It was later removed to make way for ''[[Ride/JurassicParkRiverAdventure Jurassic Park: The Ride]]''.
79	* InCaseYouForgotWhoWroteIt: The full name for ''King Kong 360'' is ''King Kong 360 3-D Created by'' ''Creator/PeterJackson''.
80	* LeaveNoWitnesses: When Norman Bates notices the guests on the tram have spotted him placing a dead woman in the trunk of a car, he pulls out a knife and slowly approaches the tram with murderous intentions.
81	* LongRunner: Having been around in some form for ''over 100 years'', it's one of the oldest theme park attractions (if not ''the'' oldest), being almost 50 years older than the theme park itself!
82	* MiniatureEffects: Throughout the years, the tour has featured several displays dedicated to showing how miniature sets are used in movies like ''Film/DantesPeak'' and ''Film/KingKong2005''.
83	* MockHollywoodSign: A small replica is added near the Bates Motel for the 60th Anniversary.
84	* NewscasterCameo: The ''King Kong Encounter'' had veteran ABC newscaster Sander Vanocur anchoring coverage before throwing to fictional reporter Kelly King. When ''Kongfrontation'' opened along with the Florida park, they replaced Vanocur's footage with new footage of real New York anchor Rolland Smith ([[Film/TheStarWarsHolidaySpecial the "fighting the frizzies" guy]]), as MCA owned WWOR-TV in New York (well, Secaucus NJ) at the time of the ride opening (they had purchased it from the infamously-corrupt RKO General, which was being forced by the FCC to sell their stations); the footage of King was retained, but overdubbed by Creator/TressMacNeille. Even long after WWOR was spun off by MCA, changed their logo and became a Creator/{{UPN}} station owned by Creator/{{Fox}} (it's currently a Creator/MyNetworkTV station), the footage was retained until ''Kongfrontation'' was closed.
85	* NiceJobBreakingItHero: In ''Supercharged'', Roman accidentally leads Shaw right to the protagonists' location, as he forgot to turn off his cell phone, which Shaw is able to track.
86	* NitroBoost: One that's built into the protagonists' vehicles in ''Supercharged'' ends up being used to get them over a huge ramp.
87	* OminousWalk: Norman Bates eerily walks towards the tram at a casual pace, which conveniently allows the tram driver to drive away just in time.
88	* ProductPlacement: The tour often contains plugs for some of Universal's upcoming movies or [=NBC=]'s upcoming tv shows.
89	* PropRecycling: [[invoked]] The tour, especially the VIP version of it, goes to lengths to explain how often you'll see the backlot's props reappear across a multitude of works. The Little Europe section of the backlot, for example, is explicitly said to be able to fill in for virtually any European town by simply replacing the language used on the signs and windows.
90	* PsychoStrings: Plays, of course, when the tram is at the ''Film/{{Psycho}}'' set.
91	* RampJump: A rather huge one serves as the finale of the ''Supercharged'' sequence.
92	* RaptorAttack: ''King Kong 360'' starts out with the guests being pursued by a pack of Venatosauruses.
93	* RecycledSet: [[invoked]] The tour repeatedly explains how virtually all of the sets in the backlot have been reused for multiple films and TV shows.
94	* RunawayTrain:
95	** The western sets once had a ghostly train that would stop just barely short of hitting the tram. The train was later rendered immobile sometime in the '80s. Later, the train moved to the Collapsing Bridge pathway.
96	** During the ''Earthquake'' scene, a nearby subway train derails and nearly collides with the riders.
97	* SceneryGorn: The set of ''Film/WarOfTheWorlds2005'' is this to a glorious degree, as it depicts an entire neighborhood that's been obliterated by an airplane crash.
98	* SilentMovie: When the tram puts out a "Quiet on the Set" alert, a Jimmy Fallon sketch of him doing a silent film parody is shown.
99	* [[invoked]]SpecialEffectsFailure: Often joked about. After an attack from the shark from ''Jaws'', the host will then point out that it happens to be the only shark in the world that can swim backwards, while the robot shark drifts in reverse to reset to its original place.
100	* SplitPersonality: Jimmy Fallon has one in his western sketch, to the point that he ends up having a MexicanStandoff with himself.
101	* StaringContest: In his silent film skit, Jimmy Fallon tries to have one with the riders.
102	* StockAnimalDiet: With the way that Kong's breath smelled in the ''King Kong Encounter'', it seemed that he had quite a liking for bananas.
103	* SubwaysSuck: The ''Earthquake'' sequence puts guests in a subway station that's being torn to shreds by a massive earthquake.
104	* TakeItToTheBridge: The climax of the ''King Kong Encounter'' had guests coming face-to-face with Kong while on a bridge.
105	* TakingYouWithMe: When of the V-Rexes is about to fall down a cliff, it bites the last tram car (which is part of the filming segment) of the tram and drags the tram into the pit along for the fall.
106	* ThreateningShark: The ''Film/{{Jaws}}'' portion of the tour features, of course, an appearance from the shark itself.
107	* UnexplainedRecovery: When the tour was hosted by Creator/WhoopiGoldberg, she ended up getting swarmed by scarab beetles during ''The Mummy's Tomb'' sequence, but afterwards reappeared completely unharmed. The tour guide would often be desiccated by the scarabs, too, demonstrated by a corpse-like mannequin puppet, only to turn out fine about a minute later.
108	* WeInterruptThisProgram: Hobbs interrupts Agent Novak's message to the tram by hacking into and taking over the transmission.
109	* WeatherReport: The tour has [=NBC=]'s Al Roker giving one for every part of the Universal backlot. He in particular gives a flash flood warning for the Little Mexico set, a warning that the tour guide decides to ignore.
110	* TheWildWest: The Six Points Texas set is used entirely for Western films.
111	* WitnessProtection: Plays a big part in ''Supercharged'''s story, as a member of the program is said to be among the guests.

Context Ride / StudioTour