I sunk USH Tram Ride! or How I got walked off an attraction at USH

[Aladdin]

Yes, it's true! I got walked off of a Universal Studios Hollywood attraction~ The unusual part of this? It was the Tram Tour! No it wasn't any new addition to the standard tour, nor was it additional "faked you out" type of show! And we weren't stuck just once~ we were stuck at different parts of the tour!

(I do have pictures, but they might not get posted until Tuesday)

Continuing on . . .

On October 2nd, I decided to make use of the Annual Pass I purchased in July. This time I focussed on the attractions I missed last time, or ones that I really like. I also wanted to get a few daytime pics of the halloween decorations that Universal, and they were definitley creepier than anything at DL . You could see the signage for some of the mazes in the Upper lot, and at least one out by the "Plane wreck" in the backlot. And immediately after the plane wreck, there was also a Tram, that had some creepy looking fake bodies. I'm not one fore gorey horror, some weren't too over the edge ~ but others are too gorey, Surprising, I could see some of the humore inthese, but I'm still no a horor fan.

First up, Shrek four-D. haven't see this one in years. I do like the preshow with the 3 pigs and Pinnochio, better than the movie itself, just plain bizarre why the chairs move the way they do. I didn't take too long, to remember why it's been so many years since I bothered seeing it again.

Animal Actors was the 1st show, a cute show, still tryiing to mess with the kid AND adult volunteers, It's worth seeing at least once every 5 years.

Next up, the Waterworld show, still the same old show - but it does pack a punch, and a lot of action! Ironic that the movie it's based on. Yes, like the show.

THEN (insert scarey music here) The Tram tour. I was in the trams 2nd car, in the second row. The tram tour at USH is something I love. And this time I got to experience the newly renovated "Collapsing Bridge", Saw the lame dancing cars, the tram tour's version of Jurassic Pakrk. It came time to "Part the waters" and get that eye level view of that scene, form the most recent version of King Kong. Just prior to that I saw 2 or three guys in a golf cart that went ahead of out tram, where it says "Only Trams Allowed. This was right beforethe parting waters.. . and the water did start parting . . . . . but the parting waters never completely parted, even with 3 maintenance guys trying to get it fully functioning.

The next thing we know, the driver decided to move the tram through the water! UP went my feet. Now, the floor of the Trams is SEVERAL inches off the ground BUT I had four inches of water below me, inside the tram!

The driver kept driving and the first and seconds sections of the tram made it out of the water hole. But then the tram stalled! Sections 3 and 4 were still in the water!

Driver kept spinning the trams wheels. Finally, they get something to pull us from the front, as a 2nd tram is immediately behind us, waiting to "go through the water! hahahaha

Well, we thought we were safe, we see Earthquake and Jaws, BUT as our trams clears completely out of Amityville, and starts heading uphill to Wysteria Lane. But that was not to be, at least not on the tram we were sitting! The trams stops (not sure if the driver did that on purpose, but soon, We see some smoke being emitted from the back of the 1st section of the tram! That can't be good. Then someone on the tram points out the flourescent green liquid, that has started leaking from the back of the 1st unit! That can't be good news either.

We sit there for quite a while, about 3 or 4 other larger trams pass by us. and some of the smaller trolley's for the private groups, also pass us by. Then we see our new ride, but it's facing the wrong direction, so they turn it around and line up with out tram. One by One, each of the four sections have the guests move to the new tram. Our guide moves over to the new tram also, (I think the driver did too, but not sure)

The remaining part of the tour was uneventful, well, at least more normal. . . . .

After the tram, I go to Krustyland, about a 20 to 25 minute wait (sign said 15 minutes. But at least it was much short thant my trip in July!

I did go to the lower lot, to ride The Mummy, watch a couple groups of people get drenched on Jurassic Park, and pretty much passed on the rest.

Back to the Simpsons, one more time! I'm really impressed with this attraction, and the type of movements on this ride~ It's just done really well - so much better than Back to the Future, ever was.


That, sums up the major happenings at USH,, on my little trip! Like I said before. I will try to get pics up when I get home.

[WheresMickey]

Wow, a tram breakdown. Can't wait for pictures!

[sir clinksalot]

Wow, awesome!!! I'm sure it happens quite often, but I've never seen it.

[OldSchoolMickey]

Cool!

We've had "issues" with the Trams in the past.

Once we had a flat tire right in front of the BTTF Clock Tower (now used for Ghost Whisperer). We waited while a crew came and changed it.

We got stuck in the parting of the waters and had to wait for a USH large truck to come and push us out. We continued on under our own power after that.

And we had to switch Trams once due to the brakes frying during our Tour. The smell was terrible! With so many folks complaining about the smell, they stopped us near the entrance to Kong and got another Tram to finish our Tour.

We don't complain about these incidents though, we consider them part of the "show"! LOL

[MsSarah]

Awesome, I wish I could have been there...

[aashee]

THat would be something else. I'll be looking for the pictures.

[filmfreak11]

I've a few tram break downs.

1) Infront of Falls Lake I think it was called with the sky backdrop before you enter the Mummy's Tomb.

2) I was in the 3rd car and got stuck in the water. A full tram had to wait behind us. Took FOREVER for a tow truck to push behind us and then transfer to another tram.

3) After the JAWS sequence was completed, our tram would not go forward. Waited about 15-20 minutes for maintenance on golf cart to come and I guess reset the attraction. The part where the actor in the video goes "Sh, the shark is not working... the shark is not working"... I said aloud "SH, the tram is not working, the tram is not working"... I don't think anyone was amused for the fact we've been waiting for a while already

Glad they have the collapsing bridge back. Still disappointed in the misuse of the Kuka arm tech for Fast and Furious.

I like to sit in the 3rd car of the tram cause the 1st is noisy, 2nd is smelly, 3rd is just right, and 4th makes you dizzy

[OldSchoolMickey]

^^^^^^^

Yeah, we always get the first two rows of the third car.

[Aladdin]

Here we go, a few extra days at Disneyland, and then the Arizona State Fair, so now FINALLY, I have a chance to post a few pictures of Universal Studios - Halloween ready during the day, along with the drowning of the tram! I'll use my 1st post as an outline and toss in a few additional comments along the way ~

On October 2nd, I decided to make use of the Annual Pass I purchased in July.






Freddy was waiting at the front door, for us


Hey, There was a Universal Character I really wanted a picture with!


Quite a few skeletons on several of the buildings












I hadn't been to the Animal Actors stage in several years, so I wandered in there. They talked about several of the animals that were used in Evan Almighty.


Talking about animal actors, I had heard about this, but never seen one before. Universal Studios Has a Donkey Show!


He got mad when I kept calling him Mushu!

(really, I didn't talk to him, but when I do . . . . .)

In July, I missed Water World, so i made sure to check out the show this time)






And I always have to do the studio tour . . . . and there were a couple of things I hadn't seen in years.

Going down to the Tram Tour, there is a pretty good view of Courthouse square, and a good portion of the lot that burn down, Looks all cleaned up, but it doesn't look like they've started any construction, which surprised me.


The break down in the next part of the report

[Aladdin]

The tour started off normal, and then we did get to cross the bridge that has been out of commission for YEARS. they brought it back "to life" after the uhm, cremation of King Kong.

Also, we did stop on one of the Six Points streets for a little action on the street







Then, just before the parting of the sea, the golf cart with the maintenance men, a couple of them did go to the other side of the tram to work something.


Even though the water STILL didn't lower all the way, the tram driver thought it was ok to drive though???? You can see the rear view mirror of the 1st tram car in the picture below.




And at this point we have water pouring into the bottom of the 2nd unit of the tram, where I'm at. My feet are off the floor, which has about 4 inches of water, minimum. And that's in addition to how high the tram is lifted off ground level.


Got this picture a little late, just as the water cleared my 2nd row in the 2nd part of the tram.


And here is where our tram came to hault. as you can see the 3rd and 4th sections of the tram are contending with a little water. The driver is just spinning her wheels.








Here's our tour guide, looking a little frustrated.




The do get another vehicle to pull us from the front, and we finally exit the "parting of the sea"
We even make it through an "Earthquake" after that,


And we survive a shark attack. However as we start to head uphill toward Wysteria Lane.
the back of the 1st unit starts smoking, white smoke.


Someone take a closer look


and the green fluid is flowing downhill




A replacement trams comes, but it's heading in the wrong direction, so it takes a few more minutes for them to drive it around to get it facing the same direction.







the substitute tram is turned around, and they start transfering people from one tram to the next, one section at a time.




Unfortunately, a few people are left behind on the 1st tram. I assume someone in their party uses a wheel chair.


And we make it to Wysteria Lane.


Next up, some day sighting of the Halloween decorations in the jet crash scene, and more . . . .

[WheresMickey]

Nice report, can't wait for more!

[Aladdin]

On with the tram tour, and some of the Halloween additions,

Car Accident on Elm Street:


Bodies added to the Airliner crash




Well, at least our tram did suffer the same fate as this one




Next to the cabin used the The Great Outdoor, we saw a real live fox!


During July, I missed going into the Simpsons Qwik E Mart


DOUGHNUTSSSSSSS!


Even though I'm a bigger fan of the Back to the Future Movies, than the Simpsons,
The Simpsons attraction is MUCH better than the old Back to the Future ride.


A few more halloween decorated areas in the upper lot


and this ugly beastie







Halfway down the escalators to the lower lot, a Freddie souvenier stand


the lower lot just didn't have any Halloween decorations, but they had their Dinos




Back to the upper lot, and keeping with the dino theme




And a few more pics from the upper lot


the Beastie again


someone got tossed out of the Brothel - I dont' think you would ever see this at Disneyland


hmmm, looks like Universal has a different attitude about a VIP "Experience"


We also had a few glimpses of where some of the mazes were for their evening guests. There is one near the Shrek queue, another by the Bates motel (and yes Norman Bates is still making appearances during the daytime tram tour)

I had never seen Universal during the Halloween season, so it was fun to see the different take they have on Halloween, comparred to Disneyland. Personally, I prefer DL version, rather than the gorey USH version, but it was fun to see, once, during the day.