living that VIP life

our trip to universal studios deserved its own post because we splurged on the VIP treatment, which was really fun.  the VIP tour guide at disneyland remains on my bucket list (along with dinner at 21 royal, which is probably out of my reach forever), but at universal it’s much more affordable.  and to be honest, it includes a lot of perks that really do make it worth the money.

for one, valet parking is included.

that means a shorter walk to/through security and the day can begin!

as we headed towards the entrance, the bean pointed at this sign and lamented the fact that none of their cheer competitions were ever held here.

i said we could always sign them up for another team, but i got the side eye and a shudder in response.

check-in for the VIP experience starts here, where you get to sashay in on the red carpet (maybe i was the only one who actually sashayed.  most likely):

we were welcomed in, given special lanyards to wear for the day and then it was up the stairs to enjoy more VIP amenities.  there’s a charging station available if you want to power up before your tour begins.

the emmy from “the office” is on display up there, too.

there’s a pretty extensive continental-style breakfast buffet with mini egg sandwiches, pastries, yogurt, fruit, toast, plus coffee and juice.  

and a really nice restroom that’s perfect for taking selfies.

after stuffing our bellies and taking potty breaks, we met up with our tour guide and the rest of our group and headed on out.

the day always begins with the classic backlot tour, and we got to ride in one of the super cushy trolleys instead of the regular trams.

“the voice” films here.

i don’t know what was in production that day, but we got a glimpse of one of the trailers and a rack of costumes.

it’s always fun to drive past these little cottages that house production companies.  i think a lot of them are original to the lot, so they’ve been around since the very early days of hollywood.

oh, here’s what the lanyards look like.  these also act as express passes for attractions in the park once your time with the tour guide is over.

the line up of movie cars on display changes all the time.  the last time we were here, i think they were featuring cars from “fast and furious” and this time they were from one of the old lady’s most favorite movies ever:

the “old mexico” set:

this part was new to us - we stopped at one of the empty soundstages to get out and walk inside.  these buildings are huge, with super high ceilings so they can create all kinds of settings in there for filming.  

the costuming building is named after edith head, who won a record-setting 8 oscars for best costume design.  if you’re a fan of disney’s “the incredibles,” she’s also the inspiration for edna mode.

the tour took us to courthouse square next, which most of us recognize from “back to the future,” although countless other productions have filmed here over the years.  there was a huge fire here in 2008 (and also in 1990) that destroyed a good amount of the structures so a bunch of these aren’t the originals - which includes the courthouse building.  

this set can be dressed up to represent pretty much any downtown area anywhere in the world with a few changes to signage. 

you get some pretty nice views from the backlot tour, and you can see the warner bros. studios off in the distance.

once we got off the trolley, we made our way into the world of harry potter.  i may not be a big fan, but i can appreciate the details and effort put into creating this area to bring the books and movies to life.

once we were done with both of the attractions here, it was time for lunch.  last time, it was in the VIP dining area at the moulin rouge.  but this time, it was closed for remodeling so instead we got to walk backstage and take a shortcut to citywalk.  they’d temporarily shut down the margaritaville restaurant and this is where we got to eat:

after lunch, we went back into the park for more fun with the group - jurassic park, the mummy, the “kung fu panda” show.  and for the piece de resistance…it was time to brave the crowds and enter super nintendo world.

good timing, too, because as we got there mario and luigi were making their way in for meet & greets and photo ops.

our guide took us straight to the mario kart attraction, bypassing the 2-hour-long line (which was a big factor in our decision to go VIP for this visit).

after that we said goodbye to our guide and the group, and then it was time to go off to do our own thing.  we stopped at the power up cafe to see what they had to offer, and when i saw “butter popcorn topped with edible glitter” i was sold.  too bad it was already so dark that it didn’t photograph well.

the kids tried a couple of the super mushroom fizz drinks, adding a “power up” cube to change the colors and flavors.  these are basically cups of sprite jazzed up with different syrup flavors and popping boba.  and the bean hates soda, so it was really just the three of us that got to try them.

the old man loves the “waterworld” show, so that was our next stop.  it’s super cheesy but always entertaining, and we made sure to stay well out of the splash zone because it was february and chilly (yes, socal “chilly”).

the last thing we did was “the secret life of pets” attraction, which turns you into a pet that’s up for adoption, takes you through the town and then cleans you up and gets you ready to be adopted by a loving family.  super cute.

of course, we stopped in the shops on our way out to look at the souvenir selection.  i definitely eyed every single thing in the hello kitty store, but emerged empty handed.

the bean was the only one who actually ended up buying anything - a set of fuzzy ears from “despicable me.”

so between the valet parking, breakfast, express passes, lunch and exclusive trolley backlot tour i’d say the VIP experience is worth the extra money.  but now they’re doing a bunch of special stuff for the park’s 60th anniversary and we really want to go.  i’m thinking we’ll skip the VIP upgrade this time though, and just enjoy the park at our leisure.  in august heat.  yikes.