Again we decided to take our time on the way back, stopping in LA to see friends, get a tour of the Universal Lot at NBC Universal LA and go to Universal Studios Hollywood. IMG_9161 My friend Chris was kind enough to take time out of his schedule as an employee in IT for NBC Universal (part of GE) to give Daniel and I a personal tour of the Universal lot - in golf cart #7212 (that's a lot of golf carts) IMG_9163 Soundstage 28 where the 1925 film Phantom of the Opera was shot and had great complications, previous attempts at removing the set have involved fatal accidents... IMG_9165 A large fire recently gutted much of the sets built in the lot and they're not being rebuilt IMG_9166 Sets built for the official studio lot tour IMG_9169 Daniel is on Wisteria Lane (duh...I didn't see the street sign above :( but I swear it is!) IMG_9174 In quick succession there's Whoville, the Bates Motel/Mansion and.. IMG_9177_pano War of the Worlds neighborhood disaster set including a commercial jet in pieces (evidently traffic helicopters reported a crashed plane during filming so it's quite realistic) IMG_9186 Tough to beat up the engines though - maybe GE engines... IMG_9187 Engine part numbers IMG_9189 The poor Bates mansion's foundation has some problems... IMG_9192 Evan Almighty and other movies were filmed in this backdrop/water area IMG_9193 Chris and Daniel IMG_9194 Chris and me IMG_9202 Now that we've taken the real tour, time for the Universal Studios Hollywood experience - here's that big globe as Daniel points to Australia (I guess NZ isn't on this globe?) IMG_9203 Sure - anybody just take GE Money...it's free! IMG_9206 The Simpsons greet visitors IMG_9208 It's CURIOUS GEORGE! IMG_9210 Nice to see a poster of MILK in the park IMG_9211 IMG_9212 IMG_9214 Now why are we bothering to tell the parents to keep their hands and feet away from brushes? Who even remembers that escalators have little brushes along the sides, but really shouldn't we be telling the children or asking the parents to tell them? IMG_9216 Universal has it's own fire department (I feel sorry for them - tough to fight a tinderbox of old wooden sets...) IMG_9221 Dancing cars IMG_9226 Parting the pond for the tram to cross IMG_9233 A giant rubber shark that looks a bit like Jaws! IMG_9241 Big set of solar panels installed for ecomagination IMG_9242 They decided to give this poor escalator a break to save energy! Return to Features