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Photo Update: March 8, 2018 – Universal Studios Hollywood

It's time for another update around Universal Studios Hollywood, taking a look at DreamWorks Theater, the Studio Tour, and the start of the Super Silly Fun Land refurbishment.

Photo Update: March 8, 2018 – Universal Studios Hollywood | Inside Universal
Nice update by Chris...I really really really enjoy these Hollywood updates. Before the merger I used to visit Inside Universal primarily for the photo updates of a park I'll probably never travel to....Anyway, reading another photo update a few days ago, I was really surprised to read & see that Super Silly Fun Land is built on top of the parking garage. Wow, they really have to be innovative in the use of space for a park that has such a small footprint, if you exclude the Tram Tour.
 
Nice update by Chris...I really really really enjoy these Hollywood updates. Before the merger I used to visit Inside Universal primarily for the photo updates of a park I'll probably never travel to....Anyway, reading another photo update a few days ago, I was really surprised to read & see that Super Silly Fun Land is built on top of the parking garage. Wow, they really have to be innovative in the use of space for a park that has such a small footprint, if you exclude the Tram Tour.

Glad we could provide some insight for you from afar...

The Frankenstein Parking Garage was the first parking garage built for Universal Studios Hollywood in the mid 1980's. The garage served as an extension to the Entertainment Center (aka Upper Lot) and provided some much needed parking space for the growing theme park. When Streets Around the World debuted by attempting to theme the theme park into city scape areas (Paris, London, New York, etc), the park had to extend a footprint expansion on top of the structure. This included Fievel's Playland and Theater, Beetlejuice Theater (version 1) and Parisian Courtyard, and Mel's Diner. As time would have it, Back to the Future - The Ride was supposed to be a mirror copied building from Orlando and placed on top of this structure. Needless to say that we all know the amount of vibrations experienced by the structure which in fact prompted Hollywood to stop construction and delay opening for a redesign. This redesign resulted on BTTF going into the side of the hill on the opposite side of the park where Simpsons is today and opening in 1993 instead of 1991 like Orlando's. You can easily see the steel beams planted into the side of the hill to support that ride!

Another little sidetone...you will notice there are no trees anywhere in the park when you are standing on top of the parking structure. The only trees around are all in planter boxes.
 
Glad we could provide some insight for you from afar...

The Frankenstein Parking Garage was the first parking garage built for Universal Studios Hollywood in the mid 1980's. The garage served as an extension to the Entertainment Center (aka Upper Lot) and provided some much needed parking space for the growing theme park. When Streets Around the World debuted by attempting to theme the theme park into city scape areas (Paris, London, New York, etc), the park had to extend a footprint expansion on top of the structure. This included Fievel's Playland and Theater, Beetlejuice Theater (version 1) and Parisian Courtyard, and Mel's Diner. As time would have it, Back to the Future - The Ride was supposed to be a mirror copied building from Orlando and placed on top of this structure. Needless to say that we all know the amount of vibrations experienced by the structure which in fact prompted Hollywood to stop construction and delay opening for a redesign. This redesign resulted on BTTF going into the side of the hill on the opposite side of the park where Simpsons is today and opening in 1993 instead of 1991 like Orlando's. You can easily see the steel beams planted into the side of the hill to support that ride!

Another little sidetone...you will notice there are no trees anywhere in the park when you are standing on top of the parking structure. The only trees around are all in planter boxes.
Nice history. Kind of amazing, in reference to the garage top, that it has contained so much of the upper park. Keep the good stuff coming. :thumbsup::)
 
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