When in Hollywood, visitors should make their way to one of the most unique theme park experiences in the nation, Universal Studios.

Combining traditional theme park attractions and shows with a functioning film and television studio as well as their famous Backlot Tour, Universal gives guests a unique look at the world of movies.

During our visit, the famous Jurassic Park ride was down for renovations as was the Van Helsing attraction, but that did not hamper our enjoyment of the park as there were plenty of attractions to keep us going.

The first stop was the Back to the Future ride, which is a motion simulator ride starring Christopher Lloyd from the film series. Guests climb aboard a De Lorean and travel through time in an effort to stop Biff from ruining time as we know it. A fun ride, but can be very rough, especially to tall people such as myself.

The next attraction we visited was the Revenge of the Mummy ride which is a chilling indoor coaster that rushes forward and backwards in what is billed as the fastest indoor coaster. No arguments from me, that ride is a blood draining good time.

One of my favorite attractions at Universal is the Terminator 2: 3D show which combines live action with footage shot by Academy Award winning director James Cameron and Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Edward Furlong and Robert Patrick. This is an amazing entry into the series with simply the best 3D effects I have ever seen.

Younger guests will want to take in Skrek 4D and the Nickelodeon Blast Zone as well as Universal Animals as they offer family friendly entertainment that will keep the young ones captivated.

Of course no trip to Universal would be complete without the famous Backlot Tour and as usual there are no shortages of thrills and amazing sets from numerous films and television shows. Guests ride in a tram to experience not only sets and memorabilia, but get some up close and personal time with some incredible experiences that will give new meaning to movie magic.

There are also other attractions to see such as Backdraft, and the Waterworld stunt show amongst others. I have also just scratched the surface of what the park has to offer as the Blues Brothers were on hand doing live shows for guests and faithfully recreating their on screen counterparts.

The area around the park is known as City walk and it is brimming with all manner of restaurants, shops and attractions and is worth a visit. There is a theater which will refund your parking price up to 10.00 if you see a show during your time at the park.

During our visit, casting was under way for the second season of Who wants to be a Super Hero as well as an X-Box 360 promo featuring several pro wrestlers, which further underscores that you never know who you will see when in Hollywood.

The park now offers front of the line passes for guests who wish to get around the lines and onto the attractions faster. This has long been a special perk for members of the press and I highly suggest guests take advantage of this offer.

The park also offers discounts to Southern California Residents as well as a Citypass option which includes admission to the park as well as Disneyland and other top area attractions which is well worth the price.

For more information, check out their site at http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com