u/cowmissing

Something you don’t see very often on the Studio Tour.

I shot this on August 18, 2026 at Universal Studios Hollywood while the Jaws attraction was down for maintenance. With the water drained, Bruce was completely out of the water, giving us a pretty unusual look at the shark and the attraction.

Definitely an interesting view of Jaws that you normally don’t get to see as a guest on the Studio Tour.

Here’s a great piece of Universal Studios Hollywood history from 1982, when the park was still heavily marketed as the Universal Studios Tour — An MCA Company.

These are two panels from a promotional booklet produced at the time. The artwork really captures how Universal marketed the experience in the early 1980s: not simply as a theme park, but as an opportunity to go behind the scenes of a working Hollywood movie studio.

You can spot E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, behind-the-scenes production crews, miniature/special-effects filmmaking and The Sting among the imagery.

It’s fascinating to compare this with Universal Studios Hollywood today. The attractions have changed dramatically, but the idea of putting guests inside the world of movies is still at the heart of the park more than 40 years later.

Universal Studios Tour — 1982.

An update regarding the ongoing sound mitigation efforts for Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift at Universal Studios Hollywood was published by the Toluca Lake Homeowners Association on August 11, 2026.

In the statement, Universal says testing completed to date confirms the new roller coaster is operating in compliance with sound ordinance requirements.

However, Universal also says that following feedback from the surrounding community, additional measures are being implemented to further reduce sound experienced in adjacent neighborhoods.

According to the update, an additional sound barrier is being installed and is expected to be completed in early September. Universal acknowledges that even with these additional measures, residents may continue to hear the coaster while it is operating.

Technical rehearsals with riders have resumed with reduced operating hours while Universal continues monitoring sound. As Halloween Horror Nights approaches, Universal says the coaster will begin operating as late as 10:00 PM.

Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift has not yet officially opened at Universal Studios Hollywood.

I’ve attached the screenshot of the statement published by the Toluca Lake Homeowners Association.

The sound mitigation efforts continue at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Two additional sound walls are now being installed around Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift — and here’s a look at one of them getting ready to go up.

At this rate, Hollywood Drift may eventually have more sound walls than track. 😂

Universal has continued adding sound mitigation around the new outdoor coaster as testing and operations have progressed.

Will two more walls finally tame the screams? We’ll be listening. 👂🎢

Universal Studios Hollywood has announced the complete lineup for Halloween Horror Nights 2026.

This year’s haunted houses are:
• Sinners
• Stranger Things
• Hellraiser
• Evil Dead Burn
• Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness
• Killer Klowns From Outer Space
• KILLceañera: Music by SLASH
• Dead, Deader, Deadest

Terror Tram also returns this year with Art the Clown taking over the Universal backlot.

The event will also feature The Purge: Dangerous Waters, Fortnitemares, Hackerz, El Circo de la Muerte, Blood Bog, Murder of Crowz, Shriek of the Banshee and the return of the Death Eaters.

HHN begins September 3 and runs select nights through November 1, 2026.

What are you most looking forward to this year?

A little piece of Universal history from my archives.

I took this photo in 2004 of 10 Universal City Plaza on the Universal Studios Lot while the new NBC Universal neon signage was being installed at the top of the building.

The timing is what makes this photo particularly interesting. In 2004, NBC and Universal came together to form NBC Universal, combining NBC with Vivendi Universal Entertainment. The newly formed company was initially 80% owned by General Electric and 20% by Vivendi.

Looking back more than 20 years later, I happened to capture a small but visible part of that transition — the new NBC Universal identity literally being installed on the Universal City skyline.

📸 Photo by Cow Missing — 2004
📍 10 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California 91608 - Universal Studios Lot

NBC Universal - Imagine The Possibilities - Company Promotional Video Montage Sizzle Reel (2004)
https://youtu.be/ZgLJZXerD2E

Quite the milestone at Cars Land — Jon Hale (@racers10000) has officially reached 15,500 rides on Radiator Springs Racers.

He celebrated with Cast Members at the attraction and even took his 15,500 milestone sign along for the ride.
Congratulations, Jon! 🏁🚗💨

How many times have you ridden Radiator Springs Racers?

Thought this was a really interesting piece of Southern California theme park history.

This Knott’s Berry Farm advertisement appeared in a special Los Angeles Times advertising supplement dated January 20, 1980, celebrating Disneyland’s 25th anniversary.

Knott’s was celebrating its own 60th anniversary in 1980 and used the opportunity to congratulate its famous neighbor.

My favorite part is the ending:

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It’s a great snapshot of the friendly relationship between two very different Southern California parks.

A quick clip from my visit to SeaWorld San Diego. Stopped by to feed the sea lions, and as soon as the fish came out, they definitely knew what was happening. 😂

Always fun getting to see these guys up close.

While visiting Universal Studios Hollywood recently, I grabbed this photo of 10 Universal City Plaza (10 UCP), the headquarters of Comcast NBCUniversal.

Standing about 500 feet tall with 36 stories, it's one of the tallest buildings in the San Fernando Valley and has been a defining part of the Universal City skyline for decades. While millions of people visit Universal Studios Hollywood and CityWalk every year, this is where many of NBCUniversal's corporate operations are based.

I always find it interesting that this tower has become just as recognizable as many of the attractions nearby, even though most guests simply walk or drive past it.

There's something special about waking up at Cabana Bay Beach Resort, opening the curtains, and seeing Volcano Bay right outside your window. The view alone gets you excited for the day, and if you've got your tube ready, you're only minutes away from the water park. Photo Credit: Universal Orlando Resort