Universal Studios in Orlando,Florida has a lot more shows and rides than Universal Studios Hollywood. However, Universal Studios Hollywood is not a sub sample of Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. There are a few quite spectacular attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood that do not exist at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, and Waterworld is one of them.

In March we visited Hollywood, California, doing many of the fun things that you can do there, including Universal Studios, studio tours, Hollywood Boulevard and more. We also visited Universal Studios Hollywood. Since we bought front of the line passes we were able to do almost everything at Universal Studios Hollywood within a day. The front of the line pass is great when you are an out of state visitor who is paying for hotels and airfare. As an out of state visitor you are probably paying for airfare and hotels so your time is quite valuable. So being able to bypass the line for an extra fee is very helpful and it is not unfair to others who did not pay for it. Locals can go any time they like.


Overview of the Waterworld a Live Sea War Spectacular Show

In the future the ice caps have melted and all of Earth is covered by water. Well if Antarctica, Greenland and all ice would melt the sea level would rise about 70 meters (230 feet), which would put coast lines under water but not the whole world. Well, let’s ignore minor errors like that. We should know from many other movies thatHollywooddirectors and actors obviously did not have time for science class in high school.

The movie Waterworld was pretty ho-hum but the Waterworld show they put together at Universal Studios Hollywood is anything but ho-hum. As far as stunt shows goes it might be the best one I’ve ever seen.

The Waterworld a Live Sea War Spectacular Show takes place in an amphitheater in which the arena consists of a large pool with blue water. Around the pool there are facades, towers, containers, bridges and other props. The story of the show occurs after the events of the movie. Helen has found dry land and is returning to get her friends from the "Atoll". However, the “Smokers” arrive and they want the dry land first. The “Smokers” attack and take Helen hostage. Fighting breaks out and the Mariners show up to save the day.


Experiencing Waterworld a Live Sea War Spectacular Show

As we entered the theater we were directed to our seats. I am not sure whether our front of the line passes helped or not. However, it was enough seating and we had good seats. The first half dozen rows are in the splash zone, which means that you may get wet if you sit here. Before the show a few guys entertained the audience with jokes and pranks.

The actors moved around by using water mopeds, or by running around the facades. As soon as the “Smokers” and their leader “the Deacon” arrived a lot of fighting began. There were machine guns, fire, explosions, wild water moped chases, and an amphibious airplane suddenly came crashing in on top of the facades and then into the water as it burst into flames. They certainly put some effort into special effects in this show.

The show was exciting, fast paced, intense, and fairly long (16 minutes), and quite entertaining. The sound was loud and clear but not too loud. In any way it was easy to hear and understand everything that was going on. The special effects were many and they were pretty amazing. At the end of the show the actors introduced themselves and many of them were semi-famous actors from Hollywood movies and TV series like American Horror Story. Afterwards people were allowed to chat with the actors.

I think that the show, the set and the props, the action, the special effects, and the actors were great. You certainly had a good time watching this show. The fact that the actors introduced themselves and were friendly with people certainly added something as well. One thing I like about this show is that the theater was not too large. Even though the theater was close to full the crowd was not overwhelming. Shows like Fantasmic and the Shamu show at Sea World are also good shows but they have giant theaters with an enormous crowd, which makes the show less personal.

I’ve seen a few shows that I think I like even more, for example, the Fantasmic show at Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida, and the Walking with the Dinosaurs Arena Spectacular (traveling), and perhaps the Magic Show that we saw in Honolulu. However, this show is among the best I’ve seen and except for Fantasmic there are no other shows at theme park resorts like Disneyworld or Universal Studios that beat this one in my opinion. I highly recommend it and I rate it five stars.



Finally I would like to thank Di, lead in travel for adding this entry to the epinions data base.

Also take a look at the following reviews.

Top Ten Attractions Hollywood, California

Universal Studios Hollywood


Recommended: Yes

Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug