With its behind-the-scenes studio tour and movie-themed rides, Universal Studios Hollywood has been a hit in the film and sun mecca of Los Angeles since the 1960s. So Universal officials thought a natural progression of that idea would be to create a sister park in the other sun and film mecca of the U. S. - Orlando, and in 1989, that's just what the studio did.

With the opening of Universal Studios Florida in 1990, however, the company had a public relations nightmare on its hands. Some of the most highly-touted rides - Kongfrontation, Earthquake and Jaws - weren't ready. (It took producers almost two years to get all the kinks out of Jaws' mechanical shark.)

But Universal bounced back. All the rides are now in fine working order, and the park has grown from a Disney wannabe to a full-fledged theme park player.

Universal is broken up into six major areas: The Front Lot, with its movie magic-filled shops and memorabilia exhibits; Hollywood Boulevard, home of the "Terminator 2" ride; Expo Park, which includes the "ET" and "Back to the Future" rides, as well as Barney and Feivel's playlands; Production Central, where guests can get a glimpse of Nickelodeon shows filming; New York, home of King Kong and Beetlejuice and San Francisco/Amity, where you might just experience an Earthquake or see a great white.

The Studios are not just a theme park. They are real, working studios, producing commercials, television shows and movies, as well as doing pre- and post-production work on other shows.

In early 1999, Central Floridians saw the opening of Universal Studios CityWalk Orlando, a street of entertainment and nightlife which will hold a new Hard Rock Cafe, complete with Hard Rock Live performance center; a NASCAR Cafe; Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville and the Universal Cineplex Cinemas with 20 screens.

And Universal's theme park, Islands of Adventure, which features themed islands based on "Jurassic Park," the stories of Dr. Seuss and Marvel comics opened in 1999.

How To Get There: Universal Studios is located on Kirkman Road (Rte 435), just north of Interstate 4. Visitors traveling eastbound from the Disney parks, Lake Buena Vista or Kissimmee/St. Cloud can take Exit 30B, which is a left-side exit ramp. There is a huge sign right near the exit. You can't miss it. Coming westbound from the Orlando area is a little trickier. The sign to the park is way into the off-ramp; and visitors looking for the sign may not see it until they have passed the turn. It's more advantageous to look for the exit number (30B) rather than a Universal sign.

Parking at the Studios is also an adventure. Visitors who haven't been to Universal in more than six months will find the landscape completely changed. Gone are the huge Disney-like parking lots and trams, removed to make way for the new Islands of Adventure theme park. Instead of the lots, Universal has built a huge, multi-level parking garage with moving sidewalks to take you to the park entrance.

Visit the Official Universal Studios Orlando Website