Los Angeles · Day One · Universal Studios

I turned 31 in October 2024 and my partner wanted to surprise me with a trip to the Warner Brothers studio lot, mostly to see Stars Hollow. We spent three days in Los Angeles, which filled my 2016 Tumblr, YouTube, everybody-relocating-to-LA heart with so much light and satisfaction because, to me, LA really is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to. It's nestled next to the ocean, built in the hills, and has every tourist trap my heart could have ever asked for.

We started our trip at Universal Studios Hollywood where we had tickets for Halloween Horror Nights. If you've been here, you know I visited Universal Studios Orlando for my 30th and I think I liked it more than the Hollywood location, but this location is so cool. It has two parks connected by about a ten minute (no exaggeration) escalator ride because it's built in the hills. When you reach the edge of the top part of the park or you're riding the escalator, you get the most beautiful views of LA.

Universal was a later addition to the itinerary, but we decided on it because The Weeknd was going to have a haunted house there and it was almost entirely Dawn FM themed. Every time I have listened to that album since we went it reminds me of the park and HHN. <3

I've been to both Orlando and Los Angeles and the LA location has the Studio Tram Tour because they actively film on the studio lot. Both during the day and night, the tram ride was the highlight of the park for me (and I'm a HUGE HP girl. <3)

This is where they filmed Jaws:

The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas went triple platinum in my house:

The plane crash from War of the Worlds:

Jupiter's Claim, are you kidding me? I bought a Star Lasso Experience tee-shirt <3:

During HHN, they made it spooky: blood on the Hollywood sign, Norman Bates on the steps of the Psycho house, and a Blumhouse-themed stop where Megan, the Grabber, and others chase you through their spaces.