Universal Studios HollywoodSM puts the illustrious world of movie-making magic within arm's reach of guests visiting from across the globe via the theme park's enhanced “VIP Experience,” offering exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the world's largest movie and television production studio, an expert Studio Tour Guide with unlimited front-of-line privileges on all rides and attractions, entry to a reserved VIP Lounge, and a gourmet lunch prepared by the theme park's award-winning Executive Chef, Eric Kopelow.

Redesigned “VIP Experience” trolleys usher intimate groups on immersive excursions of Universal's prolific production lot for an insider's look through Hollywood's proverbial red curtain.  The celebrated experience caters to guests from around the world and is available in a variety of languages, including Mandarin, Japanese, Spanish and English and shines the spotlight on the glamorous world of movie making, motivated by three words:  lights, camera, action.

A full-day adventure, the “VIP Experience” provides guests with a rare, up close and personal peek at the movie making process by accessing areas of the Studio lot typically restricted to authorized movie production personnel.  Another exciting component affords “VIP Experience” guests the possibility of seeing stars as they stroll about, given the volume of ongoing movies and television shows currently shooting on the lot.

The “VIP Experience” invites guests to disembark the trolley and walk through several television sets currently being used in the production of such shows as NBC's “Parenthood,” FOX's “The Mindy Project” and “Chelsea Lately” on E! Entertainment Television.  The tour also takes guests, both on foot and via trolley, through the Studio's historic backlot sets made famous in over 8,000 movies and television shows.

Along the backlot's incredibly realistic New York Street, guests will be able to stand at the site where such blockbusters as “Transformers” and “The Sting” were filmed.  At the famed Courthouse Square, time might stand still as guests take in the locale made famous in “Back to the Future” and “To Kill A Mockingbird.”  For a jaunt across the Atlantic Ocean without ever leaving the West Coast, guests can stroll along the cobblestone streets of Little Europe, the filming site of such favorites as “The Pink Panther” and “Pirates of the Caribbean,” while a turn on Brownstone Street will place guests at the doorsteps of memorable scenes from the comedy, “Bruce Almighty.”

Equipped with LED monitors, the trolley also features clips from movies filmed on the lot to add context to corresponding sets visited. 

The “VIP Experience” is helmed by knowledgeable Studio Tour Guides, whose personalized commentaries enhance the insightful tours with anecdotal storytelling on the Studio's rich 100-year history, celebrity trivia and current production schedules.

The immersive experience also includes a visit to Universal's famed Edith Head Building, which houses both the Property Warehouse and the Costume Department.  Built in 1915, the “Prop House,” as it is commonly referred to among Hollywood insiders, is one of the largest of its kind in the world.  The 130,000 square-foot, four-story facility contains an eclectic assemblage of over 400,000 singularly unique items representing virtually every set dressing and handheld article ever created, and the Costume Department features a diverse collection of over 800,000 articles of clothing, costumes, accessories and jewelry required for any production spanning across the annals of time.

A visit to the Studio's Sound Department will introduce “VIP Experience” guests to the intricacies of film and television sound post-production and the various techniques applied in dubbing, sound mixing, Foley sound effects and ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement). 

An elaborate gourmet lunch, prepared exclusively for “VIP Experience” guests by Universal Studios Hollywood's award-winning Executive Chef, Eric Kopelow, adds to a full day of indulgence. Served in a private restaurant with an attentive wait staff in the theme park's picturesque Parisian quarters, the experience features a choice of indoor dining, complete with tables draped in fine linen and cloth napkins, and al fresco dining amid a relaxing setting with a spectacular view overlooking the backlot and the mountains of San Fernando Valley. 

The mouth-watering lunch includes an ever-changing seasonal menu with such fare as penne pasta with garlic Alfredo sauce, shrimp scampi, beef sirloin with demi-glace, Portobello mushrooms with barley, soft shell crab with lemon butter and Ahi and yellowtail sashimi.  Specialty, gluten-free and healthy, child-friendly menu items are also available.  Tempting, freshly prepared desserts round out the dining experience.

The “VIP Experience” features unlimited front-of-line privileges and reserved seating at Universal Studios rides and attractions, including the park's new thrill ride, “Transformers™:  The Ride—3D.”  The “VIP Experience” also includes complimentary continental breakfast in a private VIP Lounge and valet parking.

Reservations are available online at www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com or by calling 818-622-5120.  Private “VIP Experience” tours and gift certificates are also available.

Universal Studios Hollywood SM, The Entertainment Capital of L.A.SM, includes a full-day, movie-based theme park and Studio Tour; the CityWalk entertainment, shopping and dining complex, the Universal CityWalk Cinemas and the “5 Towers” state-of-the-art outdoor concert venue.  World-class rides and attractions include the intense, award-winning ride, “King Kong 360 3-D” on the famed behind-the-scenes Studio Tour, the critically-acclaimed mega-attraction, “Transformers™:  The Ride-3D,” “The Simpsons RideTM,” “Revenge of the MummySM—The Ride,” “Jurassic Park® —The Ride,” and the 3D Ultra-HD movie motion simulator adventure, “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem.”