The Ten Best Things At Universal Studios/Islands of Adventures in Orlando, Florida

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Most people consider Universal Studios to be an afterthought to the already planned Disney vacation, the, "We'll stop off there if we have time," amusement park. But ever since I was a child, I always wanted to go to Universal Studios and never wanted to go to Disney World. It just always looked cooler to me. Well, in my adult life, I've since gone to both parks recently, and I must say that while Disney World is an all-around better amusement park, I have to admit that there's a lot at Universal Studios that I actually prefer to Disney. Here are just ten of those things.

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10. Twister: Ride It Out (At Universal Studios)

After a comical introduction by Bill Paxton, you get to actually step inside a scenario of what a real twister would look and feel like. Sure, words could express the awesomeness of watching a regular tornado turn into a "flame tornado", but I think footage would be even better, so check out the clip below some guy snagged. I was surprised at how amazing this attraction was, given the age of it. It just goes to show you that practical effects trump CG any day of the week.

(Image taken from: universal.wdwdailynews.com

9. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit (At Universal Studios)

In my review of the 10 best things at Disney World, one major gripe I had was the overall lack of serious roller coasters there. And while Universal Studios is no Six Flags, it definitely has a few seriously great coasters to boast of, with the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit being one of them. I'm not going to lie, it actually gave me a headache afterward, but during the ride, I was having a blast. You get to pick your own choice of dated music to listen to while you ride (I chose "Intergalactic" by The Beastie Boys) so it can be a different experience every time you get on it. It's fun, it's fast, and it's wild. Definitely make sure you go on this ride when you go to Universal Studios. Just make sure you bring some Tylenol with you.

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8. The Crawfish Nachos at Pat O' Brien's (At City Walk)

City Walk is pretty much like Downtown Disney but with less families and more couples. There are a lot of restaurants there, but the one my wife and I decided to stop off at was Pat O' Brien's, which serves New Orleans' cuisine, even though it has an Irish name. Go figure. But let's talk about the Crawfish nachos, as they're probably, nay, DEFINITELY, the greatest nachos I've ever had in my entire life. Topped with oozing cheese, smothered in crawfish and dipped in the most heavenly sauce ever conceived of, these nachos are definitely worth your hard-earned dollars. I just wish I could say the same for the rest of their food...

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7. Dudley Do-Right's Rip Saw Falls (At Islands of Adventure)

As someone who typically hates water rides (Something about not liking getting wet), I was happily surprised by how much I enjoyed this water ride, which I got absolutely drenched on. It's all in the character. In a sense, it's pretty much a rip-off of Splash Mountain, but it's so much better. You actually have many fake dips and turns before you have the ultimate drop of your life, which is enthralling and refreshing at the same time. For a water ride, Dudley Do-Right's Rip Saw Falls is amazing. Make sure you give it a try.

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6. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem (At Universal Studios)

This amazing 3D "ride" has you behind the eyes of one of the lovable, yellow minions from the Despicable Me series. There's not much really to say besides that it's fun and creative. Your eyes will have a sensory overload with everything going on here. It's one of the best "rides" in the entire theme park.

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5. Horror Make-Up Show (At Universal Studios)

Both hilarious and informative, the Horror Make-Up Show is full of practical effects and humor. The hosts were a laugh riot and you really do see some of the ins and outs of how old-school horror flicks really got it done. If you see only one show at Universal Studios, make sure it's this one.

(image taken from: www.garygoddard.com)

4. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man (At Islands of Adventure)

An oldie but a goodie, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man , like Despicable Me Minion Mayhem is another "ride" that isn't really a ride at all in that you basically just sit in a little booth and wear 3D glasses as you're shaken all about in front of a variety of screens. What makes this particular ride so great through is how much you really feel like you're a part of Spider-Man's world. Ol' webhead himself lands on your "car" and takes you out of harm's way as Doc Oc and his minions try to attack you. If you love Spider-Man, then you'll absolutely adore this "ride".

(Image taken from: en.wikipedia.org)

3. Revenge of The Mummy The Ride (At Universal Studios)

I can't believe I'm saying this but Revenge of the Mummy The Ride is one of the greatest coasters I've ever been on and here's why--I wasn't expecting anything from it and got a lot out of it. Now, maybe me talking about it will get your hopes up too much, but when I went on this indoor coaster, I was awestruck by how fantastic it was. There were flames, scarabs coming out of the walls, and enough hairpin turns and drops to make any roller coaster fan swoon. If you love indoor coasters, then you absolutely need to ride this. It's a must.

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2. Springfield (At Universal Studios)

Besides having the absolute worst ride in the park, Springfield itself is astonishing with all the detail that was put into it. Moe's is here, Krusty Burger is here, and hell, even The Comic Book Shop Guy's store is here (Though, it's only its exterior, as it's really just a bathroom). It was enough to make this old Simpsons fan want to love the show again. Almost, I said. The show is absolutely terrible now. But this side of the park is to die for. El Barto was here.

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1. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (At Islands of Adventure)

No question about it, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is the single best attraction at Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure. It's no contest. So much attention to detail was put into this section that it alone is worth the trip to Universal Studios. You can drink butter beer, journey into Hogwarts (And go on an amazing-and creepy-ride), and even, if you're lucky, get selected to pick out your own wand at Ollivanders. Honestly, this specific section of Islands of Adventure is pretty much better than anything I saw at Disney World, and that's saying a lot since I LOVE Disney World. But for all of the Mouse House's magic, it can't match the that found here in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Go to Florida just for this. It's worth it. You'll thank me later.

The Top Ten Cartoons of the 90s

I was born in 1983, so that makes me a child of the 90s. Sure, I remember seeing Thundercats on TV. I remember seeing G.I. Joe, Transformers, and Voltron, but those weren't my cartoons. Those were for people born in the 1970s.

MY cartoons officially started around 1989. So that means, the only Transformers that I was really into was these:



Sure, kids of today would scoff at how awful the computer models look, but that's where I'm coming from when I'm talking about the Transformers that I truly know. Optimus Prime is a monkey.

Even so, I wouldn't dare put that in my top ten favorite cartoons of the 90s. No, that list has a very specific batch. Now, I asked around and a lot of people agreed with my picks, so this list won't be as polarizing as some of my others. Without further Apu (Simpsons fans know where I'm coming from with that one) the top ten best cartoons of the 90s...

10. Doug

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If you asked me to tell you the plot of a single episode, I probably couldn't. But if you asked me about the characters, I'd say, oh, you got Skeeter ("Honk honk!"), Roger Klotz, his older sister, Judy, his dog, Porkchop, and of course, the love of his life, Patti Mayonnaise.

And that's because Doug was a show about characters. So much so, that when Nickelodeon's Doug became Disney's Doug, we all got really upset when they cut Patti Mayonnaise's hair. Let me just repeat that last sentence: We all got really upset when they cut Patti Mayonnaise's hair.

Are you serious? That really bothered us back then? Well, yeah, it did, and that says a lot when people get bothered (Or actually, approve of, for a select minority) when a character on a cartoon show gets a haircut that's too short.

Oh, and by the way, who needs the Beatles when you've got the Beets?



9. Animaniacs

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Admit it, you didn't get every joke on Animaniacs when you watched it as a kid. You didn't really know half the movies that they were referencing, and you had a hard time wrapping your head around why they kept calling their psychiatrist, Dr. Scratchansniff, a "P" sychiatrist. It all went over your head. It doesn't matter. Animaniacs did back then what a lot of cartoons are doing today--Not dumbing it down just because it's a cartoon. I'd venture to say that it wasn't even a kids' cartoon. Would a kids' cartoon really have an episode parodying Apocalypse Now? The fact of the matter is, it was a great show that appealed to both kids, because it was wacky, and to adults, because it was smart, and everybody benefited from it. And that Wheel of Morality sure does give great tips!

Here's one of my favorite scenes from the show:



And who could forget Chicken Boo?



8. X-Men: The Animated Series

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As a comic book nerd growing up, I already knew about the X-Men. But the uncanny mutants were around long before I was born, so it was nice to see some of their older stories get played out on TV. The Phoenix Saga, for one, was a thing of legend, and it was awesome to see the epicness of it all without having to backtrack through the older comics to learn about it. Sure, some details were changed, but overall, it took phenomenal stories and introduced them to a new audience. Plus, you gotta love that intro.



7. Ren and Stimpy

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Unlike Animaniacs, Ren and Stimpy was definitly not for kids. Sure, it was shown TO kids, but that doesn't mean that it was shown FOR kids. Unlike the innocence of Spongebob today, which I'd say is the show's nearest successor, Ren and Stimpy just went way, way, way beyond any standard of decency that kid's should have been allowed to see. Take in note the board game, Don't Whiz on the Electric Fence, or that Powdered Toast Man flies backwards and sticks his head in the toaster to transform. I mean, what IS this? That's all I could ask myself when I was younger. What-the hell-am I watching? And that's why it was so good. Any show that can make you question if you're still living in reality has to go on this list.



6. Gargoyles

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When picking a favorite show from the two hour Disney block we all used to watch after school, most people would pick something like Duck Tales or Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers or Darkwing Duck, and I'm not saying that you're wrong by picking those shows. I'm just saying that you're less right than I am.

The other aforementioned shows, while great in their own right, weren't as deep or as rich as Gargoyles, which just came out of nowhere. The concept alone was genuine and awesome. Gargoyles, those things that you see on the top of city buildings, actually come to life at night and have adventures? No wai! Also, add to the fact that it had a deep mythology and went back several generations, and you had a show that actually made Disney cool. That, and the fact that badass Goliath was voiced by similar badass, Keith David. Ohhhh, yeeeeeah.



5. Beavis and Butt-head

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Today, I can watch an episode of Beavis and Butt-head and not laugh once, but very few cartoon characters of the 90s were as beloved as the heroes of the "heh heh's" and "huh huh's" as B&B were. What I loved most about the show is when they would just sit on the couch and watch crummy music videos and make fun of them. Interestingly enough, I actually discovered one of my favorite bands during one of these segments, which I guess just furthers the notion that I really DO like shitty music.



4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

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If you were alive in the 60s, then you had the Beatles. If you were alive in the 90s, then you had the Turtles. TMNT was not just a cartoon, it was a phenomenon, and EVERYBODY was into them. EV-RY-BODY. When I was a kid, race, religion or creed didn't matter to me. It was, "Who's your favorite Ninja Turtle?" which would determine our friendship. If you said, Donatello, then you had to stay the hell away from me. Most of my friends were Michelangelo fans, but I was always more of a Raphael kind of guy. He was cool, but rude (Give me a break!) you know.

I STILL get fond memories for the turtles. Still.



3. The Maxx

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Now here's the only cartoon on my list that may not be on your own. For anybody who knows me, they know that The Maxx is my favorite comic book character of all time. And yes, even more than Moon Knight. The Maxx used to be shown on MTV on a series called MTV Oddities, which featured another excellent show called The Head. The Maxx is deep. Very deep. Jungian deep. It was an excellent comic book and the show was basically just the comic book, panel for panel, on the screen. You can't get any better than that. If you find it, pick it up. It's definitely worth the watch.



You can actually watch full episodes here: http://www.mtv.com/videos/the-maxx-episode-1/1611381/playlist.jhtml

2. Batman: The Animated Series

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Batman: The Animated Series won Emmys. It is, in my opinion, not only one of the greatest cartoons of the 90s, but also, the greatest animated, televised drama ever. Nothing even compares to it. Batman has been shown and repackaged since the 60s in many different variations, but none as darkly engaging as when he had this animated gem. All the familiar villains were there--The Joker, The Penguin, Two Face--but then, there were other's that weren't so known, like The Mad Hatter, Killer Croc, and my personal favorite, Clayface. And the best thing was, none of them were mistreated. All of them were given phenomenal episodes, and some of them, I'm not even ashamed to say, made me cry. Will there ever be another show like this one, I don't know, but for any of us who were alive at the time to appreciate it, we were lucky.



1. The Simpsons

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Okay, let's please just try to forget The Simpsons of the 2000s and try to focus on The Simpsons that America really and truly loved. Once you do that, I don't think there's even a question about what the best cartoon of the 90s was. Hell, I'd say, The Simpsons was the best television show of the 90s, period. Sure, you can whine, "But what about Seinfeld?" in Jerry's annoying voice, and yeah, Seinfeld is definitely in the top two. But the only reason that you'd put Seinfeld over The Simpsons is because Seinfeld knew when it was time to bow out gracefully, and The Simpsons doesn't have a clue.

If The Simpsons had ended in what many, if not all, fans would call the golden years of the show, then I'm pretty sure more people would be calling it the greatest show of all time, cartoon notwithstanding.

Nothing was funnier than The Simpsons at its prime. Nothing was as engaging, and nothing was as marketable. The 90s, for me anyway, was the 16-bit war, Bill Clinton, and The Simpsons, and when I look back and tell my grandkids about it before I tell them that I didn't put any of them in my will, I'll say the same thing--The 90s consisted of three major events, the 16-bit war, Bill Clinton, and The Simpsons. Those are the things that were good in my life when I was a child, and I'll never forget them. I just hope that future generations can look back at the show when (if) it finally goes off the air and notice that the show at one point DID achieve nirvana. It was just buried by a lot of crap that really should never have been released.



Possibly my favorite moment from the show ever.