UNIVERSAL CITY - As the fab four make their primetime return to NBC in the highly-anticipated return of "Will & Grace," Universal Studios Hollywood guests visiting the theme park as part of its exclusive VIP Experience will have the unique opportunity to step onto Soundstage 22 on the Universal backlot to see first-hand where the sitcom revival is making history for a second time.
Universal Studios Hollywood—renowned for putting the illustrious world of movie-making magic within arm's reach of guests visiting from across the globe—elevates the behind-the-scenes access with its coveted VIP Experience by exposing guests to areas of the production lot typically reserved for working professionals.
"The 'Will & Grace' set visits are an exciting addition to the VIP Experience and speaks to exactly the one-of-a-kind opportunities that offer our guests an insider's peek at Hollywood in action," said Karen Irwin, President and COO, Universal Studios Hollywood.
"Will & Grace," starring Debra Messing, Eric McCormack, Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally, is one of television's landmark comedies with 16 Emmy Awards and 83 nominations. NBC has ordered 16 episodes for its first season and 13 episodes for season two.
In addition to such set visits, the VIP Experience also features an expert Studio Tour Guide, trolley, unlimited front-of-line privileges to all theme park rides and attractions, entry to a reserved VIP Lounge, and a VIP gourmet lunch prepared by the theme park's award-winning executive chef. Complimentary continental breakfast in a private VIP Lounge and valet parking is also included. The tour is specifically designed to accommodate smaller groups of up to 24 for a more personal experience.
The VIP Experience invites guests to disembark the trolley and walk through working soundstages used in current productions. 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 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 and television shows filmed on the lot to add context to corresponding set visits.
An elaborate gourmet lunch, prepared exclusively for VIP Experience guests by Universal Studios Hollywood's award-winning executive chef 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, as well as al fresco dining amid a relaxing setting with a spectacular view overlooking the studio backlot and the mountains of San Fernando Valley.
With an ever-changing menu, sample lunch fare includes such items 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 and an ornate self-serve coffee and beverage bar round out the dining experience.
The VIP Experience features unlimited front-of-line privileges and reserved seating at Universal Studios rides and attractions, including "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey" at "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™."
Reservations are available online at www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com or by calling 818-622-5120. Private VIP Experience tours and gift certificates are also available.
About Universal Studios Hollywood is The Entertainment Capital of L.A. and includes a full-day, movie-based theme park and Studio Tour. As a leading global entertainment destination, Universal Studios Hollywood delivers highly themed immersive lands that translate to real-life interpretations of iconic movie and television shows. Recent additions include "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter ™" which features a bustling Hogsmeade village and such critically-acclaimed rides as "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey" and "Flight of the Hippogriff™," Universal Studios Hollywood's first outdoor rollercoaster. Other immersive lands include "Despicable Me Minion Mayhem" and "Super Silly Fun Land" as well as "Springfield," hometown of America's favorite TV family, located adjacent to the award-winning "The Simpsons RideTM" and the "The Walking Dead" daytime attraction. The world-renowned Studio Tour is Universal Studios Hollywood's signature attraction, inviting guests behind-the-scenes of the world's biggest and busiest movie and television studio where they can also experience such authentic and immersive thrill rides as "Fast & Furious—Supercharged." The adjacent Universal CityWalk entertainment, shopping and dining complex also includes the all-new multi-million dollar, redesigned Universal CityWalk Cinema, featuring deluxe recliner seating in screening room quality theatres, and the "5 Towers" state-of-the-art outdoor concert stage.
