Sunday, March 25, 2012

The Women of Universal


The Women of Universal By Lynn Hubbard
As a family, we love the Universal theme parks, it has something to offer everyone. So, while the kids were riding the Mummy, I wandered down the street to visit the Women of Universal. Betty & Lucy.
Betty Boop was created in the 1930’s, although she’s in her eighties she still is a beauty. Betty is an icon for women. She’s feisty and funny and Universal has given her a corner spot on Broadway.


Betty’s favorite colors are Red, Black and Pink. The store carries unique merchandise, such as feather boas, garter belts and everything Betty. It is also a great place to pick up postcards with celebrities from the glory days of Hollywood. These include such greats as James Dean, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and many other screen legends.
Next to Betty is “Lucy-A Tribute.” Of course, there is only one Lucy, Lucille Ball. Lucille starred in many rolls but her most famous was “I Love Lucy” a sitcom from the fifties. The walk thru museum shadows her life. It has old movie projectors you can peek into, original costumes and props from her shows and movies. And if you’re up on your Lucy Trivia, you can take the quiz!
I remember my mother watching Lucy reruns on television when I was young. I believe many women can relate to Lucy. Lucy had  many big dreams and ideas. The fact that most backfired horribly did little to deter her spirit! She brought laughter to millions and I am happy she is still being honored at Universal.
This is also a great area to get Character Photos and Autographs. As we strolled down the street we ran into Betty Boop in the flesh. Marilyn Monroe was also present as was Bullwinkle, Scooby Doo, Curious George, and Lisa & Homer Simpson.
There doesn’t seem to be any set schedule for the characters. They show up at random and alternate. I’ve seen the whole troop from Madagascar show up, along with the mystery machine, driven by Shaggy of course.  Lucy and Desai are frequent visitors as well. One of the best deals is an autograph book. Every character has a unique signature and many draw pictures aswell. My favorite autograph so far is from the Egyptians in The Mummy area. When asking for an autograph they act like they have never seen a pen before, and they take a very long time to mark on the page. Wolverine is very gruff, and simply draws three slashes. Love it!
Not to be out done by Disney, Universal has their own Princesses.

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