Animation Studio at Universal Studio Merchandise Review

Hey everyone! I recently was able to attend the pass members only event at Universal Studios Hollywood. I didn't take many photos because I was a bit too nervous to take any but I do have a few. From what I saw they didn't mind too much. So if I go again I'll be sure to post more on my twitter @lynnllia. Anyways, the store is just lovely. They gave my boyfriend and myself free cute hello kitty headbands and we also got a free heart shaped cookie. It in itself was a bit bland almost milky tasting so I didn't finish it but it was super cute.

They had so much to offer with all sorts of animation. I really really wanted the Back to the Future feat Hello Kitty mug. I wanted everything pretty much. Though it is of course all on the pricey side. It's Universal after all. The things I did buy though were a cute set of magnetic bookmarks and a cute set of small notebooks. Those are the two things I will be reviewing. Also, it took everything in my power not to buy a 20 dollar mug or an 80 dollar purse. I can't help myself when it comes to Hello Kitty or anything cute for that matter.

Let's get started! First up is the magnetic bookmarks. They were around 8 dollars for two which honestly isn't that bad considering there is two in there and they are magnetic. The packaging is super cute and I love how they showcase the back of the bookmarks more than the front so it's a little surprise. The red is super cute though taking the bookmarks out was a bit hard since I was trying not to ruin the backing it was on.

The bookmarks themselves are pretty nice, they aren't amazing and they had a little  overlap that I ended up taking off, which was nothing really. They are pretty strong magnets but not strong enough to do much damage. I tested them out on one sheet vs a couple sheets vs a lot. On one sheet of my book if you move the magnet a bit too fast it will rip the page. Thankfully I only had minor damage done to mine when I attempted it. I'm generally a more careful person when it comes to things like that so if you aren't, be careful. So using it on one page is fine but you do have to move it slowly up and separate them so you can get it off.

Then I tested it on a few pages, about five or so and it worked much better. No damage was done and I could remove it a lot faster because I wasn't as worried. Though I would still be careful. If you don't place it right it can bunch up the pages and create a little air in between the pages and it appears even more so the more pages you add. I did that with my book and I'm waiting to see if it has any adverse affects on the pages themselves. Possibly ruining a book for the sake of bookmark science.

Yes yes I am reading the hobbit, I am super late on that train but still, the bookmarks hold up and they do their job. There isn't much to be said in that department. The look super cute, I love how they look like tickets, I find that absolutely adorable. They are great at being a bookmark if you know how to use them and if you are careful. Just don't put them near your electronics.

Moving on to the set of three small notebooks. these were around 15 to 16 dollars I don't remember the exact price since I threw away the plastic covering. However, they were a dollar cheaper than a bigger notebook which honestly I thought was a steal. They look to be about the same amount of pages and I myself personally prefer small notebooks. I already have one small Hello Kitty notebook so I decided to get her three sisters. The notebooks are alright. They are a good price for three of them and since it was a pass members only event the whole store was 20% off and I love me a sale.

The notebooks are super cute and they even have art inside on the back of the cover. Which I found completely adorable. However they aren't exactly the best made. They are glued notebooks which means they have no rings around them and are harder to keep open. Unless you train it to stay open then you'll be holding it the whole time. The downside of training them to stay open is that they won't close fully. I'm not a fan of that style of notebooks but it's something that is more of a personal preference than anything else.

The cover is durable but it does feel a bit cheap sometimes when I grab it. The pages themselves are super cute and they seem to work just fine. Each notebook has the same pages in them. All black lines with a little Hello Kitty in the corner just smiling at you. The cover art and the inside art is the only thing that makes them different. Which I don't mind at all. I don't like a lot of art on the notebook pages because I buy them to write in them more than anything. If you don't mind the notebook never closing fully unless something is on top if it then I suggest trying it out. They are cute little notebooks that were not bad for their price. It's what I expected out of them and nothing more or nothing less.

Those two items totaled around 21USD which is what I expecting. That is with the 20% off. It's a huge name brand and inside an amusement part so it's to be expected to be cheap. My other notebook that I bought years ago is ringed and it cost around 10 dollars just by itself. So for three none ringed they are worth their money. I will be using them a lot. One of them is already designated my blog notebook. If you love Hello Kitty then the shop is worth checking out. It opens to the public on March 1st and I will for sure be going in there again. Perhaps next time I'll do the Make Your Own Headband station.