A Deep Dive Into Classic Universal Studios Florida (Part 1)
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- Today we're going to be taking a deep dive into classic Universal Studios Florida. This is Part 1 of a script that grew wildly out of control, but is still full of fascinating content.
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As a former cast member for Universal Orlando in the 90s (Entertainment: played Beetlejuice in the Original Version of the Beetlejuice Graveyard Review … prior to that I worked in Ride & Show at Alfred Hitchcock and Murder She Wrote) you did a GREAT job on this video. I know how much time and research goes into creating videos on this depth. NICE WORK 👍
My parents loved to tell the story of how I got them kicked out of Murder She Wrote when I was an infant because of my incessant baby babble. Was that a common occurrence?
@@garywillig5143 not that I recall.
Alfred Hitchcock the Art of making Movies was one of my favorite things there. Even as a kid.
One of my close family friends was one of your make up artists!
@@ChampaBayBeast who?
Every time I go back to universal I feel like it’s a different park in a good way. Love the nostalgia of ET but it’s also great they experiment with new tech and add new experiences often.
That's a curious sentiment. I don't dislike the park today, but I do perceive it as kind of a mess.
I vaguely remember going to the old park as a child. It’s such a shame we won’t get to experience these attractions ever again. Their replacements feel cheap in comparison
A couple of things. I was one of those kids who got to sample the slime. It was just made of pureed fruits. It actually tasted really good. Very much like a modern smoothie. Also, I was the kid that was selected to be slimed. An amazing memory. Starting that day I never thought I would end it by taking a shower in Nickelodeon Studios.
I must be old because I remember all of this. I clearly remember the tram tour guide explaining how the NY streets near the water front were used in the movie Oscar (Stalone) and how it had cobble stone streets. Today, most of the cobble stone has been paved over to make a safer walking surface. Many of the manhole covers still say USF.
Fun fact: the Kongfrontation ride track is still in the Revenge of the Mummy showbuilding as it would have been impossible to remove without harming the building's structure.
Kongs ride is the best fake Ny ive ever seen. Actually felt like you were in the city.
@@websurfer8670
FINALLY someone else says it!!! I’ve been to NYC and Kong was one of my first Universal rides as a kid… it was done sooo well!!! (Although maybe it was missing the smell of wet pavement but that really didn’t hinder it.)
I don’t know what to say about the ride track… I’m kind of mad. I understand it would need to stay because of the structure but like… I LOVED Kong and I do NOT like thrill rides OR mummies… I only ever got to ride Kongfrontation one time and have been dying for a round two ever since…
On another note though, I hope most of the ride’s pieces have a decent home somewhere… if I had the budget, I’d specifically hunt down Kong’s Raggedy Ann since I collect Raggedies… I remember she was sitting at a doll tea party set up by a little girl in one of the apartments on the ride. The little girl was of course gone and the TV in the room was showing the news reports about Kong so the scene was kind of sad to look at but I loved the doll a lot… always wanted her.
@@CosplayCore kong was my first ride ever. And it was so terrifying i remember the entire thing. I cried on that ride when i was 6. But when i came back at 7 i purposley made sure i didnt cry. I thought i was so brave 😂
Didn’t know that! Thanks. Kongfrontation was incredible. Just felt huge!
I can't wait to see an eventual video or hear about your thoughts on Super Nintendo World. I think its the best thing Universal has done in a while.
I think it’s the best land they have done PERIOD. And that’s saying a lot since Im a fan of Harry Potter
@@NinthShinigami Agreed. It’s the best thing to come to theme parks over all in a while. I honestly think it will have more traction and be more popular than Harry Potter was.
@@coolioam8137 fax. For Harry Potter we’re taking about fans and people in general who love either or both the books or movies. With Nintendo, that’ll attract four decades worth of gamers and families.
I would be interested in Super Nintendo World, but I believe that Universal Studios Japan has been asking UA-cam to take down videos that contain ride footage of the Mario Kart attraction. I would like to do a video, but I can't really speak about the attraction without breaking down elements of the ride.
The Mario kart ride is horrendous
I was a little kid going into this version of Universal so all these recaps of the rides is bringing back so HUGE nostalgia vibes.
I can see that Universal still cares about nickelodeon. In the carnival area of islands of adventure I saw some rugrats toys for prizes. And they have a spongebob gift shop and meet and great
It’d be cool if Woody Woodpecker kid land was turned into a Nick land. I think some little kids still know some of the older Nick properties.
They don’t own Nick though. If they did anything in kidzone it would be their own ip.
At this point, the Spongebob store just seems to be a left-over contractual obligation. Turning Kid Zone into a fully immersive Bikini Bottom area with a Krusty Krab restaurant would be great, but I doubt anything like it would happen.
Yes, et finger did glow and his eyes moved. It was dope at night
I went to Universal Orlando many times in the early 90’s. So thankful to have home movie footage of these classic rides and attractions!
Very well done and researched; looking forward to Part Two. It is fascinating seeing how the Universal Orlando resort has evolved over these last 30 years.
Part 2 is where it really seems to get interesting. I underestimated how long it would take to get through Production Central.
I remember going to universal studios when I was about 11/12 so 96/97. Possibly a year or 2 earlier. But I still remember just this magical feeling. I absolutely love movies and I'm fascinated by anything movie related. We unfortunately don't have anything like this in England. But I think I could definitely visit once a month and not get bored!
I first (and only) visited Universal in 2001 when I was 4 and remember a lot of the early attractions that were still around then (mostly bc a lot were not age appropriate and scared me to death lol)... The Hanna-Barbera ride, the Alfred Hitchcock experience, Twister, Earthquake, Jaws (particularly traumatizing because I thought it was a real shark), Barney etc
I remember going and just smelling propane everywhere because every attraction had something blowing up.
@@PoseidonEntertainment 😂 I don't remember that
Brucey traumatized you too, huh? 🤣😂 I was too old when I went to believe it was a real shark (I was ten) but I DID imagine what it would be like to see it underwater and to be trapped in there with all the machinery… ugh… that specific panic attack in 2002 at the park gave me submechanophobia for life. Ironically, I grew to like real sharks still and as an adult, one of my favorite “creature features” is JAWS.
Your video brings back so memories. As i worked there from 1994 to 1996. I remember all the original rides. Thank you.
Wish I could've experienced the original rides! Hopefully they keep et around!
I just wish they would renovate E.T. at least. It's pretty much falling apart at this point.
@@PoseidonEntertainment
I so badly want a renovation of my favorite ride!!!!
I’m also so grateful to Speilberg for using his star power to keep ET in place for us… it’s the last corner of the park that really makes me feel like I’m a kid again… like nothing bad ever happened to me… like I’m still home. Sure, of course, Hogwarts will also always welcome me home but in a much different way than E.T. does because I was an E.T. fan for years before Harry Potter was published in the US and similarly, E.T. was standing for its fans at Universal long before Hogwarts arrived. I grew up more with E.T. than I did with Harry. I’m afraid I won’t know what to do anymore at Universal if E.T. ever shuts down but if it does, I will HAVE to find a way to claw my way over there to say goodbye and I fear it will hit me way harder than Great Movie Ride at Disney did.
Glad I got to go to Universal twice in the 90s I will always cherish those memories and consider myself lucky to have got to see it.
I'm actually crying. Thank you so much for letting me relive all my memories from my childhood. Can't wait to watch part 2 and cry some more. XD
This is amazing! Thank you! I moved to Orlando in 93 and when I turned 16 I worked at Universal until I joined the Navy. I started in retail and moved to Ride and Show, I finished as a tour guide with some others in between. This was an amazing look back at my first job and it's crazy how much the park has changed since the early 90s.
I’m really happy you made a Video on this cuz I really wish I had experienced this park these rides were so extravagant
Same
They were ambitious for sure. I'm not sure if people really appreciated them until years later though.
I remember going to Universal as a kid in the mid-90s. It was a hot July day and got a wicked sun burn from Disney the day before. When the flames went off during the Jaws ride it really amped up the pain of the sun burn!!! I remember all of these rides. My favorite was Back to the Future and Ghostbusters show. I remember one of the things we had to see was the I Love Lucy walk through for my mom. They had a Jurassic Park exhibit right there on the right. You could get up close to the sick triceratops and a few other dino props.
Edit: Thanks for this video and I look forward to part 2! Awesome work!
Great video! Brings back memories, looking forward to Part 2.
I miss the mid-90s version of Universal Studios Florida, wish I could experience it again today how it was back then but as an adult :)
The 90s were great for Universal and Disney in general. If I had a time machine...
When I first discovered USF's website, they showcased these now defuncted attractions, except for the Murder She Wrote sound stage. And made me wish I could go to Florida to experience them, which I sadly wasn't able to. Thank goodness for online videos showcasing what their full experiences were like.
Murder, She Wrote was actually quite difficult to cover. I had to piece together various videos because there wasn't a lot of information on it available.
Thank you for making this video!!! As I start my 30 anniversary with the company next week, this was fun looking back on the Universal I helped operate back in the day. EXCELLENT WORK. I can't wait for your next video!!
Love your Universal videos man! Keep up the great work!
I'm surprised it wasn't mentioned that due to the complexity of the ride track system built into the same building, the track for Kongfrontation still exists on the ceiling of Revenge of The Mummy.
Wow thats kool
It didn't seem like a relevant detail, though I do think its remnants are an interesting part of the history.
Universal in the 90s was the best park ever. Disney did not come close. I used to have the option of where to go when visiting relatives in Florida and California and I went to all the major parks and made Universal the only one I cared about.
Back to the Future was the best attraction ever and I remember great memories of every single attraction shown in the video.
Thank you so much for this video! I visited back in January 1991 so remember a lot of these rides
I was very lucky to have experienced it the year after it opened. I still struggle with if I think the park is ultimately better today than back then. Rides are definitely more high tech but, rides like back to the future I believe was better than the Simpsons and it had much more charm. Harry Potter is done amazingly but I really miss jaws. Love the mummy but Kongfrontation had just a little something extra vs the new Kong 3D screens. Maybe it’s just nostalgia working on me
That just goes to show how good Universal is at making replacements. Not like Disney who’ll replace a classic dark ride for a meet and greet, or a ride surrounding the main idea of the park (Great Movie Ride) and turning it into a bland ride featuring the company’s mascot and his girl
Probably mostly nostalgia but i agree there was just something more to the rides. Just ride E.T. and compare to newer rides. Im just not a fan of removing a ride everytime you put a new one in. They simply don't have enough rides to spread the crowds out
I think it's a mixed bag. While attractions like Transformers aren't necessarily bad, the issue is that the park is just too oversaturated with them. The park needs rides with more physicality to balance it out, but I'm not sure if they're going to do that. With rumors of a screen-based Minions attraction coming to the park, it seems like the wrong move.
All I can say to this is… I have the exact same thoughts.
I think it's a bit of a mix but majority nostalgia. I was lucky enough to have been on family vacations there when I was younger and I'm taking my own family on trips now. I was there in October of 2021 and rode ET again for the first time in a while with my children. I talked to ride up saying how much I loved it and they pretty much stared at me the whole like "this is the amazing ride you were telling us about?!?!" I also thing Universal strikes a good balance between screens and sets. Having the screens there allows them to do some pretty remarkable things with the technology we have today and the physical sets during transitions are incredible. Screens also make the rides much more reliable, upping the capacity and making wait times as short as possible. Lastly I absolutely understand your opinion on the matter and this is just my opinion so honestly I cod be way off the mark here lol.
I kind of think Lucas and Spielberg had kind of falling out as Lucas sided with Disney and Spielberg has always been with Universal probably is on their board of directors. I think it is funny how Lucas thought Spielberg couldn't do anything near Star Tours. Spielberg was like hold my beer, followed by Back to the Future and ET. I personally have enjoyed Universal films far more than Disney throughout the years its not even close. I have never been to these Florida parks only to Universal Hollywood which never had the space to build like Florida. The Kongfrontation looked awesome for sure.
I still have the promotional vhs tape. I was a lucky kid and had an aunt who worked there so I went yearly since 1995. I miss so much of these old rides and shows.
I first went to universal as a kid in 1993 and returned in 2021; it's a completely different park but it's great that they pay homage to the old park. The King Kong ride was scary af and the one in the park now can't compare. My favorite ride was ET and the back to the future ride. This video really took me back to my childhood.
I was very lucky to have gone to Universal Orlando back in the summer of 2002, so I was about 7-8 years old. And I was able to ride all of the rides that were originally there before they were closed. We had a 3 day pass, I never forgot those rides, and loved them!
I returned to Universal many years later to see most of all the classic rides I loved were almost all gone, so I made sure to ride the ones that were left like JAWS that actually closed that year, even T2 show as well.
Oooh boy… we first went in 2002 when I was ten years old (my birthday is in November so we went in December for my tenth birthday gift). I loved all of the attractions. I had so much fun… but it was a lot of shock and disappointment when we went back in 2004 and most of it seemed to already be gone. I remember that trip, I asked my parents when we were gonna go see King Kong and when none of us could find it on the map, I started to cry a little… there were four attractions I loved left though so it wasn’t for long. My tears dried when they told me we were going to go see Bruce, E.T. and Beetlejuice. My top three favorites.
@@CosplayCore nice! Glad to hear you got to get on most of the classic rides as well before they went away. At least you have the good memories of riding on them with your family. Some of my favorites of classic rides were JAWS, Kongfrontation, The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera, and Back to the Future.
I find it so fascinating how the original idea of theme parks dedicated to the MAKING of movies has transformed to simply Theme parks dedicated to the world of the movies themselves.
Granted, I think that's because of this particular park. Kong, Jaws and Back to the Future never had any movie making context, simply just throwing you into a narrative.
Although I have fun at the park now there really was something unique and special about the original early years and the rides.
i vividly remember my first time going to universal in 2005-06 and my favorite memory was jaws and twister that experience will forever be embedded in my soul the thrill of it all really made me fall in love with that park living in fort lauderdale all i wanted to do was go back every year and every time i go back it feels different idk what it is specifically but maybe its the 90's kids thing lol
In March of 1994, my 14 year old self was experiencing a theme park for the first time. We went to Universal first, although we did plan to go to Disney too. We walked down the street marvelling at everything and decided to first go to Kongfrontation. My 11 year old sister and I were losing our goddamned minds in the line with the tension waiting in the line. We were amped up just from the experience in the line, let alone the ride. The theming was so amazing it still makes me shiver nearly 30 years later. Listening to your summary I do remember other parts of the trip, I was one of the volunteers in the Murder She Wrote show to do some foley work. But Kong made one hell of an impression. I've only visited Universal one other time, but that was 2015, and a lot changed 20 years.
i was born in 94 and both my parents work 20+ years their I've enjoyed every phase of Universal 🙏🏿🙏🏿
I still regret closing my eyes during the entire Kongfrontation ride when I was four. It was the first and last time I got to ride this amazing attraction and I never got to fully experience it cause I was a scaredy cat. Lol :)
Such a wonderful trip down memory lane
Always a good Sunday when you wake up to a Poseidon upload! Peace!
This is bringing back a lot of deep memories my dad brought me there all the time over the years when I was little in the 90s 😅☯️ Good times 💯
Wow this is giving me so much nostalgia. Visited a few times as a kid. And again about 20 years ago. Universal was so awesome back then!
I agree for sure.
I remember going round the park with my family and film buff grandfather in the 90s. At the time I think I most appreciated that we could skip the line since he had to be in a wheelchair for long walks, but it does bring back really nice memories seeing the park as we enjoyed it! He loved the earthquake ride.
Great video. At 17:32, I got to eat slime once as a kid when I did that same tour in 1996. It was literally just green apple sauce lol
Your videos are always so detailed and easy to follow! Definitely deserve more subs, I'd put you up there with Defunctland, and Bright Sun Films! ❤
I went in October of 1987 and it is still one of my best old memories I was 13 and saw the BTTF DeLorean, Knight Rider and Kitt talked to you.
The A-Team van, Miami Vice Stunt Show.
King Kong walking through a city.
The location of Jaws studio beach with the Billboard, the psycho house and motel. The Munsters house and the leave it to beaver's house are across the street from each other there's just so much more but that's some of it
Really enjoyed the video. Makes me wish they would make a Universal legacy park
I’ll never forget my first visit when I was 8! Twister, Earthquake, and Jaws terrified me. I cried on Jaws and from that moment on I was hooked on universal. I have so many fond memories of going to the parks growing up
Ive been going to USF since 1993 and I remember a lot of the old school rides. Currently work for the IOA side and its my favorite job Ive ever had!
Lovely nostalgia. I miss all the older rides. Wish they would add rather than replace. I loved the back to the future ride and hanna Barbera ride. Great memories. Thanks
I remember first visiting the park back in 1997 much of the attraction were still around at that time but there were changes coming and it was a big difference when I came back in 2003
You missed one more early Hollywood Tour attraction before Kongfrontation. It was a Battlestar Galatica section (the original 1980s show) that was in a drive through soundstage in the area that Kongfrontation was added.
Your tram would be stopped when a gun effect was fired off. This was from a laxer canon manned by two Cylon robot animatronics. The tram driver would engage in an exchange where the Cylons would order you to enter their base location. Your captured tram would enter the sound stage where a set with more animatronics would be where you were told to wait for transfer to a prisoner area (details are a bit foggy since I was pretty young the last time I saw this). Then two actors/stuntmen playing Apollo and Starbucks would burst in and a fire fight would ensue. You,d sit there as the laxer effects and battle effects went off around the tram and one of the actors ordered the tram driver to get you out. You’d drive through the rest of the soundstage and out the exit as the battle continued. It was pretty fun. Some kids were scared of it on the tram though.
This was there for several years since I remember going through it 2-3 times as a kid.
I miss attractions like Hitchcock and Disaster. The attractions that LITERALLY put you in the movies.
I went to Universal the year it opened and saw the electrocuted jaws. I loved all of these attractions
We spent a day at Universal not long after they opened, and the only ride I remember liking at all was Back to the Future (which I remember being just like Star Tours, but somehow a much better experience. I also lost my sunglasses on it.) We waited in line for HOURS for E.T. for an experience that might've been worth it if the line had been fifteen minutes. Kong was down. We left generally feeling entirely underwhelmed.
I’d disagree about E.T. but then… I’m a die-hard E.T. fan and I’ve got the Green Planet Passports, life sized talking ET, original ET novelization copy and autograph from Henry Thomas to prove it… I’d probably wait all day just to ride E.T. You could try tempting me away with Hogwarts having been lifted off the pages of my favorite book series but I’d bet a whole case of pumpkin juice that that wouldn’t pry me out of E.T.’s neck of the woods. As I’m typing this, I’m already starting to miss hearing Botanicus’ booming voice, watching the babies swing around and the smell of the chlorine and pine… it’s my favorite ride and has been since I was a kid… and the movie is my all time favorite science fiction film. :)
@@CosplayCore I can understand from the perspective that I feel that way about other things, especially some of the rides that were EPCOT originals. E.T. was very Peter Pan's Flight, imo. I didn't hate it; I just didn't find it worth the time we had to wait on it (which was probably made infinitely worse by how many other rides weren't working that day).
I just went to universal studios for the frist time this Thursday on my senior trip in high school and I absolutely loved it! The old school park seems much cooler but the new one was amazing still and the jrasick park area was so 90s! While waiting in the que for the jerasck boat ride they played a pretty 90s video as we waited and I got a cool retro mr DNA shrit and even a retro 90s wall pennet
Amazing Video! So many nostalgic memories Universal Florida was much cooler when they used giant animatronics (King Kong) instead of giant movie screens.
This video is basically The Father of theme park videos. By which I mean the Anthony Hopkins film about a man with Alzheimer's and his changing world around him. You see all this great history, and then beloved and familiar sights take hold, but just as quickly they begin to vanish, leaving only confusion and sadness in their wake.
I was there opening year in Florida, for MGM too, I rode those pedestrian area trams, I remember parking in the lot and walking in, and I remember the Nickelodeon tour. If I was the kid who got to be slimed, I would have shoved that towel away and told them I would wear that slime for the rest of my trip as a badge of honor. I doubt they'd have let me though, the kid wouldn't have been able to breathe through it. I love that you went back to the birth of cinema for this one, it was the right way to go.
It wasn't much that first year compared with the Disney parks, but it was well worth a day of the trip to explore it, and it got better fast in later years. But I think Jaws wasn't working the day that first year that we went, and many of the attractions were still under construction. One of my favorite things was the Alfred Hitchcock experience, I was a fan of his tv show on Nick at Nite already, though I hadn't really seen his movies. It was so cool seeing all the movie effects they had set up though and a great stage show. The motion on the Hanna Barbera ride wasn't great, but the film more than made up for it. When Back to the Future came around it was done a thousand times better. It just didn't feel very integrated and it didn't respond fast enough to keep up with the cartoon.
Frustrating that I'm finding this video weeks after launch, meanwhile, UA-cam has been recommending such trash that I have zero interest in..and I'm subbed. Glad I caught it, looks like I got a dope ride ahead!
I remember Nickelodeon advertising USF all the time in the early and mid 90s, and it looking so cool.
Wonderful video. Brought me back to how the park was when we first visited when I was younger. That western stunt show was pretty epic, it was one of the things that I really enjoyed. Earthquake and Backdraft, too... I hadn't realized how recently the park had opened when we first visited.
Are you speaking about Hollywood? The Florida park never had a version of Backdraft.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Very possible. We've visited both Florida and California but because I was young, memories tend to blur together.
For that reason, when my sister and I went back to Walt Disney World Disney as young adults, we searched high and low for the Indiana Jones ride and much to our dismay, could only find the stunt show... We only figured out at the end of our trip that we had probably seen this ride in California!
I went to Universal Florida in the early 90s. So I went when it was I. Full swing (Jaws, Earthquake, American Tail playground, Ghostbusters etc) It was incredible. The Back to the Future ride will always be one of my top 10 experiences ever.
I loved the Hannah Barbara ride!
Brilliant! I really appreciate the effort that obviously went into this video. It's also obvious that you're someone who "gets" the Opening Day attractions at USF. Whenever I get the chance I try to point out to Management that I fell in love with Universal Studios Florida lived up to the slogan of *Ride the Movies* whereas nowadays it seems like it's all about *Ride the Roller Coasters* . I live in Georgia, I don't need to go to Orlando in order to ride roller coasters. If the Hitchcock Theater was still in existence I'd enjoy going through it every time I visited the park. Same goes for the Murder She Wrote Post Production Show, Jaws, Kongfrontation and Ghostbusters. So, in anticipation of Part 2, put me down as not preferring the format change made in the park. Hell, I couldn't believe they closed the Lucille Ball tribute.
I appreciate the work you put into these videos.
Awesome work! Cant wait for second video. Thanks for putting this together!
Great video! Fun fact: I had a buddy who worked on the original King Kong attraction, and he told me the chemical used to make the banana breath Would melt King Kongs skin, so they had to turn it off! 🤪
Does where the good ole days!! Great video
I got to go to Universal Hollywood as a child & I remember the tram ride (specifically the bridge & Jaws parts) VERY vividly. Got to visit my favorite movie set of The Grinch which made my whole life since I had just got it on VHS for Christmas & could quote it backwards lol. I did finally visit Universal Orlando last summer & can say it was everything I imagined…..minus Nickelodeon Studios of course 😔
I was one of those kids who sat in the kiddie pool and got slimed 😊 Perhaps I am just an old, simple person who is ultra-susceptible to nostalgia but HOLY CRAP I MISS 90’S UNIVERSAL. Love your channel and really appreciate the time and effort you put into your videos!
90s Universal was for sure the best
Love this content! Better than TV by far
damn dog i love your videos i look forward to them. I wasnt even a big them park fan until i saw your channel i realized just how much work goes into these parks. Thanks for your content bro
Universal Orlando is so amazing. Love videos about it.
17:34 I went to Nickelodeon studios in the 90s and the slime was literally jello. All Nickelodeon slime is just jello
Your content is amazing. Your very educated with what your doing. I love your videos
We experienced all of these items during visits on those early years. The Hitchcock thing was interesting because of showing the Dial M for Murder (I think it was) in 3-D, which Hitchcock had originally planned to release it in (or so the story went). Back then, though, the clash between fully themed Magic Kingdom and World Showcase areas made the "unfinished sets" of Universal and D/MGM seem very lackluster. I don’t recall being very impressed by anything at Universal at the time, with preshows being common to have a visible TV projector hanging from the ceiling and other exposed items. Looking back, though, it comes across much more interesting.
That’s interesting!! I loved both parks a lot from the get-go but I especially liked how well Universal achieved the “movie studio” effect back in the day. I always felt like they did it way better than MGM did and I actually miss that Universal a lot!
I was ten when I first experienced it and I thought “Wow! So this is how movies are made? This is SO cool!!!”.
LOVE this video! amazing to see the little details of the original park! just subscribed to your channel!
I loved Kong so much
Same. Skull Island just can't compare.
I just found my old park pass from 1998, actually it's my mother's with Terminator 2 in 3D pictured on the other side listed for the weekend of my 10th birthday, I believe this was from my very first trip to universal studios Florida. We've been residents here since 1995 and following that summer we would be season park pass holders for several more years... A lot of fond memories and of these rides came just before isles of adventure opened up in 99. I must have ridden all of these attractions for the exception of the wild West show, some of the studio tours behind Nickelodeon, and I think I even caught The Lucy show exhibit. I even still have a miniature toy car from the back to the Future toy set, I'm saying this as I hold the past in my hand. The ET ride my mom and I used to love taking because it would say our name at the end and we would laugh, cool that it was also sponsored by AT&t. I have many pictures of me and the DeLorean in front of the ride at the soundstage before it was transformed into the Simpsons Ride. Around the corner I remember the year the Men in Black ride premiered and the line was packed! We have a few pictures of us shooting lasers on that ride still in the living room of my mom's house and the year I went that I have the pass in my hand, we still have a picture in its little paper fold from that year in the living room. I'm still finding beads and coins from the Mardi gras parades from back then! A lot of good times happened at this park!
This was awesome. Thanks!
So that’s where those lost childhood memories I could never pinpoint since went-
(The one specifically I remember was the Nickelodeon ride that got replaced by Despicable Me’s ride)
man its nice seeing these old rides again, i went whenever they decorated the magic kingdom castle into a giant cake, watching this vid reminded me of the Hitchcock attraction which i had completely forgot i went on, I remember the banana smell for kong being in the line subway part as well. Im looking forward to you talking about the horror make-up/special effects show as i assume thats gone now, was the first time i saw anything reacted to the thing and learnt how they did they "biting the arms off a guy" scene using an amputee for the effect.
The horror makeup show is luckily still there! I went during HHN time in 2021 & there's been no announcements about it since. The people doing it are hilarious, usually people higher-up, & it's their baby
So the smell throughout the queue was bananas then? I only went on it once when I was maybe 5 or 6, but I recall that the queue smelled like garbage, as in a literal city dump. I assumed it was just how the building smelled, but it makes sense that it would be the diluted banana scent.
The Horror Make Up show is still there, though it has changed quite a bit over the years. Still, it's actually a really underrated experience that the park still offers and I think it works as a testament to how you can still keep the heart of an attraction in-tact, while still updating it for contemporary audiences.
Both King Kong and ET did such a good job of making you feel like you were in a different place. Kong really felt like a NYC and ET like your in a forest. Really sad all the classics are mostly gone. Especially Back to the Future (you can still “ride” it in VR tho which is cool)
I remember all of those old attractions.
Another amazing video! Can't wait for part 2
From what I'm aware, Mark Woodbury, who is now CEO of Uni Parks and Resorts, wanted Universal Studios Florida to transition from attractions showing how movies were made to being about film technology (screens). When guest feedback came in, Kong, Fallon, F+F and the likes were either opening or too late into construction and development to change. This is also when we saw Universal sign agreements with Christie Projectors to become an official partner to showcase "projection technology" in the parks.
Output 2019 and on showcase this new "era" in UC
I was chosen as the audience member who got to play Norman Bates in the shower scene. Pretty cool. It all happened so fast 🤣🤣
I will forever miss classic Universal. I wish Universal was able to find a nice balance between nostalgia and new IPs.
I agree. I would be happy with a "Universal Movie Ride" that took people into scenes from these old attractions like in the old Hollywood Studio tour.
Your videos are awesome! ✌️❤️
God damn, I really didn't know how good Kongfrontation was!
While they went through a lull period of replacement attractions, the last few have been great. Hopefully they can keep it up.
I really do miss Kong and I completely forgot about the Hitchcock show. I can’t imagine them ever doing something like that now but it was so crazy & weird & great. I remember doing it at least once. As a kid though, Kong and Jaws seemed so real. It really was like being in the middle of a movie. I remember the adrenaline rush that you just don’t get on Kong Skull Island today.
Truth be told I was way more excited for Universal Studios than I ever was for Disney. I was so lucky to have parents that took us on nice vacations despite being working class.
19:45 it’s Not Last Rat Standing Productions It It’s source by Jeffrey Elson
I think Nicktoon Blast may have opened sooner. We went in late 2002 and I remember riding Nicktoon Blast even back then.
I remember a commercial for this park on Universal VHS tapes from the early 90s.
Seeing this makes me miss the
“ Ride the movies days” what a time
Although I loved the Entertainment of the 80s. Something about the 90s Movies and Amusement Parks just seemed to be very entertaining during that era. They tried to hold on to that same Nostalgia by the early 2000s. But a new generation was coming into. And things just aren't the same anymore.
If you grew up in the 90s Universal was a special place. It had a different vibe back then and the rides felt more thought out and there was more attention to set design as opposed to just thrill rides. With that said I think they’ve done an amazing job with Harry Potter. I get stoked every time I go but it just feels like that charm is gone and they’re still trying to figure them selfs out. The 3D rides don’t help either, Fast & Furious - Supercharged was a slap to the face to all us that have been going for years. High hopes for Epic Universe though!
Kids today will never know the joy of these classic Universal attractions.