r/ThemeParkGeeks

Image 1 — Universal Studios Tour promotional booklet from 1982
Image 2 — Universal Studios Tour promotional booklet from 1982

Universal Studios Tour promotional booklet from 1982

Here’s a great piece of Universal Studios Hollywood history from 1982, when the park was still heavily marketed as the Universal Studios Tour — An MCA Company.

These are two panels from a promotional booklet produced at the time. The artwork really captures how Universal marketed the experience in the early 1980s: not simply as a theme park, but as an opportunity to go behind the scenes of a working Hollywood movie studio.

You can spot E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, behind-the-scenes production crews, miniature/special-effects filmmaking and The Sting among the imagery.

It’s fascinating to compare this with Universal Studios Hollywood today. The attractions have changed dramatically, but the idea of putting guests inside the world of movies is still at the heart of the park more than 40 years later.

Universal Studios Tour — 1982.

u/cowmissing — 1 day ago
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How much of Alton Towers can you see from outside the Resort?

Put together a delightfully dull piece that asks the question of what parts of Alton Towers can be seen from outside the park - it's more than you think.

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u/PleasantShine1494 — 2 days ago
▲ 61 r/ThemeParkGeeks+1 crossposts

NEW Behind the scenes footage. Concept art, & models - Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent

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u/00Kevin — 3 days ago
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[Unreleased Media] Disney Junior Live on Stage! In-Theater Logo Loops (HQ Masters)

Context & Overview

From March 2011 until its closure in 2018, the Disney Junior Live on Stage! attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney California Adventure featured a pre-show logo loop projected inside the theater before the show began. While several low-quality, shaky audience camcorder recordings of these loops exist on YouTube, the original high-quality digital master files have never been released or leaked online.

This post is a search for the high-quality source video files of these loops, which are currently unreleased media.

The Two Documented Variations

According to tracking from park footage and documentation on the Lost Media Archive, two distinct versions of this loop were used during the attraction's run:

  • Version 1 (March 2011 – 2013, revived for all of 2016): This version features the classic, solid blue background.
  • Version 2 (2013 – 2016, revived 2017 – 2018): This version updated the branding, featuring a multi-colored background that shifted between colors to match the channel's updated aesthetic.

Current Status & Proof of Existence

Because these loops were official corporate productions projected daily in the parks, high-quality digital masters absolutely exist within the Disney Live Entertainment vaults. However, because the attraction closed in 2018 to make way for the Disney Junior Dance Party!, these specific loops are currently unreleased and inaccessible to the public.

Sources & Existing Footage

To comply with subreddit rules, here are links to low-quality audience recordings showing that the media exists and confirming the two different backgrounds: Blue Background version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CCKyzSNwNE&pp=ygUuZGlzbmV5bGFuIGRpc25leSBqdW5pb3IgbGl2ZSBvbiBzdGFlIHRlY2hub3dpeg%3D%3D Multi-colored backgrounds version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xRi-lX6HsQ&pp=ygUgZGlzbmV5IGpyIGxpdmUgc2hvd3MgcmFjaGVsIDIwMTM%3D

u/Boring_Department963 — 2 days ago
▲ 135 r/ThemeParkGeeks+2 crossposts

🔇🏎️ FAST & FURIOUS: HOLLYWOOD DRIFT IS GETTING… EVEN MORE SOUND WALLS!

The sound mitigation efforts continue at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Two additional sound walls are now being installed around Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift — and here’s a look at one of them getting ready to go up.

At this rate, Hollywood Drift may eventually have more sound walls than track. 😂

Universal has continued adding sound mitigation around the new outdoor coaster as testing and operations have progressed.

Will two more walls finally tame the screams? We’ll be listening. 👂🎢

u/cowmissing — 6 days ago

Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift — Universal Responds to Neighborhood Noise Concerns

An update regarding the ongoing sound mitigation efforts for Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift at Universal Studios Hollywood was published by the Toluca Lake Homeowners Association on August 11, 2026.

In the statement, Universal says testing completed to date confirms the new roller coaster is operating in compliance with sound ordinance requirements.

However, Universal also says that following feedback from the surrounding community, additional measures are being implemented to further reduce sound experienced in adjacent neighborhoods.

According to the update, an additional sound barrier is being installed and is expected to be completed in early September. Universal acknowledges that even with these additional measures, residents may continue to hear the coaster while it is operating.

Technical rehearsals with riders have resumed with reduced operating hours while Universal continues monitoring sound. As Halloween Horror Nights approaches, Universal says the coaster will begin operating as late as 10:00 PM.

Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift has not yet officially opened at Universal Studios Hollywood.

I’ve attached the screenshot of the statement published by the Toluca Lake Homeowners Association.

u/cowmissing — 5 days ago
▲ 62 r/ThemeParkGeeks+2 crossposts

I'm a theme park nerd who listens to the quarterly calls, would like to hear your thoughts.

like the title says, I'm a theme park nerd that likes to listen to quarterly business calls from Six Flags, Comcast and Disney about the park operations because I find it interesting. Comcast recently had their 2nd quarter call and Disney their 3rd. Comcast basically said in theirs that Epic is still strong and in demand for attendance, but overall the ENTIRE Orlando market is softening for demand... Disney comes back and says wrong, our attendance is up 3 percent and we are doing better than our competitor.

I've heard people say so many different things about their experience in the parks for several months regarding crowds. Those of you that follow this side of the industry, do you think the divide is really that wide between the two giants in the Orlando market? I know for one or two years, Islands of Adventure surpassed Epcot in attendance according to the TEA... I just don't see why the companies wouldn't be anything but forthright in these type of earnings calls...

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u/mister_waj — 6 days ago

Jon Hale just hit 15,500 rides on Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure!

Quite the milestone at Cars Land — Jon Hale (@racers10000) has officially reached 15,500 rides on Radiator Springs Racers.

He celebrated with Cast Members at the attraction and even took his 15,500 milestone sign along for the ride.
Congratulations, Jon! 🏁🚗💨

How many times have you ridden Radiator Springs Racers?

u/cowmissing — 8 days ago
▲ 37 r/ThemeParkGeeks+2 crossposts

10 Universal City Plaza in 2004 — NBC Universal Sign Being Installed

A little piece of Universal history from my archives.

I took this photo in 2004 of 10 Universal City Plaza on the Universal Studios Lot while the new NBC Universal neon signage was being installed at the top of the building.

The timing is what makes this photo particularly interesting. In 2004, NBC and Universal came together to form NBC Universal, combining NBC with Vivendi Universal Entertainment. The newly formed company was initially 80% owned by General Electric and 20% by Vivendi.

Looking back more than 20 years later, I happened to capture a small but visible part of that transition — the new NBC Universal identity literally being installed on the Universal City skyline.

📸 Photo by Cow Missing — 2004
📍 10 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California 91608 - Universal Studios Lot

NBC Universal - Imagine The Possibilities - Company Promotional Video Montage Sizzle Reel (2004)
https://youtu.be/ZgLJZXerD2E

u/cowmissing — 7 days ago
🔥 Hot ▲ 22.6k r/ThemeParkGeeks+7 crossposts

Dinoconda at China Dinosaurs Park is one of only three classic 4th Dimension coasters where seats rotate independently of the track.

u/ChipotleSquirtsBurn — 13 days ago
▲ 336 r/ThemeParkGeeks+1 crossposts

The place next door has mice — Knott’s Berry Farm congratulates Disneyland on its 25th anniversary in 1980

Thought this was a really interesting piece of Southern California theme park history.

This Knott’s Berry Farm advertisement appeared in a special Los Angeles Times advertising supplement dated January 20, 1980, celebrating Disneyland’s 25th anniversary.

Knott’s was celebrating its own 60th anniversary in 1980 and used the opportunity to congratulate its famous neighbor.

My favorite part is the ending:

>

It’s a great snapshot of the friendly relationship between two very different Southern California parks.

u/cowmissing — 11 days ago

A closer look at 10 Universal City Plaza (Comcast NBCUniversal Headquarters)

While visiting Universal Studios Hollywood recently, I grabbed this photo of 10 Universal City Plaza (10 UCP), the headquarters of Comcast NBCUniversal.

Standing about 500 feet tall with 36 stories, it's one of the tallest buildings in the San Fernando Valley and has been a defining part of the Universal City skyline for decades. While millions of people visit Universal Studios Hollywood and CityWalk every year, this is where many of NBCUniversal's corporate operations are based.

I always find it interesting that this tower has become just as recognizable as many of the attractions nearby, even though most guests simply walk or drive past it.

u/cowmissing — 12 days ago
▲ 16 r/ThemeParkGeeks+2 crossposts

One of my favorite hotel views at Universal Orlando

There's something special about waking up at Cabana Bay Beach Resort, opening the curtains, and seeing Volcano Bay right outside your window. The view alone gets you excited for the day, and if you've got your tube ready, you're only minutes away from the water park. Photo Credit: Universal Orlando Resort

u/cowmissing — 12 days ago

What if Disney built a “Fantasmic!” style boat ride as the signature attraction for a future park?

I’ve been thinking a lot about what Disney could do if they ever built a fifth gate at Walt Disney World. Instead of another ride based on a single movie, what if the park’s signature attraction celebrated Disney Animation as a whole?

The basic premise is simple:
Mickey falls asleep after practicing magic. The villains discover he’s vulnerable and begin invading his dream. Guests board a boat and follow Mickey as he escapes from one nightmare to the next.
The ride wouldn’t just retell movie scenes. It would use each villain to create one unforgettable show scene with massive practical sets, giant Audio-Animatronics, water effects, fire, and music.
Some examples:
● Ursula rises out of the water as a massive animatronic, surrounding the boats with shipwrecks, crashing waves, and tentacles.
● The Titans from Hercules literally climb Mount Olympus while guests drift through collapsing temples and rivers of lava.
● Captain Hook attacks from the deck of the Jolly Roger while Peter Pan flies overhead and the Crocodile lunges from the water.
● Genie Jafar towers over the boats inside a palace that transforms around you, making the riders feel tiny.
● Maleficent appears as a giant dragon in the climactic battle.

Throughout the ride, Mickey isn’t defeating villains with brute force—he’s trying to escape his nightmare until he finally realizes courage is stronger than fear. The finale would bring together multiple villains in one huge scene before Mickey wakes up and restores the dream.

The reason I like this idea is that it would feel more like Pirates of the Caribbean or Haunted Mansion than a typical modern IP ride. Instead of spending the entire attraction in one movie, you’d experience some of Disney’s most iconic worlds in one cohesive story.

I also think it would be a perfect “anchor” attraction for a future Disney park because it celebrates the entire Disney Animation library rather than just one

What would you add? Which villains or scenes would absolutely have to be included?

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u/ThecurioiscaseofBB — 12 days ago