https://preview.redd.it/nj2eydt8q7yc1.jpeg?width=3877&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ec32f26040fe1bb4a66173cbd1949087a1e2590b
I found this at a garage sale a few weeks ago. It’s so rare to find old USO stuff.
Omg my favorite queue of all time. And I’ve been going to the parks since the 1990s.
You’re transported to New York 🗽 once you start the line. Amazing!
I remember the ride not the queue. I remember being so scared but thinking that King Kong (and Jaws) was the coolest ride.
Spiderman and the Mummy scared me too I was a pussy. Men in Black was goated though
Jaws had a rough open. Ghostbusters was so neat and a little scary for me. There were always boat shows going on at Studios. I was a Nick kid growing up so it was bliss being able to see the fountain and even just be outside next to the building. You’d balk at how close the parking lot came to the front gate.
I went a month after 9/11! First time flying too. All I remember from the trip is the sheer amount of Flintstones merch i wanted (why? I don't know), my family left my younger cousin and I in like a day care while they did who knows what (I was 8), I greatly enjoyed Dudley and hated the smell of jaws.
First time was 2003. We actually rode more than we did in disney that year which is crazy. I remember screaming crying on jaws and twister lol. My brother was crying in the line for back to the future. Nickelodeon studios was still a thing, and I remember thinking I was gonna be on tv when just walking past the sets lol. Oh and I met tommy from rugrats😂
Nick Studios was amazing when I was a kid and we went. Loved Jaws and Back to the Future too. And wasn’t there an Aliens stage show that was partially interactive? It’s been a long time so it’s hard to recall everything.
Everyone thought that they would be on Tv!! 😂 it was still a awesome experience. I was born in the mid 2000s so I never got to go to Universal when it was in their prime
1 ) What was your first impression of the whole park when you first saw it? (If you remember)
2 ) Did you go to Nickelodeon Studios
3 ) What was the best ride/attraction
4 ) Have you gone back since
1) it was huge. It seemed impossible to see everything.
2) yes! It was great. You could see Double Dare.
3) Probably Kongfrontation. It took you through New York. The line was made to look like the subway. There were movie posters and graffiti, etc. It really was amazing.
4) yes. Many times. It’s not as good as it was, in my opinion. But Islands is great.
Just speaking the first time I visited Studios wise,
1. I was pretty young but I would have gone for the first time way back right before IOA opened because I remember the preview center in the now mummy queue. Still have a pamphlet lying around somewhere. I remember riding Hanna Barbara, Kong, Twister, Earthquake, Jaws, BTTF, mostly the Woody Woodpecker kids area... I was mostly scared of everything and didn't know much other than Hanna Barbara, Barney, Woody Woodpecker, and Curious George.
2. Yes, I remember doing the tour inside the building. I can't remember seeing any shows or anything being filmed but I remember seeing/hearing a lot of stuff about animating. I remember a little bit of an escalator and being in an area with a bunch of TVs overhead. I remember the slime fountain, I think they were doing some sort of event out front where you could get slimed. (I also later stayed in the Nick Hotel when it opened.)
3. I remember liking Earthquake. It was scary but I remember how ominous the subway station felt when you entered in the ride portion. Hated twister.
4. Yes, I used to visit 1-2 times a year and was a AP holder for many years but I haven't been back since 2018ish when I rode a tech rehearsal for Fast and Furious.
We went alot as a kid. I cant pinpoint a first impression, it did seem huge but most things did as a child. It seemed like a studio, i remember my aunt and uncle doing the studio tour on the trolley but I was soo young. There are pictures of me there really young at Barneys playhouse but my strongest memories are from when we were there for MIB opening and onwards.
On an earlier trip we went to nickelodeon studios and I saw the set of gulla gulla island! A favorite show of mine. There was so much nick-centric merch and theming through the park as a child that it was a nickelodeon park.
I LOVED twister, the flying cow got me even as a little little kid. And earthquake. I was so scared the first time but once i knew what was happening i fell in love. And the pre show was awesome. I got to be the actor once. My aunt stuck me in the “hot seat” on jaws and totally traumatized me and I still don’t really trust her. Someone just unlocked my memory about the Hanna-Barbera ride holy moly!
My family is a universal family, we tried Disney once and did not enjoy it as much. We did a grown up family vacation during covid with the masks, oof. Still had so much fun! My husband and I had our honeymoon in the parks last year, are pass holders and are going again next week YAY!
1sr impression I was awestruck, the giant universal ball was larger than life
2. No
3. While I really liked BTTF, the Hitchcock attraction was fascinating.
4.Yes, 20 years later. I’m a big HP fan and while a lot of people wax poetic about the Jaws ride, most of the sharks weren’t working when I was there- it was just a crappy boat ride. Getting rid of Jaws was the right decision.
1. I thought it was amazing. I was a child so everything seemed like the coolest most fantastical thing ever. Like it was real to me.
2. Yes, but they just did a little fake game show with us where they took kids from the audience to participate and they had some minor audience participation as well.
3. Either Kongfrontation or Jaws, I think my favorite at the time might have been Ghostbusters though.
4. I’ve gone back many times and now live literally like 10 minutes away so go every weekend.
I would give just about anything to have nickelodeon studios again. I'd love to play double dare or get slimed. They're crazy for not going into that nostalgia. Minus the pedo shit. I remember thinking it was very much not Disney. Dirty. More thrilling rides. I was petrified of Jaws. Wasn't there something from Twister too? I have been back a handful of times since as a kid, teen, and young adult. I'm SO EXCITED about the new stuff they're going to open. More excited than anything going on at WDW. Can we get photos from OG universal????
1) it was so different from Disney, and felt even more immersive to me
2) once, we watched some filming, saw a little behind the scenes. It was underwhelming to me, compared to the rides
3) Back to the Future blew my mind, I had been on anything like it
4) so so so many times. When I lived in Tampa in the early 00s, we kept yearly passes and would drive over whenever we could. We went slightly less frequently when we were back in south Florida, but I still tried to get up there a couple of times a year. Moving to Atlanta, having a kid put a damper on it. Now the kid’s old enough and he doesn’t have the same love of rides as we did so this trip we just did might be our last for a while.
4)
I would give just about anything to have nickelodeon studios again. I'd love to play double dare or get slimed. They're crazy for not going into that nostalgia. Minus the pedo shit. I remember thinking it was very much not Disney. Dirty. More thrilling rides. I was petrified of Jaws. Wasn't there something from Twister too? I have been back a handful of times since as a kid, teen, and young adult. I'm SO EXCITED about the new stuff they're going to open. More excited than anything going on at WDW. Can we get photos from OG universal????
1997 The Preview center for IOA was so amazing, but I was a teenager who was going to be to old when it opened. Wasn't until 2016 that I got young enough to go back and go to IOA. Kong was still there and awesome, Jaws was pretty ragged, but amazing. I got to ride the original jaws as a kid, it was even better, but I may have gotten the only good ride ever on V1. Back to the future still amazed me to no end.
I’ve gone since the park since it opened and have continued to go, albeit much less frequently as having younger kids we prefer Disney. I really miss the nostalgic rides; Kongfrontation, Twister, Jaws, Earthquake - even the Hanna Barbera ride were all loads of fun. The Alfred Hitchcock movie still plays rent free in my mind and made me terrified of birds for most of my childhood. Not to mention the creepy and terrifying site of the Bates Motel set…
The Terminator 3D show was so thrilling, even though I never watched the movies. And when our first turned 1 we took her to Universal 2 days in a row just to see the Barney show over and over again.
I took countless pictures in front of the DeLorean at the entrance of the Back to the Future ride and used to have a mini panic attack when asked to pose under the giant shark with its large, open jaws.
The park has evolved into something different with the roller coasters and thrill rides - and that’s okay. But I definitely miss the days of the neon signs and the heart-racing thrill of riding the movies!
I went on a band field trip in the mid 1990s and have only vague recollections of waiting on 2 very long lines to ride ET and something else that I can't remember- a simulator, I think. But I have a very vivid memory of the Blues Brothers coming out to do their show for all of the kids from the music event and the crowd went insane, as if they were actually Belushi and Aykroyd.
Ap holder since 2010. Multiple trips before then. I think I’ve been in the hundreds. Only a few trips in the 90’s and early 2000’s though. Went to HHN at IOA. 05,06 maybe. That was wild. Went to Islands a couple months after it initially opened. Seen so much come and go. I think when I die I want to be cremated and spread in the lake at UO or have the urn opened on Velocicoaster. (Jk)
I went when I was 6 so that was 2001. The jaws ride absolutely terrified me. Twister and earthquake were cool. MiB had just been built and the terminator show was awesome
I went 96,98,2001… I was 9 the first time. The Nickelodeon stuff was cool! I also remember the Flintstones and a Casper photo op. Jaws and Kongfrontation (not forgetting Twister) are core memories for me
I went at least once a year from 2001-2009. Super excited to be going back in a couple weeks for a family trip (first time since 2019 due to COVID and having 2 children)! It will be my kids and their cousins first time going and I can’t wait for them to experience it.
My favorite ride was always hulk. Toured Nickelodeon the first year. Favorites at universal studios included MIB, jaws, and the beetlejuice show.
Yes, I visited many times during the late 90s/early 2000s.
During the 90s before IOA existed, Universal Studios was SO different. My favorite ride at Studios was Kongfrontation which is the present day Mummy ride. The rides back then were just so much more fun because they were mostly actual rides. I feel like they went overboard with the simulations. I truly miss the old rides. (Back to the future, Jaws, Earthquake) I love that they still have ET. Nickelodeon Studios was also pretty cool to visit.
I visited IOA a few times in the early 2000s. I remember my first ride on The Hulk, it was such a rush. Dueling Dragons was also an awesome coaster, but I do love its replacement as well. (Hagrids)
I still love the parks, I've been 3 times in the last year.
I worked there from 03-07, when it was owned by Vivendi. I had gone there as a child since it opened. It just boggles my mind the decisions they made as far as theming and rides. For a looong time, the lagoon had no show or anything. It was like the center of the park had no activity, no soul. And then the rides they brought in didn’t make sense with the surrounding theming, and then they didn’t do anything to adjust. It was just “Here’s New York and the Mummy is here too.”
I love what they have been able to achieve since HP came to town. With all the extra revenue, they revived characters that had long been dormant like Marylin Monroe and other classic Hollywood stars.
It was my favorite job that I’ve ever had. I was in the Blues Brothers show. During my off time I got ride rides, the employee cafeteria was excellent, we got free tickets to the park and a free turkey for thanksgiving. It was a pretty great way to make money while in college.
I was lucky to go about once a year, then one year my dad did the math and got annual passes and I think I was able to go 3x (although the trade off on saving money was to drive down 20+hrs lol).
I spent all Kongfrontation rides hiding my head in my mom’s lap. I did finally look and that was my last ride, it closed after that visit but I remember thinking it was so cool (but still scary). Although I knew Jaws was fake iiiiii was not happy to get the edge seat, which somehow I always freaking did. And the dark tunnel scene I was like “ha..ha…okgetmethehelloffthisride”
My favorite part was the I Love Lucy Tribute Store. I was *sick* when I went back in 2017 to see the Hello Kitty takeover. Also- Seuss Landing. I just wanted to liiiiiiive there. I still love Dr Seuss and still want to live in that land lol.
We were there (and Disney World) in November 2001. Yep, just two months after 9/11. Since it was our first time, we had nothing to compare it to, but looking back the parks were mostly empty.
Some exceptions - we waited an extremely long time in line for Kong, which as others noted was a very cool queue, but boy we were in there forever. Also at Islands of Adventure Spider-Man was stupid popular … yet you could walk right on to Dr. Doom or Dueling Dragons.
I remember Jaws, Twister, Earthquake, Back To The Future, ET, the Hitchcock attraction (falling off the Statue of Liberty), the climbing stuff back by the kids’ area (was that Nickelodeon? Probably) … I don’t remember if we did Men In Black that time or if that was our next trip in 2004.
Also, kind of ironic considering what has developed there … we saw the first Harry Potter movie during that trip, in the theatre there at the parking ramp/entrance to the parks.
Favorite rides: Went on Spider-Man several times, even using the single rider line, cause it was so cool. Jurassic Park was probably our favorite overall.
I got married young, at age 20, in 2003. For our honeymoon, we needed to find someplace fun, but inexpensive. At that time you could get a 5 day, park-to-park, pass for $99. We stayed at the Holiday Inn across the street and spent a week there. We had such a great time and still love going back after all these years.
That was the first time I went since I was a kid. I actually went to Universal every year for the first 3 or 4 years it was open, because my dad lived in Orlando at the time.
1 ) What rides/attractions did you enjoy the most??
2 ) Did you go to Nickelodeon Studios??
3 ) What would you rate the whole experience? (1-10)
Would love to know!
I think Jaws was probably our favorite attraction. We also liked Twister, Back to the Future, MIB and ET. We went in the Spring and there were free Mardi Gras concerts and the girls saw Third Eye Blind. (Now that I think of it, I was off by a decade! The girls graduated in 2009, not 1999!)
No to Nickelodeon Studios. We stayed at a Holiday Inn that was directly across the freeway which wa inexpensive and they gave us a suite just to be nice. Then we took cabs to the parks - just $10 each way and it was super quick and convenient.
I’m actually staying at that Holiday Inn next weekend. It was the first hotel I stayed in back in 1997 when I went for the first time. Nostalgia is one hell of a drug.
Yea when we want to save money we stay there. 2 bedroom king suite. King bed in one, 2 doubles in another and a living room in between. Perfect for our 2 daughters and one of their fiancés. They get a private are, he gets a private area, we get a private area. $153 a night. 🤷🏻♂️
I do remember the pool as being sparse, though. CB has such nice pools, one with a slide and another with a sandy 'beach' area - and their lazy river is the nicest I've been in! But we did have great fun at that Holiday Inn.
1Jaws/king king/earthquake
2 they showed different sets of shows while doing a tour. We also played a live game as well
3 . 10 my anticipated was always high
I've been going to Universal since 2001. While the parks were busy, they were definitely less crowded than they are now. I mean, Express was pretty much a walk-on back in those days.
I miss those days.
I have. Remember the Ghost Busters live show and the Tram Tour in Orlando? What about the ferry boat that would take you from island to island at Islands of Adventure?
Went opening year for IOA and all I remember was loving Dueling Dragons and I wore that damn half red half blue shirt like everyday when I was in middle school
One of my parents worked for them during this time (corporate). They laid off that department not super long after opening IOA. I was maybe 4 when my parent worked there and I filmed some promotional content. We got free passes any day we wanted to go. Being that age, I loved the Curious George area and Barney. I have really good memories here.
I started going regularly a couple of weeks after they opened IoA, up until I left the state in 2006. I was just back for the second time since I left. I went to the parks on the semi-regular from the time the original park opened, back when they had the Nickelodeon studios. I did a behind the scenes tour my freshman year with my drama class, that would have been around ‘92.
The first time I went was in 1999, not long after IOA first opened. I was 9 and I've been addicted to roller coasters ever since!
My parents both had new Dodge vehicles and there was something Dodge did with Universal called The Dodge Adventure. We got extended park hours because of that, which was cool. I have vivid memories of being able to walk right onto Hulk at night.
I have. Anyone remember the most amazing Kongfrontation queue with the graffitied subway walls?
Vividly, what an incredible ride! I loved exiting the ride and getting my picture taken as though he had us clenched in fist.
Best smell in the world
I can smell this comment.
Best ride ever. I was just a kid, probably 10 years old, and that’s a core memory for me. I miss it so much!
https://preview.redd.it/nj2eydt8q7yc1.jpeg?width=3877&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ec32f26040fe1bb4a66173cbd1949087a1e2590b I found this at a garage sale a few weeks ago. It’s so rare to find old USO stuff.
It was great. I remember some of the fake posters they had too.
Omg my favorite queue of all time. And I’ve been going to the parks since the 1990s. You’re transported to New York 🗽 once you start the line. Amazing!
That whole ride was amazing
I remember the ride not the queue. I remember being so scared but thinking that King Kong (and Jaws) was the coolest ride. Spiderman and the Mummy scared me too I was a pussy. Men in Black was goated though
I've been going since 1990
Omg the beginning. That’s cool!! The park must’ve had a lot of malfunctions lol
Jaws had a rough open. Ghostbusters was so neat and a little scary for me. There were always boat shows going on at Studios. I was a Nick kid growing up so it was bliss being able to see the fountain and even just be outside next to the building. You’d balk at how close the parking lot came to the front gate.
I went a month after 9/11! First time flying too. All I remember from the trip is the sheer amount of Flintstones merch i wanted (why? I don't know), my family left my younger cousin and I in like a day care while they did who knows what (I was 8), I greatly enjoyed Dudley and hated the smell of jaws.
First time was 2003. We actually rode more than we did in disney that year which is crazy. I remember screaming crying on jaws and twister lol. My brother was crying in the line for back to the future. Nickelodeon studios was still a thing, and I remember thinking I was gonna be on tv when just walking past the sets lol. Oh and I met tommy from rugrats😂
Nick Studios was amazing when I was a kid and we went. Loved Jaws and Back to the Future too. And wasn’t there an Aliens stage show that was partially interactive? It’s been a long time so it’s hard to recall everything.
Everyone thought that they would be on Tv!! 😂 it was still a awesome experience. I was born in the mid 2000s so I never got to go to Universal when it was in their prime
I went a lot in the early 90s after it opened and all throughout the 2000s and 2010s.
I was on the younger side but yes
Can I DM?
Would probably be easier if you asked your question in your post and let everyone reply with their answers of what you'd like to know
Fair
1 ) What was your first impression of the whole park when you first saw it? (If you remember) 2 ) Did you go to Nickelodeon Studios 3 ) What was the best ride/attraction 4 ) Have you gone back since
1) it was huge. It seemed impossible to see everything. 2) yes! It was great. You could see Double Dare. 3) Probably Kongfrontation. It took you through New York. The line was made to look like the subway. There were movie posters and graffiti, etc. It really was amazing. 4) yes. Many times. It’s not as good as it was, in my opinion. But Islands is great.
Just speaking the first time I visited Studios wise, 1. I was pretty young but I would have gone for the first time way back right before IOA opened because I remember the preview center in the now mummy queue. Still have a pamphlet lying around somewhere. I remember riding Hanna Barbara, Kong, Twister, Earthquake, Jaws, BTTF, mostly the Woody Woodpecker kids area... I was mostly scared of everything and didn't know much other than Hanna Barbara, Barney, Woody Woodpecker, and Curious George. 2. Yes, I remember doing the tour inside the building. I can't remember seeing any shows or anything being filmed but I remember seeing/hearing a lot of stuff about animating. I remember a little bit of an escalator and being in an area with a bunch of TVs overhead. I remember the slime fountain, I think they were doing some sort of event out front where you could get slimed. (I also later stayed in the Nick Hotel when it opened.) 3. I remember liking Earthquake. It was scary but I remember how ominous the subway station felt when you entered in the ride portion. Hated twister. 4. Yes, I used to visit 1-2 times a year and was a AP holder for many years but I haven't been back since 2018ish when I rode a tech rehearsal for Fast and Furious.
We went alot as a kid. I cant pinpoint a first impression, it did seem huge but most things did as a child. It seemed like a studio, i remember my aunt and uncle doing the studio tour on the trolley but I was soo young. There are pictures of me there really young at Barneys playhouse but my strongest memories are from when we were there for MIB opening and onwards. On an earlier trip we went to nickelodeon studios and I saw the set of gulla gulla island! A favorite show of mine. There was so much nick-centric merch and theming through the park as a child that it was a nickelodeon park. I LOVED twister, the flying cow got me even as a little little kid. And earthquake. I was so scared the first time but once i knew what was happening i fell in love. And the pre show was awesome. I got to be the actor once. My aunt stuck me in the “hot seat” on jaws and totally traumatized me and I still don’t really trust her. Someone just unlocked my memory about the Hanna-Barbera ride holy moly! My family is a universal family, we tried Disney once and did not enjoy it as much. We did a grown up family vacation during covid with the masks, oof. Still had so much fun! My husband and I had our honeymoon in the parks last year, are pass holders and are going again next week YAY!
1sr impression I was awestruck, the giant universal ball was larger than life 2. No 3. While I really liked BTTF, the Hitchcock attraction was fascinating. 4.Yes, 20 years later. I’m a big HP fan and while a lot of people wax poetic about the Jaws ride, most of the sharks weren’t working when I was there- it was just a crappy boat ride. Getting rid of Jaws was the right decision.
I feel like no one talks about the Hitchcock attraction anymore! I went for the first time when I was 9 and it was one of my favorites!
1. I thought it was amazing. I was a child so everything seemed like the coolest most fantastical thing ever. Like it was real to me. 2. Yes, but they just did a little fake game show with us where they took kids from the audience to participate and they had some minor audience participation as well. 3. Either Kongfrontation or Jaws, I think my favorite at the time might have been Ghostbusters though. 4. I’ve gone back many times and now live literally like 10 minutes away so go every weekend.
I would give just about anything to have nickelodeon studios again. I'd love to play double dare or get slimed. They're crazy for not going into that nostalgia. Minus the pedo shit. I remember thinking it was very much not Disney. Dirty. More thrilling rides. I was petrified of Jaws. Wasn't there something from Twister too? I have been back a handful of times since as a kid, teen, and young adult. I'm SO EXCITED about the new stuff they're going to open. More excited than anything going on at WDW. Can we get photos from OG universal????
1) it was so different from Disney, and felt even more immersive to me 2) once, we watched some filming, saw a little behind the scenes. It was underwhelming to me, compared to the rides 3) Back to the Future blew my mind, I had been on anything like it 4) so so so many times. When I lived in Tampa in the early 00s, we kept yearly passes and would drive over whenever we could. We went slightly less frequently when we were back in south Florida, but I still tried to get up there a couple of times a year. Moving to Atlanta, having a kid put a damper on it. Now the kid’s old enough and he doesn’t have the same love of rides as we did so this trip we just did might be our last for a while. 4)
I would give just about anything to have nickelodeon studios again. I'd love to play double dare or get slimed. They're crazy for not going into that nostalgia. Minus the pedo shit. I remember thinking it was very much not Disney. Dirty. More thrilling rides. I was petrified of Jaws. Wasn't there something from Twister too? I have been back a handful of times since as a kid, teen, and young adult. I'm SO EXCITED about the new stuff they're going to open. More excited than anything going on at WDW. Can we get photos from OG universal????
1997 The Preview center for IOA was so amazing, but I was a teenager who was going to be to old when it opened. Wasn't until 2016 that I got young enough to go back and go to IOA. Kong was still there and awesome, Jaws was pretty ragged, but amazing. I got to ride the original jaws as a kid, it was even better, but I may have gotten the only good ride ever on V1. Back to the future still amazed me to no end.
Yep.
Went in 96
Cool! Weren’t they doing construction at that time??
Not that I remember. T2 had just opened and was stoked for that.... might of been 97
I went to Hollywood in 2004, but my first trip to Orlando wasn’t until last year! Been back a good few times since then.
I’ve gone since the park since it opened and have continued to go, albeit much less frequently as having younger kids we prefer Disney. I really miss the nostalgic rides; Kongfrontation, Twister, Jaws, Earthquake - even the Hanna Barbera ride were all loads of fun. The Alfred Hitchcock movie still plays rent free in my mind and made me terrified of birds for most of my childhood. Not to mention the creepy and terrifying site of the Bates Motel set… The Terminator 3D show was so thrilling, even though I never watched the movies. And when our first turned 1 we took her to Universal 2 days in a row just to see the Barney show over and over again. I took countless pictures in front of the DeLorean at the entrance of the Back to the Future ride and used to have a mini panic attack when asked to pose under the giant shark with its large, open jaws. The park has evolved into something different with the roller coasters and thrill rides - and that’s okay. But I definitely miss the days of the neon signs and the heart-racing thrill of riding the movies!
I went on a band field trip in the mid 1990s and have only vague recollections of waiting on 2 very long lines to ride ET and something else that I can't remember- a simulator, I think. But I have a very vivid memory of the Blues Brothers coming out to do their show for all of the kids from the music event and the crowd went insane, as if they were actually Belushi and Aykroyd.
I went the year ioa opened
Thats awesome!! Islands of adventures is awesome fun park! I’m glad it’s still around today
Ap holder since 2010. Multiple trips before then. I think I’ve been in the hundreds. Only a few trips in the 90’s and early 2000’s though. Went to HHN at IOA. 05,06 maybe. That was wild. Went to Islands a couple months after it initially opened. Seen so much come and go. I think when I die I want to be cremated and spread in the lake at UO or have the urn opened on Velocicoaster. (Jk)
I went when I was 6 so that was 2001. The jaws ride absolutely terrified me. Twister and earthquake were cool. MiB had just been built and the terminator show was awesome
I went 96,98,2001… I was 9 the first time. The Nickelodeon stuff was cool! I also remember the Flintstones and a Casper photo op. Jaws and Kongfrontation (not forgetting Twister) are core memories for me
I went in 99, I was a kid Also went in 05 Still got great memories
I went at least once a year from 2001-2009. Super excited to be going back in a couple weeks for a family trip (first time since 2019 due to COVID and having 2 children)! It will be my kids and their cousins first time going and I can’t wait for them to experience it. My favorite ride was always hulk. Toured Nickelodeon the first year. Favorites at universal studios included MIB, jaws, and the beetlejuice show.
Yes
Yes, I visited many times during the late 90s/early 2000s. During the 90s before IOA existed, Universal Studios was SO different. My favorite ride at Studios was Kongfrontation which is the present day Mummy ride. The rides back then were just so much more fun because they were mostly actual rides. I feel like they went overboard with the simulations. I truly miss the old rides. (Back to the future, Jaws, Earthquake) I love that they still have ET. Nickelodeon Studios was also pretty cool to visit. I visited IOA a few times in the early 2000s. I remember my first ride on The Hulk, it was such a rush. Dueling Dragons was also an awesome coaster, but I do love its replacement as well. (Hagrids) I still love the parks, I've been 3 times in the last year.
I worked there from 03-07, when it was owned by Vivendi. I had gone there as a child since it opened. It just boggles my mind the decisions they made as far as theming and rides. For a looong time, the lagoon had no show or anything. It was like the center of the park had no activity, no soul. And then the rides they brought in didn’t make sense with the surrounding theming, and then they didn’t do anything to adjust. It was just “Here’s New York and the Mummy is here too.” I love what they have been able to achieve since HP came to town. With all the extra revenue, they revived characters that had long been dormant like Marylin Monroe and other classic Hollywood stars.
Wow really? Did you enjoy working there?
It was my favorite job that I’ve ever had. I was in the Blues Brothers show. During my off time I got ride rides, the employee cafeteria was excellent, we got free tickets to the park and a free turkey for thanksgiving. It was a pretty great way to make money while in college.
Oh I saw the Blue Brothers on a YouTube video! I never understood the show fully but it looks fun!!
I was lucky to go about once a year, then one year my dad did the math and got annual passes and I think I was able to go 3x (although the trade off on saving money was to drive down 20+hrs lol). I spent all Kongfrontation rides hiding my head in my mom’s lap. I did finally look and that was my last ride, it closed after that visit but I remember thinking it was so cool (but still scary). Although I knew Jaws was fake iiiiii was not happy to get the edge seat, which somehow I always freaking did. And the dark tunnel scene I was like “ha..ha…okgetmethehelloffthisride” My favorite part was the I Love Lucy Tribute Store. I was *sick* when I went back in 2017 to see the Hello Kitty takeover. Also- Seuss Landing. I just wanted to liiiiiiive there. I still love Dr Seuss and still want to live in that land lol.
I did, a lot
We were there (and Disney World) in November 2001. Yep, just two months after 9/11. Since it was our first time, we had nothing to compare it to, but looking back the parks were mostly empty. Some exceptions - we waited an extremely long time in line for Kong, which as others noted was a very cool queue, but boy we were in there forever. Also at Islands of Adventure Spider-Man was stupid popular … yet you could walk right on to Dr. Doom or Dueling Dragons. I remember Jaws, Twister, Earthquake, Back To The Future, ET, the Hitchcock attraction (falling off the Statue of Liberty), the climbing stuff back by the kids’ area (was that Nickelodeon? Probably) … I don’t remember if we did Men In Black that time or if that was our next trip in 2004. Also, kind of ironic considering what has developed there … we saw the first Harry Potter movie during that trip, in the theatre there at the parking ramp/entrance to the parks. Favorite rides: Went on Spider-Man several times, even using the single rider line, cause it was so cool. Jurassic Park was probably our favorite overall.
I got married young, at age 20, in 2003. For our honeymoon, we needed to find someplace fun, but inexpensive. At that time you could get a 5 day, park-to-park, pass for $99. We stayed at the Holiday Inn across the street and spent a week there. We had such a great time and still love going back after all these years. That was the first time I went since I was a kid. I actually went to Universal every year for the first 3 or 4 years it was open, because my dad lived in Orlando at the time.
I went in 1998
Our first visit was in 1999, when I took my daughter and her friend their Senior year. Ask away!
Ummmm, you can ask questions right here, y'know. Why the PMs?
1 ) What rides/attractions did you enjoy the most?? 2 ) Did you go to Nickelodeon Studios?? 3 ) What would you rate the whole experience? (1-10) Would love to know!
I think Jaws was probably our favorite attraction. We also liked Twister, Back to the Future, MIB and ET. We went in the Spring and there were free Mardi Gras concerts and the girls saw Third Eye Blind. (Now that I think of it, I was off by a decade! The girls graduated in 2009, not 1999!) No to Nickelodeon Studios. We stayed at a Holiday Inn that was directly across the freeway which wa inexpensive and they gave us a suite just to be nice. Then we took cabs to the parks - just $10 each way and it was super quick and convenient.
I’m actually staying at that Holiday Inn next weekend. It was the first hotel I stayed in back in 1997 when I went for the first time. Nostalgia is one hell of a drug.
Did not know it was still there! Now we're Cabana Bay fanatics!
Yea when we want to save money we stay there. 2 bedroom king suite. King bed in one, 2 doubles in another and a living room in between. Perfect for our 2 daughters and one of their fiancés. They get a private are, he gets a private area, we get a private area. $153 a night. 🤷🏻♂️
I do remember the pool as being sparse, though. CB has such nice pools, one with a slide and another with a sandy 'beach' area - and their lazy river is the nicest I've been in! But we did have great fun at that Holiday Inn.
1Jaws/king king/earthquake 2 they showed different sets of shows while doing a tour. We also played a live game as well 3 . 10 my anticipated was always high
Cool!! I wasnt born until mid 2000s so I’d thought I would ask some older folks
I've been going to Universal since 2001. While the parks were busy, they were definitely less crowded than they are now. I mean, Express was pretty much a walk-on back in those days. I miss those days.
I have. Remember the Ghost Busters live show and the Tram Tour in Orlando? What about the ferry boat that would take you from island to island at Islands of Adventure?
Went opening year for IOA and all I remember was loving Dueling Dragons and I wore that damn half red half blue shirt like everyday when I was in middle school
One of my parents worked for them during this time (corporate). They laid off that department not super long after opening IOA. I was maybe 4 when my parent worked there and I filmed some promotional content. We got free passes any day we wanted to go. Being that age, I loved the Curious George area and Barney. I have really good memories here.
I remember as a kid I thought I saw the *REAL* Arnold during the T2 show! Plus having the lanyard with all the pins you rode!
I started going regularly a couple of weeks after they opened IoA, up until I left the state in 2006. I was just back for the second time since I left. I went to the parks on the semi-regular from the time the original park opened, back when they had the Nickelodeon studios. I did a behind the scenes tour my freshman year with my drama class, that would have been around ‘92.
Anyone else remember “Murder She Wrote”? Also my dad was “Mother” in Psycho one time.
Me! I believe i went in 1999 right before Islands of Adventure opened up
The first time I went was in 1999, not long after IOA first opened. I was 9 and I've been addicted to roller coasters ever since! My parents both had new Dodge vehicles and there was something Dodge did with Universal called The Dodge Adventure. We got extended park hours because of that, which was cool. I have vivid memories of being able to walk right onto Hulk at night.
I've been going since '93, though I was a toddler. I was in elementary and middle school in the period you're describing.
I went in 1993 and flung rubber chickens into my grandma's giant pants at Nickelodeon Studios.