How Nostalgic is Universal to You?

[Cole]

Everybody talks about how nostalgic Disney is but does anybody feel the same with universal? For me I think I'm more nostalgic for universal then Disney in cases. I went for the first time when I was a little kid in 99 the year islands opened. I pretty much stayed at Seuss the entire time but my little kid mind was blown. Everything was so colorful and built for me that it blew my mind. Even though I went to Disney multiple times before that was pretty much the day I got into theme parks. I remember going home on their website had watching those 240p clips from all the rides and I became obsessed. There were some big points in my life that I remember from universal. Dragons was my first big rollercoaster, my first evac was at ET the list can go on and on. Love this place and it's grown up along with me. So is universal nostalgic to you guys?

 

[TylerDurden]

I would be nostalgic if so much hadnt changed. Im not saying that change is bad, of course. But I have nostalgia for a lot thats no longer there. Back to the Future was one of my favorite movies, and riding it on my first Universal trip when I first moved to Orlando was awesome...great ride that let me know my new home so close to all these awesome experiences like BttF wasnt going to be so bad. On Kong I have fond memories of my daughter (now in college) riding it as one of her first "big" rides, and the look on her face during and after the ride. Those are nostalgic memories for me. Now, The Simpsons just reminds me of a TV show I was never really into, and the Mummy is, while a good ride, doesnt give much nostalgia. Even minor facelifts all over the park (like Fast Food Blvd or even changing the color of the soundstages from graty to tan) kinda destroy a sense of nostalgia because it makes the park so different from what I used to know it as. Now, most of these changes have been for the better, obviously, but it makes for an experience thats more about the latest and greatest and less about reliving old memories from the park.

IOA has thankfully remained mostly the same but my favorite ride experiences there (Spidey and Dueling Dragons) have also been changed and "updated", meaning while theyre now still good rides, they are rides I cant have much nostalgia for seeing as their current iterations havent existed for that long.

People give Disney crap for not building as much as Universal but nostalgia can be a powerful thing. As much as I love all of Universal's new attractions and innovations, I also love everything they sacrificed to make that happen. I dont think Disney should be stagnant forever, but at least its a place I can go to to relive good times and for that Im grateful for it. Nostalgia can be just as powerful as innovation in theme parks if you ask me, and thats why Im a bit more lenient on Disney than a lot of you...maybe its just because Ive been around longer.

In any case, Universal still has bits of nostalgia here and there. JPRA comes to mind, as does Cat in the Hat and Dudley Do Right (though JP being tied to a huge 90's blockbuster makes it the most nostalgic for me lol). Twister and the ride portion of Disaster also serve up some nostalgia, and while I didnt really appreciate T2 enough when we first moved here to have good memories of it, it still has a good classic vibe I appreciate. I hope some of these rides never get replaced honestly, no matter how dated they may seem.

 

[ChrisFL]

I would be nostalgic if so much hadnt changed. Im not saying that change is bad, of course. But I have nostalgia for a lot thats no longer there.

I agree, I have a lot of great memories of Universal, but much of it have been for things that are no longer there.

Still, I've been around both USF and IOA when they first opened, and spent a lot of time there, as family members worked there, then eventually I worked there as well.

I used to spend a LOT of time at USF in the early 90's just wandering around, trying to do a record amount of rides on BTTF (It was up in the low 40's...probably nothing near a record), doing the interactive area outside of the Hanna Barbera and Alfred Hitchcock attractions...walking through the Boneyard of old movie props, having lunch at the old Hard Rock Cafe, going on the Nickelodeon studio tour, seeing how they made slime, I even remember the Swamp Thing set before it was replaced with the Wild West stunt show!

 

[Frogki]

I remember my first trip to Universal like it was yesterday. Although I'd been to Disney once before, I'd begged my parents time and time again to go to Universal, as it seemed like the coolest thing to a kid my age, about 9 years old. It is, without a doubt, the first trip I can remember. It was 2006, so it was kind of a transitional time at Universal. My family was one of the last groups to be able to ride BTTF, and I'm really grateful for it because it would become one of my favorite franchises, though I hadn't even heard of it before then. Mummy was great as one of my first indoor roller coasters. I remember Disaster when it was still Earthquake!
I think the fact that this was a birthday present and the fact that both my family (mother, father, and sister) along with my cousins family all went together in a van we'd rented to stay to the Royal Pacific helped shape the experience a lot as well. Disney was wonderful and I still remember it fondly - but Universal is the first park experience I can remember in great detail... I remember becoming very excited when I knew I'd get to go to Islands of Adventure, and it just has a lot of good feelings there...

 

[Cole]

Well islands has almost become my nostalgia park. When I go there I feel younger, especially at the Seuss and the Popeye areas. It never really changes like USF does so it just brings back memories to me. But as Durden said, a ton of memories at studios are unrelivable now but it's fun to go back to those rides to remember what was there before. I have fond memories of nicktoon blast and BTTF, and while I like their replacements better I still remember all those warm memories when I go on them. I feel like IOA is a park to get nostalgic over but studios definitely isn't since everything is fair game there

 

[ralphoutloud]

I've been to Universal a lot. Likely over 30 times at this point. The way I feel about it, regardless of changes is how most feel about Disney. It is my happy place and somewhere I can't wait to take my future family on vacations to.

 

[UNIrd]

Extremely, especially for the Studios park. My mom took me to both Universal and Disney pretty equally as a kid. I just remember feeling slightly more excited and nervous for USF.

 

[martymcflyy85]

would be a lot more nostalgic if they kept Back to the Future.

 

[Miketheboss]

[video=youtube;3yAB08kTmRA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yAB08kTmRA[/video]

 

[IAmFloridaBorn]

Very! Having gone when Islands wasn't built or city walk. I love Universal. I've been to Universal over 170 times (around that number) in my 23 years of life. I've been to Disney 3 times. Universal has what captures my mind. The real sets and cities and lands allow me to be on a true adventure when I am there. Islands of Adventure has remained the same for the most part with the exception of Dueling Dragons. But Universal is the same age as myself so it means a lot to me. It's right down the street literally. Not to mention I've seen most of my movies at City Walk! I've had a chance to not only watch Universal grow but grow with it as well, cant say the same for Disney.

Kongfrontation, ET, Jaws, Back To The Future,Earthquake, MIB, Mels Cafe!!! Nickleodeon and Slime Time Live ! I grew up with these things, I saw these things first hand!!

Universal is my favorite theme park! it hits home just riding by there. The million and millions of people who come here, I love it.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

I was a DISNEYPARK nut when I was little but there was a time that I don't remember much but since the real Universal park close to me was

Hollywoods and my Mother didn't enjoy It.. then in 2006; I went back to the park that I didn't know much; The Mummy's Tunnel scared the living

crap out of me due to the beetles and I never could of riden the Revenge of the Mummy attraction till much later like 2008 because I was

genuinely scared. But I never got my hands off of Horror Nights until I bought my first AP in 2010 for Kong.. After 2010, I always went to

Universal Hollywood for my times with my father but then since last Summer, I am not really able to be in Universal Hollywood.. But thanks to

Forums, i'm quite fine being a fan in the side-lines and I hope to go to Universal Hollywood before the big Wizzard comes..

 

[Cole]

[video=youtube;3yAB08kTmRA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yAB08kTmRA[/video]

Thank you so much for posting this, memories came flooding back

 

[USO92]

That video totally gave me the warm feelz.

 

[April]

I've grown up with both, but probably feel a little closer to Universal. My dad was on the opening team for USF, so I remember him always taking me and how we'd go to on E.T., JAWS, Kongfrontation, etc. and I am very grateful I got to do those with him. Many days spent at Barney and Animal Actors as well...

Spending all this time at the parks eventually translated into a job and is where I met my current boyfriend, so I am very thankful for that.

 

[kingcooger]

I grew up going to Disneyland, but USF holds a very special place in my heart.
Like some others have said, I feel more nostalgic for IOA than the Studios. The first time I went to the Studios the main rides were Jaws, Ghostbusters, ET, Kongfrontation, Alfred Hitchcock, Earthquake, Hanna Barbara, and Fievel's play area. We went a few times when I was younger (the last time being somwhere in the early to mid 90's before Murder She Wrote closed) and I did not get to return again until 2005. Therefore, a lot of the attractions that I loved as a kid were gone (all that remained was ET, Fievel, and BTTF)>
My 2005 trip was just post turning 21 and my best friend and I went down and spent a crazy long weekend running through as many Orlando parks as we could. We spent the most time at Universal (especially IOA) so I have very fond memories of that time. I am mostly nostalgic about it because my best friend passed away in a car accident about 4 years later, so the memories of that trip and our time at the park is really important.
I know that is a long winded answer just to say, "Yes it is nostalgic" but I thought it needed some explanation. Also, my wife and I do try to head down to Uni every year for HHN, so I have been back many times since 2005.

 

[Cole]

I've grown up with both, but probably feel a little closer to Universal. My dad was on the opening team for USF, so I remember him always taking me and how we'd go to on E.T., JAWS, Kongfrontation, etc. and I am very grateful I got to do those with him. Many days spent at Barney and Animal Actors as well...

Spending all this time at the parks eventually translated into a job and is where I met my current boyfriend, so I am very thankful for that.

I grew up going to Disneyland, but USF holds a very special place in my heart.
Like some others have said, I feel more nostalgic for IOA than the Studios. The first time I went to the Studios the main rides were Jaws, Ghostbusters, ET, Kongfrontation, Alfred Hitchcock, Earthquake, Hanna Barbara, and Fievel's play area. We went a few times when I was younger (the last time being somwhere in the early to mid 90's before Murder She Wrote closed) and I did not get to return again until 2005. Therefore, a lot of the attractions that I loved as a kid were gone (all that remained was ET, Fievel, and BTTF)>
My 2005 trip was just post turning 21 and my best friend and I went down and spent a crazy long weekend running through as many Orlando parks as we could. We spent the most time at Universal (especially IOA) so I have very fond memories of that time. I am mostly nostalgic about it because my best friend passed away in a car accident about 4 years later, so the memories of that trip and our time at the park is really important.
I know that is a long winded answer just to say, "Yes it is nostalgic" but I thought it needed some explanation. Also, my wife and I do try to head down to Uni every year for HHN, so I have been back many times since 2005.

Both of these are beautiful answers, shows how much these parks can bring back tons of memories or overall change your life in the process. Thanks for sharing!!!

 

[quinnmac000]

Well, Camp Jurassic was the location of my first kiss. My first date was at the studios and I got thrown up on after riding Back to the future. Very last place I visited with my aunt before she died. So yea, it has a lot of nostalgia for me.

 

[ChrisFL]

Oh, one more thing...I was a line jumper once.

Long story short...family friend who was well into her 60's and couldn't stand in line very long, went to USF right after it first opened...the line for E.T. was over 2 hours long (!!!) and she couldn't stand in line for that long. I was around 12 years old.

I feel horrible about it now, but back then, me and her decided that we'd look for "George" ahead in the line, we kept going through the line looking for George...me and an old lady, walking through, no one questioned us, lol.

We got through the line in about 30 minutes, then took the old Spaceship option (was nice since the bike seats would have been a bit less comfortable for her). I wish they still had the spaceship one...or at least pictures of it, I barely remember what it looked like.

 

[tsojl2005]

Universal has a solid piece of my heart. I never stepped foot on a Disney property until 2012 when i was like 25. I went to Universal for a BETA club trip in 7th grade though. It was my first experience in a theme park. Other than that, ive only been to six flags and parks like that. Being in IOA instantly gave me my love and passion for theme parks and what they stand for and geared my whole life's ambitions to be an engineer for one. It just feels like home everytime i step foot on property.