"Old School" Universal Orlando

[Scott W.]

Question: why remove the entrance arch and build an identical one in its place?

Im not sure if this is in the exact same position. The shape is slightly different. The current version allows for some kind of decoration above the arch you walk through. I think the arches to the side have also been extended.

 

[belloq87]

Wow, this week is full of goodies...This was posted yesterday..

I have a lot of feelings, someone help

The year of my first USF visit! What an incredible park it was.

Some observations from that footage:
- The BEETHOVEN banner/giant inflatable dog perched above Animal Actors. I had forgotten that movie even existed!
- Awesome seeing the Harry walkaround character from HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS.
- A cue from John Williams' DRACULA score is part of one of the area loops we can hear; that's a deep cut!
- I remember that JURASSIC PARK exhibit in the lobby of the Horror Makeup Show.

 

[shiekra38]

Question: why remove the entrance arch and build an identical one in its place?

The newer one appears to be expanded and with a slight curve to it and facing towards the CityWalk main entrance?

But honestly this is a really great question that I don't know the answer to.

 

[violarum]

IOA's globe??

Yes! Our beloved park was supposed to have a sort of steampunk-style globe that mirrors USF’s. Take a look at the layout of the coloured concrete in CityWalk:



You’ll note that near the Pharos lighthouse, there’s a similar circular area where there’s a compass formed by the concrete. This is where the globe was supposed to be! What we got instead is a nice little planter lol. But there’s also a stripe of grey that connects both globes as well, if you go on maps and zoom in further.

The concept art for the globe, when I saw it a while ago, was really hard to see. But from what you could tell, it was covered in gears and looked metallic. It would be so cool if they actually had it made it for the park’s 25th anniversary... Wishful thinking, I know.

 

[Scott W.]

Yes! Our beloved park was supposed to have a sort of steampunk-style globe that mirrors USF’s. Take a look at the layout of the coloured concrete in CityWalk:

View attachment 14301

You’ll note that near the Pharos lighthouse, there’s a similar circular area where there’s a compass formed by the concrete. This is where the globe was supposed to be! What we got instead is a nice little planter lol. But there’s also a stripe of grey that connects both globes as well, if you go on maps and zoom in further.

The concept art for the globe, when I saw it a while ago, was really hard to see. But from what you could tell, it was covered in gears and looked metallic. It would be so cool if they actually had it made it for the park’s 25th anniversary... Wishful thinking, I know.

That is a fantastic bit of trivia. It's one of those things that seem so obvious now that you see it.

Here's a more zoomed in image of both. You can clearly see the compass markings on the ground.

Im not sure if this is in the exact same position. The shape is slightly different. The current version allows for some kind of decoration above the arch you walk through. I think the arches to the side have also been extended.

Adding to this. The new arch is also curved when looking down at it, the previous one was straight.

 

[SpyderDan]

I knew I didn't imagine this lol

Here are some pictures of the old sand timer that used to be in the CityWalk hub

It periodically rotated

I remember seeing this and IOA get built..the anticipation was amazing

Wow, I have been searching for pictures of that thing for years and years. I remember my family and I did not know Universal was expanding and the garage was surprising enough as it is. But when I got to the rotunda and saw that hourglass, my mind was blown. I looked at all of the Island emblems and saw Spidey and thought to myself, "Wait, they're building a Spider-Man ride???" I could not believe it. Ah memories.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Yes! Our beloved park was supposed to have a sort of steampunk-style globe that mirrors USF’s. Take a look at the layout of the coloured concrete in CityWalk:

View attachment 14301

You’ll note that near the Pharos lighthouse, there’s a similar circular area where there’s a compass formed by the concrete. This is where the globe was supposed to be! What we got instead is a nice little planter lol. But there’s also a stripe of grey that connects both globes as well, if you go on maps and zoom in further.

The concept art for the globe, when I saw it a while ago, was really hard to see. But from what you could tell, it was covered in gears and looked metallic. It would be so cool if they actually had it made it for the park’s 25th anniversary... Wishful thinking, I know.

Wow, I never knew this! Thank you for mentioning. If EU has any sorta globe or Spehere like logo, bring this back. Each park gets their own Globe to distinguish each other in marketing and it gives visual appeal. This is so cool, thanks for sharing!

 

[violarum]

All Universal parks can have themed globes, as a treat!

 

[shiekra38]

Not sure if this belongs here...But I've never heard of this rumor and I used to LOVE seeing Crash in USF

I know a lof of people grew up with Mario, but I was always a Crash Bandicoot kid

Anywho, there is some footage of Crash in the parks, as well as an interesting rumor of a proposed early development ride

I can't help but think how cool it would be to see Crash's world brought to life like Mario....maybe in some alternate universe it exists

 

[Coolbfitz]

I can't help but think how cool it would be to see Crash's world brought to life like Mario....maybe in some alternate universe it exists

Crash Team Racing: Oxide's Challenge

 

[shiekra38]

Behind the scenes look at some of the animated figures from Popeye, Dudley and Suess

I know you're really just watching for the music track though

 

[Jushin Thunder Liger]

Behind the scenes look at some of the animated figures from Popeye, Dudley and Suess

I know you're really just watching for the music track though

That’s actually really cool. One of those things you don’t really think about, but of course they test the waterfaring AAs in a tank to make sure they’ll be OK.

 

[Clive]

Behind the scenes look at some of the animated figures from Popeye, Dudley and Suess

I know you're really just watching for the music track though

I wasn't aware that the organ was ever animated.

Seeing these videos is always cool, but also disappointing in the sense that you see the intended range of motion for the figures - most of which doesn't exist anymore. You're lucky to get a wobble out of the Dudley figures.

 

[Alicia]

I wasn't aware that the organ was ever animated.

Seeing these videos is always cool, but also disappointing in the sense that you see the intended range of motion for the figures - most of which doesn't exist anymore. You're lucky to get a wobble out of the Dudley figures.

The first ET figure, Tikli and Orbidon were all talking with great articulation and movement today on ET Adventure and it was shocking. Unfortunately nothing else was. Not even little drummer ET was drumming.

 

[shiekra38]

I wasn't aware that the organ was ever animated.

Seeing these videos is always cool, but also disappointing in the sense that you see the intended range of motion for the figures - most of which doesn't exist anymore. You're lucky to get a wobble out of the Dudley figures.

Yeah it's kind of depressing to know what should move and yet doesn't

I do have a theory that sometimes effects are turned off because they take too long to reset and or reduce capacity (Popeye Octopus door effect)

 

[Joe]

 

[universal_fanatic]

Wow! Don't think I've ever seen this version before!
It's amazing how much smaller the park looks because the map isn't drawn anywhere close to scale.

 

[CyborgDinosaur]

I know it's just meant to be a fun promotional image that highlights the attractions, but the more I try to mentally match up that up with the real life layout, the more it hurts my head.

 

[Alicia]

I know it's just meant to be a fun promotional image that highlights the attractions, but the more I try to mentally match up that up with the real life layout, the more it hurts my head.

It’s mainly The Boneyard missing that’s messing me up.

 

[SpyderDan]

Does it make anyone else as depressed as it does me? lol