Last time I was at US....

[phillymummer]

was 1993 on my senior class trip (for the record, I was in IoA in 2010)! I was looking at the map of US and I don't think any of the same rides are there... 20 years later!!! Is there anything I will recognize? I'm very sad Jaws and The Birds are gone. I think we went through The Birds several times in a row! Was Back to the Future there? or was it at DHS? (back then, it would have been at "MGM"!). I remember that being a great ride, too.

Disney has still has soooo many rides that were there in 1992. Many have been refurbished but they are still there.

Is it a good thing to revamp a park like that?

Just wondering. These are the thoughts that go through my head while reading these boards!

 

[macraven]

It's a good thing

 

[mel&me]

Back to the Future was at universal. It is now the Simpsons ride

 

[agavegirl1]

The changes made are primarily for the better. While Back To The Future is now the Simpson's Ride, it is similar. However the area around it has been meticulously themed to "Springfield" and is more emersive. The Harry Potter areas at Universal (Diagon Alley) and IOA (Hogsmeade) are unbelievably well done. Enjoy

 

[johde]

To answer your other question, the only opening day attractions from 1990 still in the park are E.T. and the Monster Makeup show. Since you mentioned Disney, by comparison, the only opening day attraction left from the old Disney MGM Studios is the Great Movie Ride. Indiana Jones and Star Tours are from opening year but opened several months after the park opened. Like others have mentioned at Universal, Back to the Future has been rethemed to The Simpsons and Funtastic World of Hanna Barbara was rethemed to Jimmy Neutron before now being rethemed a second time to Despicable Me Minion Mayhem. In both cases, the basic ride mechanism remains the same.

After "major" film production left Florida and both parks stopped being 1/2 theme park 1/2 working studio there has been major changes in the parks especially at USO and now DHS to rebrand themselves to "ride the movies" from "behind the scenes". Universal still has a few working sound stages and has recently has taped La Voz Kids, American Ninja Warrior and several scenes of Sharknado 3 (Some of which where Universal is playing Universal and others where parts of the facades were used to stand in for parts of Washington D.C. Most of DHS sound stages currently house TSMM.

 

[phillymummer]

Thanks everyone! I'm trying to remember what else was there way back in the early 90's..... I think I can only remember Earthquake. My friend was chosen to be part of the scene when the earthquake hits, but there was a malfunction and she didn't get to do it. I'm sure I will enjoy US. It'll be like my fist time!! LOL

 

[tinydancer09]

I was just reading something about this. I did not start doing Universal until the 2000s. BFF that I'm going with went back before 1995. She was asking me lots of questions about if theres were still there... I had no idea what she was talking about until this article. Below is the link I was reading...

http://orlandoinformer.com/page/articles.html/_/blog/universal-orlando/25-pictorial?pg=2

Both parks have made major changes! Universal doesn't have the mass that disney down so quite a few have had to be updated or replaced. There wasn't a whole lot to start with at USF was there?

Disney- have you seen the new fantasy land? I barely recognize it. We were lucky enough to go right before they started making all the changes so we got to ride snow white before they closed it down.

 

[atricks]

Thanks everyone! I'm trying to remember what else was there way back in the early 90's..... I think I can only remember Earthquake. My friend was chosen to be part of the scene when the earthquake hits, but there was a malfunction and she didn't get to do it. I'm sure I will enjoy US. It'll be like my fist time!! LOL

Earthquake was updated as "Disaster" about 7 years ago, but the ride portion remained mostly the same. But that closed for good last week. So I think the only think ride wise left is ET. (Although Simpsons and Minions ride systems are mostly the same as Back to the Future and Hanna Barbara from back then)

 

[johde]

Both parks have made major changes! Universal doesn't have the mass that disney down so quite a few have had to be updated or replaced. There wasn't a whole lot to start with at USF was there?

When you look at it, neither DHS or USO started with much.

Opening day attractions for Disney MGM Studios Included:

1. The Great Movie Ride
2. The Magic of Disney Animation Tour
3. SuperStar Television
4. The Monster Sound Show
5. The Backstage Studio Tour
6. Hollywood! Hollywood! A Star Studded Spectacular!

Indiana Jones and Star Tours opened a few months later. The Backstage Studio Tour was a 2 Hour attraction including the tram tour and a walking tour of actual production sets. You couldn't do just the tram and skip the walking part because the transfer point was surrounded by "backstage" areas.

Opening Day attractions for Universal Studios Florida Included:

1. Nickelodeon Studios
2. Kongfrontation
3. Jaws
4. Earthquake: The Big One
5. Backlot Tram Tour
6. E.T.
7. American Tales (show)
8. Murder She Wrote (show)
9. Funtastic World of Hana Barbara
10. Swamp Thing Set
11. Bates Motel/Psycho House Set

Back to the Future and Wild West Stunt Show was added shortly after.

Both parks started out with a pretty lean set of attractions. Disney MGM studios especially was a rush job. Construction started after construction started on USF but they were able to open almost a year earlier making it look like Universal copied Disney instead of the other way around.