may be a dumb question...

[zigzagzerr]

What is the connection between Universal and Paramount?

We were ate Paramount's Kings Dominion park in Virginia last weekend, and I noticed that they feature the same characters as Universal (ie Scooby Doo, Rugrats, Nickelodeon, etc.). Also, they had a Scooby Doo haunted house where you rode in a car shooting alien targets with guns that looked a lot like the ones on the MIB ride.

The one that really made me wonder, though, was that they had a simulator ride called "The Funtastic World of Hanna Barbera". Am I losing it, or isn't that the ride replaced by Jimmy Neutron at US Florida?

Any info, I would appreciate it. Thanks!

 

[F-L-A]

No connection, they just share the theme park rights to these properties.

 

[ChrisFL]

its not a dumb question and a lot of it is how they work together on deals that we dont have info on. Universal had parks for a while before Paramount did. And many properties in Universal and Disney weren't made by them, but are licensed in a way, like Indiana Jones at MGM studios

 

[Amity 3]

Eisner was a bigwig at Paramount when the idea of taking the Universal Studios backlot tour and expanding it into a full blown theme park was pitched.

Paramount passed, but Eisner kept the idea. USH was hatched, and succeeded. what you see at MGM Studios is Eisner's dream too late after UO was announced.

 

[F-L-A]

what you see at MGM Studios is Eisner's dream too late after UO was announced.

It obviously wasn't too late, as Disney fans will swear up and down that the idea was completely original and tout the fact that MGM opened first (even though it had TWO rides.)

 

[Amity 3]

and one of those two rides was a (surprise) back lot tram tour.

WDW has always maintained that MGM was going to be built before UO was. Eisner had lobbied hard for the idea when he was at Paramount, but was voted down. the announcement of UO was the catalyst for WDW to break ground and race UO to opening to soothe Eisner's ego. MGM won the race, but at a huge cost. it was a poorly Imagineered theme park.