Universal Studios Florida: Scream For Your Mummy

During my August 2011 trip to Orlando, I visited the Universal Orlando Resort in Florida. This Revenge of the Mummy slider pin was a hidden treasure at one of the discount shops at the front of the parks (I can't remember if I found this at Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure). Smedley the Dog, Chilly Willy and Woody Woodpecker take a wild ride on one of my favorite attractions at Universal Studios. In 1999, Universal decided to redesign Woody, the famous cartoon bird created by the late Walter Lantz. We'll call this newer version of Woody "Green Eyed Maniac Woody."

Green Eyed Maniac Woody is the "New Coca-Cola" of the theme park mascot world.

I'm sure the redesign of Woody (which was based on the original "lunatic" version of Woody from the first animated shorts) was an attempt to make the character hip and edgy. Green Eyed Maniac Woody seems aggressive and not exactly friendly.

Even Knothead and Splinter, Woody's nephew and niece, were redesigned.

Woody's Girlfriend, Winnie (not shown here), was also given an extreme makeover. The initial redesign of her that I saw looked a bit like a cross between Marge Simpson and the Bride of Frankenstein. Winnie's extreme redesign was toned down a bit. The new character designs were used as part of the 1999 animated TV series The New Woody Woodpecker Show, which debuted on the Fox Kids Network.

The Woody Woodpecker I grew up with was a friendly looking rascal.

Green Eyed Maniac Woody does not seem like an ambassador to a theme park.

The appealing looking Woody starred in his own comic book. This one is from 1976.

Woody's rival, Wally Walrus, almost seemed human. I've met some people that look just like him.

The Good Version of Woody had his own Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon for many years.
That's one of the best balloons they ever made!

Woody and Winnie appeared on some great merchandise over the years.

I got this key chain from Universal Studios Florida in 2004. This is the earlier character design because the mold for this figure (made by Bully in Germany) has been around for a LONG time.

Friendly Woody Woodpecker had a cool pompadour hair-do.

I can't believe there aren't any Andy Panda plush toys for sale at the Universal Resort.

Universal Studios Florida is loosely based on Universal Studios Hollywood, which opened for tours in 1964.

The park in Hollywood was mostly about the Backlot Tour. Later, individual attractions were added, including the E.T. Adventure (1991) and Back to the Future The Ride (1993).

Universal Studios Florida would have a Backlot tour (now closed), but some of the Hollywood tour elements (like King Kong, Jaws, and Earthquake) would be expanded into their own attractions.

Totally new to Florida was Nickelodeon Studios, Ghostbusters, and The Funtastic World of Hanna Barbera.

Universal Studios Florida opened in May 1990.

Like most theme parks, it experienced some difficulties at first.

A 1993 Universal Studios Florida Map shows a very different roster of attractions.

Many of the attractions here were eventually replaced or updated. The Hard Rock Cafe was moved as part of a much bigger expansion.

The entrance to Universal Studios Florida itself has dramatically changed.

Visitors to the park now enter by crossing a bridge from Universal CityWalk, a shopping and dining district opened in 1999.

The parking lot for Universal Studios Florida used to be near the park entrance.

A mammoth parking garage located near CityWalk now serves the Universal Orlando Resort.

Before Universal's Islands of Adventure opened in 1999, Popeye and Rocky and Bullwinkle could be found at Universal Studios in 1993.

The characters strolled through the park in style with Marilyn Monroe.

Now it's time for my Universal Studios Florida trip report.

Day Two---Continued (Friday, August 26, 2011): Universal's Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida.

I spent the first part of the day at Universal's Islands of Adventure. Read about that at Harry Potter At Universal's Islands of Adventure: Wonderful Wizard of Aahs!

In the afternoon, I went to Universal Studios Florida, where my first stop was the E.T. Adventure.
The E.T. Adventure dark ride can only be found at Universal Studios Florida. The ride could be found at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Japan, but the attraction was closed down at those parks to make way for new rides (Revenge of the Mummy in California and Space Fantasy in Japan).

E.T. Adventure was not very crowded. A visit here is a nice way to escape the Florida heat.

This 1994 Map shows a time when the Hard Rock Cafe was E.T.'s neighbor. The old location of the Hard Rock Cafe is now home to Woody Woodpecker's Kidzone.

When I was a kid, E.T. was insanely popular.

You could even get E.T. Shoes from Buster Brown. Hey, those loafers are out of this world!

Visitors to the E.T. Adventure fly on bikes to go save E.T.'s home planet.

E.T. says your name at the end of the ride, which is something that doesn't happen on any other ride in Orlando. E.T. says the name of everyone in your ride vehicle, which sounds a bit like he is saying something to you in another language.

There is a shop near the ride selling E.T. merchandise. You can also find an E.T. Pressed Penny (I found it at the Universal Studios Store at the front of the park).

I also found a Friendly Woody Woodpecker Pressed Penny near the Front Gate.

Near the E.T. Adventure, kids could meet some characters, including Woody Woodpecker, Curious George, the Man in the Yellow Hat, and Scooby Doo.

This Hertz/American Express Ad shows what Woody Woodpecker and Scooby Doo looked like in 1993 (the new versions look quite different). Also shown here are Fievel from An American Tail (you can find Fievel's Playland near the E.T. Adventure) and Rocky and Bullwinkle (I saw Bullwinkle in Toon Lagoon at Universal's Islands of Adventure).

It was time for lunch, so I went to Mel's Drive-In.

I had a tasty cheeseburger and fries here.

Mel's had singers performing outside, but not these particular people (this photo is from Universal's 1993 park guide).

After lunch, I went to see the former location of Back to the Future The Ride.

Back to the Future opened in 1991 and closed in 2007.

In its place is The Simpsons Ride, which opened in 2008.

This was my first time to ride The Simpsons Ride. On my November 2009 visit to Universal, I was short on time and chose to ride the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster instead (I did not have time to see that coaster on this trip). I'm glad I finally went on The Simpsons Ride, because I think it's the funniest theme park ride I've experienced.

The fun begins in the queue line, where some hilarious Simpsons clips are shown on TV monitors. These include Simpson visits to Duff Gardens and Itchy and Scratchy Land.

Visitors enter the ride through Krusty the Clown's mouth. We then see posters for some of the attractions in Krustyland. We are about to board the park's newest ride.

The Simpsons characters in the ride's film are computer generated. The re-themed Back to the Future vehicles move in time with the film.

I don't know if it would have been possible, but this attraction would be plussed if the film was in 3D.

Pressed pennies of The Simpsons can be found here.

Curiously, there's no mention of Universal Studios on them.

Some of the fake Krustyland attraction posters can be found on merchandise.

I found a couple of them at Universal's discount stores at the front of the parks.

Many Orlando attractions are spoofed on The Simpsons Ride.

Not even Universal is safe from getting picked on.

Up next was a spin on Men In Black Alien Attack, which is my favorite shoot-em-up dark ride. I used the Single Rider Line for this, and got on the ride quickly. On my last trip to Universal, the Single Rider Line was not in use, and there was a very long wait for this popular attraction.

The ride vehicles are similar to those on The Cat in the Hat Ride at Islands of Adventure. Passengers weave through the city shooting at animatronic aliens, and eventually at other ride vehicles. Be sure to press the red button inside your vehicle when prompted to do so---your score will improve. The ride has different endings depending on how well you round up the aliens.

Up next was a ride on Revenge of the Mummy. This is another of my favorite Universal attractions. It's a dark ride, and it's a roller coaster. I think it's fantastic! It's also easy to get on if you use the Single Rider Line like I did. I always seem to have a problem walking up the stairs in the pitch-black Single Rider queue line here.

Revenge of the Mummy replaced Kongfrontation, the tram ride that featured a gigantic animatronic King Kong. I miss King Kong, but I'm a big fan of Revenge of the Mummy. I did find these great King Kong pressed pennies at the Universal Studios Store at the front of the park.

For more King Kong, check out King Kong, Christmas Ape.

It was then time to go to the front of the park to see Shrek 4-D at Universal Studios Florida for the first time. I had actually seen the 3D Shrek film before, but not in a theme park. How's that? The Shrek 3D movie was released on DVD in 2004, which was promoted during the release of Shrek 2.

Shrek is housed in a building that used to host an Alfred Hitchcock attraction, which included a 3D film sequence from The Birds.

It is fitting that the Shrek 4D attraction uses the Shrek movie clip of Fiona's singing ending the life of a bird.
Shrek 4D debuted at Universal Studios in 2003. The fun versions of the characters shown here were created for a merchandise line released to coincide with Shrek the Third in 2007.

Across from Shrek 4-D, there's construction going on in the former location of The Funtastic World of Hanna Barbera.

This Hanna Barbera attraction debuted in 1990, and was replaced by the Nickelodeon Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast ride in 2003. The Jimmy Neutron version of the ride recently closed, and this attraction will soon be themed to Universal's Despicable Me. You can already find plush Minions and a Unicorn from the film at Universal's shops. The Hanna Barbera ride film has been shown at numerous theme parks around the country. You can still find Scooby Doo at Universal Studios Florida, even though the Hanna Barbera attraction has been closed for years. Similarly, you can still find Nickelodeon characters too, even though Nickelodeon Studios and the Nicktoon Blast have been closed.

After Shrek 4D, I returned to Islands of Adventure to ride Dragon Challenge and take another ride on the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction. After a ride on the Incredible Hulk roller coaster, it was time to end my big day at Universal Orlando.

I went to CityWalk and had dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Eating here has become a Universal tradition for me (I've also been to the location at Gardenwalk in Anaheim, California). After drinking a Butterbeer, a Frozen Butterbeer and eating a cheeseburger and fries that day, I wasn't incredibly hungry. I was really thirsty, and ready to relax. I got Grilled Shrimp Tacos at Bubba Gump, which is what I ordered on my last visit. I noticed one of the waiters was wearing a LT. DAN shirt. Yes, they sell one, and I am kicking myself for not buying that shirt!
I did get these cool shrimp magnets at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

Soon it was time for my 9:15 pm Mears shuttle back to Disney's Yacht Club Resort. I had a great day at the Universal Orlando Resort, and can't wait to return!

Up next: I go Park-Hopping, and see a Wookie, a Yeti, and a Neanderthal all in the same day.

King Kong, Christmas Ape

I was thrilled to get a King Kong Christmas stocking when I was a kid back in 1986. There's nothing quite like a ferocious gorilla to get you into the holiday spirit.

Being the nerd that I am, I never removed the tag.

My somewhat violent King Kong stocking happily devoured small toys for over a decade.

One of the prizes found in Christmas Stocking Kong's belly was a plastic King Kong Candy Topper toy.

As a young kid, I was fascinated by monkeys and apes, yet I was also scared of them. I blame the Flying Monkeys from the Wizard of Oz. King Kong was the product of a time when gorillas were portrayed as bloodthirsty monsters, and marketed as the most terrifying creatures alive. The reality is that they are mostly gentle giants.

King Kong has been a major mascot for Universal Studios for many years.

I got to visit Universal Studios Hollywood in 1990. It's a working movie studio and a theme park.

Visitors could get their picture taken with King Kong at a location close to the Conan O'Brien Sword and Sorcery Spectacular Talk Show. Or maybe that was the Conan the Barbarian Show. At the time of my visit, the park's only ride was the Tram Tour (a very impressive attraction).

The Tram Tour is the biggest attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood. The Tram travels through working film sets and experiences created specially for the Tour. I can also remember our guide pointing out the park's earthquake/disaster shelter, and the site of the then-under-construction E.T. Adventure (since replaced by The Revenge of the Mummy ride). I thought it was interesting to see how close the Studios are to neighborhoods. I can remember easily seeing homes when viewing the Animal Actors' Stage show.

King Kong became part of the Tram Tour in 1986.

The huge, destructive animatronic gorilla had powerful banana breath (he really did!).

Sadly, the King Kong portion of the Universal Studios Hollywood Backlot Tour was destroyed by a massive fire in 2008. In 2010, King Kong 360 3D, a film attraction based on the 2005 Peter Jackson version of King Kong, opened where the robotic ape once menaced tram tour visitors.

In 1990, Universal Studios Florida opened in Orlando, and King Kong was part of the action. I love the energetic artwork created for Universal Studios promotional materials.

Brand new to the park was The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera, a ride film. Years later, the attraction was re-themed to Jimmy Neutron and the Nickelodeon characters. It will soon become a new "Despicable Me" ride. The Hanna-Barbera film has also been shown at various theme parks that have ride film theaters.

Segments of the Universal Studios Hollywood Tram Tour were expanded to become individual attractions. Earthquake, King Kong and Jaws were not just stops on a tour anymore. They were their own big rides.

The King Kong experience became Kongfrontation in Florida.

King Kong in Florida did not look the same as the ape in California. I thought the gorilla in Hollywood was more impressive.

The name "Kongfrontation" was later adapted for the King Kong Tram Tour segment in Hollywood.

In Florida, King Kong was neighbors with the Ghostbusters.

Ghostbusters was a lively (or deadly?) show featuring a Pepper's Ghost effect of Slimer (the green ghost) flying across the stage.

I think a big, interactive Ghostbusters ride would be a nice fit for Universal Studios Florida.

A Ghostbusters Ride could be funny and scary. Armed with their Ectoplasm Guns, riders could board an Ectomobile and round up all the troublesome spirits, then face Gozer and the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man in the finale. Just think of the merchandising opportunities!

At Universal Studios in Hollywood, characters like the Flintstones (in a show based on the 1994 live action movie) and Casper the Friendly Ghost (seen in an exhibit based on the live action film) could be seen rubbing elbows with King Kong in 1995. I think a Casper the Friendly Ghost Haunted House attraction would be a nice addition to a theme park.

Over the years, attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Florida have changed quite a bit. The arrival of the Revenge of the Mummy attraction in 2004 meant the closure of the E.T. Adventure in California and Kongfrontation in Florida. Likewise, the Back to the Future attractions in Orlando and Hollywood were replaced by The Simpsons Ride in 2008.

Viewers of The Simpsons may remember Actor Troy McClure (the late Phil Hartman) from such films as "Christmas Ape" and its sequel, "Christmas Ape Goes to Summer Camp" (taken from the hilarious Season 8 episode, "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show," which was the best "Impy and Chimpy" cartoon Ned Flanders had ever seen).

The Simpsons also had an unforgettable King Kong parody (with Homer as the gorilla, naturally), "King Homer," as part of the Treehouse of Horror III Halloween episode in 1992.

King Kong can still be found at the Universal Orlando Resort, though he's no longer starring in a ride there.
He's now protecting your ride! Do you feel safe parking your car at Jurassic Park, with King Kong, or with Jaws?