I’m Sorry, Universal Once Had WHAT?!?

Over the course of the last 35 years, the Universal Orlando Resort has been home to attractions and shows based on a litany of iconic and culturally relevant intellectual properties (IPs), including Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, Shrek, Men in Black, King Kong, Back to the Future, Marvel, Nintendo, Universal Monsters, Terminator, Nickelodeon, Hanna Barbera, Minions, and The Fast & The Furious, just to name a few.

However, the resort’s theme parks have also been home to some… other IPs that might seem like a strange fit, especially to modern audiences. These are some of the ones that look a bit more bizarre in retrospect.

The Murder, She Wrote Mystery Theatre

That’s right, the thrill-ride packed theme park had a show dedicated to the exploits of Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) herself as an opening day attraction.

The Murder, She Wrote Mystery Theatre was an interactive show based on the popular television series. Guests were selected to be “executive producers” on a new episode of the series, as the 25-minute show featured some new footage, and focused on the production of a variety of effects, including makeup, sound, and visual effects, and the television editing process. If that format sounds familiar, it’s because it’s similar to shows featured at other studio parks, including Universal’s own Hollywood theme park as well as Disney’s then-MGM Studios. The show closed in 1996 due to both the end of the Murder, She Wrote series as well as the general decline of behind-the-scenes studio experiences in favor of more thrilling attractions. Speaking of which, Universal came up with quite the replacement…

Hercules and Xena: Wizards of the Screen

In the summer of 1997, the Murder, She Wrote show was replaced by a similar – – though more action-oriented – – presentation based on the syndicated Hercules: Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess television shows. Like its predecessor, the show detailed how production worked through demonstrations as well as new and preexisting footage.

This version of the show also demonstrated how production on the Hercules and Xena shows worked by featuring the audience members “fighting” stunt performers. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the show was short-lived, with the final performance on February 20, 2000. Today, Transformers sits on the site once occupied by Murder, She Wrote, as well as Hercules and Xena.

The Real Psycho Sets

Universal Studios Florida was once home to some REAL film sets from the Psycho franchise. The facades of the main sets from Psycho IV: The Beginning were built at the park for filming. Production was supposed to be complete before the park opened. However, due to both construction and production delays, filming lasted until July, so guests who visited Universal Studios Florida during the park’s first month were able to actually see the film being made.

Following the completion of Psycho IV’s production, both of the Psycho sets remained part of the park, with the latter serving as the setting for the Psycho Path Maze haunted house for several years during the early days of Halloween Horror Nights. Both stood until 1995, when the Bates Motel was torn down to be replaced by A Day in the Park with Barney (yes, really). The Bates Mansion held out a bit longer, closing in 1998 to make way for Curious George Goes to Town (once again, yes, really).

Pandemonium Cartoon Circus

Finally, moving next door to Islands of Adventure, the park was home to the Pandemonium Cartoon Circus during its first year.  This live stage show was performed in the Toon Lagoon Amphitheater and featured a series of circus acts starring the cartoon and comic strip characters featured in the land, including Rocky & Bullwinkle, Boris & Natasha, Woody Woodpecker, Beetle Bailey, Broom-Hilda, Popeye, Olive Oyl, Bluto, Blondie, Dagwood, Dudley Do-Right, Nell Fenwick, Snidely Whiplash, and Betty Boop. The bizarre show (there was knife-throwing involved) lasted less than a year before closing on February 29th, 2000. It was replaced by a series of BMX shows, including Xtreme Xventure and Mat Hoffman’s Crazy Freakin’ Stunt Show, before the theater was abandoned entirely.

While Universal Orlando has been home to MANY famous IPs over the years, there have also been some… odd fits. Stay tuned to AllEars for more deep dives into Universal history.

Universal Canceled 5 BIG Projects for Universal Studios Orlando

Did you experience any of these odd Universal attractions? Let us know in the comments below.

Post a Comment