Star Trek: The Experiences - Universal, Las Vegas and Ticonderoga | Lowdown on the Plus-Up

Send us Fan MailEPISODE SUMMARYIn this episode of The Lowdown on the Plus-Up, Kelly and Pete return to their nerd roots to explore the theme park legacy of Star Trek. From the original 1966 series to Deep Space Nine, the two dive into Gene Roddenberry’s ideals, the franchise’s optimism, and the surprising role Lucille Ball played in making the show possible. We discuss the rise and fall of Star Trek: The Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton—a massive, immersive attraction featuring the DS9 Promenade, Quark’s Bar, Klingon Encounter, and later Borg Invasion 4D.We also talk about how Universal took the franchise into their theme parks.And we cover the fan-made continuation series Star Trek: New Voyages/Phase II, the Elvis-impersonator-turned-Captain-Kirk who built the entire Enterprise in upstate New York, and how the evolution of fan productions influenced the modern Trek landscape.---⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00 Intro – Energizing the bridge  01:04 What is The Lowdown on the Plus-Up?  02:09 Why Star Trek endures from 1966 to today  05:40 Star Wars vs Star Trek – emotional ties  06:10 Lucille Ball’s essential role in Star Trek’s creation  07:05 Growing up with the original series  07:35 Gene Roddenberry’s contradictions & progressive vision  09:41 Star Trek’s ideals vs cynicism  50:45 The Las Vegas Hilton attraction – Star Trek: The Experience  51:17 DS9 Promenade, Quark’s Bar & the Dabo game  51:42 Klingon Encounter – history, design & Gary Goddard  52:35 Landmark Entertainment, Luke Mayrand & major set designers  53:00 Paramount’s investment & Trek writers involved  01:20:53 James Cawley & the New Voyages fan film sets  01:21:30 Cameos from George Takei, Nichelle Nichols & more  01:22:30 Elvis pays for Star Trek – the fan film financing story  01:23:12 How fan productions preserved Trek’s legacy  ---🔍 KEYWORDSStar Trek The Experience, Las Vegas Hilton attractions, Deep Space Nine Promenade, Quark’s Bar, Klingon Encounter, Gary Goddard, Landmark Entertainment, Star Trek theme park, Star Trek fan films, James Cawley, Star Trek New Voyages, Phase II fan series, Gene Roddenberry history, Lucille Ball Desilu, theme park history, science fiction attractions, DS9 sets, Trek optimism, Star Trek fandom---📎 REFERENCESBoardwalk Times – https://boardwalktimes.net  Star Trek Original Series Set Tour - https://startrektour.com---🎧 FOLLOW USApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lowdown-on-the-plus-up-a-theme-park-podcast/id1737456626  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3PEPHJQk2t8TQON1mzJHWRYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsUeUre1Atv5XRqr4CX1R2s1TVCAz7jvL Boardwalk Times: https://boardwalktimes.net#StarTrek #ThemeParkHistory #StarTrekTheExperience #Imagineering #ScienceFictionHistoryThanks for listening!We'd love it if you would give us a review on your podcast platform of choice: iTunes, Spotify, etc... They're really helpful.And get in touch and let us know about YOUR Plus-Ups for the attractions we've talked about!  We'd love to tell them on the air.Come visit us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, or whatever social media you like. Just look up Lowdown on the Plus-Up and you'll probably find us.  Or drop us a note to [email protected] and let us know any questions or comments about how YOU would like to plus-something-up! We are a Boardwalk Times production.Boardwalk Times, https://boardwalktimes.net/Boardwalk Times store, https://boardwalktimes.store .