Universal’s Florida Foreshadowing and the Road to Diagon Alley (Ep. 8)

Jim Hill and Len Testa take Disney Dish on the road for a walking tour through Universal Studios Florida, comparing the park’s working-studio roots with Disney’s approach to themed design. Along the way, they trace the strange overlaps between Universal and Disney-MGM Studios, revisit opening-day headaches, and point out how attractions like E.T., The Simpsons Ride, Men in Black, and Revenge of the Mummy reshaped the park. The episode also captures a fascinating moment in Universal history, just as the former Jaws area was being cleared for what would become Diagon Alley. Original Air Date: February 19, 2012 Original Title: Universal Orlando Resort Part 1 - Universal Studios HIGHLIGHTS Jim and Len compare Universal Studios Florida’s Hollywood streets with Disney-MGM Studios’ more intimate, Main Street-inspired design. The tour stops near the future home of Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, with Jim explaining how the attraction evolved from Hanna-Barbera and Jimmy Neutron. Jim revisits the long-running rivalry between Universal and Disney over studio-themed parks in Orlando. The hosts discuss how Universal’s early “working studio” layout created impressive sets but sometimes hid major attractions in plain sight. E.T. Adventure gets a close look, including Steven Spielberg’s creative involvement and the attraction’s famous personalized goodbye. The Simpsons Ride earns praise for its theme park satire, hidden jokes, and a development story involving Harry Shearer. Jim explains how the former Jaws area was being demolished for the not-yet-announced Harry Potter expansion that would become Diagon Alley. The episode wraps with stories about Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, hidden music tracks, and Universal’s scrappy approach to competing in Orlando. View transcript here.⁠ HOSTS • Jim Hill - IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@JimHillMedia⁠⁠⁠⁠ | X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@JimHillMedia⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠JimHillMedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Len Testa - Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@lentesta.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@len.testa⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠touringplans.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW • Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠JimHillMediaNews⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠JimHillMedia⁠⁠⁠⁠ • TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠JimHillMedia⁠⁠⁠⁠ SUPPORT Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at ⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/JimHillMedia⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, ⁠⁠⁠⁠reach out today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices