If you’re around my age, 40+ (a lady never reveals her age!), you will likely remember the theme park wars of the late 80s-early 90s. Everyone, from amusement parks to commercial luaus rebranded as “theme parks” and actual theme parks went head-to-head in a construction war.
Even in Hawaii, companies went theme-park happy: Paradise Cove Luau rebranded to Paradise Cove Luau Theme Park.
I’m here to report that the theme park wars are alive and well! Today, we’ll take a look at the history of the theme park wars, how things developed in that time frame, plus what the modern iteration entails. You’re in for a wild ride!
Theme Park Wars History
In the early 1980s, Universal bought a big patch of land in Orlando to build a theme park similar to Universal Studios in Hollywood, CA. However, their parent company at the time, MCA, balked at the expense and Universal had to go hunting for capital. They sought funding at Paramount Studios and dealt with a Paramount executive named Michael Eisner. They didn’t fare well.
Disney-MGM Studios
Michael Eisner later went on to become CEO of Disney in 1984, and, knowing Universal’s secret, decided to beat them at the Studio Park game and open a Disney Studio Park. Disney didn’t announce their plans until Universal announced theirs. Thus began the 1980s theme park wars. Disney finished first, because Reedy Creek allowed them to skip a lot of red tape, opening the Disney-MGM Studios theme park in May of 1989.
The park opened with four main attractions: The Great Movie Ride, The Backstage Studio Tour, The Magic of Disney Animation Tour, Superstar Television and The Monster Sound Show. People said it was a half-day park, and that it was incomplete.
Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios, disheartened by the lukewarm reception they received from Paramount, tabled the Florida theme park idea. Instead, they worked with former Imagineer Peter Alexander on King Kong and Back to the Future for the studio tour in Hollywood. Back to the Future was created on a bet between George Lucas and Steven Spielberg that Steven could not do anything like Star Tours. The studio tour was such a huge success that Universal decided to revisit the idea of an Orlando theme park. Though, Universal Studios Florida didn’t get a proper Tram Tour like the one in Hollywood (though it did have a very brief, “Production Tour” that didn’t last beyond 1995).
Universal Studios opened a little over a year later than Disney-MGM Studios on June 7, 1990. Universal Studios Florida also opened with four main attractions: Murder She Wrote, the Alfred Hitchcock show, Ghostbusters, and E.T. Adventure.
Universal found limited success in their theme park, and ultimately decided to build an entire resort on their property, Universal Escape.
Universal Islands of Adventure
When Disney laid off dozens of Imagineers to cut costs, many went to work for Universal to design and build the most beautiful theme park on Earth prior to Tokyo DisneySea: Universal Islands of Adventure. Universal canceled their 1985 plans to build a mall called “Galleria Orlando” in 1990 and used that land instead for Islands of Adventure. Islands of Adventure started out as “Cartoon World” and the Resort as a whole was “Project X.” Each island would have been a different cartoon property, much like Toon Lagoon in Islands of Adventure. It was going to be a rival for WDW’s Magic Kingdom, but using everyone’s (except Disney, of course) cartoon characters. The original planned worlds were DC Comics, Jay Ward, Popeye, Dr. Seuss and Warner Brothers’ Looney Tunes.
Once upon a time, when there was just Universal Studios, Jim Hill and I were having lunch at Lombard’s inside Universal Studios Theme Park with our infant daughter Alice and Imagineer David Mumford. I got up to use the bathroom, which was accessible through an unused dining room. On my way back, I noticed a rather large model in the middle of the room. There it was, smaller-than-life: The Islands of Adventure. I ran to the table and told the guys about what I’d seen. Jim immediately grabbed Alice and headed to the model. I was there, too. We oohed and ahhed over the different themes and attractions, until I noticed it was just Jim and me. David was lurking at the doorway into the dining room, craning his neck to see. “I can’t!” he said, “it’s unethical!”
I shrugged and pointed out to Jim where Jurassic Park was. Suddenly, there was an Imagineer next to me. “Where?” I pointed it out to him and we kept exploring the model while Jim fetched his always-with-him notepad and pen and started taking copious notes. Suddenly, Mumford spoke up. “Here’s what we’ll do: we’ll get a little Sorcerer Mickey figure, make him holding a sign that says ‘WDI WAS HERE!’ and put him right in the middle of the model!”
None of us, not even Alice, had a little resin Sorcerer Mickey figure, so the plan never went through.
Islands of Adventure officially opened on May 28, 1999, with the ‘islands’ Jurassic Park, The Lost Continent, Marvel Super Hero Island, Port of Entry and Toon Lagoon. They switched to Marvel from DC Comics. This later caused a problem for Disney when they bought Marvel; they couldn’t use their own characters on the East Coast unless they were unused by Universal. Disney later used this loophole to feature Guardians of the Galaxy in their East Coast parks, even though they started in 1969.
Visitors were confused by the Universal Escape label and thought Islands of Adventure was part of the Universal Studios theme park. Admissions remained low for two years, but after 9/11, the Universal parks were the only theme parks to actually have an uptick in visitor numbers. By then, Universal had dumped the Escape nomenclature and was known as Universal Orlando Resort, a name which continues today.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
The war continued with Disney opening Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 1998, now recognized as the world’s top-visited zoo and the sixth most-visited American theme park. It was originally planned to feature things like a ride that showed what it was like to be an animal in a testing facility, opened with a ride about illegal elephant hunting which featured a large, dead elephant, and toned that down to being a simple Kilimanjaro Safari.
Today’s Theme Park Wars
The war settled down to attractions instead of parks until 2020. Universal announced the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure in 2007. It opened in 2010 and rose Universal’s attendance by 20%. Disney answered back with New Fantasyland, featuring rides, meets and a restaurant that served alcohol for the first time at the Magic Kingdom. Universal opened Transformers and Disney revamped Mickey’s Toontown Fair into Pete’s Silly Circus and Casey Jr. Splash and Soak. Universal opened another Wizarding World, Diagon Alley and Volcano Bay water park, and Disney responded with Pandora: World of Avatar. Disney opened Toy Story Land at the now-named Disney Hollywood Studios Theme Park and Universal responded with the rousingly unpopular Fast and Furious ride. Disney opened Galaxy’s Edge and Universal was silent for a few years, before ramping up the war in 2020 with the announcement of a whole new resort area, Universal’s Epic Universe.
The third park in the Universal Orlando complex would likely contain an expanded Super Nintendo World, another Harry Potter land (Fantastic Beasts), a Universal Monsters land, a How to Train Your Dragon land, and an expansive center corridor that would contain shops, restaurants, and even attractions. There will also be an in-park hotel like Disney’s Hotel MiraCosta in Japan.
Meanwhile, Disney World has opened TRON Lightcycle/Run, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, a Ratatouille ride and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
But what about other parks?
Sea World has been backing off from performing Orcas and focusing more on becoming the roller coaster capital of Orlando. Busch Gardens has kept its focus on animal exhibits and roller coasters. LEGOLAND opened on the remains of the former Cypress Gardens and Disney changed Pleasure Island and Downtown Disney into Disney Springs.
Now, out of a meeting of the Reedy Creek Improvement District comes the news that Disney is looking at opening a fifth theme park. My friend Len was there at the time that the Disney rep confirmed this, at the tail end of the meeting. Disney’s Animal Kingdom was the first park to cannibalize attendance rather than add to it, which is why Disney has been hesitant to open another park. Why now? Crowding has become a real problem in Disney parks, despite the huge price increases. They could use a little cannibalism.
Disneyland needs a third theme park more than Walt Disney World needs a fifth, but that is in the works as well. What could a fifth park at WDW be? Many people are pointing towards the Shadowlands Park concept, also known as Dark Kingdom, a villains-themed park with a foreboding castle and Forbidden Mountain roller coaster, complete with Chernabog or Maleficent. Disney Florida Adventure is another idea. It would be a catch-all park like California Adventure, linking together completely unrelated themes in one park. How does Orlando DisneySea sound? But it’s just as likely to be a new concept that catches everyone completely off guard.
Universal, not to be outdone, has announced not one but two theme park projects outside of Orlando. And in the process is changing their name from Universal Parks and Resorts to Universal Destinations and Experiences. The first of the post-Epic Universe projects will be a Universal family theme park in Frisco, Texas and a horror-themed park in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The family park, built on 97 acres Universal recently purchased, will be a more intimate experience by universal standards, a smaller regional park.
“We are excited about the opportunity to partner with the city of Frisco and Mayor Cheney as we work to bring this innovative, new concept to life designed specifically for a younger generation of Universal fans,” said Page Thompson, President, New Ventures, Universal Parks & Resorts. “We think North Texas is the perfect place to launch this unique park for families given its growing popularity within this part of the country.”
Not everyone in the city is enthusiastic about the project, so we’ll have to keep an eye out for further progress and announcements.
Are you one of those people who wish Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights were all year long and never had to end? On this 110,000-foot expansion of the popular Area 15 in Las Vegas, you will be able to experience not only Universal’s Classic Monsters but modern horror and suspense from creators like Jason Blum (Blumhouse), James Wan (Saw) and Jordan Peele (Nope).
The park would feature ever-changing horror themes and permanent attractions. Expect a lot of seasonal events and entertainment. Halloween Horror Nights on a smaller scale, but all year long!
So, all of a sudden Universal has launched a massive salvo in the theme park wars. How will Disney respond? Iger may have tipped his hand that Disney is planning to spend $17 billion in Florida in the coming years… that’s more than just new theme park money. We can’t wait to hear more.
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Let’s Hear From You
It was a wild and exciting time to be a theme park fan in the 80s and 90s— and it’s certainly appearing to be that way once again today! Did you know the theme park wars were so long-lasting? Which company has a leading edge in the competition at the moment? And let us know what you think the theme of Disney’s 5th park will be. Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Universal Rebrands Parks Division as Alternative Destinations & Experiences Ramp Up
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