Theme Parks & Themed Entertainment

Why For did Epcot’s Future World not turn out as WED had originally planned?

Published

14 years ago

October 7, 2011

Epcot Enthusiast wrote in this week to say:

I saw a Tweet today that said that you and Len Testa were
touring Future World and World Showcase recording stories for a new "Unofficial
Guide Disney Dish with Jim Hill" podcast. Epcot is my very favorite WDW theme
park. Could you please share some stories about rides and attractions that were
planned but not built at that theme park?

Dear Epcot Enthusiast,

To be honest, it's kind of hard to know where to begin with
EPCOT Center. There are so many strange & bizarre stories associated with
the development & construction of this futuristic theme park.

Take – for example – how EPCOT Center was initially supposed
to be built much closer to World Drive. With the idea being that you were
literally supposed to be able to see Spaceship Earth looming up over the trees
as you drove past towards The Magic Kingdom.

Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc.

"So why did these plans change?," you ask. During the initial site survey work of this
project, a colony of Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers was found to be nesting right on
the spot where – ironically enough — EPCOT Center's "The Land" pavilion was originally
supposed to be built.

And since continuing with development of this particular piece
of Walt Disney World property would have then disturbed this endangered
species, the Imagineers opted to shift EPCOT Center's construction site over 300
feet to the East. Which was great for the Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers, but kind of
screwed up WED's plans for Spaceship Earth to be dramatically revealed while
driving up World Drive.

"But why didn't Disney just relocated these birds?," you
ask. Well, you have to keep in mind that this was/is a federally-protected
species. So it's not like the Mouse really had any options in this particular
situation. More to the point, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wasn't
entirely sure (at that time, anyway) that Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers could actually
be relocated.

A naturalist at the Disney
Wilderness Preserve places a Red-Cockaded
Woodpecker in its new home

But times changes. And in the Fall of 2008, five pairs of
Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers were successfully moved from Florida's Apalachicola
National Forest to the Disney Wilderness Preserve in Kissimmee. And these birds seem to have really taken to their
new 12,000-acre home. At last count (which was done back in October of 2010),
this Red-Cockaded Woodpecker colony had grown from just 10 birds to 30.

So who knows: If this particular relocation technique had
existed back in the late 1970s (More to the point, if the Feds had be willing
to sign off on the idea of Mickey moving an entire colony of endangered birds),
EPCOT Center would have probably had a slightly different layout. At the very
least, "The Land" pavilion in Future World would have been built in a different
spot.

And speaking of "The Land" … Thanks to "Soarin'," this
Future World pavilion is quite popular with modern-day Epcot visitors. But this
wasn't actually the sort of structure that the Imagineers had originally
planned on building in this part of that theme park.

What WED had originally wanted to fo with "The Land" was
construct this pavilion which was made up of seven massive crystalline
structures. And each of these giant crystal-like chambers was to have housed a
different habitat from the Earth. We're talking snow-covered peaks, the burning
desert, even the lush greenery of the rainforest.

Mind you, only five of these chambers were to have held natural
environments. The other two would have been agricultural and urban
environments. And it was in both of these parts of the show building that the
Imagineers were looking to hammer home the basic premise of this Future World
pavilion:

The Land Pavilion will graphically illustrate man's role as
the "protector" of this finite resource, as well as his alternatives and
choices in maintaining, and even enhancing, the delicate balance within the
natural environment. Through a variety of exciting and informative shows and
experiences, guests will be introduced to the basic concepts essential for
understanding the need for harmony between man and his home on "The Land."

That's how this Future World pavilion was described in Walt
Disney Productions' 1977 annual report. And as for the rides & the shows
that the Imagineers had in the works for this version of "The Land" back then …
Well, this pavilion's signature attraction was to have been "The Blueprints of
Nature." Where Epcot visitors were to have boarded this balloon and suddenly found
themselves caught up in a fierce snowstorm high up in the mountains.

As these Guests rode along in their balloon, they were to
have followed along as this snow became water and then flowed through the other
six of "The Land" 's natural habitats. As they floated along in their balloon observing
this water from above, these WDW visitors were to be introduced to the four
basic components of Nature's Blueprints (i.e. the snowflakes of Winter, the
germinating seeds of Spring, the flowers of Summer and the leaves of Fall). And
as the water reached the desert habitat and then evaporated, the Guests (aboard
their balloon, of course) were to have followed this water vapor high into the
atmosphere. Where it then was to have reformed as snow.

You get the idea, right? The never-ending cycle of Nature.
How we are all interconnected. More importantly, how fragile our ecosystem
actually is. Which is why man must do everything he can to preserve the balance
of nature. Make sure that this cycle is never interrupted.

Which was a great message for when "The Land" was supposed
to be sponsored by a lumber company (which wanted Disney to help get across the
message that they were doing everything they could – i.e. replanting forests
after they had harvested all of the trees – to be an environmentally responsible
corporation). But when that would-be Epcot sponsor dropped out and Kraft Foods
then offered to underwrite the construction of this Future World pavilion …
Well, the central story, the underlying message, even the overall look of "The
Land" now had to be radically reworked.

Even so, given all of the architectural work that had
already gone into the creation of this giant crystalline-structure version that
was to have housed this proposed Future World pavilion, the Imagineers didn't
want to totally abandon this design idea. Which is why Epcot's Journey into Imagination
wound up being housed inside of a crystal-shaped show building.

More to the point, given all of the time & effort that
WED had put into designing those seven carefully interconnected natural
habitats that were to have been the heart of the original version of Epcot's "The
Land" pavilion … Well, this wasn't a concept that Dr. Henry Robitaille was
willing to walk away from.

Biosphere 2

For those of you who aren't familiar with Henry's work, Dr.
Robitaille is known worldwide for his contributions to the science of
hydroponics. Dr. Robitaille worked for 20 years on the Epcot project. And if
you're ever floated through "Living with the Land," you've already seen a lot
of Henry's cutting-edge work (EX: soil-less growing technologies) on display in
this Future World pavilion.

Well, Henry genuinely believed that there was something to
WED's original idea for "The Land" (i.e. creating seven interconnected natural
habitats to then demonstrate how the Earth's ecosystem actually worked together).
Which is why – in the late 1980s – Dr. Robitaille agreed to become a consultant
on the Biosphere 2 project.

For those who don't remember this quirky scientific experiment,
Biosphere 2 was this massive glass greenhouse that was built in the Santa
Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, AZ. Built by Space Biosphere Ventures (a
company that received much of its funding from Texas multimillionaire Edward P.
Bass. Whose family – at one time, anyway – used to own almost a quarter of The
Walt Disney Company), this artificially closed-off complete ecosystem was
initially thought to be a dry run for man building a colony on Mars.

Sadly, personality conflicts and flaws in this enormous enclosed
ecosystem eventually derailed the Biosphere 2 project. Today, this massive
structure is being used by the University of Arizona as an environmental lab.

And speaking of space travel … Perhaps the greatest loss to
the early, early version of Epcot Center was the Space Pavilion. Which – based
on the description of this proposed Future World pavilion which can be found in
Walt Disney Production's 1977 annual report – sounds like it would have been
something truly extraordinary.

Space – a huge, interstellar "Space Vehicle" will transport
passengers to the outer frontiers of the universe, highlighting man's efforts
to reach out for the stars around him … from the early pioneers who looked and
wondered … to modern-day space travelers and their triumphs … to the challenges
and possibilities of future space technologies and exploration.

"And how exactly would this Future World pavilion have
worked?," you ask. The key to pulling off Space's central illusion – that you and
several hundred other Epcot visitors were actually aboard this massive vehicle
that was hurtling through the cosmos – was the Omnimax Sphere. Which was to have
filled this Future World pavilion's many "windows" (i.e. projection screens)
with this moving-in-perfect-sync starfields.

This — coupled with the sleek space vehicle that three-time
Academy Award-winning production designer John De Cuir Sr. had drawn up as well
as the inspired script that sci-fi pioneer Ray Bradbury had written for this proposed
theme park attraction – would have made this version of Future World's "Space"
pavilion a must-see for all Epcot visitors.

"So why wasn't this version of the 'Space' pavilion ever
built?," you ask. For the same reason that many of the rides, shows &
attractions that were initially proposed for Future World & World Showcase never
made it off the drawing board. Because Walt Disney Productions executives had a
lot of trouble lining up sponsors for EPCOT Center. Mainly because many
countries & corporations just couldn't see the long-term benefit of being
associated with this forward-looking theme park.

John De Cuir Sr. and Ray Bradbury
examine the model for the show car which was to
have been used in the original
version of Epcot's "Space" pavilion.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All
rights reserved

Plus there were mechanical issues with the original version
of Epcot's "Space" pavilion. To be specific, the Imagineers couldn't figure out
an affordable way to make the enormous theater car (which served as the central
ride vehicle for this Future World attraction) feel as though it were actually floating
in space. Which was one of the key emotional beats that Bradbury had included
in his show script. That Epcot visitors – even if it was only for just a moment
– had to experience what it felt like to be in zero gravity.

Mind you, it wasn't 'til some 25 years later — when the
Imagineers came across that centrifuge-based technology which currently powers
Epcot's "Mission: SPACE" attraction — that they actually found a way to give WDW
visitors what Ray had been asking for (i.e. the chance to feel what it's like
to float in space). But WDI did eventually make this happen. Albiet in a very different
form than what De Cuir Sr. and Bradbury had originally proposed.

This has actually happened quite a bit over the course of the
Walt Disney Company's history. The Imagineers come up with a genuinely great
concept from a new ride, show or attractions for the Parks … but then have
absolutely no clue as how they'd pull off a particular effect, build the cost-effective
/ easy-to-operate-and-repair ride system that's necessary to pull off this show concept.

Take – for example – the "Incredible Journey Within" ride
that was supposed to be the marquee attraction at Epcot's Life & Health
Pavilion. Guests were to have boarded super-sized blood cells and then traveled
through a realistic representation of the human circulatory system,
witnessing " … the inner workings of the fascinating, complex human machine" as
they rode through this Future World show.

The only problem was … The Imagineers had absolutely no clue
how they were going to create a 35 foot-tall working heart value. One that
would flex & pulse continuously for 12 hours a day, seven days a week as
each blood-cell-full-of-WDW-visitors then moved through that particular show
scene in "The Incredible Journey Within."

Which is why it was almost a kindness that it took the Walt
Disney Company so long to find a sponsor for Epcot's "Wonders of Life"
pavilion. By then, the Imagineers had come up with that simulator-based technology
which is used to power "Star Tours." Which made it that much easier to create a
ride film that took Guests on a trip through the human body, rather than
building the enormous & elaborately themed physical sets that would have
been necessary to properly pull off the "Incredible Journey Within" ride.

An early model for Epcot's Life and Pavilion.
Please note – that as you look to the back of
this photo – you can see some of
the sets which would have been built for Future
World's "The Incredible Journey
Within" ride. Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

Now I know that it sometimes depresses Disneyana fans to
read these what-might-have-been articles, hearing about all of these great rides,
shows and attractions that didn't quite make it off of WDI's drawing boards.
Well, at least you're not as disappointed as then-President Jimmy Carter must
have been when he finally got to visit EPCOT Center.

You see, back on October 2, 1978, Card Walker – the then-President
and Chief Executive Officer of Walt Disney Productions – announced that the
Company had decided to definitely move forward with its plans to build EPCOT
Center. And at the 26^th World Congress of the International Chamber
of Commerce meeting (which was held that year at Walt Disney World), Walker actually
unveiled Disney's plans for Future World and World Showcase.

So as President Carter and his wife Rosalynn wandered
through that gallery of concept art that the Imagineers had set up in the
convention center at Disney's Contemporary Resort Hotel, they got to see
extremely cool things like the magic carpet ride that was proposed for World
Showcase's United Arab Emirates pavilion. Which was to have sent Guests flying
past scenes straight out of "A Thousand and One Arabian Nights," not to mention
soaring over sequences which were to have showcased what the modern Arab world
was actually like.

(L to R) as Donn Tatum and
Rosalynn Carter look on, Card Walker
walks President Jimmy Carter through a
gallery full of EPCOT
Center concept art. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved

And did I mention this magic carpet ride was supposed to
have made use of that mist curtain / project system that Imagineers eventually
installed in "Pirates of the Caribbean" as a way to bring Davy Jones and
Blackbeard into that popular theme park ride? Or that this attraction at Epcot's
United Arab Emirates pavilion was to have featured a Disney-created genie
character that would have predated the one that Robin Williams voiced in "Aladdin"
by more than 10 years?

But the story of the United Arab Emirates' magic carpet ride
will have to wait for a future Why For column. Sorry to be such a tease here.
But this week's story is already 'way too long.

Anyway … That's it for this week. Here's hoping that you
folks have a great Columbus Day Weekend. And in the meantime, remember that –
if you have a Disney-related question that you'd like to see answered in a
future Why For column – you need to send those queries along to whyfor@jimhillmedia.com.

Your thoughts?

Television & Shows

The Untold Story of Super Soap Weekend at Disney-MGM Studios: How Daytime TV Took Over the Parks

Published

1 week ago

April 24, 2025

Jim Hill

Super Soap Weekends at Disney-MGM Studios

A long time ago in a galaxy that … Well, to be honest, wasn’t all that far away. This was down in Florida after all. But if you traveled to the WDW Resort, you could then experience “Star Wars Weekends.” Which ran seasonally at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Disney World from 1997 to 2015.

Mind you, what most folks don’t remember is the annual event that effectively plowed the road for “Star Wars Weekends.” Which was “Super Soap Weekend.” That seasonal offering — which allowed ABC soap fans to get up-close with their favorite performers from “All My Children,” “General Hospital,” “One Life to Live” and “Port Charles” — debuted at that same theme park the year previous (1996).

So how did this weekend-long celebration of daytime drama (which drew tens of thousands of people to Orlando every Fall for 15 years straight) come to be?

Michael Eisner’s Daytime TV Origins and a Theme Park Vision

Super Soap Weekend was the brainchild of then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner. His career in media began with short stints at NBC and CBS, but it truly took off in 1964 when he joined ABC as the assistant to Leonard Goldberg, who was the network’s national programming director at the time.

Eisner quickly advanced through the ranks. By 1971, he had become Vice President of Daytime Programming at ABC. That meant he was on the scene when One Life to Live joined the lineup in July 1968 and when All My Children made its debut in January 1970. Even after being promoted to Senior Vice President of Prime Time Programming in 1976, Eisner stayed close to the daytime division and often recruited standout soap talent for ABC’s primetime shows.

Fast forward nearly two decades to July 31, 1995. The Walt Disney Company announced that it would acquire ABC/Cap Cities in a $19 billion deal. Although the acquisition wasn’t finalized until February 1996, Eisner was already thinking ahead. He wanted to use the stars of All My Children, One Life to Live, and General Hospital to draw people to Disney’s theme parks.

He had seen how individual soap stars were drawing huge mall crowds across America since the late 1970s. Now he wanted to bring dozens of them together for something much bigger.

Super Soap Weekend Takes Over Disney-MGM Studios

The very first Super Soap Weekend was announced in June 1996, just a few months after the ABC deal closed. The event was scheduled for October 19 and 20 at Disney-MGM Studios and was a massive success.

The weekend featured panel discussions, autograph sessions, and photo opportunities with the stars of ABC’s daytime dramas. Thousands of fans packed the park for the chance to meet their favorite actors. Due to the overwhelming response, the event became an annual tradition and was eventually moved to Veterans Day weekend each November to better accommodate attendees.

Longtime fans like Nancy Stadler, her mom Mary, and their close friend Angela Ragno returned year after year, making the event a personal tradition and building lifelong memories.

West Coast Events and the ABC Soap Opera Bistro

Disney even tried to recreate the event out west. Two Super Soap Weekends were held at Disneyland Resort, one in April 2002 and another in June 2003.

At Disney’s California Adventure, Eisner also introduced the ABC Soap Opera Bistro, a themed dining experience that opened in February 2001. Guests could dine inside recreated sets from shows like General Hospital and All My Children, including Kelly’s Diner and the Chandler Mansion. The Bistro closed in November 2002, but for fans, it offered a rare opportunity to step into the world of their favorite soaps.

SOAPnet, Port Charles, and the Expansion of Daytime TV at Disney

Eisner’s enthusiasm for soaps extended beyond the parks. In January 2000, he launched SOAPnet, a cable channel dedicated to prime time replays of ABC’s daytime dramas.

During his time at Disney, General Hospital also received a spin-off series titled Port Charles, which aired from June 1997 to October 2003. The show leaned into supernatural plotlines and was another example of Eisner’s commitment to evolving and expanding the soap genre.

The Final Curtain for Super Soap Weekend

In September 2005, Eisner stepped down after 21 years as head of The Walt Disney Company. Bob Iger, who had previously served as President of ABC and Chief Operating Officer of ABC/Cap Cities, took over as CEO. While Iger had deep ABC credentials, he didn’t share Eisner’s passion for daytime television.

In the fall of 2008, Disney hosted the final Super Soap Weekend at what was then still called Disney-MGM Studios. That same year, the park was rebranded as Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney began shifting away from television-focused experiences.

Within the next five years, the rest of Eisner’s soap legacy faded. One Life to Live was canceled in January 2012. SOAPnet was rebranded as Disney Junior in February 2013. Later that year, All My Children ended its 41-year run on ABC.

Only General Hospital remains on the network today, the last standing soap from the golden age of ABC Daytime.

A New Chapter for Daytime TV and Super Soap Fans

The soap genre may have faded from its former glory, but it’s not gone. On February 24, 2025, CBS premiered a brand-new daytime drama called Beyond the Gates, marking the first new soap launch in years.

Meanwhile, All My Children alum Kelly Ripa has been actively working on a revival. In September 2024, she mentioned a holiday-themed movie set in Pine Valley that would bring back many original cast members. The project was in development for Lifetime, though its current status is unclear.

And what about Super Soap? Fans like Nancy and Angela still hope Disney will bring it back. Even if it only featured the cast of General Hospital, it would be a welcome return for longtime viewers who miss that one weekend a year where the magic of Disney collided with the drama of daytime TV.

If you want to hear firsthand what it was like to be part of Super Soap Weekend, be sure to listen to our I Want That Too podcast interview with actor Colin Egglesfield. He shares behind-the-scenes memories from his days as Josh Madden on All My Children and what it meant to be part of one of the most unique fan events in Disney park history.

History

The Super Bowl & Disney: The Untold Story Behind ‘I’m Going to Disneyland!’

Published

3 months ago

February 6, 2025

Jim Hill

One of the highlights of the Super Bowl isn’t just the game itself—it’s the moment when the winning quarterback turns to the camera and exclaims, “I’m going to Disney World!” This now-iconic phrase has been a staple of post-game celebrations for decades. But where did this tradition begin? Surprisingly, it didn’t originate in a stadium but at a dinner table in 1987, in a conversation involving Michael Eisner, George Lucas, and aviation pioneers Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager.

The Unlikely Beginning of a Marketing Sensation

To understand the origins of this campaign, we have to go back to December 1986, when the Rutan Voyager became the first aircraft to fly around the world without stopping or refueling. Pilots Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager completed the nine-day journey on December 23, 1986, flying over 26,000 miles before landing at Edwards Air Force Base. Their historic achievement earned them national recognition, and just days later, President Ronald Reagan awarded them the Presidential Citizen Medal at the White House.

Meanwhile, Disney was gearing up for the grand opening of Star Tours at Disneyland, set for January 12, 1987. Following its usual playbook of associating major theme park attractions with real-world pioneers, Disney’s PR team invited astronauts Gordon Cooper and Deke Slayton to the launch event. But in a twist, they also invited Rutan and Yeager, who were still making headlines.

A Dinner Conversation That Changed Advertising Forever

After the Star Tours opening ceremony, a private dinner was held with Disney CEO Michael Eisner, George Lucas, and Eisner’s wife, Jane. During the meal, Eisner asked Rutan and Yeager, “You just made history. You traveled non-stop around the planet on a plane without ever refueling. How are you ever going to top that, career-wise? What are you two gonna do next?”

Without hesitation, Jeana Yeager replied, “Well, after being cramped inside that tiny plane for nine days, I’m just glad to be anywhere else. And even though you folks were nice enough to fly us here, invite us to your party… Well, as soon as we finish eating, I’m gonna go over to the Park and ride some rides. I’m going to Disneyland.”

Jane Eisner immediately recognized the power of Yeager’s statement. On the car ride home, she turned to Michael and said, “That’s a great slogan. I think you should use that to promote the theme parks.” Like many husbands, Michael initially dismissed the idea, but Jane persisted. Eventually, Eisner relented and pitched it to his team.

The Super Bowl Connection

With Super Bowl XXI just around the corner, Disney’s PR team saw an opportunity. The game was set for January 25, 1987, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena—just miles from Disney Studios. What if they convinced the winning quarterback to say, “I’m going to Disneyland” live on-air?

Disney quickly struck a deal with both quarterbacks—Phil Simms of the New York Giants and John Elway of the Denver Broncos—offering each $75,000 to deliver the line if their team won. Simms led the Giants to victory, making history as the first athlete to say, “I’m going to Disney World!” on national television.

A Marketing Triumph

That year’s Super Bowl had the second-highest viewership in television history, with 87 million people watching Simms say the famous line. The next day, Disney turned the clip into a national commercial, cementing the phrase as a marketing goldmine.

Since then, “I’m going to Disneyland” (or Disney World, depending on the commercial) has been a staple of championship celebrations, spanning the NFL, NBA, and even the Olympics. What started as a casual remark at dinner became one of the most successful advertising campaigns in history.

A Lasting Legacy

Jane Eisner’s keen instinct and Disney’s ability to act quickly on a great idea created a tradition that continues to captivate audiences. The “I’m going to Disneyland” campaign remains a testament to the power of spontaneous inspiration and smart marketing, proving that sometimes, the best ideas come from the most unexpected places.

To learn more about Disney’s ties to the world of sports, check out I Want That Too: A Disney History and Consumer Product Podcast.

Television & Shows

How the Creators of South Park Tricked A-List Celebrities to Roast Universal – “Your Studio & You”

Published

4 months ago

January 12, 2025

Jim Hill

Universal Studios has a rich and storied history, but few moments are as peculiar—and as hilariously cutting—as the creation of Your Studio & You. This 14-minute parody film, commissioned in 1995 to celebrate Universal’s new ownership under Seagram’s, brings together an all-star cast, biting humor, and the unmistakable comedic fingerprints of Matt Stone and Trey Parker.

Long before South Park debuted on Comedy Central in 1997, Stone and Parker were already carving out a reputation for their irreverent style, and Your Studio & You perfectly encapsulates their knack for turning even the most corporate project into something delightfully subversive.

Matt Stone & Trey Parker Before South Park

Stone & Parker were already known out in Hollywood as funny guys. Thanks largely to “The Spirit of Christmas,” which was this video greeting card that they’d crafted for a Fox executive – who then distributed this infamously funny thing (which had Our Lord Jesus Christ & Santa Claus literally duking it out for the holiday affections of Cartman, Kenny, Stan & Kyle) to friends & family.

This was the early 1990s. No internet. Each copy of “The Spirit of Christmas” was made on VHS tape and then mailed. Went viral the old-fashioned way. It’s rumored that George Clooney made over 300 copies of “The Spirit of Christmas” and passed these VHS taps along to friends and family.

Things didn’t move as fast as they do today. “The Spirit of Christmas” still became a sensation out West.

Zucker Brothers

Matt & Trey also had other supporters in the entertainment industry. Among them David Zucker, who was one of the members of ZAZ (i.e., Zucker Abrahams Zucker), the talented trio that made “Airplane!” in 1980, “Top Secret!” in 1984 and the three “Naked Gun” movies.

The original “Naked Gun” in 1988
“Naked Gun 2 & 1/2 : The Smell of Fear” in 1991
and “Naked Gun 33 & a 1/3: The Final Insult” in 1994

All five of these parody films had been made for Paramount Pictures. But in the Late Winter / Early Spring of 1995, Universal had persuaded the Zucker Brothers to come over and set up shop in a bungalow on their lower lot. With the hope that – at some point further on down the line – David & his brother Jerry would start making funny films for Universal.

Zucker Brothers featured in "Your Studio and You"

And it’s during this same window of time (We’re now talking April of 1995) that news breaks that Seagrams (Yep, the adult beverage company. Who – at the time – was making an absolute fortune on the sales of wine coolers) was about to buy a majority stake in MCAUniversal. We’re talking control of 80% of that company’s stock. Which would effectively make Seagrams the new owners of Universal Studios.

Edgar Bronfman

And Edgar Bronfman – the owner of Seagrams – knew that Universal had had a tough time with its previous owners – which had been the Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. of Japan. Matsushita had bought MCA back in November of 1990 for $7.5 billion but had never really understood the entertainment industry.

This is why – after repeatedly butting heads with Lew Wasserman & Sidney Sheinberg (i.e., the heads of Universal Studios & the Universal theme park respectively) when it came to creative control of this company – Matsushita decided to wash it hands of the entire enterprise. Agreeing to sell their holdings in MCA to Seagrams for $5.7 billion (effectively taking a nearly $2 billion loss on this investment).

And Bronfman … He knew that some bad feeling had developed between Hollywood’s creative community and the Japanese owners of Universal. The thinking was that executives at Matsushita Electric had just not gotten what it took to make movies & TV shows.

And Edgar? Right from the get-go, he wanted to show that Seagrams was NOT going to be Matsushita Electric Redux. Bronfman was looking for a way to send a clear message to Hollywood’s creative community that Universal’s new owners got it. That they were willing to work with Hollywood to make the best possible movies & TV shows at Universal.

And how did Edgar decide to get this message across? By making a funny movie.

Zucker Commissions Trey Parker for “Your Studio & You”

Mind you, Bronfman himself didn’t make this film. The owner of Seagrams reached out to David Zucker. Who – after initially agreeing to produce this introduction-to-Universal film – then farmed out the production of the actual project to Trey Parker. Who – just two days before shooting was supposed to star on the Universal Lot – persuaded Matt Stone to come help him on this project.

Which brings us to “Your Studio and You.” Which is a parody of an educational film from the 1950s, right down to being shot in black & white and featuring a very generic soundtrack.

Now what’s amazing about watching “Your Studio and You” today is that this 14-minute-long film features some of the biggest names working in Hollywood back in the mid-1990s. We’re talking about people like recent Golden Globe winner Demi Moore, Sylvester Stallone, Michael J. Fox and Angela Lansbury. Not to mention two of the most powerful men in all of Hollywood, Steven Spielberg & Jeffrey Katzenberg.

And what’s especially interesting about watch “Your Studio and You” is that – as you watch these performers go through their paces in this motion pictures (which – most of the time – involves doing some innocuous task while holding a Seagram’s wine cooler) – you often get the feeling that this star is not in on the gag.

So how did Matt & Trey get away with this? Simple. There was never actually a script for “Your Studio and You.”

Filming “Your Studio & You” at Universal Studios Hollywood

Mind you, David Zucker would always insist that there was. Especially when he’d phone up celebrities on the Universal Lot and say “Hey, I’m sending over a couple of college kids later today. They’re working with me on a new parody film. It’s something that we’re doing for the new owners of Universal. I need just a half hour of your time. We’re shooting something special for the party we’ll be holding when the Seagrams people first arrive at the Studio. Absolutely. You’ll definitely get an invite to that party. So can I count on you to help these kids out? Beautiful. They’ll be over there later this morning.”

And then Matt & Trey would show up and say “… Dang, Miss Lansbury. We’re sorry. We must have left our copy of the ‘Your Studio and You’ script back in our office. Which is clear on the other side of the Lot. So – rather than waste your time – why don’t we do this instead? Follow us over to the Psycho House. Where we’re then going to get footage of you painting the front porch on Mother Bates’ house while you say ‘Gosh, with all of the wonderful improvements going on around here, everyone is going to want to work at Universal.’ Oh, and can we also get you to wear this button on the front of your blazer which reads ‘Universal is A-OK’ ? “

And over & over again, the biggest names who were working for Universal at that time took part in the production of “Your Studio & You” because A) David Zucker vouched for Matt Stone & Trey Parker and B) this was something that was being made for the new owners of Universal. And it’s just natural to want to get in good with the new boss.

Steven Spielberg, Jeffery Katzenberg, and Jaws

But no one at Universal anticipated that “Your Studio & You” would wind up being as sharp edged as the finished product turned out to be. I mean, it’s one thing to bite the hand that feeds you. But “Your Studio & You” ? It doesn’t just bite the hand. It takes the hand off at the wrist.

It’s a brutally funny film. With one of the meanest moments reserved for Steven Spielberg, who plays a driver on the Universal Studio Tour who’s trying to persuade a tram full of bored tourists (one of whom is played by Jeffery Katzenberg) that the “Shark Attack” scene down by Jaws Lagoon is actually exciting.

Spielberg actually says lines like “ … Whoa, whoa. What is going on here? Ladies and gentlemen, this never happens. Look out! It’s a shark! Whoa, that is one big scary shark.”

Mind you, as footage of this mechanical shark repeatedly coming up out of the water is shown, “Your Studio & You” ‘s off-screen narrator (who is voiced by Trey Parker says):

“But what about tomorrow? If we don’t keep in step with the times, things that were once neat and thrilling can become old and stupid.”

“Your Studio & You” Reception

This film was supposed to be shown only once at the welcoming party for Seagrams executive on the Universal Lot. And I’m told that – when Edgar Bronfman saw the finished product at that party – he reportedly turned to David Zucker and said “ … That’s a little more mean-spirited that I think it needed to be.”

And with that, “Your Studio & You” was supposed to go back into the Universal vault, never to be seen again. But when “South Park” debuted on Comedy Central in August of 1997 and then became a sensation for its biting humor, there was suddenly a lot of interest in what else Matt & Trey had done. Which is why copies of “The Spirit of Christmas” began to circulate. And – over time – copies of “Your Studio & You” began to bubble up.

Which – as Stone & Parker have repeatedly pointed out – was just not supposed to happen. Largely because none of the celebrities who appeared in “Your Studio & You” had never signed releases for Universal’s legal department. Because – again – this was for a movie that was only going to be shown once at a private function on the Universal Lot.

Matt mentioned (as part of a career retrospective at the Paley Center in LA back in 2000) that “ … they wouldn’t even let us keep a copy of the finished film.”

It’s a funny but brutal movie. And worth taking a look at today especially if you’re a theme park history buff because it shows Universal Studios Hollywood’s “Jurassic Park: The Ride” still under construction on the Lower Lot. That attraction would finally open to the public in June of 1996.

“Your Studio & You” became a lot easier to see after Seagrams sold off its share of Universal to Vivendi in 2000. Copies began propagating online after that. Though Universal Legal will periodically make an effort to get the latest copy of “Your Studio & You” taken off the Internet because – again – none of the performers who appear on camera ever signed the proper releases and/or were paid for their efforts.

That said, if you’re up for a mean-spirited laugh, “Your Studio & You” is well worth 14 minutes of your time. That said, once you watch this thing, be warned: