Theme Parks & Themed Entertainment

Why For did WDW wave “Buh-Bye” to Seven Seas Lagoon’s Wave Machine?

Published

13 years ago

November 18, 2011

TikiTerry writes in to say:

I’ve really been enjoying all of these Disney World history
stories that you’ve been sharing with JHM readers lately. So I was wondering if
you could maybe talk about the Polynesian Resort‘s wave machine. How long did
it work? Where was it located? Why did Disney shut it down?

TikiTerry –

Wow. That’s a lot of questions. And – to be honest – there
aren’t a lot of answers out there. Mostly because the team that opened Walt
Disney World was genuinely embarrassed that they’d spent $400,000 (which is
$2.2 million in 2011 dollars) on a piece-of-sh … machinery that didn’t work
properly. And for a while there in late 1971 / early 1972, there was concern
that the wave machine might wind up costing Dick Nunis his job.

You see, it was Dick who – in his role as vice president of
operations of Disneyland and then-just-beginning-construction Walt Disney World
Resort – who had pushed & pushed hard that a wave machine be one of the key
elements of Seven Seas Lagoon (You know? That 200-acre, man-made lagoon which
the Imagineers had built out in front of the Magic Kingdom).

“And why did Nunis push hard for this wave machine?,” you
ask. Well, you have to remember why people vacationed in Florida before there
was a Walt Disney World. It was to take advantage of the wonderful weather as
well as snag a spot for their blanket on the Sunshine State’s 825 miles of
beautiful sandy beaches.

And given that Dick viewed the Atlantic Ocean & the Gulf
of Mexico as Disney World’s direct competition … Well, he wanted Seven Seas
Lagoon to have some of the real ocean’s appeal. And – to Nunis’ way of thinking
– that meant white sandy beaches. More importantly, the sound & feel of
waves lapping against the shore.

Besides, you have to remember that the Company’s original
vision for WDW was that it would be “The Vacation Kingdom of the World.” That –
in addition to those days that they exploring the Magic Kingdom – Guests would also
want to go boating on Bay Lake, hiking around Fort Wilderness, shopping at the
Lake Buena Vista Village …

An overview of the wave machine set-up in WDW’s Seven Seas Lagoon,
with Beachcomber Island and all of its wave-making machinery to the
top right of the photo and Beachcomber Beach towards the bottom
left. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

And as for Seven Seas Lagoon, Dick dreamed of someday staging
surfing competitions out there. Nunis figured that pictures of all those buff
guys riding the curls (with WDW’s Polynesian Village conveniently in the background of each shot, of course)
would be great publicity for the Resort. In much the same way that those photos
of Arnold Palmer & Jack Nicklaus playing on the Magnolia & Palm courses
at the first-ever Walt Disney World Golf Championships & Pro-Am Tournaments
in late 1971 helped raise the public’s awareness of WDW’s Golf Resort.

The only problem was – in order to turn Nunis’ dream into a
reality … Well, that wave machine would have to be installed before Seven Seas
Lagoon was then filled in with water. More to the point, a special cove area would
have to be carved out just down the beach from Disney World’s Polynesian
Village. Someplace that was within walking distance of the hotel which was surf
& surfing friendly.

And this was all going to cost serious money. And given that – in late 1969 /
early 1970 – the costs of constructing Walt Disney World had already begun spiraling
out-of-control … finding an additional half million dollars (which would cover
the cost of the wave machine as well as construction of the Polynesian Village’s
Beachcomber Cove area) was going to take some doing.

But Dick was up to the task. So he twisted some arms and
cajoled a few members of senior management at WED. And eventually Roy O. Disney
himself voiced his approval for the project.

So the money was found. And the wave machine was installed.
And then the Seven Seas Lagoon was filled with water. And sometime during the
Summer of 1971, Walt Disney World’s wave machine was fired up. And – from all
accounts – it initially worked very well.

A close-up view of the mechanism used to power the wave machine on Beachcomber
Island. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

And by that I mean: Disney Legend Bill “Sully” Sullivan (who
was part of the opening team of the Walt Disney World Resort) has very fond
memories of spending an afternoon with his family at Beachcomber Cove during
the late summer of 1971. “I taught my son to surf (on the curls that were
created by) the wave machine that was at the Polynesian,” he recalled in a 2007
interview with Disney historian Jim Korkis.

“So if Cast Members were enjoying the effect that WDW’s wave
machine created in September of 1971, why then don’t Guests who visited Disney
World in October of that same year – during
the Resort’s first official month of operation – recall this amazing piece of
machinery at all?,” you ask. It’s simple, really. By then, Seven Seas Lagoon’s
wave machine had been shut down for tinkering.

“And what exactly was the problem with WDW’s wave machine?,”
you query. Well, it’s at this point that the stories diverge.

Now some longtime Disney World employees will tell you that
the wave machine was shut down because it did too good a job of replicating the
action of genuine ocean waves. Meaning that it kept causing serious beach
erosion at Beachcomber Cove.

The Southern Seas II paddles by Beachcomber Island (please note — just off the stern of
this WDW steamship — some of the machinery used to power Seven Seas Lagoon’s
wave machine). Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

On the other hand, Transportation veterans will tell you
that the real reason that WDW’s wave machine was shut down was that the surf
that this extremely expensive piece of machinery created made it extremely
difficult to operate watercraft safely in and around the Polynesian Village. With
the Southern Seas (i.e. that 100 foot-long side-paddlewheel-powered steamship that
was used to transport Guests around the Resort from 1971 to 1975) being particularly
vulnerable to the rolling waves that would come rebounding out of Beachcomber
Cove and then make Seven Seas Lagoon a tricky stretch of water to traverse.

And there are other longtime WDW employees who will tell you
that the main reason that the wave machine had been turned off by the time Walt
Disney World had begun its three-day-long grand opening celebration on October 23,
1971 was that this piece of machinery had already proven to be problematic.
That this wave machine could only run for a few hours at a time before it would
then break down. And then it would take a full team of engineers working in wet
suits to finally get the thing going again.

Mind you, though Dick Nunis himself insisted (as part of his
June 1999 Window-on-Main-Street ceremony at Disneyland Park) that WDW’s wave
machine ” … only ran for one day,” that wasn’t really the case. In fact, there’s
a black-and-white photograph in a 1972 edition of “Eyes & Ears” (i.e. the then-weekly
newsletter / magazine which was distributed to all Disney World) which shows
Dick on a surf board, riding a wave into Beachcomber Cove. So WDW’s wave
machine was operational – if somewhat erratically so – well into 1972.

“So why didn’t the Imagineers and/or WDW’s engineers just
find a way to fix this wave machine?,” you ask. The story that I’ve always
heard is that – in order to make the sort of permanent repairs that would have
finally made this expensive & balky piece-of-sh … machinery work properly …
Well, that would have involved draining Seven Seas Lagoon and/or building a
very expensive dike around Beachcomber Island (i.e. the artificial isle just
offshore where all of the machinery for WDW’s wave machine was kept). And
during the early, early days of Walt Disney World (when the Company was still
trying to recover the $400 million that they’d poured into the construction of
this Resort), that just wasn’t an option.

Dick Nunis’ Window on Main Street in Disneyland Park. Please note — according to the
bottom line of this turn-of-the-century window advertisement — that wave machines are
supposedly a Nunis specialty. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

And speaking of money … One surprising source of revenue for
the Walt Disney World Resort in those early, early days turned out to be
parties for big convention groups. To be specific: Major corporations were
willing to pay top dollars for beachside luaus for their employees similar to
the one that was held for the press & honored guests as part of WDW’s grand
opening back in October of 1971.

And as you might have already guessed, that luau was held
right at waterside in Beachcomber Cove. Which – given the hours & hours of on-site
prep that are typically involved with properly staging corporate events of this
size – meant that the beachfront area where these highly-expensive-to-produce
waves were supposed to come rolling in often had to be closed off for
Polynesian Village Guests.

Then – because a number of high profile (more importantly,
would have been extremely profitable for the Resort) corporate parties had to
be suddenly cancelled during the Summer of 1972 due to Central Florida’s highly
changeable weather – a decision was made to build an all-weather structure down
along the shore by Beachcomber Cove. Here’s a description of that project from
Walt Disney Productions’ 1972 annual report:

Luau Cove – Due to the popularity of our evening luaus,
particularly as a convention activity, the need arose for an all-weather
shelter where these events could be held, rain or shine. Luau Cove, now under
construction along the beach adjacent to the Polynesian Village, will provide
sheltered seating for 500 guests, as well as a stage and food warming
facilities. It is scheduled for completion early (next) year.

WDW Cast Members posing in front of the then-newly-completed Luau
Cove facility at Disney’s Polynesian Village. Copyright Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

And once that structure opened in 1973, the handwriting was
pretty much on the wall for WDW’s wave machine. So much of Beachcomber Cove’s
waterfront property had been eaten up by the construction of Luau Cove that it then
just didn’t make much sense for Polynesian Village’s employees to continue promote
this now-extremely-narrow strip of beach as a place where Guests could frolic
in the surf. Which – at that point, anyway – rarely if ever came rolling in.

So the wave machine was left to rust & corrode just
off-shore in Seven Seas Lagoon. And as for those who whispered about how Dick
Nunis was going to lose his job with the Company because of this
half-million-dollar boondoggle … Well, as it turns out, there were so many
other things that went wrong at Walt Disney World during its first three years
of operation (EX: those bob-around boats that constantly broke down out of Bay
Lake. Which meant that Cast Members had to regularly go out and rescue boatloads
of stranded, sun-burned tourists. Not to mention all of the poorly-poured
cement floors in the Garden Wings of the Contemporary Resort. Which then had to
be jack-hammered up and replaced in 1973) that the wave machine debacle quickly
faded from memory.

Mind you, Dick Nunis never forget about that wave machine.
He still believed that – in the proper setting (more importantly, with a piece
of machinery that would actually work the way that it was supposed to) – that an
in-land ocean experience, where Guests would then get the chance to frolic in
some artificially-created surf, would be a huge hit with WDW visitors. So Dick
pushed & pushed & pushed and eventually got Typhoon Lagoon built. And
when that water park opened in June of 1989 and its 2.7 million gallon wave
pool immediately became Typhoon Lagoon’s most popular feature, Nunis finally
felt vindicated.

Anyway, TikiTerry, that’s the story of WDW’s wave machine.
As I’ve heard it, anyway. And if you folks have any Disney-related stories that
you’d like to see answered as part of a future Why For column, please feel free
to send them along to whyfor@jimhillmedia.com.

“If — at first — you don’t succeed … ” Copyright Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

Special thanks to the nice folks at Pixie Vacations for sponsoring
this week’s Why For.

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: