Theme Parks & Themed Entertainment

Ruminations

Hoping you enjoyed one of Jim Hill’s Disneyland Resort tours last weekend, Roger’s back, first with a look at meeting customer needs and then a peek at three of the “official” Disneyland tours. Surprises await!

Published

22 years ago

June 12, 2003

Roger Colton

Well, let’s see… Today is Friday, the thirteenth. So, summon up all the good luck you can find!

You may recall that I was off to the Disneyland Resort back in May for the long Memorial Day weekend. Originally, the plan called for my six-year old nephew to join us. I was looking forward to seeing the park from that perspective. But plans change, so we were without him as our guide.

Switching to a hastily assembled plan “B”, we took advantage of a variety of different activities. In other words, we made it up as we went along. Kind of like some of my columns from time to time. However, not so today, as this one was in production not long after the return from the Southland. Who knew procrastination could be so much fun? (By the time you read this, I may actually have posted the full trip report over on the Laughing Place boards!)

But in the best Jim Hill tradition, I’m off to drift to another topic before reaching the real story.

A recent pleasure has been reading a fine magazine called “Heritage Railway” — all about preserved railways and equipment in the British Isles. If some folks think we are all a bit goofy about Disney, then they would really have something to say about the world of railway preservation over there.

Thanks to a bit of forward thinking, a great deal of history (not just railways) has been preserved for future generations to enjoy. Lotteries and a variety of national trusts, along with generous donors fund many worthy projects.

Where once railway lines were abandoned to the weeds and weasels, or were collecting rust on rails and wheels, today vacationing families enjoy a heritage tourism experience widely unequaled in North America.

In the February 2003 issue of “Heritage Railway”, there was a six-page interview with a media mogul railway preservationist. As they put it, “Pop impresario Pete Waterman, whose Hit factory music company gave us amongst other household names, Kylie Minogue and Steps, has established his rail vehicle maintenance company LNWR as the market leader in contract rolling stock repairs.”

Pete got his start in 1961 in railway service and success in his music career allowed his hobby to transition to a full-time booming business. For a while, he even owned what is likely the most well-known steam locomotive in the world, #4472, the “Flying Scotsman.” (The locomotive has pulled excursion trains in England, Scotland and Wales as well as the United States, Canada and Australia.)

What caught my attention in this interview were comments that while intended for railway museums and the like, are easily applicable to anyone who competes for disposable income in today’s market. Here are the quotes:

“… Our heritage lines are not tourist attractions — they are ‘theme parks’.

What we are really saying to the public is ‘please come and visit our themed attraction and provide the finance so that for the rest of the year we the steam enthusiasts can play trains’.

Nothing wrong with that, but to achieve it railways must embrace progress and learn the skills of customer care.

Perhaps 15 years ago it was sufficient to steam a restored engine, stick any old coaches behind it and chuff up and down between nowhere and nowhere.

Not so now; the preserved railways have to compete head to head with other theme parks and attractions for a share of visiting families hard-earned money. Our railways need to be clean, accessible, and safe but most of all have family appeal.

The steam buff may tolerate inadequate toilet facilities and ‘paper cup tea bars’, the 21st Century family will not, they want, and deserve, more ‘buzz for their buck’.

Our steam railway, which really are working museums, create enjoyment for a great many people, employment for some and for certain keep alive in hundreds of working volunteers the skills of the past.

The youngsters of today find fascination in recreations of the steam era, the Reverends Awdry’s stories (Thomas The Tank Engine) are highly popular, the steam train in the Harry Potter series of movies delighted youngsters worldwide, so where’s the problem?

Get it right — and the paying customers will come. Get it wrong — and the bank manager will come, wearing that ‘I want my money back’ expression, and any organisation who fails to get customer care right will have contributed to their own failure.”

Gee, sounds like something that a fair number of folks have been saying for sometime. Now if only those in the right places would get the message. Got a two by four handy for the traditional smack upside the head?

The truth is that there exists intense competition for the disposable income of any consumer. It’s everything from McDonalds to Blockbuster to Safeway to Wal-Mart to Starbucks to Disney. Success is something shared among them in more ways than one. Giving the customer what they want and need is a challenge they all will try to meet. We’ve seen both their failures as well as their successes. There will certainly be more of both. As much as we would hope for more of the latter, the only guarantee is that the competition will only become greater for that disposable income. As the choices increase, so will the need to excel at meeting the customers needs.

Another challenge is to look for more clients for your existing products. The San Francisco Chronicle carried a story in it’s May 16 edition describing how retailers are looking to increase their market share among Hispanic customers. One particular example was Hallmark cards and how they had doubled the number of cards for that market to 2,500 over the past year. The article notes how the Hispanic market has grown over the last decade. Up 58 percent to 35.3 million according to census data. Here’s hoping folks in certain Burbank offices are paying attention.

Now back to the Disneyland Resort…

Hope that everyone who joined Jim for his last batch of Anaheim tours had a great time. Wish I could have been there. Lots to learn about one of our favorite places.

Disney offers some interesting tours of their own of both Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure. As the story is told, the tradition of tour at Disneyland goes back to Walt himself and the days before the Park opened to the public. Nothing made Walt happier than a trip around the place to see what was going on. And if he could share his enthusiasm with someone at the same time, well then that was all the better.

As Walt became better known to guests, he was often besieged for autographs. It got to the point where he could hardly cross Main Street without being mobbed. So his days of playing tour guide were over and the task farmed out to a staff of lovely young ladies. Garbed in a snappy outfit reminiscent of English riding clothes in a fine red tartan pattern (complete with hat and riding crop), they were easy to spot as they led guests about the Park.

On our recent visit, we started our day by entering Disneyland and stopping so Michele could visit with her counterparts at the AAA travel office, in what used to be the Tour Garden. While she chatted, my mother and I ventured over to the Tour Cart located in front of City Hall. Capably staffed by Edmundo, we learned more about both of the Disneyland tours available.

Taking the flyers describing the tours, we went off to breakfast to contemplate the choices. Harking back to visits of earlier days, our target for this meal was the River Belle Terrace (yes, I’ve heard stories from CM’s who did time here) in Frontierland. (My father and mother both visited the Park back in 1955, but separately. My mother, aunt and a friend made a short nighttime visit that first summer. My father remembers having breakfast on his first visit, at what was then the Aunt Jemima Pancake House, complete with the scene of Walt Disney having a chat with the woman appearing as Aunt Jemima. Oh, for a photo of that!) I stepped back a few years and enjoyed a Mickey pancake. Good as ever!

So what are the differences between the two tours? Well, from their respective flyers, here we go:

The “Red Carpet Tour” offers a look at both Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure. It’s two and half-hours long ending with V.I.P. seating for one of the performances of “Aladdin”, and offers two extra Fast Passes for use after the tour. The cost is $25 per person, and park admission is not included. You need to already have your pass for the day. (I’m not sure if you need a park hopper pass or not, but I would tend to doubt it, as the tour begins with Disneyland.)

The other tour has been offered for a few years, and is called “A Walk In Walt’s Footsteps.” This tour was $49 per person, again not including admission, and is three and half-hours long. Highlights of this tour include:

A sneak peek at the lobby of the legendary Club 33 restaurant in New Orleans Square
A visit to the Enchanted Tiki Room, the first Disneyland attraction to feature Disney’s innovative Audio-Animatronics technology
A collectible “A Walk In Walt’s Footstep’s” trading pin
Luncheon on the balcony of the Disney Gallery, complete with one of Walt’s favorite desserts!
This tour is limited to 15 guests, and was offered twice that day. The other tour was only offered once.

Looking over the choices, we opted for “A Walk In Walt’s Footsteps” at 2:30 p.m. and booked space for the three of us over the phone, using a credit card to save our spots.

We arrived at the designated spot (in front of Guest Relations, outside Disneyland to the left of the News Stand) about 20 minutes before the start of the tour to check in. A short time later, Edmundo and D.J. arrived to gather the group together. A brief introduction got things started with the menu for lunch passed around and our selections noted. D.J. went off to place our orders, and left Edmundo to handle the tour guide duties.

Next time you enter the Park, think of it as entering a theater lobby. If you look carefully, you will note how there is an uphill slope from the Esplanade into Ticket Gates and then under the berm into Town Square. (We learned this while some of the group was leaving packages at the News Stand for pick-up later, a great idea! Why carry a lot of stuff on the tour?) And if you look carefully at the Town Square you’ll notice how there is a downhill slope on Main Street — just like the floor of a theater — heading toward the Plaza in front of the Castle.

(I won’t give away all of the tour secrets, but I will say that I was impressed by some of the information provided along the way. In some cases, I had expected a bit of sugar coating of certain facts, but surprisingly got the more realistic facts instead of the fiction.)

From Town Square, we made our way into the lobby of the Main Street Opera House for a look at the Walt Disney Story, both in photos and in a excerpt from the recent Walt Disney documentary, “Walt: The Man Behind The Myth”. Then a glimpse at the formal office on display, as recreated from the Studio in Burbank. (It’s a bit eerie seeing this after having viewed the building where it used to be from the outside on the lot.) While Edmundo did mention that the Studio is closed to visitors, I did remind him of the past years when the Holiday Crafts fairs had offered that rare one-day opportunity. Hopefully, this year will also see the tradition continue.

Exiting the theater lobby (thankfully not having to sit through the new Lincoln show! As much as I like the AA show, I find the audio theatrics to be just showing off the technology instead of telling the story of Lincoln and the challenges he faced.), we headed over to the firehouse to hear the tale of Walt’s apartment. Edmundo even related the tale of Walt being seen in his underwear one morning by a curious child who had climbed the brass pole from the floor below. The apartment used to be part of the tour, but now is off limits, in memory of Walt.

I suspect ADA access is more of a reason as a small staircase is the only way in or out. That and I recall a tale of the apartment being found in disarray after someone used it for an after hours event and didn’t clean up after themselves.

Following Edmundo, we traveled down Main Street noting some previous tenants of some of the shops including the Wizard of Bras and the Main Street Tobacco Shop. Also discussed was the use of forced perspective along Main Street toward the Plaza and the installation of the Partners statue in the Hub. A brief look at the Snow White Grotto led into Fantasyland (just in time for the Sword In The Stone ceremony) to tell a bit about the area and the Castle.

Edmundo pointed out some of the “hidden features of the area” including the Wicked Queen peering out of her window along with the brass apple in the Snow White queue area. He also noted how when the area was first opened, all of attractions were created so that the guests would fill the roles of the lead characters in the stories. For example, you were Snow White retracing her path through the Scary Adventures or Peter Pan flying through Neverland. Guests didn’t really understand so the attractions were changed and now these characters appear along the way. Both Alice and Mr. Toad still have some of that original design. Toad aficionados will recall that nowhere does he actually appear in the attraction — you are Toad on one of his wild rides!

The tour then went out to a spot between the Carnation Gardens and the Plaza in front of the Castle. Note the flagstones in the grass and the gate from the walkway into the area. Kind of a neat spot I never noticed before! Here we heard more about the area and Edmundo pointed out the one Spire not finished in gold like all the others, marking that Disneyland is never finished.

The next stop was a welcome one as we got the chance to sit down for a performance in the Tiki Room. Sadly, we missed the pre-show, one of my favorites. (And yes, the whole place still could use more than a little attention. Would it really be too much to ask for an update of the thatch and bamboo?) After the show, we got to meet a special guest, and I’ll save that surprise for you to experience in person. Very neat by the way…

From the Tiki Room, we wandered off through Adevntureland through New Orleans Square (with our stop in the lobby of Club 33 — sorry no chances to buy souvenirs!) and on to the Haunted Mansion. (Here’s where we heard the tale of the British journalist who misunderstood Walt about the Mansion being for sale… among other stories) Had Pirates been open (it was down for refurbishing) I imagine we would have visited as it was noted as being the last attraction supervised by Walt. We the boarded the Disneyland Railroad for a ride over to Tommorrowland, with a stop to view the Submarine Voyage with rumors flying (no confirmation). Crossing back through the Park we stopped next to Ariel’s Grotto to hear about the Monsanto House of the Future and view the remaining wall of the foundation.

Crossing the Plaza one last time, we’re heading back to New Orleans Square to finish up the tour at the Disney Gallery. As the rest of us take the stairs, Michele gets to use the elevator, and ends up in the Club 33 kitchen. Now I’m jealous!

The tour winds up with a look at what would have been Walt’s suite of apartments over New Orleans Square. Lunch was in the patio, not on the balcony, and the food was a nice finish, with our pins waiting for us — all with our names so we know who gets what.

Top points to both Edmundo and D.J. for a great and informative tour. For someone like my mom, there was a lot to learn about Walt and his park. For the more informed, yes, there were some things to learn. And they also wanted feedback! Who knew? I suggested that a horticultural tour of the resort might be a winner, just as the Gardens of Epcot tour has become in the East. Especially considering that when the Park first opened, Walt had folks putting Latin names on weeds to make guests think they were fancy landscaping!

D.J. related that one of his tasks is to keep tabs on the various web sites and see what’s being reported. Nice to know we are being watched by interested folks.

We finally left the Disney Gallery a little after 6 p.m. after a fine Saturday afternoon. Back to our room at the Grand Californian, where we all recovered in our own ways. Some napped, I wrote some of this column on the trusty iBook, and checked the message boards.

Well worth the time and the money for this tour, in my humble opinion…

Now here’s the real surprise!

Over at the Grand Californian, there is a great tour of the hotel, called “The Art of the Craft” and it’s FREE! Yes, free. But I do think there is one catch. You have to be a guest of the hotel in order to sign up for the tour. (Space is limited.) That’s done at the Concierge Desk.

The day we took the tour, Dave was our guide through this wonderful structure. He mentioned that different people give the tour each day, and that they all have their favorite features to show guests. So it can be a different experience each time.

Highlights for me included the Hearthstone Lounge where all of the redwood you see came from a single previously fallen tree that Disney had purchased; a variety of one-of-a-kind pieces of art and furniture around the lobby; the way the forest is imitated through the use of patterns in the carpet, wall treatments and paper borders to cap the image; the landscaping reflecting the side of the hotel, i.e. plants on the north side being those found in the northern part of California; and finally, the way in which architectural elements blended with structural elements. I can never look at the hotel in the same way after this tour.

Dave also related that a book about the hotel and the Craftsman style is in production. A check at the Concierge Desk this last visit revealed that it is still a work in progress, hopefully to be in print sometime next year. I can’t wait!

So, the next time you’re down at the Disneyland Resort, why not try one of the “official” tours? I think you’ll enjoy them just as much as I did!

Next week? Climb aboard as Roger takes you out into the world for the chance to try something that some of you may have always wanted to do, but didn’t think you ever would be able to!

And if Roger keeps you amused with these columns, why not show that appreciation by clicking on the link for his Amazon Honor System Paybox and sharing a buck or three? He certain appreciates it when you do!

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: