Theme Parks & Themed Entertainment

Debunking Big Thunder Rumors

Jim Hill and Chuck Oberleitner team up today to bring you the second in our occasional series articles about Disneyland’s Big Thunder Mountain tragedy — an article you’ll want to read, particularly if you’ve been hearing some sensational stories about the alleged real cause of this awful accident.

Published

22 years ago

October 13, 2003

Jim Hill

It used to be something that theme park fans would consider a comical cliché. How you’d board a Disney theme park attraction and then … Something would go horribly wrong!?

I mean, think about it, people. Isn’t this the exact same story point that drives the action in Disneyland’s “Star Tours” and “The Indiana Jones Adventure” as well as the now-closed “Alien Encounter” attraction at WDW’s Magic Kingdom? That things initially start out seeming safe … but then something untoward happens. And then that’s when the fun begins.

Well, in the wake of the September 5th Big Thunder tragedy (where something actually DID go horribly wrong, resulting in the death of 22-year old Marcelo Torres as well as the injuring of 10 other Disneyland guests), now much of the humor has gone out of that Disney theme park cliché. Particularly given some of the rumors that have been circulating about this awful accident.

“What sorts of rumors?” you ask. Well, I know that a number of JHM readers were somewhat taken aback when they saw this headline back on Friday: “Police find no sabotage in Disney ride crash.” If you’d like to read the Reuters story that actually went along with this sensational headline, you can do so here.

“So was that Reuters report right, Jim? Was sabotage ever actually seriously considered as a possible cause of the Big Thunder tragedy?” you continue. Well, based on copies of the official Anaheim Police Department report that JimHillMedia.com has been able to obtain, I’m sorry to say that the answer to that question is yes.

Now — before we go any further here — I want you to keep in mind that this sabotage story was one of many theories that were initially floating around as a possible cause of the Big Thunder Mountain accident. And that it was the responsibility of the AHD officers who were investigating this tragedy to make sure that they followed every lead. To leave no stone unturned, so to speak. So it was in this spirit that the Anaheim Police Department began its investigation. Which was why they had at least to look seriously at even the possibility that the Big Thunder Mountain accident was the result of sabotage.

“But why was the idea of ‘sabotage’ even brought up in the first place?” you persist. Well, let’s remember that we live in post-9/11 America, people. Where terrorism — particularly at a place like Disneyland (which in the past has reportedly been considered by Al Qaeda operatives as a possible target for terrorist activities) — must at least be taken into consideration.

But — given the very nature of the Big Thunder accident (and the fact that Disneyland guests have extremely limited access to the ride vehicles, not to mention that all guests entering the theme parks nowadays must have their bags checked before they’re allowed to go through the turnstiles) — the possibility of terrorist activity being the real cause of this tragedy was fairly quickly dismissed. But not the notion of sabotage itself.

Instead, the Anaheim Police Department turned its attention to Disneyland’s own employees. Thoroughly investigating the possibility that this accident could have possibly been caused by a disgruntled cast member.

“But why would a Disneyland employee want to cause an accident on Big Thunder Mountain?” you query. Well, how many of you recall that story that David Koenig did for MousePlanet back on August 12th? Which detailed how unhappy many Disneyland employees were with a new staffing policy that was about to go into effect at the theme park which would keep them “land locked.” (I.E. Prevent them from working on multiple attractions in different parts of the theme park. Rather, locking them into one specific area, so that these cast members can only work the rides and attractions located in that land.)

Given that this new staffing policy was reportedly wildly unpopular among Disneyland employees, it’s been suggested that — in an effort to get this policy repealed — that some cast members may have taken matters into their own hands. And what better way would there be to get this “land locking” system repealed than to be able to show that it adversely effected hourly ride capacity at the park?

This is the story that we had been hearing repeatedly here at JimHillMedia.com over the past few weeks. That the Big Thunder Mountain accident may have actually been caused by an employee who was upset with Disneyland’s new staffing policy. That this cast member allegedly took this action with the hope that it would shut down this Frontierland attraction for a few hours (thereby lowering the theme park’s ride capacity for a few hours with the hope that doing something like this might eventually result in Disneyland’s “land locking” system being repealed). Never realizing that this action might result in tragedy.

“So why has JimHillMedia.com been sitting on this story ’til now?” you ask. Because — in spite of how popular this story may have been among Walt Disney Company employees — we suspected that this oft-told tale was just a rumor. What was particularly troubling was — whenever we tried to pin down someone down, find out who the real source of this story was, it was always the same refrain: “I heard it from a friend of mine. Who heard it from a friend of his. Who knows somebody who’s close to the investigation and/or works on the attraction.” You know the drill.

So anyway … given that FOAF (AKA “Friend of a Friend”) stories always make me nervous, we opted to sit on this info. Sure, it would have been nice for the site to break a story like that. Grab some headlines. But — given the immediate negative impact that an article like this would have had on the Walt Disney Company’s reputation — it just didn’t seem right or responsible to rush this sensational information into print. At least without having some sort of corroboration that this alleged sabotage had actually occurred.

So — over the past few weeks — Chuck Oberleitner made some discreet inquiries. Talking with Anaheim Police Department public information officer Sgt. Rick Martinez, as well as members of Disneyland’s own publicity department. In both cases, while no one was willing to go on record, both Martinez as well as the Mouse’s spokespeople poo-pooed the sabotage idea. Which at least made us feel better about not rushing to put this sensational-sounding story up on the site.

But — given that both Reuters as well as the Los Angeles Times both published stories last week that touched on the possibility that cast member sabotage was initially thought to play a part in the Big Thunder Mountain tragedy — it’s clear that Chuck and I weren’t the only people who had been hearing these rumors.

But now comes the really intriguing question: Who exactly was the person within the Disney organization who initially clued the Anaheim Police Department into this possibility? That cast member sabotage may have played a part in the Big Thunder Mountain tragedy? To date, Chuck and I haven’t been able to uncover that man or woman’s identity. But we continue to work on that aspect of the story.

Anywho … thanks to last Friday’s Reuters story — JHM is finally free to write about all those Disneyland sabotage rumors that have been coming our way. If only to say: “You know that rumor that’s been flying around the web about how a Disneyland employee supposedly deliberately caused the Big Thunder accident? Well, it’s wrong.”

Mind you, this doesn’t mean that the Mouse is totally out of the woods yet. There’s still the matter of the Disneyland employees who were manning Big Thunder Mountain on September 5th. Who — for perhaps as long as 45 minutes — noticed that Train No. 2 on this attraction was making an odd “clanking” noise, but opted not to pull that train out of service.

In the spirit of fairness, it should be pointed out here that (according to the APD reports on the BTMRR accident) — while Train No. 2 was making this odd “clanking” noise — the Big Thunder Mountain Railway cast members who were operating the attraction were reportedly actively debating what they should do. Should they leave the train running or take it out of service and see what was causing that noise? In the end, they allegedly made the decision that they’d pull the vehicle out of service once it had completed its next run. Sadly, it was during that trip around the mountain that Big Thunder Mountain Train No. 2 derailed. Which resulted in the death of Mr. Torres.

So — strictly from a liability point of view — Disneyland managers may have some awfully tough questions to deal with in the future. As in: Did the cast members who were operating “Big Thunder Mountain” on September 5th behave responsibly? Given that Train No. 2 is reported to have been making those odd “clanking” noises for as long as 45 minutes, wouldn’t the smarter thing to do have been to pull BTMRR ride vehicle out of service much earlier that morning?

Hey, hindsight’s 20/20, folks. So it’s always easy to say what should have happened after a tragedy’s occurred. But in this case, if the info that’s contained in those APD reports is correct … well, 45 minutes seems like an awfully long time to leave a train in service that’s been making an odd “clanking” noise. At least to me.

As for what’s been happening since Chuck first spoke with the Anaheim PD and what may have been causing that noise … why don’t I hand the story off to Chuck Oberleitner for a moment. He can fill you in on the particulars:

Last week I again spoke by phone with Anaheim PD media relations officer, Sergeant Rick Martinez. I reminded Sgt. Martinez that in a earlier interview with JimHillMedia and in remarks he made to the Los Angeles Times, he had said that the criminal investigation would stay open as long as the DOSH investigation continued.

“That’s right,” he said. “And when I was told our investigation was being closed (prior to the conclusion of the DOSH investigation) I asked our officers the same thing.”

Sgt. Martinez went on to say that the officers conducting the investigation, working closely with the DOSH investigation team had concluded that there was no evidence of criminal negligence or culpability. Therefore there was no reason to keep the criminal investigation open. “If new evidence were to come up,” he added, “we can always reopen the investigation.”

With the closing of the criminal investigation more information about the events of September 5, are coming out. Just a little over two weeks before the accident, state inspectors had examined Big Thunder Mountain. Nothing out of the ordinary was found.

Transcripts and recordings of the frantic 911 calls made by passengers on the ill-fated train have been released. They show an instant recognition by passengers that one of the train’s occupants was seriously injured in the accident.

This past week, JimHillMedia.com has learned that attention is now being focused on the metal pins used to link the cars of the BTM mine trains together. Investigators want to know how and where these pins are made.

Sources familiar with the history of Big Thunder Mountain tell JHM that at one point these pins and indeed all the major metal components of Disneyland rides were milled on site in Disneyland’s own “mill shop.” Now as part of cost cutting measures put in place by Disney management in the late 90s these pins are no longer produced by Disney craftsmen but rather by outside contractors who presumably produce them for a lower cost than Disney’s own maintenance department.

In an e-mail dated October 6 of this year Bob Tucker, Disneyland Resort Director of Media Relations had the following to say in response to questions about the operational status of the various wood and metal “mill shops” backstage at Disneyland:

“I followed up on your inquiry about the machine shop and sheet metal shop. Just like the mill shop, they also continue to be fully operational. As for contracting out work, we have always operated that way depending on the scope of the job.”

A key figure within Disneyland familiar with the investigation continues to insist that these pins and the relatively recent decision to acquire them from outside contractors remains a prominent part of the ongoing investigation. Furthermore, while the Walt Disney Company will in all likelihood end up paying out millions of dollars in legal settlements, it now appears that Disneyland Resort maintenance may bear the full brunt of responsibility for the accident.

DOSH investigators are on record saying that it could take another four to six weeks to conclude their investigation. In the meantime, questions still remain unanswered about the odd noises heard by BTM CMs prior to the train’s final run and the exact way in which the locomotive partially derailed and became detached from the rest of the train.

In the course of preparing this story Walt Disney Imagineering was asked for information regarding Big Thunder Mountain’s design. Because of the ongoing nature of the investigation they declined to comment.

So there you have it, people. One Big Thunder Mountain rumor put to rest. But there are still many troubling questions that continue to swirl around this tragic accident and its investigation. As we here at JimHillMedia.com learn more, we’ll be sure to pass that info along.

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: