Theme Parks & Themed Entertainment
Disneyland’s new magic program allows some of Walt’s oldest dreams for his theme park to finally come true

This past weekend, theme park fans around the globe
collectively lost their minds as images of the Hatbox Ghost began to pop up
online.
The modern era Hatbox Ghost made his debut in Disneyland's Haunted Mansion
this past Saturday. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
"And what's the big deal with the Hatbox Ghost?,"
you ask. Well, you have to understand this gruesome ghoul was originally
supposed to have been one of the 999 happy haunts that Disneyland Guests would
encounter whenever they visited the Haunted
Mansion. But within a week of the
official grand opening of this New Orleans Square E-Ticket, the Hatbox Ghost
had been pulled out of the Mansion.
"That was most likely Yale Gracey's doing," Kim
Irvine — Walt Disney Imagineering Art Director for Disneyland
Park — explained during a recent
phone interview. "Yale was the guy who came up with most of the Mansion's
illusions. And while all of the other effects that the Imagineers had installed
in this then-brand-new Disneyland attraction were
performing flawlessly, the Hatbox Ghost scene just wasn't working as well as
Yale had hoped it would."
"I don't know if this was because of where this figure had originally been
positioned within that attraction's attic sequence or whether it was the angle
that Guests saw the Hatbox Ghost from, but the
head-disappearing-off-of-his-shoulders-and-then-re-appearing-inside-of-that-hatbox
gag just wasn't landing the way that Yale had hoped it would," Irvine
continued. "And being the perfectionist that he was, I'd imagine that Yale
had the Hatbox Ghost pulled so that Disneyland visitors
would then be able to talk about all of the effects inside of the Mansion that
worked, rather than the one that didn't."
Yale Gracey poses with the original Hatbox Ghost for
a pre-opening publicity shot for Disneyland's
Haunted Mansion. Copyright Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
But what Gracey hadn't counted on was that — because the Hatbox Ghost had been
so prominently featured in the pre-opening publicity for Disneyland's Haunted
Mansion (FYI: That's Yale himself posing with the not-quite-finished figure in
the photo above) not to mention that the Hatbox Ghost wound up being mentioned
on "The Story and Song of The Haunted Mansion" LP (i.e., that
souvenir Disneyland Storyteller album which was sold at the theme park for
years after this New Orleans Square attraction first opened to the public) — over
time, this character's legend just grew and grew.
The cover of "The Story and Song from the Haunted Mansion" LP as well as the image of
the Hatbox Ghost found inside of this Disneyland Storyteller album. Copyright
Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
"I've given a lot of talks about Disneyland's
Haunted Mansion
over the years. And whenever we'd get to the question & answer portion of
those sessions, I'd always get people asking about the Hatbox Ghost. They
wanted to know why this character had been pulled out of the Mansion. More
importantly, whether he'd ever be coming back," Kim said. "And given
that interest in this Haunted Mansion
character just grew & grew over the years … Well, given that Imagineering
always likes to give our Guests something new to see the very next time they
ride their favorite attraction, we began seriously talking about whether there
was a way that we could actually put the Hatbox Ghost back into Disneyland's
Haunted Mansion."
This tradition of plussing an attraction or adding new magic
to a pre-existing ride or show actually dates back to Walt's time. As the story
goes, the Company's founder was lingering outside of the entrance to Disneyland's
Jungle Cruise sometime in 1956 (which was just a year after The Happiest Place
on Earth had first opened to the public). And Disney was eavesdropping on what
the Guests had to say about what was then the signature attraction at his theme
park. A mom & son approached the entrance to this Adventureland ride. The
son was heard to say "Can we go on that one, please?" And the
mother's reply was "No. We went on that ride the last time we were at the
Park."
Well, Walt heard that remark. And by the Summer of 1957, Disneyland's
Jungle Cruise has a slew of brand-new scenes. People who purchased tickets for
this Adventureland attraction were now treated to a trip through a
flower-filled rainforest. Not to mention being menaced by a pair of mechanical
gorillas. The Jungle Cruise even wound up with an all-new climax, as its
riverboats first floated past through this village that featured a war party
and some dancing natives and then concluded with a comical encounter with Trader
Sam, the famous head salesman for the Amazon.
You've got to give Trader Sam some points for consistency. Nearly 60 years after
his Jungle Cruise debut, Sam's still offering Disneyland Guests the same
amazing deal: Two of his heads for one of theirs. Copyright Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
These additions to the Jungle Cruise then gave Disneyland
visitors a legitimate reason to revisit this Adventureland attraction. Which is
why Walt then made plussing the rides, shows and attractions at his theme park
a regular practice.
"I remember when John Hench (EDITOR'S NOTE: Hench was
one of the original Imagineers. In fact, one of the very first park-related
assignments that Walt gave John was to come up with some futuristic attractions
for Disneyland's original version of Tomorrowland) used
to come down to the Park. He'd make a point of driving down from Glendale
to Anaheim at least once a month.
And John and I would then walk through Disneyland
together as he pointed out things that could use some updating or TLC," Irvine
recalled. "And during these walks, John kept saying 'You need to keep this
place fresh. You need to keep these rides and shows relevant.' That was
something that he had learned directly from Walt. And John was determined that
this tradition would continue. Which is why he kept passing along all of this
information to me."
Mind you, they don't make changes at the Disney theme parks
just for change's sake. Given that the Company was founded by a storyteller,
whenever the Imagineers are looking to add new magic to a pre-existing ride,
show or attraction, they first try and ensure that whatever changes they're
making then honor the original intent of that particular ride, show or
attraction's story.
"That's why we were confident that — when we returned
the Hatbox Ghost to Disneyland's Haunted
Mansion — we were making a smart
choice," Kim explained. "After all, here was a character that the
fans had been asking about for years. More to the point, we now had access to
technology that Yale Gracey didn't have back in the late 1960s. Which meant
that the Imagineers could finally make the Hatbox Ghost effect work the way it
was supposed to. So — by now putting this character back inside the Mansion —
we weren't just randomly shoehorning something in there. We were actually
honoring the original intent of Yale and all of the Imagineers who created the Haunted
Mansion."
Yep, even back in Walt's day, there were tech issues, time
constraints or budgetary shortfalls that prevented rides, shows or attractions
that the Imagineers had designed for Disneyland from
turning out the way Walt had originally hoped they would. Take — for example
— the Abominable Snowman that lurks inside of this theme park's Matterhorn
Bobsleds.
According to Jason Surrell's "The Disney Mountains:
Imagineering at its Peak" (Disney Editions, September 2007), Walt had
always wanted an Abominable Snowman to part of the thrills that Guests
encountered as they zoomed through Disneyland's 1/100th scale version of the
Matterhorn:
Concept art for the version of the Abominable
Snowman that was supposed to be installed
in Disneyland's Matterhorn when the
Bobsleds first opened at that theme
park back in 1959. Copyright
Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved
"In fact, (Disney Legend) Harriet Burns had gone a long
way towards a full-sized, fiberglass-and-fur-cloth mock-up of the Abominable
Snowman. The original intent was for the mythical monster to haunt the Matterhorn
on opening day, but there just wasn't enough time to accomplish everything Walt
wanted to do by then. Walt pulled the plug when he realized the attraction was
a big hit without an interior show."
It would be another 19 years before the Abominable Snowman
finally took up residence inside of the Matterhorn.
WDI's master sculptor Blaine Gibson was the one who came up with this
creature's distinctive fang-bearing / red-eyed look while it was Dennis Mecham,
an Imagineer who worked in WED's special services department, who provided the
Abominable Snowman's distinctive roar.
That version of the Abominable Snowman has been in place
since June of 1978. And while he's been roaring at and thrilling Disneyland
visitors for nearly 37 years now, as the Happiest Place on Earth neared its
60th anniversary, Kim and her fellow Imagineers wondered: Might it now be time
to add some next generation thrills to Disneyland's original thrill ride?
The 1978 version of the Abominable Snowman menaces Disneyland visitors at the
point where the two Matterhorn Bobsled tracks meet inside the mountain.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
"There have been so many advances made with digital
projection and sound technology over the past decade. So we were thinking that
— rather than have the Abominable Snowman remain as this sort of static,
stationary figure at the very heart of the Matterhorn —
wouldn't it be cool if, while you were riding through the mountain, you now got
the sense that the Abominable Snowman was running along right next to your
bobsled. That you could now catch glimpses of him moving through the Matterhorn
just ahead of you," Irvine
enthused.
And it's this new improved, newly ferocious version of the Abominable
Snowman that will be making his debut at Disneyland
Park on May 22nd as the Matterhorn
Bobsleds officially come back online after a five month-long rehab.
"Again, I want to stress here that the story that the Matterhorn
tells is pretty much the same. The big change is, of course, with the
Abominable Snowman. He's a little bit more ferocious, a little bit more
exciting," Kim said. "And if you're really paying attention as you
ride along in your bobsled, you may notice that — at various points along the
way — that there are these caves where the Abominable Snowman seems to be
hoarding things that he found out in the Park. That — if you look closely —
you may be able to see items that pay tribute to rides, shows and attractions
from Disneyland's past."
The new more menacing, far more ferocious version of the Abominable Snowman
makes his debut in Disneyland Park's Matterhorn Bobsleds attraction on May
22nd. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
The newly reimagined Hatbox Ghost and Abominable Snowman
will be just two of the pieces of new magic that Guests will discover when they
return to the Happiest Place
on Earth for the Disneyland Resort's Diamond Celebration. Which officially
kicks off next Friday, May 22nd with a 24 hour-long party.
This article originally appeared on the Huffington Post's Entertainment page on May 15, 2015
Television & Shows
The Untold Story of Super Soap Weekend at Disney-MGM Studios: How Daytime TV Took Over the Parks

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!’

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”

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.

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:
- You’re immediately going to be thirsty for a Seagram’s wine cooler
- And you’re going to have a sudden desire to go out & buy a porcelain deer.
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