Universal Orlando The Unofficial Story

by Nick Sim

Discover the amazing true story behind the world's most thrilling theme park resort!
In the late 1980s, Universal decided to construct its first real theme park - right in Disney's backyard of Orlando, Florida. At the time, the company had never built a single theme park ride. Many predicted that it would be a disaster.
It very nearly was.

On Universal Studios Florida's opening day in 1990, all three of its major rides malfunctioned. Thousands of guests demanded refunds. And it got worse from there - eventually, the $30 million Jaws ride was closed permanently. It was three years and a further $40 million before it would reopen.

Through a combination of outrageous risk-taking, technical ingenuity and sheer persistence, Universal eventually carved out its own niche in Orlando. For the first time, "Universal Orlando: The Unofficial Story" reveals how the resort's incredible, ground-breaking rides were created, from Kongfrontation to Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.

Go behind the scenes at Universal Orlando!
How was King Kong's banana breath generated?
How hot are the flames in Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride?
How does the The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man's "falling" effect work?
What are the rocks underneath Hogwarts Castle made of?
Does filming really take place on the streets of Universal Studios Florida?
Whatever your questions about Universal Orlando, this book has the answers!

Enhance your Universal Orlando visit
As well as detailing the amazing special effects that are employed by the rides at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, "Universal Orlando: The Unofficial Story" is also packed with hidden secrets that you can look out for during your next visit. Want to know where you can rent a time machine, or how to boost your score on Men in Black: Alien Attack? Look no further!

Genres: Nonfiction, History

298 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read about the history of Universal Orlando; I've never been although I have been to Universal Hollywood and this has inspired me to think about a trip in the next few years!

I enjoyed Nick Sim's Tales from the Towers more but only because I've actually been so I had first hand experience of the park. Both are good reads in their own right.

[Alex Peck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book and learned quite a bit about Universal that I didn't know.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theme park fans lost something special when Nick Sim died. While I didn’t love this as much as Tales from the Towers, his book on Universal Orlando is still excellently researched, with some really interesting bits of trivia. It was obviously published in 2014 so there’s nothing on Epic Universe or the later expansions to the parks, but it was super interesting to read what happened right at the start.

I think Sim had more love for Alton Towers - understandable, because I think at the point of writing he’d only been to Universal once - but the passion is still there. I went for the first time this year and loved hearing about which rides were there before me. And I wish I’d been on Jaws!!

[Tara Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick and fun read

I loved reading all about the history of Universal Orlando. I learned a lot of new facts. I was also able to discover new insight into how it started and the history of extinct attractions.

[John Gregory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but not great. Lots of great information, but hastily edited and too mechanical. I'm guessing the problem is the reliance on one source--the Orlando Sentinel--for many of the anecdotes.

[taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very straight forward and stiff but some interesting anecdotes

[Eric Hersey · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the few books I could find that did a great job documenting the entire history of Universal Orlando.

[Alex Gardieff · Rating 2 out of 5]

While it may be the first book on the history and story of Universal Orlando Resort it feels hastily put together (numerous spelling and grammatical errors). The book does offer a good view into the history of the Universal company and the theme park however the book to me also suffers from including too much of a travel guide type feel. Universal Orlando does have a big story behind it, including its plague of different owners constantly, this book is nice because its the first time all its history is being made accessible to read in one location. Perhaps more research and more resources (most of the resources came from the Orlando Sentinel), could of created a more indepth and detailed view of the park. Hopefully the book sparks interest in the backstory of the parks and motivates a couple more writers to try their hand at it. For anyone that likes the Universal Parks or lives in Orlando and has seen Universal transform over the years its a small glimpse into a big past.

[Judah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow!

Don't let the cover fool you, this is definitely a meaty and well researched history of Universal Orlando. It's not exhaustive but certainly the closest thing to those Disney Park times that you'll find.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great. So many Disney World books... it is great to hear the untold stories of the competition.

[Oliver Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting fun book, if you like Theme Parks. I like Theme Parks, so I liked it.....

[Brendan Creecy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great stories about a park I didn't know much about.