Star Trek has inspired seven television series, with another few on the way, thirteen movies, and, of course, multiple attractions throughout the years.

Let’s start in Hollywood, at Universal Studios. In 1975, Universal opened the Screen Test Theatre to show off their hit television shows and allow audiences to be part of the action. In 1988, this theater received a seven million dollar upgrade and became the Star Trek Adventure. Similar to iterations that came before it, the Star Trek Adventure allowed members of the audience to play a role in their own Star Trek adventure. Featuring highly detailed sets and costumes, this attraction replicated the movie era of the original series. Guests would partake in a conflict with the series long-time baddies, the Klingons, which would all be recorded on a keepsake VHS, available for purchase, of course. The Star Trek Adventure would later be added to Universal Studios Florida as well, as part of the Screen Test Home Video Adventures from 1991 to 1994, but this version was far less detailed.

Perhaps the greatest Star Trek attraction of them all was the 70 million dollar permanent (or not so permanent) Star Trek: The Experience in Las Vegas, NV. Housed at the former Las Vegas Hilton, The Experience was the mecca of Star Trek attractions. Originally envisioned as a full scale replica of the refitted Enterprise NCC-1701, the attraction eventually opened as a combination museum/ride experience. Opened on January 3rd, 1998, Guests first encountered the History of the Future, a museum featuring props from the series and films to that date. They then found themselves, through means of an ingenious transporter effect, aboard the USS Enterprise-D. Guests were plunged into a time-travel story where they would visit sets from the Next Generation starship and eventually board a shuttle to save the very existence of Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

Upon exiting the ride, Guests could then explore the environs of space station Deep Space Nine from the series of the same name. In 2004, the Borg Invasion 4D attraction was added to The Experience, this time centered around an encounter with Star Trek's most infamous villains, and set in the Star Trek: Voyager timeframe. Like the Klingon Encounter before it, Borg Invasion 4D featured actual cast members from the Star Trek series.

Unfortunately, Star Trek: The Experience was not long lived. Due to declining attendance, the attraction closed on September 1st, 2008, after only ten years of operation. Interestingly, another home to the Borg Invasion 4D attraction, Space Park Bremen in Germany, also closed rather prematurely, leaving no active iterations of the ride.

Since the closing of the Experience, multiple touring exhibitions have been developed to continue bringing the sets and props of the beloved franchise to it’s fiercely loyal fanbase. Venues such as the Kennedy Space Center, the Henry Ford, the Museum of POP Culture in Seattle have all hosted these encounters. Star Trek has even made the jump back into theme park territory, with the opening of the Star Trek: Operation Enterprise roller coaster at Movie Park Germany. Again themed to Star Trek: The Next Generation, this coaster features a heavily themed queue and ride experience, including a visit, once again, to the bridge of the Enterprise-D.

Surely more experiences shall arise for this classic franchise. Concept art has been seen of new developments for theme parks worldwide, and rumors still pop up every once in a while for large scale installations at major players like Universal Studios. With new shows under development and a long history of inspiring scientists and explorers, the Star Trek legacy is far from over, and is sure to “live long and prosper”.

The total experience. Three little words that have so much meaning, but are so often overlooked. When Guests visit location-based entertainment offerings, they usually know what they are going to get. Maybe rides, probably stores and restaurants, places to sit and places to walk, things to see and do, and always plenty of ways to be relieved of their hard earned cash. But the total experience isn’t just important at that scale, total experience needs to be considered on smaller and more macro levels. A ride can exist in a vacuum. Board the ride, ride the ride, leave the ride. But the truly great attractions, the ones that people remember, are the ones that provide the total experience. What would the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey be without the expansive Hogwarts Queue or eclectic Filch’s shop at it’s coda? Sure, it’d be fun, but what takes Guests out of Florida, California, or Japan, and into the Scottish Highlands is the full immersion and the use of multiple elements to make a full entertainment composition.

Let’s look at another way this was done. At the heart of Epcot Center, nestled sweetly near the threshold of Future World and World Showcase are beautiful and uniquely designed pyramids. These crystals of imagination are the home to a legendary extinct attraction, the original Journey into Imagination. While we’re certainly going to talk about that famous experience in a future talk, today, let’s look at how this pavilion was designed to provide the total experience.

Much like a film, this attraction was not just designed to entertain riders, the very architecture itself is enticing and memorable. You’d be hard pressed to find a visitor who didn’t consider snapping a photo of these magnificent glass structures. It’s no wonder the original sponsor of the place was Kodak. Introducing you to the concept and exploration of the imagination was the original ride, a Journey into Imagination featuring your hosts Dreamfinder and his lovable purple dragon, Figment. Throughout your journey, Figment demonstrates all the ways you can use your imagination to create wondrous things. Music, literature, science, our little dragon friend was the perfect ambassador to the possible. But even at the end of the attraction, when Guests were feeling the drive to go out and create, this pavilion offers more. On the second floor lived the Image Works, a magnificent playground where Guests could let that imaginative momentum translate itself into real, tangible expressions of fancy. It would have been so easy to lead Guests through their fantastic voyage and set them loose in the park, but no, this total experience provided the appropriate coda to their trek.

Reinforcing it still, Guests could then head over to the Magic Eye Theater, home to Magic Journeys, followed by Captain EO, finally hosting Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. Here, they could expand their inner eye and see images of wonder and whimsy. These three experiences together were not just an attraction or pavilion, they were a symphony, a complete expression of imaginative power and exploration. A visit to the Journey into Imagination Pavilion was an expedition all its own. Even the grounds were an extension of this adventure. Guests could meet Dreamfinder and Figment and play among dancing, jumping fountains. Among all of the opportunities for discovery and exploration the original Epcot Center cultivated, it was always good to know there was a little oasis for introspective exploration and fantastical fun ready to delight and entertain. It’s no mystery why upon the closure of the original attraction and Image Works there is such a nostalgic yearning for these experiences to return. There aren’t many documented cases of Guest fervor bringing back a beloved character, but the triumphant return of Figment stands as a testament to the power of imagination and, of course, the total experience.

Almost 2,000 years ago, in the year 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius blew its top in a volcanic eruption that released 100,000 times the thermal energy of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In the shadow of Vesuvius, Pompeii was a bustling seaside Roman resort town, but in a cataclysm of ash and fire, the city would be wiped from the face of the Earth, buried and forgotten. In 1995, the city of Pompeii re-emerged in the most unlikely of places...on an entirely different continent a world away. Today’s Attraction Spotlight is the epic Escape from Pompeii at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Virginia.

Set in the Italian village of San Marco, Escape from Pompeii is a classic shoot-the-chutes-type attraction with theming taken to a whole new level, especially for a seasonal park. Built by famed attraction designer Intamin, the experience is housed in a grand show building resembling the rediscovered ruins of Pompeii. Guests enter the queue and proceed directly under the final chute. Once in the queue, Guests are treated to archaeological displays of the lost city, enticing visitors with expeditions of the site. Guests then board boats and are immediately lifted up into the Roman city itself. Once inside, it’s clear that not all is well. Warned nearly immediately of tremors in the area, the city begins to shake...and burn. Fire begins to engulf the room, with statues, walls, ceilings, and even the very water Guests float upon starting to burn. Statues crumble, and one such edifice nearly crushes riders as they continue their doomed trek deeper into the city. A monumental soundtrack swells as the boats near an uncertain fate, a dark wall lies ahead of them, blocking their escape from the inferno. Suddenly, the wall, which is actually a pair of doors, opens, revealing the nearly 50-foot drop ahead. The boats then plunge down the 80-foot chute toward the lagoon below, instigating a deluge that will leave Guests soaked, and eager to make a return trip!

Escape from Pompeii, like Busch Gardens Williamsburg around it, is a themed masterpiece. A faithfully recreated piece of Ancient Rome built within the forests of Virginia, this attraction is just one of many constructs that are really pieces of architectural art. While the ride system and thrill are pretty basic, the sheer force of earthquakes, fire, and physical prop effects turns what would usually be interpreted as a standard flume ride into an experience like no other. This is the magic of Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Its easy to claim that you have a theme, and easier still to slap a sign on a generic attraction and call it theming, but for Busch Gardens, quality will out. Often rated the most beautiful theme park in the United States, if not the world, highly themed attractions like this contribute to the escapism of the park. Busch Gardens is not just another amusement park, it is an escape from reality, a chance to travel the old continent while never leaving American shores. And of course, it provides an opportunity to escape an ancient burning city with your wits in tact, if not your state of dryness.

In honor of the Main Entrance FastCast releasing on Apple Podcasts today, we have a quote from the legend of Apple himself, Steve Jobs.

“You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.”

Having a finger on the pulse of location-based entertainment is truly never enough. One could even say that this is true for design in general. Once you begin to turn your design to match the zeitgeist, you may as well begin to design renovations or replacements. One of the greatest and most inspiring aspects of the entertainment industry is its ability to look into the crystal ball to try and figure out what the people will be clamoring for. The designers and builders that do the best job go beyond even this, they show the people what they want before they even knew they wanted it.

Let’s look at an example that may not be the most mainstream story, but illustrates this well. Let’s look at Disney’s original plan for a Harry Potter theme park land. As told by industry insider Jim Hill, Disney was presented with an opportunity to do a Harry Potter environment at the peak of the boy wizard’s popularity. Far from the expansive and detailed Wizarding World we know today, Disney’s approach was conservative to say the least. Disney proposed two attractions, a Defense Against the Dark Arts dark ride where Guests would use magic wands similar to the Buzz Lightyear and Toy Story Mania attractions at Disney parks. The second attraction would be a magical petting zoo akin to the Triceratops Encounter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, where Guests would be able to meet a hippogriff. Looking back on it now, it’s clear to see that it was underwhelming to say the least. J.K. Rowling sure thought so, and went to Universal instead.

So how does this reflect the quote today? Disney suffered from one of the worst things that can happen to an amusement enterprise, over-confidence. Disney, long renowned for being on the cutting edge of experiences in the industry, as well as entertainment in general, began to rest on their laurels. They operated under the assumption that people came to Disney because Disney was what they wanted. They didn’t need a huge land dedicated to a boy wizard to trump their character catalog. Disney Parks were already at the top of their game, the attractions Disney proposed were exactly what Guests appeared to want. Disney, in this proposal, did not take the risk to break new ground, and lost the Harry Potter contract.

Universal, on the other hand, built something no one had really seen before. A new ride that featured technologies used primarily in manufacturing to create an experience unlike anything else in the world. Sure, it made some Guests ill, and others might have had a hard time fitting in the new vehicles, but the experience was so new and so unique, other attractions since then have been trying to find ways to “swat” its popularity. But aside from that, they also built a new environment that honestly goes against all the major design rules for theme parks of the day. Tight corridors and retail spaces, keeping out major brands like Coca-Cola, and overall ripping Guests out of the theme park realm and into the Wizarding World itself. Universal wasn’t following the rules, they were writing new rules, and those rules have come to define what the theme park environment looks like today.

Disney, for their part, found themselves in the new and uncomfortable position of needing to catch up. Pandora - The World of Avatar and now Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge are the result. But, looking at some of the international efforts Disney has been putting forth, it’s possible they’re still playing directly to what audiences want, and not necessarily proposing to them what it is. This is a risky position to take, but as Universal has shown, can result in unparalleled reward.

For those that love studying the history of the Disney parks, every once in a while a unique concept is stumbled upon. Something that is a little different from the castle parks and Vacation Club resorts. Every once in a while information comes out about one of Walt’s regional experiments, be it the famous Mineral King project in California or Riverfront Square in St Louis. Often these are seen as the Disneylands that never were, but there was one project that did come to life, and actually operated all the way up into the 1990’s. Located in my adopted hometown, Denver, CO, the Celebrity Sports Center is a not-as-well known hospitality oasis founded by Walt Disney himself.

Celebrity Lanes, as it was first known, opened in 1960, and was given its unique moniker due to the initial band of investors Walt lined up to open the complex. Joining Walt in this endeavor were his brother Roy, Jack Benny, George Burns, Bing Crosby, Burl Ives, Art Linkletter, as well as Charles Laughton, John Payne, Spike Jones, and Jim and Marion Jordan. Technically located within Glendale, Colorado, the location was chosen due to the large population growth the area was experiencing. Denver was already known for its outdoor adventures, but needed indoor recreation for the cold winter months. To fill this need, the Center was home to 80 lanes of bowling, three arcades eventually featuring more than 300 video games spread between them, a full service restaurant, Hofbrau, Coffee and Soda Shops, and even a Shooting Gallery. A year later, an olympic-sized pool was added to the attraction lineup. Reminding Guests of the Disney connection, it wasn’t uncommon to see Goofy water skiing on the 500,000 gallon pool. Outside the watery confines, the big cheese himself, Mickey Mouse would also make appearances. Walt, ever the perfectionist, even assigned an art director from Disneyland to the center to oversee new additions.

The Center would be expanded throughout its history, adding waterslides and dining options. However, it was not always successful. Within a few years of opening, management issues would scare away many of the celebrity investors that had been so critical to the opening of the complex. Beginning in October 1961, Walt Disney Productions began to buy out the other partners, and by 1962 was the sole owner of the property. It was at this time, the complex took on the name Celebrity Sports Center. For Walt, this was not just a mere entertainment enterprise. This was a chance to address societal needs. Children and Teens, no longer part of the workforce to the degree they had previously were, needed something to do, amusement to keep them out of trouble. This center provided that, at a reasonable cost. But the biggest advantage this place had was the ability to train future managers for the upcoming “Disneyland East” project Walt was dreaming up for Central Florida. Employees at the Center were held to the same high standards Walt expected from his Disneyland Cast Members, and as Disneyland employees, they also received the benefits of working in the kingdom. Really, the center was a small Disneyland in the Rocky Mountains.

But, like all good things, this too came to an end. After Walt’s death in 1966, Walt Disney Productions continued to operate the Center to train management for their Florida operations. In 1979, amidst the planning and construction of larger projects in Orlando and Japan, WDP sold the property to a group of buyers. The new owners continued to expand the complex throughout the 1980’s and its popularity soared. However, the success was not to be long lived. By the late 80’s the center began to attract more troublesome visitors, and attendance began to decline. With this decline came an equal decline in revenue, and in 1994, it was announced the Celebrity Sports Center would be closed forever, its land sold for retail development.

In 1993, a film premiered that was unlike anything that had come before it. Audiences worldwide were shocked by the incredible monsters it featured and the sheer terror wrought upon its main characters. Meanwhile, a 7-year old boy in Minnesota watched the film and thought, boy, that would be an amazing theme park. That film, of course, was Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece, Jurassic Park.

Our story begins in 1996 on the lower lot of Universal Studios Hollywood. There, the creative minds at Universal brought a small section of Isla Nublar to Southern California in Jurassic Park: The Ride. In the story, Guests are about to tour Jurassic Park through a River Adventure ride. In the queue, Guests hear all about the park from its founder, John Hammond, played again by the incomparable Richard Attenborough. Once on board, Guests are lifted up to the river, where Richard Kiley, notably the narrator selected by Jurassic Park author Michael Chricton in his book, and also featured in the film, introduces the park. The gates open and Guests come face to face with ultrasaurs, psittacosaurs, stegosaurs, compsognathus and a playful parasaurolophus. They are unfortunately bumped off course near the predator enclosures where they encounter the spitting dilophosaurus. Heading into an Environmental Systems Building to escape, Guests instead come face to face with hungry velociraptors, and finally, from behind a waterfall, they meet the king (or should I say queen) of the dinosaurs, the T-Rex herself, before falling 85 feet to the lagoon below. Interestingly, development for this ride began while the movie was still in production, leveraging the creativity of production designers right from the film!

The attraction was a smash hit, and brought a whole new level of detail to Universal attractions. This success was replicated just three short years later with the opening of Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida. While very similar to the California experience. Florida’s ride, the Jurassic Park River Adventure, features a raptor containment unit falling above Guests in place of a falling jeep effect from the original. Also, in Florida’s story, a Jurassic Park was opened in Orlando following the disaster at Isla Nublar, but it also might be on an island. Admittedly, it’s a little unclear. What’s not unclear is the grandeur and scale of the attraction, as well as the amazing presence of Richard Attenborough as John Hammond once again.

Two years later, Universal took the dinos overseas with the opening of the ride again at Universal Studios Osaka. This version is very similar to Orlando’s attraction.

In 2010, however, designers breathed new life into the ride franchise with the opening of the Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure in Singapore. Instead of a shoot-the-chutes experience, Guests ride in 9-person rafts on a wild churning river. The highlight of this attraction involves a unique elevator-type lift in the park’s “Hydroelectric Plant” where a hungry T-Rex awaits above delicious riders, who only just escape down a 40-foot escape chute. 

From there, we come full circle, as we return to Universal Studios Hollywood. With the Jurassic Park film franchise receiving a breath of new life in the highly successful Jurassic World films, Jurassic Park: the Ride underwent a major renovation starting in 2018, reopening in July 2019, becoming Jurassic World: The Ride. Alongside the returning park denizens from the original ride, the popular Mosasaurus and Indominus Rex were added to the attraction, along with an all new look and feel consistent with the 2015 film. Perhaps new additions will come with the opening of Universal parks in China and Orlando. One thing is for sure, the ride future looks bright for the franchise 65 million years in the making.

For today’s CreatiCore, we’re going to be talking about the segment’s namesake, Communicore. Designed as a two-in-one pavilion at the heart of Epcot Center’s Future World, Communicore was the community core of the park. While Communicore’s twin structures provided more context and detail about the themes of the Epcot Center pavilions, at its heart, Communicore introduced the public to the new and emerging realm of computers. In fact, Guests could see a presentation that showed them the nerve center of the entire park. Originally called the Astuter Computer Revue, it was quickly replaced with Backstage Magic, featuring hosts Julie and I/O. Another Epcot icon, SMRT-1, also called Communicore East its home.

Communicore, from a design standpoint, served many important roles within the park. Today, at least for the near future, but soon to change, the center of the pavilions that used to be Communicore is covered in massive spans of pavement surrounding a large fountain. But initially, this wasn’t the case. There were in fact, a few other water features that resulted in the plaza being significantly tighter. This may seem like an odd design choice, but it was very intentional. Beyond serving as an exhibit and attraction hall, Communicore also acted as an Epcot Center Main Street. The space was actually designed in such a way that there were transitways through the building, with exhibits and sights being on different elevations altogether. To get a sense of what this was like, check out Club Cool before it closes. Communicore was also host to the Stargate and Sunrise Terrace Restaurants. The Centorium, Epcot Center’s main retail location, and Walt Disney World’s largest store at the time, was also housed in Communicore East.

The buildings were constructed with expansive window walls. While providing an inviting look into the two buildings, these walls served a more practical purpose as well, as Communicore was designed to be easily expandable. This design trait was the progeny of the original plans for World Showcase, back when it was planned to live closer to the Transportation and Ticket Center. From one side, in this case, the fountain side, Communicore would look sleek and uniform, however, the outer walls could be easily removed, and the building could be expanded to accommodate new attractions. This actually occurred in 1993 and 1994, as Communicore was retired and converted into its successor, Innoventions. Did you know, Communicore was built extra tall to be able to accomodate a future Wedway Peoplemover? True story!

With Innoventions, however, came the end of much of what made Communicore so unique. The bright, inviting window walls were blackened, the entire space was flattened to one pedestrian level, and the fountain plaza area was paved. While as a successor, Innoventions was initially successful, with bright flashy sponsors like Sega, AT&T, and IBM, little by little the offerings of the two buildings eroded, leaving behind big awkward empty spaces. The flow of traffic gone, Innoventions was never truly a successor Main Street, instead acting as another warehouse of quickly outdated products. The retail location, now called MouseGear, expanded outside it’s original space to encompass the entire south end of Innoventions East. Coca-Cola would take over exhibit space at the south end of Innoventions West. Finally, with the expansion of Epcot Character Spot into the West building, the days of Innoventions and Communicore were solidly over.

In the coming months and years, Communicore West will be demolished, and the East building will become home to a store and restaurant, but ironically, the traffic patterns that were once embraced by the Communicore model seem to be partially returning, bringing back the importance of what was the Communicore courtyard area and reintroducing the Main Street of Epcot.

Today for our attraction spotlight, we’re going to incorporate a bit of a review as well. Nestled in the corner of Nickelodeon Universe at Bloomington, Minnesota’s Mall of America is an attraction that is simultaneously unique, yet very familiar. Inspired by Disney’s famous Soarin’ attractions, FlyOver America brings the flying theater concept to a very different venue. Opened in 2016, this attraction is the brainchild of Stephen Geddes and Andrew Strang, who originally opened FlyOver Canada, which is currently operating in Vancouver. After demonstrated success at that venue, the partners looked for a new location, and found it at the Midwest Megamall.

The ride system of the attraction was designed by Brogent Technologies Inc. and in part by famed coaster manufacturer Vekoma. The 20 million dollar attraction is very much like it’s Soarin predecessor, however with some very distinct differences. Both feature a comical safety video, with the US version currently borrowing from its Canadian sibling. It’d definitely be interesting to see Patrick Warburton’s safety spiel overlaid on the FlyOver video. I’m sure an impressive amount of synchrony would be the result. In Soarin’, Guests all board the attraction at the same level, with the ride vehicles being lifted into position by massive mechanical arms. This gives Guests a “takeoff” sensation to begin their adventure. FlyOver, on the other hand, asks Guests to do the lifting, with queues ending on multiple levels from 10ft off the ground to 40ft, accessed by stairways and ramps. Upon entering the theater, Guests board hang-glideresque benches and face the screen. Once buckled in (with smaller aviators who don’t measure up to height indicators on the seats needing to thread their buckle through a loop on the seat) the lights go out, the guide rails fall back, and the vehicles are slowly moved out into position above the screen.

From that point, the experience is very similar. Large sweeping views of diverse landscapes around the country, with the occasional blast of mist to represent ocean spray or the bite of arctic cold. Slight smells are also generated, further adding to the experience. Not adding to the experience, however, is the abrupt end of the screen at the top and bottom, as well as the shadows from the ride vehicles on either periphery. This is an issue Soarin’s omnimax dome screen and projectors do not have. The soundtrack is certainly inspirational and appropriate, albeit somewhat sedate and not nearly as catchy as its Disney counterpart. The ride length, however, is impressively long, with many more locales being featured as a result of its ample run time.

Overall, FlyOver America feels like a generic version of the Disney classic. It is certainly fun, and definitely easier to access. The lack of corporate red tape allows for more flexibility in the films produced for the attraction, which allows for seasonal overlays and future enhancement. However, the queue areas feel somewhat amateur, and the staff certainly could use an infusion of charisma. Also, while certainly more practical, the omission of the lift into position takes away a needed scene one to the attraction, putting riders immediately into the action, further emphasizing that this is just a motion simulator. It feels like a great flying experience, but it's clear some expense was spared. That being said, it is worth seeing, especially if you happen to come across a BOGO or coupon. Without that, the $20 ticket price for adults and $16 ticket price for children are a bit steep for the experience and execution of this ride.

Have you had a chance to experience FlyOver America or FlyOver Canada? What are your impressions of the attraction? Let us know at [email protected].

“A rising tide lifts all boats.”

Today’s motivational Monday quote is actually more of an aphorism. The source of this saying is not 100% known, but it is said to have been a part of the Chinese language for hundreds of years. While this phrase is often used in the context of economic development or politics, it actually can be quite appropriate to the realm of location based entertainment.

Let’s first look at a man named Walt in Southern California. No, not Walt Disney, rather Walter Knott, founder of Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, CA. Knott’s Berry Farm really started in the mid 1920s, when the Knott Family would sell their famous jams and jellies at a roadside stand. Over the next few decades, the farm would grow to include the famous Chicken Dinner restaurant and a ghost town to entertain guests. It was certainly a well known attraction in the Los Angeles area. Then, in the mid 50’s another Walt, yes, this time Mr. Disney, scouts out nearby Anaheim for his own park.

This, of course, started the infamous Walter War that put Knott at odds with Disney for decades! Just kidding, in fact, Walt Disney and Walter Knott actually had a fairly friendly relationship, with both Walts visiting each others parks. It’s said Walt Disney even got some ideas for how to more heavily theme attractions and develop the queues at Disneyland by watching the progress of designer Bud Hurlbut’s Calico Mine Train attraction. Even with the opening of Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm saw continued success. In 1980, Knott’s even put adds in local newspapers wishing Disneyland a happy 25th anniversary to go along with their 60th. Guests to Disneyland would often plan trips to Knott’s and vice-versa. Even to this day, a theme park trip to Southern California can include Disneyland, Universal Studios and Knott’s Berry Farm.

In Aurora, OH, for many years the theme park Geauga Lake was a friendly neighbor to the second SeaWorld Park, Sea World of Ohio. In fact, the park was built next to Geauga Lake in an effort to drum up excitement and visitors for both parks. Later, Six Flags decided to buy both parks and combine them to form a mega park, which it then proceeded to sell to Cedar Fair, who later closed all parks and demolished the land in what has to be one of the most depressing episodes in theme park history.

Even in Orlando, the addition of Walt Disney World was initially seen as a big plus to nearby Cypress Gardens. Even Disney got in on the action, welcoming Universal Studios Florida to the Orlando area, stating “What’s good for tourism and entertainment is good for Central Florida. With the Eisner era, competition certainly heated up and became more cutthroat, but at the end of the day, when one park in Central Florida succeeds, all of them can reap the benefits. Without WDW, we wouldn’t have SeaWorld or Universal Orlando. While both parks would certainly love to steal market share from the other, I would find it very hard to believe that either would wish the other completely gone. Truly, a rising tide lifts all boats.

What do you think? Do you think cordial neighborly relationships benefit all entertainment enterprises, or is the cutthroat, all-business approach the more economically viable? Let us know at [email protected]

Imagine yourself in the early 80’s. You’re into the future, all of the promises of tomorrow, in fact, you’d love to get a glimpse of what the future has in store for you. Maybe you’d like to see a house of tomorrow. You hop in the family car and head to a destination that will show you exactly what you’ve been dreaming of. You step outside the car, and what do you see. Why, you see an incredible piece of fantastical architecture. Is that a UFO, or a space station? Eagerly, you line up for your ticket and proceed into what is sure to be an unforgettable experience. You’ve finally arrived at your destination. No, it’s not Epcot, in fact, it’s over 1,300 miles from there. You’ve arrived in the Wisconsin Dells, and Tommy Bartlett’s Robot World.

Opened in 1982, Robot World was the brainchild of entertainer Tommy Bartlett, who, like Walt Disney, was a showman at heart. Specifically, he specialized in water ski shows. Interesting fact, Tommy Bartlett was inspired to create his own water ski spectacular after seeing one himself at the 1949 Chicago Railroad Fair, the same fair where Walt Disney started dreaming up the possibilities for the park that would eventually become Disneyland. It is a small world, after all.

Tommy eventually found a permanent home for his show in Wisconsin Dells, where he then began to branch out into other attractions, including dancing waters and the focus of our flashback, Robot World. Robot World was originally built to showcase the House of Tomorrow, and did so as a walk-through tour of various vignettes designed to show a futuristic family living their daily lives. Sounds a bit like Horizons at Epcot Center, doesn’t it? But this one came first.

The robots generally fell into two main categories, there were the more simple type, consisting of spheres with prominent eyes and arms, and the more human-like models, looking a tad bit reminiscent of C3PO from the Star Wars films. Your host was the odd exception, being a four-foot tall R2D2ish robot guide by the name of Tatu.

Within the futuristic 2.2 million dollar space-capsule-esque building, designed by a protege of Frank Lloyd Wright, Guests would board a rocket capsule and fly to the Star Shadow Habitat in the distant year of 2020. Once onboard the habitat, Guests could see everything from food preparation to the computer classroom of the future. One somewhat awkward scene had guests barging in on a bath in progress. The robot denizens of this experience would even serenade your arrival and departure with an ear worm likely to stick with you for the rest of your vacation.

In 1983, Robot World added the Exploratory, which featured a wide array of interactive science experiments designed to engage members of the whole family. As time went on, more and more emphasis was put on the exploratory, including the amazing addition of an actual core module built to be a replacement to the Russian Space Station MIR. Sadly, Robot World slowly devolved into a shell of its former self. In 2018, due to leaks that couldn’t be repaired, the original Robot World building was retired, with all of the remaining exhibits being moved to the former gift shop of the experience. Now, only two robots remain, an android named Tutorios, and Tatu.

As a smaller attraction in south-central Wisconsin, Robot World featured many elements that one could usually only see in a major theme park, like fully articulated animatronics. Sadly, like Disney’s Tomorrowlands, the future caught up with Robot World, and it now exists only in memory (and YouTube!). But for a time, the house of tomorrow was within reach among the lakes and trees of Wisconsin Dells.

Have you had the chance to visit Robot World or another attraction like it? Do you miss those optimistic and sometimes cheesy looks at the future? Let us know at [email protected].