Universal Studios' evolution from modest Tram Tour to the top challenger for the theme park throne was due to the fierce drive of one man: Jay Stein.
Intense, ambitious and sometimes frightening, Stein let his competitiveness and, later, his seething rage against the Walt Disney Company forge an entirely new path for theme parks. By the time he left the company in 1993, it was no longer the underdog, but an innovator that the rest of the industry - Disney included - had to keep up with.

Stein passed away on November 5th.  Join us in remembering the legend and celebrating his life.

Obituary: https://boardwalktimes.net/universal-studios-theme-park-visionary-jay-stein-dead-at-87-32b3158eaa0a

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Midnight seances, glow-in-the-dark ghosts, and a gorilla that always breaks loose—our journey into haunted-house history starts where theater met sideshow and never looked back. We trace the first British walkthroughs of the 1930s, the packed spook shows that turned movie palaces into after-hours carnivals, and the scrappy showmen who transformed empty storefronts into seasonal scream factories. 

From the U.K. to postwar Japan, if you love theme parks, horror design, or the mechanics of a perfect fright, you’re in the right place.

Enjoyed the ride? Follow the show, leave a rating on your podcast app, and share this episode with a friend who loves a good scare. Your reviews help others find us.

Thanks for listening!

We'd love it if you would give us a review on your podcast platform of choice: iTunes, Spotify, etc... They're really helpful.

And get in touch and let us know about YOUR Plus-Ups for the attractions we've talked about! We'd love to tell them on the air.

Come visit us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, or whatever social media you like. Just look up Lowdown on the Plus-Up and you'll probably find us. Or drop us a note to [email protected] and let us know any questions or comments about how YOU would like to plus-something-up!

We are a Boardwalk Times production.
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Halloween didn’t just arrive at theme parks; it was engineered, rehearsed, and unleashed from a fog-soaked street in Buena Park. We dive into the wild origin story of Knott’s Scary Farm, tracing the DNA from mid-century horror hosts to the first freestanding mazes, the invention of roaming monsters, and the culture of sliders sparking their way through Calico. It’s a saga packed with scrappy ingenuity, late-night TV legend, and a berry (boysen) farm that accidentally became the Godfather of haunt season.

We unpack the rise of Sinister Seymour’s razor-edged hosting, the disco-chaos of Wolfman Jack (including a gloriously unlicensed “Star Wars” detour), and the polished power of Elvira, whose partnership with John Paragon made legendary Vegas-style Camp. From the early witch’s gallows that genuinely chilled to The Hanging’s later pop-culture satire, we examine where tone elevates fear and where it dilutes it. Then we step inside the design shop: Dominion of the Dead’s monochrome beauty, classic illusions like Spidora, and a philosophy that favors original concepts over IP—teaching generations of builders to craft story with light, sound, and movement.

We also wrestle with the boundaries. Trapped’s extreme interactivity brought waivers, safe words, and ethical questions that tested the Knott’s ethos. By the end, you’ll see how Knott’s Scary Farm didn’t just influence Universal and Six Flags—it gave seasonal events a blueprint for scale, artistry, and atmosphere.

If this journey made you feel the fog rolling in, subscribe, share with a fellow haunt fan, and leave a review with your favorite Scary Farm memory or maze. What should come back: a serious, cinematic set piece or a new master of ceremonies to lead the night?

Thanks for listening!

We'd love it if you would give us a review on your podcast platform of choice: iTunes, Spotify, etc... They're really helpful.

And get in touch and let us know about YOUR Plus-Ups for the attractions we've talked about! We'd love to tell them on the air.

Come visit us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, or whatever social media you like. Just look up Lowdown on the Plus-Up and you'll probably find us. Or drop us a note to [email protected] and let us know any questions or comments about how YOU would like to plus-something-up!

We are a Boardwalk Times production.
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Ray Bradbury had a fascination with themed entertainment since he first attended the 1939 New York World's Fair, but was it merely as a casual observer or did he actually get his hands dirty?
We invited noted Ray Bradbury scholar, Dr. Phil Nichols, to talk about it all: Ray's relationship with Walt Disney, his fascination with urban design, his work on EPCOT Center, and even how Ray might very well be responsible for the concept of a food court.
We even got to hear about some attraction concepts that Bradbury worked on but were never built.

Join us for the straight dope on the brilliant Ray Bradbury!

===============================================================

If you'd like to listen to any of Phil's terrific podcasts - Bradbury 100 or Science Fiction 101 - you can find information on them here: bradburymedia.co.uk 

He also has his YouTube channel, Bradbury 101, right here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKLDIIgbxgIsUjaY_4IG90yvfaO9wWIRf

Thanks for listening!

Thanks for listening!

We'd love it if you would give us a review on your podcast platform of choice: iTunes, Spotify, etc... They're really helpful.

And get in touch and let us know about YOUR Plus-Ups for the attractions we've talked about! We'd love to tell them on the air.

Come visit us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, or whatever social media you like. Just look up Lowdown on the Plus-Up and you'll probably find us. Or drop us a note to [email protected] and let us know any questions or comments about how YOU would like to plus-something-up!

We are a Boardwalk Times production.
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Whether he was disappointed with how his work for EPCOT Center turned out or he was simply inspired to do it again, Ray Bradbury created his own vision of a theme park: The Great Electric Time Maze.
Impractical, economically unviable and centered around completely untethered Blue Sky concepts, this midwestern phantasia of a park is right up our alley! 
Join us as we zoom through time, battle dinosaurs with our Electro-Guns, narrowly escape from the Mechanical Hounds and drown in the Sea of Eats in the park that only the greatest science fiction writer of the 20th century could have conceived.

Thanks for listening!

We'd love it if you would give us a review on your podcast platform of choice: iTunes, Spotify, etc... They're really helpful.

And get in touch and let us know about YOUR Plus-Ups for the attractions we've talked about! We'd love to tell them on the air.

Come visit us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, or whatever social media you like. Just look up Lowdown on the Plus-Up and you'll probably find us. Or drop us a note to [email protected] and let us know any questions or comments about how YOU would like to plus-something-up!

We are a Boardwalk Times production.
Boardwalk Times, https://boardwalktimes.net/
Boardwalk Times store, https://boardwalktimes.store .

Star Trek is an enduring contradiction. It's strong progressive ideals are often at odds with the fiscal reality of the entertainment business, and its presence in theme parks are no exception.
But the morality of Star Trek, more often than not, wins out.
Pete and Kelly take a look at the franchise's complicated history - from Lucille Ball to Las Vegas to a remarkable Elvis impersonator in upstate New York - and finds profound meaning in the times that America's most resilient science fiction franchise burst into the real world and let us become a living part of it.

IDIC is real. 

Live long and prosper.

#startrek
#universalstudios

Thanks for listening!

We'd love it if you would give us a review on your podcast platform of choice: iTunes, Spotify, etc... They're really helpful.

And get in touch and let us know about YOUR Plus-Ups for the attractions we've talked about! We'd love to tell them on the air.

Come visit us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, or whatever social media you like. Just look up Lowdown on the Plus-Up and you'll probably find us. Or drop us a note to [email protected] and let us know any questions or comments about how YOU would like to plus-something-up!

We are a Boardwalk Times production.
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Boardwalk Times store, https://boardwalktimes.store .

Pete takes mercy on Kelly, who's been under the weather, and does the heavy lifting on our follow-up to last season's "Rude Mechanicals - Jungle Cruise: The Early Years."
Bill Evans is back to see the fruition of the project he began over 35 years prior. His dream becomes a reality in the best way!
Disney doubles down on immersion with unintended consequences!
The jungle grows, transforms, and becomes something even more mysterious as it tries to embrace the Forbidden Eye of Mara!
Join us!

Thanks for listening!

We'd love it if you would give us a review on your podcast platform of choice: iTunes, Spotify, etc... They're really helpful.

And get in touch and let us know about YOUR Plus-Ups for the attractions we've talked about! We'd love to tell them on the air.

Come visit us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, or whatever social media you like. Just look up Lowdown on the Plus-Up and you'll probably find us. Or drop us a note to [email protected] and let us know any questions or comments about how YOU would like to plus-something-up!

We are a Boardwalk Times production.
Boardwalk Times, https://boardwalktimes.net/
Boardwalk Times store, https://boardwalktimes.store .

It's a brief, Mid-summer (Don't get in the bear!) minisode.

Ever wondered what's really happening with Disneyland Forward? Dive into this revealing mini-episode where we crack open the truth behind Disney's highly publicized expansion plans in Anaheim. 

https://boardwalktimes.net/disneylandforward-what-exactly-is-it-3f4c79bf93c4

A new full episode in a few weeks!

Thanks for listening!

We'd love it if you would give us a review on your podcast platform of choice: iTunes, Spotify, etc... They're really helpful.

And get in touch and let us know about YOUR Plus-Ups for the attractions we've talked about! We'd love to tell them on the air.

Come visit us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, or whatever social media you like. Just look up Lowdown on the Plus-Up and you'll probably find us. Or drop us a note to [email protected] and let us know any questions or comments about how YOU would like to plus-something-up!

We are a Boardwalk Times production.
Boardwalk Times, https://boardwalktimes.net/
Boardwalk Times store, https://boardwalktimes.store .

Jaws was a lynchpin to Universal's theme park success, both in California and Florida. It was also one of the biggest headaches the parks ever dealt with.

Join us for the return of the J-Bang(!!!) as we pick apart what happened, follow the recriminations and discuss some amazing behind-the-scenes theme park designers who worked on this ambitious, and occasionally reckless, attraction.

It's so much Jaws goodness that you're gonna need a bigger boat. 

================================================================

Special shout-out to Dustin McNeill's excellent "Adventures in Amity: Tales from the Jaws Ride" (https://www.harkerpress.com/jaws)

And to Sam Gennawey's "Universal vs. Disney" (https://shop.adventurewithkeen.com/product/universal-vs-disney/)

Thanks for listening!

We'd love it if you would give us a review on your podcast platform of choice: iTunes, Spotify, etc... They're really helpful.

And get in touch and let us know about YOUR Plus-Ups for the attractions we've talked about! We'd love to tell them on the air.

Come visit us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, or whatever social media you like. Just look up Lowdown on the Plus-Up and you'll probably find us. Or drop us a note to [email protected] and let us know any questions or comments about how YOU would like to plus-something-up!

We are a Boardwalk Times production.
Boardwalk Times, https://boardwalktimes.net/
Boardwalk Times store, https://boardwalktimes.store .

We contend that there is nothing more patriotic than being conned into believing that water runs uphill.

Step into a world where the laws of physics seemingly take a vacation as we explore America's beloved gravity-defying roadside attractions. From the Santa Cruz Mystery Spot to Confusion Hill nestled in California's redwoods, these quirky destinations have been baffling and delighting travelers since the '40s.
The long and cloudy history of Gravity Shacks/Confusion Hills/Mystery Spots are living reminders of the wonders of weird roadside attractions and a kind of quirky, delightful, oddball America that Pete and Kelly love. From Aldebert Ames to Bill Cipher we trace the stories, and myths, of where these mysterious, physics-defying, buildings came from.

Let's learn how to stop worrying and embrace the con!

It's the first episode of Season 2 of Lowdown on the Plus-Up: America's Addiction to Gravity - Mystery Spots

Thanks for listening!

We'd love it if you would give us a review on your podcast platform of choice: iTunes, Spotify, etc... They're really helpful.

And get in touch and let us know about YOUR Plus-Ups for the attractions we've talked about! We'd love to tell them on the air.

Come visit us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, or whatever social media you like. Just look up Lowdown on the Plus-Up and you'll probably find us. Or drop us a note to [email protected] and let us know any questions or comments about how YOU would like to plus-something-up!

We are a Boardwalk Times production.
Boardwalk Times, https://boardwalktimes.net/
Boardwalk Times store, https://boardwalktimes.store .