Universal’s Star Trek Adventure Beams Back Into the Spotlight (Ep. 118)

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey unpack a packed week of Universal news before celebrating Star Trek’s 60th anniversary with a look back at Universal’s surprising history with the franchise. They discuss the closure of Animal Actors on Location, new developments surrounding Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, Universal Nights at Epic Universe, and a major expansion opportunity for Universal Studios Japan. Then Jim revisits Universal Studios Hollywood’s Star Trek Adventure and explains how an ambitious transporter effect later found a second life at Islands of Adventure.

NEWS

• Universal Studios Florida’s Animal Actors on Location will permanently close on November 2, opening up a potentially valuable redevelopment site.

• Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift prepares for its September 16 opening at Universal Studios Hollywood as questions remain about neighborhood noise mitigation.

• Universal Nights at Epic Universe adds more dates after strong demand for the limited-capacity after-hours event.

• Halloween Horror Nights gets underway at Universal Studios Hollywood, including new haunted houses, Terror Tram experiences, and the expanding mythology of Hamikuma.

• Universal Studios Japan could gain roughly 15 acres through the acquisition of neighboring Nippon Steel property, creating room for a major future expansion.

FEATURE

• Star Trek celebrates 60 years since the original NBC series premiered on September 8, 1966.

• Universal Studios Hollywood’s Star Trek Adventure gave guests the chance to perform inside recreated Enterprise sets and take home their own VHS souvenir.

• Paramount’s limited theme park licensing deal helped bring Star Trek experiences to both Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Florida.

• The transporter illusion developed for Star Trek: The Experience in Las Vegas shared some remarkable stagecraft DNA with Poseidon’s Fury at Islands of Adventure.