Nickelodeon Studios Nostalgia – Looking Back at a Favorite Former Universal Attraction
Nickelodeon was a staple of my childhood – specifically Nick Jr.
I remember watching The Wild Thornberrys before naptime and eating a PB&J while Blue’s Clues (with the inestimable Steve) was on in the background. Trying to climb into the TV to hang out with Doug Funnie was a regular occurrence. (Though, I never did figure out how to get inside.) Each character and each show is lovingly tucked away in my memory banks, as they are with many of my peers.
For some of us, another piece of Nickelodeon is also locked away in our hearts and minds: Nickelodeon Studios at Universal Orlando.
This was where the actual filming of many of the live shows happened, and at one time, you could be immersed in the magic of how Nick was made for 45 glorious minutes. Unfortunately, Nickelodeon Studios and the fan-loved tours were closed down in 2005.
However, today, here at MouseEars TV, we’re going to re-open those doors – at least for a little while – and relive the glory days of green slime, Stick Stickly, and Kenan and Kel.
Nickelodeon Studios Universal: Every Nick Kid’s Dream
In the early 1900s, “nickelodeons” started popping up across the United States. These storefront theatres offered short vaudeville acts or films that could be enjoyed for only five cents – hence the “nickel” part. (The “odeon” part was a riff on the Greek word for theatre.)1
Of course, by the 1980s and 1990s, Nickelodeon was synonymous with the best television programming a kid could consume. With shows like Rugrats and Slime Time Live, Nick wasn’t just something you tuned into once in a blue moon, it was a way of life. You were either a “Nick Kid” or a “Disney Kid.” (With some crossover from both camps into PBS territory. I mean, who could resist Dragon Tales?)
So, when Nick joined up with Universal and built Nickelodeon Studios, then opened it to the public in 1990, Nick Kids went wild.2
There was the famous Slime Geyser (so much more impressive than anything in Yellowstone), actual film sets to explore, behind the scenes discoveries…
Perhaps one of the best parts of Nickelodeon Studios Universal was getting to witness episodes of your favorite show (like Double Dare or All That) being taped, or better yet, actually sitting in the live studio audience. If you were truly lucky, you’d end up a part of the Slime Time Live segment and be doused in green goo on national television!
Looking back, maybe slime was a weird thing to get excited about, but I wouldn’t trade that era for anything.
As Nick branched out into Nicktoons, with hits like Rocko’s Modern Life and Ren and Stimpy, giant cut-outs of favorite characters began to populate Nickelodeon Studios, making for great photo-ops (on a roll of film that later had to be developed at the local drugstore!).3
(Photo: Florida Memory)
In fact, Nickelodeon Studios Universal was so influential, they put together a time capsule in 1992, filling it with items deemed important to kids at the time (as voted upon by viewers).
Nick Kids voted for items like Twinkies, a jar of Gak, a Nintendo Gameboy, and a copy of Back to the Future on VHS.4 Made to be sealed away for 50 years – which sounded like an eternity to us Nick Kids – the opening is now only 20 years away. Life’s a little crazy, isn’t it?
Now, looking back at Nickelodeon Studios itself is a bit like peeking into a time capsule. But what happened? It’s not like we quit loving Nick – in fact, there’s a lot of us Nick Kids who actively enjoy Nick’s more recent fandoms, like Avatar the Last Airbender!
So, why don’t we have a simulated sky-bison coaster, a gift shop brimming with plush Momo lemurs, or a meet and greet with Prince Zuko at Universal?
The Downfall of Nickelodeon Studios Universal…
Cartoons.
I loved, and still love Nick’s cartoons. But unfortunately, when Nick shifted toward doing more and more animated features, it meant more and more studio work was happening in California, where the animation headquarters were.
It left little to be seen or experienced in Orlando’s Nickelodeon Studios. In fact, by 1999, no productions were actually taking place in Florida, and the once-grand, 45-minute tour had dwindled to a measly 10 minutes, with no chance of experiencing any lights, camera, action.5
By 2005, Nickelodeon Studios closed its doors to make way for the Blue Man Group attraction, and Universal Studios Florida itself was transforming into the theme park we recognize today.
The golden era of the 90s – and the wonderment of mechanical pencils – was gone.
Once A Nick Kid, Always A Nick Kid
Nickelodeon – both the franchise and the Orlando studio – are fondly remembered for how they were in the 80s and 90s. In fact, there is a movement to bring back Nickelodeon Studios, though perhaps in a museum-type capacity, or maybe in a manner more akin to other parts of Universal Studios, like Seuss Landing or the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
With the Blue Man Group recently announcing their own closure, some Nick Kids (now adults) are sincerely hoping for the return of our favorite place. However, neither Nickelodeon nor Universal have made any mention of this possibility, so, our optimism is pretty reserved at this point.
Nevertheless, with the magic of DVDs or online streaming (yeah, VHS tapes are obsolete now, too) we can still relive our favorite shows. Personally, I still like to pop in an episode of Doug now and then, especially “Doug’s Lucky Hat.”
During the episode, Doug finds a red and blue baseball cap that seems to bring him good luck. Understandably, he becomes pretty attached to it. He won’t go anywhere without it and becomes despondent when bully Roger Klotz swipes it. However, at the end of the episode, Patty Mayonnaise tells Doug,
“You’re a winner with or without your hat.”
When a gust of wind blows the hat away, Roger Klotz implores Doug to help him chase it, but Doug quietly says,
“No, I think it’s somebody else’s turn.”
Like Doug cherished his lucky hat, I cherished my time as a Nick Kid, and I always will. I would absolutely love to have Nickelodeon Studios back in Universal Studios Florida – to keep my lucky hat – but if something else takes its place, that’s okay, too. We’re Nick Kids with or without our studio. And maybe it’s just someone else’s turn now.
Did you visit Nickelodeon Studios when it was in Orlando? We’d love to hear your memories of it in the comments below! Also, let me know what your favorite show was! (In addition to Doug, I was always wild about Face announcing what was coming up next, LOL.)
Cover Image
Photo: Florida Memory
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