Epic Universal Podcast
By Jim Hill Media Podcast Network
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Category: Places & Travel
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Subscribers: 13
Reviews: 0
Episodes: 174
Description
Eric Hersey & Jim Hill have a different take on Universal Parks & Experiences. They share news of the day as well as behind-the-scenes stories in a breezy, conversational style. Better yet, listeners of this podcast are regularly invited to offer their input / join the conversation. So, get ready for some Epic fun.
| Episode | Date |
|---|---|
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How Universal’s Studio Tour Became a Theme Park (Ep. 127)
|
Nov 06, 2026 |
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The Invisible Man's Hollywood History Comes Out of Hiding (Ep. 126)
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Oct 30, 2026 |
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How Shrek 4-D Became the Secret Sequel to Shrek (Ep. 125)
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Oct 23, 2026 |
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How Mike Myers Changed Shrek Forever (Ep. 124)
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Oct 16, 2026 |
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The Shrek That Almost Was: Chris Farley and DreamWorks’ Early Gamble (Ep. 123)
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Oct 09, 2026 |
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The Dark Origins of Halloween Horror Nights (Ep. 122)
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Oct 02, 2026 |
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Abbott & Costello’s Final Act, Plus Felix the Cat’s Universal Future (Ep. 121)
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Sep 25, 2026 |
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What’s Going On With King Kong at Islands of Adventure? (Ep. 120)
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Sep 18, 2026 |
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Abbott and Costello Meet Universal History (Ep. 119)
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Sep 11, 2026 |
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Universal’s Star Trek Adventure Beams Back Into the Spotlight (Ep. 118)
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Sep 04, 2026 |
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Tim Curry’s Legendary Transformation in Ridley Scott’s Legend (Ep. 117)
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Aug 28, 2026 |
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Stranger Things Comes Full Circle at Halloween Horror Nights (Ep. 116)
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Aug 21, 2026 |
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How Universal’s Prop Plaza Turned a Lunch Stop Into Theme Park History (Ep. 115)
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Aug 14, 2026 |
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How Hard Rock Became Part of Universal Orlando’s DNA (Ep. 114)
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Aug 07, 2026 |
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Inside Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition (Ep. 113)
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Jul 31, 2026 |
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Fast & Furious - Supercharged: The Party Bus Pulls Into the Garage (Ep. 112)
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Jul 24, 2026 |
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By the Power of Grayskull, He-Man Storms Universal History (Ep. 111)
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Jul 17, 2026 |
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From Backdraft to The Grinch, Ron Howard Comes Home to Universal (Ep. 110)
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Jul 10, 2026 |
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The Great Comcast-NBCUniversal Split and What It Means for Universal Parks (Ep. 109)
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Jul 04, 2026 |
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From Rainforest Cafe to Hot Dog Hall of Fame with Steven Schussler (Ep. 108)
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Jun 26, 2026 |
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Stranger Things and The Goblins of Hopkinsville (Ep. 107)
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Jun 19, 2026 |
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Everything Keeps Catching Fire: Universal’s Backlot Blazes (Ep. 106)
|
Jun 05, 2026 |
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The Canadian Simulator Ride That Changed Theme Parks Forever (Ep. 105)
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May 29, 2026 |
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How The Wiz Changed Michael Jackson’s Career Forever (Ep. 104)
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May 22, 2026 |
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The Disney Decision That Cost Them Steven Spielberg (Ep. 103)
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May 15, 2026 |
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Casper and the Universal Walkthrough That Almost Became a Ride (Ep. 102)
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May 08, 2026 |
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FanFest 2026 Hits Hollywood While Epic Universe Gets a Reality Check with Chris Cox (Ep. 101)
|
May 01, 2026 |
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100 Episodes In, Still Sneaking Into Universal (Ep. 100)
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Apr 24, 2026 |
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Pay-Per-Ride Comes to Epic Universe and the Long Goodbye to Lucy: A Tribute (Ep. 99)
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Apr 17, 2026 |
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How Universal Transformed the Upper Lot to Build The Wizarding World (Ep. 98)
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Apr 10, 2026 |
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Permits, Annual Passes, HHN 35, and Fan Fest News (Ep. 97)
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Apr 03, 2026 |
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Universal Horror Unleashed Review: Inside Universal’s Year-Round Vegas Horror Experiment (Ep. 96)
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Mar 27, 2026 |
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First Time at Universal Studios Hollywood - Does It Live Up to the Hype? (Ep. 95)
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Mar 20, 2026 |
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Fast & Furious Hits the Brakes on the Studio Tour (Ep. 94)
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Mar 13, 2026 |
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Fast & Furious: From Street Racing Article to Universal Attraction (Ep.93)
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Mar 06, 2026 |
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Universal Wants to Be Your Week-Long Vacation (Ep. 92)
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Feb 27, 2026 |
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The Direct-to-Video Dinosaur That Made a Billion (Ep. 91)
|
Feb 20, 2026 |
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From American Tail to Littlefoot – Don Bluth and Spielberg’s Unlikely Alliance (Ep. 90)
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Feb 13, 2026 |
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When Universal Tried to Build a Theme Park in the Desert (Ep. 89)
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Feb 06, 2026 |
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Miami Vice Goes to the Theme Park (Ep. 88)
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Jan 30, 2026 |
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Fast & Furious Revs Up and the Strange Art of Faking Disaster at Universal (Ep. 87)
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Jan 23, 2026 |
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Tarzan Swings Back In, While the Universal Backlot Goes Up in Flames (Ep. 86)
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Jan 16, 2026 |
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Universal’s Most Dangerous Tram Scene and Why It Disappeared (Ep. 85)
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Jan 09, 2026 |
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From Affordable Housing to a House on Fire – Universal News and the Tram Tour’s Burning Past (Ep. 84)
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Jan 02, 2026 |
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Permits, Surveys, and Big Moves as Universal’s Next Era Points to Saudi Arabia (Ep. 83)
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Dec 26, 2025 |
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The Day Boris Karloff Walked Into the Commissary and Changed Hollywood (Ep. 82)
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Dec 19, 2025 |
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The Dracula Gamble That Built Universal’s Monster Empire (Ep. 81)
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Dec 12, 2025 |
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The 27-Year Idea: Uncovering the Surprising Origins of CityWalk (Ep. 80)
|
Dec 05, 2025 |
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How Jim Carrey Survived Becoming the Grinch (Ep. 79)
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Nov 28, 2025 |
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The Man Who Made Universal Explode: Jay Stein and the Birth of the JayBang (Ep. 78)
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Nov 21, 2025 |
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The Van Helsing That Never Was: Inside Universal’s Abandoned Dark Universe (Ep. 77)
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Nov 14, 2025 |
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Survey Says: Epic Universe May Join Universal’s AP Lineup (Ep. 76)
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Nov 07, 2025 |
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The Annual Pass Puzzle and How The Mummy Buried a Monster Movie Franchise (Ep. 75)
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Oct 31, 2025 |
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How a Budget Cut Created Back to the Future’s Lightning Strike Moment (Ep. 74)
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Oct 24, 2025 |
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What If Comcast Buys Warner Bros.? Theme Park Dreams and Streaming Wars (Ep. 73)
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Oct 17, 2025 |
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How Transformers Replaced Murder, She Wrote at Universal Studios (Ep. 72)
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Oct 10, 2025 |
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What Other IPs Could Be Coming to Universal’s Fan Fest 2026? (Ep. 71)
|
Oct 03, 2025 |
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Cabana Bay and the Resort Boom at Universal Orlando (Ep. 70)
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Sep 26, 2025 |
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From Dueling Dragons to Zelda Rumors: What’s Next for Lost Continent? (Ep. 69)
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Sep 19, 2025 |
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How Universal Snatched Rocky & Bullwinkle from Disney (Ep. 68)
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Sep 12, 2025 |
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Who Stole It Better? Disney, Universal, and the Battle of Borrowed Rides (Ep. 67)
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Sep 05, 2025 |
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Deathly Afraid Necklaces and the Origins of Dueling Dragons (Ep. 66)
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Aug 29, 2025 |
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Vegas Goes Scary: Universal Horror Unleashed and Jaws the Revenge (Ep. 65)
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Aug 22, 2025 |
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The Orlando Theme Park That Made Jaws 3D Possible (Ep. 64)
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Aug 15, 2025 |
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Charting the Future of Epic Universe with Parklore’s Brian Krosnick (Ep. 63)
|
Aug 08, 2025 |
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Epic Universe at Capacity: What Changes When the Park Sells Out? (Ep. 62)
|
Aug 01, 2025 |
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When Jaws 3 Almost Became a National Lampoon Movie (Ep. 61)
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Jul 25, 2025 |
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The Studio, the Sequel, and the Great White That Ate the Budget (Ep. 60)
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Jul 18, 2025 |
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When Universal Shut Down a Sequel: The Making of Jaws 2 (Ep. 59)
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Jul 11, 2025 |
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Why Apollo 13 Still Lands After 30 Years (Ep. 58)
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Jul 04, 2025 |
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Mike Aiello on Jaws, Halloween Horror Nights, and 30 Years at Universal (Ep. 57)
|
Jun 27, 2025 |
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How Abbott & Costello (and a Baseball Bit) Saved Universal (Ep. 56)
|
Jun 20, 2025 |
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Slime, Slapstick, and the Secret History of Nickelodeon Studios (Ep. 55)
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Jun 13, 2025 |
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Harry and the Hendersons, Spielberg’s Lost Alien Film, and the Birth of E.T. (Ep. 54)
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Jun 06, 2025 |
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Steven Spielberg’s Quest to Be the Next Walt Disney (Ep. 53)
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May 30, 2025 |
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Epic Universe Officially Opens: Live Coverage, Celebrity Sightings, and the Ghost of Universal Escape (Ep. 52)
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May 23, 2025 |
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Why Raptor Encounter Works (and Triceratops Didn’t) (Ep. 51)
|
May 16, 2025 |
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Universal India Rumors, Tribute Store Props, and the Rise and Fall of Triceratops Encounter (Ep. 50)
|
May 09, 2025 |
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Epic Universe Ticket Drama, TapuTapu Retires, and Triceratops Encounter Origins (Ep. 49)
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May 02, 2025 |
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Epic Universe First Impressions: Experiencing Battle at the Ministry & Monsters Unchained (Ep. 48)
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Apr 25, 2025 |
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Hop and the Hunt for a Holiday Classic: Why Easter Movies Never Stick (Ep. 47)
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Apr 18, 2025 |
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Epic Universe Annual Passholder Details and Universal’s UK Theme Park Plans (Ep. 46)
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Apr 11, 2025 |
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Aztec Dancers, Mariachis, Tequila, and Ceremonial Sacrifices?! (Ep. 45)
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Apr 04, 2025 |
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From Mariachi to Mardi Gras: The Forgotten Festival That Shaped Universal (Ep. 44)
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Mar 28, 2025 |
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From SpongeBob to Slime: The Story of Nickelodeon at Universal (Ep. 43)
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Mar 21, 2025 |
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Universal’s Forgotten Past: Ma & Pa Kettle’s Hollywood Legacy (Ep. 42)
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Mar 14, 2025 |
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News, More News, and Even More News from Universal (Ep. 41)
|
Mar 07, 2025 |
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The Dark Crystal: Universal’s Jim Henson Experiment (Ep. 40)
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Feb 28, 2025 |
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How The Muppet Movie Set the Stage for Universal’s Muppet Deal (Ep. 39)
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Feb 21, 2025 |
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Could The Muppets Have Called Universal Home? (Ep. 38)
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Feb 14, 2025 |
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How DreamWorks Almost Made a Very Different How to Train Your Dragon (Ep. 37)
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Feb 07, 2025 |
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Addams Family and The Munsters: How Two Spooky Sitcoms Battled for Prime Time (Ep. 36)
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Jan 31, 2025 |
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How Looney Tunes Helped Shape Universal’s The Munsters (Ep. 35)
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Jan 24, 2025 |
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The Monster Mash: Universal’s Classic Crossover Films (Ep. 34)
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Jan 17, 2025 |
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How the Creators of South Park Tricked A-List Celebrities to Roast Universal (and Drink Seagram’s) (Ep. 33)
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Jan 10, 2025 |
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The End of 2024: Universal’s Top Stories, Surveys, and Predictions for 2025 (Ep. 32)
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Jan 03, 2025 |
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The End of Rip Ride Rockit and How Universal Become a “Coaster” Theme Park (Ep. 31)
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Dec 27, 2024 |
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Universal Orlando Holidays: Not a Trip Report (But Totally a Trip Report) (Ep. 30)
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Dec 20, 2024 |
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Meet Earl the Squirrel: Universal’s Unlikely Holiday Icon (Ep. 29)
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Dec 13, 2024 |
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Baking Against the Clock: Inside Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking (Ep. 28)
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Dec 08, 2024 |
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Wicked Takes Center Stage: From Book to Broadway to Big Screen and Beyond (Ep. 27)
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Nov 29, 2024 |
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Wicked, Hitchcock, and Spielberg—Oh My! (Ep. 26)
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Nov 22, 2024 |
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What $2.50 Bought You on Universal’s First Tram Tour (Ep. 25)
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Nov 15, 2024 |
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Exploring Minion Land: A First-Timer’s Adventure and a Historian’s Perspective (Ep. 24)
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Nov 08, 2024 |
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Monsters Unleashed! Epic Universe Animatronics & Holiday Magic at Universal Orlando (Ep. 23)
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Nov 01, 2024 |
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Pricing Revealed for Epic Universe & Hitchcock’s Haunted Legacy of Universal (Ep. 22)
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Oct 25, 2024 |
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Epic Universe Opening Date and the Birth of Toothsome's Chocolate Empire (Ep. 21)
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Oct 18, 2024 |
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The Sweet Origins of Toothsome Chocolate Emporium: A Universal Creation (Ep. 20)
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Oct 11, 2024 |
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Looney Tunes and Six Flags: The Story Behind the Characters That Almost Made It to Universal Orlando (Ep. 19)
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Oct 04, 2024 |
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Why Does Toon Lagoon Exist? Exploring Universal’s Most Unusual Theme Park Area (Ep. 18)
|
Sep 27, 2024 |
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Universal's Cartoon World That Never Was & A Look Ahead at Wicked Attractions (Ep. 17)
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Sep 20, 2024 |
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Discovering Diagon Alley: A Complete First-Timer's Experience (Ep. 16)
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Sep 13, 2024 |
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Revisiting the Lost Star Trek Experiences at Universal Studios (Ep. 15)
|
Sep 06, 2024 |
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The Difference Between Disney & Universal’s Destination Resorts (Ep. 14)
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Aug 23, 2024 |
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Inside of “Ministry of Magic” at Epic Universe (Ep. 13)
|
Aug 02, 2024 |
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How Dwayne Johnson wound up playing the Scorpion King (Ep. 12)
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Jul 26, 2024 |
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Get ready for the Universal Mega Movie Parade (Ep. 11)
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Jul 05, 2024 |
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Dark Universe celebrates Universal’s classic monsters (Ep. 10)
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Jun 21, 2024 |
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How soon will the Simpsons decamp for Disney World (Ep. 9)
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Jun 07, 2024 |
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What sorts of snacks are served in DreamWorks Land (Ep. 8)
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May 24, 2024 |
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How projection shows came to the Wizarding World (Ep. 7)
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May 10, 2024 |
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Meet the horrifyingly cute Frankenstein Junior (Ep. 6)
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Apr 26, 2024 |
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How King Kong came to be at the Universal theme parks (Ep. 5)
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Apr 14, 2024 |
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Remembering the “Ghostbusters Spooktacular” attraction (Ep. 4)
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Mar 30, 2024 |
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Raise a glass to Butterbeer Season (Ep. 3)
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Mar 16, 2024 |
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Remember when the Universal Orlando Resort had a different name (Ep. 2)
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Feb 28, 2024 |
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What’s next for Nintendo and Universal Parks & Experiences (Ep. 1)
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Feb 14, 2024 |
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Introducing the Epic Universal Podcast with Eric Hersey
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Jan 24, 2024 |
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What’s significant about UOR’s new $15-an-hour starting wage: Universal Joint (Ep. 46)
|
Jun 04, 2021 |
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Which Universal-owned IP will we next see in the Parks: Universal Joint (Ep. 45)
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Apr 29, 2021 |
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Just how long has Epic Universe been in the works: Universal Joint (Ep. 44)
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Mar 11, 2021 |
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When will the Velosicoaster open at IOA ?: Universal Joint (Ep. 43)
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Feb 14, 2021 |
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How to get a pretty Potter pressed penny: Universal Joint (Ep. 42)
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Nov 19, 2020 |
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Could USH’s Upper Lot be re-opened for the holidays?: Universal Joint (Ep. 41)
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Nov 05, 2020 |
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Bela -- not Boris -- as Frankenstein’s monster: Universal Joint (Ep. 40)
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Oct 22, 2020 |
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Who did Universal originally want to cast as Dracula: Universal Joint (Ep. 39)
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Oct 08, 2020 |
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How to stalk a scarecrow at the Universal Orlando Resort: Universal Joint (Ep. 38)
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Sep 24, 2020 |
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Epic Universe paused. But for how long?: Universal Joint (Ep. 37)
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Sep 10, 2020 |
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Universal Orlando opens “Stuntacular,” lays off Team Members: Universal Joint (Ep. 36)
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Jul 08, 2020 |
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What the future holds for Universal Studios Florida: Universal Joint (Ep. 35)
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May 09, 2020 |
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Why PeacockLive got postponed: Universal Joint (Ep. 34)
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Mar 13, 2020 |
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How scary will Universal Classic Monsters Land be?: Universal Joint (Ep. 33)
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Feb 20, 2020 |
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Making the most of USF’s Mardi Gras celebration: Universal Joint (Ep. 32)
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Jan 22, 2020 |
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E.T. and a wonky Christmas tree: Universal Joint (Ep. 31)
|
Dec 07, 2019 |
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Universal Joint LIVE!: Universal Joint (Ep. 30)
|
Nov 21, 2019 |
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What happens when your next door neighbor is a theme park: Universal Joint (Ep. 29)
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Nov 14, 2019 |
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Universal Beijing’s response to WDW’s MagicBands: Universal Joint (Ep. 28)
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Oct 25, 2019 |
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Looking back at USF’s Fright Nights 1991: Universal Joint (Ep. 27)
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Oct 04, 2019 |
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The different ways USH & USF handle holidays: Universal Joint (Ep. 26)
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Sep 24, 2019 |
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Universal City Florida: What might have been: Universal Joint (Ep. 25)
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Sep 01, 2019 |
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Deconstructing Epic Universe’s concept art: Universal Joint (Ep. 24)
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Aug 15, 2019 |
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Looking back at USH’s “Battle of Galactica”: Universal Joint (Ep. 23)
|
Aug 01, 2019 |
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Universal Studios Dubailand: What happened: Universal Joint (Ep. 22)
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Jul 17, 2019 |
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Getting ready for “Jurassic World – The Ride”: Universal Joint (Ep. 21)
|
Jun 26, 2019 |
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How Butterbeer led to the creation of Blue Milk: Universal Joint (Ep. 20)
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May 31, 2019 |
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Why Universal is abandoning 3D for 2D in 4K: Universal Joint (Ep. 19)
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May 15, 2019 |
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Universal Orlando's dragon coaster was quite a challenge: Universal Joint (Ep. 18)
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May 01, 2019 |
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How does Disney’s acquisition of Fox effect Universal’s “Simpsons Ride” ?: Universal Joint (Ep. 17)
|
Apr 17, 2019 |
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Looking ahead to “Jurassic World: The Ride”: Universal Joint (Ep. 16)
|
Mar 28, 2019 |
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Remembering Sid Sheinberg (1935 – 2019): Universal Joint (Ep. 15)
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Mar 13, 2019 |
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Will Hiccup & Toothless follow Hagrid into the Universal Parks?: Universal Joint (Ep. 14)
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Feb 27, 2019 |
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Will T2 3D be reborn as a Jason Bourne-based attraction?: Universal Joint (Ep. 13)
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Feb 13, 2019 |
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Why it’s time to stop bashing Universal for its screen-based rides: Universal Joint (Ep. 12)
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Jan 24, 2019 |
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Looking back at Universal Parks & Resorts in 2018: Universal Joint (Ep. 11)
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Jan 11, 2019 |
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Which characters & IPs are reportedly headed to Universal’s Fantastic Worlds theme park: Universal Joint (Ep. 10)
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Dec 19, 2018 |
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20 million Butterbeers equals big bucks for Universal Parks & Resorts: Universal Joint (Ep. 09)
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Oct 26, 2018 |
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More magic coming to Hogsmeade in 2019. Universal Orlando just doesn't want to be specific about when: Universal Joint (Ep. 08)
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Oct 16, 2018 |
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Universal Orlando's shifting event schedule: Universal Joint (Ep. 07)
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Sep 25, 2018 |
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Everything's expanding - WWOHP, HHN and RTU (Running Through Universal): Universal Joint (Ep. 06)
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Sep 14, 2018 |
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Comcast's dream of acquiring Fox fades, Universal gears up to expand Fast and Furious franchise: Universal Joint (Ep. 05)
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Aug 18, 2018 |
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James Bond vs Kung Fu Panda: Universal Joint (Ep. 04)
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Jul 03, 2018 |
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A Night of Joy, Horror and Raptors: Universal Joint (Ep. 03)
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May 25, 2018 |
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Hooray for (Universal Studios) Hollywood: Universal Joint (Ep. 02)
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Apr 27, 2018 |
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A Look Back at What Was and Forward at What Will Be: Universal Joint (Ep. 01)
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Apr 20, 2018 |