Walkabout The World - A Disney Podcast - Walkabout the...UNIVERSE?! Part One with Host Josh

Episode Date: August 30, 2026

Hello Travelers! This week, for the first time we travel a few miles out of "the Disney bubble" through the not-so-magical i-4 traffic to bring you a two-part episode recorded at Universal Studios Orlando and Universal's Islands of Adventure (don't tell the Mouse..)! Join host Producer Josh as he takes you on a whirlwind walkabout tour starting at Universal Studios for part one. After beginning your walkabout in the massive parking structure, you'll head through Citywalk and enter the "other" Studios for a grand circle tour of the park featuring some musical entertainment and a full ridethrough of the E.T. Adventure! Don't forget to come back for the next episode when a special guest joins the walkabout at Islands of Adventure! We are listener supported - contribute to the Dole Whip Fund via Google or Apple Pay. Thanks!   Walkabout the World is now on TikTok! Come follow our visual companion to the audio podcast at Walkabout.the.world.pod on TikTok   And of course, visit us on Instagram and at walkabouttheworld.com - find links to all the things - attraction episodes, Insta accounts of all the hosts, and even how to buy your own Walkabout shirt!   Walkabout The World is a weekly Disney podcast, always recorded on property at Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort with the simple goal of making you feel like you are in the middle of the magic.

Hey Travelers, it's Josh with a little note for this week's episode before we get started. So this was something I recorded at the beginning of summer back in June. And because of how much I recorded, it's actually going to be a two-part episode. So stay tuned for part two next week. I know some of your listeners have never even maybe even been to the other Orlando theme parks. So I hope this episode feels fresh and exciting to you. And even if you are familiar with these parks, I hope you enjoy hearing something different than, you know, different from our usual weekly Disney shenanigans.

So same walkabout, different theme parks. So here we go. I hope you enjoy this Walk About the Universe. Well, hello, travelers, and welcome back to Walk About the World. I know, you're probably hearing this music and you're like, wait, I know it's John Williams, but that's not Star Wars. That sounds like, do you know who that is? Do you know what theme this is?

That's ET, which means we're not at Hollywood Studios. No, today we're trying something a little different for a little one-off episode and hopped over to the other studios across town and we are going to have a walk about the universe today. Walk about the Universal Studios, that is. So today we're going to see what all we can ride. Not going to do everything, obviously, for this little one-off episode. But we will walk about the parks. I'll try and do both, a little bit of both.

So we get a little bit of Universal Studios and a little bit of Islands of Adventure. And we'll just see what we can hear today at Universal Studios. at Universal Studios as we walk about the universe might meet up with fellow creative and see if he has any fun things to to offer the walkabout so as you can hear from the very beginning when you get out of your car in the parking lot or in the parking garage you're immediately greeted with the theme music from whatever, whichever parking lot you're in, which I am in E.T. And now currently walking through Cat in the Hat, as we make our way to the central

hub of the security, where security is, and then make it over the city walk and enter into Universal Studios. So, I will see you. just a minute when we get to the park. Watch your step on the moving walkway. As you're walking through Citywalk and approaching the Universal Studios Arch and Globe, the first thing you're gonna notice is the construction of a very large roller coaster, very tall roller coaster that is coming out from the park and into the

citywalk next to the Hard Rock Cafe. cafe building. And that's going to be the new fast and furious roller coaster. It's going to be very tall and very fast and very furious. We are now approaching the Universal Studios Archway, administration building and producers building, to the right of us. This was all originally themed to, obviously, to the studios,

and to Hollywood, to look like the Hollywood Studios. of the Universal Studios and it actually worked as a working studio for many years until the mid-2000s. And now the only real filming you get here is they do some wrestling, take some wrestling shows and the occasional game show will come through. But mostly the sound stages now are used for Halloween horror nights and special events and things like that. All right, so once you're in the What do we look at it? Straight ahead you can still see the forced perspective Manhattan skyline the New York Library and see NBC Studios Rockefeller Center where Jimmy Fallon is hanging out today show cafe to our right the Universal

Studio store to our left it's a lot to take in when you walk in There's a despicable mean minion mayhem to the left and then a whole minions land now to the right. There's a wicked exhibit. We've been around as long as I have. You've been around these theme parks as long as I have. You've seen a lot of changes. I remember walking down this street and we take a left right here where the Minion Mayhem ride is. And that was Nickelodeon Studios.

huge part of my childhood. Of course, Nickelodeon Studios ended up leaving and they turned that soundstage into the Blue Man Group and now the Blue Man Group has since left. I'm not sure what it's doing now. The Minion Mayhem used to be simulator ride with Hannah Barbera characters and then it was Jimmy Neutron for Nickelodeon. And then the soundstage across from it, which is now Villain Con, the Minions ride was once upon a time a Alfred Hitchcock attraction. Alfred Hitchcock presents it was awesome and I miss it but this is cool for the new generations for sure. Immination and minions have taken over what used to be the

Monsters Cafe Cupcake Shop Bake My Day. Freeze Ray pops. Freeze ray, freeze ray, freeze You have the Bank of Evil, which is seeming to be taken over by some kind of orange globy monster with a bunch of eyeballs. Clearly promoting Illuminations, Minions, and Monsters. Only in theaters, July 1st. So the Monsters Cafe is now the Minions Cafe. Coming up on the recreation of the NBC Studios marquee, with a... giant Jimmy Fallon atop it. It's night show, NBC Studios, it says.

Then you have some walls at the end of the street before you get to the public library, New York Public Library backdrop. Where, of course, to the left is actually, my childhood favorite is the Ghostbusters show. So the Ghostbusters Firehouse building is still there. But it's all walled up because I'm sure it's going to incorporate some of the fast and furious roller coaster that I spoke of earlier that comes in and out of the park.

That space was where Jimmy Fallon was, is, was the Twister ride, Twister ride-it-out attraction, and then before that was Ghostbusters. Spooktacular. Macy's storefront next to the Museum of Antiquities, the Pestown. Antiquities in the Paradise Theater, which houses Revenge of the Mummy. Brownstones on the right are under some scaffolding, just like real New York. Delancey Street is currently all blocked off. We must be redoing Finnegan's, which is the Irish Bar restaurant.

At the Blues Brothers stage here, hopefully we're playing today, I'd love to get some of the Blues Brothers. Passing by some of my favorite set pieces in the back lot here, Sting Alley, you can go down the alleyway. There's a little part of it modeled after the scene from the Sting, the Billiards Club. Some great signage back here. Manhattan Motor Repair. The circus posters. Cut through Sting Alley, which the billiard sign is gone. It's no longer there, which is a bummer hall.

That's how you knew it was when it's sting. And you have the balcony up here. Then you walk under the arch. Sign for Fulton Street. Another little looking, Another little nook and cranny that you can walk down. Loading docks. Some great photo opportunities.

Numerous TV and movies have been filmed in here throughout the years. Music videos. Lots of stuff. So it's nice having a studios in Orlando that still has a back lot. a back lot. Yes, I am throwing shade. I love Galaxy's Edge, but I miss the streets of America. So when you come out of the Sting Alley area on DeFulton Street, that leads into, to the left, into San Francisco area toward Harry Potter, which used to be Amity Island. And to the right is the Transformers the Ride, and a Walgreens, Bulls, Jee.

facade I believe yeah there should be down here if you're a godfather fan there's a few references to the godfather you see how you find out there yeah Genco imports olive oil along the waterfront here some boathouses a long time ago they used to have a show a stunt show in the lagoon boats and explosions and whatnot. We all used to be part of that staging. I'm not sure if it really is used for anything anymore. You come up here next to the Starbucks.

Straight ahead you'll see San Francisco and the Wharf. To the left you go back on the Fifth Avenue there in New York. You have the pizza place, Louis Bar and Grill, which again I believe is a reference to Louis and the Godfather. He's an Italian restaurant. Studio directory sign. Telling us where to go. We've got restrooms.

We've got Diagon Alley, Wizarding World. Harry Potter, we've got M.I.B. Alien Attack. Simpsons Ride and DreamWorks Land are all this way. We'll get there. My goal is to take you over to E.T. We're going to have a ride on E.T. The Gere Delly's building is all scrimmed up. Must be working on that.

This fountain here used to be that's in front of the Fast and Furious supercharged, which I don't think is open, is it? Then they close it? I don't know. I'm not going to find out. It's not my favorite. But that fountain used to be where the Beetlejuice Graveyard Review. It's a great show. Coming up into San Francisco, the Wharf area.

To our right is Richter's Burger Co., which currently is made over with the Jaws theme. which is the real reason I'm walking down here. I'm a big Jaws fan if you didn't know. Got some great photo opportunities all along the wharf here. I have the Emity Island welcomes you sign that you can stand in. We have the striped cabanas from the beach scene and Amity Island. A bunch of beach chairs out front. It's like we got a show coming. go get some of that show. It's like a little dance party. Let's check it out. Going back toward New York streets. Yeah, I got a bunch of dancers in the street. That's cool. Makes it feel a little more lively. It's a very west side story. It's all decked out for summer in Jaws, rethemed to Jaws.

It's got some amazing, wonderful, like, wrapped mural at the front. bunch of Jaws art. Maybe if I ask nicely they'll let me have it from my house when they're done. You have Chief Brody's truck out here. There's swimming, beaches closed, sign in the back, sign for Quince Bates Shop. As you walk into a little section next to the restaurant where the fisherman's dwarf signers, where the shark is hanging now, where you have two awesome. Oh, that's awesome. Yes. Now last year, Last year they only had the one photo op out here that had the Md Eighty-six boat from the Jaws ride. But now not only do they have that, they also have the orca.

So you can stand in the back of the orca, like the trio from the movie. That's too cool. I will be taking some photos here for sure. And over here they have what looks to be it is. This is the original Captain Jake's Amity Boat Tour sign from the ride, the original Jaws ride that used to be where Harry Potter is now That is so cool they restored the old sign that used to be out front Looks good Big soft spot for the Jaws ride in my

Theme park heart definitely one of my favorite themed attractions of all time ever Someday I'll get back to Japan and get to ride it as it still exists to Osaka, Universal Osaka. So when you walk into Rigde Burger, the inside is also all themed to Jodz, which is fantastic. Everything from the artwork on the walls

to the music. Little details, the Amity 4th of July banner is in here. Storyboards. They dressed up one of the dressed up one of the mannequins, like Quint. This is great. Great place to eat or hang out in the AC, get a drink, especially if you're a Jaws fan, which I am. Very cool. Lombard seafood grill to the right, which is a nice

sit-down restaurant. Used to be earthquake and disaster to the left, which is now the exit to the defunct or soon to be defunct. Fast and Furious ride. And then we jump from San Francisco across the pond into London to Kingscross Station where you can catch the train at platform nine and three quarters to Hogwarts ooh there's a nice AC coming out of there I might have to stand here for a little bit some great little themes themed storefronts here as well you have the leaky cauldron sign out here next to Scredon Sons which is a bookstore You have a record shop behind a red telephone booth.

The record shop has one of my favorite Easter eggs. Like I said, this used to be Amity. And there's a record in the window. There's a tribute to Jaws. The fictional The Quint Trio. Their album, Here's to Swimmon with Bow-Legged Women, which is a quote from the movie. Love that.

So if we wanted to, we could take a left here and magically walk through that brick wall and into Diagon Alley, but we're not going to do that. We're going to keep going because I'm ready to ride E.T. We're going to keep walking around. And maybe we'll come back to some stuff because I still want to get over to islands for a little bit too. The night bus, simple ducking, purple night bus, the chunking head in the window. That's your water feature here in the fountain. If you are a Harry Potter fan, you will recognize this row of brick buildings, apartment buildings,

one of which looks a little bit darker than the rest, which is number 12 Grimold Place. As you heard, somebody just knocked on the door. What happens when you knock on the door? Oh, there's the house elf creature peeks out at you from above. All right, we're going to walk across the bridge here. There's Krusty Land straight ahead. We need Springfields. We can already hear the sentence of Kang and Kodos, the aliens from the Simpsons.

We have their own saucer ride over here. Along with the other alien ride to our left, Men in Black. Simpsons' ride, themed to Krusty Land. Fun fact, I opened. In fact, I opened this ride. Yes, I used to work for Universal Studios long ago. Which is why we're not be riding the Simpsons ride today. All the sideshow carnival games in front of the ride.

Quiky Mart straight ahead. This one's for you, Michelle. I'm going to go in the... I'm going to go to the Quiky Mart. There's a pay phone outside. I'm going to answer the phone. Nelson says, answer the phone, dingus. It's for you.

You're welcome, we'll do. See if it rings again. Y'alloo. Chicken neck. That's fun. Alright, then across from the Glicky Mark, you've got a Duff Brewery, where you can get some Duff beer on tap. Duff beer, Duff Light, Duff Dry. You've got the seven Duffs outside. You don't know who the seven Duffes. Sorry. Well, since this is a Disney podcast, gotta take a picture of some of the seven duffs.

Not dwarfs, duffs. Bonus points, if you can name all of them. I'll give you one. Surly. Moe's Tavern. Pleasus's Chicken Shack. And of course, Krusty Burger. You've just been pulled over by Chief Wiggum. Oh no.

Lard Ladd Donuts where you can get a giant pink donut. Bumblebee Man's Tacos. The Android Dungeon comic book, baseball and card shop, unfortunately it's just a facade and really all this is the restrooms. Which is a bummer. This would be great if it's an actual comic shop. And then we get back to old school Universal Studios. where you'll see Doc Brown's time traveling train from back to future film and the DeLorean from the back to the future films it's always great going from

Bumblebee Man Taco to Taco truck to the DeLorean that's a theme part for you Animal actors on location is a show they've had that show or some version of it since I was a kid. I remember seeing they had a babe, the pig was there when babe came out. Beethoven was part of that show, St. Bernard. Mr. Ed was there in the early days, or you know, a horse acting, pretending. He's an animal actor. He's acting to be Mr. Ed, pretending. All right, we've almost made a grand circle. We are finally here. If we take a left here, we're going into DreamWorks world but just before it's DreamWorks is the ET Adventure. That's what I'm ready for.

One of the original rides that opened with the park, but it still remained unchanged. So if I don't record anything else today, I'm making this the one thing. There's Patrick and SpongeBob too to the right. So let's check out the ET Adventure. To the Green Planet, we go. I don't have to explain the theme or the story to the ride, because I'll let Steven Spielberg do it for you. I'm Steven Spielberg, and it's my pleasure to welcome you

to the E.T. Adventure, but I'm afraid we don't have much time, so I'm going to cut right to the chase. E.T. means your home. Now, if those received an urgent message from E.T.'s teacher, like Anicus, calling for E.T. to come home right away. See, a big problem has developed a few million light years away on E.T.'s home world, the green planet. E.T.'s friends are in danger because their planet is dying.

Remember what E.T.'s friends look like. Because it's going to be up to you to help E.T. find them once we get him home, and there's not a moment to lose. Because only E.T.'s magic healing touch can save his friends and bring his planet back to hell. E.T. must go home, and only you can help him. Even. Ah, E. Trouble.

That's right, E.T. So why don't you show these people now we're going to get him. these people now we're going to get you back to the green planet. You and ET will be making your 3 million lighter journey on these bikes, but don't worry, you don't have to pedal. But you will need an interplanetary path for you. So before you have your end of ET, tell your first name to R&R systems, and they'll give you your pass. Oh.

Sounds like ET's ready to go, so good luck everyone. Remember, ET's counting on you and so am I. Oh. What's up to you to say this part of that you? take a deep breath this is the famous E.T. Forest smell. Ah! Just saw E.T run by in the bushes. Well, I saw a red light and heard him run by in the bushes. Behind his little machine he made out of a speak and spell,

the umbrella, the tin can, and a record player. Hello, Lee, so I said if you're running. I said, good. Edel, Raleigh, Northern, Laura, Robert Schia. Please remain seated, keeping hands and feet inside the vehicle until you are a house day. It's safe to say that my wife will not be listening to this episode. She hates E.T. Very big part of my childhood and a big fan of Spielberg.

Surprisingly enough, they don't sell Reese's pieces in a gift shop. That's interesting, right? Don't you think they should? E.T. put Reese's pieces on the map. Into the shadiest area of the park right here. You walk over, back into the New York section. On the opposite side where we were earlier, you get your Central Park area with the nice trees covering.

It's a nice little breeze. Grateful for Central Park. This section always looks really cool during four nights. Which, by the way, is coming up soon and preparations have begun. Some of you might say not soon enough. I just realized that they moved the Lincoln statue over here. It used to be over in New York. Straight ahead we have Mel's Drive-In, Great Burger.

To our right is a giant Trojan horse sculpture for the release of the epic Odyssey film. the film interesting but the way that it is stuck in the sand oh man you millennial types will know what I'm talking about it gives you some PTSD of any anytime we see a horse stuck in the sand you know what that is never-ending story vibes to the Hollywood area just closed the horror makeup show to redo that sign out front. It says, poor makeup.

Hey, what does that remind you of? Another Hollywood? Poor makeup show enhancements in progress. This attraction temporary closed for scheduled maintenance. Anagious theater. Markine currently says love is universal. There's Homer and Marge and Bart. I guess they left Lisa and Maggie at home.

There's people's juice too. Everybody's over here. You've got The Simpsons, Doc Brown over here, Marilyn Monroe coming down in a car, even Spielberg, some are Blockbuster's exhibit featuring Disclosure Day. I'm gonna go in there. I'll take some pictures. I don't ever want to talk around it because it's probably very quiet,

but I'm sure they're playing some great music, John Williams' music, and so we'll walk through there, get some music, and then I'll take some pictures. and I'll take some pictures you can see some of the props. Let's head in. What is it? What is it? You really mean if I told you.

I'm going to show you. And I've made a lot of movies about things that could not be explained. From sharks to saucers. I was just a little kid. I remember developing a real curiosity of the sky tonight and what's happening up there. And also not the possibility, but the guarantee that there is life of all. like off this wind, people are wondering and countered. And now people's questions about what is not fully going on in our skies.

Not too close to the nose? Good advice, Doc. Thank you. No problem. I was old Doc Brown giving me some microphone advice. You'll see a lot of familiar sites in Universal's, Hollywood, similar to what you have on Hollywood Boulevard at our, are beloved studios with some slight differences.

For example, their Brown Derby is a hat shop, not a restaurant. They have a five and dime. They have the dark room. If you're not familiar with the history of the two studios and the competition, it's a very cool story. You should watch some YouTube videos or read some history. It's very cool. And the coolest part is that I got to live it. So now we are back to the front of the park where we started, made a grand circle.

I think maybe now I might see about heading over to Islands of Adventure. What's the best way to get to Islands of Adventure, you ask? Now we'll go back to Diagon Alley. Back that way and we will ride the Hogwarts Express. from Platform 9 3 quarters into Hogsmead Village. How's that sound? Alright, so I'll see you at Platform 93 quarters. Hey, Travelers, me again. Don't forget, this is a two-parter,

so we'll be back next episode with part two of Walk About the Universe where we're going to ride the Hogwarts Express over to Highlands of Adventure and continue our walk with a special guest, so stay tuned, and I will see you real soon.