Imagine if you could get to see the entire Ghostbusters Spooktacular nearly 15 years after Universal Studios Florida closed it down. Well, maybe you can, after a fashion…
Being in the wrong country and being of the wrong age, I never got to see the Ghostbusters Spooktacular at Universal Studios Florida. I heard a lot about it and there are many fans who recall their visits fondly, but I missed it, as did many others, I’m sure. So I thought I’d try something – using the small handful of videos of the show, which can be found on YouTube, I was able to stitch together an entire run of the show. It’s not great video or audio in places, but the availability of a couple of Universal promotional videos allowed for a unique version of the show, not unlike watching a stage play on PBS. I apologize in advance for the sight and sound quality in places, but I hope those of you that never got to attend to show will find this illuminating and I hope that those of you that did get to attend find it reminiscent of your visit.
In case you’re wondering, yes, I am currently working on a version of the second version of the show. In time, I might even attempt the final version of the Ghostbusters at Universal Studios, their Great Fright Way show, which ran outside until 2005.
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Where did you get the pro-shot stuff, with the close-ups?
Huh. LaMarche and Coulier voiced Egon nd Peter for the show. Wild.
Here’s a great Spooktacular story. When I was in high school, I visited Florida with my mom and we hit up all the theme parks. When I was at Epcot center, I was checking out Tomorrowland, and bumped into one of the employees there with ‘Egon’ as the name tag. He had dark brown hair and glasses, too, so it made sense that this would be a nickname for this individual. We was really friendly and cool, so we had a great conversation, and then moved on.
A couple days later, my mom and I went to Universal Studios where we enjoyed the Ghostbusters spooktacular. Lo and behold, at the end, when the boys in grey burst onto the scene, who do you think I saw playing the Egon character?… the same guy!!!
I guess that nickname was a bit more true to life than I thought. It was a trip to have seen the same guy in two parks and added a little more magic to the experience. Haven’t thought about that in awhile. Thanks for the reminder.
Awesome stuff, that would have blown my mind when I was younger. Well, it did a little bit even though I’m old and grumpy now. Thanks for the compilation
There’s a promo video floating around on YouTube and at Spook Central – looks like it’s from an EPK for the park or something.
I cannot recall the year that I visited. I was probably around 8 years old. I can recall going to this show but was most memorable to me was the pre show events. I can remember being taken into a room that was like a waiting area to go into the auditorium. There was one of the Ghostbusters talking to the group in waiting. They chose three people from the group to come up and do stuff. I was one of the three chosen and went up, the guy had me hold some kind of slime/ectoplasm while he explained it. One kid got to hold the proton wand, all I could think about was that I wanted to be the one holding the wand. LoL
One last thing I remember is at the very end it dumped you into a gift shop and there were all sorts of the Kenner toys and Ghostbusters product everywhere. Oh what I would give to be in that room again!
There was also a street show in another part of the park’s NYC section where a girl would go running out into the street screaming about a ghost. Beetlejuice would then be seen sitting on a window ledge. The GBs would show up in Ecto, they’d run inside the “building” and we’d hear sound effects and stuff. Then they’d run outside with a smoking trap having busted Beetlejuice. Not sure if you can do anything with that one, Chris, but I didn’t want it to get left out.
The only time i saw the show was the last year it was there. I went the next year and it wasnt there anymore i was soo bummed out. At night all the guys walked around the park with the Ecto-1 and signed autographs and took pictures, I still have them.. Imagine working there being a ghostbuster and getting paid for it!
I remember the pre-show more than the show itself for some reason. I, too, got chosen from the crowd to test the “aura analyzer” (the colander with all the wires). They put some kind of junior Ghostbuster smock on me and then the headgear — and as I recall the video screen revealed that I was thinking about a girl in a bikini. Wacky!
Hey, i was there the day it opened, inc the ghostbusters shop, i was the first person to buy the jumpsuit from there (so proud) i have some photos of me outside the ghostbusters shop with the huge banner out front and pics of me with the ghostbusters (holding the protonpack) and the ecto 1 if your interested
man i went to florida in 1994 i was about 8 years old when I saw the spook show, it was interesting I enjoyed it. I have a photo somewhere with me and one of the actor GB’s I think it was supposed to be venkman. Good times.
Awwww, the video’s not loading for me…
I’ve tried in both Firefox and Internet Explorer.
Do you have a link?
Actually I believe that Maurice LaMarche is voicing both Egon and Peter.
That’s definitely not Dave Coulier.
i was lucky enough to get to do this acouple times. It was a great production. Andt here was nothing like seeing the fire house and ecto at the same time , let alone a show with gozer and slimer and stay puft. Truly a classic
I *SO* wanted to see this live show when I was younger, but, sadly, never did. Actually I’ve never been to any of the famous amusement parks, except for Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey – which isn’t so great, if you ask me. Though, I know, no one was asking
I was there at the opening launch first show, they had a lot of technical problems and had to cancel it, i was a broken hearted 9 year old ghosthead….
What i do have is pictures of me outside the ghostbusters paranormal shop and pictures of me walking with the ghostbusters “outside stage show” where 3 actors had the uniforms on with the proton packs and the ecto 1. If moderators are interested in these i would love to write a short article on it accounting my memories of it and the pictures to follow, just give a follow up post to this with contact details
Sure, that’d be cool!
LOL!! I remember being just a wee-young-lad back in the late 80′s, and not having truely any concept yet of finances and responsibility, (why would I?), BEGGING my single-mother on a CONSTANT basis to bring me to see this. The answer, of course, was always: NO!! Ha… I remember that just as fondly as if I was one of those fortunate enough with parents whom had that type of money to go to Florida and actually see the show. ;-D
My mistake… maybe it was the early 90′s then? But, I do remember VERY clearly, one Saturday morning, perhaps in-between RGB on ABC??? A “special” of sorts on the Spooktacular opening at Universal. It had interviews with Aykroyd, the guy whom played Vigo, etc. As well as shots of the actual show and the actors playing their parts going around the park. Most of all, I remember thinking “Why doesn’t the PKE Meter look like it does in the movies? Looks more like a “parking meter”? lol!! If that was 1990, I must’ve been 6 at the time. Anyone else remember the special I’m speaking of????? I’d be very interested to see it again! Never saw it again since that day in 1990. Wait… that was 22 years ago now? Phew!!
New re-upload of the original show here:
Link did not work in the last post, trying again here: http://youtu.be/Wqos3FIbUlk