The Lowdown on the Plus-up - A Theme Park Podcast

Jaws was a lynchpin to Universal's theme park success, both in California and Florida. It was also one of the biggest headaches the parks ever dealt with.

Join us for the return of the J-Bang(!!!) as we pick apart what happened, follow the recriminations and discuss some amazing behind-the-scenes theme park designers who worked on this ambitious, and occasionally reckless, attraction.

It's so much Jaws goodness that you&apo...

We contend that there is nothing more patriotic than being conned into believing that water runs uphill.

Step into a world where the laws of physics seemingly take a vacation as we explore America's beloved gravity-defying roadside attractions. From the Santa Cruz Mystery Spot to Confusion Hill nestled in California's redwoods, these quirky destinations have been baffling and delighting travelers since the '...

We're wrapping up our first season of theme park adventures with a look back at what we've accomplished and a peek at what's coming in Season 2. From humble beginnings as a "way for our partners to get rid of us for a few hours every week," we're so thrilled at what this has become.

Today is a wrap-up featuring some of what we've covered, current news and a peek at where we're going:...

Step with us into Tomorrowland, that curious realm where yesterday's futures linger in an increasingly static present. Why do Disney fans profess deep love for a land they rarely prioritize visiting? The answer lies in Tomorrowland's remarkable journey from hasty afterthought to kinetic wonderland to its current static identity crisis.

Our live audience at the Howard Johnson's "Suite of the Retro Future...

Step back into the age of sword and sorcery as we unravel the untold story of Universal Studios' most dangerous and innovative attraction: the Conan the Barbarian Sword and Sorcery Spectacular. This legendary stunt show wasn't just entertainment—it was a revolution that forever changed how theme parks approach live experiences.

From Robert E. Howard's complex literary character to Frank Frazetta's iconi...

Join us for part two of the strangest story we've told thus far.
The 1990s launch with a particularly charming story about jet packs, The Rocketeer. But then Kinnie Gibson, Brad Barker, Larry Stanley and Bill Suitor return to pick up a story that involves assault, murder, kidnapping and a giant flying beer can.
Strap in! And remember, when the helmet vibrates, you only have 14 seconds to find a place to land!

...

What if I told you that the man who flew above Disneyland's Tomorrowland in the 1960s wasn't on wires, but strapped to actual jet engines? The remarkable true story of the rocket belt at Disney parks is more fascinating—and bizarre—than you might imagine.

Kelly and Pete explore the surprising origins of personal flight technology, beginning with Wendell Moore of Bell Aeronautics, who adapted stabilization jets fr...

A quick note between talking about the Prince of Darkness and the Darkness of the Future!
Full episode coming very soon.

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Come visit us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, or whatever social media you like. Just look up Lowdown on the Plus-Up and you'll probably find us. Or dro...

In part two of Transylvanian Tumbleweeds we explore the legacy of Dracula-themed attractions, particularly focusing on the Castle Dracula experience at Universal Studios. We discuss the concept of the "JayBang" introduced by Jay Stein and the challenges faced as audience tastes shifted, leading to innovative adaptations in modern amusement parks.

• Exploration of Universal Studios' background 
• Delving ...

In part one of our exploration of the Transylvanian tyrant turned tourist trap, we break down some of Dracula's origins. Don't worry, this is not going to be that same old "Dracula is based on Vlad the Impaler" lecture that you've already heard. It's much stranger than that. And much more wonderful.
Then we start to place the good Count into some of his earliest theme park appearances.
Part 2 s...

Ken Bruce spent 16 years researching and writing about the most important piece of theme park pop art ever made: Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room. The resulting book not only tells the history of that attraction, but serves to show how its story is the story of how we see the modern theme park as a whole.
Ken was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his book and the stories and myths surrounding Walt Disne...

An opening day attraction in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, Mr. Toad is surprising fan favorite given that it plays like an outtake of a film that not that many people have seen and ends in punishment.
We love it.
Join us for an exploration of the ride that started Claude Coats' theme park career: Mr. Toad's Wild Ride!

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We'd love it if you would give us a review ...

It's one of the quirkiest theme park attractions of all time. Disneyland, for the first time ever, took on pure science fiction and hit it out of the park. It was like riding through an episode of "Outer Limits" or "Twilight Zone" (and was notably influenced by "Twilight Zone" writer Richard Matheson) and was unique in its effective simplicity and brilliance of design.
Join us as we revisit on...

Another amuse-bouche one between the big shows.
Let us know if you like these.
And review us on your podcast platform of choice, please.  We'd really appreciate it.

Thanks for listening!

We'd love it if you would give us a review on your podcast platform of choice. They're really helpful.

Come visit us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, or whatever social media you like. Just look up ...

It was a small park in rural San Jose with off-the-shelf rides and entertainment liberally lifted from Disneyland; so why is it so beloved? Is there another regional theme park in the country that has yearly reunions four DECADES after it closed? What was the magic behind Frontier Village?
Playland at the Beach, The San Francisco Opera, Fantasia, Puppetoons and two very interesting apes - one animated and one day-glo - all fact...

It exists in a nexus between three time periods: the future, the retro-future and the nostalgic past. The Main Street Electrical Parade is the most famous Disney parks parade for a good reason, it somehow synthesizes everything that is contained in Walt's original park - fantasy, history, progress - in a joyous and timeless spectacle.

And Walt Disney was long gone before it was conceived making this perhaps the best a...

If you take a left turn around 1929, you end up here: where the jazz band triumphed over the orchestra, where sexy usurped formal, where a very different theme park empire began, and died.
Welcome to Fleischer Land.  Keep an eye out for hidden Bettys!

Thanks for listening!

We'd love it if you would give us a review on your podcast platform of choice. They're really helpful.

Come visit us on Bluesky, M...

When we pick up a fake gun and shoot it at a fantastical electric target, what are we trying to become? What do we think Frontierland is? Who is Paul MacGlashan and how did the guy that designed Disney's shooting galleries help win WWII? 
And, most importantly, How did Kelly and Pete find themselves so mired in the kind of Disney current affair news that they usually avoid like the plague?

It's the history of...

Fire up your Flux Capacitors, people, because we're heading back, back, back in time!
We're traveling to the early-20th Century to visit some houses that ought not spin the way they do, the '60s to visit that same Not-Really-A-World's-Fair that we keep yammering on about and, of course, the '80s - where Huey Lewis lives.

It's the ride that saved Universal Theme Parks, Back to the Future!

Th...