SATURDAY SIX Road Trip: Universal Theme Parks – The Exhibition and Disney Outlet Store!

This week’s SATURDAY SIX is a going to be a bit different, as we are going on a road trip to check out two completely different experiences featuring Universal and Disney. We’ll start our journey up in the City of Brotherly Love, as cub reporter Scott Stauble took his family to a fascinating behind-the-scenes experience at how the Universal theme parks came to life…

Universal Theme Parks — The Exhibition at The Franklin Institute

Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia is basically a guided tour through the brains that design the large-scale themed experiences we all love. My family and I spent a morning there recently, and as someone who’s always been a little too into theme parks, I had an absolute blast.

Getting In: The queue sets the tone early. Guests are funneled up a long entrance ramp into a circus tent themed preshow video room, where a 9-screen 270-degree short film featuring Steven Spielberg covers the history of Universal’s theme parks. This was a nice prelude before we moved on to the five galleries packed with concept art, props, and interactive stations. It was essentially a short, 5 minute version of the wonderful Epic Ride documentary you can watch on Peacock.

Room One – Dream Up a Ride: The first gallery is all about the earliest stage of attraction development — the idea. An interactive station lets you build a ride concept by picking an audience demographic (thrills, family, or kids), a ride type (dark ride, roller coaster, or water ride), and an emotion (joy, fear, or awe), then generates a concept based on your choices. My daughter went with a kids’ water ride built around joy and got a fun pitch: a lazy-river ride where guests shrink down to bug-size and float through an overgrown backyard. This room also had original concept art for Halloween Horror Nights house facades, as well as Epic Universe concept art.

How can you not love seeing concept art from various Universal experiences including Epic Universe and Volcano Bay?

Room Two: Bringing Things to Life — Animatronics
This room traced the history of animatronics across Universal’s parks, from the sharks in Jaws at Universal Studios Florida up through Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment at Epic Universe. A short history video included a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shot of the original Dracula animatronic completely unskinned — but luckily I managed to grab a photo.

On display were a Dilophosaurus spitting animatronic from Jurassic Park River Adventure, 3D-printed raptor head prototypes from VelociCoaster’s development, and a “naked” Snowball animatronic from the Secret Life of Pets ride showing the all mechanics underneath.

The best part of the room was an interactive station that let visitors “program” a sheep animatronic from How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, controlling its eyes and head to create different expressions.

 

Room Three: Rides and Ride Vehicles – This gallery dug into the engineering side of things. Highlights included the prop motorcycle and sidecar that inspired the ride vehicles for Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure, concept art for How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, and vehicle models for Epic rides including Fyre Drill, Dragon Racer’s Rally, and Curse of the Werewolf.

There were also 3D-printed VelociCoaster vehicle models, a model of Blue the raptor, and scaled models of the track and rockwork through that ride’s “spaghetti bowl” section.

A massive coaster “white model” showed Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift carved into the hillside at Universal Studios Hollywood. Stat boards covered layouts, heights, and speeds for major coasters across the parks — including the now-defunct Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit — and an interactive station let guests design their own coaster to see if it’d get greenlit.

Room Four: The Horror Side of Universal – This room covered primarily covered Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment and Halloween Horror Nights. On display were test animated character heads for the Creature from the Black Lagoon and the Werewolf, plus a full-size replica of the Mummy’s sarcophagus from the Frankenstein ride.

An interactive station let visitors design their own HHN mask, and another let you build a scene with lighting, sound, and music to set the mood. The original Lil Boo figure was a clear highlight, and the scale figures used to test animatronic placement for the Frankenstein experience were a fun touch.

Room Five: Costumed Characters – This room focused on walk-around characters, and included a full Toothless costume, Tigress and Po from Kung Fu Panda, and Gingy from Shrek among other characters.

Universal has never been known for their parades, but it was really neat seeing how the parade floats are designed and created. It makes me wish we could have some sort of “One Man’s Dream” experience at Universal with a rotating collection giving park guests a behind-the-scenes look at how things like Mardi Gras, attractions, and even full lands are created.

Almost impossible to picture this now, but in 2025 HHN took place in both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. Hasn’t happened since. This bike was used in the Terra Guard Run scarezone that took place in IOA’s Port of Entry. This is like being able to get near the actual DeLorean from Back to the Future or KITT from Knight Rider.

Room Six: Finishing Touches — Theming, Food, and Merch

The final gallery covered how rides and spaces get their finishing layer of theme. A baby Gronckle from the Untrainable Dragon show in the Isle of Berk was easily the cutest thing in the whole exhibit.

This room was sure to be a fan favorite, because not only were there a whole bunch of theming reference books and costumes from Epic Universe’s Ministry of Magic, but there were also stations where you could design your own souvenir popcorn bucket and themed dessert!

We even got ’80s icon and camp diva Millicent Bagnold featured! Seriously though, the amount of work and detail Universal Creative put into costumes and design which would only be shown on video screens in the queues is outstanding. Millicent and Venusia Crickerly were two of the past Ministers of Magic and can be seen in the Harry Potter and the Battle for the Ministry ride queue.

The Exit (Through the Gift Shop, Naturally) – Like any good theme park experience, you exit through a gift shop stocked with exhibit-specific shirts, magnets, bags, mugs, and water bottles. By the time we got there, the shirts had been picked over — only small, medium, and 2XL left. A small letdown at the end of an otherwise great visit.

Final Thoughts – Absolutely worth the admission price, especially if you’re curious how theme park attractions go from blue-sky concept sketches to finished, themed environments. Universal did a great job of balancing what is clearly a very intricate advertisement for Epic Universe properties and HHN properties with actual information and hands-on experiences! Huge thanks to my husband and daughter for putting up with me running around taking pictures of everything.

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Thank you Scott! However, my trip this past week wasn’t as spectacular. But, as we learned in M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable, if there is something truly great in this world, there must be something truly awful to balance it out. So if Universal Theme Parks – The Exhibition is the penthouse of our theme park fan experience, it’s time for me to check out the outhouse, otherwise known as…

Longtime readers of this fine blog series know that I spent the better part of a decade going to the Disney Outlet Store every single month to show readers an aspect of Walt Disney World that many had never experienced (and had no idea that the people working at the Disney outlets were Cast Members.)

Unfortunately, like Dr. Frankenstein himself, I created the very monster which would lead to my (journalistic) demise. I had proven that the outlets themselves were not just an afterthought, and soon they became “content” for a machine that never sleeps. The stores – now filled with YouTube streamers, eBay pirates and other undesirables – went from something I looked forward to doing to something I dreaded. So instead we transitioned over to the Theme Park Enjoyment Index and haven’t looked back.

However, this very week I found myself up in Orlando for a movie marathon in which I saw Masters of the Universe, The Mandalorian & Grogu, and Mortal Kombat II back-to-back-to-back. Before heading home, I figured I would once again step into the fiery flames of Mordor – for you, Dear Reader – and see what has become of my once beloved outlets. Ready for what I saw? Here we go…

Let’s start off with a true highlight, including this Fort Wilderness Christmas Ornament that is part of a great series of ornaments featuring WDW resorts. Originally $34.99, this was reduced to $12.99.

I’ve ranted many times over the years of how ridiculous it is that Hollywood Studios removed its annual Star Wars Weekends and all the fun stuff that came with it (including Disney characters dressed as Star Wars characters and the Hyperspace Hoopla dance-off) because the brand had to be “more serious” for the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Meanwhile, at the parks, Disney is also selling stuff like this Valentine’s Day Ewok action figure. This was not priced and I wasn’t going to ask, although I bet TouringPlans’ own Guy Selga – a true Star Wars collector if there ever was one – may fly to Florida just to buy this for the BDX droid that comes with it.

For reasons unknown to any human being, for both Pandora: The World of Avatar and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Disney put out an extensive line of merchandise that is supposed to look like it was “made” by the people in those lands. In my experience almost all of it doesn’t sell and finds its way to the outlets pretty quick. Here’s an example of a Hondo Ohnaka and R5-P8 droid in that style. Originally $24.99, now $9.99. Every one of these in the store was broken and I couldn’t even get the one that was even semi-ok to be positioned for a proper photo.

A Star Wars jacket with “Star Wars” written in Aurebesh underneath the actual Star Wars logo. WHO IS THIS FOR?!! Originally $99.99, now $49.99.

This is an retro action figure set that is themed to the legendary “early bird” special back in the 1970s. When Star Wars first came out, no one was expecting how popular it would be and the HUGE demand for toys. To placate parents, Kenner sold an Early Bird Certificate which was sort of a promissory note so they could show kids that the action figures were coming. This set – with the C-3PO and R2-D2 “vac-metal finish” is giving off Malibu Stacy’s new hat vibes. Originally $89.99, now $49.99.

Can’t wrap my head around the person who would have bought this May the 4th Be With You shirt at full price of $36.99. Now $7.99.

Always nice to see items from the doomed Galactic Starcruiser. This shirt was originally $69.99, now $24.99. I guess if you were spending over $3,000 for a two night “experience” then $70 for a shirt like this fits into your budget.

This TC-14 Protocol Droid was originally sold at the Droid Depot in Galaxy’s Edge. This droid was seen at the beginning of the cinematic classic The Phantom Menace and offered refreshments to Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. So the action figure comes with a serving tray and an item that looks more like a “female massager” than a cup. To be fair, it is authentic to the film.  Originally priced $22.99, now $17.99.

This Mandalorian backpack featuring The Child is pretty dang cute. Originally $39.99 now $29.99.

The bottom of this monstrosity says it is for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge but I have absolutely no idea what is going on here. Looks like Obi-Wan riding He-Man’s Battle Cat and maybe Anakin Skywalker and Emperor Palpatine? What a bonkers cup. Originally $24.99, now $7.99.

Captain America coffee cup that makes me think of last year’s awful Brave New World movie. I’m fascinated that there was a certain point after that film was finished where the people in charge were like, “Yep, we got it. This one’s good to go.” A disgrace to the legacy of the great Captain America trilogy that came before it. Originally $19.99, now $7.99.

This Avatar cup made me think of the old Message In A Bottle gimmick. One of those “why would even Avatar fans want to buy this?” type of thing. Originally $24.99, now $9.99.

Avatar shirt for the fans of the whales in Avatar. At least I think its the whale. Who knows. Originally $69.99, now $24.99.

This Avatar fanny pack was so small I think it had to be made for like kids 8 and under.

Another headscratcher with this Woodsprite light up thing from the World of Pandora. It was reduced to $3.99, but wait till you see the original price…

…of $23.47. I think this was the ONLY item in the entire store that didn’t have price ending in 99 cents or an even dollar amount. The only thing I can think of is that they were originally designed to be sold in those outdoor carts that draw kids like flies at night. That price plus Florida sales tax probably equals something like “$25” that they could advertise on the cart. However, Pandora is almost never open at night, so these just made their way to the outlets.

Giant Avatar staff. Originally $29.99, now $12.99.

These Tron lightcycles were originally $69.99, now $24.99. Looking at them I would have thought $24.99 should have been the original price and get these down to $7.99 to justify the purchase. I’m assuming they were being sold in that large gift shop next to Space Mountain that pretty much got rid of a ton of stuff, including the Make Yourself As A Tron Action Figure thing.

Speaking of Tron action figures.. these were originally $24.99, now $7.99.

I’m not sure what the top 10 WORST coffee cups that ever came to the Outlets would be, but this Tron one would have be on the short list. Tron coffee cup. Originally $14.99, now $4.99.

This joystick thing is a small scale reproduction of the cool joystick that the old school Tron video game used to use. However, this is for a keychain, and while it’s a mico size for an arcade cabinet, it is GIGANTIC for a keychain. Reduced to $4.99.

I mean seriously, look at that keychain. It’s as big or bigger than my entire hand. How would this be a practical way to store your car or house keys?

Then you have this Tron keychain that I thought looked like a Jawa sandcrawler from Star Wars. Reduced to $1.99.

Speaking of things that don’t make sense, why would anyone need a figurine of Stitch at the Eiffel Tower that’s not scale? I have no idea why this could possibly exist, except I did find a blog post about Disneyland Paris celebrating “Stitch Day” (June 26th, AKA 626) but this wasn’t listed as one of the pieces of merch made for that. Originally $22.99, now $7.99

Still not the weirdest Stitch thing you could buy though, as this Stitch onesie was reduced to $29.99. Sizes available included XXL and XXXL. I’m not huge on profiling, but anyone over the age of 8 wearing these should be put on some sort of list.

A whole bunch of items from this year’s Festival of the Arts, including photo magnet. Originally $16.99, Now $4.99.

I love this Figment chef toque. I’ve picked it up in previous years. Originally $34.99, now $7.99

A kitchen whisk with a Mickey head at the end of the handle. Originally $14.99 per whisk, now $5.99.

I was so close to getting these Italy oven mitts. Originally $14.99 each, now $7.99.

There was actually many items from the various countries in World Showcase, including this next level bonkers glass from Canada. Originally $22.99, now $12.99.

I’m not an expert in the “high end” bag area, but on first glance just assumed this Canada backpack was a Dooney & Bourke because the logo looks a lot like their logo from a distance, but apparently this is from a company called “Lug.” I do like the Mickey head on the hockey puck. Originally $110, now $54.99.

This small matching bag featuring Chip Chip was originally $65, now $29.99.

Meanwhile from the Germany Pavilion we have a couple fun bags. The bag on the left with Mickey and Minnie was originally $79.99, reduced $39.99. The backpack with Mickey on the right was originally $90, reduced to $49.99. I wonder if the Stitch/Paris statue was from the World Showcase Pavilion and maybe each country has a Stitch figurine? We’ll have to do a SATURDAY SIX Special Investigation on that. 

If there’s one thing I learned from covering the outlets over the years it’s that people love their bags, so we’ll take a look at a couple more from this trip, including this Marvel Loungefly bag. Originally $80, now $39.99. The characters look a bit odd because this is what called a “Chibi” style of art that is more common in Japanese manga and anime.

I only wish I could have the self confidence as person who could be seen walking in public with this Mickey bag. Originally $90, now $34.99. Can you imagine that? Almost $100 for what looks like a badly designed popcorn bucket.

Much bigger fan of this Ollie bag from the 2025 Jollywood Nights event. Originally $85, now $39.99.

We also had this fun Jollywood Nights cocoa cup. Reduced to $4.99.

This Baymax cup comes with a spoon that has the cat Mochi at the top of it. Originally $24.99, now $12.99.

We also had this Baymax flower holder where he is petting Mochi. Originally $29.99, now $9.99.

If you wanted some merch from the Disney Treasure cruise ship, the outlets were your place to go. This shirt features the iconic stern element of Peter Pan and Captain hook. Reduced to $12.99.

This photo magnet is from Disney Treasure inaugural sailing. Originally $14.99, now $4.99.

There was no price on these Disney Treasure postcards, but I imagine they would have been reduced to about 25 cents based on past history. I love the artwork on it.

Here are the Mickey and Minnie plush from the Disney Treasure. Originally $24.99 each, now $14.99.

I’m guessing these DCL plush were for an Alaskan sailing. Also reduced to $14.99 each.

DCL Alaskan sailing magnet. I can’t believe this is the best Disney can do because it legit looks like something you see in the Dollar Generals up in Alaska. I haven’t even been there and I know that’s exactly what they look like.

Sets of Disney Cruise Line plates ($39.99) and bowls ($29.99) reduced to $9.99

Wasn’t expecting to see this, a Lookout Cay 5K mug. Originally $19.99, now $7.99.

Always love to see resort specific merchandise, including this Pop Century shirt. Originally $39.99, now $14.99.

BoardWalk shirt. Originally $36.99, now $14.99. This is just fantastic.

Old Key West Mickey Ears. Originally $19.99, now $9.99.

I didn’t fully understand the line of Mini Mixits and I’ll show you why. Several of the plush available, like Peter Pan here, had something they were wearing. Pan is wearing a ship’s steering wheel around his head.

Meanwhile Tinker Bell is wearing close to a regular hat. I’m assuming that the selling point of this line is you can “mix” up the items, and Pan could be wearing the hat.

But others, like Clarabelle Cow, didn’t come with anything.

Nor did Mickey Mouse.

But Minnie Mouse did, with this Unicorn gimmick. So I have no idea what’s going on. Anyway, each were reduced to $5.99

Thought this Inside Out marble thing was pretty cool. Originally $79.99, now $34.99.

Various Inside Out character plush. Originally $22.99, now $7.99.

I really like this Alice in Wonderland teacups match game. Originally $39.99, now $14.99.

This Groot “game” not so much. Originally $29.99, now $14.99

When Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind opened at EPCOT, their gift shop was selling reproductions of various items from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including the Tesseract seen below. Originally $99.99, now $24.99.

Pirates of the Caribbean Dig Kit. Originally $24.99, now $7.99.

This “Rubik’s Character Cube” featuring Minnie looks like it came out of a notebook from disturbed individual describing their nightmares. Originally $19.99, now $5.99.

This collectible set featuring Carl and Ellie from Pixar’s Up was REDUCED to $74.99. Believe it or not, the original price was $249.99! Is there some sort of gift shop at the Disney Golden Oak community selling stuff like this?

Seeing this facemask certainly brought me back to a moment in time. Reduced to 99 cents.

While I didn’t have to wait in line to enter the store, the Disney Outlets was still extremely busy, especially since it seemed the rest of the Outlet Mall was quiet. As much as I’m not a fan of the overall experience, I am glad to be back inside the store again and hope you enjoyed as well.