Universal Orlando: The Unofficial Story

As the description implied, there are literally thousands of books that have written about, analyzed and focused on the Disney Theme Parks. These books have been around for decades and they have had time to ferment and dive deeper into the details.Nick Sim's Unofficial Story is a great read. I do not want to put it down. I learned a great deal from this book. Keeping the story very linear, it's easy to follow and the language is accessible for all ages. Hands down, a book that EVERYONE needs.However, I do feel there are some details he did not include. Some fun facts, more or less. For example, he did not include the phone number of the Coup Theatre featured in the Spiderman attraction that one could call and hear a unique message.This is not a big deal and it's hard to put EVERYTHING in one book. But, I feel Sim has started a trend. Before, Universal was never appreciated for the details. Disney was the company everyone wrote dozens of books on. Universal, with Harry Potter now thrown in the mix, has become a game changer. People all over the world want more Universal. Now there are Universal fan based websites emerging.It's very exciting and I applaud Sim for being the one starting this. Thank you for a great book and a great addition to the fan's collection.

Let me just say, I am a big, big fan of Universal and Disney Parks. After reading many, many books about Disney World and Disneyland, I went looking for a book about Universal's theme park history. I purchased this book, and honestly couldn't put it down. It was interesting to learn about why certain rides were chosen, taken away, and how they made them work. I wish that there would be revisions for this book in the future, as Universal updates it's park in the next few years. Overall, a great read for a Universal fan!

If you're a fan of Universal Orlando Resort, then I strongly recommend this book! It seems to me that if a brand new theme park does not have a disastrous grand opening, than that may not be a good sign. After all, Disneyland's grand opening day was a disaster, as was Universal Studios' grand opening. But not only did both parks overcome their opening day struggles, they also learned from them. Both Walt Disney World and Islands of Adventure had seen soft openings prior to their grand openings. This is a must read for any fan of Universal as well as anyone planning a trip to Universal =0)

I'm mostly a Disney fan but Universal Orlando: The Unofficial Story was a fantastic glimpse into the history of a theme park I didn't know much about. I would have loved more information about Universal Studios Hollywood but as the title suggests that's not what this book is about. I enjoyed reading a little about Disney from a different point of view as well as learning a little bit about the film industry. All in all I really enjoyed the book, it is written in a laid back tone which is easy to follow and pleasant to read.

Great job on the history of the parks, the financial and business parts were a little daunting and the way things were built could have been a little more detailed. But a good read if you are a huge Universal fan like me. I grew up in Orlando and got to see it all happen before my very eyes. It was fun to be taken back and reminding me of how it came to be. (And all the hidden secrets in the book were great!) Good job.

I loved reading all about the history of Universal Orlando. I learned a lot of new facts. I was also able to discover new insight into how it started and the history of extinct attractions.

When I went to Universal Orlando, I was amazed by all the detail and the incredible rides and attractions. I kept looking for a book about the place (you know, like how Disney sells books about its parks) but there were none to be found. Nick Sim's Unofficial Story greatly fits the bill: taking us through the history of the Theme Park, its legal battles, its ride designs, and its constant dealings with the Mouse Next Door. Thanks, Nick Park, for filling a hole in a Theme Park Geek's e-book device!

Alot of the behind the scenes info on how Universal Orlando came to be, but perhaps a bit too much. It got a little confusing between all of the different companies that took over, bought out, and sold off ownership rights. I always knew there was a competition with Disney, but oh boy, not to some of the extent that I read about! It failed to cover some of the attractions that have been there for a while and I feel they spent way too much time going on about Kongfrontation and Jaws....A little more could have been written about Harry Potter, like the building and design of it as well as the full intentions of it. (they were considering Diagon Alley back then which is now a reality)...maybe even the on site Hotels, or some of the Citywalk sites (Emerils and Bob Marley Restaurants were never mentioned) Anyway, a good read nonetheless and I did pick up a few little tidbits to seek out on my next visit in August....

I loved this. As a techie who loves the story and the facts behind the rides, the shows and the experience, having read his Alton Towers book, I was very excited to see this. Brilliantly written and full of fascinating stuff - not for people who want to visit and want to know what rides to go on and where to stay, but rather for people who want to know the backstory and all of the technical facts behind the theme park and resort experience. I found it to be un-put-downable!

After perfectly capturing the lesser-told, but nonetheless fascinating, story behind the UK's closest answer to Disneyland, Alton Towers, Nick Sim has done it again with a fascinating look at the lesser explored of Orlando's two major theme park resorts. Here you can finally get a fully encapsulated look at the development of Universal's Orlando Resort; including fascinating insights into the parks' various ride revisions and replacements over the years (a much more unexplored area than it is with Disney's constantly evolving resorts). Even for a die-hard Disney fan this is worth a read as it provides that all important look at how things are done on the other side, very useful for anyone with an enthusiasm for the theme park industry. Highly recommended.

A really great read about the journey of universal as an attraction and resort in Orlando from its inception and creation in the 80s up until around 2014 and the opening of Diagon alley. The author Nick Sim recounts and tells the well researched stories of universal including how it secured investment to get off the ground, all the rides and experiences and how they were built, the ever present rivalry with Disney and many things in between. Highly recommended.

This is a great book for anyone interested in the history of the parks, it takes you on a journey right from the beginning and keeps you thoroughly entertained throughout with fun facts and stories. I would highly recommend it

Fantastic book and loaded with behind the scenes info on the genesis of the park, rivalry with Disney and and an in-depth look at how the rides were planned and constructed and the associated marketing efforts. As someone who has visited Universal since 1995 - its a great memory jogger for all those old great rides .