The MCU is awesome but seeing the old school stuff being kept alive like this is actually really cool and takes ya back to when you where a kid on Saturday watching Spidey and the X-Men
As someone who has grown tired of every piece of marvel media being connected to the MCU or stylized to resemble it in some way, this place is such a breath of fresh air and reminded me of why i enjoyed these comics in the first place.
Well in my opinion the 90s look doesnt really make it outdated,it makes it more timeless and a love letter to comics of that time,considering this theme land was made pre mcu,its a nice time capsile to a world were the mcu didnt shaped how the characters look or acted alongside other pre mcu media,i even say this has aged well that avengers campus in its short time.
Yeah. Marvel Ultimate Alliance is the same thing. I was born in 2000 so I remember the pre MCU age decently well while grouping up with the MCU and I’ve always wondered what younger people think.
I've been there twice -- 2004 (when it still felt kind of fresh) and 2017 (when the MCU was in full swing -- and I also just generally knew a lot more about Marvel). Both times were amazing, if seen through a different lens each time. If you ever make plans to go, let me know. I might just have to plan a family trip at the same time...
Aside from the pre and post MCU times was there any difference to the theme park? Yes I paid attention when he said they couldn't use anything MCU and agree that it actually works for the Theme Park Advantage making it truly timeless. But still, any small details in difference between 04 and 17?
I love time capsules like this. What's so great about Marvel characters is that they have been around for so long and there are so many different iterations of old characters to look back on. That history should be celebrated instead of being swept under the rug and everything being replaced by identical looking brand synergised MCU versions.
All these years later and the Spider-man ride is still amongst the greatest experiences available. Better than even the Disney land spider-man attraction made some twenty years later
I freaking love 90's Marvel. I remember seeing the ads for this park in my comics. Didn't know it was still around. Maybe, someday, I can go....someday.
I'm glad it hasn't changed much. The music, the look, the attractions, the easter eggs... it brings back so much nostalgia. I grew up in the late 80's and 90's, so this land means a lot to me. Spiderman is also in my top 3 Universal rides. The Mummy and Kong being the others.
I remember going there when I was a kid. It was one of the most memorable parts of the whole vacation due to how much of a die hard marvel fan I was then. The most vivid memories I have is the actors of Spider-Man and Green Goblin doing a choreographed fight scene before a Spider-Man photo shoot. It was goofy but it was special being a kid obsessed with it all. It still being the same today is nostalgic and brings me back to that time when the comics influenced the movies and not vice versa.
what i love about this is that even little kids would probably know *most* of these characters Spider-Man is Spider-Man The X-Men has multiple movies and has appeared in stuff like Ultimate Spider-Man and the recent X-Men '94 continuation and a lotta kids were probably introduced to the Fantastic Four through the first LEGO Marvel game that is surprisingly still being sold even after 10 years (which is how i got introduced lol)
I just recently went to Islands of Adventure with my cousin and his family! Had a lot of fun in the Marvel area! Along with the Spider-Man ride update (with updated HD CGI graphics and better 3D), they seemed to have updated and changed the stories of different Marvel rides, or at least the in-universe context around them. The Hulk ride for example, was originally about Bruce Banner attempting to find the cure to get rid of his Hulk alter ego, and being on the cusp of success! Bruce only needed YOU (the rider) to test his cure (or something like that)! As you slowly go up the chute, you can hear Bruce saying "It's working! I... I can feel the Hulk slipping away! No...wait...HE'S BACK! Get away! No, he's-!" "ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRR!!" You then jump from 0-60 as Hulk howls. In the update, Bruce Banner isn't involved at all in the story. You don't even hear Bruce Banner talking at all! It's the General trying to make an army of Hulks and trying to find the perfect test subject...YOU! The general shoots you through the chute in an attempt to make the riders "Hulk out", but doesn't involve the Hulk himself in any way now. Personally, the original "story" was a lot more entertaining and actually involving a Marvel character and stars the namesake of the ride. Now, it's just lame and really dialed back. The ride itself is still incredibly fun though! Luckily, the Spider-Man update kept the story and action scenes intact! Oddly, the only change they made was Doc Ock's apparel. They attempted to make Doc Ock look like the guy from 2004's Spider-Man 2, but kept his original voice.
I had no clue this theme park existed and I also have no clue how you're so darn great at writing and delivering your lines. Like so many of your videos, this is one that I just can't help but smile through from start to finish :)
I actually got to go to Marvel Super Hero Island for the first (and only) time back in 2019, and honestly it was one of my favorite experiences at a theme park ever. Going on the Spider-Man ride was an absolute thrill and so intensely validating for the little kid in me who grew up watching the 90s cartoon and reading webhead comics from the 80s and 90s.
At first I thought "Eh. This park's cool and all but I don't have much interest." Now that I know there's a comics shop, I dream of the day I go there. Great video!
Ok, I've been there twice and unfortunately, while the "Comics Shop" does in fact have comics, it definitely is more generic theme park store but themed to Marvel and contains comics
I used to go there as a kid and when I was a younger adult. Loved it. Still do. I hope they never change it. A new ride would be cool, but I wouldn't want to sacrifice the goldmine of nostalgia that Marvel Island is.
@Casey P, I wholeheartedly agree. This park is my go to whenever I go to Universal over Harry Potter as a Marvel fan. I hope they can update it somewhat with more rides but don’t see that happening
I'm glad you brought this to my attention. I've been anticipating the Super Mario theme park coming to Universal and this gives me another reason to be excited to eventually go
I agree I think its absoloutly beautiful a park location feels like its in a time lock to forever remain. Like it wont always. But its sad that stuff like the back to the future and jaws ride (outside of Japan) are gone and its awesome to have classic marvel comics being celebrated.
I grew up in Florida, and was 10 years old when they opened this attraction at islands of adventure and I can promise you it was every bit a fun as it looks. The hulk ride was fantastic, and the whole experience was great. I returned to universal and islands of adventure many time throughout my teens. To quote Phil Coulson: People just might need a little old fashioned.
You'll love it! Even though I live i Portugal I managed to go there in 2016 when my family took me on vacation to Florida. And it was magical! It was like being inside an old school comic. There's even entertainers dressed exactly like the comics and I managed to take a picture with Storm and Rogue. Dr. Doom's Tower of Terror was a lot of fun. Your typical tower attraction, but the queue had a lot of atmosphere, it really felt like you were on Doom's castle. It even played a little cartoon where Doom explains his evil plan and why he built his Tower of Terror. But the highlight is obviously the Spider-man ride. It also plays a fun cartoon where sinister syndicate threaten New York and Spidey goes to stop them. And both the queue and the ride are full of awesome easter eggs.
I went once as a ten year old, before the Avengers even came out. But marvel has always been a part of my life, I miss the rock music and oversaturated colors. I miss X-Men, Hulk, and Fantastic Four being famous. I love the MCU but it's had negative effects on the comics, making everything gray and militaristic.... Just happy my favorite guy Spider-Man has remained the biggest hero
I fail to see the problem. The 90's ascetic is when Marvel was most iconic. It does not need to be MCU'ed, I think the brightness of that comic era is what makes it great.
this is exactly what I like about older marvel, its comic themed and classic and not this modern MCU crap. this is what i can remember marvel being since i was a little kid, the classic costumes, the classic artwork, and loads of references to actual comic characters. its really something unbeatable. I wish there were more places like Super hero Island. its really a one of one experience.
I loved going to Superhero Island as a kid; that Spider-man ride is a blast! The queue has some excellent details as you walk through the Daily Bugle into the ride cars.
I used to go to a Universal like once a week for several years. The perks of living in the area lol. Marvel Superhero Island never gets old. Yeah it’s a shame they can’t do much with it; it’s hardly changed since I went for opening in 1999 to today but it’s a timeless area so it works lol.
I’ve actually been to Marvel Super Hero Island, I don’t remember it very sell since I was like 9, with the exception of the Spider-Man ride. I remember absolutely loving it. It seems way more charming than the Avengers Campus theme park, it looks cool but it’s not going to beat the cheesy early 2000’s depiction of the Marvel Universe
@@Duma2011 Not sure what you mean. The movies nowadays are distinctly their own thing, visually and in terms of their goals. The video even mentions the distinction.
I got to visit for the first time early 2023 and loved it way more than I expected. It felt like the marvel I loved as a kid. As much as I enjoy most of the MCU stuff I will always prefer 90s X-men, Spider-man, DD and others
I've been there so many times and it's honestly heaven! I love Marvel so much and being at Marvel Superhero Island never fails to make me smile! If I could, I would gladly live there!
I went once as a kid and want to go again SO badly, I'm so glad it's still open. I particularly remember the shops having figures from movies of previous years, which I thought was neat haha
I remember going to Orlando Florida on a church youth group trip the same weekend “Island of adventures” opened up at Universal Studios, the Incredible Hulk ride was by far the highlight of the trip. Also a roller coaster 🎢 called Fire & Ice was a close 2nd (our crew eventually found a cut through after we got off the ride to get right back on 😂)
What a smile this video brought to my face. I love this theme park! The rides are great and I got incredibly excited when I found the comics store the time I went. May it continue to last and always stay just the way it is! Great video!
The other day I was thinking about new attractions that Universal could add to Marvel Super Hero Island (were they legally able to). The concept art for that X-Men attraction that Phil Saunders was working on gave me the idea for a Haunted Mansion-style tour through the X-Mansion that's interrupted by an attack by Magneto and the Brotherhood (or the Sentinels). We then try to escape while the X-Men protect us. At the end, it's revealed to be a Danger Room initiation test to become honorary X-Men.
Great video! I visited Islands of Adventure in June of 2010 and particularly loved the Marvel Island. This video did a great job showing me Easter eggs I didn't notice at the time. I also really liked peeking through the barriers and watching Harry Potter World come together. They had a few Potter attractions opened but mostly under construction. I would absolutely visit again and hope you get to see it before it goes away.
I've been to Universal's Islands of Adventure several times, including last year, and I don't think it feels outdated yet. Yeah, it doesn't mesh with the current MCU, but I like that. I miss that comic style in the new stuff; it's all so...muted and corporate now. So, to see all of the color and design pop out everywhere in this part of the park still feels relevant. And even Disney is going back to that well in reviving the '97 X-Men cartoon series. Now, the area that DID feel dated at Islands of Adventure was the area right next to Marvel Superhero Island, which is called Toon Lagoon. It also has that comic style, but most of the licensed comic characters they use are way out of the public consciousness. I think people still recognize Popeye and Betty Boop, but they also have Blondie and Dagwood, Beetle Bailey, Kathy, and other really obscure ones that I"m sure most kids (and even adults) have NO clue who they are. That area feels like it's stuck in a time warp. Marvel, on the other hand, still feels cool and they keep it looking clean and new.
I fucking LOVE this place. And honestly, I prefer everything its got over everything Disneyland's parks has with their Marvel content. Yeah, the Web-Swinging Spider-Man is pretty cool but besides that? I'll take this over that anyday.
See, this kind of stuff is Marvel to me too. The live-action MCU movies are good and all that but they're movies, they can't just replicate this feeling or these aesthetics so purely. The hipster in me even prefers the pre-2012-upgrade Spidey ride footage to the objectively better new HD CGI, there's something about that 90s CGI that was so congruous with the rest of the park. Now Doc Ock doesn't have the '90s cartoon armor he's wearing in the pre-ride footage or outside on the Adam Kubert art: he's wearing the traditional comics design with a trenchcoat over it. Spidey had the big '90s eyes and lots of webs over his costume, and now he's got flat small angry looking lenses, very sterile Spidey. Just little modernized changes that I don't care for, despite it again, being higher quality video footage. The original ride footage had a 1999 lookin Iron Man billboard cameo and Baxter Building cameo, and I don't think either of those are in the upgraded footage...... but it's got like 4 separate Stan Lee cameos now! The Hulk ride got a revamp a few years ago too, with storyline changes to the point where the original queue cartoon footage is gone now. That cartoon footage is somewhat lost now, only incomplete camera recordings are online. I think the Adam Kubert art out front of that might be gone now, too. Replaced with a big Hulk statue holding one of the original style ride cars. I'm not sure how it all went down, I head before they were barred from doing stuff like this again but in 2002 they did a Halloween Horror Nights Maximum Carnage themed event for the island with all sorts of gruesome stuff that wouldn't fly today with the characters being depicted as dead all over the island and villains running amok. I went to the park in 2002 at that sweet spot age you mentioned and it was pure bliss, that's the kind of Marvel feeling I chase.
Oh wow, great info here. Thanks, Nick! I didn't realise they changed the Spidey ride footage so much - I assumed it was just upscaled to 4K 3D. Also, I might have some of that Hulk animation on a VHS rip of a travel guide that I got a lot of my footage from. There's so much stuff I left out of this video, including the Maximum Carnage debacle, I could probably make a whole other video about it.
I haven't been able to go to Islands of Adventure either but hopefully will someday. It really is a fascinating little relic of 90's Marvel. Great video!
After having finally been there recently, I can say the older yet classic look is what gives this part of the park its charm. The Spiderman ride for example, admittedly being as old as me, still holds up!
I've been to the Marvel Island in Florida a couple of times, though I don't live there. Gotta say it was an awesome experience from what I remember. And yeah, I don't care if Disney says they can't update it, cause it would probably make it lose all its spark from what I've seen with recent Disney stuff.
I live just 4 hrs from this, i’ve been coming here since i was just a child .. forget mall santa i was mesmerized the first time i saw spider man.. but great video as I wondered why the park had a bunch of new attractions but the marvel area stayed the same after soo many yrs
I've lived most of my life in Florida and have been to this park so many times! I first went when it opened in 1999 and to this day it still puts a smile on my face. All the rides are fun and immersive, they have great merchandise and it's always fun to see the characters randomly walking the streets.
Weirdly enough you posted this video while I’m on vacation in Florida, I LOVE adventure island, it’s amazing and brings me back to the days of classic marvel comics and the era of the early 2000’s. Everytime I come to Florida I always come back and have just as great a time as the last and makes me feel like I’m in the true hole of Marvel, not a replication of what’s in the general audience and films.
So THAT'S why Marvel Island has remained so good--Uh, I mean, so 90's and comics-oriented. I'd be lying if I said Marvel Island was the best theme park by ride standards, but I ADORE the theming, especially for Doctor Doom's Fright Fall. The characters patrolling the area are great and I bought some good comics at their store. It's a shame they can't ever update the theming to maybe replace Scream with a better-known villain or add or replace some rides to incentivize non Marvel fans to come to the park more than once, but it's not like that problem is unique to Marvel Island and I'd gladly keep the park the way it is than risk losing the comics influence in favor of movies.
I would like to see more rides to get added in some day(Unlikely but it'll be interesting) and below a list of new rides I want to see in the area(Still based in the 90s and kinda like the 90s cartoons) 1. Iron Man B&M inverted roller coaster(Maybe based on the Armor Wars storyline with giant comicbook cutouts of Iron Man, War Machine, and a few Iron-Man related heroes fighting the armored villains with lighting for the nighttime.) 2. Captain America themed HUSS Frisbee ride 3. An X-Men dark ride attraction kinda like Rise of The Resistance(Can be based on the 90s series to I guess) 4. Silver Surfer Stand Up Coaster 5. Fantastic 4 related dark ride 6. X-Men Blackbird flight simulator 7. Namor water dark ride with 3-4 drops(Namor's Deep Six Vs. Attuma's Deep Six) 8. An Avengers 3D shooting dark ride attraction based on Secret Wars(80s version of the story) Those are the ideas I had in mind.
Just looking at you I can tell that you and I are people who miss pre mcu marvel aesthetic but we both need to accept as time goes on things change for better or for worse and we just have to appreciate what we get man
Finally sat down to watch this video, and within the first twenty seconds had to stop and add a comment. Intellectually I knew I was older than you, but it still took me back that you were five in 1997. And it made me feel old, and I was only 13-14 that year
thank you so much for this I had heard about this before but never like this I actually went here this year on my birthday so again thank you and i can't wait for more of your comic videos and I hope your doing okay
I grew up going to universal studios Hollywood quite often as a kid and i loved the more classic marvel comics imagery and characters walking around, there was even a spiderman show/musical thing and it was all so vibrant and awesome and then it got scrapped. I look forward to visiting Florida to get a taste of what used to be
Give me the 90s comic book feel then they modern look that Disney would do. When you walk into marvel superhero Island if feels like your walking into a comic book
Awesome vid! I'm from Orlando. Don't live there now but I loved going to IOA. The powers that be overhauled Marvel Heroes Island. They still have SpiderMan and Hulk rides. No cafe etc. Looks it up. Sucks it happened. Wish you could've went!
I wish Disney would loosen up at least just a little bit. I like the island overall, but feel it could be boosted if it had a chance to update. Still keep the comic-specific theme, but I feel like there’s so much room for new additions with the now almost 30 years of new comics we’ve gotten. Disney can keep the movie-specific themes while Universal is allowed to celebrate more than just a very specific year of comics. But of course companies hate fun so… oh well.
You know what's wild about this? I didn't know Marvel Super Hero Island existed before today, but I have had multiple dreams where I was at a Marvel theme park that was clearly late 90s Marvel. Very surreal to find out that actually exists!
I'll take Marvel Super Hero Island over Avengers Campus any day. These were the versions of the super heroes I grew up with and they were actually fun. Not this corporate copy paste crap we keep getting cause Disney's gotta make their money back somehow.
I really love the asthetics of Marvel Superhero Island, I do wish they would expand it with another attaction tho, would love them to have indoor coaster surrounding the X-Men or the Avengers, would be awesome, though I don’t know if that will happen.
Oh man I remember this theme park like it was yesterday talking about it with my mates at school! Like you Josh I live in the UK and to think about going to Universal Studios was like going to mars as a Kid lol! I got to be honest I almost forgot about this place over the years I actually thought it no longer exists? But as many kids in my generation at the time Spider-Man animated series on fox tv or Saturday mornings on CITV I fell in love with Spidey wished I had knowledge to buy actual comic from the comic shop and not actually buy reprints from W H SMITHS! I remember seeing the theme park somewhere or I remember talking about it with my mates and I remember I really wanted to go just for the Spider-Man simulation ride! Now I know it still exists oh man I need to find time to go there and experience at least once in my life just to be 10 or 12 again!
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Honestly I love superhero island more as it celebrates the comic rather than the films.
YESSIR
Same
it's soo difficult to talk about comics now because of the movie's popularity, i'm glad little tidbits like this exist
The MCU is awesome but seeing the old school stuff being kept alive like this is actually really cool and takes ya back to when you where a kid on Saturday watching Spidey and the X-Men
As someone who has grown tired of every piece of marvel media being connected to the MCU or stylized to resemble it in some way, this place is such a breath of fresh air and reminded me of why i enjoyed these comics in the first place.
Well in my opinion the 90s look doesnt really make it outdated,it makes it more timeless and a love letter to comics of that time,considering this theme land was made pre mcu,its a nice time capsile to a world were the mcu didnt shaped how the characters look or acted alongside other pre mcu media,i even say this has aged well that avengers campus in its short time.
Yeah. Marvel Ultimate Alliance is the same thing. I was born in 2000 so I remember the pre MCU age decently well while grouping up with the MCU and I’ve always wondered what younger people think.
@Emike 1701 FACTS. THANK YOU
@@denistuohy2535 I never beat Ultimate Alliance lmao
@@Seasonal-Shadow_4674 it’s pretty good
It's what makes it so timeless.
Marvel island has a better charming, atmosphere and attractions than avengers campus.
As a comicbook reading i like it more
Yeah
I've been there twice -- 2004 (when it still felt kind of fresh) and 2017 (when the MCU was in full swing -- and I also just generally knew a lot more about Marvel). Both times were amazing, if seen through a different lens each time. If you ever make plans to go, let me know. I might just have to plan a family trip at the same time...
I will definitely take you up on that, Chris!
@Chris Baker this is my own bias but as a Marvel fan, I look forward to that more than Harry Potter, Marvel Superhero Island is my go to
Have you gone yet? @@PanelstoPixels
Aside from the pre and post MCU times was there any difference to the theme park? Yes I paid attention when he said they couldn't use anything MCU and agree that it actually works for the Theme Park Advantage making it truly timeless. But still, any small details in difference between 04 and 17?
I love time capsules like this. What's so great about Marvel characters is that they have been around for so long and there are so many different iterations of old characters to look back on. That history should be celebrated instead of being swept under the rug and everything being replaced by identical looking brand synergised MCU versions.
@DarthJF hell yeah. It’s like the only feature reminiscent of Pre-MCU marvel that we have left
I hope more features of entertainment celebrate it in future
@@Seasonal-Shadow_4674 Marvel Vs. Capcom series: "Allow me to introduce myself."
@@ChrosGorilla there hasn’t been a good game since UMVC3
All these years later and the Spider-man ride is still amongst the greatest experiences available. Better than even the Disney land spider-man attraction made some twenty years later
I freaking love 90's Marvel. I remember seeing the ads for this park in my comics. Didn't know it was still around.
Maybe, someday, I can go....someday.
@Sir Ravix or Fourhorn
Did you go yet
@@Supermanpower3000 Nope. Still haven't.
I'm glad it hasn't changed much. The music, the look, the attractions, the easter eggs... it brings back so much nostalgia. I grew up in the late 80's and 90's, so this land means a lot to me. Spiderman is also in my top 3 Universal rides. The Mummy and Kong being the others.
Man I’ve only seen footage of the park, I didn’t know it was still alive and kicking. That’s actually really cool.
@Critical Thought it’s my go to theme park whenever I go. Highly recommend. You should look up when they did the Maximum Carnage Halloween theme
I remember going there when I was a kid. It was one of the most memorable parts of the whole vacation due to how much of a die hard marvel fan I was then. The most vivid memories I have is the actors of Spider-Man and Green Goblin doing a choreographed fight scene before a Spider-Man photo shoot. It was goofy but it was special being a kid obsessed with it all. It still being the same today is nostalgic and brings me back to that time when the comics influenced the movies and not vice versa.
@Mecha Sandvich I wish it come back or be more frequent 😭😭. I need to go
what i love about this is that even little kids would probably know *most* of these characters
Spider-Man is Spider-Man
The X-Men has multiple movies and has appeared in stuff like Ultimate Spider-Man and the recent X-Men '94 continuation
and a lotta kids were probably introduced to the Fantastic Four through the first LEGO Marvel game that is surprisingly still being sold even after 10 years (which is how i got introduced lol)
Marvel Super hero island is the reason why I have a annual pass to universal I can’t get enough of that Island
I just recently went to Islands of Adventure with my cousin and his family! Had a lot of fun in the Marvel area!
Along with the Spider-Man ride update (with updated HD CGI graphics and better 3D), they seemed to have updated and changed the stories of different Marvel rides, or at least the in-universe context around them.
The Hulk ride for example, was originally about Bruce Banner attempting to find the cure to get rid of his Hulk alter ego, and being on the cusp of success! Bruce only needed YOU (the rider) to test his cure (or something like that)! As you slowly go up the chute, you can hear Bruce saying "It's working! I... I can feel the Hulk slipping away! No...wait...HE'S BACK! Get away! No, he's-!"
"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRR!!" You then jump from 0-60 as Hulk howls.
In the update, Bruce Banner isn't involved at all in the story. You don't even hear Bruce Banner talking at all! It's the General trying to make an army of Hulks and trying to find the perfect test subject...YOU! The general shoots you through the chute in an attempt to make the riders "Hulk out", but doesn't involve the Hulk himself in any way now.
Personally, the original "story" was a lot more entertaining and actually involving a Marvel character and stars the namesake of the ride. Now, it's just lame and really dialed back. The ride itself is still incredibly fun though!
Luckily, the Spider-Man update kept the story and action scenes intact! Oddly, the only change they made was Doc Ock's apparel. They attempted to make Doc Ock look like the guy from 2004's Spider-Man 2, but kept his original voice.
I had no clue this theme park existed and I also have no clue how you're so darn great at writing and delivering your lines. Like so many of your videos, this is one that I just can't help but smile through from start to finish :)
Ah, shucks! You're making me blush. Thanks so much.
I actually got to go to Marvel Super Hero Island for the first (and only) time back in 2019, and honestly it was one of my favorite experiences at a theme park ever.
Going on the Spider-Man ride was an absolute thrill and so intensely validating for the little kid in me who grew up watching the 90s cartoon and reading webhead comics from the 80s and 90s.
The 90's marvel cartoons were awesome especially Spider-Man and X-Men
At first I thought "Eh. This park's cool and all but I don't have much interest." Now that I know there's a comics shop, I dream of the day I go there. Great video!
Ok, I've been there twice and unfortunately, while the "Comics Shop" does in fact have comics, it definitely is more generic theme park store but themed to Marvel and contains comics
My family used to go there all the time in the late 90s-early 2000s. I'm shocked they haven't overhauled it yet.
I used to go there as a kid and when I was a younger adult. Loved it. Still do. I hope they never change it. A new ride would be cool, but I wouldn't want to sacrifice the goldmine of nostalgia that Marvel Island is.
@Casey P, I wholeheartedly agree. This park is my go to whenever I go to Universal over Harry Potter as a Marvel fan. I hope they can update it somewhat with more rides but don’t see that happening
What about a Ghost Rider ride? Shit it's in the name. Shit make it similar too the Cars ride from Disney but more, well Ghost Rider.
We'll have to crowdfund it for a wedding gift.
That would be a dream come true, honestly.
I'm glad you brought this to my attention. I've been anticipating the Super Mario theme park coming to Universal and this gives me another reason to be excited to eventually go
Prefer the feel of this park than the MCU type stuff at Disney. Makes me feel like I’m 6 again
The Oakley store is the cherry on the icing on this incredible 90s cake.
Right?! Gotta get your Ruby Iridium Pennys to go with your Jim Lee Wolverine T-shirt.
There’s something charming about the comics style of it instead of the grittier and more realistic mcu style
I agree I think its absoloutly beautiful a park location feels like its in a time lock to forever remain. Like it wont always. But its sad that stuff like the back to the future and jaws ride (outside of Japan) are gone and its awesome to have classic marvel comics being celebrated.
I grew up in Florida, and was 10 years old when they opened this attraction at islands of adventure and I can promise you it was every bit a fun as it looks. The hulk ride was fantastic, and the whole experience was great. I returned to universal and islands of adventure many time throughout my teens.
To quote Phil Coulson: People just might need a little old fashioned.
You'll love it! Even though I live i Portugal I managed to go there in 2016 when my family took me on vacation to Florida. And it was magical! It was like being inside an old school comic.
There's even entertainers dressed exactly like the comics and I managed to take a picture with Storm and Rogue.
Dr. Doom's Tower of Terror was a lot of fun. Your typical tower attraction, but the queue had a lot of atmosphere, it really felt like you were on Doom's castle. It even played a little cartoon where Doom explains his evil plan and why he built his Tower of Terror.
But the highlight is obviously the Spider-man ride. It also plays a fun cartoon where sinister syndicate threaten New York and Spidey goes to stop them. And both the queue and the ride are full of awesome easter eggs.
Marvel Super Hero Island is pure Kino
the renders they use from the 90s/early 2000s still features my favorite artstyles and brings me back to my childhood
90s Comic Aesthetic was masterclass, and peak artwork. To update it would be a crying shame.
I went once as a ten year old, before the Avengers even came out.
But marvel has always been a part of my life, I miss the rock music and oversaturated colors.
I miss X-Men, Hulk, and Fantastic Four being famous. I love the MCU but it's had negative effects on the comics, making everything gray and militaristic.... Just happy my favorite guy Spider-Man has remained the biggest hero
I fail to see the problem. The 90's ascetic is when Marvel was most iconic. It does not need to be MCU'ed, I think the brightness of that comic era is what makes it great.
this is exactly what I like about older marvel, its comic themed and classic and not this modern MCU crap. this is what i can remember marvel being since i was a little kid, the classic costumes, the classic artwork, and loads of references to actual comic characters. its really something unbeatable. I wish there were more places like Super hero Island. its really a one of one experience.
I loved going to Superhero Island as a kid; that Spider-man ride is a blast! The queue has some excellent details as you walk through the Daily Bugle into the ride cars.
I still love the Universal park so much. It's still so fun
I went there over March break, it was really nice seeing the Fantastic four and X-Men represented in any capacity whatsoever.
I used to go to a Universal like once a week for several years. The perks of living in the area lol. Marvel Superhero Island never gets old. Yeah it’s a shame they can’t do much with it; it’s hardly changed since I went for opening in 1999 to today but it’s a timeless area so it works lol.
I’ve actually been to Marvel Super Hero Island, I don’t remember it very sell since I was like 9, with the exception of the Spider-Man ride. I remember absolutely loving it. It seems way more charming than the Avengers Campus theme park, it looks cool but it’s not going to beat the cheesy early 2000’s depiction of the Marvel Universe
Absolutely magical. Utterly brilliant. I love how much nostalgia and how genuinely comic book in tone it feels, unlike the films nowadays.
Unlike the films?? How much weed you smoked??
@@Duma2011 Not sure what you mean. The movies nowadays are distinctly their own thing, visually and in terms of their goals. The video even mentions the distinction.
I got to visit for the first time early 2023 and loved it way more than I expected. It felt like the marvel I loved as a kid. As much as I enjoy most of the MCU stuff I will always prefer 90s X-men, Spider-man, DD and others
I've been there so many times and it's honestly heaven! I love Marvel so much and being at Marvel Superhero Island never fails to make me smile! If I could, I would gladly live there!
@Heja wolf 0602 best island I have been to
Went recently for the first time in 14 years. Still just as glorious as it was when I first experienced it in 1999. I was tripping bawls on nostalgia.
I went once as a kid and want to go again SO badly, I'm so glad it's still open. I particularly remember the shops having figures from movies of previous years, which I thought was neat haha
I remember going to Orlando Florida on a church youth group trip the same weekend “Island of adventures” opened up at Universal Studios, the Incredible Hulk ride was by far the highlight of the trip. Also a roller coaster 🎢 called Fire & Ice was a close 2nd (our crew eventually found a cut through after we got off the ride to get right back on 😂)
What a smile this video brought to my face. I love this theme park! The rides are great and I got incredibly excited when I found the comics store the time I went. May it continue to last and always stay just the way it is! Great video!
How did i miss this? Why couldnt it have been built 3 years earlier? GODDAMNIT. Gotta go back LOL
I didnt grow up with 1999 marvel, but seeing all the old marvel stuff there was still so sick.
The other day I was thinking about new attractions that Universal could add to Marvel Super Hero Island (were they legally able to). The concept art for that X-Men attraction that Phil Saunders was working on gave me the idea for a Haunted Mansion-style tour through the X-Mansion that's interrupted by an attack by Magneto and the Brotherhood (or the Sentinels). We then try to escape while the X-Men protect us. At the end, it's revealed to be a Danger Room initiation test to become honorary X-Men.
It's genuinely perfect there, it's going to be an incredibly sad day when it's shut down which unfortunately feels sooner rather then later
Love to see my boys Blaze/Ketch and Nelson/Murdock getting referenced in the island
Great video! I visited Islands of Adventure in June of 2010 and particularly loved the Marvel Island. This video did a great job showing me Easter eggs I didn't notice at the time. I also really liked peeking through the barriers and watching Harry Potter World come together. They had a few Potter attractions opened but mostly under construction. I would absolutely visit again and hope you get to see it before it goes away.
places like this needs to be preserved
I've been to Universal's Islands of Adventure several times, including last year, and I don't think it feels outdated yet. Yeah, it doesn't mesh with the current MCU, but I like that. I miss that comic style in the new stuff; it's all so...muted and corporate now. So, to see all of the color and design pop out everywhere in this part of the park still feels relevant. And even Disney is going back to that well in reviving the '97 X-Men cartoon series. Now, the area that DID feel dated at Islands of Adventure was the area right next to Marvel Superhero Island, which is called Toon Lagoon. It also has that comic style, but most of the licensed comic characters they use are way out of the public consciousness. I think people still recognize Popeye and Betty Boop, but they also have Blondie and Dagwood, Beetle Bailey, Kathy, and other really obscure ones that I"m sure most kids (and even adults) have NO clue who they are. That area feels like it's stuck in a time warp. Marvel, on the other hand, still feels cool and they keep it looking clean and new.
I fucking LOVE this place.
And honestly, I prefer everything its got over everything Disneyland's parks has with their Marvel content.
Yeah, the Web-Swinging Spider-Man is pretty cool but besides that? I'll take this over that anyday.
See, this kind of stuff is Marvel to me too. The live-action MCU movies are good and all that but they're movies, they can't just replicate this feeling or these aesthetics so purely.
The hipster in me even prefers the pre-2012-upgrade Spidey ride footage to the objectively better new HD CGI, there's something about that 90s CGI that was so congruous with the rest of the park. Now Doc Ock doesn't have the '90s cartoon armor he's wearing in the pre-ride footage or outside on the Adam Kubert art: he's wearing the traditional comics design with a trenchcoat over it. Spidey had the big '90s eyes and lots of webs over his costume, and now he's got flat small angry looking lenses, very sterile Spidey. Just little modernized changes that I don't care for, despite it again, being higher quality video footage. The original ride footage had a 1999 lookin Iron Man billboard cameo and Baxter Building cameo, and I don't think either of those are in the upgraded footage...... but it's got like 4 separate Stan Lee cameos now!
The Hulk ride got a revamp a few years ago too, with storyline changes to the point where the original queue cartoon footage is gone now. That cartoon footage is somewhat lost now, only incomplete camera recordings are online. I think the Adam Kubert art out front of that might be gone now, too. Replaced with a big Hulk statue holding one of the original style ride cars.
I'm not sure how it all went down, I head before they were barred from doing stuff like this again but in 2002 they did a Halloween Horror Nights Maximum Carnage themed event for the island with all sorts of gruesome stuff that wouldn't fly today with the characters being depicted as dead all over the island and villains running amok.
I went to the park in 2002 at that sweet spot age you mentioned and it was pure bliss, that's the kind of Marvel feeling I chase.
Oh wow, great info here. Thanks, Nick! I didn't realise they changed the Spidey ride footage so much - I assumed it was just upscaled to 4K 3D. Also, I might have some of that Hulk animation on a VHS rip of a travel guide that I got a lot of my footage from. There's so much stuff I left out of this video, including the Maximum Carnage debacle, I could probably make a whole other video about it.
I love Superhero Island more and more as the years go by it reminds me of a better time (creatively) for these characters
My family took me to Universal and MSHI many times with their first time bringing me there in 2012 or so.
Superhero Island over Avengers Campus, every day of the week
I haven't been able to go to Islands of Adventure either but hopefully will someday. It really is a fascinating little relic of 90's Marvel. Great video!
I think Universal needed Disney's permission for their refurbishment of Hulk that took place between 2015 and 2016.
After having finally been there recently, I can say the older yet classic look is what gives this part of the park its charm. The Spiderman ride for example, admittedly being as old as me, still holds up!
Is it bad when Superhero Island, after all these years, is still better than Avengers campus?
I love 90s Marvel so this Marvel Superhero island is my favorite park of all time
I've been to the Marvel Island in Florida a couple of times, though I don't live there. Gotta say it was an awesome experience from what I remember. And yeah, I don't care if Disney says they can't update it, cause it would probably make it lose all its spark from what I've seen with recent Disney stuff.
Been there twice its fantastic
I've been there a lot as I came from Florida. Shit was awesome they even sold comics there
Great video. I just went here for the first time in November. It's everything we love about Marvel Comics cast in amber. I hope they never change it.
I live just 4 hrs from this, i’ve been coming here since i was just a child .. forget mall santa i was mesmerized the first time i saw spider man.. but great video as I wondered why the park had a bunch of new attractions but the marvel area stayed the same after soo many yrs
Hope you’ve been able to take a vacation and experience it since you made this video!
I've lived most of my life in Florida and have been to this park so many times! I first went when it opened in 1999 and to this day it still puts a smile on my face. All the rides are fun and immersive, they have great merchandise and it's always fun to see the characters randomly walking the streets.
Weirdly enough you posted this video while I’m on vacation in Florida, I LOVE adventure island, it’s amazing and brings me back to the days of classic marvel comics and the era of the early 2000’s. Everytime I come to Florida I always come back and have just as great a time as the last and makes me feel like I’m in the true hole of Marvel, not a replication of what’s in the general audience and films.
So THAT'S why Marvel Island has remained so good--Uh, I mean, so 90's and comics-oriented.
I'd be lying if I said Marvel Island was the best theme park by ride standards, but I ADORE the theming, especially for Doctor Doom's Fright Fall. The characters patrolling the area are great and I bought some good comics at their store. It's a shame they can't ever update the theming to maybe replace Scream with a better-known villain or add or replace some rides to incentivize non Marvel fans to come to the park more than once, but it's not like that problem is unique to Marvel Island and I'd gladly keep the park the way it is than risk losing the comics influence in favor of movies.
I would like to see more rides to get added in some day(Unlikely but it'll be interesting) and below a list of new rides I want to see in the area(Still based in the 90s and kinda like the 90s cartoons)
1. Iron Man B&M inverted roller coaster(Maybe based on the Armor Wars storyline with giant comicbook cutouts of Iron Man, War Machine, and a few Iron-Man related heroes fighting the armored villains with lighting for the nighttime.)
2. Captain America themed HUSS Frisbee ride
3. An X-Men dark ride attraction kinda like Rise of The Resistance(Can be based on the 90s series to I guess)
4. Silver Surfer Stand Up Coaster
5. Fantastic 4 related dark ride
6. X-Men Blackbird flight simulator
7. Namor water dark ride with 3-4 drops(Namor's Deep Six Vs. Attuma's Deep Six)
8. An Avengers 3D shooting dark ride attraction based on Secret Wars(80s version of the story)
Those are the ideas I had in mind.
My nephew went several years ago and had a great time!
I hope you get to go soon Josh - the place looks made for you...
Stay safe, son. :)
It’s funny how marvel island still looks better than the newer avengers campus. It’s more timeless as the comics will age better than the movies.
Just looking at you I can tell that you and I are people who miss pre mcu marvel aesthetic but we both need to accept as time goes on things change for better or for worse and we just have to appreciate what we get man
We can accept that but that doesn’t mean we feel for the old days
Finally sat down to watch this video, and within the first twenty seconds had to stop and add a comment. Intellectually I knew I was older than you, but it still took me back that you were five in 1997. And it made me feel old, and I was only 13-14 that year
9:55 and Anastasia is one of their animated characters since they own her now via 20th Century Fox.
thank you so much for this I had heard about this before but never like this I actually went here this year on my birthday so again thank you and i can't wait for more of your comic videos and I hope your doing okay
Marvel superhero island is much more pleasing to me than the mcu designs which are good too but like which one are gonna look at first
Hope you get to visit one day bro. Went when I was a kid and it blew my mind
I totally forgot about this, love this video and glad to hear it’s still around
I love theme parks and i love marvel super hero island and it makes avengers camaps look like a teacup ride
I hope you make it there one day. It really is amazing.
I grew up going to universal studios Hollywood quite often as a kid and i loved the more classic marvel comics imagery and characters walking around, there was even a spiderman show/musical thing and it was all so vibrant and awesome and then it got scrapped. I look forward to visiting Florida to get a taste of what used to be
Give me the 90s comic book feel then they modern look that Disney would do. When you walk into marvel superhero Island if feels like your walking into a comic book
Awesome vid! I'm from Orlando. Don't live there now but I loved going to IOA. The powers that be overhauled Marvel Heroes Island. They still have SpiderMan and Hulk rides. No cafe etc. Looks it up. Sucks it happened. Wish you could've went!
I wish Disney would loosen up at least just a little bit. I like the island overall, but feel it could be boosted if it had a chance to update. Still keep the comic-specific theme, but I feel like there’s so much room for new additions with the now almost 30 years of new comics we’ve gotten. Disney can keep the movie-specific themes while Universal is allowed to celebrate more than just a very specific year of comics. But of course companies hate fun so… oh well.
Loved that island
The spidey ride Is my favorite
Saludos desde México
Fascinating video dude, but you totally should have gone for the "Disney can't ever have a Marvel Land in Disney World" angle for it.
You know what's wild about this? I didn't know Marvel Super Hero Island existed before today, but I have had multiple dreams where I was at a Marvel theme park that was clearly late 90s Marvel. Very surreal to find out that actually exists!
I'll take Marvel Super Hero Island over Avengers Campus any day. These were the versions of the super heroes I grew up with and they were actually fun. Not this corporate copy paste crap we keep getting cause Disney's gotta make their money back somehow.
The Hulk Coaster is the best!
I love super hero island so much
I really love the asthetics of Marvel Superhero Island, I do wish they would expand it with another attaction tho, would love them to have indoor coaster surrounding the X-Men or the Avengers, would be awesome, though I don’t know if that will happen.
They can't expand due to the contract licensing. It has to remain the same.
Oh man I remember this theme park like it was yesterday talking about it with my mates at school! Like you Josh I live in the UK and to think about going to Universal Studios was like going to mars as a Kid lol! I got to be honest I almost forgot about this place over the years I actually thought it no longer exists? But as many kids in my generation at the time Spider-Man animated series on fox tv or Saturday mornings on CITV I fell in love with Spidey wished I had knowledge to buy actual comic from the comic shop and not actually buy reprints from W H SMITHS! I remember seeing the theme park somewhere or I remember talking about it with my mates and I remember I really wanted to go just for the Spider-Man simulation ride! Now I know it still exists oh man I need to find time to go there and experience at least once in my life just to be 10 or 12 again!
We all know if Disney ever got ahold of Theme Park rights for Marvel, they wouldn’t even try to introduce new audiences to comics