UNIVERSAL'S ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE - Construction Site Tour October 1998

When I got hired to work on MIB next door, IoA’s Executive Art Director Dale Mason took me and MIB art directors Jimmy Pickering & Desireé Soto on an extensive, hour-plus golf-cart hardhat tour of the entire park under construction to see the kind of incredible detail and craftsmanship that was happening.
I shot this footage in Oct 1998, about 6mo before opening. It's been sitting in a closet on a DV tape for 25yrs, so I dug it out & uploaded it on the park's 25th Anniversary, 5/28/24.

[@k.m.6265]

Crazy how we have actual youtube channels dedicated to documenting weekly updates with Epic universe, and here we get a one in maybe dozens of insider archival footage of IoA development. Just different times man

[@k.m.6265]

Oh wow. This is monumental footage, i feel lucky to have it recommended the day you uploaded. Here before millions of views gang!

[@alecm93110]

It's too bad that nighttime spectacular never came to pass. The commentary from everyone is also fascinating, knowing that Islands of Adventure was not only a huge step up from the Studios but also for the industry.

[@repboy1]

Wow and 25 years later EPIC here we go again

[@StorybookAmusement]

I instantly clicked. Whoa. This is such crisp footage! Amazing stuff here. Thank you.

[@MagicFergie]

I can't believe this was only 6 months before opening, still looks like there was so much to do! This was such an incredible treasure trove of insight for a theme park nerd like me. Thanks Dave!

[@PlushLoreUniverse]

IT WAS SO AMAZING TO SEE A WALK-THROUGH OF THE CAT IN THE HAT RIDE!!!!!

[@bigclivedotcom]

A fond memory is staying at a hotel on International Drive (Rodeway Inn?) and sitting out on the balcony area watching a storm rip through (including tornadoes), with the outline of the part-built Hulk coaster silhouetted with lightning.

[@CubbyTech]

Thanks for sharing this with us, Dave! Amazing to see the birth of IOA.

[@ScottJBailey12]

Wow. You have always had the coolest of jobs, dude. I’ve always envied you, but it’s views like this that really remind me how lucky you have been, sir. Big love!!!

[@RandomlyRandy58]

This is amazing!!!

[@seanmulligan4123]

I remember those days! Was on opening crew and my supervisor would take us out in IOA to see the park before it opened.

[@morethanthrills1616]

Thank you so much for this! Amazing!

[@cecsouthflorida8739]

how convenient that this was uploaded the day the park opened. now i can see what islands of adventure looked like way before i existed.

[@traviscombs6947]

I was an attendant at Doctor Doom's Fearfall from 2010 to 2012 so I could immediately recognize the sounds that ride makes all throughout the video. That ride is really loud.

[@RankingTheMouse]

Incredible stuff Dave, WOW!! Thank you for the upload!

[@omnimover4ever543]

Thank you for sharing Dave - this is AMAZING!

[@austinphillips3086]

What an awesome experience this was to watch! Thanks so much for sharing it :)

[@RankingTheMouse]

Bummer we never got the nighttime spec or the transportation boats, but everything else looks JUST like what we got - amazing stuff from Universal Creative & team

[@sithlordsoup]

2:22 probably one of the first times the word “confiscos” has been said on camera 🤣🤣

[@coastermadab]

Six months from opening, IOA did seem quite far off from opening. And look how they pulled it through. Epic now looks pretty much where IOA was when this was filmed. What a fascinating piece! Thanks for sharing!

[@kiwikiwi2483]

Something like this has to be done with Epic Universe!!!

[@Owenostling]

Oh Wowsers!!!!!!

[@VincentVision]

WOW. Seriously incredible stuff!

[@Kattatomic]

Wow, what a gift this is! Thank you so so much for digging out and uploading such a treat for us all to enjoy! I was there the year after it opened, cant believe its been 25 years. Happy bday IOA!

[@jaydensmith2943]

just stumbled upon this video and im hooked. This is sooo cool , I haven't been to islands of adventure since 2000. I think it may be time to pay a visit.

[@JakeCoasters]

Outstanding, such a cool look at my favorite park under construction

[@dumpling_prince]

Thank you so much for this, it's sick. And to know this is what people are experiencing at Epic gives me chills.

[@slamzone3140]

18:05 seeing this part it’s like the scene of the year 2017 when the ride will end 😢

[@ShoddyContent]

This is absolutely incredible footage. Thank you so much for sharing this!!

[@NorthEastCoasters]

This is amazing. Thank you for sharing 😊

[@EmillioMelendez]

This is amazing footage! Was there on the 25th anniversary a few days ago, it’s pretty cool to see ripsaw falls under construction, and a full walkthrough of the cat in the hat. Wish they would take more care of that ride, especially the animatronics, some of them have stains on them, just about all of the Cat animatronics do not move as good as they used to, got some pics too. The fish animatronics seem to be working fine. As for Ripsaw and Popeyes, seems they have been fixing a lot of the effects and animatronics back into decent working order, some of the ones that weren’t working last time I went back in March are now working very good. Other than that much of the park looks the same as it did on opening day. Thanks so much for sharing this!

[@Jimmietruck]

_this is insane!_

[@andre_costello]

This is incredible! What an honor to work on MIB and to get a tour of Islands!!!

[@MagicCityMayhem]

Thank you for this!

[@MagicCityMayhem]

2:30 I’m less than 3 minutes in and this is incredible

[@iandrawsthings]

Dude this is amazing! Love it! Thanks for sharing 😮🤩

[@supercar4aday]

being someone that currently works in this park this is amazing

[@CJPLA]

I can smell this video

[@ethanconnell4569]

Oh wow, thank you so much for this!!!

[@tonyclaxton93]

38:20 they use to spin the hell out that car on this part 😂😂😂

[@Animator_Alex]

Wow this is incredible! Thank you for posting this!!

[@alexgeorge501]

This footage is incredible! Congrats on finding this rare piece of theme park history!

[@justincarlson2219]

LOVE this footage - thanks so much for sharing. IoA is on the short list of my favorite places on planet Earth.

[@sithlordsoup]

YOOOOOO THIS IS GOLD.

[@user-pn6vl5ee4r]

Wow, this is so awesome. Amazing footage to share on IOA's 25th anniversary - thank you!

[@hairullaev]

Incredible

[@carlosalfageme4285]

amazing stuff

[@RIP2UALL]

Wow, quite awhile ago, eh?

[@tonyclaxton93]

21:22 man I almost cried they really erased a good ass ride 😢

[@gambit2321]

This is AMAZING!

[@jamiemorgan3649]

25 years later I proposed to my now fiance on the Bench at the entrance of IOA

[@alexalolz689]

congratulations!!!!

[@drdremd]

So many questions 1) what ride was the. airborne autopia? Seus Trolley? 2) how were you allowed to take this footage? 3) do you expect this to stay up in KZbin? 4) why didn’t I know this was a job 25 years ago when I was the right age? Seriously, thank you. This is awesome.

[@carolinacirovic6547]

Dave cobb what’s up!

[@k.m.6265]

“Moose juice, goose juice, its a healthy drink stand” lol oh the 90’s

[@DaveCobbIdeaguy]

I think he rolled his eyes when he said it LOL

[@k.m.6265]

@@DaveCobbIdeaguy perfect XD but it WAS the era of not looking at the nutrition label haha

[@thevacuumobservatory1661]

Do you remember the camera you were using?

[@ducktails1695]

iPhone 15 Pro

[@DaveCobbIdeaguy]

It was a JVC or Sony MiniDV, but I’m not sure which.

[@SNESJerry]

Seeing Cat in the Hat in it's prime was amazing. Truly a solid ride ruined by the unfunny hellhole of TikTok and poor maintainence

[@jonnylewis2210]

This has to be in 1997'. No way was this 6 months out. Impossible.

[@DaveCobbIdeaguy]

It was. I guarantee it. I wasn’t hired until Feb 1998 and didn’t move to Orlando until Oct 1998. The tape it was on has digital date ID.

[@jonnylewis2210]

Wow! Thank you for your reply. It's incredible they got it done in 6 months! I started at Jurassic Park photo op on May 20th 99'. Incredible video by the way! Thank you.