Imagine living in Florida; you’re six years old, and it’s the summer of 1989. You’re sitting at home on a Saturday morning watching the Ghostbusters cartoon on television while eating a bowl of “The Real Ghostbusters” cereal. Now imagine that a new theme park, Universal Studios Florida, is getting ready to open to the public — and before doing so, it’s offering a Florida Resident Sneak Preview ticket to come and explore the new park!
This happened; it wasn’t a dream, and yes, I still have my ticket. While this was purely a sneak preview — no attractions or shops were open — that didn’t stop 6-year-old me from standing in awe amongst the walls of scaffolding in New York Street, underneath the only thing uncovered, a large sign featuring the most famous logo in the world!
Universal Studios Florida and the Ghostbusters are both still a major part of my life, the only difference being I’m not six anymore. My name is Brandon Kleyla, creative director for Universal Creative. I’ve had the joy of literally growing up in this theme park, and so I’m honored to have an office that’s just a five-minute walk from the Firehouse that started my path into themed entertainment. So, let’s go play in the theme park once again and talk about the superstars of the supernatural, and where you can catch them currently at Universal Orlando Resort.
“Spooktacular” is an Understatement
In the 1980s, there was probably no bigger film property than “Ghostbusters.” It defined the term “blockbuster,” launching a hit cartoon series and one of the largest lines of merchandise ever, all featuring the instantly iconic no-ghost symbol. With Universal Studios building their first park in Orlando, an area obviously known for theme parks, they had to pull out all the stops.
Universal came to play with an all-star lineup of attractions based on some of their largest films, but one attraction that stood out because it was not a part of the Universal film library was Ghostbusters Spooktacular. This larger-than-life attraction took guests to the Gozerian Temple atop 55 Central Park West and behind the scenes of everyone’s favorite comedy.
“Its presence in the early years of what would become Universal Orlando made a defining impression,” remembers Mike Aiello, senior director of entertainment. “Both versions of the Spooktacular had displayed major innovations on how a live show is produced and performed. Seeing that show as a guest was absolutely mind-blowing.”
“There’s Something You Don’t See Every Day.”
Ghostbusters Spooktacular cemented the franchise’s place in theme park history and established itself as one of the greats in themed entertainment. Which is wild when you consider that it was only open for six years! Missed by fans — and by a generation who never got to experience the attraction — the Ghostbusters made their triumphant return in 2019 with their first haunted house at Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando. Focused on the original 1984 film, the house took you through the stacks of the library, to the hallways of the Sedgewick Hotel and to the rooftops once again.
“Ghostbusters at Halloween Horror Nights has surpassed our expectations,” says Mike. “The goal was to place guests within as many of the iconic film moments as possible; literally putting you in the Firehouse, or within the final Gozer encounter. Letting you quote along with the experience all the famous lines of dialogue: ‘We’ve got one!!!’ Were we able to sprinkle in a few quality jump scares? You bet!”
The Ghostbusters also returned to Halloween Horror Nights in 2024 where guests could face their fears and escape Garraka’s icy grasp in the Ghostbusters: Frozen Empirehaunted house, featured in both Orlando and Hollywood. Mike explains: “We adapted the latest and, I’ll say, slightly darker-toned movie, ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.’ Now, we’ve got a film that features all the tech, the ghosts, the characters, and a story that is perfect for Halloween Horror Nights. The team did an incredible job adapting the film for our event in tandem with the production, which is always a challenging feat!”
FUN FACT: The year before the first official Halloween Horror Nights (then known as Fright Nights) began, the Halloween night activities involved the Universal Monsters being chased off by the Ghostbusters. They drove from the Firehouse and parked in front of the Studio Sweets candy shop for a photo opportunity as guests left for the night. And yes, I was there, showing Egon my “Real Ghostbusters” shoes and discussing our mutual love for Velcro. This happened, I have it on VHS!
“The World, Right Now, is Experiencing Unusual Paranormal Activity.”
Fast forward to the current day, and the Ghostbusters are back at Universal Studios Florida in multiple ways! If you’ve had seat on the curb and caught the Universal Mega Movie Parade, you’ve come face-to-face with a great white shark, traveled through time with Doc and Marty, and encountered Gozer and the infamously massive Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man.
“When we were deciding what brands to introduce within our summer 2024 offerings, ‘Ghostbusters’ was at the top of my list,” says Mike. “It stands alongside ‘Jaws,’ ‘Back to the Future’ and ‘E.T.’ as being core values of what the early Universal Studios theme park experience was, and to be able to feature them in completely different and unique ways within the Mega Movie Parade was incredibly fulfilling.”
One of the most exciting challenges in bringing “Ghostbusters” to the Universal Mega Movie Parade was finding the perfect balance between the different eras of the franchise. The Ecto-1, with its design featuring the Mini-Pufts, automatically places it within the newer films, while the main float is unmistakably rooted in the original 1984 classic. The team looked at this contrast to create a unique opportunity to showcase the franchise as a whole, rather than tying it to a single film.
And speaking of one of the most iconic cars in film history, it’s more than just transportation — it’s an icon of the Ghostbusters brand, instantly recognizable by generations. And now the Ecto-1 can be seen with Phoebe in the gunner-seat and Trevor behind the wheel, while the Mini-Pufts wreak havoc as only they can.
“The inclusion of the Ecto-1 in Universal Mega Movie Parade was not just important — it was essential,” Mike shares. “The thought of an Ecto-1 once again rolling through the streets of Universal Studios Florida, especially down the New York backlot area, felt like a moment that simply had to happen. It’s a perfect fusion of nostalgia and cinematic spectacle, bringing that unmistakable siren, flashing lights, and ghost-trapping energy back where it belongs — on the streets of Universal, thrilling fans, new and old.”
You can also catch the Ghostbusters in CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular, a nighttime show in Universal Orlando. “What you’re going to experience is a journey through memorable movie moments through the emotional power of music,” Mike explains. “One of my favorite moments is the surprise ‘entrance’ we gave to the Ghostbusters section. The musical build into the main Ghostbusters theme is truly one of my favorite scored moments in the show — and who doesn’t love to see 300 drones create the classic Ghostbusters logo! Iconic!”
From the awe-inspiring Ghostbusters Spooktacular to the frightful halls of Halloween Horror Nights houses, the Ghostbusters have captured imaginations and delivered unforgettable moments in the theme park for generations. Despite 20 years in this industry and creating experiences worldwide, when I see them in the park, all that fades away and I’m instantly six years old again. And when I see the same look of awe on my daughter’s face today as she sees the giant Stay-Puft come down the street, I know that these are the memories we try to create in everything we do here at Universal.
So, next time you step into the theme park, look out for something strange, those things that don’t look good. But don’t be alarmed, because you know who to call.
What are your favorite Ghostbusters memories in Universal Studios Florida? Comment them below!
3 Comments
While I missed the Spooktacular era, I’m fortunate to have experienced both Halloween Horror Nights houses and the Mega Movie Parade. However, my favourite memory? My wife proposed to me on the steps of the New York Public Library, under Dana Barrett’s apartment building, with a miniature ghost trap as the ring box! We met through our love of Ghostbusters!
Hello, thank you so much for sharing such a heart-warming experience with us! We are delighted and honored to have been included in such a life-changing moment, and to have become part of your favorite memory.
The early years of Universal Studios were a heady time for me. Dad & I were there on opening day. Disney had a studios park, too, but at the time, it was lackluster compared to Universal. I remember being able to park right out front because the massive garages hadn’t been constructed yet to accommodate guests for two parks & CityWalk. As an annual passholder, sometimes I might drop by on a workday just to use a branch of my bank that was in the park & maybe grab a Greek chicken dinner at the international food court where the Simpsons food court is now. I somehow was under the illusion that the original lineup of attractions would be around forever, but when the Ghostbusters show was the first to close to be rebranded into Twister, I realized things would change. I think the only original attractions left now are E.T. & the horror make-up show. I’d love to take a DeLorean & time travel back to those early years. The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera, now having been replaced by Jimmy Neutron’s Nicktoon Blast, & then Jimmy Neutron being replaced by Minion Mayhem, was my favorite & I still consider it one of my all-time favorite theme park attractions.