How Universal Orlando's CityWalk Has CHANGED (And What's Coming Next)
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- čas přidán 30. 06. 2024
- Universal Orlando's CityWalk has gone through some pretty big changes over the years! In this video I'm sharing with you some of the biggest ones that have come to the dining and entertainment district and then talk about the potential EPIC future coming to CityWalk.
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00:00 Intro
00:37 Before CityWalk
02:48 NBA City
04:28 Old Hard Rock Cafe
05:59 NASCAR Cafe
07:11 The Groove Nightclub
08:55 In Memoriam
10:12 The Future Of CityWalk
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Great video, and i NEED that shirt. What a legend!
Lmao I’m glad you like it! I made it myself.
Link here:
www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/57164814-mark-woodbury-hype-shirt
was gonna comment this too, glad you asked
I always enjoy seeing all the like night life people coming into city walk as I limp out of the park to the hotel busses, exhausted from walking the parks all day 😂
5:57 Sadly that’s true😫security told me the story last year when I went to see The Wall. Ridiculous, that the person who did that was oblivious to history!
Poor guy probably didn't speak English and was scared thinking someone had vandalized that rock from the Hard Rock.
Still, I'm happy to be able to touch a piece of history, even if it was pressure washed
I hope you and Ellison are doing well. I love videos with historic relevance. I remember parking by the globe.
Just to confirm as someone who worked on property for many many years. Specifically The legend of the power washed berlin wall is 100% true.
Honestly this was one of the best videos yall ever have made. Sad I'm just now watching. Yall should go back and watch this yourselves truly. Great memories and yall had so much excitement. You guys are great
Great video. Very fun to watch! Thanks for sharing!
Great video Vincent always loved city walk ❤
So crazy to see all the changes over the years! I ate at NBA and nascar don’t remember how good the food was. I’ll never forget meeting Bam Margera at the element store he was randomly doing a signing one day. Thanks for this video made me go through childhood memory lane!
Awesome video idea loko 💪🏼😎
This is an interesting video because a lot of theme park channels have been making videos recently of whats coming to the Universal parks, but not a whole lot of people have made videos about the future of the City Walk areas.
I lived in Tampa in the mid 90s. We used to drive over and park right up at the gate of Universal like you described. I remember seeing signs saying they were about to break ground on Islands of Adventure.
Love the before and after universal videos 👍
NBA CITY restaurant was the first place I ever saw an HDTV . This would have been the late 1990's. It was new technology and they had them over the upstairs bar. It was mind blowing to see the clarity. Apparently they were ridiculously expensive because they weren't readily available yet. I was on the opening team of IOA and this was a great nostalgia trip to revisit all the places we used to hit up after work everyday. Especially Cigarz. That was our main hangout.
Thank you for the great comment! I can't remember the first time I saw an HDTV, but you're right it was a mind-blowing moment. Kinda like the first time I saw a Coke Freestyle machine
I love how Vincent's content reflects his out of the box thinking. Always refreshing to watch his videos because they're not like all of the other theme park content.
Great video! Thank you! I DO remember the old Universal Escape (Ghostbusters, anyone?). I remember lucking out and getting the 2nd parking space one morning. Second row because handicap parking was the first row. (FYI - preferred parking wasn’t a thing yet .) I did go to the NBA place to eat once and wasn’t a big fan. It was a lot of BBQ if I remember correctly and I’m not a BBQ person. Thanks for the walk down memory lane!
I remember when my family visited the park a month later after it opened in June 1990. There was a strike going on where neighborhood residents were holding signs opposing the opening of the park. I remember us parking and waking up to the universal globe. The first of many trips. We all lived in Miami at the time.
We started coming down to Orlando in 2006 when our two children were old enough to have memories of the trip. And at CityWalk, the NBA Cafe was our favorite spot. The atmosphere was fun and the food was really good. Our children enjoyed the shooting games outside too. Our last time down 2018 (maybe) it was closed and going to be replaced. Bummer. We also got a family photo on that surfboard in 2006 and again in 2016. Pretty cool comparison of the children growing up.
Great show I really like these shows 🎉
You should talk about the old Psycho house and the abandoned Hard Rock Cafe that sat for years.
My dad remembers parking in the parking lot for Universal RIGHT where the Universal Globe is. Like a 100 foot walk to the main gate arches.
I love that Universal is old enough and evolved enough now to actually have nostalgic videos like this.
Just out of curiosity, any chance you'll be at the OI meetup in June? My plan is to courtesy wave hello to every vlogger I know from a respectable distance.
Lol love the in memorium 😂, I remember all those places. Man I can't freaking wait for epic universe. I hope there's still some kind of express if you stay in certain hotels. So worth it!
dope vid bro
Thank you man!
Love the shirt! Where did you get it? That NBA restaurant actually looks awesome!
I made it myself! You can find on TeePublic, I pinned a link to it in the comments
I remember parking close and walking right up. In fact...im, working on a video of my parking spot and other parking lot sights then and now
The chocolate emporium was awesome. Food was pretty good but the Cherry chocolate mule was exquisite!
Growing up my family always went to NBA city restaurant after a day at the parks. I loved following basketball during the Shaq, Kobe, Yao Ming era during the early 2000s so this place was my favorite. My memory is fuzzy but I think there may have been mini TVs at the tables showing games. The food was reliably good. Couldn’t go wrong with a burger. Still have some souvenirs from the shop!
I remember nba city had a half court and guests could do a 3 pt contest to win jerseys and stuff.
My family and I ate at NBA city! It’s been like so many years since I’ve been to universal.
City Walk was such a surprise. One of my favourite places in Orlando
Oh my goodness - Pastamore was one of my favorite places to go after a long day at the parks with the family. Made so many great memories in that place.
I never got to go! A lot of these I missed out on, actually :(
@@VincentVision think Carabba's but a tier up. It was good American-Italian, but ultimately I can see why it was scrapped.
Love the Legacy Store!
I had a burger at that Nascar Cafe once. I distinctly remember the table seating. The food was meh, but thanks for mentioning it lol.
I remember when it was just the one park
Parking my car where Islands is now and walking over
I ate at the nascar place one time in like 2011 or something. It was during one of the coldest times in Orlando history if I remember correctly it was like under 10 degrees. The parks were completely dead due to the painful wind chill. I remember being the only people in the nascar place when we ate
Can confirm that Cinnabon can be added to that In Memoriam. Our recent visit there has the place closed down. :(
Also I need that shirt 😂
There was a rainforest / endangered animal shop where Starbucks is now, many years ago
11:57 Chicken Alfredo pizza in NBA city was fire.
We used to eat at the O.G. hard rock cafe shaped like the guitar a lot as well.
Old Universal was an amazing vibe.
Watched Dwight Howard get drafted at the nba city dradt party 😢.
The Groove used to have teen nights too, I went a couple of times in high school!
You are wrong. The escape rooms aren’t the only “interactive” city walk attraction. They also have a movie theatre and mini golf
Little known fact is that before the NBA restaurant it was supposed to be Shaq’s restaurant but due to some technicality it fell through, and the Bob Marley’s it’s a replica of he’s house in Jamaica.
That Mark Woodbury shirt is incredible 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I ate at NBA city more than once. They had these giant milkshakes that were delicious. I wasn't a basketball fan but it was still fun similar to the Nascar Cafe.
I believe the wife and I hit up the groove dance club when we got married in 2008. I enjoy the evolution of CityWalk.
i went to the OG hard rock tha twas back where kidzone was and dreamworks will soon be. it was fun
Man, great vid... i remember all those old place's from my very first visit to Universal... I remember the NBA City and Nascar Cafe... although as I stayed off property I never ate at them so only visitedthe parks that time...
I got every year now from the UK and always stay onsite now...
I believe Universal traded to get all the rights and ownership to NBC sports, with Disney for the rights to The original Steamboat Willy that Universal had...
What was the store / gift shop at the top of Nascar/The Cigar place? I think there was a Burger King and Tattoo place somewhere in that area as well. The late-night Pizza place was Great when they were open!
Right next to the groove was the Latin Quarter where the Mexican restaurant is now. It was Aztec or Mayan theme i don't remember which. I do remember there was a two story waterfall where divers would dive into a pool every 15 minutes.
what?? like Casa Bonita?
@@VincentVision not quite as grand but similar.
Pizzas were delicious at Pastamore, and of course, I remember the Groove !
Do you think they'll move the Legacy Store somewhere else/have it absorbed into the existing store? There were some cool props in there, it would be sad if they weren't displayed anywhere anymore
I remember going to the NBA City, eating there, don't remember the food, so must not have been that great!
You forgot about Mini golf as far as an experience of something to do. I've always said that City Walk feels like it's missing on the experiences side. Hope there is more to do in the future.
I've eaten at NBA City and the NSACAR restaurant. Both were great and I miss them.
You completely failed to mention the store “GLOW” that opened with the original City Walk. Now the Tattoo Shop is located there, but GLOW was a completely black lit store selling glow sticks, light up signs, posters, paraphernalia, etc. I used to visit City Walk just for this store for a couple years between 2000-2002.
That giant basketball player from NBA city is in front of a store on I-Drive now.
I miss the Motown cafe, I ate there and they had great music too
At the front of Universal Studios there used to be a I Love Lucy store. It was epic
There was a museum portion for Lucy... a LOT more than just a store. I really liked that tribute.
NASCAR has definitely waned in popularity since the 90s
I've been going to Universal Orlando my whole life. I always think about how we used to just park in front on Universal Studios. No City Walk, just walk right up to the gates.
Also, I remember City Walk used to have musical performances and other types of entertainment occurring on the little Main Stage area in the center of City Walk.
wow, interesting - old cityWalk had a few stores and restaurants that seem like they were better than what's there, now.
much of cityWalk, now feels like it's just the same sort of stuff you could get at your local mall.
Let’s go take a walk
Let’s all go to Ciiitywalk…tonight ✨🌹
9:30 Dang Vincent, who knew you could sing!?
The NBA City bathrooms had their trash cans to look like a hoop lol. I remember staying in there when I was younger with my friend just shooting our paper towels over and over.
I ate at NBA City once. The service was so bad that we cashed out early into the meal
It sure seems different than it was when I first came in 2002.
You are the USO historian. Well done gettig all that footage. Clearly allot of research into this video.
This is the last area where Disney still has it better than Universal. There is so much more variety (espacially the restaurants, but even the shops), life, and overall better feel over at Disney Springs. Some of the clubs at City Walk are always close to empty. Universal has allot going on, at one point they need to rethink City Walk.
Element store wasn’t the shortcut, was the Tommy Bahamas
I ate in NBA City s few times. Not a basketball fan at all but the food was very good!
Before there was a universal Orlando store, it used to be a sports store that sold all kind of sports stuff. Miss it.😢
You forgot the Latin square before it turned to antojitos restaurant 😊
Hi Vincent, it’s Ethan
You missed the red coconut club which used to be The Motown Cafe in the 90s..
Pressure washed the Berlin Wall!! 😂😂 I thought it was just years of being out in the Florida elements. But if this is true, that’s crazy.
The short was through quite flight. the element store didnt attach to anything i dont think. the only thing i remember from before city was when i was super young i only remebered the bone yard the the sign out from with the fountain
You’re totally right, it was Tommy Bahamas. Whoops! All those stores felt like the same lol
@@VincentVision yup! my dad always made us stop at tommy bahamas its drove me crazy!!
Also missed City Jazz, currently Rising Star!
piq was my FAVORITE i loved looking at all of the silly trinkets. also using quiet flight and the other stores as a cutthrough to studios was so real, i do miss the ac but i do NOT miss the crowding when the legacy store was the uni store so it was likely a smart decision. citywalk so lovely
isn’t there a club again i was there for st pats and there was come club open by the karaoke spot
Maybe Pat O Briens? Dueling piano bar?
It's so frustrating that Cinnabon is going away. There are so few breakfast options on the way to the parks! (Plus, I like a late night cinnamon roll too! 😇)
Cinnabon isn’t going away. It’s just relocating
NBA City burgers were 🔥🔥🔥
Watcha!
Don't get me wrong, I like toothsome's aesthetic. I've neither eaten there nor NBA. However, my cousin and I used to go to the NBA place to shoot hoops and put our hands on the handprints of the players that were on display. The employees were great and let us play for free all the time.
Not the Cinnabon! 😭
its moving location. small carts will be open in city walk till it opens
Wow they got rid of the groove? I feel like I was just there lol
The NASCAR cafe was awful! We went there as a family for my younger brother as he was really into that stuff. I was still kind of young myself, so I had a kids meal, probably a hot dog. Their food made me sick and every 10 minutes or so, the cars in the restaurant would "burn out". Their tires would spin and make a ton of noise. I left with a massive headache and I felt like throwing up from the horrible food.
Is that a Mark Woodbury shirt?
It is!
Bro u absolutely slapped Nick Studios in the face by mentioning Blue Man Group
Nick Studios lives strong in my heart 💛 but it was a park offering, not a CityWalk offering!
HE TALKED ABOUT CHOCOLATE FACTORY BUT DIDNT GO IN LOL
i miss emeril’s
Why are they getting rid of all the places to dance? :(
Basically because of dumb people in their 20s.... lol believe me.. im 38 now.. but I sold a whole 10 pack of blue dolphins in there in my wayward youth.
You can still vibe and dance at bob marleys or the karaoke joint.
My guy you need to get a microphone or something. Sound was all over the place
MoTown Cafe?
NBA City food was below average and overpriced. It was more of a tourist trap than good food. I guess if NBA fan it was cool, but food was kind of a last option when everything else was packed.
Motown Cafe 😢
Omg I totally forgot about that place, where was that located?
@@VincentVision Red Coconut
Motown Cafe was located where Bubba Gump's currently is.
I think that Universal should consider switching to Pepsi so that they can build a Pepsi Store at CityWalk.
You should talk about how gross city walk is and how it has continued to become even more gross as time goes forward. The place is filthy.
I stole a Harry Potter wand from the one store at city walk
I’m calling the police
Thank goodness they removed that basketball garbage it was hideous
Went through city walk and it was dead and boring.