The Lowdown on the Plus-up - A Theme Park Podcast
Kelly McCubbin and Peter Overstreet take on all aspects of theme parks - Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Six Flags - discussing them in historical context and then finding ways, to quote Walt Disney, to "plus them up!"
No considerations of safety, practicality or economic viability even remotely entertained!
https://www.lowdown-plus-up.com/
A Boardwalk Times Podcast
https://boardwalktimes.net/
Episodes
33 episodes
Pete's Corner: Haunted Houses - History, Therapy and Why the Gorilla Must Escape
Midnight seances, glow-in-the-dark ghosts, and a gorilla that always breaks loose—our journey into haunted-house history starts where theater met sideshow and never looked back. We trace the first British walkthroughs of the 1930s, the packed s...
•
Season 2
•
17:52
Knott's Scary Farm - Before Halloween Horror Nights, Before Oogie-Boogie Bash, Knott's Got Boysenscary!
Halloween didn’t just arrive at theme parks; it was engineered, rehearsed, and unleashed from a fog-soaked street in Buena Park. We dive into the wild origin story of Knott’s Scary Farm, tracing the DNA from mid-century horror hosts to the firs...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 7
•
1:46:14
The True Story of Ray Bradbury and Theme Parks with Dr. Phil Nichols, or Pete and Kelly Become Desperate for Validation and Call an Expert!
Ray Bradbury had a fascination with themed entertainment since he first attended the 1939 New York World's Fair, but was it merely as a casual observer or did he actually get his hands dirty?We invited noted Ray Bradbury scholar, Dr. Phil N...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 6
•
1:36:29
Ray Bradbury's Theme Park - The Great Electric Time Maze!
Whether he was disappointed with how his work for EPCOT Center turned out or he was simply inspired to do it again, Ray Bradbury created his own vision of a theme park: The Great Electric Time Maze.Impractical, economically unviable and cen...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 5
•
1:41:41
Star Trek: Roddenberry's Dream Escapes the Screen
Star Trek is an enduring contradiction. It's strong progressive ideals are often at odds with the fiscal reality of the entertainment business, and its presence in theme parks are no exception.But the morality of Star Trek, more often than ...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 4
•
1:51:11
Jungle Cruise Evolution: The Indy Years
Pete takes mercy on Kelly, who's been under the weather, and does the heavy lifting on our follow-up to last season's "Rude Mechanicals - Jungle Cruise: The Early Years."Bill Evans is back to see the fruition of the project he began over 35...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 3
•
1:23:35
Minisode: What's coming and Disney's Zoning Magic Trick
It's a brief, Mid-summer (Don't get in the bear!) minisode.Ever wondered what's really happening with Disneyland Forward? Dive into this revealing mini-episode where we crack open the truth behind Disney's highly publicized expansion pla...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 2
•
10:55
The Amity Inversion - Jaws at Universal
Jaws was a lynchpin to Universal's theme park success, both in California and Florida. It was also one of the biggest headaches the parks ever dealt with.Join us for the return of the J-Bang(!!!) as we pick apart what happened, follow th...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 2
•
1:25:41
America's Addiction to Gravity - Mystery Spots
We contend that there is nothing more patriotic than being conned into believing that water runs uphill.Step into a world where the laws of physics seemingly take a vacation as we explore America's beloved gravity-defying roadside attra...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 1
•
1:22:26
Minisode: Season 2 - Here We Come!
We're wrapping up our first season of theme park adventures with a look back at what we've accomplished and a peek at what's coming in Season 2. From humble beginnings as a "way for our partners to get rid of us for a few hours every week," we'...
•
17:13
When the Motion Stopped: Tomorrowland Live at the Hojo!
Step with us into Tomorrowland, that curious realm where yesterday's futures linger in an increasingly static present. Why do Disney fans profess deep love for a land they rarely prioritize visiting? The answer lies in Tomorrowland's remarkable...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 21
•
1:24:52
Fire and Baby Oil - Conan: A Sword and Sorcery Spectacular
Step back into the age of sword and sorcery as we unravel the untold story of Universal Studios' most dangerous and innovative attraction: the Conan the Barbarian Sword and Sorcery Spectacular. This legendary stunt show wasn't just entertainmen...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 20
•
1:55:47
The Rocket Belt Saga Part Two - Biddy, Biddy, Murder!
Join us for part two of the strangest story we've told thus far.The 1990s launch with a particularly charming story about jet packs, The Rocketeer. But then Kinnie Gibson, Brad Barker, Larry Stanley and Bill Suitor return to pick up a story...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 19
•
1:02:57
The Rocket Belt Saga Part 1 - Twenty-One Seconds
What if I told you that the man who flew above Disneyland's Tomorrowland in the 1960s wasn't on wires, but strapped to actual jet engines? The remarkable true story of the rocket belt at Disney parks is more fascinating—and bizarre—than you mig...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 18
•
1:08:59
Adventure Thru Mini-Space - A Minisode
A quick note between talking about the Prince of Darkness and the Darkness of the Future!Full episode coming very soon.
•
2:53
Transylvanian Tumbleweeds 2!
In part two of Transylvanian Tumbleweeds we explore the legacy of Dracula-themed attractions, particularly focusing on the Castle Dracula experience at Universal Studios. We discuss the concept of the "JayBang" introduced by Jay Stein and the c...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 17
•
53:58
Transylvanian Tumbleweeds: Undead Sagebrush of the Old Country - Count Dracula in the Theme Parks
In part one of our exploration of the Transylvanian tyrant turned tourist trap, we break down some of Dracula's origins. Don't worry, this is not going to be that same old "Dracula is based on Vlad the Impaler" lecture that you've already heard...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 16
•
56:57
Tropic Standard Time with Ken Bruce - The Enchanted Tiki Room
Ken Bruce spent 16 years researching and writing about the most important piece of theme park pop art ever made: Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room. The resulting book not only tells the history of that attraction, but serves to show how its sto...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 15
•
1:13:01
Plywood Hurts if You Hit it Hard Enough - Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
An opening day attraction in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, Mr. Toad is surprising fan favorite given that it plays like an outtake of a film that not that many people have seen and ends in punishment.We love it.Join us for an e...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 14
•
1:31:51
Embracing the Snowflake - Adventure Thru Inner Space
It's one of the quirkiest theme park attractions of all time. Disneyland, for the first time ever, took on pure science fiction and hit it out of the park. It was like riding through an episode of "Outer Limits" or "Twilight Zone" (and was nota...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 13
•
1:40:13
Minnie-sode: An Evermore Update - Master Blaster Rules Realm Town!
Another amuse-bouche one between the big shows.Let us know if you like these.And review us on your podcast platform of choice, please. We'd really appreciate it.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 12
•
9:18
You Will Believe a Goat Can Fly - Frontier Village
It was a small park in rural San Jose with off-the-shelf rides and entertainment liberally lifted from Disneyland; so why is it so beloved? Is there another regional theme park in the country that has yearly reunions four DECADES after it close...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 12
•
1:30:50
Retro-Nostalgia Ain’t What It Used to Be - The Main Street Electrical Parade
It exists in a nexus between three time periods: the future, the retro-future and the nostalgic past. The Main Street Electrical Parade is the most famous Disney parks parade for a good reason, it somehow synthesizes everything that is containe...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 11
•
1:37:22
Folks Here's a Story 'Bout Minnie the Watcher - Fleischer Land
If you take a left turn around 1929, you end up here: where the jazz band triumphed over the orchestra, where sexy usurped formal, where a very different theme park empire began, and died.Welcome to Fleischer Land. Keep an eye out for...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 10
•
1:39:05
They Died with their Boots On - The History and Future of the Disney Shooting Galleries
When we pick up a fake gun and shoot it at a fantastical electric target, what are we trying to become? What do we think Frontierland is? Who is Paul MacGlashan and how did the guy that designed Disney's shooting galleries help win WWII? <...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 9
•
1:33:18