Battle of Galactica Universal Studio theme park tram ride

[thomasostly]

I'm the guy in this video but I have no recollection of it being shot.

[qoolcars007]

The EMS Vocoder 2000 IS the one used in the series according to the book 'How to Wreck a Nice Beach' by Dave Tompkins...the most complete and comprehensive book EVER on vocoders!!! They did NOT use the Sennheiser Vocoder VSM201!!! audionautas. com/2010/09/how-to-wreck-nice-­­beach-dave-tompkins.html Needs to be translated from Spanish to English.

[yearofthecity2274]

@qoolcars007 Let's see IF this link...audionautas. com / 2010 / 09 / how- to- wreck- nice- beach- dave- tompkins. html # more is better than the one you gave!!

[yearofthecity2274]

@qoolcars007 YES it is!!! Now everyone will know that the Cylon Centurions from the original BSG spoke through the EMS Vocoder 2000 and NOT the Sennheiser Vocoder VSM201!!

[betterthanezralites]

Awesome! I remember this part of the tram tour when I was a kid. Glad to see this footage other than my foggy memories. I always liked looking back into the soundstage and seeing the robots reassemble after being split in half.

[jhelmsorig]

the character fails its In the name of the lords of kobol or then 12 colonies, not the federation

[KODfreak]

I wonder why they seemed to move better in the press videos.

[goldcylon]

@KODfreak A press video, or a official video release is taken by a crew that has the prober equipment, and a crew that does this for a living. When you are a sole employee doing this with your own equipment, and on your own time you not much more than just a tourist. This was taken back in the early 90's and video equipment on the consumer level wasn't able to capture subjects very well in low lighting compared to the way cameras of today cam capture many more details in low light.

[Network23549]

I remember this ride as a kid, I just turned 40. I always felt bad for the dorky guy who has to run in and save the tram, his gun had no laser.

[goldcylon]

@Network23549 Those guys had one of the best jobs on the lot. They loved it, they worked a 30 minute shift, off 30, and then back on.

[Network23549]

@goldcylon I don't doubt it was fun, but they could have added a little puff of smoke to the gun. How many times did they have to do that in 30 min?

[goldcylon]

@Network23549 During the peek of summer a tram came into the building every 3 minutes, and this was the very 1st stop just about 30 seconds after leaving the tram station. Off season the trams were every 5-10 minutes, and sometimes much longer. The actors inside could hear the tram coming, so they could do what ever they wanted to till signaled to be ready.

[Xenomorph237]

The Animatronics were made by a company called AVG Technologies. Back then, this was ground-breaking technology in robotics. Wonder what AVG does now.

[goldcylon]

@Xenomorph237 They make trains now.

[Xenomorph237]

@goldcylon What you mean actual trains like diesels engines and freight trains? That's cool.

[goldcylon]

@Xenomorph237 They make trolley street cars tig-m.com

[Xenomorph237]

@goldcylon

What happened that made AVG Technologies switch from making Entertainment Animatronics to manufacturing Trolley Trains??

Why is there very little information about this company like it's own wiki page?

Did you used to work for AVG Technologies??

[goldcylon]

@Xenomorph237 The world of animatronics for entertainment value peeked out 10 years ago, and there just isn't a lot of call for it anymore. AVG had to move onto something else over just drying, and dying off. The trolley car was the path they chose to make.

No I didn't or haven't work for them, but I have talked with them many times, and have been to the current location a few times. They are good people.

[Xenomorph237]

@goldcylon Why do you believe this turn down in Entertainment Animatronics has happened?

[alucard624]

I'm glad at least footage of this exists as the ride doesn't anymore, which is a true shame frankly.

[goldcylon]

@alucard624 Man the rocks I have had to turn over to find these videos wasn't easy, but worth it when people like yourself stop by to enjoy it.

[redguy222]

I remember this! How cool, you got it on video. This was high tech for 1984!

[TheRocketVoltage]

As a 90s kid, I gotta say this actually looks pretty cool!

[AmericanEvita]

I went on this Universal Studios ride around 1987 or 1988 when I was a kid. I don't think it's there anymore because Battle Star Galactica is very dated now and today's kids can't relate. It was fun being captured by those aliens and then rescued by the good guys! I miss the 80's and Universal Studios in the 80's when it was at it's all time best!

[Hodson2000]

DONT ARGUE WITH THE CYLON, BITCH!

[bossc351]

Thank you for showing us what we missed back in the day.  I was 4 in 1979. Ha!!

[CaptainBuckRogers]

This amusement park attraction is in The Nude Bomb-The Get Smart Movie in 1980

[MikeAM78]

This was my favorite part of the tour when I was a kid in the '80s. I miss it. Was certainly more entertaining than the "reimagined" GALACTICA on Syfy.

[KODfreak]

ok, but what about the rumor of the cylon in the gun turret being stollen by somebody as well as one being in possesion of a collector?

[goldcylon]

That Cylon in the entry area in front was a 2 piece seated fiberglass unit. The main piece the entire body except the helmet. The helmet contained the electronics for the eye scanner. As for in a collection I am sure it is unless it went into the trash. I know of only 2 of the Cylons inside the building that made it out alive via Universal kept them and sold them off at a later date. I haven't seen the seated Cylons since the ride closed.

[Hodson2000]

I know the collector that has a silver cylon head from one of the outdoor figures.

[KODfreak]

oh. well I heard one of the cylons are in storage in the thunderdome, which is under the simpsons ride.

[goldcylon]

Just a bad rumor. That Cylon was gone before you were born.

[KODfreak]

I think the doors you go in are still there under the simpsons ride. I am not sure what the inside of the area looks like now.

[goldcylon]

The entire building was bulldozed down. Nothing except the land underneath is all that is left. Search out other videos I have and you will see the building crushed and gone down to the concrete pad.

[Jal8919536]

Who replaced Patrick McNee as the voice of the Imperious Leader here?

[goldcylon]

Sorry I have no idea at all, but I am sure it was a no body in the world of acting since it wasn't the original, no one could fill Patrick's shoe so just hire anyone that sounds good that is a bit actor in the voice over world to keep the cost down.

[Wyrehedd242]

awesome! i remember going on that ride when i was a kid!

[83backbreaker]

@Wyrehedd242 yeah all i remember was a very big dark room and that guy busting open the door while light shinning in..thats all lol...i heard a whole family was decapitated there

[Bobanort]

They should have had Patrick McNee's voice (if he's still alive) for the Imp Leader

[goldcylon]

Patrick did the original voice but the contract ran out, and a new voice over was created a few years later. This was done in the later years of the show.

[gun15509]

Always thought the Galactica attraction was pretty cool. Don't know why on earth they took it out. Just like the falling rocks, anyone remember that?

[goldcylon]

Very good memory on the rock slide. The rock slide is where Galactica used to be.

[gun15509]

Yeah, I had an aunt that use to work at Universal Studios back in the 70's when I was young.

[gotilk]

Does he say "in the name of the federation" instead of "in the name of the 12 colonies" in this one? wow.

[Mukta101]

Thank you so much for posting this. I must have seen in 100 times in my childhood and I was missing it, I came to search for it and here it was! I remember it being very early in the tram tour. One of my favorite things.

[goldcylon]

Your welcome, and I was just as excited to see it when it was found about 2 years ago. A great walk down memory lane.

[MitchOJoCo]

HA! This ride is featured in a story in the new John Hodgman book, More Information Than You Require.

[goldcylon]

So it is in the book also? I saw the web blog posting.

[TideofWar420]

what a retarded ride, cant believe people went on it.

[halo3fan003]

Well people have different opinions about rides.

[thrillington]

where i can find the song, its amazing

[goldcylon]

Right here, you just heard it, you can download it from here via a download program you can find on Google

[atmosphotography]

I have a vague recollection of this from my early childhood. One of my earliest memories. I'm glad someone got this on video. I wish they'd at least do a new one for the new BSG.

[quarqill]

Glen Larson is in talks with Universal Studios to do a feature film and he will keep it just like the original.

[KRiSTeLiYaMaTiC247]

Wow I've never seen this in the studio tour!! First time I went to Universal and rode the tour was in 1992, but I guess they didn't have it anymore. :( Oh well... the rest is still great, though.

[johnkerry7]

omg i sooooo remember this. I was really young, but i remember this. So cool.

24m

[TheShnoogMaster]

yeah it was cool but now there adding dancing cars dancing to the gasilina and it really suck

[Springangel1]

They Took it out when "Back To The Future" went in. They needed the space. I remember when it happend, It was one of my fave. parts.

[Darktro0per]

AWESOME FILM! (I'm only 16!)

[koutesu]

I loved this as a kid!

[goldcylon]

I still love it!!! I guess I never grew up :-)

[ReverendSyn]

I went through this ride once.

Shame nobody has any respect for classics like this and BttF anymore.

[cheesustoast]

lol @ the robot that splits apart... that's so chesy but the part where the robot guards outside seem cool. Too bad they got rid of this, I wasn't even born then!

[chrisandcairo]

Wow! Thanks for the trip back in time. I was one of the heroes that saved the world from the Cylon menace every two minutes - back in the day. So cool to see this footage. I have seen video floating around of the ride being destroyed, but that's sad. This was fun!

[fatalblades]

man i love you for posting this. this brings me back waaaay back.

[frankie1373]

I remember this!! It was a field trip when I was in 3rd grade waaaaayyyyy back in the day!! I remember they also had Castle Dracula that was way cool!!

[ctdsnark]

In case anyone's interested,"The Return Of Maxwell Smart"{AKA "The Nude Bomb"}is on HBO this month{July '07}.It's not much of a movie,but it does include footage of Universal Hollywood,with a few minutes of this ride.

[tdan20]

I loved this part of the tour. First time I saw it, I was so amazed by the hero.. second time, there was no hero and just robots falling apart. Still brings back good memories as a kid. Last time I went on the tour it was bad experience because a group of mexican kids were drinking and attacking random people.

[excaliber77021]

i remember going thur the Galactica Universal Studio

in 84 thankxs for the memroys

ps i wish i had a Blaster

[edgyspice]

Oh, man, that takes me back. I went on the tram tour at least four or five times when I was a kid. Thanks for sharing this!

[RvBVeelaGirl]

wow, this strikes me as having been turned into Earthquake and then subsequently into The Mummy

[Jshaw71]

i winder what happened to the stuff that was inside? the set parts and such? looked super short, and couldn't hardly understand anything except from the actor

[DanHarkless]

Awesome! Haven't seen this since the early 80s. Thanks so much for posting this video. Wish there was more footage of the Cylons and Ovions, though. :-)

[metalgearfur]

How old is this ride?

[goldcylon]

This ride was built when the original show was on the air. It opened around Dec of 1978 and closed early 1992

[Jshaw71]

wow it ran that long? cool, too bad they would have turned this into a laser ride where the rider could shoot at the cylons like some of the other laser rides that are arouind just a few years ago, oh well

[SpreadingtheMuse]

Havent seen that in 25 years. Wish the quality was better, but its still fantastic to see again.

[goldcylon]

It would be great to have a clearer copy, but it was filmed with a hand held cam about 18 years ago.

[ctdsnark]

Never got to see this---read an article in Starlog about it,and there's footage of it in >ugh< "The Nude Bomb"---but never got to see the real thing!

[gamefreakgill]

WHAT'S THAT SONG AT THE BEGINNING?

[Evilseed]

Whoa, cool.

[BigLoc05]

Isn't this now the Earthquake?

[goldcylon]

Back To The Future rides sits on top where that used to be.

[LANCE70X]

Not sure... This part of the tour, if memory serves correctly, was on the hill just after the old "Avalanche / Falling Rocks" area -- Which means it was the second stop on the tram tour. This is going wayyyy back, of course -- Most people probably don't remember, but back in the 70s, the tram tour was basically an all-day event, complete with a lunch break in that area with the giant phone and GMC Vans you could 'push over'. =) ahh memories

[goldcylon]

Yes your correct, it was at the base of the Avalanche are, and also the base foot for the Back To The Future ride, soon to be the Simpsons

[BOOGERT]

GREAT VEHICLE!!!!!!!!!

[BritCanuck]

Very nice to see the behind the scenes footage with the actor backstage.

[goldcylon]

Check out my web site to view 4 other related video's at www.ByYourCommand.net

[kilroy123]

whoa...I remember going thru this part of the ride when I was about 7 or 8. Thanks for the blast from the past!