by Danielle Plato
The Ghostbusters have been an integral part of the Universal Studios Florida landscape since the park’s early days in the 1990s. The success of the original 1984 film spawned a massive franchise, including a sequel, a couple of classic animated shows, and two distinct film reboots in the 2010s and 2020s. This popularity translated directly into the parks, with a persistent presence of Ghostbusters-themed attractions, meet-and-greets, and shows for over two decades.
The Ghost with the Most Meets His Match
One of the most memorable shows, however, took place right in the heart of New York on the steps of the New York Public Library facade. It was a street show that, while borrowing its name from the Extreme Ghostbusters cartoon, featured its own team of busters in the classic film-style jumpsuits. They swore to protect the streets of Universal Studios Florida from any aggressive ecto-anomalies that might rear their ugly heads. And with the cast of characters that live on the backlot of Universal Studios Florida (and the exploding sharks), it’s no surprise that the Ghostbusters’ residency at the park was well-warranted.
Extreme Ghostbusters: The Great Frightway saw this rag-tag team of ghost-catchers taking on one of Universal’s oldest, rudest, and weirdest ghosts to ever haunt the Plaza of the Stars: the ghost with the most, Beetlejuice.
In a rare and yet strangely sensible crossover show, the Ghostbusters took to the streets of New York on the hunt for Mr. Juice, who had been seen terrorizing guests. And while we all know that the Ghostbusters are doing their best keeping civilians safe from Class V apparitions and giant marshmallow men, not even the franchise’s trained busters were prepared for this particular ghost to turn up the juice.
Paranormal Boy Band Problems
This show was marked in the New York section of the park on old paper maps, which detailed the plot in a quick description:
“The New Ghostbusters Franchise faces an old foe, Beetlejuice, who is about to turn the paranormal investigators into a dreaded boy band.”
The map also noted that this show ran five times a day at varying times depending on the day of the week.
In a roughly fifteen-minute stage show, the Ghostbusters would face off against Beetlejuice, who brought his own special brand of ghostly shenanigans to the streets. After arriving on the scene in the Ecto-1 to officially ‘bust’ Beetlejuice, the Ghostbusters are taken through a musical medley nightmare. Not one to be bested, Beetlejuice uses the basic power of possession to force them to perform in front of the crowd.
This fifteen-minute spectacular saw the team singing and dancing to popular hits from the era across a variety of genres. These songs, often truncated and arranged to flow seamlessly into one another, were utilized to make this show immersive, funny, and engaging, even going as far as to welcome guests into the middle of the show to contribute to a Rockettes-esque kickline.
Debuting in 2002, the show featured major hits indicative of the late 90s and early 2000s, with snippets from artists like NSYNC, Right Said Fred, Smash Mouth, Britney Spears, and Madonna. The varied genres added to the comedy as the Ghostbusters were forced to act out these performances in quick succession.
A Fond Farewell
By the end of the show, Beetlejuice himself is so into the performance that he’s unable to keep the Ghostbusters under his control. In a last-ditch effort to save his own skin, he convinces them to take their show on the road as a possessed boy band with him as their manager.
The whole performance oozes with the cheese of the early 2000s and theme park comedy, a charming hallmark of its time. Complete with singing, dancing, audience participation, hit music, and even a brief pyrotechnics finale, Extreme Ghostbusters: The Great Frightway was a charming addition to the attraction lineup.
Though this attraction was the spiritual successor to another Ghostbusters street show aptly titled “Streetbusters,” this version closed in 2005 after a three-year run.
While the Ghostbusters’ presence in the park would peter out after the closure of this attraction, Beetlejuice would continue his musical career at the much-beloved Beetlejuice’s Graveyard Revue. That show continued its operation up until January 2016, when its dedicated theater was demolished to make way for everyone’s favorite modern attraction, Fast & Furious: Supercharged. Whether you hate it or love it, Fast & Furious: Supercharged marked the end of Beetlejuice’s nearly 25-year-long musical career at the park. May it rest in peace.
Explore More: Videos
Extreme Ghostbusters: The Great Frightway
Editor’s Note: In the actual show, Frightway is one word though many articles put it as two
Explore More: Resources
Column: Attraction Archaeology (Theme Park Magazine)
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Danielle’s favorite stories have always been about magic and far-off adventures, and growing up in Orlando, Florida allowed her to experience those adventures in real life. As an adult, she graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2023 with a degree in Literature. Her inner child, however, still has a deep love for fairies, dragons, magic, and adventure. When not writing her next big adventure, she enjoys drawing, puzzle platformers, theme parks, and fast roller coasters.
The Attraction Archaeology column is published every other Thursday. #ThrowbackThursday
