By Danielle Plato
Ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-nick! Nickelodeon!
The jingle is all too familiar for those of us who grew up in the 90s and early 2000s. We grew up watching Nickelodeon, a channel that was rife with experimental new cartoon animations geared toward the younger crowd from 8-14. It was an unprecedented era of creativity in animation, and one that has yet to be replicated in mainstream western animated media. It was an era of complex writing that trusted its young viewers intellectually, to digest sometimes difficult topics in a relatable way that children within the target audience age bracket could learn from and sometimes relate to. But it was also a refreshing era of comedy, of experimental pitches brought to fruition, and of short animated projects that were injected between feature-length TV shows that gave creators a chance to prove their concepts and sometimes blossom into fully-realized shows.
It was also, ironically enough, an oasis for kids’ reality TV. Not the reality TV we know today. There was no Keeping Up with the Carpdashians on Bikini Bottom Public Television. Instead, the reality television that Nick specialized in throughout the 90s and early 2000s was gameshow television.
Double Dare, Legends of the Hidden Temple, Nick Arcade, Get the Picture, Figure it Out, Finders Keepers… the list goes on and on, and Nickelodeon was behind every one of them. Back before Blue Man Group performed in their custom theater, the building was part of the larger Nickelodeon Studios complex, with Soundstage 18 serving as the main taping location for its iconic game shows. You remember at the end of all the game shows, the announcer would tell viewers that the show was filmed in front of a live studio audience? In a unique theme park perk, the live studio audiences for many of these shows were composed entirely of guests visiting Universal Studios Florida.
The World’s First Headquarters for Kids
Nickelodeon Studios opened with Universal Studios Florida on June 7, 1990. It billed itself as “The First World Headquarters for Kids” and offered not only the chance to see live shows filmed, including game shows like Nick Arcade as well as sitcoms like Clarissa Explains it All, but to directly compete in these shows and other Nick-based experiences throughout the massive 90,000-square-foot complex.
In fact, over 50 different Nickelodeon originals were filmed at the location in Orlando, including classics like Kenan & Kel, Gullah Gullah Island, and the first two seasons of All That before it moved production to Hollywood. Reportedly, over 2,000 individual episodes of television across various properties were filmed at this location.
A Legacy of Slime and Time
Before Nick Studios’ closure in 2005, a time capsule was buried on the grounds of Universal Orlando Resort on April 30, 1992. Upon the studios’ transformation into the new residency of the Blue Man Group, Nickelodeon relocated the time capsule to its nearby Orlando-based resort, the Nick Hotel. While this off-property resort location was a landmark in Orlando for many years, it too sadly closed in 2016. For those looking for a shot of nostalgia, a functioning Nick Hotel can still be found in places like the Dominican Republic and Turkey, with a 2026 location slated for, ironically enough, Orlando, Florida!
The one thing that the 2026 location will not have, however, is the time capsule. After the original hotel’s closure, the time capsule was re-relocated to the Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank, California. Mark your calendars! Though no longer a Florida resident, the capsule is still set to open on April 30, 2042, 50 years after its burial.
Though the former Nick soundstages were repurposed many times over the years since the closure, serving as the location for the 14-year residency of Blue Man Group as well as a filming location for events like WWE and the seasonal Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular in a nearby soundstage, some of the original Nick branding still exists within the building. Most of the Nick branding was, however, removed with a 2018 remodel.
A Trip Down Memory Lane and a Look into the Future
Nickelodeon, which once had a significant presence within Universal Studios Florida, is more like a memory now. Very little of the iconic kids’ network remains within the parks today, with the exception of Spongebob Storepants (yes, that’s really what it’s called) and the characters like Spongebob and Dora & Diego that participate in meet and greets, parades, and other mascot-focused events.
While many of us remember attractions like Jimmy Neutron’s Nicktoon Blast, which closed in 2011, memories of Nick Studios, of watching game shows taped live on set, and of getting slimed in any of the guest experiences held within the studios, seem to be a little fuzzier, when you do find someone who had the good fortune to experience these interactive filmings and events.
Despite Nickelodeon’s triumphant return to Orlando in 2026, it’s unlikely that the network will be able to recreate the energy that they achieved in the early 2000s with such a prominent presence both within and outside of the Universal Studios Florida park property. But even if it’s not the same, those of us who remember driving down International Drive and seeing our favorite Nicktoons welcoming us into what was then the world’s coolest hotel will most likely be excited to have it back.
Explore More: Videos
Nickelodeon Studios – Behind Closed Doors 2012
Universal/Nickelodeon Studios, FL 1992
Explore More: Resources
- Web Page: Nickelodeon Studios (Wikipedia)
- Attraction Archaeology: Mat Hoffman’s Crazy Freakin’ Stunt Show!!! (Theme Park Magazine)
- Attraction Archaeology: The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera (Theme Park Magazine)
- Attraction Archaeology: Extreme Ghostbusters – The Great Frightway (Theme Park Magazine)
- Attraction Archaeology: The Screen Test Home Video Adventure (Theme Park Magazine)
- Attraction Archaeology: Jaws at Universal Studios Florida (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
