Interview with the YouTuber who broke the record for most rides in one day on ‘E.T. Adventure’ at Universal Studios Orlando.

John Porto, a Miami Dade college student and Spielberg super fan, currently holds the world record for the largest number of rides, 56, in one day on ‘E.T. Adventure’ at Universal Studios Orlando. We had the chance to ask Porto some questions to find out exactly why he chose to break this record. John also did an awesome vlog the day he broke the record. We highly recommend you watch this vlog which can be found by clicking on the following link https://youtu.be/n1HUCU4BrJg .

When asked if he had always loved the ride, Porto responded ‘When I first visited Universal, when I was very young, there were three rides I remember: Jaws, Earthquake (I remember that one because I was terrified of it) and ET. ET and Jaws were the two rides I fell in love with as a kid and when they closed Jaws I was extremely upset. Now with the power of social media and the following I have on YouTube, I’m trying my hardest to get more people to ride ET and to keep the ride open so other people can experience the ride and fall in love with it like I did.’

His want to break the record was inspired by a popular YouTuber named World Of Micah, who rode the ride 25 times in a day. This triggered John Porto’s competitive spirit and led him to think ‘Well, that doesn’t seem to hard, I can probably ride it 30 times and beat him.’

He explained his eagerness to do this challenge, stating ‘I’m a very competitive guy so I couldn’t help it. When I got to the ride the staff let me use a production crew entrance to speed up the process for me. After that I figured that 55 was a more plausible number. Either way, I had an Express Pass Unlimited so it would have been the same with or without the production crew entrance. I added one more ride just in case I miscounted any but I’m 99% sure I didn’t. I also had heard about the man that visited Disneyland 1,000 days in a row and I got inspiration from him as well.’

56 consecutive rides on the same attraction sounds like a rather tedious venture, even when its on a classic like the ‘E.T. Adventure’, however Porto claims that ‘there wasn’t any part about this experience that was hard. Except maybe the time it took to do it. I actually didn’t expect that it would take that long. I actually found a few ways to make the ride even more fun. On one ride I watched the scene where they take off on the bike in the movie and I synced it perfectly to the scene on the ride where you take off on the bikes. Another thing I did was I ate Resse’s Pieces on the ride.’

It is no surprise that John Porto feels this way, as his collection of Universal Studios Park props, including a sign from the ‘E.T. Toy Closet Store’ and a magazine from the old ‘Disaster’ ride, suggests that he is a great appreciator of the craft and detail of such theme park attractions and theming. Therefore, it is no wonder he was able to enjoy each ride, as they provided an opportunity to experience the attraction in a different way or notice new things.

Not only did his own enthusiasm make the task enjoyable, but the team members also helped to add ease to the experience. Porto told us that ‘The staff of the ride were the most amazing group of people I have ever met. The only other people that were just as supportive about the record was my own family. Every time I would come through the child swap entrance Rachel and the rest of the staff were egging me on saying “You can do it!” Or they would ask “How many left?” I’ve never felt more at home. The second day I went to ride it before I went back to Miami I thanked them all and I gave them a hug. ‘.

Beyond the personal feelings of victory, Porto has also received some acknowledgement from high up members of the Universal team. He proudly let us know ‘Two people have gotten back to me: Michael Aiello, he’s one of the Senior Creative Developers for Universal and Halloween Horror Nights. I’m a big fan of his, I love everything he’s done with HHN. I tweeted him the video and he replied with a big YEAH! showing his approval. The second person was James Keaton. He is the actor that plays Jack The Clown at Halloween Horror Nights. He also saw the tweet I sent him and he loved the video. ‘

Not only has he received acknowledgment from those involved in the parks, but also from Hollywood child star, Robert MacNaughton, who played Micheal in the film  ‘E.T.’ and who now follows Porto on instagram.

Porto continued to tell us that he has also sent the video to Steven Spielberg, Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, and Mark Woodbury (Universal Head Of Creative), dreaming that ‘it would be amazing if I heard back from Spielberg but that’s just wishful thinking.’

Porto’s record was not only inspired by his love of Steven Spielberg, particularly his film ‘E.T.’, but also his love of Universal Studios Orlando. Porto explained that he has

‘been going to Universal since I was about 5 or 6. My parents would always take me to Disney and Universal. I grew out of Disney very quickly. I’ve always preferred Universal. I haven been to Disney since 2008 to ride Expedition Everest. Universal is where I got my first glance at the world of film and how films are made. I’ve always loved physical rides where I can see all the details and hidden easter eggs. I’m kind of sad that most rides now are 3D and nowhere near as impressive as Kongfrontation, Jaws and Earthquake. E.T. is the last of those rides. It’s a ride that I can ride over and over again and I always see something new every time. The only other ride that comes close is The Mummy but The Mummy is nowhere near as special to me as E.T. I told myself that the day they shut down E.T. is the day I’ll never go back to Universal (except for HHN) because that ride is that special to me and my Universal experience would not be the same without it. On Friday, when I went to HHN, I could smell the queue from the outside of the building and it just brought back so many memories and it instantly made me happy. ‘

When asked if his love of theme parks goes beyond just the Universal Orlando Resort, he responded ‘I’m a fan of Disney as well. I plan to go back to see the new Star Wars: Galaxies Edge but I’ve always preferred Universal. I don’t hate Disney I just out grew it. I also like other theme parks like Busch Gardens and I even got a chance to visit Cypress Gardens before it closed and I enjoyed that. I’m telling you if it wasn’t for the cost of admission to the parks being so high now and if I didn’t live so far, I would be at Universal every day. ‘

We finished our interview by asking John Porto if he had any future record breaking plans, to which he replied ‘I actually rode both Harry Potter rides 3 times in one day. Forbidden Journey, I rode it 3 times in a row when I went to Islands of Adventure the same weekend of the ET record, and Escape From Gringotts, I rode it 3 times in a row when I went to HHN 28. I know that record won’t stand because there’s a lot of dedicated Harry Potter fans out there that will obliterate the record with ease. I would love to ride The Mummy several times in one day because that ride has a lot of hidden secrets but that ride is always busy. To be honest though, for me it’s not about the record. It’s not about, I’m gonna do this to get recognition or fame. I just want to show Universal that there’s still young people like me that love E.T. and don’t want to see the ride go down the same path that all the other classic attractions did. In the words of Chucky, it’s a true classic that never goes out of style. ‘

Porto explained his channel, on which he does ‘a lot of sports and gaming but when I visit Universal, best believe I’m bringing my camera.’

You can also find the record holder on …

https://twitter.com/johnnyawesomev1