Tracey Mallaby, UUOP, and a Theme Park Friendship

I first came across Tracey Mallaby back in 2011, through a little podcast that’s since become a staple in the Universal Orlando fan community — the Unofficial Universal Orlando Podcast (UUOP). What started as a passionate fan project has grown into one of the longest-running, most respected podcasts covering Universal parks, and Tracey’s been at the heart of it since day one.

If you’ve listened to the show, you’ll know Tracey brings a mix of warmth, humour, and a genuine love for the parks — not to mention her unfiltered honesty when it comes to food reviews, ride opinions, or the state of the Horror Nights houses. She’s never pretended to be anything but herself, and that’s what makes her such a great voice in the fan community.

Our personal friendship has had its share of ups and downs — all my fault — but it’s also endured longer than I ever expected when I first tuned into a podcast from a group of Brits chatting about Spider-Man rides and Butterbeer. Tracey’s loyalty, kindness, and fierce sense of fun have always shone through, and I’ll always respect the time, effort, and passion she’s poured into UUOP.

Here’s to Tracey, to friendships that keep finding their way back, and to many more years of theme park chats, in-jokes, and maybe even a few disagreements — because let’s be honest, she’s always right anyway.