Super 78 Studios
Super 78 Studios is a Glendale, California-based creative production studio founded in 1997 that designs, produces, and installs custom themed attractions — including flying theaters, immersion tunnels, dark rides, and VR experiences — for theme parks, zoos, aquariums, and cruise ships, supported by proprietary platforms Geppetto, HCVR, and Mushroom VR, plus a Dream Vault licensing program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Super 78 Studios does
Super 78 Studios is a Glendale, California-based creative media production studio founded in 1997 by Dina Benadon and Brent Young. The company designs, produces, and installs custom themed attractions for theme parks, zoos, aquariums, cruise ships, and entertainment venues worldwide, spanning flying theaters, immersion tunnels, dark rides, motion simulators, and VR experiences. Its core proprietary technology portfolio comprises three platforms: Geppetto, a Thea Award-winning live animation and show-control system that enables real-time interaction with digital characters; High Capacity Virtual Reality (HCVR), which allows 15 or more guests to share a single group VR experience simultaneously; and Mushroom VR, a collaborative pre-visualization system that lets the team and clients review attractions before physical construction.
The company operates on a dual revenue model combining project-based custom attraction development with a Dream Vault licensing program that offers ready-to-install attraction packages (including 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, Alpha Flight, Flight of the Dragon, Reef Rescue, and The Forbidden Caves) on short- or long-term terms. Notable enterprise engagements include NightFlight Expedition for Dollywood (a $50M+ indoor hybrid coaster and whitewater raft ride opening Spring 2026, co-developed with Herschend Creative Studios and Mack Rides), multiple attractions for Mattel Adventure Park, and the Princess Cruises 360 Dining Experience. Distribution is sales-led through direct enterprise relationships, supplemented by channel licensing via Dream Vault; the GTM motion is reinforced by an industry reputation built over 20-plus years, multiple Thea Awards, VES nominations, and Emmy nominations.
Super 78 is privately held and founder-owned with no disclosed institutional investment. The leadership team draws on prior experience at Lucasfilm, Industrial Light & Magic, Jim Henson Productions, DreamWorks, Nickelodeon, and Tippett Studio. The company emphasizes end-to-end capability from concept and pre-visualization through fabrication and on-site installation, and serves three primary verticals: theme parks and amusement parks, zoos and aquariums, and cruise lines.
Super 78 Studios firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Super 78 Studios
- Legal name
- Super 78 Studios
- Website
- https://super78.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Super 78 Studios is a Glendale, California-based creative production studio founded in 1997 that designs, produces, and installs custom themed attractions — including flying theaters, immersion tunnels, dark rides, and VR experiences — for theme parks, zoos, aquariums, and cruise ships, supported by proprietary platforms Geppetto, HCVR, and Mushroom VR, plus a Dream Vault licensing program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Super 78 Studios industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Themed Entertainment Design
- NAICS
- Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713), Amusement and Theme Parks (71311), Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Serious Games & Simulation Studios (Training, Defense, Enterprise) (MPAFAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- VR & Immersive Esports/LBE Venues (VR Arenas, Sim Racing Pods) (MPAFALAE)
Keywords
Where Super 78 Studios is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Super 78 Studios business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Custom Attraction Design & Development: Super 78 designs, produces, and installs custom themed attractions for major theme parks, zoos, aquariums, and cruise ships. Projects include flying theaters, immersion tunnels, dark rides, simulators, and VR attractions. Revenue is generated through project-based contracts with entertainment developers and park operators.
- Attraction Licensing: Super 78 offers licensing agreements for ready-to-install attraction packages from its Dream Vault. Licensees can deploy pre-built experiences on short- or long-term terms. Includes interactive character experiences powered by Geppetto.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom attraction development — project-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Super 78 Studios product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Super 78 Studios designs, produces, and installs custom themed attractions including flying theaters, immersion tunnels, dark rides, simulators, and VR experiences for theme parks, zoos, aquariums, and cruise ships. The studio also licenses a catalog of ready-to-install attraction packages (the Dream Vault) and develops proprietary technology platforms — Geppetto, HCVR, and Mushroom VR — that enable real-time character interaction, multi-player shared VR, and collaborative pre-visualization.
Product overview
Super 78 Studios is a creative studio specializing in flying ride creators and interactive media attractions for theme parks, zoos, aquariums, and cruise ships. The company operates as a custom attraction designer and licensor, offering both proprietary technologies and licensed attraction packages. The core technology portfolio includes: Geppetto (live animation and show control system awarded the 2016 Thea Award for Breakthrough Technology), High Capacity Virtual Reality (HCVR enabling 15+ person shared VR experiences), and Mushroom VR (collaborative media review system). Attraction types span Flying Theaters, Immersion Tunnels, Rides & Simulators, and Dark Rides. For clients seeking faster deployment, the company offers a Dream Vault of ready-to-install licensed attraction packages including 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, Alpha Flight, Flight of the Dragon, Flying Over America, The Forbidden Caves, Reef Rescue, and Pine-occhio. Notable projects include NightFlight Expedition for Dollywood (2026), Barbie Flight at Mattel Adventure Park, Sasquatch Mountain, Hot Wheels: Unleashed, and Princess Cruises 360 Dining Experience.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Geppetto: Super 78's proprietary live animation and show control system, honored with the 2016 Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement: Breakthrough Technology.
- Mushroom VR
- HCVR (High Capacity Virtual Reality)
Products and services
- Custom Attraction Design & Development End-to-end design, production, and installation of bespoke themed attractions — flying theaters, immersion tunnels, dark rides, simulators, and VR attractions — developed in close collaboration with theme park operators, entertainment developers, zoo and aquarium systems, and cruise lines.
- Dream Vault Attraction Licensing Licensing program offering short- or long-term licenses to pre-built, ready-to-install attraction packages — including 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, Alpha Flight, Flight of the Dragon, Flying Over America, The Forbidden Caves, Reef Rescue, and Pine-occhio — for theme parks and entertainment venues seeking accelerated deployment at optimized budgets.
- Geppetto Proprietary live animation and show control system enabling authentic real-time interaction with digital characters in theme park attractions. Powers the SpongeBob SubPants Adventure at Moody Gardens and the 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea interactive experience, among others.
- High Capacity Virtual Reality (HCVR) Proprietary multi-player virtual reality system that allows 15 or more guests to share a group VR experience simultaneously without individual headsets. Developed and first deployed for Reef Rescue at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas.
- Mushroom VR Collaborative media review and approval system developed internally that enables the production team to experience and review new attraction content inside a virtual theater environment before physical construction begins. Built using early Oculus Rift developer kits.
- Reef Rescue (Licensed Attraction) High-capacity VR experience starring Sting the Great Barrier Reef ray and Bob the triggerfish, where guests pilot R.O.V.E.R. mini-submarines to restore a sick coral reef through three mission segments. Designed to raise awareness about coral reef conservation. Available for licensing from the Dream Vault.
- 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea: An Interactive Adventure Advanced interactive character experience powered by Geppetto, featuring Captain Nemo and the Nautilus submarine where guests help operate the ship and interact with sea creatures, including 'Deep,' a robotically enhanced pufferfish capable of one-on-one conversations.
- Alpha Flight Intergalactic adventure attraction in which a routine mission to test a new spacecraft turns into a race against time to save the universe from a rogue A.I. pilot, featuring multiple alien planets and destinations. Available for licensing from the Dream Vault.
- Flight of the Dragon Large-format flying film featuring aerial footage of China's Great Wall, Yellow Mountains, Zhangjiajie, and Lijiang River, guided by a photo-real computer-generated Dragon, concluding with fireworks over Shanghai's Pudong district. Available for licensing from the Dream Vault.
- Flying Over America Five-minute-30-second high definition flying film showcasing America's landmarks, following Chinese aviators Feng Ru and Tan Gen on an aerial journey, filmed with RED digital cameras. Available for licensing from the Dream Vault.
- The Forbidden Caves Original story and media experience taking guests on a supernatural subterranean adventure through mysterious tunnels, abandoned mine shafts, and lava-filled caverns featuring animated stone snakes, giant insects, and stone guardians. Available for licensing from the Dream Vault.
- Pine-occhio Interactive experience featuring an all-new version of the world's most beloved marionette based on Carlo Collodi's character, brought to life with a Pacific Northwest spin using Geppetto technology. Available for licensing from the Dream Vault.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reef Rescue debuted at Audubon Aquarium of the Americas in November 2017
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Super 78 Studios
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Super 78 Studios technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature3 records
Super 78 Studios partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Dollywood Parks & ResortscoreSuper 78 partnered with Dollywood and Herschend Creative Studios to create NightFlight Expedition, a more than $50 million attraction combining an indoor family hybrid coaster and whitewater river raft ride. Opening Spring 2026 at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN, it is the largest attraction investment in Dollywood Parks & Resorts history. Mack Rides manufactured the custom amphibious ride vehicle. Dolly Parton commented on the attraction.
- MattelcoreSuper 78 partnered with Mattel to create multiple upcoming attractions for Mattel Adventure Park in Glendale, Arizona. Deliverables include Barbie Flight: From Malibu To Brooklyn (flying theater), Thomas Adventure Train: Treasure Hunt (live Geppetto show), and the Barbie Dream Closet Experience (hologram-powered retail and interactive experience).
- Princess CruisescoreSuper 78 partnered with Princess Cruise Lines to create 360, a groundbreaking immersive dining experience for Discovery and Enchanted ships. The experience seats 20 guests in a custom circular space surrounding them in floor-to-ceiling media and interactive tabletop projections, featuring Brooke Shields as a female artist on a Mediterranean journey.
- Miner's Landing at Pier 57minorMiner's Landing at Pier 57 collaborated with Super 78 on Sasquatch Mountain, a thrilling off-road adventure attraction featuring custom-designed self-driving vehicles, log flume, roller coaster-style rail car, and helicopter soar sequence. Miner\'s Landing co-owner Kyle Griffith cited Super 78's creative appetite.
- Dynamic AttractionsminorDynamic Attractions collaborated with Super 78 on Wings Over Washington Flying Theater. Business Development representative Cindy Emerick noted that Super 78's 20-plus years in the industry produces polished, detailed attractions that clients and guests love.
- Audubon Nature InstitutecoreSuper 78 has collaborated with Audubon Nature Institute since 2002, developing Reef Rescue — a high-capacity VR experience at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans. Director Jason White cited shared values and long-term partnership. Reef Rescue debuted November 2017. HCVR technology prototype debuted at SIGGRAPH 2016.
- YessianminorYessian, a partner/COO Brian Yessian, noted having worked with Super 78 for nearly 10 years, describing Super 78 as among the most creative, collaborative and passionate in the industry.
- Herschend Creative StudioscoreHerschend Creative Studios co-created NightFlight Expedition with Super 78 and Dollywood, contributing to the groundbreaking family hybrid coaster and whitewater river raft ride opening in 2026.
- Mack RidescoreMack Rides manufactured the custom amphibious ride vehicle for NightFlight Expedition at Dollywood. Mack Rides won the 2025 Amusement Today Golden Ticket for Best New Innovation for the ride system utilized in NightFlight Expedition.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Super 78 Studios competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Falcon's Creative Group: Falcon's (now part of Falcon's Beyond) is a themed entertainment design and production firm that creates attractions, immersive experiences, and master plans for theme parks, resorts, and location-based entertainment — directly comparable to Super 78's custom attraction and licensing business.
- Thinkwell Group: Thinkwell is a global experience design and production company that develops theme parks, museums, brand experiences, and themed attractions — directly comparable in offering (custom themed experiences) and target clients (operators and brand IP holders).
- Sally Corporation: Sally Corporation designs, manufactures, and installs dark rides and interactive family attractions for theme parks and FECs — comparable to Super 78 in the dark ride / ride & simulator category and in serving the same theme park buyer base.
- Simworx: Simworx is a UK-based designer and manufacturer of themed attractions including dark rides, immersive tunnels, and motion simulators — directly comparable in product category (immersive and motion-based attractions) and customer base (theme parks and FECs).
- Dynamic Attractions: Dynamic Attractions designs and manufactures flying theater and motion-based ride systems for theme parks worldwide, and is an existing Super 78 collaborator on Wings Over Washington — making it a direct comparable in flying theater systems and project delivery model.
- Moment Factory: Moment Factory is a Montreal-based multimedia studio specializing in immersive installations, projection mapping, and themed experiences for public spaces, museums, and entertainment venues — comparable to Super 78 in immersive media production for LBE and experiential entertainment.
- Pixomondo: Pixomondo provides VFX, virtual production, and immersive experience services across film, episodic, and location-based entertainment — overlapping with Super 78 in real-time visual content production for theme park and immersive attractions.
Broad incumbents
- Walt Disney Imagineering: Disney's in-house design and development arm for theme parks, attractions, and resorts — a broader incumbent that designs and builds the same category of attractions internally, and is both a customer-adjacent and competitive force versus independent studios like Super 78.
- Universal Creative: Universal's in-house attraction design, engineering, and production arm — a large incumbent that develops the same flying theaters, dark rides, and immersive attractions that Super 78 supplies, and is both a buyer of Super 78's services and a competitor for premium custom work.
Others
- Christie (Projection & Display): Christie supplies projection, LED, and display hardware commonly used in flying theaters, immersion tunnels, and dark rides that Super 78 designs content for — an enabling ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Super 78 Studios social profiles
Digital presenceSuper 78 Studios financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Super 78 Studios leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Super 78 Studios funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Super 78 Studios M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Super 78 Studios
What does Super 78 Studios do?
Super 78 Studios designs, produces, and installs custom themed attractions including flying theaters, immersion tunnels, dark rides, simulators, and VR experiences for theme parks, zoos, aquariums, and cruise ships. The studio also licenses a catalog of ready-to-install attraction packages (the Dream Vault) and develops proprietary technology platforms — Geppetto, HCVR, and Mushroom VR — that enable real-time character interaction, multi-player shared VR, and collaborative pre-visualization.
Is Super 78 Studios a public or private company?
Super 78 Studios is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Super 78 Studios founded?
Super 78 Studios was founded in 1997. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Super 78 Studios based?
Super 78 Studios is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Super 78 Studios make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Custom Attraction Design & Development is the primary driver. The others are attraction Licensing.
Who are Super 78 Studios's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Falcon's Creative Group, Thinkwell Group, Sally Corporation, Simworx, Dynamic Attractions, Moment Factory and Pixomondo. Broad incumbents are Walt Disney Imagineering and Universal Creative. Christie (Projection & Display) is listed as an others.
Does Super 78 Studios have an API?
No public API is recorded for Super 78 Studios.
What industry is Super 78 Studios in?
Super 78 Studios's product category is Themed Entertainment Design. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAAAH, Serious Games & Simulation Studios (Training, Defense, Enterprise), with a secondary code of MPAFALAE, VR & Immersive Esports/LBE Venues (VR Arenas, Sim Racing Pods). Its NAICS code is 713.