Jurassic Park: The Ride (Universal Studios Hollywood)

Jurassic Park: The Ride
Jurassic Park: The Ride
	The final splashdown of the ride.
Universal Studios Hollywood
Area	Lower lot
Status	Operating
Opening date	June 21, 1996
General statistics
Type	Shoot the Chute
Manufacturer	Vekoma
Designer	Universal Creative
Drop	84 ft (26 m)
Length	1,900 ft (580 m)
Capacity	3000 riders per hour
Duration	5:30 minutes
Height restriction	42 in (107 cm)
	Single rider line available

File:USH- Jurassic Park River Adventure Ride 3.JPG

Psittacosaurus.

File:USH- Jurassic Park River Adventure Ride 4.JPG

Stegosaurus.

Jurassic Park: The Ride is a water-based amusement ride that is based on Steven Spielberg's hit film Jurassic Park and Michael Crichton's novel located at Universal Studios Hollywood. The ride was actually researched and built while the Jurassic Park film was still in its production phase. It opened on June 21, 1996. Duplicates of the ride have since been built at Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Japan. A river rapids version of the attraction, which is entitled the Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure, opened in Universal Studios Singapore in 2010, and will be opening soon in Universal Studios Dubailand.

History

Opening

Among the guests in attendance at the ride's grand opening celebration in 1996 were film cast members Jeff Goldblum, Ariana Richards, and Joseph Mazzello. Steven Spielberg also attended the opening, but requested that he be let off of the attraction before the 84-foot (26 m) drop.

Ride-through

Queue and Pre-show

The ride is designed to have the feel of Isla Nublar. Guests begin the queue by walking under the Jurassic Park Sign before waiting under an open-wall building. A tour guide appears on television monitors in the building, reviewing boarding and ride safety. Guests are then split into two lines to board their tour boats for the ride.

Ride

The ride starts with an area called Hadrosaur Cove, a parasaurolophus pops up in front of the raft, followed by a second. The Jurassic Park Animal Control calls, revealing that the second parasaurolophus threw the raft off course, causing it to enter the raptor containment area, which is shown to be heavily damaged.

Riders next encounter what appears to be an abandoned tour raft, where a Dilophosaurus is seen eating the remains of a poncho. A nearby motorboat is also abandoned. Apparently, the boat had been sent by Jurassic Park Animal Control to guide the raft towards a safe area, but the Dilophosaurus appears to have killed the tourists and boat crew. As of 2011, a Mickey Mouse hat can be seen floating in the water next to the ruined raft as an apparent reference to nearby themepark rival Disneyland.

The raft then heads towards the park's water pumping station. A crushed Jurassic Park tour vehicle falls from the top of a wall overhead and nearly crushes the riders below as Dilophosauruses jump out and spit their toxic venom (water) at guests. When night falls, sparks and flood lights are added to the effect.

The raft then enters the massive Environmental Systems Building and slowly begins to ascend a long lift hill. A voice on a loudspeaker in the building alerts guests that an emergency evacuation is going to be attempted. As the raft makes its way up the lift hill, numerous alarms are heard as escaped Velociraptors lunge out at guests. Once the raft reaches the top of the lift hill, it drops down a small waterfall and is attacked by a Tyrannosaurus. A claw falls from the ceiling followed by a set of collapsing pipes above riders' heads.

A technician begins counting down when the building's life support systems will terminate (due to "toxic gases" released during the Tyrannosaurus encounter). The raft climbs a small lift hill that brings it closer to the emergency evacuation drop. A second technician screams "If you can hear my voice, get out of there! It's in the building! IT'S IN THE BUILDING!"

The Tyrannosaurus then emerges in front of the raft, and lunges down to grab the raft, and the raft escapes by plunging down an 85 feet (26 m) high near-vertical evacuation drop and into a tropical lagoon outside the Environmental Systems Building. A Dilophosaur tries to squirt "venom" at the passengers one last time. A can of Barbasol can be seen in the planter just before the ride ends, referencing the can Dennis Nedry uses in the first film. The raft finally makes its way to the unload dock where guests disembark the ride through the Jurassic Outfitters gift shop, where they may purchase Jurassic Park themed souvenirs, including photos of themselves on the ride during the drop.

Dinosaurs featured in the ride

Jurassic Park in the Dark

During Universal Studios Hollywood's annual "Halloween Horror Nights" in 2009, the ride was temporarily renamed "Jurassic Park in the Dark." Most of the lights inside the Environmental Systems Building near the end of the ride were turned off, with only strobe lights illuminating violent scenes of raptors tearing apart scientists and game wardens. The tense Jurassic Park score usually heard during this portion of the ride was replaced with "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns 'N' Roses.

References