Jurassic Park: The Ride is a water-based amusement ride based on the

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...

1993 film ''

Jurassic Park ''Jurassic Park'', later also referred to as ''Jurassic World'', is an American science fiction media franchise created by Michael Crichton and centered on a disastrous attempt to create a theme park of cloned dinosaurs. It began in 1990 when ...

'' and

Michael Crichton John Michael Crichton (; October 23, 1942 – November 4, 2008) was an American author and filmmaker. His books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide, and over a dozen have been adapted into films. His literary works heavily feature tech ...

's 1990 novel of the same name which the film is based on located at

Universal Islands of Adventure Universal Islands of Adventure (also known as Islands of Adventure or IOA), originally called Universal Studios Islands of Adventure and later Universal's Islands of Adventure, is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. It opened on May 28, 1 ...

Orlando, Florida Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...

, and

Universal Studios Japan is a theme park located in Osaka, Japan. Opened on March 31, 2001, it is one of six Universal Parks & Resorts, Universal Studios theme parks worldwide and was the first to open outside the United States. The park is owned and operated by a whol ...

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

. It was formerly located at

Universal Studios Hollywood Universal Studios Hollywood is a film studio and theme park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusemen ...

Universal City, California Universal City is an unincorporated area within the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Approximately 415 acres (1.7 km) within and around the surrounding area is the property of Universal Picture ...

, where it was turned into Jurassic World: The Ride. The ride was researched and built as the film was still in production and opened at Universal Studios Hollywood on June 21, 1996. Duplicates of the ride have since been built at Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Japan as Jurassic Park River Adventure. A

river rapids ride A river rapids ride (or river rafting ride) is an amusement ride that simulates whitewater rafting. History The river rapids ride concept was proposed by Bill Crandall (general manager of AstroWorld in Houston) and developed by Intamin. AstroW ...

version, ''

Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure is a river rapids ride in The Lost World zone at Universal Studios Singapore in Resorts World Sentosa, Sentosa Island, Singapore.Resorts World Sentosa – Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure in the Lost World at Univer ...

'', opened at

Universal Studios Singapore Universal Studios Singapore (abbreviation: USS) is a theme park located within the Resorts World Sentosa at Sentosa, Singapore. It features 28 Theme park#Rides and attractions, rides, shows, and Theme park#Rides and attractions, attractions in ...

in 2010.

History

Inspiration

The ride was inspired by a line of scenes from Michael Crichton's 1990 novel when Alan Grant,

Lex Murphy The following is a list of fictional characters from Michael Crichton's 1990 novel ''Jurassic Park'', its 1995 sequel '' The Lost World'', and their film adaptations, ''Jurassic Park'' (1993) and '' The Lost World: Jurassic Park'' (1997). Also inc ...

, and

Tim Murphy Timothy Murphy may refer to: Politics * Tim Murphy (American politician) (born 1952), American Republican Party politician from Pennsylvania * Tim Murphy (Canadian politician) (born 1959), Canadian politician * Timothy J. Murphy (1893–1949), I ...

try to get back to the visitor center on an

inflatable boat An inflatable boat is a lightweight boat constructed with its sides and bow made of flexible tubes containing pressurised gas. For smaller boats, the floor and hull is often flexible, while for boats longer than , the floor typically consist ...

. Elements like the Tyrannosaurus rex chasing the

boat A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically found on inl ...

, Two

baby An infant or baby is the very young offspring of human beings. ''Infant'' (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless') is a formal or specialised synonym for the common term ''baby''. The terms may also be used to ...

Raptors (novel)/

Compsognathus ''Compsognathus'' (; Greek ''kompsos''/κομψός; "elegant", "refined" or "dainty", and ''gnathos''/γνάθος; "jaw") is a genus of small, bipedal, carnivorous theropod dinosaur. Members of its single species ''Compsognathus longipes'' c ...

(or

Procompsognathus ''Procompsognathus'' is an extinct genus of coelophysid theropod dinosaur that lived approximately 210 million years ago during the later part of the Triassic Period, in what is now Germany. ''Procompsognathus'' was a small-sized, lightly built, ...

, film & novel) on a boat from an earlier scene, the pair of

Dilophosaurus ''Dilophosaurus'' ( ) is a genus of theropod dinosaurs that lived in what is now North America during the Early Jurassic, about 193 million years ago. Three skeletons were discovered in northern Arizona in 1940, and the two best preserved ...

on the river bank, and the drop (ride)/

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...

(novel), were used on the ride.

Opening

Jurassic Park: The Ride opened to the public at

on June 21, 1996. Among the guests in attendance at the ride's grand opening celebration were film cast members

Jeff Goldblum Jeffrey Lynn Goldblum (; born October 22, 1952) is an American actor and musician. He has starred in some of the highest-grossing films of his era, such as ''Jurassic Park'' (1993) and '' Independence Day'' (1996), as well as their sequels. ...

Ariana Richards Ariana Clarice Richards is an American painter and former actress. She is best known for her role as Lex Murphy in the blockbuster film ''Jurassic Park''. Richards won several Young Artist Awards for her acting as a child, but as an adult has f ...

and

Joseph Mazzello Joseph Francis Mazzello III (born September 21, 1983) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Tim Murphy in '' Jurassic Park'', Eugene Sledge in the HBO miniseries '' The Pacific'', Dustin Moskovitz in ''The Social Network'', a ...

also attended the opening, but requested that he be let off of the attraction before the drop. On August 12, 1996, Universal launched an online game, ''Jurassic Park The Ride Online Adventure'', to promote the ride. The ride was also the primary sponsor of the infamous "T-Rex" car that was driven by

Jeff Gordon Jeffery Michael Gordon (born August 4, 1971) is an American former professional stock car racing driver, who is the Vice Chairman for Hendrick Motorsports. He raced full-time from 1993 to 2015, driving the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick M ...

in the 1997 The Winston that was banned by NASCAR immediately following the race. Meanwhile,

Universal Studios Florida Universal Studios Florida (also known as Universal Studios or USF) is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Primarily themed to movies, television and other aspects of the entertainment industry, the park opened to the public on June 7, 1990 ...

was looking to build their own version of Jurassic Park: The Ride. It would be placed in their brand new second theme park

. The park would feature islands themed to

Marvel Marvel may refer to: Business * Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company ** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment ** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe ** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics ...

superheroes,

Dr. Seuss Theodor Seuss Geisel (;"Seuss"
'' technical rehearsals, with Jurassic Park: River Adventure being one of its debut attractions. On May 28, 1999, the attraction officially opened to the public. During the development,

was planning to add Jurassic Park: River Adventure. It would be a mirror version of the Islands of Adventure location. Jurassic Park: River Adventure opened on March 31, 2001, along with the park.

Closure and rebranding

On May 10, 2018, it was announced that the Hollywood location would be receiving a

Jurassic World ''Jurassic World'' is a 2015 American science fiction action film directed by Colin Trevorrow, who co-wrote the screenplay with Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, and Derek Connolly from a story by Jaffa and Silver. It is the first installment in the ...

remodel. The attraction was becoming outdated due to the film's huge success in 2015. Jurassic Park: The Ride would have its last operating day on September 3, 2018; the ride then closed September 4. After being closed for 10 months, it reopened on July 12, 2019, as Jurassic World: The Ride. The ride includes all new

animatronics Animatronics refers to mechatronic puppets. They are a modern variant of the automaton and are often used for the portrayal of characters in films and in theme park attractions. It is a multidisciplinary field integrating puppetry, anatomy a ...

and special effects.

Universal Studios Hollywood

Queue and pre-show

The ride was designed to replicate the atmosphere of Isla Nublar. Guests began the queue by walking under the Jurassic Park Sign before waiting under an open-wall building. A tour guide appeared on television monitors in the building, reviewing boarding and ride safety. Other videos played with some about the "safety of the ride" spoken by

InGen Ingen Ryūki () (December 7, 1592 – May 19, 1673) was a Chinese poet, calligrapher, and monk of Linji Chan Buddhism from China.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Ingen" in ; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, ' ...

employees, John Hammond (

Richard Attenborough Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, (; 29 August 192324 August 2014) was an English actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. He was the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Academy of Film and Televisio ...

) talking about the dinosaurs, and music from the first film's score in the background. Guests were then split into two lines to board their rafts.

Ride

As riders' rafts entered the main gate into Ultrasaur Lagoon, a mother ''

Ultrasaurus ''Ultrasaurus'' (meaning "wikt:ultra, ultra lizard") is a genus of sauropod dinosaur discovered by Haang Mook Kim in South Korea. However, the name was first used unofficially (as a ''nomen nudum'') in 1979 by Jim Jensen to describe a set of gia ...

(

Brachiosaurus ''Brachiosaurus'' () is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived in North America during the Late Jurassic, about 154to 150million years ago. It was first described by American paleontologist Elmer S. Riggs in 1903 from fossils found in th ...

on the ride's promotional website)'' and her young were seen feeding and communicating with each other. A pair of ''

Psittacosaurus ''Psittacosaurus'' ( ; "parrot lizard") is a genus of extinct ceratopsian dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of what is now Asia, existing between 126 and 101 million years ago. It is notable for being the most species-rich non-avian dinosaur gen ...

'' also grazed and hid in the tall grass. The raft then moved behind a waterfall and emerged in Stegosaur Springs, where riders see an adult ''

Stegosaurus ''Stegosaurus'' (; ) is a genus of herbivorous, four-legged, armored dinosaur from the Late Jurassic, characterized by the distinctive kite-shaped upright plates along their backs and spikes on their tails. Fossils of the genus have been foun ...

'' and its young. Two ''

(

on the ride's promotional website)'' were fighting over an empty popcorn box before the raft enters Hadrosaur Cove, where a ''

Parasaurolophus ''Parasaurolophus'' (; meaning "near crested lizard" in reference to '' Saurolophus)'' is a genus of herbivorous hadrosaurid ornithopod dinosaur that lived in what is now North America and possibly Asia during the Late Cretaceous Period, abou ...

'' popped up and sprayed water at riders. An announcement was heard from Jurassic Park Animal Control, saying that the ''Parasaurolophus'' had thrown the raft off-course and caused it to enter the raptor containment area, which riders could see had been heavily damaged. Riders then encountered an abandoned raft where a ''

'' could be seen with the remains of a poncho between its teeth. A nearby motorboat was also abandoned, sent by Jurassic Park Animal Control to guide the raft towards a safe area, but the Dilophosaurus appeared to have killed its crew as well. A Mickey Mouse hat was seen floating in the water next to a ruined raft, an apparent jab at Universal Hollywood's theme park rival

Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney in ...

. To the raft's right, the growls of a ''

Tyrannosaurus rex ''Tyrannosaurus'' is a genus of large theropod dinosaur. The species ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' (''rex'' meaning "king" in Latin), often called ''T. rex'' or colloquially ''T-Rex'', is one of the best represented theropods. ''Tyrannosaurus'' live ...

'' were heard, and a heavily damaged tour vehicle was seen being pushed over the wall—a homage to the original movie where Tim Murphy is thrown off a ledge in a tour vehicle. Some ''Dilophosaurus'' jumped out and spat their toxic venom (actually water) at guests. Sparks and floodlights were added to the effect during nighttime rides. The raft then entered the Environmental Systems Building (which had special effects other versions of the ride don't) and began to ascend a long lift hill. A voice on a loudspeaker alerted guests that an emergency evacuation would be attempted. As the raft progressed up the hill, numerous alarms were heard and some escaped ''

Velociraptor ''Velociraptor'' (; ) is a genus of small dromaeosaurid dinosaur that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous epoch, about 75 million to 71 million years ago. Two species are currently recognized, although others have been assigned in the pa ...

''s lunged out at riders. When the raft reached the top of the hill, it dropped down a small waterfall, just as a ''Tyrannosaurus'' broke through the ceiling and lunged out at the riders from above, accompanied by collapsing pipes. A technician began counting down when the building's life support systems would terminate (due to "toxic gases" released during the ''Tyrannosaurus'' encounter). The raft then climbed a small lift hill that brought it closer to the emergency evacuation drop. A second technician yelled, "If you can hear my voice, get out of there! It's in the building! IT'S IN THE BUILDING!". The ''Tyrannosaurus'' then emerged from a waterfall coming from broken pipes in front of the raft, and lunged down to grab the raft, which escaped by plunging down an drop into a tropical lagoon outside the Environmental Systems Building. A ''Dilophosaurus'' made a final attempt to squirt "venom" (water) at the passengers. A can of

Barbasol Barbasol is an American brand of shaving cream, aftershave, and disposable razors created by MIT Professor Frank Shields in 1919 in Indianapolis. It is currently owned by Perio, Inc. Invention MIT Professor Frank Shields set out to create a ...

was seen in the planter just before the ride ended, a reference to the can Dennis Nedry uses in the first film to steal dinosaur embryos. The raft then made its way to the unloading dock where guests disembarked through the Jurassic Outfitters gift shop.

Universal Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Japan

Ride

The ride begins as the raft rises against an elevation, followed by a small plunge. It then enters the Jurassic Park Gate. Japan's version is a mirror of Orlando's, as they operate in opposite directions (for instance, rafts in Japan tend to be at the right towards the gate, as opposed to the left in Orlando). In the Ultrasaur Lagoon, the visitor encounters a large adult ''Ultrasaurus/Brachiosaurus'' which raises its neck high above the riders, then slowly lowers it back near the water to feed. Two ''Psittacosaurus'' in the lagoon graze on plants and drink from the river nearby. The raft goes through a cave with water trickling down its sides. Riders then enter Stegosaur Springs, a "volcanic" area like Stegosaurus South in the novel. An adult and baby ''Stegosaurus'' stand on either side of the river. The raft begins to head toward a part of the park known as Hadrosaur Cove. A ''Parasaurolophus'' pokes its head up from the water and shoots water from its nose onto guests. Seconds later, another startled ''Parasaurolophus'' jars the raft, causing it to drift into the Raptor Containment Area, which is shown to be heavily damaged. Jurassic Park Animal Control addresses riders through loudspeakers, telling them to stop the raft and get to a safe place. (Voice-overs on the ride explain that the Raptor Containment Area was a section that had never been successfully integrated into the rest of the park.) Off in the jungle area to the right, Raptors can be heard rustling the bushes and plants. The raft passes a replica of the Raptor Pen from the film, and branches move, simulating the creatures attempts to escape their confines. A large hole is torn in the wires of the fence. Two ''Compsognathus/Procompsognathus'' are seen fighting over a bloody crew shirt, and the boat ("CP 25") is seen that Animal Control sent to guide the riders towards a safe area; the ''Compsognathus'' have apparently attacked and killed the crew. The raft heads toward the water treatment plant, where riders see a ''Velociraptor'' run into a dark corner. A large crate with something snarling inside, possibly a raptor, nearly falls and crushes the riders. The riders then begin to slowly head up a steep hill into a large building in silence and darkness. The riders then enter a dark tunnel with several pipes near the ceiling. To the right of the riders, there is a shadow of two raptors growling inside a pen. A ''Velociraptor'' now jumps out of a dark corner and begins squealing and clawing at a gate sparking with electricity. Another raptor is seen jumping up from a control panel and snarls at guests. As the raft follows a short drop and a right turn, sirens begin blazing loudly due to an evacuation. only to stop seconds later. Suddenly, a loud ''Dilophosaurus'' squeal is heard, followed by a frill-less ''Dilophosaurus'' snarling at the riders. A loud roar then can be heard, and a large three-fingered claw mark can be seen ripping through the wall. Moments after, a few ''Dilophosaurus'' jump up beside the raft, spitting their "venom" (actually water) at the guests. In front of the riders is a couple of flashing lights as well as mist and fog. Seconds later, the head of the ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' appears in front of the riders, roaring and growling. It roars very loudly and bends over snapping its jaws and then raises its mouth towards the ceiling. As the ''Tyrannosaurus'' bends its head down to try to eat the riders, the raft then plunges down an 85 ft 51° drop and the

on-ride photo An on-ride camera is a camera mounted alongside the track of a roller coaster, log flume or other thrill ride that automatically photographs all of the riders on each passing vehicle. They are often mounted at the most intense or fastest part of t ...

is taken. On September 28, 2022,

Hurricane Ian Hurricane Ian was a large and destructive Category 4 Atlantic hurricane that was the deadliest hurricane to strike the state of Florida since the 1935 Labor Day hurricane. Ian caused widespread damage across western Cuba and the southeast Unit ...

severely damaged the Orlando version of the ride. Reports showed that walls close to the main drop were ripped off.

Jurassic Park in the Dark

During Universal Studios Hollywood's annual "

Halloween Horror Nights ''Universal's Halloween Horror Nights'' (originally ''Universal Studios Fright Nights'' in 1991) is an annual Halloween-themed event at Universal Studios theme parks in Orlando, Hollywood, Japan and Singapore. The event was originally named ''Un ...

", the ride was temporarily renamed "Jurassic Park in the Dark". Most of the lights in the Environmental Systems Building near the end of the ride were turned off, and the ride's original soundtrack was replaced with "

Welcome to the Jungle "Welcome to the Jungle" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses, featured on their debut album, ''Appetite for Destruction'' (1987). It was released as the album's second single initially in the UK in September 1987 then again in October ...

" by

Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKa ...

References

{{Use mdy dates, date=July 2019 Jurassic Park in amusement parks Water rides Amusement rides introduced in 1996 Former Universal Studios Hollywood attractions Universal Parks & Resorts attractions by name Amusement rides based on film franchises Animatronic attractions 1996 establishments in California 1999 establishments in Florida 2001 establishments in Japan 2018 disestablishments in California

History

Inspiration

Opening

Closure and rebranding

Universal Studios Hollywood

Queue and pre-show

Ride

Universal Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Japan

Ride

Jurassic Park in the Dark

See also

References