Universal Studios Hollywood Update: Jurassic Park Goes Extinct

Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal City, CA

Happy Thursday, folks!  Today we're throwing it back... way back... not just back to the days when we visited Universal Studios Hollywood more regularly, but back to the age of the dinosaurs.  You see, this past Monday, the venerable Jurassic Park: The Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood operated its final day before shutting down to make way for the Jurassic World ride makeover.  

This was a day 65 million years in the making--or maybe just 22 years, 2 months, 14 days in the making.  Either way, a thrilling attraction that has played a part in many of our childhoods closed its final chapter, and to mark the occasion, we sent Dan over to document the final day.  Because when you think of water rides, you think of non other than our friendly, neighborhood DiabetItalian, right?  Yup.   Definitely Dan, and his endless love of water rides.  Yes.  Love.  Totally.

(All photos by Dan Angona, as pretty strongly implied above.)

Around the Park

Before we get to the dinos, though, lets take a look at some of the more recent additions to the park.  I'd say since the last time we stopped by, but there was kind of a whole magical land added that I never got around to posting photos of, so... we're sticking with recent things.

Hey! We’re… here… during the daytime. It’s… been a while…

Apparently, Universal has gotten a Hello Kitty store.

Perfect for all the Sanrio-maniacs out there.

Is that what they’re called?

Hello Kitty / Universal crossovers. Actually slightly cute.

Since we last checked in, Universal Studios has also opened the DreamWorks Theatre.

This is an overhaul of the former Shrek 4D show, and it can be configured to get an updated cinematic attraction as market trends see fit.

The theater was inaugurated this past June with Kung Fu Panda: The Emperor’s Quest.

Guests might notice some tribute touches around the theater.

The ticket taker might be a little stiff, but he’s the guy on the job.

Some humorous blacklisted names on the sign behind Pinocchio.

Halloween Horror Nights Construction

In spookier news Halloween Horror Nights has been under construction for quite some time now.  This year features 8 new IP-based mazes, a Terror Tram with clowns, scare zones that may or may not end in -z, and of course, plenty of water effects and strong odors of various types.  You know what you get with Horror Nights--immersive recreations of famous film and horror franchises.  And while the park itself hasn't gotten its Halloween theming quite yet, the mazes have definitely been in progress all summer.

It’s end of summer, and there are work walls, and that usually means Horror Nights maze making!

There will be three mazes on the upper lot as usual, including the Universal Monsters with soundtrack by Slash of Guns ‘n’ Roses.

The Walking Dead will operate during HHN too, presumably with a few more scareactors than normal, but otherwise without any notable changes.

The other upper lot maze will be at in the Water World queue, which has nothing to do with this photo.

Lets look down at The Mummy maze location, one of traditional two lower lot maze locations (Jurassic Park being the other, but since JP is going down, that maze is being moved to a nearby soundstage… strange thing, sorta…).

This location is typically among the first to go into construction and is likely wrapping up set dressing.

And yeah, the rag on Horror Nights the past couple of years has been its greater presence of blank, black walls. Lets hope that quantity goes down this year.

Somewhere over there in the Metro Lot, there will be the usual three mazes as well, rounding out the eight.

Future Super Nintendo World

Universal Studios recently demolished some soundstages in the lower lot to eventually make way for Nintendo World once it comes to the States (after debuting in Japan first).  In the meantime, the space will be used as staging area for the Jurassic World ride makeover.  

Somewhere over here used to be soundstages.

Eventually, this will make way for Super Nintendo World.

But that won’t be coming for at least another several years, and definitely after 2020 (when it opens in Universal Studios Japan).

So in the meantime, it gets to be construction staging for Jurassic World.

Yup, another theme park where we get to photograph dirt. Yippee!!

The End of Jurassic Park

And now we come upon our feature attraction, the final operating day of Jurassic Park: The Ride.  In retrospect, this was the precursor to the modern Horror Nights maze.  Lush, immersive theming recreating iconic scenes from a popular Hollywood franchise, copious water effects that got guests wet, and one of the most powerful startle scares in theme park attraction history.

But I digress... Like probably a lot of you, this attraction has made its mark on my own theme park fandom.  I remember going to Universal Studios during its opening year and waiting a couple of hours to ride this new thriller, only to be thoroughly terrified by the final, climactic, steep, 85-foot drop and ferocious Tyrannosaurus Rex pop-out.  The experience left an indelible impression on 12 year-old me, but I would return on many subsequent visits to ride again.

It's left its mark on plenty of guests too.  You might have even seen this recent surprise marriage proposal of a superfan couple who marathoned the ride to break the record for most cycles on Jurassic Park: The Ride.  So to be sure, this veteran attraction is embedded in the hearts of plenty of theme park enthusiasts.

Cute, right?  Or gross disgusting.  Or both.  Sometimes, they go hand in hand.

In any case, in tribute to this Los Angeles theme park institution, lets take one more trip to John Hammond's legendary experiment gone wrong.  We'll certainly miss it more than that other creature-inspired theme park thing at the other park a little ways down south...

Welp, since Jurassic Park is old news, time to start pimping the new hotness!

On the upper lot, they’ve stationed a Jeep Wrangler featured in Jurassic World for photo ops.

Kind of rude to just park on the sidewalk, though. I mean, c’mon, what kind of savage beast raised these drivers?

From the upper lot looking down, take a look at the Jurassic Park: The Ride show building.

And also outdoor river ride portion.

Is that a longneck? Why, yes it is!

Panning over to the entrance, queue, and adjunct cafe area.

Jurassic Park lift hill is lift hilly.

Upper floor dining area, otherwise known as Halloween Horror Nights maze extended queue.

Although maybe not this year, if the ride is going down.

This is where the splashy boat goes.

And this is where it splooshes.

Seems a bit quiet for a “final operating day of attraction” day.

Dan would call this an “inappropriate amount of wetness.”

When this ride opened in 1996, it was one of the pinnacles of theming and cinema synergy.

Walking under the iconic sign was definitely exciting and trepidatious for many a JP fan.

Given how iconic the movie would became, it was elementary that fans would want to have the movie brought to life.

The next-door Jurassic Cafe. Dinos probably taste like chicken. Doesn’t everything?

CAFE!!

The Jurassic Outfitter was your one stop shop for JP souvenirs.

Of course, given the fact that a new franchise is in the box office currently, advertisement of the latest Jurassic *World* film was inevitable.

Everything’s Jurassic at Jurassic Park!

The massive show building, home to the climactic final scene and thrilling last drop.

Not that it’s hard to theme this sort of a building, but it’s nice that the aesthetic was carried around everywhere guests could spot the building.

KERSPLISH!!

The 85-foot tall, 51-degree final drop was the tallest and steepest of its time when the ride first opened.

The boats reached speeds up to 50mph coming out of the “evacuation slide” from the JP Environmental Systems building.

The splash has definitely been toned down from its early days.

Not that riders don’t get wet.

But onlookers used to get very heavily drenched too, which wasn’t quite as excessive recently.

On this last day, there ended up being plenty of fans out for one last ride.

Or a few.

INAPPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF WETNESS!!

Hey, dude, Y U on your phone on water ride??

Lets take a closer look.

The JP queue also featured a little playground area for kids too short or timid for the ride.

See?

Okay, sure, I guess…

Again, not bad for closing day…

No single riders, though. Couples only. *wonk wonk*

This way to the River Adventure.

A famous director was here.

Plenty of warnings en route to boarding.

Precursor to the HHN maze, amIrite?

That’s what she said.

There were a fair amount of people in line on this final day.

But again, not a horde.

Certainly not enough to use this portion of the extended queue.

Oh, we get on here?

Lucky boat 13.

Alright, here’s the boat loading zone!

Still loading…

If you thought Dan was going to ride and photograph the ride, well, you have no idea of his aversion to water rides.

Nothing to listen here. Dan was never seated!

He simply snapped photos from the safety of land.

Easter egg from the first film. Dino DNA in here!!

Those who did ride would find plenty of similarities to a Horror Nights maze.

Right down to the water spray effects.

.

.

Survive the ride? Buy a photo!

Or buy some souvenirs.

That’s the 25th anniversary of the film, not the ride.

JP now joins the list of defunct Universal attractions, like classic King Kong (from the Backlot Tram Tour).

Eventually, by the end of the night, it was time to send the final boat of Jurassic Park. Ever.

And that is that for a classic ride!

And with that, we bid farewell to an iconic ride.  But fear not, because as we've already mentioned, this attraction is simply evolving, not ending.  Jurassic World (the ride?) is coming next year.  So there will be more chances to ride boats and face off with dinosaurs.  All you'll need is time.