In the 1990s, Universal Orlando was a much different place than the one we know today. Then home to only one theme park, Universal Studios Florida, the Universal of the 1990s was a bit cozier and more intimate. Yet it was home to some of the best, most innovative attractions anywhere.
Progress always brings changes, and the original park has been stripped of almost all of those rides and shows. Today, we’ll take a trip down memory lane to revisit 3 of the Universal Studios Florida attractions we miss the most.
1. Kongfrontation
Opened with the park, Kongfrontation was actually the ride that made Universal Orlando a reality. As the story goes, Universal had long had its eye on Florida as a spot for a future theme park, but it wasn’t until Steven Spielberg came on board that the project got the green light. Apparently, after seeing technical rehearsals for the audio-animatronic Kong figure that was installed at the Hollywood park in the mid-1980s, Spielberg believed the Universal team had what it took to challenge Disney in its own backyard.
Kongfrontation was massively ambitious, even for its experienced and talented team. The premise was that King Kong was terrorizing Manhattan, and residents were being evacuated to the relative safety of Roosevelt Island. Suspended from overhead tracks, the ride vehicles were modeled after the real Roosevelt Island Aerial Tram. The ride’s stunning realism began in the queue, which snaked through a graffiti-covered representation of a New York subway station.
On board, a spieler playing the role of tram driver attempted to move the guests to safety, only to experience run-ins with two 30-foot tall audio-animatronic apes. In the dramatic finale, Kong appeared to grab the ride vehicle and throw it down, causing it to nearly plummet into the river below before the tram driver managed to regain control. The harrowing experience was then featured on a “news broadcast” shown via drop-down monitors.
Kong was truly groundbreaking and could have withstood the test of time, had September 11th never occurred. In the wake of the tragedy, not only did tourism grind practically to a halt, but no one was interested in experiencing a disaster set in the middle of New York City. Placed on seasonal status, Kong hung on for another year before closing for good in September 2002. However, rumors are swirling about a possible brand-new King Kong ride that might be coming to Islands of Adventure.
2. Jaws
Affectionately known as Kong in the water, Jaws was also an opening-day attraction. However, very few people got to experience that version. All three of the park’s biggest draws—Jaws, Kongfrontation, and Earthquake: The Big One—opened in technical rehearsals, and all three continued to have problems for months. However, Jaws had more serious difficulties than the others, and opened only sporadically during that first summer. It closed in August 1990 for a nearly three-year rehab which replaced two key scenes: a direct Jaws attack on the boat, and the ride’s final showdown.
The changes made Jaws significantly more reliable without significantly impacting its thrill level. The concept was that you were on a sightseeing boat, visiting spots that featured prominently in the Jaws attacks, which were billed as “real,” and in the movies. However, the leisurely sightseeing voyage quickly turned sinister when the famed shark began menacing the tour boat. Eventually the erstwhile skipper managed to dispatch the creature in an epic finale.
Whichever version of the ride you remember, Jaws was also epic in its use of groundbreaking technology. Despite being closed for most of 2005 and on seasonal status from late 2005 through early 2007 due to the soaring cost of petroleum, Jaws managed to outlive Kongfrontation by almost a decade. It closed to make room for the Diagon Alley Harry Potter expansion in January 2012.
3. Back to the Future: The Ride
According to lore, Steven Spielberg was in a friendly rivalry with George Lucas. As the story goes, Lucas told Spielberg that Universal could never pull off something like Star Tours. After watching what the Kong animatronic could do, Spielberg apparently asked the team what they could do with the Back to the Future films. Assuming both stories are accurate, that would make Back to the Future: The Ride the second attraction to go into development for Universal Studios Florida, after Kongfrontation. Although it was not an opening day attraction, Back to the Future: The Ride opened less than a year later, in May 1991.
An advanced motion simulator with an IMAX dome screen, Back to the Future: The Ride was a sort of sequel to the films. The premise was that guests were serving as testers for a new multi-passenger DeLorean time machine, but when Biff stowed away in another DeLorean, they were enlisted to find him. By accelerating to 88 mph and bumping Biff’s time machine, they could send both DeLoreans back to Doc’s Institute of Future Technology. The search took visitors from Hill Valley in 2015 all the way back to the Ice Age, and even into the jaws of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Biff’s car was disabled in the chase, and just before he plummeted into a lava flow, the visitors’ car was able to bump it back to the Institute.
Although the ride was hugely popular, it closed in March 2007 to make room for The Simpsons Ride. However, one of the DeLorean time machines built for the films and the locomotive from Back to the Future III are still on display in the park.
