Long ago, in the distant corners of the ancient globe, civilizations were ruled not by order, but by seething dragons, forbidden magic, and jealous gods…
It’s the perfect prologue for another timeless entry into Theme Park Tourist’s LEGEND LIBRARY – our in-depth collection of must-read stories chronicling the best (and worst) attractions to ever exist – from the Skyway to Jaws; Radiator Springs Racers to DisneyQuest. And yet, today’s entry is perhaps the strangest story we’ve told. An anchor of Universal’s Islands of Adventure, the mythological Lost Continent set out to prove that Universal could dispense with its “studio” styling and create immersive fantasy worlds matching Disney’s dominance. But forget dueling dragons or living dinosaurs… One of the most talked-about and mysterious elements the new park promised was Poseidon’s Fury.
Image: Universal
Promoted as a 21st century headliner in the world’s most technologically advanced theme park, Poseidon’s Fury promised a next generation original experience that would merge Disney-style storytelling, Universal’s special effects expertise, and iconic original characters. Industry insiders claimed Poseidon’s Fury would put Universal’s new park on the map… Then, it opened. Contrary to marketing, early visitors to Islands of Adventure found Poseidon’s Fury middling, confusing, and – oh no… – boring.
After two years of declining reviews, Poseidon was sunk… Or so it seemed… A quick (and cheap) fix by a prominent attraction designer is often cited with creating as many problems as it solved, completely reimagining the attraction’s plot and characters. Today, we’ll dive deep into the two versions of Poseidon’s Fury that have existed and leave it to you to decide if this sinking story is a legend or a disaster… and what should happen next.
Backstage pass(ed)
As frequent readers of our Legend Library entries know, the story of any failed theme park attraction always begins long before the first guests ever step through its doors. Ironically, the prologue to Poseidon’s Fury –like the attraction itself – is of a legendary battle between two all-powerful titans… but in this case, they’re media titans.
Image: Universal
It’s no surprise to industry fans that the “war” between Disney and Universal has been an ongoing struggle for power since the 1980s. That’s when Universal began to get serious about plans for a “studio” themed park in Central Florida, activating Walt Disney World’s defenses as the two film industry giants raced to open their own movie-making parks.
Disney squeaked by a win, opening the Disney-MGM Studios in 1989, followed quickly by Universal Studios Florida in 1990 (followed by other studios jumping into the game, purchasing or constructing a glut of “studio” themed amusement parks through the ‘90s).
Image: Disney
Say what you will about the two studio parks in Florida, but one thing is certain: neither has aged spectacularly well. With the sobering view of hindsight, we can see that “studio” themed parks pretty instantly dated themselves as relics of the ‘90s, with mis-matched intellectual properties, industrial “backlot” design, and beige soundstages acting as a creative (and budget-saving) cop-out. (It’s no accident that both of Orlando’s movie parks have pivoted to “immersive, cinematic” lands that let guests step into movies rather than going behind-the-scenes of them.)
It’s also why – less than a decade out from each studio park’s opening – both Disney and Universal were already hard at work designing follow-ups that would look entirely different.
A new era
Image: Disney
For Disney, the New Millennium would be marked by a new generation of themed design incarnate in Animal Kingdom – a park that dispensed entirely with seeing “behind-the-scenes” in favor of constructing hyperrealistic, immersive, natural worlds rich with detail. Animal Kingdom would be a park based on the universal themes of the intrinsic value of nature and transformation through adventure.
Universal, meanwhile, was quietly concepting a new kind of park all their own; one that would simultaneously solve Universal’s “not-enough-for-families” problem and taking a direct shot at Disney. Their unique “IP park” would’ve assembled themed lands dedicated to Looney Tunes, Batman and Superman, Jay Ward’s “Sunday funnies,” and the highly sought-after Dr. Seuss library into one park called Cartoon World.
Image: Universal
At that time, one of the key figures working with Universal was the creative designer and then-former Disney Imagineer Gary Goddard (who, in the mid-2010s, was the subject of sexual assault allegations alongside frequent filmmaking collaborator Bryan Singer). Not only had Goddard topped the credits for Universal’s Lost Legends: Kongfrontation and Terminator 2: 3-D, but Goddard and his Landmark Entertainment would now be called on to create attractions for Cartoon World.
Unfortunately, negotiations with Warner Bros. (owners of DC and the Looney Tunes) fell apart (with those characters instead going to Six Flags). Thankfully, a down-on-its-luck Marvel Comics stepped in, happy to license its superhero characters to Universal in perpetuity (with Goddard designing the Modern Marvel: The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man as a result).
Image: Universal
Similarly, Universal’s designers saw the opportunity to duplicate the new Jurassic Park: The Ride (also a Goddard project) from its Hollywood birthplace to the new second gate in Florida, albeit this time as anchor of an entire Jurassic Park land.
It also allegedly opened a spot at the table for designers who’d recently exited Disney, where cost-cutting at Animal Kingdom had axed the Possibilityland: Beastly Kingdom of mythic creatures, allowing those ideas and designers to inspire a land at Universal’s park, instead: a land of myths and legends headlined by one of the park’s signature attractions…
Technology triumphs
Even as early as 1992, Universal’s designers were beginning to mold the new park, with its attraction lineup taking shape. One of the earliest versions of the attraction we know today as Poseidon’s Fury was Journey to Atlantis – a ride that would’ve looked quite different. Literally. Guests journeying through the “myths and legends” land in the park would’ve stumbled across a gargantuan Atlantean drill having recently erupted up and broken through the earth. Massive scaffolds erected by archaeologists would allow guests to climb to the drill’s top and then descend into it.
Image: SeaWorld Parks
Within, it’s believed that the attraction itself would’ve been somewhat like a “madhouse,” with guests seated in a nearly-stationary theater while the massive room would rotate around them, likely designed as to make guests feel that they were indeed tunneling deep through the Earth’s crust and emerging in the ocean with views of the sunken city.
Of course, as the park continued to evolve and take shape, Journey to Atlantis changed, too. According to industry insiders, one of the main drivers of its redevelopment was the emergence of water screens (featured prominently in Disneyland’s Fantasmic, which premiered in 1992) and the French entertainment company ECA2, whose new rain screens could feature cinema-sized projects through water.
Image: Universal / Marvel
In fact, this is about when Universal made a brilliant choice: to overtly recast the new park from a world of cartoons to something much bigger: “The World’s Most Technologically Advanced Theme Park.” Development of the new second gate would now center on featuring never-before-seen technologies pushing the industry forward. From the near-miss computer-powered Dueling Dragons to the interactive animatronics of the Triceratops Encounter and the headlining ride system behind Spider-Man, technology would be the unifying feature of this 21st century park.
And that went for Journey to Atlantis, too… By mixing a tried-and-true Universal special effects spectacular with the world’s largest installation of rain curtains and water screens, Universal could reposition a Journey to Atlantis attraction as a headlining technological marvel. Oh, and they’d found one last ingredient to bring it to the next level…
Technifex, an industry effects leader, was brought in to develop something big. The video above shows Technifex testing something unusual: a portal formed entirely of water blasted across the inside of a ring, with engineers able to pass through. Universal’s request? Turn the mere ring into a 40-foot long tunnel that guests could walk through.
The “Vortex” that would be the highlight of the attraction became Universal’s centering purpose for the show; the iconic element that would perfectly embed unthinkable technology in an ancient story. (Perhaps to its detriment… in fact, you might argue that the entire experience is built around the Vortex, so much so that the story to get there was a somewhat contrived way to force the experience in.) No matter; the tested concept revealed that, by blasting water at more than 100 miles per hour, the “Vortex” could indeed form around an 18-foot diameter tunnel… and that guests could even touch it (though the fast-moving water would instantly blast their hand away).
Image: Universal
With a special effects show as its finale and the walkthrough water tunnel as the must-have technological highlight to get there, the new Journey to Atlantis evolved in concept to grow closer to the attraction we know today. Now all they needed was a story to bring it all together… Read on…
Journey to Atlantis
Even by summer 1995, Journey to Atlantis had firmly been reimagined as walking tour blended with a special effects show, dark ride, and nighttime spectacular. We know because of early scripts for the attraction written that September.
Image: Universal
In this early version of the attraction, guests would’ve been guided through the temple by an enigmatic (and slightly kooky) old man named “The Keeper,” whose rambling and comedic exposition would set up the premise: that the ancient temple in which guests stood was said to hold the key to the fate of Atlantis. After some audience participation, the Keeper would usher guests through a secret passage and into a new chamber, overseen by an ancient Oracle made of wispy flames. This ancient Oracle would deem the crowd worthy of being “The Chosen” and bestow upon them the strength to journey to Atlantis.
Naturally, that would open the ancient portal to the ocean’s depths (the swirling vortex tunnel) where a second actor – Neoprene, Ambassador of Atlantis – would take over, leading guests into an Atlantean submarine. A brief simulator experience would appear to carry guests deeper into the sea, ultimately docking in the submerged Atlantis and disembarking into the Temple of Poseidon.
Image: Universal
There, the finale effects show would take place – an atmospheric, artistic, and almost-abstract showing of Poseidon’s rage. The god – brought to life as a massive, disembodied, watery face projected on water screens – would awaken serpents made of water, orchestrating a dangerous and poetic show of bursting steam, flames, and fountains. In the vein of Twister… Ride It Out (whose development was also in concept), Poseidon’s fury would crack the temple’s columns and send ancient Atlantean domes flying toward standing guests.
And it would all culminate with one of the most sensational technology showings yet. With Poseidon’s face projected on a massive water screen, the god would laugh, content that we mere mortals now knew his power. Then, opening his mouth, a massive release of fog would blast through the fountain and completely encase the audience in a matter of seconds (think “It’s Tough to be a Bug”). With only magical sparks of light in the dark, the temple would quiet… and then, lights would return to show that guests had been “magically” transported back to the Oracle’s chamber on the other side of the Vortex!
There, the Keeper would be waiting, glad to know that Poseidon had spared us and returned us back to the surface. The mystifying and marvelous Journey to Atlantis would indeed have been sold as one of the technological marvels of the new Universal park. But first, some wrinkles needed ironed out.
Whose islands? Whose journey?
Image: Universal
Thanks to the input of a new influx of designers and concepts, Cartoon World had been left on the cutting room floor. Sure, the new park would still feature Dr. Seuss’s works, as well as the comic strip characters of Jay Ward. But the new Marvel Super Hero Island would be joined by Jurassic Park, the exotic Port of Entry, and the mystic Lost Continent – each land offering at least one attraction to qualify as a “Technological Wonder.”
Forget studios; forget moviemaking; forget seeing “behind the scenes.” This new park would propel guests into stories, books, legends, and comics, brilliantly arranged in a completely new format: thematic or immersive “islands” situated around a central lagoon, connected by bridges that would act like hard cuts, “flashing” guests between literary worlds. And in keeping with the idea of setting out to explore these exotic worlds, Universal had developed a succinct name to describe the park and its uniquely exploratory aura: Islands of Adventure.
There was just one problem. Fellow park operators Busch Entertainment (then owners of SeaWorld and Busch Gardens) allegedly objected to the name “Islands of Adventure” on the grounds that it infringed upon their copyright – the name of their nearby Tampa Bay waterpark, Adventure Isle. They allegedly asserted in a letter to Universal that the names were similar enough that a reasonable person might not recognize the difference.
Universal’s new park’s identity seemed to be at a creative impasse. Except that Busch’s SeaWorld Orlando just a few miles away was in the final stages of designing a new attraction of their own. SeaWorld had purchased a custom Mack Rides water coaster and constructed around it an elaborate showbuilding disguised as the risen sandstone palace of Atlantis.
Image: SeaWorld Parks
This new attraction was positioned to elevate SeaWorld from a mere marine life park to a true theme park, matching Disney’s storytelling. On board, guests would sail through the sinking city and be caught in a battle between an ancient siren hellbent on their destruction and a golden guardian seahorse sent to save them.
The only problem is that potential names tested for the attraction weren’t going over well with surveyed audiences. The name Busch really liked? Journey to Atlantis.
Image: Universal
And so, if you believe the story, Universal and Busch made a pact. Universal handed over the trademark they’d acquired to SeaWorld, thus providing the name for the Declassified Disaster: Journey to Atlantis; meanwhile Busch agreed to back off their threats against Universal and allow their new park to officially be announced as Universal Studios Islands of Adventure.
Given that Universal’s planned attraction would’ve culminated in a massive, almost-abstract special effects extravaganza based on the raw power of the sea god’s rage, they developed a new title – Poseidon’s Fury: Escape from the Lost City. But as tends to happen, the “Blue Sky” version of Universal’s Atlantis attraction didn’t quite make it to the finish line…
The Lost Continent
Image: Universal
So what did guests find when Universal’s Islands of Adventure opened in May, 1999?
First, they discovered the Lost Continent. To be clear, this is the kind of land we’re not likely to ever see again from either Disney or Universal; an entirely original world constructed not from a blockbuster IP, but from the minds of designers merging with the myths of old. Show produced by Universal’s Amelia Gordon (today, Executive Producer at Universal Creative) who was brought in late in the land’s formation, the land’s ancient and monumental look disguises the speed at which it was assembled.
Image: Universal
Though the Lost Continent is comprised of three “mini-lands” (including the Medieval Merlinwood and the Middle Eastern Sinbad’s Bazaar), it’s the Lost City that’s most impressive. Here, guests step into the ancient waterlogged ruins of an unthinkable civilization. As water cascades from the mouths of carved figures atop the mountainous Mythos restaurant, the icon of the land (and indeed, perhaps the park) must be the toppled colossus of Poseidon, with massive remnants of the fallen god scattered around the Lost City. The figure’s towering Trident – still gripped in his arm – stands sentinel over the craggily, upheaved earth with water flowing down thin, lifted sheets of crust as if great seismic activity was at work.
Image: Touring Plans
The ancient Poseidon must’ve stood a hundred feet tall, its stone feet still astride on either side of the cascading rotunda. But now, its stone head lies on its side in a bubbling spring nearby – the scowling face and sharp nose of Poseidon himself, with fishy finned ears, tentacle hair, and a three-pronged crown.
But beyond is an equally impressive icon: the Temple of Poseidon – an oddly hypnotic, asymmetrical ruin, half-collapsed, marked by massive stone arches with flickering chandeliers beyond. The temple is flanked by ancient sea creature statues, one of which gurgles out water that splatters into a stone basin below; its twin looks as if it’s run dry for centuries, with flames crackling in its basin instead.
Image: Universal
Like any ancient or natural wonder, it’s difficult to capture the scale of this temple in photographs; to understand just how soaring its ancient towers are. And among the upheaved ancient rocks at its entry, one reads “Poseidon’s Fury: Escape from the Lost City,” with water pouring out through holes in the ancient rock.
Despite its ancient appearance, Universal’s (pre-social-media) viral lead-up to the park’s opening promised that Poseidon’s Fury was one of the key attractions in the park; one of the anchors that earned the park its “Most Technologically Advanced Theme Park on Earth” designation. And they were right… even if the attraction guests saw was considered one of the biggest flops in the industry.
On the next page, we’ll head into the original Poseidon’s Fury, see why Universal closed it after less than two years, then explore the quick-fix changes Universal made to completely rewrite the tale from scratch. Read on…
Poseidon’s Fury: Escape from the Lost City
Image: Cory Disbrow, Flickr. All rights reserved.
If there’s one thing the exterior for Poseidon’s Fury excels at, it’s setting expectations high. Only adding to the attraction’s mysterious and mythical nature are Universal team members who, when positioned at this attraction, may choose to wear dark robes, floating around the temple like ancient wraiths…
Image: SunCat, Flickr
Together, those unusual elements are enough to draw guests in… even if they’re not entirely sure what it is they’re queuing for. Thankfully, the winding, stone queue that descends into the temple’s heart at least provides a hint, with clever murals of ancient people bringing offerings deeper into the temple alongside waiting guests. But these unique frescoes are, in places, chipped away, revealing aquatic scenes beneath, long-since covered… It’s a clever hint that there’s more here than meets the eye.
Finally, you’re admitted to the Mural Chamber – a dark room lit only by flickering lanters. Luckily, our guide emerges from a hovel on the wall, scurrying down a ladder. The old, hunched-over man with a curling white beard introduces himself as the Keeper – for he holds the tales of this ancient temple…
Mural by Brent Miller
And in particular, of an ancient battle long ago, where the beloved king of the gods, Zeus, was challenged for dominance by his brother, Poseidon, who threatened to flood the world to show his superiority. As the Keeper’s tale unfolds, inexplicable lighting and sounds sweep across the room, illuminating ancient murals on the vaulted ceiling – one of the righteous Zeus, lightning bolt reared back, and – opposite – the serpentine, green-skinned Poseidon… the same figure whose head we saw outside.
The Keeper next invites us into a second chamber, built around a massive stone doorway – its concentric circular locks misaligned and sealed. Above it is a large gem in the center of an octopode carving. Our entrance into this chamber has awakened the Oracle… Emissary of Atlantis – a rear-projected face viewed through the crystal. It turns out that the Oracle isn’t exactly on Zeus’s side… She offers the Keeper (and us) an audience with Poseidon in his home deep in Atlantis where he’s been imprisoned since the battle. And there’s just one way to get there.
As the shimmering Oracle begins to recite a spell, the interlocking circles of the portal begin to twist and align, with lasers forming animated shapes throughout.
“Sea of serpents, oceans wide,
Abate your dark and drowning tide;
Open hearts on sea and land
For Poseidon’s greatness to command;
For with each twist and every turn,
The moment nears of his return
To set at last the fate of men,
As Lord Poseidon rules again.”
Image: Technifex
As the final tumblers lock into place, the Oracle instructs, “Once the Vortex has formed, make haste quickly through, for it cannot remain for long.” The massive stone door rumbles to life, rolling aside as steam escapes from within. Then, a torrential wave of water washes across the path ahead, growing in strength until it overcomes the bridge through the tunnel, “sticking” to the walls and forming the portal to Atlantis.
Once inside, guests find themselves in the massive, cavernous Chamber of Poseidon, with a multi-stepped pool of water ahead and large “windows” into the ocean all around (temporarily displaying “bubble” screenscavers until all guests have safely taken their places). Once all guests have entered, the show begins as the Keeper steps out into the rocky pools, climbing higher in the temple. Then, through the “windows,” Poseidon appears – an animated character voiced by the unimitable Jeremy Irons (legendary actor and iconic voice behind The Lion King’s Scar).
When the Keeper announces he’s come to clear things up about Zeus, Poseidon flies into a rage. “You dare not mention that name!” He cries, slapping water that erupts in the temple. Suddenly, “rain screens” fall all around guests, seemingly transporting Poseidon into the room, projected just in front of guests. Then – in one of the most memorable sights – Poseidon was projected all around guests in dozens of incarnations, as if projected through a crystal or kaleidoscope. He speaks directly to the gathered crowd: “Soon, you will join my army, and we will rise up and crush Zeus once and for all.”
Image: Universal
“I cannot allow that to happen!” The Keeper cries, now standing upright.
“Really? And just what do you intend to do about it?” Poseidon mocks.
At once, the Keeper disappears, replaced by an animated Zeus on screen. A full-on special effects battle follows, with Zeus harnassing fire against Poseidon’s water in the cavernous temple just in front of guests. 25-foot fireballs blast, singeing skin with heat quelled only by Poseidon’s retaliatory bursts of steam and mist.
Unsurprisingly, Zeus triumphs… but on-screen, Atlantis begins to collapse from the battle! Zeus’s booming voice cries:
“Ancient titans of Heaven and Earth,
Restore these mortals to the land of their birth.
For mercy’s sake I call on thee,
Deliver them from beneath the sea.
Lest not we tend an ocean grave,
I call upon their lives to save!”
Image: Emily, Flickr
As steam, then darkness overcomes the chamber, the lights return to show… that we’re back in the Oracle’s Chamber! Initially, merely Zeus’s disembodied voice would indicate that we’d survived, but this finale didn’t test well, leaving guests confused about if the attraction was over, unsure of what to do next, and not noticing or appreciating that they’d “traveled back” to a previous room. For a while, the Keeper would reappear, his latern breaking the darkness as he’d show the returned vortex portal and say, “Well, that looks familiar!” – a winking nod to the “teleportation” effect allowing the Keeper to then escort guests out.
Though the “original” Poseidon’s Fury is practically a legend, mostly unrecorded, a single video of the experience exists – and it’s unexpectedly clear, too! However, this walkthrough does omit chunks of the experience, getting across just the key moments. Be sure to check it out:
Poseidon’s Fury was impressive in scale… but it was not the headlining attraction Universal had promised… Don’t worry; we’ll explain why.
Problems, problems, problems
Late in the attraction’s development, the fate of Poseidon’s Fury had been handed to Universal Show Producer Amelia Gordon. Amelia’s job was to manage the creative development needed to get Poseidon’s Fury over the finish line in time for the park’s opening… and on a strict budget, to boot. Obviously, there are incredibly compelling elements of the Poseidon’s Fury show that Amelia and her team inherited.
As evidence, it continued to be a marketing highlight of the new park and an oft-cited example of its astounding technological breakthroughs:
But polling by Universal quickly revealed that Poseidon’s Fury wasn’t performing as they’d hoped.
From a guest point-of-view, visitors reported that the attraction was confusing and muddled; it was hard to understand in terms of both light and sound, with only torches and “magical” light effects able to illuminate necessary paintings and carvings; that it felt like the first two rooms were nothing but overcomplicated exposition; that its conclusion, too, was difficult to follow. As celebrated as the final “teleportation” effect was, it seemed that few guests even registered that the illusion was meant to make them feel they’d moved “back” a room. In short, audiences seemed to leave Poseidon’s Fury shellshocked. “…Is it over?” It didn’t feel like an experience to match the impressive exterior.
From a story writer and experience designer’s point-of-view, it had a few equally-glaring errors.
- An unsympathetic host – While some retrospectively think of him as an enigmatic and beloved “Dreamfinder” type, our “old” guide, the Keeper – always played (by necessity) by a 20-something Universal actor in a bad wig and robe – felt disconnected from the audience; more of a “storyteller” than a “hero” or a “grounding character” who guests could relate to.
Image: Universal
- The mythology and pacing – While no one would expect a Universal effects show to use a tale plucked carefully from The Iliad, the overly-complex set-up of Poseidon’s Fury failed to make much sense to guests. What’s more, the first two rooms were spent merely hearing about the hero and villain; we don’t knowingly hear from either until the third and final room…! When we do, both are circa-1997 CGI characters… Not exactly in line with the realism set up by the attraction’s first two-thirds, and admittedly not characters that would stand-up today.
- The awkward “load-in” moments – The “necessary evil” of a guided, room-by-room walking tour is that guests need to safely load into each chamber – typically 60 – 90 seconds of “dead” time – before it can be set to “show” lighting and the act can begin; especially noticeable when walking into Atlantis after the Vortex, with load lighting revealing all the fountains, exit signs, and HVAC that will make the show possible, while “bubble screen” screen savers instantly reveal the water screens ahead and give away their screen-ness.
Image: Universal
- The lack of danger – Though many words are said about Poseidon throughout the Keeper’s exposition, it seems that the character (voiced superbly by Jeremy Irons) is merely cranky, not dangerous. In fact, the audience is pulled along room-by-room without hearing or seeing him, leading the character’s big reveal as… a CGI merman. Poseidon comes across as more of a Disney villain than a real threat, which feels disconnected with the otherwise visceral and self-serious attraction.
- The lack of motivation – This is perhaps the most damning complaint against the show from a story-writer’s point of view. Why are we here? Why did we queue in this temple to begin with? Do we have a “role” in the story? Is it 1999, or two thousand years ago? Why is the Keeper leading us into what he knows to be a trap? Do we need to be here for this battle to take place? Or did Zeus simply carry us room-to-room because he wanted an audience to passively watch him?
Think you’ve got it figured out? What would you do? Something needed to change, and to reverse the sinking of their multi-million dollar technological marvel, Universal had to call in the big guns. On the next page, we’ll show you exactly what designers had to work with and how they set out to salvage Poseidon’s Fury.
What you’ve got: One live actor; a “story” room; an Oracle Chamber; a Vortex; a special effects battle in an undersea temple; a “teleportation” effect to send guests back a step.
What you need to solve: An unclear setting in time and place. An unreal “host.” Lagging “load-in” time in the final chamber, allowing guests to see it under work lighting. A lack of danger and peril. No “role” in the story other than passive observers.
These are the ingredients handed to Gary Goddard and Landmark Entertainment. As we discussed, Gary had worked wonders with Universal before, crafting Jurassic Park: The Ride, Terminator 2: 3-D, and the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. Now, he was given just twelve weeks and a paltry budget and asked to reshape Poseidon’s Fury to improve guest satisfaction with the show. Here’s what he came up with.
Poseidon’s Fury
First, Gary Goddard notes that he initially proposed the attraction’s name change from Poseidon’s Fury to the Haunted Temple of Poseidon – a name that he thought would better convey the walkthrough experience while also drawing connections to Universal’s famed Halloween Horror Nights experiences. At least in that regard, he lost. But despite the carried-over name, the new Poseidon’s Fury that debuted in June 2001 was an almost-complete reinvention from the original.
Image: HarshLight, Flickr (license)
Even from the start, small but important changes can be observed. For one, the attraction’s wait time sign now reads “TOUR DEPARTS,” while the cast around the elaborate facade have traded ancient cloaks for khaki explorer outfits (a la Indiana Jones Adventure). A-ha! I sense a clear expectation of what to expect (a tour) and a motivation! The time? 1930s. Our role? Adventurers brought here to the ruins of the Temple of Poseidon, where the Global Discovery Group (think Disney’s S.E.A.: Society of Explorers and Adventurers) have made a remarkable discovery…
And indeed, the queue has been rewired to replace ancient torches with excavation lights. Throughout the queue, the Global Discovery Group has left informational signs (pre-reading… not always a good sign) to get some of the exposition out of the way. This Temple of Poseidon, they claim, was where believers from around the ancient world came to worship the lord of the seas. It’s even said that the temple contains an ancient and mystical connection to the ocean… But something happened here centuries ago that cursed the temple and closed the oceanic connection for good, and it’s never been found.
Image: Jeremy Thompson, Flickr (license)
As before, the tour begins in the mural chamber but this time, our guide is Taylor – a young, hapless intern of the GDG. Though he’d rather wait for Professor Baxter (a clever nod to one of Gary Goddard’s former Imagineering coworkers…) to return from exploring the temple, Taylor will at least tell us the basics. According to legend, the dark history of this temple can be traced to a jealous high priest of Poseidon’s named Lord Darkenon. Excavation lights and flashlights help Taylor show the murals above. (Interestingly, the Poseidon mural is the repurposed Zeus mural from the original, simply having replaced his lightning bolt with a Trident; the Darkenon mural is original, completely replacing the merman Poseidon.)
If you believe the stories, centuries ago, Darkenon sealed this very chamber and slaughtered the worshipers inside as a sacrifice, hoping to gain dark powers to challenge Poseidon and take the Trident for his own. In the ensuing battle, the all-powerful Trident was lost and both Poseidon and Darkenon were sealed away. And in fact, they say that the god’s rage at his priest’s betrayal still reverberates through the walls, earning the temple the nickname Poseidon’s fury… (Thought-provokingly supposing that “fury” might be a synonym for “temple”).
Image: Universal
Naturally, a distress call through the radio from Professor Baxter instructs him to “get those people out, NOW!” before the power cuts out. When Taylor returns with a high-powered UV light, writing is revealed on the walls around the chamber. As a new, compelling, and haunting musical score begins, Taylor reads:
Behind this wall, a demon sleeps;
An ancient evil held in keep.
Poseidon’s power contained the beast,
But he, too, perished when battle ceased.
Let none disturb this chamber wall
Or loose the dark and then lose all,
But if this evil should be released,
Then seek the Trident; restore the peace.
For he who holds the Trident gold
Has Poseidon’s power for all time told.
With a rumble, the speaking of the spell awakens the ancient spirit of Darkenon, kept alive in the temple’s walls. Offering a chance to follow Professor Baxter, Darkenon invites the crowd to follow in his steps, with the sliding wall revealing the second chamber.
But now, the Oracle’s chamber has changed. It’s the Chamber of Death – a room of dusty gold and red lighting, with ancient treasures piled around – but covered in rotted skeletons. It’s here that Darkenon’s disembodied, booming voice (played by Jeffrey Combs) makes an offer: “Bring me Poseidon’s Trident, or die.” As poison gas begins to fill the room, Taylor’s attempts to pry the door open unsurprisingly end in his stumbling upon the Trident, awakening an ancient goddess (played by Christina Pickles) projected above the Vortex gate. (Surely, less hypnotic than the crystalline Oracle, but compelling nonetheless.) Possessing the Trident, we’re due one favor. “We’d like to go home!” Taylor says.
“Alas, the Dark One has sealed this chamber with a locking spell impervious to magic. The way home is now impossible. But all is not lost. Though I cannot grant you passage back to your world, I can provide you with safe passage deeper into this temple, into the Chamber of Poseidon. Bearer of the Trident gold, are you brave enough to make the passage under?”
As Taylor rallies the audience, the Goddess speaks as a swirling, goosebumps-inducing musical score (perhaps worth the reimagining in and of itself) begins and the door’s revolving locks begin to spin.
“Lord of the Seas, I ask for your care.
Safe passage grant for those who dare.
Open up your oceans, swing wide the door!
Let the waters rush and the oceans roar!
For now is the time, with fortune unplanned,
Your Trident comes home… returned to your hand.“
As the music swells, the door rolls aside. “Move quickly, for I cannot maintain its power for long!”
Taylor nervously guides guests through the Vortex and into… a room blocked by another gate. The “teleportation” effect of the original has, in effect, been reversed, with us arriving in a new, small chamber that looks somewhat like the room we just escaped. Indeed, the observant will note that though this room similar to the Chamber of Death, it’s identical to the old Oracle’s Chamber, complete with the crystal oracle above, the locked vortex gate, and the oceanic lighting of blues and pinks… It’s into this room that guests gather, as Taylor tries in vain to use the Trident once more to unlock the sealed gate ahead.
Naturally, only the arrival of Poseidon can help. The disembodied voice tells us we’ve done well… but Darkenon’s voice now arrives, too, and in a blinding flash, the room transforms. I
Image: Universal
In pitch black darkness, we see an octopus swim away, with the light of the undersea world suddenly appearing through the “windows” of the undersea world (a brilliant reveal of the massive finale chamber). Darkenon is here “in the flesh” (on screen), threatening us with fire and requiring the Trident. Taylor instead climbs to a rocky height, where Poseidon is frozen as a statue.
“Give me that Trident!” Darkenon cries.
“Take it from him!” Placing the Trident into Poseidon’s hands, the statue glows, then sinks away with Poseidon appearing on-screen himself. The two characters (played by live actors) battle it out for a few moments, setting off fire and water effects as before. With Darkenon predictably vanquished, Poseidon grants us passage back to our world. In a flash, we’re returned to the Oracle’s Chamber again, where Taylor and Professor Baxter thank us for our bravery and guests exit.
Of course, we encourage you to take a break and watch the best low-light video full walk-through we can find of the “new” Poseidon’s Fury. Even just scanning, you can likely make out a new atmosphere for the attraction as well as seeing how restaging and re-pacing the attraction keeps lighting and sound in show-mode, even in transitions (but note that the water Vortex did not form during this showing):
Perhaps only now, on your way out, will you note that the Poseidon statue crumbled outside and the gold Poseidon holding the sign for the “Treasures of Poseidon” souvenir shop doesn’t look at all like the old man with a white beard in a superhero outfit you just saw… In fact, both display the old, merman Poseidon. Oops!
Improvement?
So was Poseidon’s Fury fixed? Or did Gary Goddard’s rewrite cause as many problems as it solved?
When the “new” Poseidon’s Fury debuted in 2001, it was the subject of much discussion among fans. Had Universal salvaged the waterlogged show, or sank it? Why did Gary Goddard make the choices he did when he directed and creative produced the new show? Believe it or not, we’ve got his answers…. Read on…
Image: Universal
Is the “new” Poseidon’s Fury better than the old? In many quantifiable ways, the answer is yes. Guest satisfaction with the attraction improved on polling and surveys, so in that way, the impossible task of reimagining an attraction in 12 weeks succeeded. And re-read the limitations at the top of this page. Did Gary Goddard and his team manage to use what they were given to solve the issues guests had with Poseidon’s Fury? It seems that way…
But naturally, fans – who, at the time, knew the original show quite well – did react to the changes in mixed ways. We’re lucky that Gary Goddard himself responded to criticisms of his version of the show on a fan message board. Reading his defenses to nostalgic fans is enlighting, but we’ll summarize the big questions (and his answers) here:
1. Why replace the Keeper with Taylor?
Image: Kevin Davis Photography, Flickr
The switch to a young archaeologist was a smart one. It grounds our experience in a particular time (1930s, circa Indiana Jones) and provides us with someone we can relate to; someone uncovering the story along with us, speaking aloud our experience and making the journey more personal. Taylor can be funny (and yes, as some complain, annoyingly so) but he’s at the very least a better guide through the temple and a better establishing character for the attraction’s tone.
Taylor, the Global Discovery Group, and the new “excavation” set pieces also brilliantly solve the show’s lighting problem (now, archaeological lamps can reveal murals and secret messages) and provide guests the motivation or role that the former version lacked. Why are we here in this temple? Because it’s a recent discovery, and we’re globe-trotting adventurers who’ve come here for a tour! The attraction isn’t happening around us; it’s happening to us, because of Taylor!
(Perhaps not-so-coincidentally, the opening of the “new” Poseidon’s Fury in 2001 lines up with the 2001 opening of a similar attraction at Spain’s PortAventura – a park owned by Universal from 1998 to 2004. There, Templo del Fuego is the fiery antithesis to Poseidon’s watery show, and the installation in Spain uses a similar archaeological set-up, characters, and effects.)
2. Why turn Poseidon into the hero and pit him against (the admittedly laughably named) Lord Darkennon?
While neither story is in any way true to mythology, Goddard argued that in the original, Poseidon wasn’t really evil (more of a ‘Disney villain;’ merely annoyed and snippy) and thus guests never faced any “real” (and thus, compelling) danger. The idea of a jealous high priest slaughtering humans to gain godlike power not only feels more true to myth, but makes him more outright evil and a more compelling threat.
And where the original version of the attraction basically spent the first two chambers with the Keeper trying to explain the convoluted story without much happening (remember, we didn’t officially meet or even hear from our hero or villain until their final battle), the new “threat” of Darkenon sets up action in each room; from the haunting spell and his awakening in the first to his attempts to kill us in the second, resulting in the Goddess’s last minute save.
3. Why reverse the “teleportation” effect?
Perhaps the biggest complaint against the updated version is that it intentionally reverses the attraction’s final effect. Rather than the vortex leading to the cavernous Chamber of Poseidon only to be “magically transported” back to the room before the vortex at the show’s close, now guests pass through the vortex and… into a room similar to the one they just left.
While it’s easy to complain about the change, Goddard’s answer here, too, is enlightening. In the original, guests entered the massive Chamber under load lighting, with time to look around and see the lighting rigs, exit signs, fountains, and industrial hardware needed to run the show while a bubble effect “screensaver” made the five film screens ahead easily identifiable… a sort of illusion-shattering pause in the action while guests simply… wait.
Image: Universal
Now, guests enter into a smaller chamber that – by nature of being a duplicate of the old version’s second room – looks not exactly like the room they just left, but like yet another small, undiscovered chamber blocked by another gate they can’t open. It’s this room that guests load into, with the massive chamber being revealed only under show lighting as designed (with the clever reveal of an octopus swimming away from the windows being a spectacular reveal as light from the underwater world comes pouring in).
Sure, one could argue that positioning the transportation effect last admirably “saved the best for last” in terms of the show’s special effects, and perhaps it’s less magical to lose the overt connection of suddenly being back in a room you were previously in; but in exchange, the reveal of the larger chamber is instead much more effective and grand. Two steps forward, two steps back? We’ll let you decide.
4. Why switch the animated Zeus and Poseidon for live actors?
Image: Universal
Goddard’s answer here is that, frankly, it seemed incongruous that our live guide – the Keeper – would transform into a (1997-quality) CGI character anyway, and that it removed any realism (and any “threat”) earned by the twenty minutes preceding to have our evil villain as a cartoon merman. He’s right, but… admittedly, today’s finale, too, feels unreal, with actors in silly costumes hastily filmed in front of a green screen and superimposed over the old CGI background, with uncomfortable moments when they “reach” past the projectable screen or clash in slow-motion Renaissance Fair duels.
In other words, this is one area where a reimagining today would probably split the difference. There was definitely something compelling and creative about having Poseidon and Zeus realized as “original” and highly stylized characters (perfect for action figures, plush, and t-shirts!) that live actors in superhero-style suits misses big time. Plus, the singular moment in which the old Poseidon was projected all around guests as if through a prism was mesmerizing.
Sink or float?
Image: HarshLight, Flickr (license)
The “new” version of Poseidon’s Fury – the rushed, low-budget, quick-fix reimagining by Goddard – has been playing continuously for audiences since 2001. Over the last two decades, insiders have been certain that the attraction was on the brink of closing…
First, things looked grim when the Vortex was turned off from 2008 to 2010 (supposedly as part of NBC’s “Green is Universal” eco-initiative… though almost certainly just a budget-saving move during the 2008 recession).
Poseidon’s Fury’s future looked bleak again in 2009 when it was announced that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter would soon move in, overtaking the Lost Continent. As it turned out, Hogsmeade really replaced only the Merlinwood section of the Lost Continent, salvaging Sinbad’s Bazaar and the Lost City.
Image: Universal
But in 2011, after Hogsmeade’s astounding debut (increasing Islands of Adventure’s attendance by an unfathomable 36% the year prior), rumors began to swirl that an expansion of the Wizarding World was imminent, likely devouring what was left of the Lost Continent to build a Diagon Alley land. And of course, Diagon Alley did open in 2014… but at the original Universal Studios Florida park, connected to Islands of Adventure’s Hogsmeade by way of the clever, inter-park Hogwarts Express train.
That means that Poseidon’s Fury is still safe. But is that a good thing? Surely the 12-week reimagining back in 2001 was merely a quick fix, never meant to be the final version of the show. And yet, two decades later, it’s this version of Poseidon’s Fury that’s still playing. Don’t misunderstand… Poseidon’s Fury is somehow a lovable underdog. Our friends at Touring Plans hit the nail on the head by naming it one of the “Best Worst Attractions.” It’s cool! It’s fun! It’s neat! And… it’s time for a fix.
What if…
Image: Tomb Raider
Given Universal’s love of IP licensing, how amazing would it be to see the land and its sole remaining attraction taken in a new, exciting, adventurous direction? Perhaps the Lost Continent could become a land dedicated to Tomb Raider, placing Lara Croft in a quest to find where Poseidon’s Trident was forged, and replacing the Sinbad half of the land with exotic jungles and a rebuild of the Lost Legend: TOMB RAIDER – The Ride?
For that matter, could the award-winning, mythological God of War game series power a new Poseidon’s Fury, allowing guests to witness a brawl between the legendary Kratos of the Lord of the Seas?
Image: Nintendo
Most recently, rumors have suggested that Universal’s licensing of Nintendo makes Zelda a contender for the Lost Continent spot, balancing with the Mario and Donkey Kong lands supposedly planned for Epic Universe. Whether Link and friends would repurpose or replace Poseidon’s Fury, we can’t say.
But for now and the foreseeable future, Poseidon’s Fury has somehow been salvaged from sinking; it’s literally the only attraction in the entirety of the Lost Continent (since the Eighth Voyage of Sinbad stunt show closed in 2017) and thus, the only original, non-IP attraction left at Islands of Adventure… We’d kill to see Universal reinvigorate this land and attraction for real. Why not involve the Eighth Wonder Expedition Company (the likewise-1930s explorer group featured on the Reign of Kong ride in the park’s Skull Island) and build out a new mythology surrounding the Trident and the battle between Poseidon and Zeus?
Or is it time to let this walkthrough show sink for good?
Image: Universal
We want to hear your thoughts. What parts of the original production should’ve been kept, and why? In your opinion, does the 2001 rewrite save the attraction, or sink it? What pieces of the story of Poseidon’s Fury should act as a cautionary tale for attraction designers today? Do you think the failure of Poseidon’s Fury might’ve turned Universal off from epic, original character attractions for good? What does the future hold for this unusual would-be headliner?
And remember – you can dive deep into countless stories on beloved Lost Legends, uncovered Declassified Disasters, and never-built Possibilitylands in our LEGEND LIBRARY.
