When Universal Studios Florida was conceived in the late 1980s, its designers knew that they would have to work hard to counter Disney-MGM Studios, which would open a year earlier. They decided to attempt to “out-Disney” Disney by creating some of the most technologically-advanced attractions ever built. After a rocky start (the three headline attractions all suffered from long periods of downtime during and following the park’s opening day in 1990), Universal succeeded in carving out its own niche. Since then, it has continued to push the boundaries of theme park ride technology, with stunning results. Let’s a look at 10 amazing effects featuring in Universal Orlando’s very best attractions – and how they actually work.
10. Brain fire in Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride
The experience: After racing through a series of turns and drops, riders appear to reach the roller coaster’s unload station. However, the female ride attendant in the control booth is suddenly attacked by the evil Imhotep, who consumes her soul. The ceiling then “sets on fire”, with riders experiencing scorching temperatures before plummeting into another coaster section. How it works:The effect is achieved by using real flames fuelled by natural gas. At the ceiling level, the temperature is some 3,200 degrees Fahrenheit. At the riders’ level, it is a more manageable (but still very warm) 107 degrees. The effect is known as “Brain Fire”, and was also employed by the former Backdraft attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood.
9. “Flying” on Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
The experience: Soaring along on an “enchanted bench”, riders appear to be flying along behind Harry Potter and Ron Weasley in a series of video sequences. How it works:The ride’s four-seater benches are mounted on a robotic arm, which in turn is mounted on a busbar track. It may appear that the video sequences are projected onto static screens. However, this would result in a chronic capacity limitation. Instead, multiple parabolic screens are employed, mounted to a turntable. These move along in unison with the robotic arms, so that each group of riders has a screen to themselves (but the ride vehicles never stop moving).
8. The T-1000000 in Terminator 2 3-D
The experience: Towards the end of the show, an enormous liquid metal monster known as the T-1000000 leaps out of the screen to menace the audience during a three minute long battle. How it works:In total, nearly 50 digital artists at specialist firm Digital Domain worked for nearly six months to bring the Terminators to life, in what was the first ever use of digital effects in a 3-D movie. The main challenge was the length of the scene: “The T-1000000 is an order of magnitude ahead of the T-1000,” said graphic artist Neville Spiteri. “There are no cuts whatsoever – you have a seamless continuous move – so we had to have something that works seamlessly throughout.” Two additional screens are suddenly revealed for the scene, which takes place in an entirely computerized environment. This posed further problems: “It was the amount of data we were dealing with,” says graphic artist Judith Crow. “We were used to doing commercials, or feature films with shots that were maybe 10 to 12 seconds long. Here we were producing CG that runs for several minutes in a row, across three screens, two views per screen, and suddenly we were faced with manipulating this enormous amount of data.” Every frame was created twice, once for the left eye, and once for the right.
7. The dinosaurs in Jurassic Park River Adventure
The experience: In a recreation of a sequence in the Jurassic Park book, riders board large boats before taking a trip through Jurassic Park passing both friendly and hostile dinosaurs as they go. How it works:Universal specified what it wanted each dinosaur to be able to do. A 2-D “maquette” model was then created, showing the anatomy of the dinosaur. Engineers sawed these apart to take cross-sections and designed the internal robotic structure. At the same time, artists created a full-size model in foam, showing realistic skin folds and wrinkles. Each section was then covered with layers of oil-based clay and silicon, serving to make the mold from the final skin was made. This was then fitted onto its robot and painted.
6. The tornado in Twister: Ride It Out
The experience: Guests watch driving rain and winds that culminate in a five-story cyclone, shattering windows and smashing trucks in its path. How it works: The tornado is based on a “vortex” effect, smaller versions of which had been created many times before. However, Universal’s plans called for an indoor vortex on a scale never before witnessed. It hired a firm with expertise in the area, Cermak Peterka Petersen, to help with the design. Initially, a one-fourth scale model of the vortex was created. To scale this up to full size, constant, artificially-generated winds of 35 miles per hour would be needed. Universal fitted the building with thirty fans arranged in three tiers to accomplish this, with 18 of the fans having blades that were seven feet tall. However, on inviting employees to watch the show, it was found that the presence of the additional humans ruined the tornado effect. To simulate an audience, 240 clothed mannequins were brought in. Meanwhile, a weather-tracking system was installed to monitor the outside wind velocity and humidity, in order to optimize the indoor wind effects. Combined, these two measures enabled the final tornado effect to be produced. It can be moved as much as thirty feet in any direction, allowing it to romp around a set that resembles an outdoor scene complete with a drive-in theatre and a diner. (Source: Samland)
5. The water tunnel in Poseidon’s Fury: Escape from the Lost City
The experience: To make the transition from the land to the sea, guests walk through an 18-foot by 30-foot tunnel of water. They are able to literally reach out and touch the water as they pass by. How it works:The tunnel is equipped with a manifold that contains 40 nozzles, with the water being blasted out at 90 to 100 miles per hour – the speed that is required to ensure that it goes all the way up and around the inside wall of the tunnel without falling away.
4. Imhotep in Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride
The experience:In the first scene of Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride at Universal Studios Florida, riders encounter Imhotep – the Mummy himself. How it works:The enormous animatronic figure stands at six feet eight inches tall, weighing 680 pounds. Inside is 1,000 feet of hydraulic tubing, enabling the figure to perform some 80 motions (and, incredibly, allowing it to theoretically lift around 2,500 pounds). Although it is capable of very natural-looking movement, it was intentionally adjusted not to be too lifelike so that guests would not mistake it for a human actor in a suit.
3. The exploding shack in Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls
The experience: On the final drop, boats plunge down into a shack ominously labelled “Danger! Explosives”. As they pass underneath it, the shack is blown into several pieces before falling back into itself. It then magically reconstructs itself before the next boat approaches. How it works:Each of the shack’s exterior walls is split into several different pieces, which are hinged together in opposing corners. Pneumatics are used to actually move the wall and roof panels upwards during the “explosion”, and to lower them back into position afterwards.
2. The big “fall” at the end of The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
Image: Universal Orlando ResortThe experience: The final scene of Spider-man features an incredible special effect that brings together all of the disparate technologies employed by the ride. Doctor Octopus shoots the riders’ Scoop vehicle with a levitation gun, sending it flying 40 stories into the air above Manhattan. It then falls off a skyscraper’s roof, plummeting towards the ground below before being caught in Spider-Man’s web. How it works:Set supervisor Phil Bloom explains: “[It is] a series of simple effects built on top of each other. One has static scenery with some lighting cues. We also have an actual physical building that has motion that drops away from us, and makes us feel like we’re rising. All this is synced with a movie projection screen. Add in the motion effects of the vehicle and some wind effects, and you feel like you’re flying in the air.”
1. The hidden elevators in Transformers: The Ride – 3D
Image: Universal Orlando Resort
The experience: Riders witness a scene in which Optimus Prime battles Megatron, while Grindor chases EVAC (the riders’ vehicle) until Grindor’s arm is broken off by a train. Later, they witness EVAC forcing the AllSpark into Megatron’s chest, causing both to freefall to the ground.
How it works:Transformers: The Ride uses an identical ride system to The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. The Transformers ride building is half the size of Spider-Man’s, but still includes 2,000 feet of track. To compensate for this, the ride is split across two floors, with an elevator carrying the car from one level to another. So that guests don’t notice the transition, they witness a spectacular animation sequence in each elevator – encountering full-scale Transformers that are nearly 30-feet-tall.
