Twister...Ride it Out
Twister...Ride It Out was a special effects attraction located at Universal Studios Florida, based on the 1996 film Twister (which were distributed by Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures). It opened on May 4, 1998, replacing the Ghostbusters Spooktacular attraction in the New York area of the park. The attraction was hosted by actors Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt, who starred in the original film. The attraction closed on November 1, 2015 and was subsequently replaced with Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon, which opened on April 6, 2017.
| Twister...Ride It Out | |
|---|---|
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| Universal Studios Florida | |
| Area | New York City |
| Coordinates | 28°28′32.46″N 81°28′10.02″W |
| Status | Removed |
| Opening date | May 4, 1998 |
| Closing date | November 1, 2015 |
| Replaced | Ghostbusters Spooktacular (1990–1996) |
| Replaced by | Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon (2017) |
| General statistics | |
| Theme | Twister |
| Vehicle type | Deck |
| Rows | 3 |
| Duration | 12 |
| Parental Rating | PG-13 |
| Pre-Show Hosts | Bill Paxton Helen Hunt |
| Vehicle Names | Observation Platforms |
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History
On February 6, 1997, Universal Studios Florida announced that Twister...Ride it Out would be opening in 1998.[1]
To accurately simulate a tornado, Universal Parks & Resorts entered talks with tornado meteorologists to discover the actual sights, sound, and feel of the experience. Twister...Ride it Out was originally going to open in March 1998, but just a few weeks before that, the Kissimmee tornado outbreak happened nearby. [2] For this, the attraction's opening was delayed to May 4, 1998.[3]
In the late 2000s, the outdoor queue line was reduced to make room for Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, where the roller coaster blasts through the firehouse facade. The ride involved the closure of the Boneyard in September 2008, and the moving of the Blue Man Group pathway in November 2008. This was to make room for the Universal Music Plaza Stage and the entrance of Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit.
On February 16, 2009, the attraction began operating only during peak seasons.[4] However, it was re-opened by Universal on March 9, 2009 due to guest demand.[5]
During the later years, the wait times ranged from 5-15 minutes. By the mid 2010s, Twister...Ride it Out was becoming an outdated attraction.
On October 27, 2015, the decision was made to retire Twister...Ride it Out.[6] Last rides were given on November 1 and by 2016, it was all gone. During the last operating day, park guests were dressed in Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt uniforms. In 2017, the attraction was directly replaced by Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon.[7]
Attraction summary
Queue
In the first half of the queue, guests bypass some studio props and the New York facade. A variety of songs is played on the speakers in this area. A cow in the wall is shown on the left side. On the right side, there are Steven Spielberg, Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt director chairs. From time to time, guests can hear the roars coming from the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. Guests make a left turn and enter the second half of the queue which is outside. It is a small mock-up of the Oklahoma town of Wakita. When the attraction first opened, it featured a larger outdoor queue with several vehicles, switchbacks, a windmill and the Wakita water tower. However, that section was reduced by 2008. If guests get bored in the queue, guests can watch tornado videos on the television screens. In addition, the television screens also show tornado facts that guests can read while waiting in line. Occasionally, Bill Paxton tells the safety of the attraction with the Twister logo being shown on the screens.[8] Guests see some props, such as the Wakita sign and a damaged New Channel 4 billboard featuring a map and a lady. A talking cow can be found in the queue line. When guests press the button, the cow will moo and say "Drink Esmoo Milk. Fresh from the farm to your fridge." There are signs of the Fujita Scale that feature tornado pictures and description. DOROTHY II can be seen near the waiting area. As the doors to Soundstage 50 open, the employees allow guests to enter the first pre-show room.[9][10]
Pre-Show
As guests walked into Soundstage 50, the opening scene from the film was shown on a video screen. When the scene ended, Twister stars Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt appeared on television to talk about their experiences filming the movie.
Scene 1
Guests next walked into a new room which was a model of Aunt Meg's damaged house after the twister. As guests walked into the kitchen, televisions are seen impaled into the wall, as if by tremendous force. Paxton and Hunt appear on the televisions and talk about what is ahead. The moment they finish, the televisions started to static, and after the static, the channel changes to Channel 5, with a weather anchor issuing a tornado warning in the area the guests are in. Staff members with red emergency lights will then move the lights to now opening doors while a message is playing telling you to get out of the house, and at the same time sirens can be heard. They are finally led onto a set resembling the drive-in theater scene in the movie.
Scene 2: Main Show
The guests line up on a tiered observation platform under a corrugated metal roof, overlooking a real sound stage outdoor scene featuring a view of the rural Galaxy Drive-in theater and the Rocket Hamburgers diner at dusk as dark clouds roll overhead. Suddenly, a tree gets struck by lightning, scenes from The People Under the Stairs appear on the movie screen, sirens sound briefly, and winds in the room get stronger, as well as rain falling from the sky. A small flashlight can be seen inside the Rocket Hamburgers a couple of feet away, as well as voices of family within the restaurant screaming to get inside along with a dog barking. A projected tornado drops from the sky in the background. As it fully forms getting closer, the tornado turns and destroys the drive-in theater. Then another tornado would appear on stage five stories tall and twelve feet wide. The glass on the Rocket Hamburgers window shatters as the guests would be squirted with water from behind. DOROTHY flies by as lightning flashes. The Galaxy Drive-in sign rips away and crashes inside Eric's garage. After that happens, a cow flies by the guests which is a homage to a scene in the film. The roof of the observation platform also threatens to tear off, being pulled upwards. A Dodge Ram parked in front of the garage slides towards a couple of gas tanks with the force of the tornado pulling it. The truck hits one of the gas tanks as gasoline liquid drains. Sparks are caused by the impact of the truck and fire forms up reaching the tornado which causes a fireball three stories high to erupt. The twister dies out, and the roof falls down above the guests. As this happens, the floor also gives a sudden drop giving guests a final scare. Bill Paxton thanks everyone for surviving twister directing them to exit to their left through the "Aftermath" gift shop.
See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Twister: Ride it Out. |
References
- "Universal says you'll be blown away".
- "US Killer Tornadoes of 1998". The Tornado Project. Archived from the original on October 4, 2008. Retrieved September 8, 2008.
- "Virtual Twisters Are Swirling in Orlando". New York Times. June 7, 1998. Retrieved September 14, 2008.
- "Universal Shuts Down Another Attraction". WESH. February 10, 2009. Archived from the original on February 17, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
- Jason Garcia (March 9, 2009). "Universal reopens Twister". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
- "Join us as we say goodbye to Twister at Universal Orlando".
- "Jimmy Fallon is getting his own Universal Studios ride: 'Instead of Harry Potter, it's me'".
- "Twister Ride It Out Queue Tornado Home Videos [REMASTERED] (1997)". TwisterXV-Tech. August 8, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020 – via YouTube.
- "Twister... Ride It Out Queue & Experience Universal Orlando". The DIS. May 14, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020 – via YouTube.
- "Photo Finds - "The Closure of Twister" - Nov. 10, 2015". Attractions Magazine. November 10, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2020 – via YouTube.