Universal Studios® OrlandoIt's almost three decades old and a lot has changed in that time. Only twoSightseeing featuresremain from the park's inauguration, the E.T. adventure and
Universelle Horror-Make-up-Show.
Rides came and went, came and went with what was popular at the time, and some areas of the park are even on their third attraction change.
The limited space at Universal Studios means that every part of the space is important, so attraction selection is crucial. Let's take a look at some of the attractions that have been retired to make way for the exciting new options we have today.
Ghostbusters spooktacular
This attraction was originally when the park first opened and while the show was running it saw two different versions. The first show was loosely based on the original, with the main villain appearing to torment a Universal Studios employee. The Ghostbusters show up just in time to take down the villain and save the day.
The second iteration of the show engaged the audience more and brought in other characters from the Ghostbusters universe.
The attraction closed its doors in November 1996 and became the home of Twister. The only remaining evidence of the original attraction is the facade of the fire station, through which the Rip Ride Rocket roller coaster runs.
Tornado
Twister…Ride It Out opened in 1998 after Ghostbusters Spooktacular closed in 1996 and was a special effects show based on the popular film starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton. The attraction was built in collaboration with meteorologists to provide an accurate representation of what an F5 tornado looked like.
The attraction closed its doors in 2015, making way for Jimmy Fallon's Race Through New York in 2017.
Beetlejuices Rock and Roll Graveyard Revue
Beetlejuice's Rock and Roll Graveyard Revue originally opened in 1992 and was a live concert extravaganza featuring well-known characters performing a selection of songs that evolved over time to stay fresh. One of the park's oldest attractions, it closed in 2015 to make way for Fast & Furious: Supercharged, which opened just a few weeks ago.
Back to the Future: The Journey
In 1991, guests at Universal Studios were able to travel back in time to stop Biff from changing the course of history at a Back to the Future themed attraction. Guests would climb into the famous DeLorean and travel back in time at speeds of up to 88 miles per hour.
The attraction closed in 2007 to make way for The Simpsons, although some references to the old attraction remain.
Kiefer
Perhaps one of Universal Studios' best-known attractions, Jaws originally opened in 1990 and was based on Steven Spielberg's film franchise. Guests boarded boats for a ride around Amity, but not without the infamous great white shark attempting to attack the boat.
Jaws gave up his spot as a fan favorite in 2016 to make way for Diagon Alley.TMWizarding World of Harry Potter expansionTM.
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