If 'refurbish' means make everything slower and even more less responsive...then yes, they did a great job. It's sad, cause I really don't want to be disappointed with this ride. I love Jurassic Park, and compared to the ride 20 years ago, its such a pity. I wish they'd REALLY bring it back up to speed as it was in 1997
+wolfjedisamuel It is noticeable at the falling jeep wall, for example. After years of continous falling and sparkles there was a burn mark at the wall, that made so obvious that it was going to fall.
Yep my two rides back in 2010 the animatronics were better than this. One of those two rides the T-Rex failed to come out and interact at all but it the drop always worked!
+Aaron Baucham i was a bit disapointed in jurasic world, too much cg, eh charaachters, the movie seemed pushed, but if they made a ride it wouldn't matter but what more can they do?
+castmemberzack Lets hope that in 2020 (if the world hasn't ended) Jurassic Park The Ride will replace the animatronics and the will work as fresh like the ones in 1996.
Pirates of carribean animatronics dont move or really do as much as the ones on jurassic and the pirates ride is 90% darkness so you cant really notice stiff movements, still i love both rides unconditionally
It would be great, but Jaws suffered the same sort of fate that JPRA is at the moment-lack of a full, complete refurb that focused on all the moving parts of the ride rather than repainting or new skins for the animatronics. I would argue that had it been kept in full working order as it was when it reopened in 94', the ride just might still be around. Instead, guests saw a really diminished attraction for the latter part of its life. The animatronics used to thrash and lunge at the boat, but later on they would basically rise out of the water and that was it. JPRA needs some major work-and it may take a lot longer than Universal is willing to close it for, but in the long term it could only be a good thing. As with Jaws, the animatronics would still hold up today if they were functioning as intended.
I don't know. The Jaws attraction might still be there if Universal had done basic upkeep on the animatronics, but then again, Universal really wanted to expand its ultra-popular Harry Potter attraction and needed room. So even if it had been majorly refurbished, the combination of Harry Potter's greater popularity and the fact that Jaws is not an active movie franchise probably would've gotten it scrapped too.
akiuop123 you're more than likely right, and it's just a shame that this HP extension had to replace a timeless attraction. Diagon Alley looks great (haven't been to Universal since it was built) but there should always be room for both classic attractions and more contemporary ones. I remember riding Jaws back in the 90s as a young kid when it was still operating at full throttle, and at night it was perhaps one of the best theme park experiences you could ever wish to have. I mean, a boat ride in the dark, the sounds of the island, houses all lit up, the flames and electrical effects were even more intense.. It was a whole different animal at night. I think JPRA is in that same league for me.
I always get nervous before get on this ride. My stomach hurts and my hands get sweaty. On rides like this going up scares me the most instead of going down. Watching this made me nervous!!!
I rode this in Nov. of 2016 3 of the velociraptors were down and one was just missing so there was a giant black hole. Very disappointing ride. This used to be my favorite at the park
As of April 28th that Left Raptor is still missing. It's been gone for two months now, and I wonder if it'll be better than what it once was. Hopefully the ride would close down for a whole season just for the other animatronics to get the same treatment.
Still looks to be in terrible disrepair, several things didn't even work in the video. Not to mention that the skins look like they got run over with a truck before they put them on.
One of my favourite rides! I live a short little 12hr plane ride away from this awesome place, so I haven't really had all that many opportuneties to visit, but on the two occasions I've been there I've enjoyed this ride a total of six times. Never gets boring! Planning to come there again with my missus in 2018, when we celebrate five years together. See you then!
They mainly did paint jobs and replaced the skin on the dinosaurs, but they REALLY need to look into the dinosaurs themselves, they move WAY slower than they use to. They also need to fix the countdown sequence, the lady says "Terminate in 15 seconds" then counts down from 10.
It's mouth was driving me nuts. Grass hanging directly out the front of the mouth and the mouth wasn't moving either. Not sure why but damn it bugged me.
Nice refurbishment, The T-Rex at the end and lot's of dinosaurs are more real then before, and actually make some adjustment on the dinosaur's color. It's good work, but One ADVICE for them, they should look after inside of those dinosaur robot, make them can move like real dinosaur, otherwise somebody will just feel that's pretty fake.
Its how long the rail is. The rail goes 80ft down, but since the raft is quite big plus the adequate curves, its gotta be like 45 - 50ft what you can actually feel
The first Jurassic Park ride should not have been a Water ride it should have been a track ride like we were in those Jeeps in the movie. I mean the movie handed Amusement Parks the idea on a silver platter and what did they do? water ride........ok well a water ride can still be done right but this wasn't at all. You would think with all the mega money the latest movie got they could give a major improvement to this old ride but nope.
I know right or get rid of this old Jurassic park ride and replace with a new Jurassic world ride . Jurassic park needs a new ride . They gave King Kong a new thing. And psycho a new thing got the Simpsons and come on they need to replace this ride.
+hero895 so in other words, 11 years after Jurassic World, we'll get a new Jurassic World ride? I mean we had to wait 11 years since King Kong (It was 11, right?), so why not wait another 11 for Jurassic World's ride! XD
Was really hoping to see some great upgrades. Was part of the first group ever to ride when it first opened even the Jeep being thrown off the building worked and was very impressive along with everything else. The possibilities for a little improvements even subtle ones are everywhere was really hoping there were going to take this to the next level. 😕
+InsideUniversal I'm sorry, no disrespect to Universal, but...the animatronics are TERRIBLE nowadays! What's it gonna take for Universal to REALLY seriously consider giving them a complete overhaul?
here come dat boi! It kind of looks similar to the one in Orlando now. Went last year and it pretty much looks the same. I think what they're trying to do is refurbish it over a period of time so they won't have to shut it down completely.
here come dat boi! I dunno if it’s better. While there is only one Rex he doesn’t pop out like this one. He’s constantly moving and roaring as the boat gets closer. I think I prefer Orlando because the Hollywood version you can see him hanging there doing nothing. It’s not a scary “pop up” at all. Orlando’s Rex makes you feel like your getting ready to be fed to him and there ain’t nothing to stop him save for that drop! (I believe Orlando also has the bigger drop at 85 feet) Also the Orlando Rex is close, his head drops as you do so if your sitting towards the back your hands can actually brush by him as you fall.
Over spring break, maybe two or three weeks ago, I went to Universal, and it said the ride was under-construction. Maybe just to touch up the dinos, or maybe a full revamp?
Now, I love Jurassic Park. My favorite movie of all time actually, and make no mistake this ride is incredible, but it really needs a revamp, the animatronics are too jittery
+InsideUniversal I had to watch the video of this ride from 1997 again just to wash out the bad taste that THIS left me. I mean, I never rode the ride, but seeing this is causing me to NOT want to unless Universal actually GET SERIOUS on giving it a facelift, NOT this 'band-aid'stuff that they're doing here.
Its working now we went on the april 3rd and seeing the explorer fall again awesome simply perfect. The only down fall is one of the raptors is missing when you go up the lift hill you see it gone. Plans going back on the 18th we have black out dates on our passes sadly
It looks ok. I still think Orlando's is considerably better. Especially seeing the fact that almost the entire river portion of this one was steamed out so you couldn't see anything. Also the fact that the car didn't even drop from the wall. That's like the best part of that one. I do like the inside of the drop building and lift hill better though in this one.
No offense, Universal, but if there is one thing that Disney can DEFINITELY do better than you, it's animatronics. You call that a refurbishment?! This ride needs to take a long vacation and really fix this thing. Make the already existing animatronics better. Make some new additions. Jurassic World related, perhaps? This ride still looks like it's stuck in the 90s.
+Captain Carno Actually the animatronics for this ride looked lightyears better in the 90s, watch a video from 1996 or 1997. The animatronics themselves probably never saw any refurbishment since. Disney was always leading in terms of animatronics humans and creatures alike. Universal actually bought some of Disneys Imagineers in the 90s to help them build this ride.
Lohiau1 I know this, i'm not saying specifically this ride, there are just plently examples, like Jaws, both Harry Potter rides, Men In Black, E.T, etc. It's true however, that Universal does not keep good care for the Jurassic Park animatronics :(
Because this ride is my childhood, and a pure classic, I would never want them to take this down. However, maybe during the Winter or Fall season, I'd tear it down and give it a revamp before the Summer season. Have you seen what they did to the Hulk Coaster in Orlando!? The changes are amazing!!!
+Spirit Of The Holidays That's not Wizarding World of Harry Potter those are the spires in the area for Despicable Me. But yeah still doesn't change the theming.
This doesn't really look like much of a refurb… The Ultrasaur animatronics still don't look as good as they did back in '96; they seem to have very reduced movement… I assumed that's what the refurbishment was going to address? And also the extra effects such as the falling car and the sparks from the broken electric fence on the velociraptor paddock still don't seem to have been addressed…?! So what exactly are they supposed to have fixed?
I haven't been to Universal in many years, but I think this video is the first time I've ever seen the T-Rex at the end. He was always out for repairs. Hadrosaur, too.
This ride definitely needs some TLC. Just rode yesterday, the brontosaurus on the right was broken, both raptors are there before the climb but with wires and stuff hanging out of their heads. The Jeep did drop though. At the end the one that spits water was missing his tail, and the T rex had wires hanging out. Kind of ruins the illusion when all the animitronics looks so ghetto. The animitronic meet and greet one was awesome though. Just experienced cars land at Disneyland they day prior, and after the superior animitronics there this one was disappointing.
Fr,riding it and getting to the drop after the t rex at age 7 for the first time felt like my soul leaving my body. You don't even wanna get me started on the picture after the ride lmAo