A Look Back at the Original Designs for Universal's Jurassic Park Ride

In honor of the release ofthis weekend, theme park design firm Goddard Group this week has been posting to Facebook concept art and storyboards from the original design for Universal's Jurassic Park ride



Image via Goddard Group

Goddard Group noted that the original design for the Orlando version of the attraction called for it to be built on what is now the site of Men in Black Alien Attack, before Universal decided to proceed with a second gate that became the Islands of Adventure theme park, and to make the Jurassic Park franchise one of its cornerstones. The project started in 1992, before the original film's release, as a Jeep ride adventure.

In earlier schemes, JURASSIC PARK: THE RIDE's climactic indoor sequence would have been significantly more expansive than in the finished attraction. Shown here in these never-before-seen storyboards, one concept involved a live actor who would attempt to evacuate riders before falling victim to a startling raptor attack!



Image via Goddard Group

Jurassic Park: The Ride opened at Universal Studios Hollywood in June 1996, followed by the Jurassic Park River Adventure in Islands of Adventure in May 1999.

Update: Check out this new post from Gary Goddard about the live actor scene. It looks like this was where Universal might have gotten the idea for the "false exit" that eventually ended up in the Orlando version of Revenge of the Mummy.

Once we entered the massive building, we discover there is an emergency “red light” evacuation taking place. Having been knocked off course, our boat is suddenly lifted (conveyor ramp) to a backstage load/unload dock where a ride operator is urgently shouting at us, warning us that “we have an emergency and we must evacuate immediately!” He is waiting for our boat to dock and he is telling us that he will lead us out. As we are about ready to get out – (but no the safety bar has not released yet), a dinosaur comes bursting through a chain link fence, roaring and causing our attendant to fall back, hitting the controls and plunging us into darkness AS OUR BOAT SUDDENLY RELEASES AND TAKES US BACKWARDS down the ramp.

Go read the rest. It is amazing.

Replies (12)

This article has been archived and is no longer accepting comments.