The Back to the Future Ride rumored to be closing

[napnet]

Truely sad news for one of my favorite rides at Universal Studios...

The Back to the Future ride at Universal Studios is closing -- perhaps as soon as next month -- to make way for a new attraction, sources tell me.

No comment from Universal, but speculation on some unofficial Web sites indicates a new storyline and ride vehicles could be based on The Simpsons cartoon or The Fast and the Furious car-racing movies.

Back to the Future, based on the Michael J. Fox movie trilogy, opened in 1991 for an estimated $40 million. Back then, it was among the most sophisticated rides around.

But today, a generation of kids may know nothing of Doc Brown and his time machines -- making the ride less relevant for a park that is already struggling with attendance.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/busi...rl-clarke0906aug09,0,2909163.column?track=rss

 

[Murtieeee]

Hope its not till after September I'm heading there in two weeks and I love that ride. has anybody got any more info on this????

 

[Legacy]

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=79234

:wave:

 

[Murtieeee]

Thanks for the link Legacy

 

[darthjohnny]

I will miss that ride if that is true. If they are replacing the ride, I hope they put a lot more maintenance into what ever comes(Possibly the rumored Simpsons ride). The Back to the Future ride in its final years was so rough. There was a rumor going around a while back that they would replace the BTTF ride and put up a roller coaster themed to Back to the Future, which would go "88 MPH." I believe the BTTF in Hollywood is going as well, but nothing is happening to the one in Japan.

 

[kcnole]

If they're going to do Simpson's, I'd rather see Jimmy Neutron closed and Simpson's in its place. Put something truly showstopping in BTTF's place at least. Neither Simpson's or Fast and the Boring I mean furious would do that.

 

[cmatt]

they ditch marty and they may loose a customer you CANT get rid of bttf
*stamps feet* grrr *throws toys out the pram*

 

[Lennyg512]

Well if they got rid of Kongfrontation, then they'll get rid of anything

I also heard a rumor that Jaws was said to have been closing but due to complaints from park guets they decided to keep it

 

[WDWFREAK53]

....Universal's dropping the ball once again.

What movie, which will be huge, is coming out next summer?

Sure, there's a Simpson's movie coming out...but there's a movie even BIGGER than the Simpsons. Think of the area that it's going into...

MIB is right next door...That whole area is now going to be a mishmash of "themes." At least Back to the Future was another "Sci-Fi" movie.

There's a GIANT Sci-Fi movie coming out that could truly TRANSFORM that section of the park!!!

(Note: For those truly still in the dark....TRANSFORMERS is coming out next July!!!!) The CARS ARE ALREADY IN PLACE!!!!

 

[darthjohnny]

I also heard a rumor that Jaws was said to have been closing but due to complaints from park guets they decided to keep it

Yeah, I heard that too. They were supposedly originally just going to open it during peak attendance season because it is becoming too expensive to run, what with the mechanics, effects, and having to pay the employees to run each boat; as well as it isn't as popular as something like Revenge of the Mummy.

Then supposedly, there was a musical video made by the Universal employees called Jaws: The Musical released on YouTube.com that became so popular, that Universal decided to keep Jaws for now.

 

[cmatt]

tee hee transformers will be ____** in comparison to the awesome bttf however so *hmph* my comment still stands

 

[JCrane]

For a UK visitor slightly out of the loop has there been any more news on a particular date that BTTF may close? I sincerely hope it won't be closing at all but I'm visiting at the end of October and I'd be if I were to miss out on riding it again! Such fond memories...

I'm sure it's beginning to show signs of age but it's such a fun ride...

 

[Legacy]

For a UK visitor slightly out of the loop has there been any more news on a particular date that BTTF may close? I sincerely hope it won't be closing at all but I'm visiting at the end of October and I'd be if I were to miss out on riding it again! Such fond memories...

I'm sure it's beginning to show signs of age but it's such a fun ride...

To the best of my knowledge, one of the two screens is already closed. That means all it would take is an okay and it's closed forever.

 

[WDWFREAK53]

To the best of my knowledge, one of the two screens is already closed. That means all it would take is an okay and it's closed forever.

Hehe, very offtopic...but I remember all of those! (Heck, I am one of those :lol: ) (I'm talking about your sig)

 

[.:Adam:.]

Can anyone confirm that this will still be open during September?

 

[cmatt]

Can anyone confirm that this will still be open during September?

ill er tell you after friday :wave: im almost certain it will be open... i think they will wind it down after halloween.... *shrugs*

 

[Legacy]

Can anyone confirm that this will still be open during September?

From my understanding it should be a very quick turn-around when it is decided what is to be done with it. It seems like Universal is going to try and keep down-time on this to a minimum, which is exactly how it should be done.

As long as it closes before November, it's most likely we will see it within the first three or four months of 2007.

 

[Mark_E]

When i was there only 3 cars in my theatre were actually working so something is going on.

 

[kcnole]

There's enough smoke that there's at least proof that the ride will be closed for a while. For example, while the building is present on the HHN map, it's not listed as an attraction. However I've heard just as many rumors that this is just going to be a refurb as it being replaced from anything from Simpsons, Fast and the Furious, to the Transformers.

Something is happening there. I am kind of leaning towards the refurb rumor but am just taking the wait and see approach. Half of the theatre is currently closed and the majority of the rumors say that it will close after Rock the Universe after their busy season is over and before HHN starts. The accepted date is September 19, but that's just a rumor as well.

So we'll just have to wait and see. Personally I think that if the ride were going away that Universal would have given some formal announcement like they did with Hannah Barbara and King Kong. Their silence is strange.

 

[Legacy]

There's enough smoke that there's at least proof that the ride will be closed for a while. For example, while the building is present on the HHN map, it's not listed as an attraction. However I've heard just as many rumors that this is just going to be a refurb as it being replaced from anything from Simpsons, Fast and the Furious, to the Transformers.

Something is happening there. I am kind of leaning towards the refurb rumor but am just taking the wait and see approach. Half of the theatre is currently closed and the majority of the rumors say that it will close after Rock the Universe after their busy season is over and before HHN starts. The accepted date is September 19, but that's just a rumor as well.

So we'll just have to wait and see. Personally I think that if the ride were going away that Universal would have given some formal announcement like they did with Hannah Barbara and King Kong. Their silence is strange.

It's not strange if you believe that they don't know what is going in there yet. They know what they want to put in there, but getting the rights for it is a headache (just like for IoA). They have a back-up, which isn't as powerful a property, but will still at least make a fun ride.

I think they will announce it when they have everything finalized.

(I mean, hey, the Monsters Inc show going in TimeKeeper hasn't been officially announced yet either...)