Universal Studios Orlando announced today at 11:00 AM that one of the last remnants from the park's glory days and a strong staple of the park to this day, The Jaws Ride, will be closing FOREVER on January 2 2012. The announcement was met with shock, depression, and rage from park fans (such as myself).
The Jaws Ride has been a very big part of my life for quite some time now. I have the whole ride spiel memorized, I even planned on auditioning to be a Jaws Skipper sometime next year. Jaws has been my favorite ride at USF (not to be confused with IOA) for a very long time, and with it and the surrounding area gone I'm not sure I have much incentive to revisit that park anytime soon.
Why is this such a tragedy, you ask? Well, it was one of the few rides that had been a part of the park since 2 years after USF opened it's gate to the public. All the other rides that were open at this time are now reduced to mere fragments of memory. Such classics like Kongfrontation, Ghostbusters, Back To The Future....with Jaws gone the only classic ride left is E.T and that ride itself needs some serious TLC SOON.
Not only was Jaws a reminder of Universal's glory days, it was also the only remaining attraction that still had a Team member operating the ride vehicle, interacting with guests, and delivering a speil throughout the course of the ride. The only other ride to do this was Kongfrontation, and that was demolished to make way for the Revenge of The Mummy, a High tech Rollercoaster that was fun but couldn't hold a candle to Kong. Jaws' skippers helped to make the ride that much more memorable and fun, some of their ad-libs making my day (ex: WE DIDN'T DIE!!!).
With Kong gone, Jaws (and the surrounding Amity area, which is to be demolished along with the ride) were the most well-themed area and ride of the park. The numerous pay to play games made sense in the area, since they were similar to what you would find on a seaside boardwalk and the entire theming of the Amity area (from food, to building design) helped to cement the illusion that you really were in the seaside town of Amity. The center of the small town was a captured shark, which was displayed prominently in front of Captain Jake's Amity Boat Tours Queue line. The whole Amity area was a marvel of imagination and design, and it's really depressing to think that, come the start of next year, it will all be gone.
So, what exactly was the story of the Jaws Ride? well, you, the guest, are asked to believe that the events of Jaws were based on actual events that occurred in the town of Amity (actually a fictional town). Shortly after the film was released, the small town's summer population dropped sharply and since Amity is a summer town that relies heavily on summer dollars...the town itself began to die. Luckily, salty Sea Dwarg, Captain Jake Grunty, had the brilliant idea to open his very own sightseeing tour of Amity Harbor which would take guests on a tour of where all the shark attacks actually occurred. The tour attracted tourists from all over the world, and just like that Amity was back on top again. However, 36 years later during Amity's 4th of July celebration and on the very weekend when the shark attacks first occurred so long ago Captain Jake's Amity Boat Tours will have to fight the great white terror known as Jaws once more.
That's the story, and as I'm sure you can see...It's also very well crafted and themed. I can honestly say, they just don't make em like they used to. So sad, that we have to lose a truly great, original ride that so many loved.
Many fans were angered that, while the closure of Jimmy Neutron was announced half a year before it was done away with, Jaws' closure was only announced a short 30 days (a month) before its final tour was to set sail. I agree with the fans here, that's not fair at all. Why should a mediocre ride like Jimmy Neutron get so much coverage and hoopla about it's closing, while a true classic like Jaws gets the absolute bare-minimum. It just doesn't taste right.
You know what else, doesn't taste right? There are rumors floating around that Harry Potter Phase 2.0 will be replacing Amity and Jaws. While I do love Harry Potter and it's land over at IOA, I just feel that HP doesn't belong in the Studios and wouldn't fit smoothly into the park. If Universal does announce that Harry Potter will be replacing Jaws, that will be the final straw for me... no more trips to USF for me (I'll still travel to IOA, but USF will be off limits).
According to Uni's announcement, they have some things planned to make sure we never forget the Jaws Ride. I don't know what this means, but I'm hoping for at least a memorial statue or to have the Shark photo-op moved to another area in the park.
Anyways I guess It's fitting that I end this post with my own eulogy to one of my favorite rides of all time: R.I.P Old Friend. You were the best (and only) scenic cruise on the island, and I shall miss you VERY much. CHOMP CHOMP
For those of you curious, here's Universal's official announcement on Jaws' imminent closure:
"Hey fans, we want you to be the first to know… JAWS! and the Amity area will officially close on January 2 to make room for an exciting, NEW, experience we’re planning for you.
We know you love JAWS! and we do too. It has been an amazing attraction and after terrorizing the waters of Amity here at Universal Orlando for 20 years, it’s a VERY important part of our history. So, we’ve got a couple things planned to ensure we always remember and honor it. We know it’s hard to say goodbye, but we can’t express how EXCITED we are about the new, innovative & amazing experience we’re going to be bringing you." -source: Orlando United
I do too REALLY misss the Jaws ride. But sadly, theres nothing we can do now. Its sad to see this AMAZING attraction go. It has always been a part of Universal's history. E.T. BETTER NOT FRICKIN CLOSE. Universal said they thought long and hard about this, but I don't think they did. You know, as much as I love Universal Florida, they are bitches. RIP Jaws 1990-2012.
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