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Quietly last week, Universal Studios Florida launched some soft openings
(here called Technical Rehearsals, a term that actually makes more sense in the
Theater/Show context, if you think about it) for the Simpsons Ride.
The ride appears to be in fully functioning mode, though it's not on the maps
yet or listed on the wait board. I suspect it will stay permanently open
by now, perhaps as a rejoinder to Disney's upcoming preview of Toy Story Mania
for annual passholders. Universal wants to engage in that endless one-upmanship
with Disney, and the ride will undoubtedly be compared to Toy Story Mania,
partly because both make use of midways at typical amusement parks, but
mostly because they are both opening in mid-2008.
The walls are down and folks
are streaming in.
I haven't seen Disney's offering yet, and as is my wont, I am skipping
stories that reveal anything about the plot or what to expect. I prefer to
experience things with no preconceived guidelines, and for this reason, I
understand completely if people skip my review for fear of spoilers.
But no spoilers yet. Let's talk first about overall impressions. I came away
impressed! Universal performed modestly with the new ride Disaster (which
re-themed Earthquake) last year, and that's being charitable. OK, truth be told,
I didn't like it much, despite the odd laugh or two. But the Simpsons Ride
really delivers. It's got the comic verve of the TV show, the same audacity, the
raciness, the irony and self-referential asides, the inside jokes, and, since
this is the part that really counts, it just plain flat out entertains. It's
funny. I won't say it's a riot every second, but there are so many jokes, many
do work. The pace is frenetic and fast, both in terms of on-screen action (and
thus car movements) as well as fast action for the jokes and sight gags.
The ride is essentially the same set up as Back to the Future: same giant
IMAX type screen, same set of vehicles on multiple levels, same small rooms for
the safety queue, and the same larger queue outside.
The queue ought to look
familiar.
The movie itself is all computer generated
animation. Did you find the CGI Disney characters in Philharmagic jarring? I
did, the first time I saw it, but somehow I accept it more from the Simpsons.
Maybe because we've seen it before, that episode when Homer went to a 3D "holodeck"
universe and then our own universe.
I'm about to talk specifics now, which means those of you wishing to avoid
spoilers should stop after the next paragraph. But a word of summary: this ride
will definitely drive attendance to Universal-Orlando. I liked the Back to the
Future ride and loved the Back to the Future movies, so whatever replaced it had
faced an uphill battle when it came to my emotions.
The Simpsons, I'm happy to say, managed to overcome that handicap. It's a
good addition, perhaps even a great addition, and that makes it all the harder
to ever imagine not continuing to buy my Universal annual pass (or to visit
Orlando and skip the Uni parks, if you're here for long enough).
SPOILERS AHEAD -
CLICK TO SKIP
Let's look at the specifics. On first glance, the queue hasn't changed much.
There are facade elements out front that are new, and designed to look like a
midway.
There are no actual midway
games.
We enter, in fact, through Krusty's mouth. The idea is that we are at
Krustyland, and about to go on a ride. Specifically, the "All New Thrilltacular
Upsy-Downsy Spins-Aroundsy Teen-Operated Thrill Ride." Don't let the name fool
you. It's a roller coaster we are in line to go ride, ostensibly. (Stay with me
here, people. In the real world without theme, we are going on a simulator.)
As you enter, you pass by
those folks dressed like in a typical carnival ride. On purpose.
The queue is unchanged in layout from the Back to the Future days, though new
paint everywhere sparkles.
I hope they can keep it
looking this way!
The queue always had TV monitors, but they were the old tube kind; they have now
been replaced by sleek and sexy flat-screen monitors, in high definition no less.
Cycling on the screen is a 45-minute loop of some of the great moments from
the Simpsons cartoon. Specifically, those moments related to theme parks: Mt.
Splashmore, a visit to the petting zoo, and of course Krustyland. (Sadly, there
doesn't seem to be the footage of Efcot, the Disney send-up).
Fake attractions posters.
Interspersed in the nostalgia are new clips, obviously made for this ride,
that are higher quality and refer to Krustyland more directly. But some of the
old clips were pretty funny. The one with the biggest crowd reaction on both of
my visits was Homer ooh'ing and ahh'ing over a progression of ever-cuter sheep,
and when one sheep we've just seen tries to come back into the frame to cover up
a more-cute sheep, Home slaps it on the face with his commanding "Out of the
way, you!" Just about everyone chuckled.
Not having watched the show much in
recent years (but as a regular in the early years), I wondered if this
clip was more recent than the others. I didn't remember it, and the crowd's
tittering would have made sense if they hadn't remembered it either (perhaps
because they also have watched less of the show in recent years?)
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