The last remaining Back to the Future ride in the world is closing this autumn. Back to the Future: The Ride will be no more.
According to Cinema Today, Universal Studios Japan in Osaka will shutter the attraction on May 31.
The ride opened at Universal Studios Florida in 1991 and Universal Studios Hollywood two years later in 1993. Both, however, were closed in 2007. The last remaining one has been at Universal Studios Japan, where the ride has been since the park opened in 2001. It’s identical, but features a Japanese language track.
「2015年」の到来でどうなるのか注目されている「バック・トゥ・ザ・フューチャー・ザ・ライド」。明日も行ってきます！ pic.twitter.com/AeK0mdRw2I
— AWAX@開幕！！ (@3n3h4k777) August 1, 2015
The ride apparently came out of a conversation George Lucas had with Steven Spielberg when Lucas said that Universal Studios “could never do a Star Tours”. In recent years, the ride, powered by an OMNIMAX motion simulator, has shown its age.
ＵＳＪ、サンフランシスコエリアのバック・トゥ・ザ・フューチャー・ザ・ライド、待ち時間４０分。でも、頑張って並びます。 pic.twitter.com/LLBiILR31w
— YOU-G (@digitalyokozuna) January 24, 2015
Yet, even with the cathode ray TVs and the old motion tech, it’s been a fan favourite at Universal Studios Japan in part, perhaps, because the movies continued to have a following in the country.
「バック・トゥ・ザ・フューチャー・ザ・ライド」のこの待ち時間は、まるでクローズになることを予感させていたかのようです。
(写真は3月10日撮影)#USJ #ユニバ #BTTF pic.twitter.com/tRI0LRATp2— にきら@USJ→Next 4/15？ (@NIKIRA_USJ) March 31, 2016
This photo was taken on March 10. The wait is 120 minutes.
Every spring, I go to Universal Studios Japan with my family and every spring, without fail, we ride Back to the Future: The Ride. It’s my eldest son’s favourite ride, and he has numerous memories, such as the time his Daddy lost (but then found!) his phone in the DeLorean. Considering how the Back the Future gift shop became a Minions store last year, we did see this coming. But he’s going to be crushed when he hears this.
At least the ride lived to see 2015.
記念すべき日！ユニバーサル・スタジオ・ジャパンのバック・トゥ・ザ・フューチャー・ザ・ライドに乗車したかった(T^T)トミカのデロリアンを見て慰めてますf(^^;#USJ #ユニバ #BTTF #BTTF2015 #BTTFDAY pic.twitter.com/VSbgGyWcJY
— USJ小ネタ☆ (@usjkoneta) October 21, 2015
バック・トゥ・ザ・フューチャー・ザ・ライドは あのスピルバーグ氏が『PART3』の撮影中に閃いて作られたアトラクションです。『PART2』に使われた「2015年のヒル・ヴァレー」のセットが撤去される前にロケも行いました。#USJ pic.twitter.com/bDbiv50Kk4
— USJ情報局 L.C.A.STUDIOS (@LCASTUDIOS_USJ) March 20, 2016
[Image via Cinema Today]
Comments
6 responses to “The Back To The Future Ride Is Officially Dead”
That’s sad. I rode on the Universal Studios one in Hollywood way back in 1995 and loved it so much went on it twice more. Of course that was nothing compared to the ET ride which you rode a large 3 seater trike thing (on rails like the De Lorean) with ET on a basket up front and at the end he would turn around and say goodbye to you and say your actual name — mind blown!!!!
Me too. I was in the States and the cab driver raving on about this new ride.
It was good but I preferred Star Tours. When Disney acquired Star Wars I think they would’ve packed that up (and possibly moved it to Disney?)
Damn. I’m going to Japan in January, would have loved to have gone on this. Oh well. :c
I totally forgot this was a thing. God damn 1998 was a long time ago.
That makes me feel old. The last time I was at Universal LA they were still building the damn thing. :/
I went to the ride in Japan and it was alright. I was surprised that the wait times were still decent (I’m sure attendance was up when I went because it was back when the AoT ride was open). But the author is right saying it definitely shows its age (its in no way a bad ride). Its a shame to see it go it go but I guess Nintendo rides are replacing it so its not all bad. I’m more surprised the terminator show is still on in all honesty
120 minutes line for a ride at Universal Japan is standard. They don’t really have any small rides like Disney that only have about a 10-20 min wait so every ride is congested beyond belief and the fast pass system is locked behind a pay wall. The 2 big rides, Harry Potter and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu had waits of over 200 mins when I went on a weekday.