Fast & Furious: Supercharged (Closing August 2026)

[MAC]

We could have a BttF ride and Doc + Marty go back to Amityville and experience Jaws for themselves.

 

[Myah1220]

I wonder what a Jaws ride would look like today: somehow I think ‘blast the shark with a shotgun’ ain’t it. Which leaves either ‘gaze in awe’ à la Kong or ‘run away and escape’ more akin to JPRA. The second option feels a bit been-there-done-that but it suits the film more than the first option.

Either way, gentle reminder that UC just patented various systems for faking water using a hovering fog effect…

I kinda disagree. Yes, while there is definitely a a desire for state-of-the-art "high tech" rides ...take a look at the success of Magic Kingdom (and other Disney parks for that matter) which holds on to a lot of their opening day attractions that are just as popular as ever, as well as the success of the sales of the retro ride merch and you'll see there is just as much as, if not equal I suspect, desire to return to the classics. The Jaws ride is very popular in the Japan park still and it's basically a carbon copy of what Florida had. I can bet you if they brought Jaws back to its original or similar form you'd had lines for days. The people yearn for nostalgia...and as the merch proves...it sells.

 

[RFRees]

I kinda disagree. Yes, while there is definitely a a desire for state-of-the-art "high tech" rides ...take a look at the success of Magic Kingdom (and other Disney parks for that matter) which holds on to a lot of their opening day attractions that are just as popular as ever, as well as the success of the sales of the retro ride merch and you'll see there is just as much as, if not equal I suspect, desire to return to the classics. The Jaws ride is very popular in the Japan park still and it's basically a carbon copy of what Florida had. I can bet you if they brought Jaws back to its original or similar form you'd had lines for days. The people yearn for nostalgia...and as the merch proves...it sells.

There's a huge difference between holding onto a ride for the sake of nostalgia, and rebuilding a ride you decided to tear down over a decade ago.

If I'm not mistaken (and if it hasn't already been mentioned), Jaws was extremely expensive, likely due to 1) upkeep on water based/outdoor animatronics, 2) live skippers, and 3) pyro.

 

[Mike S]

If I'm not mistaken (and if it hasn't already been mentioned), Jaws was extremely expensive, likely due to 1) upkeep on water based/outdoor animatronics, 2) live skippers, and 3) pyro.

And worth every penny imo.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

If I'm not mistaken (and if it hasn't already been mentioned), Jaws was extremely expensive, likely due to 1) upkeep on water based/outdoor animatronics, 2) live skippers, and 3) pyro.

I never rode the OG Jaws because when I'd go it'd be close for the season for these reasons.

 

[Imperius]

There's a huge difference between holding onto a ride for the sake of nostalgia, and rebuilding a ride you decided to tear down over a decade ago.

If I'm not mistaken (and if it hasn't already been mentioned), Jaws was extremely expensive, likely due to 1) upkeep on water based/outdoor animatronics, 2) live skippers, and 3) pyro.

Yeah not sure what people want with a new jaws ride. There is 0 chance it comes back the same as it just isn’t feasible or worth it. Jaws isn’t coming back with a ride like that so it shouldn’t come back at all.

 

[Mad Dog]

The few times I rode it during its last couple of years, it was a walk on. ....Negatives: Expensive to operate, too large a footprint, declining ridership.

 

[Disneyhead]

The few times I rode it during its last couple of years, it was a walk on. ....Negatives: Expensive to operate, too large a footprint, declining ridership.

Positives: Harry Potter.

 

[DragonSlayer]

The original was expensive and complex, yes, but both of those things are fixable (modern technical stuff and Kong drivers, say).

It’s more that I’m not sure anyone would build a ride where the optics are that you’re trying to kill an animal any more (even Bruce). I never thought about it on the OG ride, as I’m sure no one else did because everyone just took it as read, but I was interested to hear during the 50th anniversary documentaries etc that the original film has a bit of a complicated history re the spate of animosity it started towards sharks and indeed a spell of quite widespread shark hunting for trophies / sport.

I’m sure some people will think ‘it’s just a ride’ but the simple question is when was the last time a ride plot was ‘let’s kill this thing’?

 

[Mike S]

The original was expensive and complex, yes, but both of those things are fixable (modern technical stuff and Kong drivers, say).

It’s more that I’m not sure anyone would build a ride where the optics are that you’re trying to kill an animal any more (even Bruce). I never thought about it on the OG ride, as I’m sure no one else did because everyone just took it as read, but I was interested to hear during the 50th anniversary documentaries etc that the original film has a bit of a complicated history re the spate of animosity it started towards sharks and indeed a spell of quite widespread shark hunting for trophies / sport.

I’m sure some people will think ‘it’s just a ride’ but the simple question is when was the last time a ride plot was ‘let’s kill this thing’?

Technically “let’s kill the Shark” only came up in self defense in the rides plot. We weren’t going on a hunting trip.

 

[belloq87]

It’s not even the worst ride in the Studios today. It’s not even the SECOND worst!

Heck, it’s not the worst attraction currently being closed and demolished at Universal Florida! (Well, it’s not closed yet, but shortly).

There is additional context to Supercharged that makes it the worst beyond even just the subpar ride experience itself:

1. It cost the park two physical/practical experiences (Disaster and Beetlejuice) that, in hindsight, the park desperately needed for variety.
2. It sits inside a gigantic showbuilding, and squanders that usable area with a junk product.
3. It doesn’t represent the potential of the IP in a theme park setting in any way. It’s one of the more vast misalignments between “expectation of what the IP should deliver” and “reality of the experience” in theme park history.

We could have a BttF ride and Doc + Marty go back to Amityville and experience Jaws for themselves.

This is getting close to my “Doc Brown hosts a tour through Universal movie history” ride pitch I came up with years ago!

I’m sure some people will think ‘it’s just a ride’ but the simple question is when was the last time a ride plot was ‘let’s kill this thing’?

Technically “let’s kill the Shark” only came up in self defense in the rides plot. We weren’t going on a hunting trip.

The shark killed itself, nobody forced it to chew on electrical cables!

 

[Myah1220]

There's a huge difference between holding onto a ride for the sake of nostalgia, and rebuilding a ride you decided to tear down over a decade ago.

If I'm not mistaken (and if it hasn't already been mentioned), Jaws was extremely expensive, likely due to 1) upkeep on water based/outdoor animatronics, 2) live skippers, and 3) pyro.

Correct and me 10, 5, or even 2 years ago would've agreed that there would be a 0% chance of Jaws ever coming back to a similar format, however I think attitudes and technology have both changed a bit. There seems to be a concerted effort to shift away from exclusively screens and utilizing more animatronics again (Or marrying the two.)

There have also been technological improvements over the years including advancements in boat type rides like the Mach rides' "Rocking the boat" ride model. I'm not saying we'd ever see a 100% match to the original ride (and also why do that when it was expensive to maintain and had a history of breaking down) but I wouldn't be surprised if Universal leaned into the nostalgia and produced something similar to what we had with Jaws x a Mach Rides "Rock the Boat" model that we've been already getting rumors of with Creature from the Black Lagoon. If it's not hard to conceive them doing that with Creature, why would it be hard to imagine them doing it with Jaws?

Especially when there's also been what seems to be somewhat credible rumors that BttF would come back as well. If BttF could come back...why couldn't Jaws? AND ESP with the resurgence of the merch and overlays over the summer...I think if anytime it was possible to imagine it coming back, it would be now.

 

[Jwhee]

I think there are only a few realistic IP possibilities here:

- Jaws – They could keep the San Francisco area, but the current ride system might be difficult.

- Back to the Future – Probably the easiest retheme. The area could stay mostly the same, and the existing ride system could be reused.

- Twisters – The ride system could work, but the theme doesn't really fit the area.

- Knight Bus – My least favorite option. It would almost certainly mean losing the San Francisco area, but it would be a popular IP and could still use the existing ride system.

- Universal movie mash-up – A celebration of Universal's biggest films. They could reuse the ride system while keeping the San Francisco setting.

- Complete demolition – Tear everything down and build something entirely new, maybe even a Wicked-themed attraction.

I just can't think of any other major Universal IPs that would be a good fit for that location.

 

[belloq87]

AND ESP with the resurgence of the merch and overlays over the summer...I think if anytime it was possible to imagine it coming back. it would be now.

I'm still not necessarily putting (much) money on one of the classic IPs coming back as a ride, but Universal's continued emphasis on them as merch-drivers (and aesthetic-overlay drivers) does indicate to me there's definitely a market there that Universal is aware of.

They wouldn't keep these brands that prominent in the stores and on shelves if they weren't seeing a good return.

I think there are only a few realistic IP possibilities here:

- Jaws – They could keep the San Francisco area, but the current ride system might be difficult.

- Back to the Future – Probably the easiest retheme. The area could stay mostly the same, and the existing ride system could be reused.

- Twisters – The ride system could work, but the theme doesn't really fit the area.

- Knight Bus – My least favorite option. It would almost certainly mean losing the San Francisco area, but it would be a popular IP and could still use the existing ride system.

- Universal movie mash-up – A celebration of Universal's biggest films. They could reuse the ride system while keeping the San Francisco setting.

- Complete demolition – Tear everything down and build something entirely new, maybe even a Wicked-themed attraction.

I just can't think of any other major Universal IPs that would be a good fit for that location.

The only other option I could think of (though it would absolutely be the least-plausible) would be some kind of "original" attraction like the Lights, Camera, Action! show in Singapore. Everything else is kind of spoken-for, or would make more sense in some other area that already exists.

There are non-Universal IPs (James Bond, Godzilla, Star Trek), but we don't have much reason to expect any of those until we hear otherwise.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

I think there are only a few realistic IP possibilities here:

- Jaws – They could keep the San Francisco area, but the current ride system might be difficult.

- Back to the Future – Probably the easiest retheme. The area could stay mostly the same, and the existing ride system could be reused.

- Twisters – The ride system could work, but the theme doesn't really fit the area.

- Knight Bus – My least favorite option. It would almost certainly mean losing the San Francisco area, but it would be a popular IP and could still use the existing ride system.

- Universal movie mash-up – A celebration of Universal's biggest films. They could reuse the ride system while keeping the San Francisco setting.

- Complete demolition – Tear everything down and build something entirely new, maybe even a Wicked-themed attraction.

I just can't think of any other major Universal IPs that would be a good fit for that location.

Godzilla has been one, too.

 

[mccgavin]

I may be the only one, but I'm still adamant that a Five Nights at Freddy's attraction could be a good fit for this location, assuming they develop a new ride system.

 

[MAC]

Godzilla has been one, too.

I was thinking about Godzilla the other day as an IP for UO that could fit well, especially considering the resurgence over the last few years.

I may be the only one, but I'm still adamant that a Five Nights at Freddy's attraction could be a good fit for this location, assuming they develop a new ride system.

Could convert Louie's easily since they did it for HHN.