In 2019, Universal Studios Hollywood opened Jurassic World: The Ride, a retheme of Jurassic Park: The Ride, updating effects and changing the theming to match the new Jurassic World films.
However, the ride consistently had issues with its final scene, where the famous Tyrannosaurus Rex lunged out at guests. In the updated version, the T-Rex was supposed to face off against the Indominus Rex, but the animatronic was just the head of the dinosaur, which was often not working, and was covered by a black tarp when I visited the park last February. This didn’t detract much from the ride experience for me personally, but I could definitely see something was missing.
Well, now we know what Universal Creative had intended from the beginning, because as the park begins its soft reopening, videos and photos have emerged of the new finale and extra effects throughout the ride, and the updates are a noticeable improvement.
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It’s difficult to tell without having actually experienced the updated ride in person, but the new full-bodied Indominus Rex in the final scene looks to be one of the most advanced and realistic animatronics ever created. Plus, the T-Rex now becomes the hero of the ride, which is in line with the story of the newer films in the franchise.
The old I-Rex head can now be seen in the area right before the final lift hill, breaking through a wall that was just a mural before the revamp.
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A Gyrosphere has been added to the Predator Cove section of the ride, which appears to be from the Picture Cars section of the Universal Studios Backlot Tour in the upper lot of the park. This section is complete with some Compsognathus (Compy) animatronics tugging at a bucket hat as well, which appears to be repurposed from the ride’s original Jurassic Park theme.
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While researching this article, I found an image that was reportedly from the construction of Universal Studios Beijing’s Jurassic World dark ride, but it looks like they have used the I-Rex animatronic for this update to the Hollywood attraction, or may have made two, because the resemblance is exact.
This video from Theme Park Shark captures the new updates in 4k low light video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjhDycAsVJM
Overall, these changes are very impressive, and breathe some new life into a ride that was underwhelming for some. There’s no doubt that this new finale will be a topic of discussion in conversations about animatronics for years to come. What do you think of the new changes to Jurassic World: The Ride? Let us know in the comments below!
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