Jaws: Universal’s Classic Ride, Retired But Still Remembered
You can never forget your first time watching Jaws. Your heart beating in time to John Williams’ suspenseful score, the camera wildly cutting to thrashing in the water, Roy Scheider deftly delivering the line, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat. . .”
From 1990 to 2012, guests at Universal Studios Orlando could experience the terror for themselves as the Jaws ride took them on a boat trip through the shark-infested waters of Amity.
Today, the movie is still beloved and the ride is fondly remembered. So, why did the ride close in the first place? And what was it like in its heyday? We’ll explore all of that and more as we tour Jaws, dead in the water.
Jaws: Opening, Closing, Opening
(Photo: monstersforsale via Flickr)
In the early summer of 1990, Jaws opened wide and beckoned guests to come cruise through the water around Amity Island. However, in an uncanny parallel to the movie’s production, things didn’t go so smoothly with the shark. . .
The rarely-seen shark in the movie was actually three sharks, all named “Bruce” after Steven Spielberg’s lawyer. These animatronics were made out of plastic, wood, and rubber – the stuff of nightmares! Unfortunately, even with pneumatic hoses, they didn’t always mix well with water.
“The film’s trio of man-made sharks worked well enough to terrify generations and break box office records. But they also broke down so often that the film spiraled over schedule and over budget.”1
-Cory Turner, NPR
Of course, it all turned out in the end, and an Alfred Hitchcock-worthy blockbuster was born from the busted Bruces.
When it came time to turn that blockbuster into a theme park ride, the idea of an animatronic shark was back on the table. As guests sailed around Amity Island, a live character-actor would play the part of a sight-seeing skipper, as a giant, robotic shark fin sliced through the water.
Then, for the climax, the shark would come and bite the side of the boat, and just like Quint, the skipper would shoot a grenade into the shark’s mouth! Once it sank beneath the surface – effectively out of sight – it would “explode.” Pieces of fake shark flesh and red-dye would spell the end of Jaws. At least for that ride.2
Unfortunately, this Bruce, like his movie counterparts, had some technical difficulties. He was hard to control, and his movements didn’t always align with the ride, making him look a bit silly for attacking thin air. The maintenance of the ride was also a pain, as machinery was 20 feet beneath the surface. Oftentimes, Jaws wasn’t even running.
After two months of hit-or-miss rides, the attraction closed.
However, it’s hard to muzzle a shark.
Jaws opened once again in 1993, and it’s this ride that brings back nostalgia for those who experienced it.
Shark in the Water!!
The ride, which remained a Universal staple for nearly 20 years, went a little something like this. . .
You’re greeted by your trusty skipper – ahoy, there! – and ushered onto a pontoon boat for a tour around Amity Island. You can see the lighthouse, Brody’s home, the general store
. . .and a large, gray dorsal fin slicing through the water!
The skipper takes a couple of pot-shots at the shark with a grenade launcher – pow! pow! – but he misses! The shark sinks back beneath the surface – beneath your boat!
A call comes over the skipper’s radio – mayday! mayday! – then is abruptly cut off. Rounding the corner of a rocky outcropping, you see a pontoon boat just like yours, but it’s sinking fast, with no survivors. A bite-mark mauls the back end of the boat, the only bit still visible above the water.
The skipper throws the pontoon into high gear, making a rush for the boathouse. Inside, the lights flicker ominously, and in the strobing glare, Jaws approaches you at full force, sloshing water over the side of the boat and onto your feet, his teeth only inches from grazing your arm!
With the boathouse rendered unsafe, the skipper drives forward again, dashing out his own desperate mayday on the radio. The pontoon speeds toward a dock, through a blazing inferno from oil cans, Jaws has tipped into the water with his monstrous tail. The last obstacle is a high-voltage power station on the water.
The skipper navigates around the electric cables in the water as Jaws barrels toward you, teeth bared – only to chomp on the cable himself! The shark sinks beneath the waves he created, only to float back up to the surface, charred, disfigured – dead.
You have survived.
Jaws: Avada Kedavra!
Jaws would continue to magically regenerate from his electrocution by the beginning of each pontoon tour until his last chase in 2012.
In 2011, Universal had already announced their plan to turn Amity Island into Diagon Alley – a home for Harry Potter and his Wizarding World.3
While Potterheads rejoiced, Jaws diehards were greatly saddened by the news. However, the decision was already in place, and on January 2, 2012, Jaws reared his rather ugly head for the last time. He sank one last boat. Got electrocuted one last time. Ah, good memories.
Of course, Jaws and his thrill ride couldn’t be forgotten so easily – nor would we want it to be! Thankfully, folks at Universal have found several creative ways to honor the retired attraction and those who loved it.
Finding. . .Jaws?
Instead of Finding Nemo, you can go on a quest to find all of the hidden (and not-so-hidden) things related to Jaws throughout Universal!
Alicia Stella of Orlando Park Stop compiled a list of seven references, including a penny presser with Jaws designs and a sign for Amity Lobster Co. in the San Francisco area of the park.
There’s even bits of Jaws scattered throughout the Wizarding World! There are actual shark jaws in the shop windows of Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley, as well as in the window of Mr. Mullpepper’s Apothecary in Diagon Alley. The creepy, little shrunken heads in Knockturn Alley are known to chatter and sing, but listen closely – they might just serenade you with “Show Me the Way to Go Home,” a song from the movie Jaws!
Speaking of songs, you can even find a Jaws-related record in a London shop window, just before you enter Diagon Alley. The record is: “Here’s to Swimmin’ with Bowlegged Women,” by the fictional Quint Trio (a nod to movie characters Quint, Hooper, and Brody).4
Of course, the most obvious reference is Bruce himself, who hangs from a wooden frame by the dock in the San Francisco area.5 Even if he’s not swimming through the water, he’s still impressive to see! And for those who experienced the ride, getting to see Bruce again is a bit like getting to reminisce with an old friend.
Be sure to take a selfie with this grinning Great White!
Do you remember taking a fateful voyage on the Jaws ride? Please share your memories in the comments below! We’d love to hear your stories.
Cover Image
Photo: ollie harridge via Flickr
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