Jurassic Park River Adventure: Take the Prehistoric Plunge At Your Own Peril
You’d think after two novels and six movies, someone might get the hint about dinosaur theme parks being a bad idea.
But Universal Studios Orlando has not.
With Jurassic Park River Adventure, they give you the opportunity to get eaten—I mean, safely see—a viciously carnivorous T. Rex. You’ll board a raft and lazily float down a river through dino-territory, experiencing the wilds of a re-animated era, safari-style.
With flimsy electric fences to hold back the killer instinct of a multi-ton beast, I’m sure absolutely nothing could go wrong.
Welcome to Jurassic Park
Universal Studios Florida has some pretty epic rides, but Jurassic Park River Adventure has legendary status. An instant classic since its opening in 1999, this water ride remains a must-experience on any trip to Islands of Adventure!
Unlike other Universal movie rides, this one doesn’t rely on screens, 3D glasses, or even actors from the film. Instead, fantastic animatronic dinosaurs are the stars—and with prehistoric sound effects and John Williams’ swelling soundtrack, you’ll feel truly transported to Isla Nublar.
You’re liable to find yourself covered in goosebumps long before the first splash—the moment those towering gates swing open is truly magical.
Throughout the flume ride, you’ll encounter several different species of dinosaur, beginning with gentle herbivores like Ultrasaurus and Psittacosaurus. (So glad I’m writing that name and not trying to pronounce it out loud, LOL!) These impressive creatures are unique to Jurassic Park River Adventure as they have not appeared in the films.1
However, as an entire franchise has tried to warn us, things inevitably go awry, for the world is made up of more than just peaceful plant-eaters…there are also the gleaming-fanged carnivores, hungry for a human-sized snack.
Raging River Adventure
Spoiler alert: you end up in carnivore territory.
Thanks to a bump from a playful Hadrosaur in the water, your boat is knocked off course and floats perilously into the raptor containment area! Despite blaring alarms and frantic messages across the PA system, your vessel continues ever onward, deeper into the raptor zone.
When you look around to see one of these bi-pedal predators hungrily staring back at you, just remember, there are probably even more raptors you can’t see because they hunt in packs. (Oh, sorry, that’s not encouraging, is it?)
Make sure to keep your head down—the frighteningly frilled Dilophosaurus spits venom!
But the scariest encounter is yet to come, and there’s nowhere left to run. It’s either into the jaws of the Tyrannosaurus Rex or into the watery abyss beneath. Chances of survival are slim either way… but I recommend the watery abyss!
Good luck, and hang on tight!
Universal’s Best Water Ride?
All right. I know I sort of opposed the whole “let’s clone dinosaurs” thing earlier, but the fact is, Jurassic Park River Adventure is probably Universal’s best water ride. Heck, it’s even one of the best rides in general (if you don’t mind getting drenched).
The immersive quality of the ride is so whimsically fantastic. The exotic forest sounds, the dinosaurs swimming in the water beside you, the fangs of a T. Rex inches from your face…yeah, it’s pretty great.
While we enjoy the special effects of Universal’s newer rides like Skull Island: Reign of Kong, there’s just something unbeatable about “real” dinosaurs and a fully physical (as opposed to semi-virtual) ride track. Like the retired ride, Jaws, Jurassic Park River Adventure harnesses both suspense and a sense of grandeur to excellent effect.
Each turn of the river is strategically shielded by overgrowth or shrouded in a smoke screen, so you never know what dino you’ll encounter until you’re right there next to them! This adds so much excitement, even when you’re just chilling with the herbivores. (The stegosauruses—stegosauri?—are seriously cool.)
Of course, the most heart-pounding moment is when you come face-to-snout with the T. Rex. Not only is the animatronic truly terrifying, but so is the prospective escape route!
Jurassic Park River Adventure Water Ride Stats
The Jurassic Park River Adventure ride drop is 85 feet tall and takes place at a stomach-churning 55-degree angle.2 You definitely won’t be short of adrenaline on this ride!
If this sounds impressive, it should—at the time the ride opened, it was the largest theme park water descent ever constructed. (And at 36 feet tall, that Tyrannosaur is nothing to sneeze at, either!)
With such a steep drop, it goes without saying you’re in for a BIG splash. Like, it-doesn’t-matter-where-you-sit-you’re-still-going-to-be-soaked-sized splash. As a general rule, the front seats do receive more spray than the back, but there’s really not a chance of staying dry on this one!
However, on those hot Florida days, this splashdown can be most welcome. Unless you absolutely hate getting wet, it really is worth a go.
Note: Because of the splash factor on Jurassic Park River Adventure, you’ll want to grab a locker or have a designated bag-holder who’ll wait for you at the end of the ride! No carry-ons are allowed for this adventure.
The minimum height requirement for the Jurassic Park River Adventure is 42 inches (with guardians required for anyone below 48 inches). The drop and T. Rex are the most intense elements of the ride, although the darkened passage through the raptor containment can also feel pretty perilous. This might be a little too scary for some smaller kiddos!
If you’re the proud parent of dinosaur buffs, they’ll probably have fun with this ride as long as they have a heads-up about the scare factor. With a large seating capacity in the boats, there’s great potential for a family ride through prehistoric times!
Have you embarked on the Jurassic Park River Adventure? What was your favorite dinosaur? Let us know in the comments below!
Cover Image
Photo: Flabber DeGasky via Flickr
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