Simpsons Ride - Replacement Ideas

[Allen The Actor]

That's ridiculously cheap of Universal. The BTTF ride film was a work of art in itself! All bigature sets, optical effects and puppetry and it cost a lot. I don't get how Universal could've cheaped out on the Simpsons ride film...

Know what best represents the ride to me? In the BTTF tribute clip in the queue, when Krusty slaps on his Krustyland logo over IFT's sign. Because that's what Universal did: cheaply slapped on the Simpsons theme into BTTF's building.

 

[Jon Fu]

Rumor has it that the Simpsons animators did a test that was similar to "Funtastic World of Hannah Barbera", in which the 2D characters were laid out in a three-dimensional space. Despite the fact that it looked good, when Universal saw how much it would cost to make the four-minute ridefilm (which was decidedly more expensive due to the large format film) they freaked and decided to lower costs by making the entire thing CGI. 

That's extremely disappointing to hear. How much would they have saved? I'm thinking 2 million at most (with the caveat that I have no idea on how to gauge the cost of film).


Don't the executives know that a ride like this is destined to last at least 5-6 years at the very least? And that cheapening on the attraction now will have drastic (and expensive) consequences in the future?


I haven't been on the Simpsons in a while, but last time I checked, the ride was looking extremely poor. Hell, even at its opening, there were portions that were obviously left over from Back to the Future that weren't looking great to begin with.

 

[UniversalFan]

Yeah, the Gate A isn't very promising. I know the park is not going to move it. But I wish the park moved it at the exits, and just have a waiting room, like what T2 had. 

 

[Allen The Actor]

I'm just ready for something new all together Especially with us having Transformers, Simpsons seems so out of date. I personally think BTTF would've still been more popular now than ever. It always had a longer line than the Simpsons ever has.

 

[TCox91]

If I could put anything in The Simpsons Ride building, I'd put in a huge dark ride.  Make it a 2 (or maybe even 3) story attraction using an elevator system similar to Transformers.  The whole ride would be a tribute to Universal's greatest films.  Something similar to The Great Movie Ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios.  I'd make it a gentle ride system (in other words, no shaking, drops, spinning, etc) so that everyone would be able to ride.

Some of the films I'd include would be:

• Jaws (might be redundant since it's already on the Studio Tour, but you can't have a "greatest films" ride without it!)
• Back to the Future (obviously fitting since the ride would be built inside of BTTF's old building)
• E.T.
• Jurassic Park (again, it's redundant but I can't imagine this ride without it)
• King Kong (the Peter Jackson version or an older version)
• Universal Classic Monsters
• The Fast and the Furious (please don't shoot me for including this one!)
• The Mummy
• Psycho

The exterior could look like a theater (maybe even the Universal Palace Theater from USO's HHN?), and in the queue there could be props, posters, artwork, etc from different Universal films.  They could even use their old tagline "Ride the Movies" to advertise this ride!

 

[Allen The Actor]

^ As cool as that sounds, it still sounds very redundant to me since we're at Universal, you know? It could be very cool, but it would feel redundant. Although i WOULD like a dark ride.

Problem with Universal recently: they haven't made their own awesome movie that would be good for a ride. Movies like BTTF and ET made such awesome rides.

The only current Universal owned properties i can see them making an awesome ride is something based on the Universal Monsters. Originally there was supposed to be a Van Helsing ride using the Forbidden Journey system.

 

[Miss Betty Juice]

I would have loved a van helsing ride. I loved fortress Dracula, and i hate scary things! That movie was so criminally underrated, though.

 

[Allen The Actor]

^ i totally agree. Since they're apparently redoing that franchise, maybe we'll still see something out of it....

 

[Jon Fu]

If I could put anything in The Simpsons Ride building, I'd put in a huge dark ride.  Make it a 2 (or maybe even 3) story attraction using an elevator system similar to Transformers.  The whole ride would be a tribute to Universal's greatest films.  Something similar to The Great Movie Ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios.  I'd make it a gentle ride system (in other words, no shaking, drops, spinning, etc) so that everyone would be able to ride.

Would that draw an audience? I would certainly love an attraction that honors Universal's legacy, but perhaps something more innovative.

Like someone else mentioned though, it would definitely need to distinguish itself from the Studio Tour.

 

[Allen The Actor]

As much as I'd like that, I feel like that's what the Studio Tour is for. Speaking of, i really feel that since we don't have a BTTF ride anymore that we should get a BTTF segment on the tour. Imagine the Tokyo drift segment except it would be enclosed, and we'd have a forced perspective facade of the Hill Valley clock tower, we'd have some lightening effects, a "flying Delorean" using the old kuka arm technology, and we'd have some time travel explosion effects. THAT would be cool. Although i don't see us getting it :/ )

Anyways, i really wish Universal would honor it's own movies/classics more.

What recent/semi recent Universal movies do you guys think would make a good ride?

 

[Chris]

I could not believe that they made the Simpsons ride video longer than BTTF, you would think they would make it shorter to help queue wait times.  Duh!

 

[Allen The Actor]

^ it's only slightly longer. I think the ride length is the only thing i enjoy about the ride, i HATE short rides. Such disappointments. I wish someone took a pic of my face after riding The Mummy for the first time *rolls eyes*

 

[Miss Betty Juice]

^ it's only slightly longer. I think the ride length is the only thing i enjoy about the ride, i HATE short rides. Such disappointments. I wish someone took a pic of my face after riding The Mummy for the first time *rolls eyes*

It never fails, I always hear someone say "That was it?" after riding. 

 

[Allen The Actor]

^ NO JOKE, EVERY SINGLE DAMN TIME. To add to the injury of a short ride, we also have a random dark ending. Most anticlimactic ride ever.

 

[Allen The Actor]

Do you guys think that with a bit of reconfiguration of the queue, they'd be able to or would've been able to have two separately themed rides in each omnimax dome? Would've been cool to have BTTF in one dome and Simpsons in the other somehow. I know the wait time would be high for each, but maybe that's what they can do when they eventually replace Simpsons?

Also BTTF lasted 14 years. If Simpsons lasts as long, that would put it at closing in 2022, right? Do you think it'll last that long?

 

[dreveles52]

I think the Simpsons is good for now. Possibly use the arena for a state of the art action show to replace waterworld when it leaves.

 

[BruceTheShark]

In my opinion, it's outdated technology, so when the time comes for a replacement I can see something totally new taking that space. With as popular as Fast and Furious has gotten, it wouldn't surprise me to see an attraction based on it show up.

 

[Allen The Actor]

It's actually not that big of a footprint, so im curious what could take it's place. Despicable Me uses super old technology that's been only slightly updated, and it hasn't stopped them from cloning it over here. I'm sure if they redo it, they'll make it 3D and call it a day

 

[Miss Betty Juice]

If they close Simpsons in the near future - which I really hope is the case because I don't think it will last out the decade - I think they'll probably finally tear down the building and use the space for something else, maybe even a stage show. I don't see them putting another ride in there when that hill its on has has problems with stability over the years anyway. The BSG tour attraction used to be underneath that area I believe, and the stability of the hill caused delays when BTTF was being built. So if they wanted to use the space for a new ride it couldn't be anything but another simulator. Anything else would be too heavy I fear. 

 

[Allen The Actor]

I'd rather they just replace the Simpsons theme than put a stage show there, that'd be a shame.