Wednesday, May 30, 2012

The Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios

by Jen Dowling: jen@mouseworldtravel.com

Yes!...I know we are an agency that specializes in Disney travel. BUT....that doesn't mean we can't head over to the dark side, AKA Universal Studios Orlando, every once in awhile! In fact, many of our clients do side-trips for a day or two to Universal!

I would like to focus on one of my favorite rides at Universal Studios, it might be even one of my all time favorite rides anywhere, The Simpsons Ride.

It is housed in the building that formally held the Back the Future attraction. If you have experienced that ride in the past, you will understand what type of ride The Simpsons is, as they still are pretty much the same concept.

This is a simulator ride, where the audience is shown a movie while their seats move to correspond to the action on screen. This ride is obviously based on the animated TV series, The Simpsons.

I must warn you, if you have a problem with motion sickness like I do, take a bonine tablet before riding, and try to get into the front seat. This helped me tremendously.

The outside of the building is themed to the ride, which is a "roller coaster gone bad" at Krustyland (a low-budget amusement park in The Simpsons). Side Show Bob is doing what he does, and is trying to kill the Simpsons and we are along for the ride.  They added some great details to the outside of the building, and they have fans running to keep you cool and several TV sets hung all over showing tid bits about the plot of the ride.  This kept us very entertained. In fact my husband was upset when the line was short one day because we didn't get to watch The Simpsons cartoons long enough!




Once you enter the building, you be directed to a line where you will get a preshow that is very entertaining. It tells you the story and why sideshow Bob is after them.

Next you are directed to a preloading room that has a video about the safety precautions, including Itchy and Scratchy demonstrating the do's and don'ts.

Finally you board your ride vehicle.  You will be lifted up in front of a big screen for the ride. You really do feel like you are part of the action. Notice the smell of Maggie's formula and baby powder. You might also get a little splash of water when appropriate.

Though you will be riding a roller coaster for part of the ride, you do not need to fear that it will be too scary for the non-coaster lovers. My 7 year loved it and she is not a fan of roller coasters yet.

When the ride is over, be sure to grab your belongs (bigger items can be set on the floor near the car when you enter) and head over to the Kwik-E-mart and check things out there as well.  Try the phone on the side of the building, someone usually talks to you when you pick it up.



We love this ride so much that we rode it 3 times during our recent visit. Don't miss it on your next trip, I highly recommend it!

If you are interested in a trip, or a side-trip to Universal Studios during your Disney Vacation, just ask your Mouse World Travel Agent and we can assist you with tickets, hotel and transportation!  There are even ticket packages that include transportation from your Walt Disney World hotel.

No comments:

Post a Comment