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| Manufacturer | Oceaneering | ||||||||
| Product | 3D Tracked Dark Ride | ||||||||
| Capacity | 12 per car | ||||||||
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The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man is a 3D Tracked Dark Ride built by Oceaneering currently located at Universal's Islands of Adventure in Orlando Florida, USA. Opened on May 28, 1999, the ride is based on Spider-Man.
History
Universal was planning to add a second theme park in the early 90s. Cartoon World would feature attractions themed to cartoon characters and the centerpiece would be DC Super Hero Land. The land would feature two different sections which were Gotham City and Metropolis. These attractions were set to be themed to Batman and Superman. However, Time Warner was unable to make an agreement with Universal and Cartoon World was cancelled. The second theme park was picked up and would be rebooted into Universal's Islands of Adventure. As the deal to bring Batman and Superman was dropped, hopes were not lost to bring superheroes to life in Florida. In 1994, Universal signed an agreement with DC's competitor Marvel to create a new themed area themed to heroes and villains. Marvel Super Hero Island would now feature superheroes such as Spider-Man and Iron Man. There would be two major attractions, which were The Incredible Hulk Coaster and The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man.
In 1996, development of The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man started. The original ride was set to be an Omnimover. The attraction would include villains such as Green Goblin, Dr. Octopus and the Lizard. Months after the development began, the Omnimover was replaced with a Enhanced Motor Vehicle.
The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man soft opened on March 27, 1999 and opened to the general public on May 28, 1999 along with the park.
On May 19, 2011, Islands of Adventure announced a major refurbishment of the attraction, with plans to remaster the entire ride film in high definition as well as to update the ride's mechanics and to replace the film projectors with Infitec digital projectors.[1] The refurbished version of the attraction debuted on March 8, 2012 to coincide with the release of The Amazing Spider-Man movie which was released on July 3.[2]
Story
Guests enter the Daily Bugle where several switchbacks and elevators are seen, as well as a photo of J. Jonah Jameson. There are televisions that play videos of the newspaper company and a new vehicle called the Scoop. The Scoop is a news-gathering vehicle designed by Stark Industries. As guests navigate through the offices, there are several empty desks. Inside, there are televisions that play the news. The news report that the Sinister Syndicate is on the loose. These villains include Scream, Hobgoblin, Electro and Hydro-Man. They are led by Dr. Octopus who has a new anti-gravity levitating ray. The villains have stolen the Statue of Liberty. Several news reports are cut short by incidents. In the next room, there is a big screen showing the villains and J. Jonah Jameson. There is also a display of the Scoop. It is only used in the standard queue line. In the loading area, a video tells the safety as guests get their 3D goggles. The Scoop vehicles are loaded in the station. Guests need to help Spider-Man save the Statue of Liberty before it's too late.
Ride experience
The Scoop leaves the loading docks and enters New York City. Guests enter the back alley where they encounter Spider-Man. He warns that he is in for "the most dangerous night of his life" and tells the guests to "be careful". In this scene, a series of synchronized effects are used to simulate Spider-Man jumping on the Scoop. Nearly missing a trash truck driven by a Stan Lee cameo, the guests enter a warehouse where the Sinister Syndicate are holding the Statue of Liberty hostage. Once spotted, Electro tries to shock the guests with a sparking wire. The Scoop absorbs the electricity and vibrates. Then Scream tries to shred the guests as Dr. Octopus fires his anti-gravity ray, dangling the head of the Statue of Liberty above them. Guests enter the sewers where Spider-Man is waiting. However, Hydro-Man appears behind him as he slams a pipe into the Scoop while Spider-Man attacks him. During the encounter water effects lightly splash the riders. As the Scoop travels, Dr. Octopus busts through a brick wall. Then, the Scoop approaches the river where Hobgoblin tries to attack the guests. Spider-Man comes to catch one of the incoming pumpkin bombs, but Hobgoblin throws an another pumpkin bomb as a fireball explodes above the guests. In the ride's climax, Dr. Octopus lifts the Scoop up to a height of 400 feet using the anti-gravity cannon. A number of synchronized effects help achieve this without the vehicle leaving the ground, including a movable building set, lighting cues, simulator movements, projections and wind effects. Spider-Man attempts to pull the Scoop down, but is attacked by all the villains. Spider-Man thwarts them, but not before Dr. Octopus disengages the anti-gravity device, sending the Scoop on a simulated free fall until it is rescued by Spider-Man's webbing right above the ground and another Stan Lee cameo. Spider-Man manages to capture all of the villains by tying them with webs. One of Dr.Octopus´s arms escapes, but Spider-Man quickly webs it to Hobgoblin´s face. As the vehicle pulls into the unload station, Spider-Man thanks the guests for their help and sends them back to the Daily Bugle, where he has rigged the anti-gravity cannon to lift Jameson up to the ceiling in his office. Guests unload while a modern rendition of the classic Spider-Man theme song plays and a voiceover of Stan Lee instructs the riders on exiting properly.
References
- ↑ MacDonald, Brady (May 19, 2011). "Universal Studios Orlando plans 'Despicable Me' attraction and digital upgrade to Spider-Man ride in 2012". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company.
- ↑ Kubersky, Seth (March 10, 2012). "Universal's Spider-Man Ride Repoens In Hi-Def". Orlando Weekly. Archived from the original on December 30, 2013. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
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