Jurassic Park: The Ride is a water-based amusement ride that is based on the Steven Spielberg film Jurassic Park and Michael Crichtons novel located at Universal Studios Hollywood. The ride was actually researched and built while the film was still in its production phase. It opened on June 21, 1996. Duplicates of the ride have since been built at Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Japan. A river rapids ride version of the attraction, Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure, opened in Universal Studios Singapore in 2010.\r
Among the guests in attendance at the rides grand opening celebration in 1996 were film cast members Jeff Goldblum, Ariana Richards, and Joseph Mazzello. Steven Spielberg also attended the opening, but requested that he be let off of the attraction before the 84-foot (26 m) drop.\r
The ride is designed to have the feel of Isla Nublar. Guests begin the queue by walking under the Jurassic Park Sign before waiting under an open-wall building. A tour guide appears on television monitors in the building, reviewing boarding and ride safety. She says, Hi, Im Gwen, one of your excursion hostesses here at Jurassic Park, and I want to welcome you to the river adventure. You will be placed in rows of five people each. Then the gates will open and one of our assistants will help you into the boat. As you enter the boat, use the rail for balance and the seat as a step. Help smaller children on board and, to be safe, place them in the middle of the row. And remember no smoking, no eating or drinking, and absolutely no flash photography. If you do intend to take photos during the ride, remember there is a good chance that you, and your camera, will get wet. Thank you for joining us and paying attention for all our safety requirements. Now, get ready to embark on the experience of a lifetime on The Jurassic Park River Adventure! Other videos will play, with some about the safety of the ride spoken by InGen employees, John Hammond talking about the dinosaurs, and music from the first film in the background. Guests are then split into two lines to board their tour boats for the ride.\r
The ride starts with an area called Ultrasaur Lagoon, where two Ultrasaurus are seen eating plants in the water. Two Psittacosaurus are also seen. The boat then moves behind a waterfall and emerges in an area called Stegosaur Springs, where riders then see an adult Stegosaurus and its young. We then see two Compys fighting over an empty popcorn box. The boat then enters an area called Hadrosaur Cove, where a parasaurolophus pops up in front of the raft, The Jurassic Park Animal Control calls, revealing that the parasaurolophus threw the raft off course, causing it to enter the raptor containment area, which is shown to be heavily damaged.\r
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Riders next encounter what appears to be an abandoned tour raft, where a Dilophosaurus is seen eating the remains of a poncho. A nearby motorboat is also abandoned. Apparently, the boat had been sent by Jurassic Park Animal Control to guide the raft towards a safe area, but the Dilophosaurus appears to have killed the tourists and boat crew. As of 2014, a Mickey Mouse hat can be seen floating in the water next to the ruined raft as an apparent reference to nearby theme park rival Disneyland.\r
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Dilophosauruses jump out and spit their toxic venom (water) at guests. When night falls, sparks and flood lights are added to the effect.\r
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The raft then enters the massive Environmental Systems Building and slowly begins to ascend a long lift hill. A voice on a loudspeaker in the building alerts guests that an emergency evacuation is going to be attempted. As the raft makes its way up the lift hill, numerous alarms are heard as escaped Velociraptors lunge out at guests. Once the raft reaches the top of the lift hill, it drops down a small waterfall and is attacked by a Tyrannosaurus. A claw falls from the ceiling followed by its head and a set of collapsing pipes above riders heads. Roaring is heard.\r
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A technician begins counting down when the buildings life support systems will terminate (due to toxic gases released during the Tyrannosaurus encounter). The raft climbs a small lift hill that brings it closer to the emergency evacuation drop. A second technician screams If you can hear my voice, get out of there! Its in the building! ITS IN THE BUILDING!\r
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The Tyrannosaurus then emerges from a waterfall coming from broken pipes in front of the raft, and lunges down to grab the raft, and the raft escapes by plunging down an 85 feet (26 m) high evacuation drop and into a tropical lagoon outside the Environmental Systems Building. A can of Barbasol can be seen in the planter just before the ride ends, referencing the can Dennis Nedry uses in the first film. \r
Dinosaurs featured in the ride