The Premise

Take a journey through Jurassic Park on a scenic boat tour.

So how is it?

Jurassic Park: The Ride really set off a trend of high class, extremely expensive theme park thrill rides. To date, it still remains the most expensive theme park attraction ever conceived, so it’s no surprise that Jurassic Park still holds its own after a decade later.

Jurassic Park really is a great ride. It truly is. Compared to the level of theming at say Six Flags, Universal has been able to create an attraction that not only brings us to a new chapter of technological innovation, but also enhances the franchise further by allowing guests to experience the fictional park created by John Hammond himself. Thanks in part to the cooperation Universal had with the original filmmakers; they have been able to create an attraction that stays relatively true to the franchise. Back to the Future brought us a taste of what that synergy could do, while Jurassic Park fully matured it.

As such, this remains one of Universal’s flagship attractions and one of my own personal favorites as well. While it may not satisfy traditional thrill ride enthusiasts (the actual climax of the ride remains a minute long at best) with its final scene, it still manages to make a person scream. So if you’re looking for a great ride, be sure to check Jurassic Park out. It’s definitely something I wouldn’t resist to recommend. I mean, let’s think of it - an extraordinary ride based off an extraordinary franchise. What’s not to love?

Tips and Tricks

Before the ride

Wait time fluctuates accordingly with the weather, as with any attraction involving water effects. Usually if it’s hot, you can expect a wait time up to 40 minutes on any given day. Likewise, if it’s cold, you can see that wait time down shrivel down to 10.

On the other hand, if one is visiting during a peak season such as summer, one can expect the wait time to bloom to around and hour or more. So always use your best judgment in arranging your schedule. Just be aware that most guests see this ride when they arrive from the lower lot, so naturally, it’ll be one of the first things they head towards.

Seating

There are five rows of five total in each watercraft. In terms of wetness, it really depends. Universal recently added a few water canons at the drop to help soak guests during hot weather, so it really boils down to that. Suffice to say, if it’s off, the chart below applies. If it’s on, you’re going to get wet either way.

Now, how to read the graphic below. Red marks an area you’re almost sure to get wet, so expect some large water blotches coming your way. Yellow indicates a hard drizzle and green marks a decent sprinkle to lighten your mood. Gray is almost a dry spot, but don’t be surprised if you feel a mist. In all, it’s really not a wet ride anymore. They’ve changed the breaking system into something more passive that practically eliminated the famous splash down you’ve seen in older promotions (hence the new water canons), so you don’t stand a change of getting soaked to the bone. Still, prepare for the worst.

After the ride

Check out your outrageously priced photo and stumble through the gift shop walk of shame.

Parents

Nope, not recommended at all for children. There’s a height requirement of 46” inches, so I’ll leave you to interpret that.

But if you do plan on riding despite your child, there’s a nifty child switch feature that allows a member of your party to wait with the child while you go ahead and ride. When you’re finished, you simply switch places.

Photographs & Discussions

You can view photos of Jurassic Park - The Ride over at our Photo Album. We also have a discussion forum dedicated to Jurassic Park - The Ride for any questions or comments you may have.