Category: Right Up Your Alley

“Aye, aye, aye, why didn’t I build in Orlando?”

-John Hammond

During the pre-production of Jurassic Park, Steven Spielberg already had teams conceptualizing and planning Jurassic Park The Ride, at Universal Studios Hollywood, before the first film was in production. Upon opening in 1996, the attraction was met with high praise and acclaim for its thrilling experience and immersive storytelling.

But Universal parks weren’t finished with Jurassic just yet. During this same time, on the other side of the country, Universal was hard at work expanding their operation in Orlando. And not just a little expansion like a singular new ride or show, no. They were in the process of creating a whole new theme park that would allow guests to enter their favorite literary worlds. Universal’s team was developing a park where guests would be able to skip around with Whos in Suess Landing, explore ancient ruins in Lost Continent, make a splash with their favorite cartoon characters in Toon Lagoon, save the world in MARVEL Superhero Island. It would also be decided that the final land, “rounding” out the park, would be where guests could come face to face with the greatest animals that ever walked the planet in a fully realized Jurassic Park.

At this new Jurassic Park, guests would be able to come face to face with dinosaurs like never before and be immersed in the world of Jurassic. There was the Discovery Center where raptor eggs would be seen hatching throughout the day, and Triceratops Encounter (later renamed to Triceratops Discovery Trail) where guests could experience one of the majestic three-horned creatures up close. In Camp Jurassic guests can traverse various pathways, explore caverns, or sail through the air like pterosaurs at Pteranodon Flyers. Of course, in the center of it all, would be the main attraction- the Jurassic Park River Adventure (Orlando’s version of Jurassic Park The Ride.)

With all of these pieces integral to “selling” this world, it became apparent that Universal would need a team to help maintain a cohesive vision for what they were attempting to create. Enter Bob Shreve.

Shreve was brought on to be Show Producer for the entirety of the Jurassic area at Islands of Adventure (or IOA.) With a Masters in theatrical design and years of experience working and designing for theatres and other theme parks, like Walt Disney World, Shreve moved to Universal to take on this titanic project.

We reached out to Shreve to reflect on his work at Islands of Adventure, the process of bringing Jurassic Park to life, and changing the theme park world forever.

JO: To start off, if you could take us back to the beginning of Jurassic being a part of Island’s of Adventure that’d be wonderful. At one time Jurassic Park The Ride was expected to be near where Men in Black now is, but then it was opted for a full land. What did that happen? What was the key moment when Universal said “YES, all in on Jurassic,” and what did that mean for Islands of Adventure?

BOB: I came to the project in 1995 after the IOA project was fully in development and well into the design development phase.  As I understand it, once Universal made the decision to develop IOA, JP became a cornerstone for the project, and the idea to develop it like the Hollywood attraction was tabled in lieu of a full-fledged land.  All of that occurred before I joined the team.

JO: How did you get the Show Producer title for the Jurassic area at IOA specifically? Was it something about the brand that pulled you or was it assigned? Where does that journey begin?

BOB: In 1995 I was working for Imagineering, living in FL, handling SQS for EPCOT along with Patrick Brennan.  I was contacted by Robin Reardon, who I had worked with on projects at WDI.  Randy Prinz had brought onto the IOA Project as the Executive Producer and she reached out to me as she felt I would make a good producer.  Initially, I was offered SUESS LANDING but, once Lisa Girolami agreed to join the team, they felt she was a better fit for SUESS and transferred me to JP.  All of this occurred before I moved to LA to join the team in person.

JO: The Jurassic land, until the inclusion of Harry Potter, felt like the centerpiece. The majestic Discovery Center stands in the center focal point when you enter, demanding your attention. IOA’s original “castle” as it were. Was that intentional?

BOB: Yes, it was very intentional.  It was felt that the JP brand was the most iconic as it related to the public at large and would be the central gate driver for ticket sales.  By placing it at the center point on the far side of the lagoon, it would drive guest utilization through all the other islands in the park.

JO: How closely did you work with other departments like marketing, promotions, etc. I mean, Island of Adventure was promoted in a Jurassic Park video game, there were exclusive toys, and then everything in park that had to fit the world’s aesthetic. Was collaboration “Universal,” as they say, between you all?

BOB: There was very little integration with marketing at that time at Universal, which, frankly, was one of the downfalls of the project.  Most of the brand development was simply lifted from the film efforts.  It should be remembered that Universal changed ownership during the development of the project and it had a ripple effect on the development process.

JO: A lot of the production and planning was happening while Crichton released The Lost World, and then The Lost World: Jurassic Park was subsequently filmed, marketed, and released. Were there any changes in the plans for the land/ride/attractions from when it started to when it ended that we’re because of the sequel?

BOB: No, by the time LOST WORLD came out, we were well into construction so no changes were tolerated.

JO: There are several attractions hinted at and teased still throughout the land that unfortunately have not come to be (as of yet.) Helicoptour-tours, Jeep Safari, and several more. Can you recall any rides, attractions, shows, or experiences that we’re on the table but shelved?

BOB: Both Helicoptours and Jeep Safari were developed at a conceptual level, however, further development was placed on hold to allow focus on completion of the IOA project.  It was anticipated that, should IOA be successful, these would be some of the first expansion projects undertaken.  Sadly, due to underperformance in attendance for the park, this did not happen.

JO: Also, the AMAZING scale model at the entrance of River Adventure (which shows several of these canceled attractions,) it’s to see anything like it! Was there a thought that prompted showcasing it so prominently?

BOB: Frankly, we needed something to fill the queue for guest engagement and we were on a tight budget.  Dan Torres, the Production Designer for RIVER ADVENTURE, came up with the idea to simply use the model that was constructed during the design of the IOA project.  Each of the lands was modeled in great detail as this was before you could use CGI.  Each land and attraction was constructed so it could be removed from the master model for study.  Since it was already built and paid for, it was a great idea to use it as a queue prop, especially because we felt it was something John Hammond would do to promote his new Park.

JO: On a similar note, were there any dinosaurs or moments from the opening day attractions that were cut?

BOB: Not that I recall.  We took great pride in delivering all of the things we were asked to provide.

JO: Was there talk of building the same River Adventure as Hollywood, or when/why were choices made to change moments in Orlando’s?

BOB: Yes, the project team was initially told to deliver the Hollywood version of the ride intact as a “cookie-cutter” attraction.  However, Hollywood was having significant issues with their jeep drop effect so our team was asked to come up with an alternative, so we developed the raptor cage drop. 

JO: How did you develop the story for the areas of the land and which characters were “involved?” Many many elements of the island reference or are lifted straight from Crichton’s novel. Some of them really “deep cuts.” What elements from the novel, film, and expanded material were most useful and important to you to include? What material did Amblin and Universal say was most important to include?

BOB: I was not involved in the initial development of the attraction (concept phase), so I do not feel I can properly answer this question. It would be better to direct this question to Dale Mason, Phil Hettema or Gary Goddard.

JO: How important was it for there to be educational aspects of the area? At its core Jurassic is sci-fi that is grounded in real science. Paleontology, geology, genetics, animal behavior and zoological sciences, and more. Perhaps more than any other offering at IOA or Universal, Jurassic at IOA originally had a sense of adventure and discovery meets learning and inspiration (especially with attractions such as all of the original Discovery Center, and Triceratops Encounter.)

BOB: We felt it was very important to have an educational aspect to JP as it reflected John Hammond’s and InGen’s mission and goals.  We were very aware that pretty much every 9-year old would know a lot about dinosaurs when they arrived at the park, so we needed to feed that curiosity and expand on it.  We engaged Eisterhold Associates, a leading museum design company, to develop concepts for the Discovery Center and to make it as interactive as possible.

JO: Was the island ever almost Isla Nublar or was it always going to be Isla Aventura? Do you feel like the inclusion of the Jurassic World property with VelociCoaster and Raptor Encounter affects the world originally created at IOA?

BOB: The working title for the project was Isla Nublar but marketing would never have agreed to let it be marketed as anything other than Jurassic Park – too much brand recognition.  As for the inclusion of Jurassic World, I think this is a natural evolution of the brand and is fitting. TRICERATOPS ENCOUNTER was always plagued with technology issues – it was far too complex to exist in a theme park environment – and its replacement with the coaster was a good idea to revitalize the area.

JO: Do you know much about who produced the dinosaur maquettes / sculpts? Stan Winston School of Character Arts recently posted an article about their Stegosaurus and it showcases both the [The Lost World’s] AND [Jurassic Park The Ride/River Adventure’s] stegos (which have differences from one another.) Were the designs for the [new] dinosaurs in-house or did some of them come from partnering with Winston’s team? And did the sculpting and building of them change or evolve as the films were made?

BOB: The dinosaur maquettes were developed for the Hollywood attraction and, I believe, were developed by Winston Studios.  I have no explanation for the difference between the two stegosaurs.  We developed the maquette for the Triceratops.  All design for it was executed by Hall Train, who was recommended to us by Winston Studios when they decided they were too busy to take on the project.  Hall deserves a lot of credit for the development of the Triceratops, its functions looks, and manufacture.  He was amazing in his skillful talents and the ideas he brought to the attraction.

JO: Do you recall much about the story of the murals in the Discovery Center? Apparently, the originals were rumored to be missing or were missing when making IOA from their original usage in Hollywood?

BOB: I seem to recall an issue with the murals, but I do not remember exactly what it was.  They may have been missing and we had to recreate them for the IOA attraction, but I honestly do not remember.

JO: How much thought was put into foliage / “no grass” throughout the land?

BOB: A ton. Under the brilliance guidance of Mark Kuskowski, the landscape was a critical component of the design.  Due to budget concerns, he was challenged to deliver a believable “jungle” experience using prehistoric plants from day one.  Mark traveled extensively to find the perfect specimens for the attraction.  I think he succeeded brilliantly.

JO: What, for you, was the most challenging aspect of bringing Jurassic to life? I mean, it’s probably challenging enough to bring dinosaurs back to life, but were there any surprise problems, hiccups, or changes along the way that wouldn’t have been expected when preparing to showcase creatures dead for 66 million years?

BOB: Several.  Mark Kuskowski found a five palm cluster we wanted to use as the icon landscape element as the entered the area.  It was placed in front of the Discovery Center adjacent to a central filtration pond that we engineered to clean and circulate all the water in the main lagoon.  To get it installed (it was huge) without destroying the surrounding area development, we had to plant it very early in the project.  It was the first tree planted on site and we had to take many precautions to protect it as the area grew up around it.  I think the pond did not work as well as intended and the landscape around it took off, obscuring the five palm cluster that we so laboriously planted.

Another issue was the Banyan tree for Camp Jurassic.  Mark searched long and hard for the perfect tree, which he found in South Florida.  We made arrangements to have it transported to Orlando, but the contractor hacked so many branches off the tree that, when it arrived, it was pathetic looking.  Mark was distressed and had it planted at the end of Scene 1 in the RIVER ADVENTURE just before the JP gates and found a new tree, which we carefully transported to Orlando and installed in Camp Jurassic.   Comically, it did not flourish as well as the original tree.

JO: For you, what was the moment it all came together? Was it riding River Adventure opening day? Getting sneezed on by one of the Triceratops? Seeing a baby raptor hatch? What moment gave you that classic “[We] did it…” Malcolm moment.

BOB: It all came together during the soft opening of the Park.  All our attractions, except Triceratops, were fully operational and the guest reactions were very gratifying.

JO: Similarly, what did you find to be the most impactful or important element of the land?

BOB: Without a doubt, it was, as intended, the architecture and landscaping.  We purposefully did not want the guests to engage with any dinosaurs as they walked the land.  This was to encourage them to enter the attractions to see the dinosaurs.  So the area development needed to convey the grandeur of the movies, which I feel it did magnificently.

JO: Are there any favorite “Easter Eggs” of yours in the land? Are there any that you believe people haven’t discovered yet or aren’t well known? There are literally SO many littered throughout the island.

BOB: We buried a lot of easter eggs in the queue for Triceratops – too many to recount and I am not sure they remain.

JO: If you could see the Jurassic land grow, change, or evolve further- what kind of offerings would you hope to see? More stories told through rides? Shows? More edu-tainment type offerings like the Discovery Center? What do you think should be focused on?

BOB: I think, in synergy with the film franchise, the area needs a lot of “thrill”.  I think the VelociCoaster attraction is the right direction for the area.

JO: What is your favorite dinosaur?

BOB: Hands down, it would be the Triceratops.

JO: If there are any other details, anecdotes, or thoughts you would like to share during your time as the Show Producer for Jurassic.

BOB: I consider myself fortunate to have been selected to be part of this project.  It is one of the highlights of my career and afforded me an opportunity to participate in theme parks at a level I had previously only dreamed of.

JO: What would you say to others who may be interested in a career in themed entertainment?

BOB: I would encourage a career in this industry.  It is engaging, challenging, and fun.  Developing the proper tools is a pre-requisite for participation in today’s industry and requires a mastery of computer graphics and pre-visualization tools as well as creative talent.

Shreve makes an appearance in this early promotional footage for the island that originally aired on USA Channel in the 90’s, which you can watch below:

With the park opening in 1999, these mighty creatures were no longer merely trapped in museums, books, or movies- they were brought to life right in front of us. With the world of Jurassic Park fully realized, fans of the franchise, dinosaur lovers, and thrill seekers alike finally had a place to live out their own prehistoric adventures.

While the initial opening of Universal’s Islands of Adventure was rocky, the park has since gained great acclaim and notoriety over its twenty-five years of operation, with multiple awards for attractions, restaurants, entertainment offerings, and more. The Jurassic area, specifically, is still considered one of the main pulls for guests visiting the resort. VelociCoaster is considered one of the best rollercoasters ever made, the Discovery Center was used in several Jurassic Park 30th Anniversary marketing videos last year, and River Adventure (even with it showing its age) still has boats filled with people screaming and laughing their way through surviving an encounter with the park’s dinosaurs.