Just three days ago we covered some of the updates coming to Jurassic Park at Islands of Adventure, pertaining to a new roller coaster and Jurassic World re-theme – now even more concrete details have surfaced, revealing the (current) layout of the ride!
First reported by WFTV News, and then covered in greater detail by Alicia Stella at Orlando Park Stop, we have a great idea of what changes are coming to the Florida park. The layout was obtained by both parties by looking into permits filed for the demolition and construction activities planned for the park – take at look at the layout reconstructed by Orlando Park Stop in the image below!
Image courtesy of Orlando Park Stop
The ride, as proposed, is a high-thrills multi-launch roller coaster which begins its queue down in front of the Discovery Center by the waterfront. Not much is know about it, other than theming will be kept to a minimum (more Incredible Hulk, less Expedition Everest) and will be Velociraptor themed – reportedly letting riders “be a raptor” as they escape from their paddock. Velociraptor’s are known for their speed, and this ride will be no different as it’s rumored to be the fastest multi-launch roller coaster eclipsing 73 mph.
As shown in the track layout, there will be a small show scene at the opening of the ride, which reportedly features a Raptor paddock. While it’s unknown if it will be themed off of the iconic paddock from Jurassic Park, or the one from World, most signs point to the latter. In all likelihood, this scene and ride is based upon Jurassic World when the Velociraptors are released from their enclosure to hunt for the Indominus Rex (“Hunt for the Indominus Rex” would make a great ride name now that I think about it).
Construction is expected to take about 1 and 1/2 years, gearing for a mid 2020 or early 2021 opening at the latest.
The majority of the ride will takeover the abandoned Triceratops Encounter plot of land, but will effect numerous other smaller attractions in the area, leading to some relocation. In my last article I talked about why I’m not exactly thrilled about this coaster (which sounds like a lot of fun to be fair), as I’d rather have an authentic and well themed addition to Jurassic Park which really transports me to that prehistoric island. However, I remain hopeful that Universal Creative will keep innovating, and perhaps add more show scenes and theming to this ride before it’s locked in.
Jurassic is Universal’s biggest brand, and it’s overflowing with imagination including inspiring adventure, iconic movie scenes, beautiful locales, and incredible dinosaurs to bring to life – the area could easily rival the Wizarding World, Avatar Land, and Star Wars Land if they really allow it to grow and thrive.
As for the rumored Jurassic World re-theme, it’s almost assuredly coming, although this coaster may open prior. However, as reported by Midway Mayhem, the construction walls are sporting the colder and modern Jurassic World themed key art as opposed to the brighter more safari themed Park aesthetic.
New signs have arrived at IOA for the Jurassic project. Interesting color and logo choice! Blue walls…Blue raptor maybe? đ And a logo generic enough that you aren't sure if it could be for Jurassic World đ pic.twitter.com/WFt503Uz82
Whatever the future may hold, one thing is for certain: Jurassic Park at Orlando Florida is evolving, and something new will be hatching soon. Be sure to sound off in the comments below, and as always, stay tuned for the latest news!
Jurassic Park is a staple of blockbuster filmmaking, awing and inspiring audiences of all ages across the world to this day – not to mention its huge impact in 1993, redefining what can be achieved with visual effects and paving the way for CG to become commonplace in today’s movies. Jurassic Park’s impact is long lasting, and wide reaching – but its name is soon to just be a distant memory, as Jurassic World roars in as the new permanent franchise moniker.
While it’s yet to be officially confirmed, the rumor mill has long pointed to Jurassic Park at Islands of Adventure for an upcoming Jurassic World retheme. Reportedly, Universal Parks teetered back and forth on the idea, considering Jurassic World for their upcoming ‘fourth gate’ in Orlando and saving Jurassic Park at IOA. However, Universal has apparently opted NOT to include Jurassic in any capacity within the upcoming new park (barring major last minute changes) and will put their focus on Islands of Adventure for everyone’s dinosaur needs.
Objectively, a ‘Jurassic World’ rebrand isn’t a bad thing (although I find the more adventure infused safari resort look of Park to be more unique, compared to World which reflects Universal’s City Walk) – it makes sense, as it’s the name the current film saga and merchandising all share. While Jurassic Park certainly isn’t unfamiliar to younger fans, World is the more relevant brand identifier at this time. In fact, Universal Studios Beijing is doing some incredible things with the Jurassic World branding – building a replica of Main Street, the Innovation Center, Aviary, and heavily themed innovative roller coaster that will cut through Jurassic themed mountainsides – check out the artwork below!
However, the plans for Islands of Adventure are far more limited – primarily due to the Jurassic Park land being blocked in by the new Harry Potter and Kong sections, both of which took expansion plots originally planned for Jurassic. This limited space has created the inability to create all new Jurassic attractions at the scale of other headlining properties, like those seen within the Wizarding World rides. As such, the roller coaster coming to Islands of Adventure (which has yet to be officially announced) is reportedly not a heavily themed coaster, simply putting the focus on thrills over an authentic dinosaur filled movie based experience.
In fact, you can learn a lot more about the upcoming coaster from theme park enthusiast Alicia Stella within this video!
While that video is a few months old, the information is believed to be accurate – and now work within the park corroborates it, albeit circumstantially.
Construction walls are up around the Jurassic Park/Discovery Center waterfront. Guests can not access the area from any point. The Discovery Center is still open and can be entered thru the top level. pic.twitter.com/rdQULcZepQ
Essentially, we’re looking at a steel coaster with numerous tight twists and turns to make use of the smaller area it can expand across. Its starting location will see the coaster launching and intersecting itself numerous times before it shoots out in front of the Discover Center, over the lagoon and then eventually loops back again. While the track layout is far more complex, the rough surface area can be observed here:
As stated earlier, the upcoming coasters theming is rumored to be minimal to nonexistent – which is too bad, as it was originally concepted as a coaster that would traverse through mountainsides, with the insides themed to amber mines. That idea could easily be applied to Fallen Kingdom’s volcanic disaster theme, taking inspiration from Disney’s Expedition Everest ride, all while using the current track layout as we’ve roughed together in this mock-up down below:
While these new changes coming to Jurassic Park are exciting as the area itself is in desperate need of a modern makeover and new attractions, it’s hard not to be a little bit disappointed by what’s been reported. I can travel to any park and experience a great roller coaster – but the Universal Parks are the only place that can truly offer a chance to step inside the diverse an exciting Jurassic World, and bring dinosaur thrills to life within state of the art rides, making us believe those animals are alive once again – and ready to eat us if we’re not careful.
If there was room for further expansion, I’d more accepting of a thrill coaster with minimal theming coming to Jurassic – but fans of all ages who love the films, or simply want a authentic adventure alongside prehistoric flora and fauna are sure to be left wanting more if the plans carry forward as is. Fingers crossed this coaster surprises, and infuses itself the state of the art dark ride elements for the ultimate Jurassic experience.
Be sure to stay tuned for all the latest Jurassic news, and as always, sound off in the comments below and let us know what you think about the changes coming to Islands of Adventure!
In a heartwarming video, two Jurassic Park fans spend their day riding Jurassic Park: The Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood before it closes for good.
But that’s not all. After breaking the record and completing 61 journeys through Jurassic Park, battling spitting Dilophosaurs and facing an angry T. rex, Devin got on his knees and proposed.
In a sneaky Dennis Nedry fashion, Devin hid the ring within a Barbasol cannister alongside DNA from species across the original park. How cool is that?
The couple who reside in LA have annual passes to the Hollywood park and have made it a tradition to ride the Jurassic Park ride every year on Chelsea’s birthday. The previous record was 60 rides in a day, and the pair rode it a total of 62 times. Along with the proposal, I don’t think this is a day they’ll soon forget!
Did you catch a look at the engagement ring? It was custom made and features mosquito amber. Spared no expense. The Barbasol cannister was a prototype by Chronicle Collectibles who will be releasing it in the near future.
Today marks the final day for Jurassic Park: The Ride. Opened on June 21, 1996, the ride has been a fan favourite since then and remains as one of the only rides left at the park without projections or 3D screens.
Tonight we close the gates on Jurassic Park â The Ride to make way for the new Jurassic World ride opening in 2019! pic.twitter.com/CPppEHNGqu
While it is a sad day, a new Jurassic World themed ride will take it’s place at the park in 2019 – and hopefully will feature a small glimpse at the original park. The river boat ride is to remain open at the Universal Studios Orlando park, and there are rumours that park will see an expansion within the Jurassic Park area.
Join us in congratulating Chelsea and Devin – what a wonderful way to propose and celebrate your engagement!
Will you miss the ride? Let us know in the comments section below what you hope to see in Jurassic World: The Ride!
It’s a time honoured tradition for Lagoon-based theme parks to have a night-time show, and Universal Studios Florida is no exception! Previous years have seen a foray of shows hosted at the Studios Lagoon, from the high octane stunts of ‘Dynamite Nights’ all the way to iconic projection globes of ‘Universal 360’! In keeping with the Studio Setting, Universal have just announced ‘Universal’s Cinematic Celebration’.
The show will feature a brand new story, presented on panoramic water screens which will be brought to life with additional multi layer water screens, over 120 dancing fountains and projection mapping, utilising the entire waterfront and its surrounding buildings. A new, permanent viewing area for the show is also currently under construction in the Central Park area.
The show will explore popular Universal Park franchises such as Harry Potter, Despicable Me, The Fast & Furious and of course our favourite; Jurassic World.
And for Parents looking for somewhere to keep their younger Jurassic Fans after the sun has set, Loews Royal Pacific Resort have just opened their new ‘Jurassic World’ bedrooms, complete with Gyrosphere themed twin beds!
The 670 sq feet 2-bedroom kidsâ suites sleep up to five, and features one king bed, two twin beds and the option of an additional rollaway bed. The kidsâ side of the suite features familiar design elements inspired by the film and opens into the adultsâ room via a door modeled after the dinosaur enclosure.
Planning a stay at Universal’s Orlando Resort this summer? Make everyone jealous in the comments!
Remind me to thank John for a lovely weekend. Wow! Last weekend at Universal Studios Hollywood, thousands of fans from around the world attended an official gathering for Jurassic Park which celebrates it’s 25th birthday this year.
Universal Pictures, the theme park team, and all of the partners and collaborators involved staged a fantastic and exciting event which span across the entire weekend. We were treated to a theatrical screening of the new 4K release of Jurassic Park, panels with the filmmakers and talent, trivia and costume contests, themed food, all within the lowerlot at the park.
Not only were multiple partners there showcasing their video games, merchandise and experiences, but Colin Trevorrow himself introduced the IMAX screening of Jurassic Park by showing the opening scene of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom which received fantastic reviews!
If you got to your screen early enough you would also catch the remastered original teaser trailer and theatrical trailer for Jurassic Park, which are pretty amazing to see at such high quality. Hopefully these will be made available soon! We couldn’t resist our own ‘reaction’ video for the opening scene of Fallen Kingdom, considering just how excited it made us:
From Friday night to Sunday night fans of all ages celebrated their love for the movie and the franchise itself, and were able to experience everything Universal Studios Hollywood has to offer.
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Jurassic Park: The Ride remained open the entire time and some of us experienced it for the first time! Ryan also lost his hat.
Panels
The highlight of the event for all of the three nights were the live panels, hosted by Colin Trevorrow and featuring both cast and crew from the franchise. Panels are a fan celebration standard often associated with Comic Con that Jurassic has been devoid of until now.
It’s not often that fans can listen to the talent that brought the movies together sit and discuss the inner details of what it takes to make these movies, and these panels fulfilled that craving. Hopefully these panels are the start of a more in depth and fan community centered focus for the Jurassic franchise moving forward.
When we first arrived into the lower lot our attention was caught by Dennis Muren, who was standing below the gates in anticipation for the panel. Growing up with Jurassic Park and watching the behind the scenes documentaries meant fans like us admired the technical and creative talent behind the movie, so we introduced ourselves to visual effects supervisor Dennis Muren and expressed our love for his work!
Celebration events like this are very new to the Jurassic Park fandom but provide the ability for fans to meet their heroes; the people that inspired them. We captured the panels via a live stream for any fans that couldn’t make it out to the event, and we have embedded those below!
Friday 11 May
Colin Trevorrow w/ Dean Cundey, John T. Kretchmer, Dennis Muren
Saturday 12 May
Colin Trevorrow w/ Laura Dern, Frank Marshall, Phil Tippett and Jack Horner
Sunday 13 May
Colin Trevorrow w/ Jeff Goldblum, John Rosengrant, John T. Kretchmer, joined by Jordan Vogt-Roberts and Gareth Edwards
With numerous stories from the making of Jurassic Park being shared on stage, the panels were a huge hit with the many fans that attended and hopefully we will see more in the future. It’s a fascinating way for the filmmakers and cast members to share their memories from the movies, especially now that the franchise has become so prominent in pop culture.
Partner Booths
Throughout the three events those attending could make their way to the Activity Center, which hosted a wealth of original props and costumes from the movies on display, and featured booths from the various Universal Pictures partners, showcasing their products which included video games, collectables, VR experiences and more!
Jurassic Park: Danger! Board Game
Ravensburger
The Ravensburger and Forrest-Pruzan Creative team were there hosting gameplays of their new Jurassic Park board game which we filmed below! We partnered with Ravensburger to giveaway two copies of the game during our live stream, with the winners being announced in the video on the right below. Huge thanks to Florian, Lindsay and Michele!
You can read more about the Jurassic Park: Danger! board game here.
Jurassic Park: The Chaos Gene
Mondo Games
While very little is known about this upcoming board game, the team from Mondo Games were showing off their concept and allowing fans to signup for future updates on the game.
We’re expecting more information on the game this year to coincide with a release – be sure to read everything we know about the game here!
Jurassic World: Evolution
Frontier Developments
This one was definitely a surprise for fans – Frontier Developments setup gaming stations at their booth allowing fans to play the upcoming park building simulator game!
The demo they had allowed roughly ten minutes of gameplay, including sending your ACU team to tranquillise a dinosaur and then move it to another area in the park. It gave a good opportunity to learn about how the game functions and how beautiful it looks!
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Toyline
Mattel
While Mattel weren’t on-hand at their booth, the display they had created perfectly showcased their upcoming toyline for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and they even had a number of the Legacy Collection toys on display too!
We love the toy line and have more reviews coming soon, so stay tuned!
Jurassic World: Blue VR Experience
Felix & Paul Studios
This one was not one to miss! Announced a little while back, this VR experience for Oculus features Blue on Isla Nublar after the events of Jurassic World, and shows her reaction to the impending danger that features in Fallen Kingdom. The whole experience is beautifully directed and animated, and may be one of the most magical looks at dinosaurs since the very first film in 1993.
We had the unique chance to go hands on with BOTH episodes while we were in Los Angeles, and cannot stress enough how incredible of an experience it was. Don’t sleep on these VR episodes – they’re a new form of Jurassic storytelling that invoke all the staples you love from the films, and could very much be the future way to tell side stories in the universe (or explore the park itself!).
Jurassic World: Alive
Ludia Games
For fans of Pokemon Go, the team at Ludia Games (who were behind Jurassic Park: Builder and Jurassic World: Builder for iOS and Android) revealed their new game to fans which allows you to go out and capture dinosaurs!
The game ties in with the upcoming movie’s viral marketing, the Dinosaur Protection Group, and is available on both iOS and Android devices now!
Jurassic World: Pinball
Zen Studios
The team at Zen Pinball had a couple if iPads setup allowing you to play their Jurassic Park themed pinball game! This one was a lot of fun and will be an easy winner for the game of choice when you’re waiting for your flight…
Prop Recreations
Fandango
The entire partner booth area was setup with love for Jurassic in mind – with a jungle surrounding and the theme music playing, fans were in their element! The partner booths led to the main display which featured the Jurassic Park 29 Jeep which was seen in Jurassic World, the Gyrosphere and a couple of dinosaurs.
The Theme Park
A number of times at the event, people would ask us why the event was being held in Universal’s Hollywood Park as opposed to the much larger Orlando Park. And to every person we gave the same response: Orlando is a theme park that doubles as a Film Studio. Hollywood is a Film Studio that doubles as a Theme Park. And it was at this very Studio that Jurassic Park was filmed, edited and evolved.
The event was all about being able to reach out and touch the things that we had only been available for us to view on the screen until now, and that’s what made Hollywood the perfect venue.
When boarding the tram to the theater at end of the first night, the attendant pointed out that if we were stood exactly where we were right at that moment, 22 years ago, we would be seeing the RV trailers from The Lost World dangling off of the adjacent car park.
Working with the Jurassic Park Motor Pool we were able to organize a number of the member’s vehicles present at the event for photo opportunities, and some fans went even further! A few years ago Franck Galiègue purchased a screen-used vehicle from The Lost World: Jurassic Park… none other than the RV trailers that are pushed over the cliff by the two Rex’s!
Don’t worry – Alex is fine, he was just excited.
This was an incredible vehicle to see in person not only due to its sheer size, but because this vehicle featured in one of the greatest sequences constructed in this franchise, and is often a fan favourite. Thanks Franck for making this happen! Be sure to follow the team’s progress.
Trivia and Costume Contest
Activities happened all night in the park and shortly following the panels was the Live Trivia contest, in which fans could compete against each other over knowledge of the franchise!
Many fans also dressed up as their favourite characters from the movies – with Dr. Alan Grant and Dr. Ellie Sattler making regular appearances. People put so much effort into their various costumes and outfits, it was amazing to see!
The event was a blast and was an incredible way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Jurassic Park! Universal Studios Hollywood spared no expense with this weekend long event, and our team loved meeting so many Jurassic fans from across the world!
A few fans were lucky enough to meet and greet Colin Trevorrow at the event, and the members of our team that attended got a photo!
Stay tuned for more and if you were one of the unlucky fans who wasn’t able to make it out to Hollywood for the event, we hope you enjoyed our coverage! A big thanks to Universal Pictures and the various teams involved in bringing this event together – it was a blast!
What would you like to see at future Jurassic Park events? If you attended the JP25 celebration, what did you enjoy and what worked for you, and what could potentially benefit from improvements? Let us know in the comments section below as your comments may influence future events.
You might be forgiven if you forgot that Universal has a theme park in Orlando, especially with the announcement of a re-theme in their Hollywood Park, a parade debut in Japan and rumours of a Jurassic World section in Beijing. But the largest and most complete Jurassic Park ride has resided at Universal’s Islands of Adventure since 1999 and if rumours are to be believed, it’s finally getting a much needed upgrade!
With the spotlight elsewhere, Universal discretely filed a demolition permit for a 9,100 Square Foot area in the park earlier this month. This could easily be mistaken for the new ‘Harry Potter’ ride, but demolition and construction are already well underway at the site of the former ‘Dragon Challenge’ attraction, which was listed as Project 942. The new permit is listed as Project 741, a distinctly older number. Sources inside the park have hinted that area to be cleared is the former Triceratops Encounter/Discovery Trail, which closed in 2005, but was temporarily reopened in 2011 and 12 as an overflow attraction during the debut of ‘The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’. The size of the area certainly matches to that reported in the permit.
This is not the first time that Universal has filed for permits to modify the Jurassic Park area, though disappointingly those turned out to only be small changes; Carnival style booths in part of the River Adventure’s extended queue, and the Raptor Encounter in the exit to the Triceratops Encounter. Given the scale of the area, is certainly looks as though Universal is finally pushing forward with a new attraction, especially given that the former attraction has previously sat dormant for over 15 years.
At this time we can only speculate what the new attraction will be. Whispers from insiders are hinting at a coaster, perhaps in the style of Japan’s ‘Flying Dinosaur’ though at this early stage all bets are off. Prior to the park’s opening, attractions known as ‘Jeep safari’ and ‘Helicoptours’ were planned for the Jurassic Park area though were eventually written off due to budget constraints. The patches of land reserved for these attractions have since been filled by other IPs but perhaps one of them could have a resurgence on this new plot.
Demolition is set to begin on June 1st with a reported cost of $300,000. Keep your eyes peeled for more info then!
Dinosaurs and gyrospheres roam the streets of Universal Studios Japan as part of the park’s Spectacle Night Parade! The Jurassic World section of the parade showcases some fan favorite dinosaurs, starting off with a Stegosaurus in a flashing red enclosure and ending with a roaring animatronic Tyrannosaurus Rex. The procession features a Parasaurolophus, as well as an infant Brachiosaurus and Triceratops being handled by Jurassic World employees.
In one exciting moment, three Velociraptors escape from their enclosure and run along the street, before being corralled by one man dressed as Owen and others dressed in Asset Containment Unit uniforms. Samples of Michael Giacchino’s music from the Jurassic World Soundtrack can be heard as the floats and Jurassic employees march down the parade path.
The dinosaurs used in this event seem extremely well constructed. The T-Rex alone has nearly full motion in its head, torso, and tail. Its extremely tall body towers over the gathered spectators and lets out some classic Jurassic roars as its glowing red eyes scan the area around it. The Velociraptors and Parasaurolophus are costumed employees, but still look pretty natural amidst the chaos unfolding around them. The parade also employs the use of “Parade x Projection Mapping” which utilizes state-of-the-art technology to project scenery onto buildings and transform the park as the event moves through it.
This new event at Universal Studios Japan was announced last October and debuted this month. Watch footage from the parade below.
What do you think of the new parade? Would you like to see it stampede into the streets of Universal Orlando or Hollywood as well? We want your opinions in the comment section below!
The rumors are true – the Jurassic Park river adventure attraction, beloved by many at both Universal Studios Hollywood and its sister park, Universal Studios Orlando, will be leaving the original park this fall. Replacing it? A brand new Jurassic World attraction!
Universal Studios Hollywood announced the departure of the original ride on the Twitter on May 10th, with a short video saying that “extinction is coming”, but that, as we all know, “life finds a way”. The video, featuring promotional clips from Jurassic Park: The Ride and footage of a CGI tyrannosaurus rex, detailed not only the closing of the original ride, but the opening of a brand new Jurassic World section of the park.
The video did not give any details about the Jurassic World attraction itself, but announced that it will be coming to Universal Studios Hollywood sometime in 2019. The Jurassic Park: River Adventure at Universal Studios Orlando will remain unchanged.
Jurassic World is coming to the Park in 2019! Experience Jurassic Park: The Ride before it goes extinct! pic.twitter.com/sYt5s1Jm86
— Universal Studios Hollywood (@UniStudios) May 10, 2018
The official press release reveals that many new Jurassic World dinosaurs will make their debut in the new ride:
In 2019, face Indominus rex when she makes her world premiere in the new, high-tech Jurassic World. Journey to where living dinosaurs roam the earth in the part expedition, part heart-pounding water ride based on the blockbuster film franchise.
On this river-raft adventure, get doused as a colossal Mosasaursus dives for its great white shark snack. But the real danger lies ahead when the brutal Indominus rex escapes its enclosure. Be prepared when a 50-foot Tyrannosaurs rex comes to your rescue⌠right before your final plunge down a treacherous 84-foot waterfall.
And plan to experience the original Jurassic ParkÂŽ- The Ride one final time before it becomes extinct on Sept. 3, 2018!
The last day of operation for Jurassic Park: The Ride will be September 3rd, 2018, so local folks, ride it while you can! And stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost for more updates in the future.
What do you think about this new Jurassic World attraction? Are you excited for it? Are you sad to see the original Jurassic Park attraction go? Let us know in the comments below!
The Jurassic universe does not have a fondness for members of the legal community. This comes as somewhat of a shock since most of the InGen antics undoubtedly have far-reaching legal ramifications, and there are likely dozens of attorneys with the sole purpose of keeping the company out of too much trouble. After diving into the intricacies surrounding the legalities surrounding Jurassic Park, it is honestly difficult to decide who had the harder job, the geneticists or the lawyers. As an attorney myself, my goal here is to expound briefly on what liabilities Jurassic Park likely faced upon its implosion and of course, avoid being eaten on a toilet.
For this article, we are going to have to make a few big assumptions. First assumption: the laws of the United States apply. Most smart companies with assets in foreign countries will establish a subsidiary in the country where those assets reside. The benefit of the subsidiary means that any lawsuits brought against the company can utilize the foreign countryâs laws and court system. Some companies elect to do this if they see that the foreign countryâs laws are more favorable in a particular area where they are at risk of a lawsuit. Even though InGen was headquartered in California, Jurassic Park was built on Costa Rican soil. I cannot find any reference to an InGen subsidiary in Costa Rica in any of the canon, and since classifying InGen as a âsmartâ company gives me pause, it is entirely possible that lawsuits filed by American paleontologists, chaoticians, and tourists back in the United States could follow U.S. laws.
But assuming the United States law governs, what kind of disastrous bill is InGen in store for? Well, we know they were on the verge of Chapter 11 bankruptcy following the events of Jurassic Park, but what put them there? In California, where Jurassic Park was originally supposed to be built, the laws surrounding actual zoos are no laughing matter. Regulations control nearly every aspect of the park, from the specifications of building enclosures, right down to posting correct signage. In the eyes of the law, housing and maintaining a wild animal is virtually the same as working with uranium or using explosives. It is known as an âultrahazardous activity.â Conducting these types of activities in California comes with a harsh legal consequence â the party conducting the activity is strictly liable for any injuries these animals cause to park patrons. In other words, even the most careful of zoos are likely to be held accountable for visitors wounded by the animals. Basically, even the countless miles of Jurassic Park electrified fences would not be able to hold back the costly verdict from an injured park-goer.
While the concept of a Jurassic Park may be fiction, the situation of an escaped wild animal in a zoo is certainly not. In 2011, a 300-pound gorilla named âLittle Joeâ escaped from his enclosure at the New England Zoo. After the gorilla attacked a two-year-old child, a jury found that the zoo failed to use reasonable care to keep the gorilla confined and awarded the childâs family a verdict of $175,000. Eerily enough, the most similar incident to Jurassic Park took place in the same state where the original park was supposed to be built. In 2007, a Siberian tiger jumped out of its enclosure at the San Francisco Zoo and ran amok inside the park. Before being subdued, the tiger killed one boy and injured two brothers. The surviving brothers sued the zoo and settled for a costly $900,000 sum before trial.
With the deaths seen in Jurassic Park, it would not be unthinkable for a jury to award family members of the victims an even greater amount. Many factors are taken into consideration for a wrongful death suit. These can include the victimâs pre-death pain and suffering, funeral and burial cost, loss of income, loss of love and companionship, and value of services the victim could have provided, among many others. These concepts are purposefully abstract and let a jury determine an appropriate amount based on their own thoughts and experiences. A jury presented with a wrongful death case involving a mauling from an escaped velociraptor could run wild with these figures. While it is hard to speculate on an exact number, think upwards of a potential $1.5 million per victim if thereâs no cap on the amount of damages a victim can receive.
Just as a side note, as expensive as the Jurassic Park incident would have been, it would not hold a candle to the expense of battling the lawsuits from the injured park-goers of Jurassic World. There is no doubt that the numerous attendees would have brought a class action lawsuit, and California law nearly assures that such an action has to be brought in California. If the Jurassic Park incident nearly put InGen into bankruptcy, the Jurassic World incident should have obliterated the Masrani Company. In the words of Claire Dearing, âWeâd never reopen.â
This brings up assumption number two: InGen did not make the visiting dinosaur experts sign any waivers of liability. While such a waiver would not likely bar the injured guests from recovering money for their damages, it could put a cap on how much they could recover. In addition, it might force the victim to give up their right to a jury trial and mandate they attend arbitration instead. Arbitration is an alternate form of dispute resolution that divorces the issue from the government court systems. Rules can be more relaxed, and this can work in favor of the company in some cases. Most theme parks today include language on the back of their ticket stubs that stipulate arbitration as a mandatory requirement of enjoying the park. Next time you head to a big theme park, or even a sports event, check your ticket for what you are actually signing up for.
What are your thoughts on InGen being held accountable for their actions? Are costly settlements enough or should InGen execs just all be subjected to the same fate as Gennaro? Sound off with your opinions in the comments below.
Might we finally get a Jurassic World themed attraction at Universal Studios theme parks?
Yes! Well maybe….kind of? According to a rumor from Theme Park University, Universal Studios Hollywood may be gearing up to transform Jurassic Park: The Ride into a Jurassic World themed ride.
Itâs been made public that Comcast wants a new attraction in every Universal park every year moving forward….Which brings us to 2019. If what Iâm hearing from folks who work at Universal Studios Hollywood is correct, Jurassic Park: The Ride will be operational through at least part (most?) of the summer season and then close to make a transformation into a Jurassic World The Ride attraction.
While nothing is official and any report should of course be taken fully as a rumor, it does make sense for Universal Studios Hollywood to update Jurassic Park: The Ride. Having opened in June of 1996, the ride will be entering its 22nd year of operation. As pointed out by Theme Park University the animatronic dinosaurs in the ride have become quite dated and are in the need of a major upgrade so a Jurassic World revamp may also indicate new upgraded animatronics.
Further, this aligns with reports we heard some time back, suggesting a makeover was planned (then at IOA rather than Hollywood), re-branding the area to Jurassic World, complete with a state of the art Indominus Rex animatronic. If the general concept still stands, while the ride will take place within ‘Jurassic World’, Jurassic Park should still make an appearance as the ride vehicle is diverted through the old park ruins.
Our speculation would be that it is likely that the ride itself would remain the same as a boat on the same track but that the theming, dinosaurs and ride story would be new (while still following the same basic story structure). It is also likely that the new ride would not only include the Indomnius Rex from the 2015 film, but also Velociraptor Blue and a Mosasaurus cameo. Finally, the old dinosaurs are expected to get entirely new fixtures, featuring actual film accurate designs.
It is unclear if dinosaurs or aspects from the yet unreleased Fallen Kingdom would be included in any possible revamp.
Sadly, this does mean the great ‘Jurassic Park’ theming for the rest of the ride and area would switch to the more modern ‘World’ look – as World borrows from real world parks like Universal and Disney, it offers less of a unique sense of escapism. It remains to be seen how they will keep Jurassic unique, in line with its more safari adventure vibe it is known for, and is currently featuring.
Theme Park University also says that they are hearing this will only be for Universal Studios Hollywood and that currently the Jurassic Park ride at Islands Of Adventure in Flordia won’t be changing.
Also make sure to check out the full rumor article at Theme Park University as they make guesses and speculate themselves of what a Jurassic World themed ride may entail.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and on our forums!
