Tag: universal studios orlando

Jurassic Park: The Ride to Reopen After Being Closed for Over a Year

Posted on by J. Malone
Image by Brightest World

After a lengthy closure, Jurassic Park: The Ride at Universal Studios Japan is set to reopen in 2025, and a lot sooner than you think!

Back in July of 2023, it was reported that Universal Studios in Japan would be closing Jurassic Park: The Ride for a lengthy refurbishment. While outlets said that the ride would reopen at some point in 2025, no official date was ever given. Since the closure, the official Universal Studios Japan website has had the ride listed as being closed ‘indefinitely.’ Since the official closure in September of 2023, very little news or information has been given on the status of the refurbishment, with any updates solely coming from theme park vlogging videos. For months there have been no real or official updates of any kind.

Previously, the only other Jurassic ride to undergo such a lengthy closure was the original Jurassic Park: The Ride in Universal Hollywood. which closed in 2018 and was to be replaced with Jurassic World: The Ride in 2019. The replacement was met with a mixed to favorable response, with many happy that new animatronics and effects were added to a ride that needed a good amount of updates and fixes, but that certain elements felt incomplete or cut and a bit of the original magic and storytelling was absent.

While some speculated that perhaps Japan would be going through the IP change, it had never been stated that the ride would be changing so dramatically. Moreover, in the last year, there has been no change at all to any of the signage or theming in the area of the park. So it seems like Japan has kept with the more iconic and recognizable Jurassic Park branding. So perhaps the ride will stay mostly the same, with all the major animatronics being replaced with more updated technology and effects?

Well, guests to Universal Japan will finally be able to ride the ever-flowing river once again as Jurassic Park: The Ride prepares to open its gates again, on January 8th of 2025!! The reopening marks the end of a sixteen-month-long refurbishment (six months longer than the Park to World flip in Universal Hollywood.)

The official Universal Japan X account announced the reopening in a post, stating:

‘Jurassic Park – The Ride, which has been closed for renovations since September 2023, will reopen on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. Thank you all for your understanding and cooperation. Please look forward to the reopening.’

Accompanying the announcement was a short teaser video:

To many the teaser may be a tad… underwhelming. After such a long time of being closed, all we are essentially seeing is stock footage of the ride pre-refurbishment. When Jurassic World: The Ride was preparing to open after only ten months there was a special teaser released to build excitement for the opening, and something along those lines would have been a tad more exciting to see.

But all this just begs the question… what will the ride look like once it opens in two weeks; what exactly are we in store for? Universal Japan has played the entire refurbishment very close to their chest, and it seems like if they have made any major updates to the dinosaurs, ride system, or other effects they plan on keeping it a secret until the ride is reopened to the public on the 8th.

We very much are looking forward to the reopening of this legendary attraction. It marks the start of what is sure to be a massive dino-sized year to come for Jurassic fans! Moreover, the fact that Japan has chosen to retain the iconic Jurassic Park branding instead of changing it to Jurassic World is noteworthy, and hopefully, if the ride is a success in popularity and excitement to Universal guests upon its reopening it means that all Jurassic rides and attractions aren’t necessarily resorted to the fate of being changed to the Jurassic World model.

Are you excited about the reopening of Jurassic Park: The Ride in Japan? Would you like to see more Universal parks refurbishing their Jurassic rides and areas, and if so- what kind of attractions would you like to see? Let us know in the comments below!

Universal Studios Japan to Close Jurassic Park The Ride for ‘Major Refurbishment’

Posted on by J. Malone
Promo image for Jurassic Park The Ride in Japan, now sporting a Jurassic World render of “Rexy.”

According to Universal Japan’s website, Jurassic Park: The Ride will close for a major refurbishment in September of 2023. 

As of right now, the parks website reads that the ride will close on September 4th, 2023, indefinitely, but also states further down on the same page:

‘The major refurbishment of Jurassic Park the Ride, which begins on Monday, September 4, 2023, is expected to take until early 2025. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.’

This follows the ride being closed from June 6th to June 21st also of this year, most likely for normal yearly refurbishment and maintenance.

There is also no word as to if this is a refurbishment of the existing ride or if it means the ride will be getting the Universal Hollywood treatment and transforming into Jurassic World The Ride. 

Currently, Universal Studios Orlando and Japan are the only Universal parks to still have the classic Jurassic Park The Ride/River Adventure ride. Universal Singapore has its own unique Jurassic ride called Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure that has a circular raft vehicle rather than the long multi-rowed raft (making it close to Islands of Adventure’s Popey and Bluto’s Bilge-rat Barges or Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Kali River Rapids.) Universal Beijing has the award-winning Jurassic World Adventure Ride (a dark ride in the vein of Amazing Adventures of Spider-man at Islands of Adventure,) as well as Jurassic Flyers. As previously stated, Universal Hollywood revamped Jurassic Park The Ride to Jurassic World The Ride, which opened in 2019. Sporting some new visuals, animatronics, and story, the updated ride has been well received, with many applauding the spectacular new animatronics and moments. Universal Orlando still has its original Jurassic Park River Adventure ride and opted for a brand new Jurassic World ride (instead of changing River Adventure) with VelociCoaster, which has been awarded Best Rollercoaster two years in a row. If Universal Japan is changing their Jurassic Park ride to Jurassic World though, we can theorize (“theorize, mind you”) that it’s most likely only a matter of time before Orlando sees its classic Jurassic ride go through a similar refurbishment. 


While closed, guests to Universal Japan can still visit the Jurassic Park area to experience The Flying Dinosaur, a steel flying coaster where guests soar through the air like pterosaurs (which, should be stated, are not dinosaurs,) and experience various dinosaur “meet and greets” throughout the land.

Universal Parks News Video of Jurassic Park The Ride at Universal Studios Japan

“Jurassic World” Attraction to Replace Jurassic Park: The Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood!

Posted on by Maggie Rachael

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.

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 Park®- 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!