The first sign of impending doom came about in January 2005, when Jaws was temporarily shuttered due to the rising cost of petroleum. The surge in fuel prices came at just the wrong time for Orlando’s theme parks, which had suffered tremendously from attendance declines following the terrorist attacks in New York City just over three years earlier. Expensive, low-capacity rides that guzzled fuel (as Jaws did in its boat fleet and special effects) were a liability.
That same December, Jaws re-opened, though Universal was careful to clarify that it was now a seasonal ride that would open only when crowd levels demanded it. The ride, then, was open and closed seasonally until February 2007, when the holiday crowds left, but Jaws didn’t. It would be open full-time again. To celebrate, comedian Ellen Degeneres served as the ride’s Skipper during an on-location filming of her talk show in a must-see clip. (True to form, she asks the shark’s electrocuted corpse, “Are you okay?!”)
But the writing was on the wall. Industry observers know Universal’s method of operation well… Beginning in the 2000s – a decade after opening, mind you – Universal kicked off an aggressive and continuous systematic revitalization focsed on its Studio park. The moment an intellectual property becomes obsolete or a better fit emerges, Universal topples rides – even classics! – to fill their Studio park with whatever’s hot.
The unique strategy makes Universal Studios a veritable graveyard of Lost Legends. And Jaws would soon join them…
Magic comes to town…
Part of the reason that Universal saw fit to supercharge their Studio park in the New Millennium is because its neighbor had introduced a new strategy. Universal’s Islands of Adventure opened in 1999, hurtling themed entertainment headlong into the 21st century.
And unlike the studio park – revealed as being inherently dated by its movie focus – the “islands” in Universal’s new park dispensed with movies or backlots or behind-the-scenes in favor of timeless, evergreen stories based on comics, novels, picture books, cartoons, myths, and legends.
In June 2010, the park gained its seventh themed island. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter ushered in a new era for Universal and for the theme park industry as a whole.
In fact, whereas most industry experts had expected Comcast to quickly sell off the Parks division they inherited in a 2011 purchase of NBCUniversal, the wild success of the Wizarding World instead compelled Comcast to not only keep the Universal Parks division in their portfolio, but to double (or maybe triple) down on investment in them, acquiring properties, building themed lands, and designing E-Tickets to make Universal Orlando Resort a destination in and of itself, no Disney trip required.
After the success of Universal’s brick-for-brick recreation of the snow-capped, storybook Scottish town of Hogsmeade and the looming Hogwarts castle beyond, rumors instantly swirled that a second phase of the Wizarding World would bring the London-based Diagon Alley to life, potentially bulldozing what remained of Islands of Adventure’s Lost Legend: The Lost Continent and Poseidon’s Fury.
Diagon Alley was coming; but Universal Creative must have seen the inevitable expansion as a way to breathe new ife (and the new M.O. of hyper-immersive IP lands) into Universal Studios Florida instead. A keystone of the new expansion would be the Hogwarts Express – the world’s first inter-park ride connecting Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, and requiring precise placement to travel backstage and between the two lands.
Jaws closed forever on January 2, 2012.
On July 15, 2014 – one day after Universal Studios Florida’s 24th birthday – the land once occupied by the village of Amity became a London streetscape. Concealed behind it is the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley, which opened to industry-wide acclaim. Somehow, the glorious themed land seemed to best even the original Hogsmeade next door (a near impossibility given the scope of the snowy village and the towering Hogwarts overhead).
Shark in the big city
While the seaside village of Amity may be a world away from Diagon Alley, designers were careful to include a few fitting tributes into the magical streetscape: in fact, tributes to Jaws are among our favorite “Easter Eggs” of Closed Classics Hidden in the Rides that Replaced Them.
For example, the record store window in London has a number of vinyl records on display, including one particularly interesting one: “Here’s to Swimmin’ with Bow Legged Women” by the Quint Trio. Of course, that’s a line by Quint himself in Jaws.
Inside Diagon Alley, an otherworldly brass telescope lofted high in Wiseacre’s Wizarding Equipment is reportedly made from the large brass ship compass once housed in Jaws’ queue, and shark jawbones are on subtle display in the window of Florean Fortescue’s ice cream parlor and the dark magic shops Knockturn Alley.
And that’s where one of our favorite Easter Eggs resides. A menagerie of shrunken heads floats in the windows of Knockturn Alley’s Noggin and Bonce. With a wave of your interactive wand, they’ll sing. But not just any song – “Show Me the Way to Go Home,” sung by Brody, Hooper, and Quint in Jaws.
Living On
Even if Universal Studios Florida’s Jaws ride was a victim of progress, there’s good news, too. First, the Jaws scene on Hollywood’s Studio Tour is still going strong. Even if today, it’s a rare throwback amongst a tour lineup of increasingly high-tech stunts, it remains a fan favorite.
But most reassuringly, in 2001, Universal Studios Japan opened with their own Jaws ride, identical to Florida’s (but developed by MTS Systems Corporation). While the Japanese park has picked up a bit of Florida’s rapid and unapologetic growth strategy (their Back to the Future: The Ride closed in 2016 to make way for Despicable Me), we can hope that Japanese guests’ rabid enjoyment of the Jaws ride might ensure its continued presence.
That said, we can’t help but notice that the Japanese ride is located exactly adjacent to Japan’s own Wizarding World… an expansion pad that may be too convenient to pass up should the park desire its own Diagon Alley, or a copy of Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure for that matter…
Sunk
While our Lost Legend series has, until now, stuck mostly to closed Disney classics, there’s no denying that Universal’s own shuttered favorites – while decidedly different than Soarin’, Horizons, The Peoplemover, or 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea – nonetheless earn in-depth entries to preserve their experiences for future generations. That’s why we’re committed to telling the full must-read stories behind Universal’s closed rides, too.
Speaking of which, now that you’ve blasted through time, don’t forget to relive the cinematic excitement of Universal Studios Florida’s co-starring Lost Legends: Back to the Future – The Ride and KONGFRONTATION, or visit our Lost Legends collection for a full list of closed classics and more!
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Now, we need your help. In the comments below, share with us your thoughts about Jaws. The film scared a generation of Americans out of the water; was this ensuing suspenseful Disney spoof attraction enough to keep you on the edge of your seat? Or was Jaws a ride whose time had come? Whether you’re a fan of the Boy Wizard or not, do you think the Wizarding World was a worthy replacement? Or would Universal be stronger if it stuck to its roots and brought classic cinema to life? We can’t wait to hear your thoughts!