E.T. Adventure
E.T. Adventure is a suspended dark ride located at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando, Florida, United States. Primarily designed in-house by Universal Creative in collaboration with Steven Spielberg, the ride first opened to the public at Universal Studios Florida in 1990. Guests experience the iconic flying-bicycle chase scene from Spielberg's 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. They are also introduced to E.T.'s homeworld, the Green Planet, which is inspired by the 1985 novel E.T.: The Book of the Green Planet by William Kotzwinkle. Critically-acclaimed composer John Williams created an original score for the theme park ride, which also features over 300 animatronics and exotic plants designed and manufactured by the Sally Corporation.
E.T. Adventure
Operating
June 7, 1990
Removed
June 12, 1991
March 14, 2003
Removed
March 31, 2001
May 10, 2009
Suspended dark ride
- Universal Creative
- Sally Corporation
- Birket Engineering
Universal Creative
12 ft (3.7 m)
5 mph (8.0 km/h)
Bikes
12
3
4
4:30
34 in (86 cm)
Peter Alexander, a former Disney Imagineer who had earlier success with Universal's King Kong Encounter, was instrumental in the ride's development. Additional E.T. Adventure installations opened at Universal Studios Hollywood in 1991 and Universal Studios Japan in 2001, but only the original installation in Orlando remains in operation.
History[edit]
When King Kong Encounter – a Studio Tour attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood – was entering its final phase of construction in 1986,[1] Steven Spielberg met with the attraction's producer and director, Peter Alexander,[2] who was not only a former Walt Disney Imagineer but also his ex-college roommate.[1][3] He wanted to see firsthand what Universal's creative teams were capable of.[1] Spielberg had partnered with Universal in the planning of a new theme park in Orlando, Florida, but momentum for the project had stalled.[1][3] Alexander gave Spielberg a preview of the 30-foot (9.1 m) King Kong animatronic in action,[2] and he left impressed by the experience.[1][3] The attraction opened a short time later and was an immediate success, causing attendance to spike and prompting Universal to revisit plans to build the Florida theme park.[1][3]
One of the future attractions Spielberg began working on in 1989 was to be themed after his 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.[4] Alexander worked closely with Spielberg and led Universal Creative in the creation of the dark ride attraction.[5] Alexander found the task challenging, saying that the "emotional impact" of a two-hour-long film is "not easily translated into six or eight minute theme park rides".[5] During development, it was suggested that the chase scene from the film would transition into a voyage through E.T.'s homeworld, the Green Planet.[5] Spielberg liked the idea but emphasized the importance of keeping the story "personal".[5] He wanted guests to have a "personal moment" with E.T. and for the Green Planet to be depicted as a "friendly place".[5]
Following Spielberg's advice, the scenes depicting the Green Planet were designed to be both "alien" and "friendly".[5] Inspiration was drawn from E.T.: The Book of the Green Planet, a novel by William Kotzwinkle in 1985 that serves as a written sequel to the 1982 film.[6] The character Botanicus and the shape of E.T.'s home featured in the attraction were directly influenced by the book, as were the many plant-like creatures.[6] Alexander also channeled his childhood experiences with coral reefs off the coast of California, which he recalled had the appearance of an "alien landscape".[5] Underwater plant research was conducted and used by art directors to also aid in plant design.[5]
Sally Corporation was brought in to assist, designing and manufacturing over 300 animatronics and plants.[6][7] John Williams, who composed music for the theatrical film, created an original score specifically for the new attraction.[6][8]
To enhance the personal connection with guests, Alexander came up with the idea that an audio-animatronic E.T. in the final scene would thank each rider by name when saying goodbye.[9] Universal tasked Birket Engineering with the design and implementation of the computer system,[4] which can recognize as many as 20,000 names.[6][9] Guests entering the pre-show queue supply their name to a ride attendant and receive an "interplanetary passport" in return.[6][9] Each passport contains a barcode that stores a name, which is then transferred to an RFID tag on the vehicle as each rider boards, identifying all of the occupants to the computer system.[4]
The completed ride opened as E.T. Adventure during the grand opening of Universal Studios Florida in 1990. Another instance of the ride opened at Universal Studios Hollywood in 1991, followed by a third at Universal Studios Japan in 2001. The Hollywood version closed on March 14, 2003, and was replaced by Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride. The Japanese installation closed on May 10, 2009, and was replaced by Space Fantasy – The Ride. The E.T. Adventure in Orlando became the last remaining in operation and later received a refurbishment in 2017. An E.T. Adventure was expected to open at Universal Studios South Korea in 2021, but plans for the theme park were scrapped.
In 2012, the last remaining installation received new track switches by Dynamic Structures.[10][11] Over the years, the section of the theme park where the ride is situated has changed several times. It was originally located in the Expo Center of the park in 1990, an area that was split into World Expo and Woody Woodpecker's KidZone (containing E.T. Adventure) in 1999. The ride became a part of the Hollywood area in 2024 during the retheming of Woody Woodpecker's KidZone, which was renamed DreamWorks Land.
Incidents[edit]
On February 17, 1992, a 9-year-old girl injured her leg while stepping in front of a moving platform of Hollywood's version of the ride.[17] On October 15, 1996, a 28-year-old man fell 10 to 12 feet from the ride's platform in Florida while trying to step into the vehicle. He was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center and treated for his injuries.[18] In November 2004, a 35-year-old woman got her hand stuck in a safety bar of Japan's version of the ride as an employee pulled it down to secure it. The woman suffered nerve damage in her right wrist, resulting in the loss of use of two of her fingers and, ultimately, losing her job. The woman sued the park and received an out-of-court settlement in 2006.[19] On January 31, 2019, an 11-year-old boy was injured on the ride after his foot and a portion of his leg became stuck between the moving vehicle and the cement boarding platform. A lawsuit was filed by the boy's mother seeking $15,000 in damages, claiming that multiple bones were broken requiring surgery.[20][21]