Back to the Future: The Ride
Encyclopedia
Back to the Future: The Ride is a simulator ride
based on and inspired by the Back to the Future trilogy
and is a mini-sequel to 1990's Back to the Future Part III
. In the United States
, it was replaced by The Simpsons Ride
. It is located at Universal Studios Japan
, and formerly at Universal Studios Florida
and Universal Studios Hollywood
.
The ride story centers on a first-person adventure through time, in pursuit of Biff Tannen
, the trilogy's villain. Steven Spielberg
, executive producer of the movie series served as creative consultant for the ride. It is the only project in the Back to the Future franchise to star Christopher Lloyd
's character Dr. Emmett L. Brown
, as the main protagonist.
based simulator ride was first discussed in a 1986 meeting between Steven Spielberg
and Totally Fun Company president Peter N. Alexander on the Universal Studios Hollywood
backlot on the eve of the debut of the King Kong Encounter
scene for the park's Studio Tour. Spielberg recalled how his friend George Lucas
had just taken him for a ride on Lucas' Star Tours
ride at Disneyland, telling Spielberg that "Universal
could never create rides as good as Disney
can". Spielberg requested that Alexander see what he can do with a simulator ride
concept of Back to the Future. At the time, the proposed concept of the Universal Studios Florida
project was put on hold and considered to be dead, and, according to Alexander, Spielberg's suggestion helped to bring the project back to life.
During its trial phase, the ride was tested in the OMNIMAX Theatre inside the Expo '86 / Science World (Vancouver) building in Vancouver, BC.
The original attraction opened on May 2, 1991, at Universal Studios Florida
. Back To The Future The Ride also opened on June 2, 1993 at Universal Studios Hollywood
and on March 31, 2001 at Universal Studios Japan
. The ride was actually planned to open in Orlando and Hollywood at the same time but due to foundation problems with the measurement of the ceiling, the Hollywood version opened 2 years later. The original ride in Orlando enjoyed almost sixteen years of constant operation before its final closure, to little fanfare, on March 30, 2007, after operating at half capacity for over three months.
The buildings for Florida and California had completely different layouts. In Florida the two arenas were back to back. Designers found that this led to some operational problems so the California building was designed so that the arenas were on opposite ends of the building with the queue and pre-show in between them. The California building was also built upon huge rollers as opposed to being anchored into the ground as a precaution for earthquakes.
The Hollywood ride publicly closed on Labor Day
, September 3, 2007. In commemoration of its final month of operation, a special event was held with Christopher Lloyd
and Bob Gale
beginning the countdown to the ride's closure in early August 2007. Additionally, a contest was announced with the grand prize winner receiving a classic 1981 De Lorean DMC-12
vehicle. The ride at Universal Studios Japan
is still open, with no plans for closure.
Back to the Future: The Ride became a staple attraction, let alone one of the most popular and favorite attractions in the park's history. A new attraction based on the animated sitcom The Simpsons
, known officially as The Simpsons Ride
, replaced the BTTF ride at Universal Studios Florida
on May 15, 2008 and at Universal Studios Hollywood
on May 19, 2008. One of the preshow clips in that ride cameos Doc Brown as tribute to Back to the Future: The Ride (see below).
tape and sold bootleg
copies of it. He was later fired and arrested, but, copies can still be found in online auctions, and some footage has been posted on YouTube. As a result, in February 2009, Universal included all of the queue, pre-show and ride footage on the 2009 DVD rerelease of Back to the Future
as part of a second bonus disc. The DVD release includes some minor edits in the queue video portions.
As a result of the editing, the music played during the queue videos has been removed, and a section when Brown asks volunteers if they have seen Biff has also been removed. The pre-time travel systems check section of the pre-flight video has also been removed. In the main ride portion on the DVD release, the DeLorean based vehicle and ride cabin is virtually re-created (not totally accurate to the ride's dashboard). The time travel coordinates bear May 2, 1991 as the starting date in the beginning of the portion, which was the opening of the Florida attraction as well as the fictional opening of the Institute within the ride. All of the pre-show and ride footage have been included as a special feature on the 2010 Blu-ray release.
, Doc Brown and his family Clara, Jules, Verne and Einstein have moved from the Old West to the present time in Hill Valley where, in 1991, Brown founds the Institute of Future Technology, a scientific Institute specializing in his "futuristic" inventions. On May 2, 1991 (the opening of the Florida attraction) Brown invites tourists into the Institute as "volunteers" in order to test out his newest invention; the eight-passenger DeLorean time machine by traveling one day into the future.
Meanwhile, Doc Brown travels to 2015 in order to make sure the space time continuum is back to normal after the events of his previous time traveling adventures, while his other Institute scientists travel to 1885 and to 1955. However, in 1955, Biff Tannen
stows away on the IFT scientists time machine, hitching a ride back to the present day Institute, which sets up the ride's main storyline.
Where also Heather (The IFT receptionist) welcomes you with open arms in mini pop ups during video feeds of Doc. Brown and his inventions.
's fictional Institute of Future Technology. Brown explains that the plan is for them to travel one day into the future, but that caution must be exercised as Biff Tannen, who was graduated from the Hill Valley High School in 1955, has escaped his time period and is now running amok in the space-time continuum. Once inside, Doc Brown reveals some of the inventions he has been working on, including his "crowning achievement" - an 8-passenger De Lorean
time machine (also a convertible), which is what the riders will be using in the experiment. Unbeknownst to Doc Brown, however, Tannen has infiltrated the Institute - he appears to the riders, asking for assistance in finding Brown's time machine. Heather then announces that the pre-flight system checks is in progress and tells the visitors to stand by for an announcement from Dr. Brown.
Tannen traps Doc Brown in his office, and it is revealed that he escaped 1955 when employees of the IFT took the Time Train to 1955 for an experiment; Tannen stowed away when they made the return journey. He steals the time machine and vanishes into time. Frantic, Brown pleads with the visitors to assist him and says that the only way to bring Biff back to the present day is to accelerate to 88 miles per hour and bump him (which will open a time vortex that will send both time vehicles back to their original point of departure); they enter the 8-passenger time vehicle, led by one of Doc Brown's Assistants, after going over final safety instructions (safety tips posed by Heather who concludes by saying, "Enjoy your flight!"). Doc then informs the passengers with some helpful advice saying that the time vehicle Biff had stolen has a sub-ether time-tracking scanner; that way whatever time period Biff may be, the 8-passenger vehicle will pin-point to that exact location. They then follow Tannen into time.
. The riders follow, and slowly lower into the icy caverns of the ice age. Biff honks his horn, causing an avalanche that damages the riders' vehicle. Flying out of the caverns, the car sees Biff shoot away into time, but their own engine has failed, and begins to plummet down a waterfall. Brown manages to restart the vehicle, accelerating backward and through time into the Cretaceous Period.
Upon arriving, the clock display on the De Lorean's dashboard blinks 12:00, as a reference to a videocassette recorder
that has lost power. The riders follow Biff's vehicle into a dormant volcano in which a Tyrannosaurus
is discovered. Tannen goads it into attacking the riders, who barely escape. The dinosaur strikes Tannen's car, sending it flying out of control; the dinosaur then swallows the riders' car, but spits it out mere seconds later. The riders then drop down onto a lava river to see Biff's DeLorean, now damaged and unable to manoeuvre, moving down an active lava
flow toward the edge of a cliff, with Biff pleading help from Doc. Brown. As both vehicles plunge over the edge, the riders' car accelerates to time travel speed and bumps Tannen's, sending both of them back through the vortex to the original point of departure - the present, at the Institute of Future Technology, where Biff gets out, thanks the riders and Dr. Brown for saving his life (although it's quite obvious that he wasn't happy he was captured), but is soon grabbed by security and taken away. Riders exit the vehicle, as Brown thanks them and reminds them that "the future is what you make it!". An animated logo of Institute of Future Technology flashes up on the screen with the words "Please lift lap bar and exit" and after a few seconds the voice of Doc Emmett Brown can be heard again warning "Hurry up! Get out! Before you meet yourself coming in!." As guests leave, the song "Back in Time
" plays.
filming. The miniature sets were large, with the replica 2015 buildings as large as half a grown man, and the T-Rex model being about 7 feet tall. The ride in Florida and Hollywood were supposed to open at the same time in 1991 but due to foundation problems with Hollywood's building, it had to be rebuilt and the ride in Florida opened up without its west coast cousin while the Hollywood one opened up nearly 2 years later. The Institute of Future Technology that the riders crash into at the end of the ride was actually a model of the Florida's version of the building.
The modified DMC that was outside of the BTTF giftshop (Now a Kwik-E-Mart
) was being used at the Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure at Universal Studios Florida's Halloween Horror Nights in 2007. In homage to the attraction, on the previous construction walls of The Simpsons Ride
, the Comic Book Guy
wore Marty's futuristic jacket from 2015 from Back to the Future Part II
. Also, in the line satirical video for the new ride, an animated Doc Brown (voiced by Christopher Lloyd
) attempts to borrow money from a loan office to save the Institute of Future Technology. However, Professor Frink
crashes back in time in a DeLorean and crushes the banker, and Doc is upset that he must "sell the Institute of Future Technology to that mercenary clown!". At Rock the Universe
2006, an annual Christian rock festival held at Universal every September, Relient K
lead singer Matt Thiessen asked the fans to ride Back to the Future while it was still open, as they learned earlier that day it was closing. Each band is taken on a tour through the park every year.
The Jules Verne time train from the third film was also on display outside the Orlando ride until it was removed on July 24, 2007. After being sighted in various prop warehouses, it is now back on display, freshly painted outside Soundstage 44 with the DeLorean.
and other historical figures; and a "live" video feed from 2015 in which Brown explains the experiment.
The ride was a motion simulator
with the cars located under a 70-foot (21.3–m) IMAX Dome screen. Each of the 24 cars (12 per dome) was mounted on three pistons, allowing it to rise, fall and tilt, following the motion on the screen. The cars were arranged on three tiers and were staggered to prevent riders from seeing the other vehicles in the theater. The front section of the cars rose eight feet (2.4 m) out of the "garage" when "flying". The actual range of motion from the simulator base was about two feet (0.6 m) in any direction. The motion and the visual input from the screen images combined to make the riders feel as if they are in a high-speed pursuit.
The ride was actually composed of two IMAX Dome screens with cars arranged around them. The experience of both was identical, but the ride enjoyed a very reliable in-service record as a result. If one screen or "dome" is shut down by a mechanical problem, the other ordinarily remains in service. This increases wait times, but essentially eliminated a complete shutdown of the ride as a whole.
Simulator ride
Simulator rides are a type of amusement park ride, where the audience is shown a movie while their seats move to correspond to the action on screen.-History:...
based on and inspired by the Back to the Future trilogy
Back to the Future trilogy
The Back to the Future trilogy is a comedic science fiction adventure film series written by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis, directed by Zemeckis, produced by Amblin Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures. The main plot follows the adventures of a high school student Marty McFly and...
and is a mini-sequel to 1990's Back to the Future Part III
Back to the Future Part III
Back to the Future Part III is a 1990 American science fiction comedy Western film. It is the third installment of the Back to the Future trilogy. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Mary Steenburgen, Thomas F. Wilson and Lea Thompson. The film...
. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, it was replaced by The Simpsons Ride
The Simpsons Ride
The Simpsons Ride is a simulator ride featured at the Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood theme parks. The ride is based on the animated television series The Simpsons. It was first announced in 2007 and replaced the Back to the Future: The Ride at both locations...
. It is located at Universal Studios Japan
Universal Studios Japan
, located in Osaka, is one of four Universal Studios theme parks, owned and operated by USJ Co., Ltd. . The park is similar to Universal Orlando Resort, since it contains many of the same rides. Most visitors are Japanese tourists or tourists from other Asian countries such as Taiwan, Hong Kong,...
, and formerly at Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida is an American theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Opened on June 7, 1990, the park's theme is the entertainment industry, in particular movies and television. Universal Studios Florida inspires its guests to "ride the movies," and it features numerous attractions and...
and Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood is a movie studio and theme park in the unincorporated Universal City community of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is one of the oldest and most famous Hollywood movie studios still in use...
.
The ride story centers on a first-person adventure through time, in pursuit of Biff Tannen
Biff Tannen
Biff Howard Tannen is a character in the Back to the Future trilogy, serving as the primary antagonist of the first two films. He is played by Thomas F. Wilson in all three films as well as the ride, and Wilson voiced the character in the animated series....
, the trilogy's villain. Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
, executive producer of the movie series served as creative consultant for the ride. It is the only project in the Back to the Future franchise to star Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Allen Lloyd is an American actor. He is best known for playing Emmett Brown in the Back to the Future trilogy, Uncle Fester in The Addams Family and Addams Family Values, and Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. He played Reverend Jim Ignatowski in the television series Taxi and more...
's character Dr. Emmett L. Brown
Emmett Brown
Doctor Emmett Lathrop "Doc" Brown, Ph.D. is a fictional character and one of the lead characters in the Back to the Future film trilogy, in which he is the inventor of the first time machine, which he builds out of a DeLorean sports car...
, as the main protagonist.
History
The idea of a Back to the FutureBack to the Future
Back to the Future is a 1985 American science-fiction adventure film. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, produced by Steven Spielberg, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover and Thomas F. Wilson. The film tells the story of...
based simulator ride was first discussed in a 1986 meeting between Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
and Totally Fun Company president Peter N. Alexander on the Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood is a movie studio and theme park in the unincorporated Universal City community of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is one of the oldest and most famous Hollywood movie studios still in use...
backlot on the eve of the debut of the King Kong Encounter
King Kong Encounter
King Kong Encounter was an attraction formerly part of the Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood. The scene, located amongst the New York Street backlot sets in the heart of the studios, was destroyed by a massive fire in 2008, and was replaced by King Kong: 360 3-D, which was opened on 1 July...
scene for the park's Studio Tour. Spielberg recalled how his friend George Lucas
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
had just taken him for a ride on Lucas' Star Tours
Star Tours
Star Tours is a motion simulator attraction currently operating at Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris. The ride is based on the successful Star Wars film series created by George Lucas, making it the first Disney attraction based on a non-Disney produced film.The first...
ride at Disneyland, telling Spielberg that "Universal
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
could never create rides as good as Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
can". Spielberg requested that Alexander see what he can do with a simulator ride
Simulator ride
Simulator rides are a type of amusement park ride, where the audience is shown a movie while their seats move to correspond to the action on screen.-History:...
concept of Back to the Future. At the time, the proposed concept of the Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida is an American theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Opened on June 7, 1990, the park's theme is the entertainment industry, in particular movies and television. Universal Studios Florida inspires its guests to "ride the movies," and it features numerous attractions and...
project was put on hold and considered to be dead, and, according to Alexander, Spielberg's suggestion helped to bring the project back to life.
During its trial phase, the ride was tested in the OMNIMAX Theatre inside the Expo '86 / Science World (Vancouver) building in Vancouver, BC.
The original attraction opened on May 2, 1991, at Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida is an American theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Opened on June 7, 1990, the park's theme is the entertainment industry, in particular movies and television. Universal Studios Florida inspires its guests to "ride the movies," and it features numerous attractions and...
. Back To The Future The Ride also opened on June 2, 1993 at Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood is a movie studio and theme park in the unincorporated Universal City community of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is one of the oldest and most famous Hollywood movie studios still in use...
and on March 31, 2001 at Universal Studios Japan
Universal Studios Japan
, located in Osaka, is one of four Universal Studios theme parks, owned and operated by USJ Co., Ltd. . The park is similar to Universal Orlando Resort, since it contains many of the same rides. Most visitors are Japanese tourists or tourists from other Asian countries such as Taiwan, Hong Kong,...
. The ride was actually planned to open in Orlando and Hollywood at the same time but due to foundation problems with the measurement of the ceiling, the Hollywood version opened 2 years later. The original ride in Orlando enjoyed almost sixteen years of constant operation before its final closure, to little fanfare, on March 30, 2007, after operating at half capacity for over three months.
The buildings for Florida and California had completely different layouts. In Florida the two arenas were back to back. Designers found that this led to some operational problems so the California building was designed so that the arenas were on opposite ends of the building with the queue and pre-show in between them. The California building was also built upon huge rollers as opposed to being anchored into the ground as a precaution for earthquakes.
The Hollywood ride publicly closed on Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
, September 3, 2007. In commemoration of its final month of operation, a special event was held with Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Allen Lloyd is an American actor. He is best known for playing Emmett Brown in the Back to the Future trilogy, Uncle Fester in The Addams Family and Addams Family Values, and Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. He played Reverend Jim Ignatowski in the television series Taxi and more...
and Bob Gale
Bob Gale
Michael Robert "Bob" Gale is an American screenwriter who co-wrote the science fiction film Back to the Future with writing partner Robert Zemeckis, and the screenplays for the film's two sequels. Gale also co-produced all three films....
beginning the countdown to the ride's closure in early August 2007. Additionally, a contest was announced with the grand prize winner receiving a classic 1981 De Lorean DMC-12
De Lorean DMC-12
The DeLorean DMC-12 is a sports car originally manufactured in Dunmurry, a suburb west of Belfast, Northern Ireland by John DeLorean's DeLorean Motor Company for the American market in 1981-82. Most commonly known as the DeLorean, it was the only model produced by the company which would go into...
vehicle. The ride at Universal Studios Japan
Universal Studios Japan
, located in Osaka, is one of four Universal Studios theme parks, owned and operated by USJ Co., Ltd. . The park is similar to Universal Orlando Resort, since it contains many of the same rides. Most visitors are Japanese tourists or tourists from other Asian countries such as Taiwan, Hong Kong,...
is still open, with no plans for closure.
Back to the Future: The Ride became a staple attraction, let alone one of the most popular and favorite attractions in the park's history. A new attraction based on the animated sitcom The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, known officially as The Simpsons Ride
The Simpsons Ride
The Simpsons Ride is a simulator ride featured at the Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood theme parks. The ride is based on the animated television series The Simpsons. It was first announced in 2007 and replaced the Back to the Future: The Ride at both locations...
, replaced the BTTF ride at Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida is an American theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Opened on June 7, 1990, the park's theme is the entertainment industry, in particular movies and television. Universal Studios Florida inspires its guests to "ride the movies," and it features numerous attractions and...
on May 15, 2008 and at Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood is a movie studio and theme park in the unincorporated Universal City community of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is one of the oldest and most famous Hollywood movie studios still in use...
on May 19, 2008. One of the preshow clips in that ride cameos Doc Brown as tribute to Back to the Future: The Ride (see below).
Home media
About two years after the ride opened, one of the ride employees recorded the entire ride projector footage, in-car footage, and pre-ride line footage from the master laser discs to a VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
tape and sold bootleg
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
copies of it. He was later fired and arrested, but, copies can still be found in online auctions, and some footage has been posted on YouTube. As a result, in February 2009, Universal included all of the queue, pre-show and ride footage on the 2009 DVD rerelease of Back to the Future
Back to the Future
Back to the Future is a 1985 American science-fiction adventure film. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, produced by Steven Spielberg, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover and Thomas F. Wilson. The film tells the story of...
as part of a second bonus disc. The DVD release includes some minor edits in the queue video portions.
As a result of the editing, the music played during the queue videos has been removed, and a section when Brown asks volunteers if they have seen Biff has also been removed. The pre-time travel systems check section of the pre-flight video has also been removed. In the main ride portion on the DVD release, the DeLorean based vehicle and ride cabin is virtually re-created (not totally accurate to the ride's dashboard). The time travel coordinates bear May 2, 1991 as the starting date in the beginning of the portion, which was the opening of the Florida attraction as well as the fictional opening of the Institute within the ride. All of the pre-show and ride footage have been included as a special feature on the 2010 Blu-ray release.
Plot
Following the events of Back to the Future Part IIIBack to the Future Part III
Back to the Future Part III is a 1990 American science fiction comedy Western film. It is the third installment of the Back to the Future trilogy. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Mary Steenburgen, Thomas F. Wilson and Lea Thompson. The film...
, Doc Brown and his family Clara, Jules, Verne and Einstein have moved from the Old West to the present time in Hill Valley where, in 1991, Brown founds the Institute of Future Technology, a scientific Institute specializing in his "futuristic" inventions. On May 2, 1991 (the opening of the Florida attraction) Brown invites tourists into the Institute as "volunteers" in order to test out his newest invention; the eight-passenger DeLorean time machine by traveling one day into the future.
Meanwhile, Doc Brown travels to 2015 in order to make sure the space time continuum is back to normal after the events of his previous time traveling adventures, while his other Institute scientists travel to 1885 and to 1955. However, in 1955, Biff Tannen
Biff Tannen
Biff Howard Tannen is a character in the Back to the Future trilogy, serving as the primary antagonist of the first two films. He is played by Thomas F. Wilson in all three films as well as the ride, and Wilson voiced the character in the animated series....
stows away on the IFT scientists time machine, hitching a ride back to the present day Institute, which sets up the ride's main storyline.
Queue
Visitors to the Institute wait outside the facility, where TV monitors showed a live video feed of Doc. Brown in 2015, as well as videos detailing Brown's inventions.Where also Heather (The IFT receptionist) welcomes you with open arms in mini pop ups during video feeds of Doc. Brown and his inventions.
Pre-show
Riders enter the ride as "volunteers" for a time travel experiment at Emmett BrownEmmett Brown
Doctor Emmett Lathrop "Doc" Brown, Ph.D. is a fictional character and one of the lead characters in the Back to the Future film trilogy, in which he is the inventor of the first time machine, which he builds out of a DeLorean sports car...
's fictional Institute of Future Technology. Brown explains that the plan is for them to travel one day into the future, but that caution must be exercised as Biff Tannen, who was graduated from the Hill Valley High School in 1955, has escaped his time period and is now running amok in the space-time continuum. Once inside, Doc Brown reveals some of the inventions he has been working on, including his "crowning achievement" - an 8-passenger De Lorean
De Lorean DMC-12
The DeLorean DMC-12 is a sports car originally manufactured in Dunmurry, a suburb west of Belfast, Northern Ireland by John DeLorean's DeLorean Motor Company for the American market in 1981-82. Most commonly known as the DeLorean, it was the only model produced by the company which would go into...
time machine (also a convertible), which is what the riders will be using in the experiment. Unbeknownst to Doc Brown, however, Tannen has infiltrated the Institute - he appears to the riders, asking for assistance in finding Brown's time machine. Heather then announces that the pre-flight system checks is in progress and tells the visitors to stand by for an announcement from Dr. Brown.
Tannen traps Doc Brown in his office, and it is revealed that he escaped 1955 when employees of the IFT took the Time Train to 1955 for an experiment; Tannen stowed away when they made the return journey. He steals the time machine and vanishes into time. Frantic, Brown pleads with the visitors to assist him and says that the only way to bring Biff back to the present day is to accelerate to 88 miles per hour and bump him (which will open a time vortex that will send both time vehicles back to their original point of departure); they enter the 8-passenger time vehicle, led by one of Doc Brown's Assistants, after going over final safety instructions (safety tips posed by Heather who concludes by saying, "Enjoy your flight!"). Doc then informs the passengers with some helpful advice saying that the time vehicle Biff had stolen has a sub-ether time-tracking scanner; that way whatever time period Biff may be, the 8-passenger vehicle will pin-point to that exact location. They then follow Tannen into time.
Ride
When the doors of the time machine close, Dr. Brown uses his remote control to control the time machine, hovers it, and accelerates to 88 miles per hour (with electric sparks coming from the time machine and speeding through the open door and blasting through the wormhole) and the ride begins. First, Biff leads the riders to Hill Valley in 2015, where they chase him through town. They smash into neon signs, flying over neighbourhoods and the town square, the chase culminating at the iconic clock tower. He then departs for the ice ageIce age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
. The riders follow, and slowly lower into the icy caverns of the ice age. Biff honks his horn, causing an avalanche that damages the riders' vehicle. Flying out of the caverns, the car sees Biff shoot away into time, but their own engine has failed, and begins to plummet down a waterfall. Brown manages to restart the vehicle, accelerating backward and through time into the Cretaceous Period.
Upon arriving, the clock display on the De Lorean's dashboard blinks 12:00, as a reference to a videocassette recorder
Videocassette recorder
The videocassette recorder , is a type of electro-mechanical device that uses removable videocassettes that contain magnetic tape for recording analog audio and analog video from broadcast television so that the images and sound can be played back at a more convenient time...
that has lost power. The riders follow Biff's vehicle into a dormant volcano in which a Tyrannosaurus
Tyrannosaurus
Tyrannosaurus meaning "tyrant," and sauros meaning "lizard") is a genus of coelurosaurian theropod dinosaur. The species Tyrannosaurus rex , commonly abbreviated to T. rex, is a fixture in popular culture. It lived throughout what is now western North America, with a much wider range than other...
is discovered. Tannen goads it into attacking the riders, who barely escape. The dinosaur strikes Tannen's car, sending it flying out of control; the dinosaur then swallows the riders' car, but spits it out mere seconds later. The riders then drop down onto a lava river to see Biff's DeLorean, now damaged and unable to manoeuvre, moving down an active lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
flow toward the edge of a cliff, with Biff pleading help from Doc. Brown. As both vehicles plunge over the edge, the riders' car accelerates to time travel speed and bumps Tannen's, sending both of them back through the vortex to the original point of departure - the present, at the Institute of Future Technology, where Biff gets out, thanks the riders and Dr. Brown for saving his life (although it's quite obvious that he wasn't happy he was captured), but is soon grabbed by security and taken away. Riders exit the vehicle, as Brown thanks them and reminds them that "the future is what you make it!". An animated logo of Institute of Future Technology flashes up on the screen with the words "Please lift lap bar and exit" and after a few seconds the voice of Doc Emmett Brown can be heard again warning "Hurry up! Get out! Before you meet yourself coming in!." As guests leave, the song "Back in Time
Back in Time
"Back in Time" is a song by Huey Lewis and the News written for and featured in the 1985 film Back to the Future. The song is heard near the end of the film when Marty McFly wakes up to the song playing on the radio while in his own bed after returning from 1955. It is also played during the...
" plays.
Cast and crew
English cast
- Christopher LloydChristopher LloydChristopher Allen Lloyd is an American actor. He is best known for playing Emmett Brown in the Back to the Future trilogy, Uncle Fester in The Addams Family and Addams Family Values, and Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. He played Reverend Jim Ignatowski in the television series Taxi and more...
as Dr. Emmett L. BrownEmmett BrownDoctor Emmett Lathrop "Doc" Brown, Ph.D. is a fictional character and one of the lead characters in the Back to the Future film trilogy, in which he is the inventor of the first time machine, which he builds out of a DeLorean sports car... - Thomas F. WilsonThomas F. WilsonThomas F. Wilson is an American actor, writer, musician, painter, voice-over artist and stand-up comedian. He is best known for playing Biff Tannen in the Back to the Future trilogy and Coach Ben Fredricks on NBC's Freaks and Geeks.-Early life:Thomas Francis Wilson, Jr. was...
as Biff TannenBiff TannenBiff Howard Tannen is a character in the Back to the Future trilogy, serving as the primary antagonist of the first two films. He is played by Thomas F. Wilson in all three films as well as the ride, and Wilson voiced the character in the animated series.... - Darlene VogelDarlene VogelDarlene Vogel , is an American actress who was a model and did commercials before getting into acting.-Career:...
as Heather, IFT receptionist - Douglas TrumbullDouglas TrumbullDouglas Huntley Trumbull is an American film director, special effects supervisor, and inventor. He contributed to, or was responsible for, the special photographic effects of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Blade Runner and The Tree of...
as the IFT scientist - Michael Klastorin as the IFT security guard
- David de Vos as IFT scientist
- Freddie as Einstein
Japanese cast
- Takeshi AonoTakeshi Aonois a Japanese voice actor and actor from Asahikawa, Hokkaidō affiliated with Aoni Production. He graduated from Hokkaidō Asahikawa Higashi High School....
as Dr. Emmett L. BrownEmmett BrownDoctor Emmett Lathrop "Doc" Brown, Ph.D. is a fictional character and one of the lead characters in the Back to the Future film trilogy, in which he is the inventor of the first time machine, which he builds out of a DeLorean sports car... - Takashi TaniguchiTakashi Taniguchiis a Japanese voice actor from Hokkaidō. He is currently attached to Office Ōsawa.-Television animation:*Hellsing *One Piece *Rocket Girls *Tales of the Abyss...
as Biff TannenBiff TannenBiff Howard Tannen is a character in the Back to the Future trilogy, serving as the primary antagonist of the first two films. He is played by Thomas F. Wilson in all three films as well as the ride, and Wilson voiced the character in the animated series.... - Ayako Sasaki as Heather, IFT receptionist
- Tetsuo GotoTetsuo Gotois a Japanese seiyū from Gifu Prefecture.-Animation:*Angel Heart *Cyborg 009 *Death Note *Dinosaur King *Gallery Fake *The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy...
as the IFT scientist - Masashi Hirohaka as the IFT security guard
- Hironori MiyataHironori Miyatais a Japanese voice actor from Kōchi Prefecture, who is currently affiliated with Arts Vision. He is best known for his roles in Chiisai Kojin Microman and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess .-Television animation:...
as IFT scientist - Teruyuki Kagawa as Einstein
Crew
- Ride Film Directed by: Douglas TrumbullDouglas TrumbullDouglas Huntley Trumbull is an American film director, special effects supervisor, and inventor. He contributed to, or was responsible for, the special photographic effects of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Blade Runner and The Tree of...
- Pre-Show Directed by: David deVos
- Written by: Peyton ReedPeyton ReedPeyton Reed is an American television and film director.Reed was born in Raleigh, North Carolina and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Reed directed the motion pictures Bring It On, Down with Love, and The Break-Up; all comedy films...
- Music Composed by: Alan SilvestriAlan SilvestriAlan Anthony Silvestri is an American film composer and conductor.-Career:Silvestri is best known for his collaborations with director Robert Zemeckis, having scored Romancing the Stone , the Back to the Future trilogy , Who Framed Roger Rabbit , Death Becomes Her , Forrest Gump , Contact ,...
- Executive Produced, Created and Written by: Peter AlexanderPeter AlexanderPeter Alexander Ferdinand Maximilian Neumayer , commonly known as Peter Alexander, was an Austrian actor, singer and entertainer. His fame emerged in the 1950s and 1960s through popular film comedies and successful recordings, predominantly of Schlager and operetta repertory...
- Produced by: Craig Barr, Phil Hettema and Terry Winnick
- Production Executives: Jay Stein and Barry Upson
- Based on characters created by: Robert ZemeckisRobert ZemeckisRobert Lee Zemeckis is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Zemeckis first came to public attention in the 1980s as the director of the comedic time-travel Back to the Future film series, as well as the Academy Award-winning live-action/animation epic Who Framed Roger Rabbit ,...
and Bob GaleBob GaleMichael Robert "Bob" Gale is an American screenwriter who co-wrote the science fiction film Back to the Future with writing partner Robert Zemeckis, and the screenplays for the film's two sequels. Gale also co-produced all three films.... - Creative Consultant: Steven SpielbergSteven SpielbergSteven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
- Designed by: Universal CreativeUniversal CreativeUniversal Creative is the research and development group responsible for designing rides and attractions for Universal Studios Theme Parks.It is Universal's equivalent of Walt Disney Imagineering. From 1968 until 1997, Universal Creative was known as MCA Planning and Development...
, Totally Fun CompanyTotally Fun CompanyTheme Park design company started by Peter Alexander, former Disney Imagineer, Universal Studios creative executive and Six Flags Executive Producer, based in Tampa, Florida.Disney and Universal...
and Birkshire Ridefilm - Distributed by: Universal StudiosUniversal StudiosUniversal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
Additional notes
- Although Brown's wife, Clara Clayton, does not appear in the ride, a picture of her with Doc can be seen in his office in the pre-show video as well as in the pre-flight briefing room.
- Michael J. FoxMichael J. FoxMichael J. Fox, OC is a Canadian American actor, author, producer, activist and voice-over artist. With a film and television career spanning from the late 1970s, Fox's roles have included Marty McFly from the Back to the Future trilogy ; Alex P...
was asked to reprise his role as Marty McFlyMarty McFlyMartin Seamus "Marty" McFly, Sr. is the protagonist in the Back to the Future film trilogy, and is portrayed by actor Michael J. Fox. Marty was also the protagonist in the animated series where he was voiced by David Kaufman...
in the ride as Doc's personal assistant and test volunteer, but he turned it down. He can still be seen in the queue video, within archive footage of the Back to the Future movies.
Production and history
Although Back to the Future creators Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale had no involvement with the ride, they were consulted as to whether they "got Doc right". The two responded with a "yes". They have also commented that "it's a great ride." In addition, references are made to a "Zemeckis-Gale diagram" and "Gale-Zemeckis Coordinates." When the ride footage was made, computer animation was not widely used, so all the special effects, sets and other things in the ride footage were actually very detailed miniature sets recorded in stop motionStop motion
Stop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
filming. The miniature sets were large, with the replica 2015 buildings as large as half a grown man, and the T-Rex model being about 7 feet tall. The ride in Florida and Hollywood were supposed to open at the same time in 1991 but due to foundation problems with Hollywood's building, it had to be rebuilt and the ride in Florida opened up without its west coast cousin while the Hollywood one opened up nearly 2 years later. The Institute of Future Technology that the riders crash into at the end of the ride was actually a model of the Florida's version of the building.
The modified DMC that was outside of the BTTF giftshop (Now a Kwik-E-Mart
Kwik-E-Mart
The Kwik-E-Mart is a fictional chain of convenience stores in the animated television series The Simpsons. It is a parody of American convenience store chains, such as 7-Eleven and Circle K, and represents many myths and stereotypes of them. It is notorious for its high prices and the poor quality...
) was being used at the Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure at Universal Studios Florida's Halloween Horror Nights in 2007. In homage to the attraction, on the previous construction walls of The Simpsons Ride
The Simpsons Ride
The Simpsons Ride is a simulator ride featured at the Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood theme parks. The ride is based on the animated television series The Simpsons. It was first announced in 2007 and replaced the Back to the Future: The Ride at both locations...
, the Comic Book Guy
Comic Book Guy
Comic Book Guy is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria, and first appeared in the second-season episode "Three Men and a Comic Book", which originally aired on May 9, 1991. He is the proprietor of a comic book store, The...
wore Marty's futuristic jacket from 2015 from Back to the Future Part II
Back to the Future Part II
Back to the Future Part II is a 1989 American science fiction comedy film and the second installment of the Back to the Future trilogy. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Thomas F. Wilson and Lea Thompson...
. Also, in the line satirical video for the new ride, an animated Doc Brown (voiced by Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Allen Lloyd is an American actor. He is best known for playing Emmett Brown in the Back to the Future trilogy, Uncle Fester in The Addams Family and Addams Family Values, and Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. He played Reverend Jim Ignatowski in the television series Taxi and more...
) attempts to borrow money from a loan office to save the Institute of Future Technology. However, Professor Frink
Professor Frink
Professor John Nerdelbaum Frink, Jr., or simply Professor Frink, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria, and first appeared in the 1991 episode "Old Money". Frink is Springfield's nerdy scientist and professor and is extremely...
crashes back in time in a DeLorean and crushes the banker, and Doc is upset that he must "sell the Institute of Future Technology to that mercenary clown!". At Rock the Universe
Rock the Universe
Rock the Universe is an annual Christian rock festival that takes place at Universal Studios Florida. It started in 1998, and it normally takes place in the first or second week of September.The festival has had three main stages over the years...
2006, an annual Christian rock festival held at Universal every September, Relient K
Relient K
Relient K is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio by Matt Thiessen, Brian Pittman, and Matt Hoopes during the band's junior year in high school and their time at Malone University...
lead singer Matt Thiessen asked the fans to ride Back to the Future while it was still open, as they learned earlier that day it was closing. Each band is taken on a tour through the park every year.
Memorabilia
In keeping with the theme of the ride, many prop-replicas from the Back to the Future films are on display as guests line up. Notable items include the hover boards from the second and third movies and letters from Doc Brown to Marty McFly. The locomotive from the third film and one of the modified DeLoreans were on display outside the rides; the DeLorean outside the Orlando ride was removed on September 3, 2007, later to be seen with the Doc Brown character driving it until it was put on display outside of Soundstage 54.The Jules Verne time train from the third film was also on display outside the Orlando ride until it was removed on July 24, 2007. After being sighted in various prop warehouses, it is now back on display, freshly painted outside Soundstage 44 with the DeLorean.
Queue video
The queue video features clips from the Back to the Future trilogy, as well as new footage featuring Dr. Brown. It features diagrams for other innovations, ostensibly created by Brown; newsreel footage of Doc with Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
and other historical figures; and a "live" video feed from 2015 in which Brown explains the experiment.
Physical setup
Motion simulator
A motion simulator or motion platform is a mechanism that encapsulates occupants and creates the effect/feelings of being in a moving vehicle...
with the cars located under a 70-foot (21.3–m) IMAX Dome screen. Each of the 24 cars (12 per dome) was mounted on three pistons, allowing it to rise, fall and tilt, following the motion on the screen. The cars were arranged on three tiers and were staggered to prevent riders from seeing the other vehicles in the theater. The front section of the cars rose eight feet (2.4 m) out of the "garage" when "flying". The actual range of motion from the simulator base was about two feet (0.6 m) in any direction. The motion and the visual input from the screen images combined to make the riders feel as if they are in a high-speed pursuit.
The ride was actually composed of two IMAX Dome screens with cars arranged around them. The experience of both was identical, but the ride enjoyed a very reliable in-service record as a result. If one screen or "dome" is shut down by a mechanical problem, the other ordinarily remains in service. This increases wait times, but essentially eliminated a complete shutdown of the ride as a whole.
External links
- BTTF.com - A website devoted to the movie trilogy as well as the ride
- Back to the Future: The Ride Fan Site
- Photos and Description of Back to the Future: The Ride in Hollywood
- Back to the Future: The Ride Tribute Page
- Berkshire Ridefilm 1991 company brochure with film production photos