Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood, like many theme parks, are in a
constant state of change as rides are swapped out to entice repeat visitors from around
the world.
So in May of 2008 each park marked the opening of The Simpsons Ride, a technologically updated
high thrill adventure that would quickly turn into a runaway.
Welcome to Amusement Labs where today I’ll show you the history, engineering and technology
behind the ride system and effects on The Simpsons Ride.
This video is sponsored by generous patrons, especially Levi Valentine, Felix Monteza and
Brandon Wiggins at patreon.com / amusement labs.
Located at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood in California,
The Simpsons Ride is a projection and motion based simulator dark ride located in the Springfield
Area of both parks.
This 4 and a half minute ride drops guests right into the cartoonish chaos of the long
running animated sitcom, The Simpsons.
Riders are loaded into 8 seater cars and thrust into the madness featuring cameos by nearly
2 dozen series characters on an escape from Sideshow Bob through Krustyland and around
Springfield.
Universal began the process of bringing the Simpsons Ride to both parks in 2006 by closing
the then nearly 15 year old Back to the Future The Ride even though the new ride was not
yet formalized.
Each building received a massive overhaul converting the grey Institute of Future Technology
to Krustyland painting the entire building purple with red ornaments.
The Plot The plot begins when guests enter a carnival
style rendition of Krustyland, Krusty the Clown’s infamous completely safe and family
friendly amusement park.
After queuing and being sent to 1 of 3 floors you arrive at a staging area where Krusty
explains that Sideshow Bob, a disgruntled former employee who framed Krusty for robbery
and was caught by Bart Simpson, has escaped.
After this, guests are separated into groups of 8 and sent to a pre-boarding room where
the remainder of the story is shown.
The Simpsons are shown into the heart of Krustyland, an unlicensed and poorly maintained nuclear
power plant before being led to the new Upsy Downsy Spins Aroundsy Teen Operated Thrill
Ride.
After sneaking in, Sideshow Bob threatens the Simpsons into the ride while knocking
Krusty unconscious and then turns his attention to riders for a legally required safety video.
Guests are then directed into the main ride pod where they are seated into the main ride
vehicle secured with a top position lap bar.
The doors then swing down from above and guests wait for the ride to begin.
The Vehicles Instead of a large gaudy coaster car guests
are actually loading onto a 4 degree of freedom hydraulic motion platform.
One of the things that Universal saw the need to replace during the transition from Back
to the Future is the motion platforms themselves.
Having originally been built in 1991 in Florida and 1993 in Hollywood, the original motion
platforms and lift systems had become a bit antiquated and were in need of a full refurb,
but given their age it was more reasonable to upgrade to something more advanced and
reliable.
So during the transition the original equipment, actually built by Intamin was removed and
overhauled with new systems made by Oceaneering.
If you’ve watched some of my videos before you may recognize them for their work on a
number of notable Universal attractions.
Costing $30M in Florida and $40M in Hollywood, these transitions saw the installation of
24 new Oceaneering systems at each park.
Each ride contains 2 theaters with 12 motion platforms each arranged in 3 levels, 5 at
the top, 4 in the middle and 3 at the bottom.
This is how the motion platforms work.
The car riders are seated in feature small speakers for a small bit of audio during the
ride.
The cars also feature lights, cameras to monitor riders and vents to pump in scents such as
a baby powder scent when Maggie, not several stories tall, puts riders in her mouth.
All of this is mounted onto a frame that moves up and down, and tilts forward, back and side
to side dynamically during the ride.
The frame that the car is bolted to is fixed to three double A frame type hinges connected
to the center of the car frame and onto the base frame of the motion system.
These physical hinges secure the car and allow for the tilting and vertical motion.
The car is manipulated in these directions by 3 hydraulic actuators connected using universal
joints.
The actuators are arranged with 1 under the front of the car and 2 under the back of the
car for stability.
These hydraulic actuators are more reliable, precise and powerful than pneumatic actuators
which helps with the ever changing load of riders.
However, earlier I mentioned that these platforms have 4 degrees of freedom and that’s because
the entire platform sits on a linear sled system comprised of 2 linear guides with yet
another hydraulic actuator moving the entire 3 actuator and car setup forward and back
during the ride.
However, to reduce weight this linear sled system also slides the car out from the false
back panel of the car leaving the heavy part behind making the set up a lot more stable.
But the entire ride system adds yet ANOTHER layer of complexity as this entire system,
the car, the doors, the 3 actuator platform AND the linear sled system is placed on top
of a 10 ft vertical lift system.
The electronics and controls for the car are all connected to a branching computer system
through an umbilical cable that safely hangs down from the car while it’s in the air.
This lift system uses a hydraulic scissor lift, something you may have seen in construction
or other fields.
This Oceaneering built scissor lift uses a extremely powerful actuator to push the two
bottom ends, attached to the ground, closer together which raises the entire assembly
up out of the load pit riders boarded in, through a big hole in the ceiling.
One of the unique and expensive parts about the ride that Universal was keen on keeping
was the 85ft tall full imax dome that completely envelops the view of riders in each of the
2 theaters.
When the ride starts a custom made ride video, produced by Blur Studios is projected onto
the perforated white dome.
It’s made in such a way that, regardless if riders are in the right most car or the
leftmost car, their view will be basically the same due to the sheer scale of the dome
compared to the cars.
Each theater uses 4 overlapping 4K Sony projectors that shine out from the middle level which
is why there are only 4 cars on the middle level instead of 5.
When the lifts reach their peak pushing riders up to see the dome, 2 stabilizer arms, 1 on
each side, flip down away from the car so that it can begin moving.
We roll forward bumping the Simpsons which is aided by the linear sled to provide that
bump feeling.
We roll onto the rest of the roller coaster as Sideshow Bob attempts to smash the Simpsons
with a wrecking ball.
After launching off a broken track section we take a magical journey through Krusty’s
mouth where the motions become more mild until Bob grabs us again as we’re thrust down
the ride’s suspended track rather forcefully.
We then fall into the river on a pirate dinosaur themed boat ride that’s definitely not a
jab at another ride somewhere else.
As we accelerate forward in the film the linear sled pushes the car forward and tilts it upward
slightly to lay riders a bit on their backs as if they’re accelerating.
We then break out, fall down a pit nearing hell only to be saved and slung to downtown
Springfield where Bob is holding Maggie’s pacifier until she destroys Springfield.
Maggie then mistakes us for her pacifier and there the linear sled benefits from being
hydraulic by being able to oscillate and reverse direction quickly and forcefully compared
to traditional actuators.
The Simpsons escape to their iconic couch gag only to be strapped in by Kang and Kodos
who turn their home into “Death Drop”, reminding them….
The car briefly illuminates riders to take their photo and we pass the Simpsons on the
way down landing in front of Sideshow Bob.
Seeking a quick kill, Bob turns to riders, but the Simpsons crash down on top of Sideshow
Bob at the last second.
Maggie then pushes over an archway to Krustyland ending the ride as the car stabilizers come
back up to hold the car and the lift lowers riders back down.
Orange LED lights and fake fire and smoke come out of the walls and the linear sled
slides the car back into the false back of the car after Krusty presses an emergency
button which vibrates the car.
The ride is finally over and riders can now unload.
The Simpsons Ride, despite its critics, would go on to be a huge success for both parks
by attracting the younger and older fans of the simpsons.
Each park would later develop and construct mini Springfield themed areas around the rides
bringing in themed restaurants like Moe’s and Krusty Burger and Duff beer which
This well thought out and entertaining experience cleverly reuses as much as it can to provide
fans of the show a thrilling way to journey into Springfield and be dropped right in the
action.
The technology behind this ride alone is both convincing, reliable, modern and shows Universal’s
commitment to technological immersion and change in a number of ways.
And that’s how the Simpsons Ride works.
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Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you in the parks.