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Credit: UniversalA few months ago, the state of Florida was dealt a devastating blow when Hurricane Ian made its way through various cities and counties. The hurricane damaged not only houses and businesses but multiple theme parks.
The devastating hurricane damaged quite a bit of Universal Studios in Orlando. Pictures went viral on social media showing The Incredible Hulk coaster underwater as well as a photo of the Jurassic Park River Adventure attraction building with a giant hole in it. Though everything eventually got right back on track, one attraction seemed like it may be too damaged to reopen.
Related: Disney’s Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Closing January 2023
Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls is a beloved water ride at Universal Studios Orlando. “Part roller coaster, part water flume, this ride combines the fun of the classic cartoons with edge-of-your-seat action,” says Universal. Since Hurricane Ian, teh ride has not been operational.
In October, Universal put a sign in front of the attraction that shared it was “under seasonal maintenance.” Other than on a few occasions when people have noticed the rapids running again, they’ve largely been turned off and the attraction has remained drained most days.
However, there is some good news as the ride has been filled with water and appears to be in some sort of testing phase. Twitter user @bioreconstruct shared an homage of the attraction which you can check out down below:
Water cascading down the big drop of Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls in a test today during the refurbishment.
Water cascading down the big drop of Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls in a test today during the refurbishment. pic.twitter.com/tBxpvjQpFj
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) December 14, 2022
Toon Lagoon, where the attraction is located, has been undergoing refurbishments to buildings and shops around the area. The land is also home to Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges. In a social media thread, a few Universal Team Members spoke out about the ride’s future.
“Can’t tell you much, as I don’t work at that ride. What I can tell you is the ride has been experiencing an extreme amount of problems lately, many of which ended in evacuations happening frequently,” the Team Member said. “The ride was planning an extended refurbishment before the hurricane hit, and then it did and made everything more complicated. No idea when it’s reopening, rumors were starting up that it would be closed for good but no actual confirmation on that yet.”
Do you miss this attraction? What’s your favorite ride at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida?