Credit: Universal Orlando ResortFor a group of guests at the Universal Orlando Resort, their trip had at least one memorable experience, as they were caught on an attraction while the lights were on and the screens malfunctioned.
Perhaps one of the most unique and cool experiences at a theme park like Walt Disney World or Universal Orlando is the opportunity to ride a ride with the lights on. Most of the attractions offered at both resorts are dark rides or attractions that utilize a combination of lighting effects, computer effects, and various other elements to trick guest perspective and awareness. While riding an attraction with the lights on, although it does break you out of that illusion, it does give riders a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the inner workings of these attractions.
At both Walt Disney World and Disneyland, Space Mountain is a ride that guests often find themselves enjoying with the lights on. In a recent video shared on Thanksgiving, a Disney World guest shared a video of their ride vehicle being stuck at the top of the ride while the lights came on and they awaited evacuation. Although we cover plenty of these stories from the Disney parks, we aren’t often aware of similar instances happening at Universal. So when a recent guest to the Orlando resort shared a video of a ride with the lights on sometime yesterday, their excitement and laughter is understandable.
Located in Universal Islands of Adventure, Marvel Super Hero Island is full of everyone’s favorite Marvel heroes, including Spider-Man, Captain America, the Hulk, Wolverine, and several other X-Men, as well as the Fantastic Four. Despite battling for legality between Walt Disney World, and Universal Orlando, the Universal Resort still retains the rights to feature these characters in their parks despite Disney owning Marvel Studios.
In this area, guests can experience the Incredible Hulk coaster, Dr. Doom’s Fearfall, Storm Force Accelatron, and The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man is a 3-D screen-based attraction, that usually utilizes a combination of 3-D effects and computer sequences to make guests feel as though they are truly part of the action. “Strap on your 3-D glasses and join the world’s most famous webslinger on a high-flying adventure,” the website says. “You’ll soar above the streets, scale skyscrapers and battle bad guys left and right. Just watch out for the 400-foot freefall.”
This attraction needs its screens and 3D glasses for guests to understand what’s happening, so when both of those are taken away, it can lead to an exhilarating, if confusing, experience. One recent Universal guest took to X/Twitter to share the whole thing. @mainstmagic captioned the video with the question, “Ever ridden Spider-Man with the lights on?!!!”
Ever ridden Spider-Man with the lights on?!!! pic.twitter.com/qw7vWUtumT
— Jeremy (Main Street Magic) (@mainstmagic) November 25, 2023
During the video, the guests can be heard laughing in confusion as the ride vehicle continues on its track with the lights on full brightness, affecting the visibility of the attraction’s screen-based sequences. It shows an interesting look at the innovation used in the attraction to make guests feel like they’re riding an actual roller coaster within the track-focused building. It’s unclear if the situation with Space Mountain at Walt Disney World is at all related to the incident at Universal Orlando, but it is rare that both parks experienced a “lights on” ride within days of each other. While we can’t say we’ve ever ridden Spider-Man with the lights on, we’re certainly adding it to our bucket list!
What is the coolest ride you’ve ever experienced with the lights on? Share your experience with us in the comments below!