Credit: Universal StudiosThe crowds surged at the theme parks over the busy Christmas and New Year’s Eve holidays, leading to increased wait times, sold out Genie+ and Express Passes, and parks reaching capacity. In addition to the increased attendance, guests experienced more ride breakdowns than usual, which is exactly what one creator on TikTok experienced on Christmas Eve while riding Jurassic World – The Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Universal Studios Hollywood is home to several attractions inspired by franchises like the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, DreamWorks, and the all-new SUPER NINTENDO WORLD inspired by iconic Nintendo characters. In addition to Jurassic World – The Ride, the park also offers a kid-friendly Dino Play area, allowing younger guests to interact with and explore dinosaur fossils, a T. Rex skull, and play on the jungle gym.
Universal Orlando Islands of Adventure offers guests an entire area themed after Jurassic Park, including attractions like Jurassic World VelociCoaster, Jurassic Park River Adventure, and the Pteranodon Flyers. As the website describes the area, “Find yourself in a secret genetics lab on Isla Nublar and use your wits to solve a serious problem: the Indominus rex has broken free and is headed your way. You’ll need to be the cleverest species on the island if you’re going to survive this challenge.”
In the video posted to TikTok by @nicknacksmart on Christmas Eve, the Jurassic World ride at Universal Studios Hollywood “broke down right before the drop.” As the lights were on, riders can see the massive T. Rex that normally roars at riders right before the plunge just hanging from his cables. The video continues to say that team members assisted with an evacuation after 40 minutes, with guests shown safely walking the path to exit the ride. The video also shows some behind-the-scenes footage of the ride as they evacuate with the lights on.
@nicknacksmart Fun at Universal Studios! #universalstudios #universalstudioshollwood #jurassicpark #jurassicworld ♬ Jurassic World Theme (from “Jurassic World 3: Dominion”) – Instrumental Version – Kids Superstars
Unfortunately, ride breakdowns are pretty common at various theme parks, even parks like Disney and Universal. Most of the time, it’s just due to a maintenance or technological issue, although there have been instances of rides being shut down due to guest failure to follow rules and procedures for the attraction. Complaints about ride breakdowns at Disneyland and Walt Disney World seem to be on the rise in the last year, although Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort, as well as the other Universal Resorts, often experience their own issues.
It’s unclear what caused the attraction to break down, whether it was a technological issue or the result of increased crowds and ride cycles. Thankfully, employees at every theme park are trained on how to handle these situations and are on hand to safely escort guests off the ride if necessary. If nothing else, take it as a cool opportunity to see the ride with the lights on or even a once-in-a-lifetime look behind the scenes.
Have you ever had to evacuate an attraction? Share your experience with us in the comments below!