Uinversal Studios 10/14/05 - Downtown Disney

This is my follow up to last nights Horror Nights. Wow!

Started off with Twister. 8/10. I really got wet this time. Did Shrek. 9.5/10. I bought the dvd of the ride last summer. No where near the real thing.

Skipped Mummy, as I did it last night, skipped Earthquake. I hate that stupid show. Just put me on the subway. Jaws was closed, and I have been telling my mother, who was there for the first time what a great ride it was. Did Men in Black, which in my opinion, is the greated attraction in the company, and won of course. 11/10. I had to wait in line, and actually enjoyed all the stunts. If you love the MIB movies like me, this is the ride.

Skipped Back to the Future and Terminator, and did ET. My mother loved the ride. She was a Mummy fan until she rode this. I use 'Mortimer' as my name. My fried used 'Clive' years agao, and froze the computer as it tried to search. We beat him later.

Saw the Animal Planet show for the first time. That is a really nice stage for families. Left the park as time ran out, and headed to Disney for dinner.

Parking was in short supply on Friday, and we headed to Rainforest Cafe with a 2 hour wait. Did the usual shopping and loaded the trunck, then had a great meal. 9/10. Mojo bones rule. I bought my Disney brainwashed buddy a talking Mickey Mouse that is interactive. I hope it works when his family goes next fall.

Overall 9/10. Please re-open Jaws.

Was the interactive-talking Mickey the "Pal Mickey" doll? If so, he'll get a kick out of it. I bought one for my visit in October and the "fun facts" were a hoot. Not to mention that occasionally Mickey would tell us were the short lines were!

lata, jeremy

Whats up with Jaws? I thought it was back in operation. We didn't get to ride it last year since it was in rehab.

I think one of the sharks attacked a maintenence guy.

Jaws is now a "seasonal" attraction. So, it could mean either: open during holidays and summer or "seasonal" like Disney and never open, left alone to be replaced later.

That stinks. I was looking forward to riding it this time around.

Another message board confirms that the seasonal status will remain for Jaws... so the only known opening dates coming up for it are december 16th to january 3rd.

Yeah, checked that out. Closed when I am there. Oh well.

It makes no sense, since the water needs treated 24/7, the sharks eat 24/7, and Amity needs 12 month tourism. Who made this decision?

Cost cutting it seems... the boats run on fuel and originally, they claimed a big rehab would be done during the first months of the closure. Guess what? No rehab was done and now, its "supposed" to be done when it close down again after january 3rd.

Personally, my gut feeling is that Universal will pull a 20K leagues under the sea/Rocket Rods and quietly make the ride dissapear due to a "Rehab".

I've been asking for them to put something better in place of Jaws for *years*. Not that Jaws isn't still a valuable property, but my thought is that that attraction has real issues with the "been there, done that" phenomenon.

The theming around the Amity harbor area is really nice, maybe do an Alcatraz thing in its place? (Since it's next to the Fisherman's Wharf area)....

Are there real sharks or something?

Yes, they are part of a 25 year lease with North Pacific Institute of Nautical Education. I do not know where the sharks would go to tick out the clock until their return.