Back to the Future: The Ride

"At any rate, stay alert. If Tannen gets his hands on some of the equipment around here at the Institute, it could mean the end of the very universe as we know it! Anyway... enjoy the rest of your visit."

—Doc Brown

Back To The Future: The Ride is a simulator ride based on the popular movie trilogy of the same name. It is a mini-sequel to Back to the Future Part III. The ride opened on May 2, 1991, at Universal Studios Florida and later at Universal Studios Hollywood on June 12, 1993 and then at Universal Studios Japan on March 31, 2001. The Orlando and Hollywood versons closed in 2007 and was replaced by a simulation ride based on The Simpsons. Currently, the Japan ride has no plans for closing.

Each ride vehicle has a screen built in that acts as a "live" video feed of Doc in the institute and Biff in the stolen DeLorean and of the vehicle's condition. Here, ride patrons sit in a vehicle beneath a huge IMAX Dome screen (see below for details).

The footage from the ride has been included as an extra in the 2007 2-Disc DVD release of Back to the Future.

Plot

The ride opened with a set-up video featuring characters from the film trilogy. Somehow, due to an error made by one of Doctor Emmett Brown's (played by Christopher Lloyd) time-travel crews, Biff Tannen (played by Thomas F. Wilson) stows away and finds himself at Doc's Institute of Future Technology. There he tries to locate Doc's 'Flying DeLorean', as well as cause plenty of mayhem for Doc and the Institute's crew.

Just as each party of Institute "volunteers" (i.e. park guests) is getting ready to take Doc's 8-passenger DeLorean on a journey across the space-time continuum, Biff complicates matters even further. He locks Doc in his lab, and steals the original DeLorean time machine, causing Doc to worry about the possible ramifications of Biff's joyride through time. Unable to escape the lab himself, Doc devises a plan and recruits the volunteers to help, using the 8-passenger DeLorean to chase Biff across time. If the 8-passenger DeLorean gets close enough to Biff, it can 'bump' him back to the present time by reaching 88mph. Using his remote control, Doc sends the DeLorean's party to follow Biff into the future, back to the ice age, and even into the heart of an active volcano that existed in the primeval Hill Valley. Eventually after several minutes, Doc is successful in bumping Biff back to the present where he crashes back at IFT.

Environment

The DeLorean time machine on display outside of the former Orlando verson of the ride.

The "waiting rooms" featured prop-replicas from the BTTF movies including hoverboards, notes from Edison to Doc, and much more. The actual ride featured video from both Doc and Tannen who told the passengers what was going on throughout their adventure.

Outside the ride at the Orlando location, the DeLorean from all three films and Doc's locomotive from the third film were on display. Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale had nothing to do with the ride, though the writer of the ride's set-up video handed them a script and asked if "he got Doc right". The two responded with a "yes". The two have also said "it's a great ride". The ride film was directed by Douglas Trumbull. The ride's score was composed by Alan Silvestri who scored the Back to the Future trilogy.

Operations

Diagram of the ride theater and motion base system for each of the cars.

The ride was a motion simulator with the cars located under two 70-foot (21.3–m) IMAX Dome screen. Each of the 12 cars was mounted on three pistons, allowing it to rise, fall and tilt, following the motion on the screen. The cars were arranged on three tiers and were staggered to prevent them from seeing the other vehicles in the theater. The front section of the cars rose eight feet (2.4 m) out of the "garage" when "flying". The actual range of motion from the simulator base was about two feet (0.6 m) in any direction. The motion and the visual input from the screen images combined to make the riders feel as if they were in a high-speed pursuit, as they chased Biff through 2015, prehistoric times, and even the beginning of Earth, before finally tracking him back to the present.

The experience of operating in one dome or the other was identical, and the ride enjoyed a very reliable in-service record as a result. If one screen or "dome" was shut down by a mechanical problem, the other would likely remain in service, increasing wait times for "volunteers," but meaning that the ride as a whole would rarely be shut down entirely.

Before closure, the Orlando ride operated only one dome pending final decision. The second dome was scheduled to close once an announcement was made about the new attraction to replace it, which later became the Simpsons Ride.

Notes

The ride represents the Institute of Future Technology.

• In the line video, a reference is made to a "Zemeckis-Gale diagram." Also, on the ride itself, the "Sub-Ether Time Tracking Scanner" reports its radar-like findings in "Gale-Zemeckis Coordinates." Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis were the writers and Zemeckis was the director of all three movies.
• During the ride, as the vehicle is about to crash into the clock tower, if one looks to the right in the alley next to the building, a Styrofoam cup can be seen that appears to be one story tall. This is reportedly due to someone leaving a cup in the miniature set during filming. Note that Emmett Brown built his version of Courthouse Square with items such a bottles and cups to represent structures.
• The queue video features clips from the Back to the Future trilogy and new footage featuring Doc. It features diagrams for other inventions by Doc Brown, newsreel footage of Doc with Albert Einstein and other historical figures, similar to scenes in Forrest Gump, another film directed by Robert Zemeckis, and Doc explaining your trip into the future from 2015 via a "live" video feed.
• The female public relations representative in the preride video is Darlene Vogel, who also appeared in Back to the Future Part II as a member of Griff's gang named Spike.
• The ride was featured in the Universal Studios: Theme Park Adventure video game as a mini-game.
• There is a video showing what happened to the Institute of Future Technology in the queue for The Simpsons Ride, which replaced Back to the Future: The Ride.
• The Hollywood ride was supposed to open in 1991 like the Orlando one, but was delayed until 1993.

Film-Mistakes

The ride starts in a small room, where Doc Brown explains how you're going to get Biff. Then, your journey begins as you go up to the top of the Institute, where the big Imax screen does the rest. While your first destination is in progress, you suddenly find Biff and chase him around 2015. There are some mistakes to the film, like when the truck almost hits the 8 passenger Delorean. If you look on your far left of the screen, you can see a small track that the truck was on (Note: please check Back to the Future: The Ride, screen and monitor in HD on youtube. You will see the track that the truck is on. Do not look on the Back to the Future: The Ride DVD. They don't show the mistake).

Anyway, there was another major mistake on the film. If you remember, when you almost hit the house (but instead you hit a tree)? Well, right when you hit the tree, you are somehow teleported to the right side of the town, and if you think this is not a mistake, well (if you remember) when you hit the tree, you were turning left. Well, somehow you are teleported to the right side of the town as you proceed to hit the clock tower. Dont forget the giant paper cup next to the Hill Valley clock tower.

In the pre-ride footage, when Doc mentioned the alternate 1985, he said "Biff was able to give himself forbidden knowledge of every major sporting event for the next 50 years." Biff was given the almanac in 1955. The almanac had sports results up to 2000, so he had the results of sporting events for the next 45 years.

In the pre-ride footage Dr. Brown states that Biff graduated Hill Valley High in 1955. The trip to 1955 took place in November. Assuming he was a senior at this time, he would not have graduated until the following year, 1956.

In the pre-ride footage following the safety segment, when Dr. Brown states "... sucking both vehicles and time-travelers back to their original point of departure...", there is a boom mic visible in the top of the frame for a brief moment.

External links

• BTTF.com- A website devoted to the movie trilogy as well as the ride
• Back to the Future: The Ride Tribute Page
• OhmyNews Back to the Future Orlando Attraction Closure Story by Brian Orndorf
• a movement bent on saving Back to the Future: The Ride at USF
• Pre-Ride Video (Part 1)
• Pre-Ride Video (Part 2)
• Simulator of BTTF: The Ride on YouTube
• The full ride on YouTube

v - e - d

Media Films: Back to the Future • Back to the Future Part II • Back to the Future Part III • Back in Time Music: Back to the Future • Back to the Future Part III • The Back to the Future Trilogy (soundtrack) Video games: Back to the Future (1985 computer game) • Back to the Future (video game) • Back to the Future Part II • Back to the Future Part III • Back to the Future Part II & III • Universal Studios Theme Park Adventure • Back to the Future: The Game • LEGO Dimensions Other media: Back to the Future: The Ride • Back to the Future: The Animated Series • Back to the Future (musical) • Back to the Future: The Pinball Characters Marty McFly • Emmett Brown • Biff Tannen Universe DeLorean time machine • Hill Valley • Hoverboard • Nike MAG