Remember When Universal Studios Recreated an Oklahoma Town for Twister Show?
A sequel to the popular 90's film Twister is coming out this summer, but did you know Twister had a show at the Universal Studios theme park?
Keep Scrolling to Check Out Twister Ride It Out
When it comes to the highest grossing movies of the 1990's, Twister pops into a lot of folks minds. It made almost 500 million dollars when it came out in 1996 and this year on July 19th we will be getting a sequel. If you have a lot of love for this movie, did you know it had a show at Universal Studios for seventeen years.
Tornadoes Delay Opening of Twister: Ride It Out
In what is a very weird coincidence, right before the Twister show opened at Universal Studios. A tornado outbreak hit nearby Kissimmee, Florida killing 38 people. Universal thought it would be in bad taste to promote their new show so close to this tragic event so they delayed it several months. Universal also donated $100,000 to the victim's families.
Twister Replaces Ghostbusters
Another thing people hated about the Twister show was that it was replacing the iconic Ghostbusters. Granted at this point in the late 90's, Ghostbusters did not have the same hype as it did in the 80's. Many were still sad to see it go. Universal loves to update their parks, in fact only one ride exists from the original Universal Studios opening day and that would be E.T.
Oklahoma Recreated in Orlando, Florida
Above you can watch the full Twister: Ride It Out experience. It actually features Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt reprising their roles from the movie. Several pieces from the Oklahoma scenes are recreated including the Galaxy drive-in theater and the Rocket Hamburgers diner. Twister: Ride It Out actually simulates a fire tornado at one point after it hits a nearby gas station. Back in 1998, it was a thrill for sure. In 2015...not so much. It was outdated and was the least visited attraction at Universal Studios in its final years. The fact this show lasted as long as it did is pretty amazing. Your average kid in the 2010's probably has no idea the cultural impact Twister had in the 90's.
Jimmy Fallon Ride Replaces Twister: Ride It Out
The final twister touched down in Universal Studios on November 2, 2015. Universal says a big reason for the closure was low attendance and the ride was expensive to maintain after all those years. 65,000 gallons of water would be pumped into that room to simulate heavy rain fall. The Twister show would make way for Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon. For Twister super fans, some nods to the old show are still in the building. As you wait in line, look for a red stapler that says B. Paxton on it. A commercial also plays for Twister Cola as you wait for the ride.
Fun Fact: Twister Ride It Out is in a Movie
A hilarious bad tornado movie is Sharknado and in Sharknado 3 some parts take place in Universal Studios. If you watch above, a shark actually crashes through the Twister Ride It Out set. This movie would be shot in the final year of Twister: Ride It Out being open.
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