theStudioTour.com - Back to the Future: The Ride

(June 4th 1993 - Summer 2007)
(Florida: May 2 1991 to March 30 2007
Japan in March 2001 to present)

Back to the Future: The Ride is closing!
On March 30 2007, the Florida Institute of Future Technology closed it's doors for ever. It's now been revealed that the Hollywood version will close in Summer 2007. There are numerous rumours about what might replace it - I guess it'll be a similar attraction (dome screen simulator) hopefully with upgraded high-quality digital projection. The BTTF building is huge, and to demolish it and replace it with a new attraction would be a massive undertaking. It could be totally rethemed very successfully. More news as we get it!

From the USH website, 2 April 2007:

Back to the Future: The "Last" Ride
Don't miss your last chance to join Marty and Doc Brown on one last time traveling adventure before 'Back to the Future: The Ride' closes forever.

Opened in 1993 as Universal Studios Hollywood's first high technology thrill ride, 'Back to the Future: The Ride' has entertained millions of guests over the years. But the ride will soon close down to make room for a brand new ride, so Summer 2007 is your last chance to blast into the 'future' . . . before it's 'history'!

The Institute of Future Technology has thrown open it's doors for visitors to Universal Studios Hollywood to explore. It soon becomes clear, however, that not all is well.

Exterior of the ride building, as seen in "Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun" DVD.

Cast:
David de Vos (Institute scientist)
Freddie (Einstein the dog)
Michael Klastorin (Security guard)
Christopher Lloyd (Dr. Emmett Brown)
Thomas F. Wilson (Biff Tannen)

Written by:
Peyton Reed

Directed by:
Douglas Trumbull

Additional credits:

Film Production: Berkshire Ridefilm

Optical Effects: Imagica Corporation

Musical Score: Alan Silvestri

The Back to the Future show building with the two massive Omnimax auditoria
(from Windows Live Local)

Audio
The sound for the simulator portion of the ride is fed through speakers mounted behind the domed screen. The sound is transmitted through the tiny holes in the screen. Additional effects speakers are mounted in the cars and around the auditorium.
The 12 channel surround sound makes the riders in each car feel totally part of the film - no mean feat when you realise there are 11 other cars watching the film on different levels!

Creative Talent: Peter Alexander
Peter writes: "An industrial design firm in Pasadena mocked-up the seating and look of the DeLorean ride vehicles. The trick there was to make a two passenger DeLorean into an 8 passenger ride vehicle, and yet still make it look like a DeLorean. I remember we designed the unit (again, Bill Watkins engineered it) to pull 1G, although after I left my boss Jay Stein cranked it up to pull more than that. The Omnimax screen was 84 feet in diameter, equal to the largest done to that date, and each of the two theaters held 12 DeLoreans. The film, done by Doug Trumbull, was 4 minutes and 11 seconds long and was one of the first Omnimax films to use stop motion photography (the first was a film called Kronos, produced by Cindy Fisher, who was our project manager on BTTF in LA for a while.)"

Stills from "Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun" DVD, showing the hydraulic motion base complete with DeLorean ride vehicle.

BTTFTR features in "Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun" available on DVD or VHS (see box on the right)

Environment:
The attraction consists of two identical ride buildings linked to a central lobby/queue area. The building is themed as the Institute of Future Technology. Each of the ride buildings consists of 12 Delorean cars cleverly shielded from each other, facing a 84 foot diameter Omnimax domed projection screen.