The audio sucks. I know it. You know it. But luckily, it gets better. Please don't let it turn you away, as every episode starting with Back to the Future should be better than this weird low-pitched whisper. Thank you all for watching regardless!
Defunctland Man, that would be cool if someone made a Theme park with all these closed down rides, attractions, tours, etc. Would be so awesome. I would defiantly pay money to ride Jaws and the original King Kong ride again. Haven't rode those 2 rides since 2000.
桑田怜恩: Absolutely! I went there for the Attack on Titan exhibit in 2015 (yeah, really) and not only did the staff in the area get into character, I had a hell of a time on the 4D Spider-Man ride. Could barely understand what Spidey was saying, but him "landing" on the vehicle was the closest I've ever come to a 3D effect working properly for me, due to an eye problem I've had since birth. Hell of a fun time, I'd love to go back some day.
Rode it two years ago. I was stupid, because the BTTF ride was still present, and I didn't know it would be closing. So I ran out of time and didn't do it. I definitely regret it.
I have a few Shark teeth I my bedroom, since I was only 8 when I got them, I wanted to see if they were real and sharp, so I scraped them on my hand, and I started to bleed, badly, so I have no clue why they would use actual teeth!
Worked at Universal for a while, started in the Jaws area actually. The bit about using real shark's teeth reminded me about the statue everyone would take pictures with. The famous statue, until recently, the teeth were fiberglass molded to the rest of the body, so when people would inevitably bump their head, their shoulder, their arm, etc, they could get some serious scrapes, tear their clothes, even draw blood. I used to joke "the red on the statue's teeth? That's not paint." Sometime after the ride closed and the statue was moved next to the lagoon, they finally removed the fiberglass teeth and replaced them with rubber ones. But for a couple days the shark had no teeth and it was hilarious.
@@maximillian1109 more common than you’d think. Think about posing for a picture and the photographer tells you to move a bit and you graze the teeth. I’d say that’s a pretty likely scenario
even with the limitations of the technology of yesteryear, it was pretty rad. I got to ride it in 2009, I think, and it was thrilling. I hate that most of the rides now at Universal are simulations- I know it's probably cheaper to build and maintain, but it just doesn't give the same feeling of being in the action. You're just looking at a screen and being thrown around.
I was a Skipper on this ride from 1995 to 1998. Summers were brutal; especially during the fire effects. Falling in was extremely dangerous and one of the reasons a huge Emergency Stop button were installed on the boats. The Pit (the area underwater housing the shark mechanics) was actually 15 feet deep. The shark rested on a scissor lift. If you fell in and were caught under the lift, it would drag you down and eventually crush you.
Potterhead's Chamber Awesome that you worked there. I'm a big fan of the movie, but never got to experience the ride. Did you like the job? Was it constantly fun, or did it become a drag?
They were some of the best years of my life and I still have friends from the ride. It wasn't always fun. Lightning storms were a big problem if you were stuck on a boat in the middle of the water and some winters would be so damn cold you couldn't even feel your fingers. But I wouldn't change anything about working there.
How horrifying to be a under 10 yr old kid and watching your dad fall out of the pontoon boat into that murky water and then see Jaws swimming towards him. JC
I went to Universal Orlando back in '06. We went on the Jaws ride and I was lucky enough to be seated center aft, right where Jaws latches onto the boat. Took it for granted at the time but now that the ride is history, I'm thankful to have been there when I was.
I remember a while ago, I was at Universal Studios on some holiday. They were selling "Yard of Beer," you know a 3-foot long glass of beer... It was getting late and people were pretty liquored up and we decided to ride Jaws. Now, this was later in its lifespan... maybe 2010 or so? Therefore, the ride was in a questionable state of repair and the employees had grown somewhat cynical. We boarded the boat and went through the ride as usual until the first opportunity to use the grenade launcher came. The cast member raised it up and tried to shoot it and said "Oh no, I'm out of ammo! I gotta use my Kung Fu! Perfectly timed, he flailed his arms around then kicked and yelled "HIYAAAH!" Then in the water, BOOM! Then he got all cocky, like "Oh yeah we gonna get dis shark!" It turned into us chasing the shark with the skipper screaming fake Chinese while karate chopping and kicking explosions. The drunk passengers loved it and egged him on. 10/10 best time I ever rode Jaws.
That's one of the best parts about rides with actors, it's just so fun. If I were a ride operator like that, I'd love to make each ride as entertaining and unique as possible.
BMoney8600 I mean it’s cool as hell but in the entire production did no one think “hey boss what if someone falls in?” Like shark teeth are DESIGNED to SHRED AND SCISSOR MEAT why did they use shark teeth, it’s rad but whyyyyyyy....
I remember when I rode it back in '98. A passenger next to me angrily complained about the heat of the flames to which the boat operator immediately shot back "Of course it's hot, it's FIRE." while staying in character for the scene.
Pisces Nah, real sharks actually aren’t that aggressive unless they’re in a feeding frenzy. Mechanical shark on the other hand will always do the same thing, if you happen to be in its path you’re fucked.
I remember going on the ride around a week before it closed, and the operator would make jokes about how "if the news heard this we'd be closed by the end of the week"
I remember riding this when I was a kid. My family tricked me into thinking it was a tour on a boat )I didn’t speak English so I didn’t understand when they where explaining the shark) so I hopped in the boat very happily. Imagine how scared and confused I was when a shark started to attack the boat! (And yes you could feel the heat from the explosion. )
I rode it when I was a kid as well (have lived in Florida since 2003 lmao but I don't go to the themeparks much) and the only thing I remember from the ride is feeling the heat from the explosion as well.
My family got to experience the original version of the ride just once. It was damn impressive when it worked. I remember the shark biting a chunk out of the boat freaked my kid sister out pretty bad. The effect was realistic enough that she was convinced that the boat was about to sink and we were all going to die.
Man, I remember the first time my family and I went to universal. My dad was deadset on all 4 of us going on the JAWS ride. He went up to the guy as everyone was boarding, and he asked where was the best spot for the shark biting the boat. Soon as he was told which row, my dad made sure my, at the time, 10 year old sister sat in that row. The look on her face when the shark jumped up to bite the boat, was sooo worth it. Best memory from that trip. Anyway, great video as always.
I've ridden this ride easily a half-dozen times while it operated and it always seemed to hinge on the skipper. We had some really good ones who got into it and had fun and we (the guests) had a blast. If they were uninterested or boring it was a real let-down. I miss this one for sure. No Animations or CGI. All practical. All real. You just can't replace that with a screen.
True. I've never personally rode this ride, but I did watch a video someone took of it a while back. The skipper acted super bored, like he didn't want to be there, and it left a bad impression of the ride as a whole. The use of practical affects is impressive, though, and I think a good skipper would've made all the difference.
ok- this video ruined my day.. I worked on the jaws ride 1998-1999. I subsequently moved to the west coast- for the heck of it I looked up the ride and saw that it closed! - ha I still have my "costume" shirt. I guess it is a collectors item now. Welcome aboard watch your step, take your seat and we'll get ready to go.... My name is "Ron" and I'll be your skipper- loved this job....
Ronald Shuman Did you get a lot of complaints from annoyed customers or did they just kinda accept the shark not working? What did your job actually entail? Sorry for all the questions, I’m just kinda curious :P
Rode the ride as a kid, didn't see any issues with it, and got to tease my brother, who was nervous with the robotic sharks. Was alot of fun. Sorry to see it closed.... Turned out where we went diving with sharks closed down a couple years ago too, which made me sad, because I wanted to take my kids :(
The only thing I remember about this ride was how hot the fire was. That was like my first exposure to actual fire next to me. I wasn't even sure I rode this ride until I remembered the fire.
He looked like he was having serious fun playing that role (as a fellow theater brat I was able to tell). Hopefully he got moved to an attraction in the park after the cancellation of the Jaws ride.
The skipper was my good friend Jacob, will pass along these messages because I know he would love to see them. He works at universal still in VIP tours
I remember going on the Jaws ride when I was young '96-'97. It was terrifying as a young kid. I remember the 3D Terminator, too. A real motorcycle busted through the wall and drove across the stage and the seats jumped and tilted. 90's universal was the best. Lmao
I remember riding this as a kid and one of my parents telling me that the shark used to actually bite the boat. The idea of that was scarier to me than the ride itself, although that burned shark animatronic stuck with me, too.
When I was about 9 or 10 I rode this with my dad and was on the very back left side closest to the railing. I vividly remember Jaws biting the boat and I had to hold my dad super tight so I wouldn’t fall into the water due to Jaws turning the boat a little. Glad I got to ride it though.
I can't watch King Kong because I cry when they knock him out and then again when they kill him. I remember sitting on my living room floor crying while my parents laughed at me (good naturedly). I get it.
I’m so glad I got to ride Jaws. I was super young and had never seen the movie. Had my hand playing freely in the water and then I see this huge shark come up to tip the boat. Scared the shit out of me. 💀
McKenna Barnette Same I also have a fear of water and the ocean creatures, I can't even watch this video without getting scared of a shark popping out even if it's fake.
Another account I didnt need to make j.s. Goddamn your username is long. Real sharks don't act like the ones in Jaws. We're not tasty to them. Unprovoked shark bites are almost always accidents where a shark mistakes you for a seal, and are very rare
This was well researched and presented. As a huge Jaws fan, and as someone who never got a chance to go on the ride, I appreciate the detail and time put into the video. Well done sir.
This ride legitimately scared the crap out of me and I'm getting freaked out watching this video every time I see that damn shark... It definitely got the emotion it needed out of me!
It seemed a lot of our parents saw fit to traumatise a generation of children by bringing them on this ride. Not funny at all I had really bad water phobia as a kid from both being on this ride and being shown the jaws movie, I'm only now starting to get over it at 30yo D:
If you actually watched it, everyone on the boat was in on it, celebrating their last days riding in the most over the top way as possible. Even the awesome Skipper played off their reactions.
That guy is Theme Park Review and he's very obnoxious in all of his ride videos. Like his log flume videos where he sings "WE ARE ON A LOG FLUME" over and over the whole video.
I am SO grateful that I got to experience the Jaws ride twice before it closed down. I'll never forget the first time because it was raining hard and we were dressed in yellow ponchos getting drenched by the rain. It was only me and my grandmother that went on the ride. We were horror movie buddies and we loved Jaws. The heavy rain we were in really enhanced the experience, making it WAY more terrifying! And the fact that we were also in yellow ponchos was the subtle icing on the cake that made it even scarier because in one of the sequels at the very beginning of the movie, a guy gets eaten by Jaws and he's in a yellow poncho/raincoat. I got to experience the ride one other time in my life before it closed down. The weather was clear that day so I got to experience it the "normal" way but it wasn't the same for 2 reasons...1. The bad weather the first visit actually added to it and made it better. 2. and more importantly...my grandmother was no longer with us 😥 She was all I could think about during the ride and it just wasn't the same. She died May 1st 2014. In a strange way...experiencing that ride for the last time felt like a way to say goodbye to her. Because I never had the chance to in person. I miss you so much Glinda Gilreath! 🥲💓
This is such a sweet heartfelt comment. May you grandmother rest in peace. I hope you are well, and that it may bring you comfort to know that your grandmother will live on in the memories of people reading this comment as well as yours.
When I was a teen we had the most unexcited skipper he sounded so bored and it made the whole situation more funny than scary. I did also go on this ride in the 90s and it's the heat of the fire that sticks with me lol.
I remember riding this ride when it was open. I rode it in the summer of 2011...I loved it. Was sad to see it go, as it was a representation to one of my favorite movies of all time. I was glad to have gotten to experience the many sharks you encounter on the ride, and believe me when I say this: videos of it do NOT do justice. that damn thing was HUGE. But with it's constant state of upkeep, it's a no wonder why it needed to close down for good. R.I.P. Jaws, Universal Orlando...I will miss you.
The shot at 12:26 finally answers a confused childhood memory, from the late 70's, that the Jaws shark at Universal Studios was stiff and disappointing and nothing like the footage in most of this video. That wasn't Jaws: The Ride, it was just the shark popping up (literally) on the tram tour. Thanks for bringing together all the better if not perfect incarnations of theme park Jaws.
I remember riding this! It was 1997 and I remember the explosion and there was fire around the shark and I remember thinking it was very hot. Like uncomfortably so. I also remember looking down and seeing the mechanics of the ride and getting really freaked out. (I always had submechanophobia.) I was more scared of the mechanisms than the fake shark. Lol
Also rode it around this time, and sat on the explosion side. I was recoiling from the heat and trying to hide behind the sides of the boat. It was way too hot, I couldn't imagine how bad it would have been if I was also sunburned when it happened.
My wife and I went to Florida in November 2011. We mainly went to Disney World and stayed at one of the Disney resorts. But we did go to Universal for 2 days (one for the main park, the other for islands of adventure). I didn't even know until after the trip that the Jaws Ride was scheduled to close just a couple of months later. I did ride it while we were there. And it was obvious that the ride had seen better days. When you first see the shark fin come up out of the water, it had noticeable rust streaks on it. LOL
The person driving the boat reminds me so much of the people on the jungle cruise ride at magic kingdom in Disney world with the corner puns like, “looks like we are in hot water now” as the water around them proceeds to set on fire because of a gas leak.
I was 4 and my parents took me on this. I thought it was real and ran out into the aisle of the boat because the damn thing popped right out next to me. Good times....
Its so funny reading the same comment so many times on here of traumatised kids who were taken on this ride, I really dont know why my parents and others thought it would be a good idea
I loved this ride immensely and have many fond memories of it. I would've loved to work as a Skipper on this ride, and applied for a job there, but sadly it never happened. My favorite memory was in February 2004, during the Democratic primaries. When the screaming pleas of the fisherman were heard over the radio, the Skipper turned around and said, "Thank you, Howard Dean!" This ride was fun during the day, but at nite, was quite frightening.
Eric Peeper I just found this video, my moms the skipper in the old promotional video about 5 mins in, she said she loved doing it and that she missed it 😪
This was my favorite ride in Universal! Thanks for the history. I was really sad to hear it closed. The pyrotechnics were astounding! I remember feelings that heat! It was scary!
growing up obsessed with jaws as a kid- I always dreamed of going on this ride. When I found out it closed I was pretty crushed. I don't think I'll ever get the chance to experience it, but sometimes I like to dream. Thanks for covering this fascinating ride.
That story of that guy who fell out of the boat and into the ride waters/mechanical jaws........Sounds terrifying asf. Like the guy from united airlines "Kill me now" is what was probably going through this mans mind
Ok. That’s it. I’ve had enough. Time someone defended this ride. I grew up in west palm florida and my parents were in a very nice high income bracket, so frequent trips to Disney world and Orlando were on the regular. We probably went 5-8 times a year, which was a lot. And let me tell you, I ALWAYS went on jaws. It’s funny because I don’t remember a bad time on the ride, it was always consistent and never functioned improperly. When it was replaced, I forgot about it. It’s funny because the Harry Potter stuff there now looks NOTHING like what it used to. Anyway, I’m just here to say it was a fun ride.
I remember going on this ride after seeing the movie when I was a teen. At the time it was pretty realistic and everyone was surprised. This was before the big accident happened and they shut down multiple times. I wish they were still running it at universal because it’s one of my favourite movies and I wish my kids could of saw the attraction.
I was so disappointed when I found out that Jaws had closed! I went to Universal Studios Florida last year, and I remember feeling very stupid upon finding out. I went on the Gringotts Ride, and all the other Harry Potter attractions without even realising. I then walked around the park for like half an hour trying to find the Jaws ride but only finding the model shark! I had to ask a staff member where it was and they laughed in my face, telling me it had closed 5 years ago...😭😭
I'll never forget going on this ride when I was a kid. I loved it! The shark(s), the heat from the fires and the action. I truly hope they find a way to recreate this ride for those who never had the privilege to experience this.
This was such a hard video to watch, purely because this ride TRAUMATIZED me as a young child and now I literally cannot ride a boat without a panic attack 😅 but this was definitely a very well made video!!
Alexa Nee You too?! oh my god, this ride gave me so many phobias as a child! Lakes, boats, animatronics, im so glad im not alone in being terrified of this ride! everyone makes fun of me when i tell them LOL
Alexa Nee I watched Jaws and the original ride had the same ending as the first movie! Then they did Jaws 2? I didn't see Jaws 2 YET! But I liked the original I didn't get to ride it!
That whole recreation of Amity is seriously rad though. An entire New England fishing village built in a small space! It’s looks pretty realistic. I’ve spent some summers in Cape Cod, and it looks similar. It’s a lot like Jaws, too, since the sharks love hanging out near the beaches! 😬🏊♂️🦈 🏖
Let's be honest, the guy that fell over was probably at fault. Like unless you were fully leaning over the edge or standing I do not see how he could have fallen over bored.
I went on the Jaws ride as a kid and as it turned out I was lucky as my turn on it worked. But I remember it being closed down right after us because the next group of people got stuck on the ride. Over the course of the day the Jaws ride opened an closed three times for various reasons. Hella crazy.
"I was gonna propose to her." "Where?" "On the Universal tour." "YOU'RE KIDDING, WHAT PART?!" "When Jaws pops out of the water..." "...that's the most romantic thing I've ever heard."
I still remember the Jaws in LA CA. I was like 5 or 6 and still remember it lunging at our cart thing! Then our cart broke down soon as we got off the dock/road lol.
During the recent lockdown I spent a few days listening to many of your series, starting with this one. So thank you for providing me with a worthwhile entertainment in this trying time.
Luna McLean I was confused, did you mean you thought it had something to do with the movie? Like dialogue, or a quote, or something? Just wondering. I guess I also didn’t understand what you meant by ‘which wouldn’t make sense since we’re not at Universal Studios!!’ Not intending to be rude (though I realize how it could be taken that way), I was just generally puzzled by it. Lol. You don’t have to answer, no hard feelings. Maybe my brain is too fried.
Great video, I miss the Jaws ride so much! One note though, port is actually the left side of the ship and starboard is the right, so you were better off on the port side ;)
Being a Jaws movie fan, and living in Florida, I was lucky to get a chance to ride this many times. A fun ride that I didn't realize had such a bleak past. Problems maintaining the ride makes sense too.
I remember this ride. The explosion was real, you actually felt the heat on your face when it went off. Incredibly impressive that they went to all that trouble just for an amusement park ride.
@@lunahetfield I have pretty bad balance, even sitting down, especially sitting on a rocky boat ride. if I'm sitting near the edge or someone so much as breathes on me, I'd probably be sharkbait DX Hopefully that father was being a responsible role model around his children.
Love and miss this attraction a lot, and it meant a lot to me as I grew up with it-to this day I still can't look at the demolition photos, so had to quickly skip that part. Looking back at how the ride used to function in its early days after the '94 reopening, wow, what an incredible attraction it was when operating as it was meant to. Those later clips are kind of depressing, just seeing how Universal let this one fade away.
Having gone to Universal Studios during the original "preview" before the park was fully open, and several times after, I can say that Jaws rarely worked as intended. The pre 1993 ride had good features, and the sharks looked better, but the glitches were agonizing. Nearly all these early rides were dysfunctional in some way. And when ever one was broken or closed, the wait times for the rides that were working would guarantee that you ended your day with sunburn. Still, I keep going back for the few remaining older rides or Halloween Horror Nights.
I remember loving this ride when my family I went to Universal in the 90s. It was one of my absolute favorites. I rode it for the last time in 06/07 I can't remember which and even though it was cheesy and super tame to me as an adult I still enjoyed it and I'm happy I got to ride it again before they closed it down
Rides like this are so cool. Wish i could have ridden it. Im glad they were so stubborn and did their best to make it work instead of phoning it in, even if it ends up being a failure, you wont hear me complaining that you really tried to bring such an awesome thing to life
The Modern Time-Ghost they do a lot of things that cross the line of just being awful... it’s actually amazing they’re allowed to operate as a religious organization
SixArmedSweater I remember watching a documentary a few years back where a woman explained how she and her child were actually held hostage at a “rehab” center for questioning her faith. She had to perform all kinds of manual labor, and the daycare her child was kept in was filthy and fly infested. She literally had to call her sister to smuggle them out of there.
Oh god. I remember this ride. I was really small when I was on it. I remember being on the side where the Shark appeared most frequently, and I was mostly okay until the very end after the Shark electrocutes itself and lunges at the boat one final time. I was DIRECTLY in its path. Scared the bejeesus out of me. The image of the dead, burned shark still lingers in my mind because of that.
Mr. Perjurer, Would you consider doing a video on Busch Gardens Houston? It closed after only a few years and I feel as though there must have been some significant behind the scenes drama. Alternatively, the story of Astroworld hasn't ever been clearly told. I'm a Houstonian so these hold a special place in my heart.
they sold some of the boat house and queue line props in a shop at universal orlando as they did with most of the rides and attractions they closed. I actually got some of the signs, storefront banners and a ride vehicle door from Earthquake after they closed it a couple years ago
He has come forth saying he’s not ACTUALLY getting the ride props for his defunctland. It’d all be done in VR, so the effort is more making these rides feel and act real.
I remember my mom taking me to Florida on a bus when i was like 12 to go here from canada. This ride and the kingkong were fucking insane n 20 yrs later i still remember how scary they were lol
Nice! I went on the Jaws ride when visiting Florida on a family holiday as a teenager in the early 90s. It's been great to see this video! Thanks! 👍 🦈👍🦈❤️
It was literally my dream job as a kid to be a skipper on this ride hahah. As a kid, I knew it was all a ride, and a show. But these skippers were always so committed to the part. They were always just having the time of their life, and never saw a single one of them 'phone it in'
This is one of my favorite amusement park rides ever!! But that story of the guy falling in is my exact nightmare with that ride. XD I get great chills just thinking about the visual of falling in and being chased by mechanical great white sharks.
Oh man, this was my favourite ride at Universal. Shame they had to close it! I remember the fire being uncomfortably hot, just made it feel more dangerous. :D
I have indeed been on the jaws encounter on the studio tour. We went to Universal studios Hollywood like 2-3 days in a row and all days except the last one none of the moving elements of it were operating. It was just a view of a replica of the town in Jaws with no shark attack or other effects. Then on the last day that we went it was operating. We didn’t know until right when we got up to the encounter and everyone seemed pleasantly surprised because it had not been operational. The shark seems to attack the train as water is sprayed and flames ignite. It was really cool to be on and then when we got home I started seeing things about how the old jaws ride at universal studios Florida had problems with it. Definitely glad I wasn’t on that one.
The audio sucks. I know it. You know it. But luckily, it gets better. Please don't let it turn you away, as every episode starting with Back to the Future should be better than this weird low-pitched whisper. Thank you all for watching regardless!
Defunctland Man, that would be cool if someone made a Theme park with all these closed down rides, attractions, tours, etc.
Would be so awesome. I would defiantly pay money to ride Jaws and the original King Kong ride again. Haven't rode those 2 rides since 2000.
Dude it sounded great!
Tanzanite800 lol
Defunctland It sounded good !
Defunctland I love these Vids because I'm a theme park Nerd! LOL!
I've been to the one in Japan. This tiny tiny japanese lady in very softspoken voice picked up that gun and shot it like she meant business lol.
AlphaNerd i swear, Japanese Universal Studios is probably the most hilarious place you can go for fun
桑田怜恩: Absolutely! I went there for the Attack on Titan exhibit in 2015 (yeah, really) and not only did the staff in the area get into character, I had a hell of a time on the 4D Spider-Man ride. Could barely understand what Spidey was saying, but him "landing" on the vehicle was the closest I've ever come to a 3D effect working properly for me, due to an eye problem I've had since birth. Hell of a fun time, I'd love to go back some day.
Rode it two years ago. I was stupid, because the BTTF ride was still present, and I didn't know it would be closing. So I ran out of time and didn't do it. I definitely regret it.
Top ten anime fights: one swimming shark vs badass grandma with a Grenade launcher
Lol yeah I remember that happening to me too
The idea that I could fall I to the water with a terrifying mechanical shark is somehow much scarier than the idea of being stuck with a real one.
Cal best comment here tbh. I have a huge fear of water already. Being in a body of water with a godamn terminator shark would be even worse.
I couldn’t breathe when I imagined that scenario, I’d swallow as much water as possible
I know right?? I don’t know why that is more terrifying but it really is..
Jeremy Melendez wtf?
Cal yep my worst fear about water attractions
With animatronics.
“Wouldn’t it be so cool to put real shark teeth on the shark?”
“Don’t you think that’s dangerous?”
“Yea but it’s cool”
Nikki
I mean, its Universal Studios so why didn’t they use their special affect and make up talents to make realistic shark teeth??
Tee hee haha nah I meant the simple fact of just having real shark teeth
Nikki i mean it IS pretty cool in theory
Nikki
Yeah
I have a few Shark teeth I my bedroom, since I was only 8 when I got them, I wanted to see if they were real and sharp, so I scraped them on my hand, and I started to bleed, badly, so I have no clue why they would use actual teeth!
Worked at Universal for a while, started in the Jaws area actually. The bit about using real shark's teeth reminded me about the statue everyone would take pictures with. The famous statue, until recently, the teeth were fiberglass molded to the rest of the body, so when people would inevitably bump their head, their shoulder, their arm, etc, they could get some serious scrapes, tear their clothes, even draw blood. I used to joke "the red on the statue's teeth? That's not paint."
Sometime after the ride closed and the statue was moved next to the lagoon, they finally removed the fiberglass teeth and replaced them with rubber ones. But for a couple days the shark had no teeth and it was hilarious.
granny shark doodoodoo 😂
@@clownrat5759 cringe
Sorry but imagine getting hepatitis from the dirty bloody teeth on the universal jaws statue
My question is how people manages to constantly walk into the sharp teeth of a statue...
@@maximillian1109 more common than you’d think. Think about posing for a picture and the photographer tells you to move a bit and you graze the teeth. I’d say that’s a pretty likely scenario
I wish they would revamp that ride. With today’s technology, I feel like it could be super rad.
Yeah super rad
I was just thinking the same thing and who doesn't know the movie 'Jaws'.
even with the limitations of the technology of yesteryear, it was pretty rad. I got to ride it in 2009, I think, and it was thrilling. I hate that most of the rides now at Universal are simulations- I know it's probably cheaper to build and maintain, but it just doesn't give the same feeling of being in the action. You're just looking at a screen and being thrown around.
If they did it today, it would be some 3D projection screen thing.
Rad 🤣🤣🤣
I was a Skipper on this ride from 1995 to 1998. Summers were brutal; especially during the fire effects. Falling in was extremely dangerous and one of the reasons a huge Emergency Stop button were installed on the boats. The Pit (the area underwater housing the shark mechanics) was actually 15 feet deep. The shark rested on a scissor lift. If you fell in and were caught under the lift, it would drag you down and eventually crush you.
holy hell D: !
Potterhead's Chamber Awesome that you worked there. I'm a big fan of the movie, but never got to experience the ride. Did you like the job? Was it constantly fun, or did it become a drag?
Omg
They were some of the best years of my life and I still have friends from the ride. It wasn't always fun. Lightning storms were a big problem if you were stuck on a boat in the middle of the water and some winters would be so damn cold you couldn't even feel your fingers. But I wouldn't change anything about working there.
Your username just makes this even more ironic.....
How horrifying to be a under 10 yr old kid and watching your dad fall out of the pontoon boat into that murky water and then see Jaws swimming towards him. JC
except that he fell in on purpose to get 1 million dollars.
I'm pretty sure that when I was 10, I was able to figure out that the shark was fake. I'd have been more worried about him drowning.
I went to Universal Orlando back in '06. We went on the Jaws ride and I was lucky enough to be seated center aft, right where Jaws latches onto the boat. Took it for granted at the time but now that the ride is history, I'm thankful to have been there when I was.
Yeah but I don't really think it's worth suing over 😐
Ki Lime u stoopid then
I remember a while ago, I was at Universal Studios on some holiday. They were selling "Yard of Beer," you know a 3-foot long glass of beer... It was getting late and people were pretty liquored up and we decided to ride Jaws. Now, this was later in its lifespan... maybe 2010 or so? Therefore, the ride was in a questionable state of repair and the employees had grown somewhat cynical. We boarded the boat and went through the ride as usual until the first opportunity to use the grenade launcher came. The cast member raised it up and tried to shoot it and said "Oh no, I'm out of ammo! I gotta use my Kung Fu!
Perfectly timed, he flailed his arms around then kicked and yelled "HIYAAAH!" Then in the water, BOOM! Then he got all cocky, like "Oh yeah we gonna get dis shark!" It turned into us chasing the shark with the skipper screaming fake Chinese while karate chopping and kicking explosions. The drunk passengers loved it and egged him on.
10/10 best time I ever rode Jaws.
This is why we CAN have nice things after all.
That's one of the best parts about rides with actors, it's just so fun. If I were a ride operator like that, I'd love to make each ride as entertaining and unique as possible.
wish there was footage because i'm in the mood for laughing my ass off
Sounds better than the actual ride LMAO
Jordan Pence 🤣
“For some reason they used real shark teeth” WHY
Alyssa Marie Uhlig because using real shark teeth is cool
BMoney8600 I mean it’s cool as hell but in the entire production did no one think “hey boss what if someone falls in?” Like shark teeth are DESIGNED to SHRED AND SCISSOR MEAT why did they use shark teeth, it’s rad but whyyyyyyy....
WHY NOT!!!
@@DriftOwl because fake shark teeth would be cheaper, safer, more convenient, less cruel?
Rebekah Wahl nërd
I remember when I rode it back in '98. A passenger next to me angrily complained about the heat of the flames to which the boat operator immediately shot back "Of course it's hot, it's FIRE." while staying in character for the scene.
Falling off a ride and into the mechanical parts of a ride, thanks for giving me a new fear!
You obviously have never been to a County Fair
Google thunder river rapids accident
Dreamworld 2016
Yeah, it’s called Submechanophobia
Ive feared that since I found out these mechanical nightmare dragons exist
holy shit the idea of falling into the water with the mechanical shark is literally a god damn nightmare for me
TheARJ15 ju
mlisaj1111 hhsm
Better than a living shark
Pisces Nah, real sharks actually aren’t that aggressive unless they’re in a feeding frenzy. Mechanical shark on the other hand will always do the same thing, if you happen to be in its path you’re fucked.
I can’t even swim I’d just try to grab on to the thing or die whichever comes first
I remember going on the ride around a week before it closed, and the operator would make jokes about how "if the news heard this we'd be closed by the end of the week"
I remember riding this when I was a kid. My family tricked me into thinking it was a tour on a boat )I didn’t speak English so I didn’t understand when they where explaining the shark) so I hopped in the boat very happily. Imagine how scared and confused I was when a shark started to attack the boat! (And yes you could feel the heat from the explosion. )
That's mean, making you think it was just a regular boat ride. I hope you're able to look back on it as fun now though.
@@Here_is_Waldo i was scared for a few seconds but then I realized it was fun... now i got a story to tell 😅😂
I rode it when I was a kid as well (have lived in Florida since 2003 lmao but I don't go to the themeparks much) and the only thing I remember from the ride is feeling the heat from the explosion as well.
I was 5 and cried my eyes out. The cast members are so believable in their panic too lol
@@whatisthis1262oh that time the shark was real :o
jk lol
Universal Studios Florida: "This mechanical shark is a f#&ing nightmare to work with."
Spielberg: "First time?"
"Sadly labor laws stop us from just shoving an intern in a shark puppet, so you're stuck with this fuckin thing."
My family got to experience the original version of the ride just once. It was damn impressive when it worked. I remember the shark biting a chunk out of the boat freaked my kid sister out pretty bad. The effect was realistic enough that she was convinced that the boat was about to sink and we were all going to die.
Dee Construction I agree, I was maybe 10 when it launched. I never got to see him bite the wire as it was always closed every other time I went.
Dee construction- turns out you probably only barely survived...
It was really cool!
ugh, I couldn't imagine the pure terror that guy felt when he fell in. it makes my stomach ache. I bet it was exciting for the other guests though lol
Jessica Marrs not really he could have been sucked in the mechanics of the boat and the whole boat would drown
R Mog uhhh no not rlly
exciting? more like horrifying
..ha ha ..oh jessica your just like me 😆
Man, I remember the first time my family and I went to universal. My dad was deadset on all 4 of us going on the JAWS ride. He went up to the guy as everyone was boarding, and he asked where was the best spot for the shark biting the boat. Soon as he was told which row, my dad made sure my, at the time, 10 year old sister sat in that row. The look on her face when the shark jumped up to bite the boat, was sooo worth it. Best memory from that trip. Anyway, great video as always.
I wish I saw it when it still had the shark bite. My family went to the revamped version
Lol what a nice prank your dad did 🦈
This happened to me with my family 😭😭 I was traumatised lol but it always makes a great story time when I visit my grandparents who I went with ☺️
Your father sounds like an arsehole and it seems you took after him.
@@earthalydelights and you sound like a whiney brat. Get over yourself, it is a joke.
No but when you said “one of the ten foot pools where the sharks were held” I really thought they had just random real sharks in there
The sharks in the pit operated the mechanical sharks, my dude.
@@SeraliaAerials oh yeah helps with the naturalization of the mech sharks’ movements!
Same
Sameee 😂😅
“No but when..” just say “When”
I've ridden this ride easily a half-dozen times while it operated and it always seemed to hinge on the skipper. We had some really good ones who got into it and had fun and we (the guests) had a blast. If they were uninterested or boring it was a real let-down. I miss this one for sure. No Animations or CGI. All practical. All real. You just can't replace that with a screen.
True. I've never personally rode this ride, but I did watch a video someone took of it a while back. The skipper acted super bored, like he didn't want to be there, and it left a bad impression of the ride as a whole. The use of practical affects is impressive, though, and I think a good skipper would've made all the difference.
ok- this video ruined my day.. I worked on the jaws ride 1998-1999. I subsequently moved to the west coast- for the heck of it I looked up the ride and saw that it closed! - ha I still have my "costume" shirt. I guess it is a collectors item now. Welcome aboard watch your step, take your seat and we'll get ready to go.... My name is "Ron" and I'll be your skipper- loved this job....
Ronald Shuman Did you get a lot of complaints from annoyed customers or did they just kinda accept the shark not working? What did your job actually entail? Sorry for all the questions, I’m just kinda curious :P
How much u got payed
Rode the ride as a kid, didn't see any issues with it, and got to tease my brother, who was nervous with the robotic sharks. Was alot of fun. Sorry to see it closed.... Turned out where we went diving with sharks closed down a couple years ago too, which made me sad, because I wanted to take my kids :(
I'm only 24 but I'm a Central Florida native. I love the jaws ride and I was so sad when it closed lol
Did you do horrible body acting like the skipper in this video?
The only thing I remember about this ride was how hot the fire was. That was like my first exposure to actual fire next to me. I wasn't even sure I rode this ride until I remembered the fire.
Wow, same exact thought I had here
Cecilia Mouse64 Not as bad as the fire in the mummy ride. Oh my god it burns your face Lmao
Cecilia Mouse64 In the mummy ride there is 2 big flames plus is indoor, omg it legit burns
i remember the fire being hot, but the fire in the backdraft experience (LA) was just insane and far hotter and I couldn't take it at all.
Omg had you people never heard of fire before? I've been around bonfires since I was a kid. Shit gets fucking hot!
Also, that crew member running that final Jaws ride was doing an excellent job. I hope he got recognition for it at some point.
Any way of finding out who he is? I agree, give a performer his dues!
He looked like he was having serious fun playing that role (as a fellow theater brat I was able to tell). Hopefully he got moved to an attraction in the park after the cancellation of the Jaws ride.
I say we petition to have him added to the Jaws mythos
The skipper was my good friend Jacob, will pass along these messages because I know he would love to see them. He works at universal still in VIP tours
if this is actually true, send him my reguards too! I was going to comment on how great his showmanship was!
I remember going on the Jaws ride when I was young '96-'97. It was terrifying as a young kid. I remember the 3D Terminator, too. A real motorcycle busted through the wall and drove across the stage and the seats jumped and tilted. 90's universal was the best. Lmao
Persis 22 oh my gosh right, jaws was so much scarier as a kid 😅 i was scared to death of it up until like 2009 lol
Persis 22 dude yes i remember 3D terminator, they jumped right out of the screen, i thought i was hallucinating lmao
The terminator 3d thing was still up when I went a few years ago it was great
charl
Minions replaced it awhile back now.
@@liveanotheranime3526 yea the good ones always get replaced by something stupid
I remember riding this as a kid and one of my parents telling me that the shark used to actually bite the boat. The idea of that was scarier to me than the ride itself, although that burned shark animatronic stuck with me, too.
When I was about 9 or 10 I rode this with my dad and was on the very back left side closest to the railing. I vividly remember Jaws biting the boat and I had to hold my dad super tight so I wouldn’t fall into the water due to Jaws turning the boat a little. Glad I got to ride it though.
Animatronic sharks with actual teeth? This ride sounds like a FNAF spin-off waiting to happen.
That's what I was thinking
concerned
what a crazy idea???
Or that particular episode of Bob’s Burgers 😭
You are two years too early
When I was a kid, sharks were my favorite animal and I remember crying when they shot it. This was in 2000.
Poor thing. I would feel the same way if someone shot another person's pet snake.
Awwww.....
I can't watch King Kong because I cry when they knock him out and then again when they kill him. I remember sitting on my living room floor crying while my parents laughed at me (good naturedly). I get it.
When I was 23, I read a comment from someone who put an irrelevant piece of information at the end of their sentence. This was in 2021.
@@RuzzNP nice one homie, but next time, keep it 2 urself!
1:08 This man’s hatred for Michael Eisner knows no bounds
Well, it's not a Defunctland episode without at least one bit of roasting at Eisner, as they say.
A man has fallen into the jaws: the ride river
*...HEY!!!*
Brand new jaws set. Each sold separately.
LMFAO
i thought the title was the history of jews
@@joeygreen8091 jawish
I’m so glad I got to ride Jaws. I was super young and had never seen the movie. Had my hand playing freely in the water and then I see this huge shark come up to tip the boat. Scared the shit out of me. 💀
SHARK SHARK SHARK SHARK SHARK!!!
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Shark.
Lol I'm pretty sure that was Robb Avley from Theme Park Review in that clip.
GETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFF!
I read that when it came on the video.
Well at least he’s an effective lookout
I can't believe a guy fell into the ride! I would shit myself, not even because of the mechanics but the actual shark
WadeWillyTv Water and mechanical shit combined is my phobia. I'd probably have a heart attack and die. 😭
WadeWillyTv Imagine getting in the water with the sharks that were used in the movies!
McKenna Barnette Same I also have a fear of water and the ocean creatures, I can't even watch this video without getting scared of a shark popping out even if it's fake.
Another account I didnt need to make j.s. Goddamn your username is long. Real sharks don't act like the ones in Jaws. We're not tasty to them. Unprovoked shark bites are almost always accidents where a shark mistakes you for a seal, and are very rare
KennaIsAtlas same I have the worst fear of stuff like that
This was well researched and presented. As a huge Jaws fan, and as someone who never got a chance to go on the ride, I appreciate the detail and time put into the video. Well done sir.
This ride legitimately scared the crap out of me and I'm getting freaked out watching this video every time I see that damn shark... It definitely got the emotion it needed out of me!
It seemed a lot of our parents saw fit to traumatise a generation of children by bringing them on this ride. Not funny at all I had really bad water phobia as a kid from both being on this ride and being shown the jaws movie, I'm only now starting to get over it at 30yo D:
Same! Have memories of being there when I was 6 or 7. Scary
I feel sorry for those other guests having to put up with "SHARK, SHARK, SHARK".
Ikr? I have watched the original video and it was shot at the last day of the ride. Those guys are annoying assholes at this ride.
Those men act like children!
If you actually watched it, everyone on the boat was in on it, celebrating their last days riding in the most over the top way as possible. Even the awesome Skipper played off their reactions.
That guy is Theme Park Review and he's very obnoxious in all of his ride videos. Like his log flume videos where he sings "WE ARE ON A LOG FLUME" over and over the whole video.
Idk it was kind of hilarious to me tbh
I am SO grateful that I got to experience the Jaws ride twice before it closed down. I'll never forget the first time because it was raining hard and we were dressed in yellow ponchos getting drenched by the rain. It was only me and my grandmother that went on the ride. We were horror movie buddies and we loved Jaws. The heavy rain we were in really enhanced the experience, making it WAY more terrifying! And the fact that we were also in yellow ponchos was the subtle icing on the cake that made it even scarier because in one of the sequels at the very beginning of the movie, a guy gets eaten by Jaws and he's in a yellow poncho/raincoat. I got to experience the ride one other time in my life before it closed down. The weather was clear that day so I got to experience it the "normal" way but it wasn't the same for 2 reasons...1. The bad weather the first visit actually added to it and made it better. 2. and more importantly...my grandmother was no longer with us 😥 She was all I could think about during the ride and it just wasn't the same. She died May 1st 2014. In a strange way...experiencing that ride for the last time felt like a way to say goodbye to her. Because I never had the chance to in person. I miss you so much Glinda Gilreath! 🥲💓
May she rest in peace
This is such a sweet heartfelt comment. May you grandmother rest in peace. I hope you are well, and that it may bring you comfort to know that your grandmother will live on in the memories of people reading this comment as well as yours.
Im sorry your grandma passed. That's a sweet memory you have of her.
Seems like the skippers really enjoyed doing their bits for the ride; selling it with confidence!
When I was a teen we had the most unexcited skipper he sounded so bored and it made the whole situation more funny than scary. I did also go on this ride in the 90s and it's the heat of the fire that sticks with me lol.
I remember riding this ride when it was open.
I rode it in the summer of 2011...I loved it.
Was sad to see it go, as it was a representation to one of my favorite movies of all time.
I was glad to have gotten to experience the many sharks you encounter on the ride, and believe me when I say this: videos of it do NOT do justice. that damn thing was HUGE.
But with it's constant state of upkeep, it's a no wonder why it needed to close down for good.
R.I.P. Jaws, Universal Orlando...I will miss you.
Man, I went to the Universal in Osaka, Japan about a month ago and the Jaws ride is still there. It was a nice blast from the past.
Star Shiranui ah yes! a few rusts here in there (along with the jurassic Park ride) but was still pretty fun!
The shot at 12:26 finally answers a confused childhood memory, from the late 70's, that the Jaws shark at Universal Studios was stiff and disappointing and nothing like the footage in most of this video. That wasn't Jaws: The Ride, it was just the shark popping up (literally) on the tram tour. Thanks for bringing together all the better if not perfect incarnations of theme park Jaws.
The robot shark from the original ride, in my opinion, looked WAY better than the refurbished right. Looks more realistic.
Yea
I agree, especially since the old one had real shark teeth.
Mimi Mae you've got me there. Sorry Hewy.
Shame the original sharks were just pieces of shit that never worked...
Still not as scary as Cosby hanging out at the coffee shop
hearing Kevin say “no they didn’t!” made my day
I remember riding this! It was 1997 and I remember the explosion and there was fire around the shark and I remember thinking it was very hot. Like uncomfortably so. I also remember looking down and seeing the mechanics of the ride and getting really freaked out. (I always had submechanophobia.) I was more scared of the mechanisms than the fake shark. Lol
Also rode it around this time, and sat on the explosion side. I was recoiling from the heat and trying to hide behind the sides of the boat. It was way too hot, I couldn't imagine how bad it would have been if I was also sunburned when it happened.
Somebody please make a remix of "shark shark shark" in the tone of Bill Nye the science guy.
It's been a year. I'm still waiting
Challenge Accepted
@@highlordlaughterofcanada8685 NO WAY
@@Sludgling It'll take time. If I fail to deliver just spam a bunch of dislikes, that'll remind me.
@@highlordlaughterofcanada8685 aight bro, we believe in you.
My wife and I went to Florida in November 2011. We mainly went to Disney World and stayed at one of the Disney resorts. But we did go to Universal for 2 days (one for the main park, the other for islands of adventure).
I didn't even know until after the trip that the Jaws Ride was scheduled to close just a couple of months later.
I did ride it while we were there. And it was obvious that the ride had seen better days. When you first see the shark fin come up out of the water, it had noticeable rust streaks on it. LOL
I had the pleasure of riding Jaws shortly before it closed. It was my favorite part of Universal Studios! Wish it didn't have to go.
Cameron Chancy I don't know if they recreated it in another country or something but it's been gone from Universal Studios Orlando for years
It was my favorite ride in California. Earthquake, and the mudslide were pretty cool too. I don't recall if I went on King Kong.
For me, much better than harry potter. I rode shark it in 1999 and 2012. The golden years are gone forever.
The person driving the boat reminds me so much of the people on the jungle cruise ride at magic kingdom in Disney world with the corner puns like, “looks like we are in hot water now” as the water around them proceeds to set on fire because of a gas leak.
😂
I was 4 and my parents took me on this. I thought it was real and ran out into the aisle of the boat because the damn thing popped right out next to me. Good times....
Its so funny reading the same comment so many times on here of traumatised kids who were taken on this ride, I really dont know why my parents and others thought it would be a good idea
I can't wait to see the ride that will be based on the soon to be released "The Meg".
Shut up, Meg
MEG MEG MEG MEG MEG MEG MEG MEG MEG
I sure as hell hope there is not
I mean, if done well it would be spectacular, but it could never carry the same weight as Jaws.
Where would they even put it? Between the two parks, 45% of it is Harry Potter, if not more and I definitely think they're sticking to that model.
*Shark shark shark shark shark shark*
Yee McGee was gonna say the same thing. XD
Great minds think alike I guess
Yee McGee SHARK OH NO!
Yee McGee Suddenly TheRandomShark. Who doesn't eat people he just criticizes them.
Insert some beats, and you got a music hit
I loved this ride immensely and have many fond memories of it. I would've loved to work as a Skipper on this ride, and applied for a job there, but sadly it never happened.
My favorite memory was in February 2004, during the Democratic primaries. When the screaming pleas of the fisherman were heard over the radio, the Skipper turned around and said, "Thank you, Howard Dean!"
This ride was fun during the day, but at nite, was quite frightening.
Eric Peeper I just found this video, my moms the skipper in the old promotional video about 5 mins in, she said she loved doing it and that she missed it 😪
James Sieben
Oh, wow, that’s too cool! Depending on your age, that would make a great book report or show and tell presentation for class. 😃
This was my favorite ride in Universal! Thanks for the history. I was really sad to hear it closed. The pyrotechnics were astounding! I remember feelings that heat! It was scary!
growing up obsessed with jaws as a kid- I always dreamed of going on this ride. When I found out it closed I was pretty crushed. I don't think I'll ever get the chance to experience it, but sometimes I like to dream. Thanks for covering this fascinating ride.
The normal ride would've traumatized me but I can't
begin to imagine being the guy who fell into the water.
6:10, Now that's a *True* Jaws experience.
with that, I can reduce the impact of the sue
#fuckthat #nope
That story of that guy who fell out of the boat and into the ride waters/mechanical jaws........Sounds terrifying asf. Like the guy from united airlines "Kill me now" is what was probably going through this mans mind
My family took me on this ride when I was 3 years old… I’m 22 and I still remember it to this day. It’s one of my first memories 😭
Ok. That’s it. I’ve had enough. Time someone defended this ride. I grew up in west palm florida and my parents were in a very nice high income bracket, so frequent trips to Disney world and Orlando were on the regular. We probably went 5-8 times a year, which was a lot. And let me tell you, I ALWAYS went on jaws. It’s funny because I don’t remember a bad time on the ride, it was always consistent and never functioned improperly. When it was replaced, I forgot about it. It’s funny because the Harry Potter stuff there now looks NOTHING like what it used to. Anyway, I’m just here to say it was a fun ride.
I remember going on this ride after seeing the movie when I was a teen. At the time it was pretty realistic and everyone was surprised. This was before the big accident happened and they shut down multiple times. I wish they were still running it at universal because it’s one of my favourite movies and I wish my kids could of saw the attraction.
5:47, I'll bet Spielberg was probably thinking "Jeez, even the Jaws ride is cursed?! Why does this keep happening to me??!!" *;D*
It is notable that Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park have all had official movie sequels but not Jaws.
I was so disappointed when I found out that Jaws had closed! I went to Universal Studios Florida last year, and I remember feeling very stupid upon finding out. I went on the Gringotts Ride, and all the other Harry Potter attractions without even realising. I then walked around the park for like half an hour trying to find the Jaws ride but only finding the model shark! I had to ask a staff member where it was and they laughed in my face, telling me it had closed 5 years ago...😭😭
LOL WORNGSTER WORNG YOU LOSE
*shoot I already bought my tickets*
This is why ones must do research
Drift 360 what does worng mean?
I remember looking for the Jaws ride everywhere on my first visit, only to find it was gone already
I'll never forget going on this ride when I was a kid. I loved it! The shark(s), the heat from the fires and the action. I truly hope they find a way to recreate this ride for those who never had the privilege to experience this.
I love going back to these older episodes. Defunctland has always been great and informative, but there's a definite jump in quality.
This was such a hard video to watch, purely because this ride TRAUMATIZED me as a young child and now I literally cannot ride a boat without a panic attack 😅 but this was definitely a very well made video!!
Alexa Nee IKR
Alexa Nee You too?! oh my god, this ride gave me so many phobias as a child! Lakes, boats, animatronics, im so glad im not alone in being terrified of this ride! everyone makes fun of me when i tell them LOL
My son too...this was the first ride he went on our vacation...he was nervous for the rest of the trip. He was really scared !!!!!
Alexa Nee I watched Jaws and the original ride had the same ending as the first movie! Then they did Jaws 2? I didn't see Jaws 2 YET! But I liked the original I didn't get to ride it!
It's just a ride!!!!!
This ride scared the shit out of me when I rode it as a kid. I vividly remember the heat. My boat captain was a badass.
Man. Coming back to these old videos after listening to your modern stuff is a massive shock.
That whole recreation of Amity is seriously rad though. An entire New England fishing village built in a small space! It’s looks pretty realistic. I’ve spent some summers in Cape Cod, and it looks similar. It’s a lot like Jaws, too, since the sharks love hanging out near the beaches! 😬🏊♂️🦈 🏖
Let's be honest, the guy that fell over was probably at fault. Like unless you were fully leaning over the edge or standing I do not see how he could have fallen over bored.
I wouldn’t say so, rides in the nineties had completely different safety regulations, and probably were made with the lean bars a lot lower
Update I rewatched that part of the video and the railing actually snapped so it’s very likely he could’ve leaned against it casually
I went on the Jaws ride as a kid and as it turned out I was lucky as my turn on it worked.
But I remember it being closed down right after us because the next group of people got stuck on the ride. Over the course of the day the Jaws ride opened an closed three times for various reasons. Hella crazy.
When I rode this as a kid, my skipper took some liberties on his lines...It was hilarious. Made the experience a lot more fun.
"I was gonna propose to her."
"Where?"
"On the Universal tour."
"YOU'RE KIDDING, WHAT PART?!"
"When Jaws pops out of the water..."
"...that's the most romantic thing I've ever heard."
I still remember the Jaws in LA CA. I was like 5 or 6 and still remember it lunging at our cart thing! Then our cart broke down soon as we got off the dock/road lol.
During the recent lockdown I spent a few days listening to many of your series, starting with this one. So thank you for providing me with a worthwhile entertainment in this trying time.
Well, looked like an interesting ride for something based on a
SHARK
SHARK
SHARK
SHARK
Luna McLean Defunctland kept using a clip where a guy would yell SHARK SHARK SHARK SHARK
Luna McLean ???
Luna McLean I was confused, did you mean you thought it had something to do with the movie? Like dialogue, or a quote, or something? Just wondering.
I guess I also didn’t understand what you meant by ‘which wouldn’t make sense since we’re not at Universal Studios!!’
Not intending to be rude (though I realize how it could be taken that way), I was just generally puzzled by it. Lol. You don’t have to answer, no hard feelings. Maybe my brain is too fried.
*”SHARK! SHARK! SHARK! SHARK!”*
In the background: “Ohhhhhh”
Great video, I miss the Jaws ride so much!
One note though, port is actually the left side of the ship and starboard is the right, so you were better off on the port side ;)
Being a Jaws movie fan, and living in Florida, I was lucky to get a chance to ride this many times. A fun ride that I didn't realize had such a bleak past. Problems maintaining the ride makes sense too.
I remember this ride. The explosion was real, you actually felt the heat on your face when it went off. Incredibly impressive that they went to all that trouble just for an amusement park ride.
"The sharks going to eat daddy" Wahahahaha
Robert Dambeck well probably he was ether drunk on the ride or just being stupid, thats how he fell off the ride *FOR NOT SITTING DOWN!*
@@lunahetfield I have pretty bad balance, even sitting down, especially sitting on a rocky boat ride. if I'm sitting near the edge or someone so much as breathes on me, I'd probably be sharkbait DX
Hopefully that father was being a responsible role model around his children.
How did he fall in when you are sitting ?
Love and miss this attraction a lot, and it meant a lot to me as I grew up with it-to this day I still can't look at the demolition photos, so had to quickly skip that part. Looking back at how the ride used to function in its early days after the '94 reopening, wow, what an incredible attraction it was when operating as it was meant to. Those later clips are kind of depressing, just seeing how Universal let this one fade away.
Having gone to Universal Studios during the original "preview" before the park was fully open, and several times after, I can say that Jaws rarely worked as intended. The pre 1993 ride had good features, and the sharks looked better, but the glitches were agonizing. Nearly all these early rides were dysfunctional in some way. And when ever one was broken or closed, the wait times for the rides that were working would guarantee that you ended your day with sunburn. Still, I keep going back for the few remaining older rides or Halloween Horror Nights.
I heard The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera was one of the few rides that worked fine during that period. Did you happen to go on it?
I remember loving this ride when my family I went to Universal in the 90s. It was one of my absolute favorites. I rode it for the last time in 06/07 I can't remember which and even though it was cheesy and super tame to me as an adult I still enjoyed it and I'm happy I got to ride it again before they closed it down
oh my god i love your lying cat pfp
Rides like this are so cool. Wish i could have ridden it. Im glad they were so stubborn and did their best to make it work instead of phoning it in, even if it ends up being a failure, you wont hear me complaining that you really tried to bring such an awesome thing to life
Hey, i actually went on this one!
The deep fried shark at the end gave me nightmares!
-Former- Scientologist? Good on him for escaping. They do some awful stuff to try to keep people from leaving.
The Modern Time-Ghost they do a lot of things that cross the line of just being awful... it’s actually amazing they’re allowed to operate as a religious organization
Goddess Usako, Care to explain?
Goddess Usako I think it's disgusting ANY religion doesn't have to pay taxes like anyone else.
SixArmedSweater I remember watching a documentary a few years back where a woman explained how she and her child were actually held hostage at a “rehab” center for questioning her faith. She had to perform all kinds of manual labor, and the daycare her child was kept in was filthy and fly infested. She literally had to call her sister to smuggle them out of there.
“Oh no they di-ent.” Your commentary makes these videos more fun to watch.
Oh god. I remember this ride. I was really small when I was on it. I remember being on the side where the Shark appeared most frequently, and I was mostly okay until the very end after the Shark electrocutes itself and lunges at the boat one final time. I was DIRECTLY in its path. Scared the bejeesus out of me. The image of the dead, burned shark still lingers in my mind because of that.
I remember being like 3 years old and being absolutely petrified of that ride.
SAME, why did our parents think it was a good idea to bring little kids on this ride, seriously
@@likeastarbabyparents like to scare their kids :(
I was lucky enough to experience this ride at the Japan studios. I didn't understand a thing the Skipper was saying, but it was still so thrilling.
Mr. Perjurer,
Would you consider doing a video on Busch Gardens Houston? It closed after only a few years and I feel as though there must have been some significant behind the scenes drama. Alternatively, the story of Astroworld hasn't ever been clearly told. I'm a Houstonian so these hold a special place in my heart.
Just FYI - there was also a Busch Gardens LA.
Tsaranon What about Cypress Gardens which became LegoLand Florida?
How can defunctland afford jaws and all his shenanigans!
Kevin Perjurer are these rides you gonna by functional? or are you just gonna show of the parts?
they sold some of the boat house and queue line props in a shop at universal orlando as they did with most of the rides and attractions they closed. I actually got some of the signs, storefront banners and a ride vehicle door from Earthquake after they closed it a couple years ago
He has come forth saying he’s not ACTUALLY getting the ride props for his defunctland. It’d all be done in VR, so the effort is more making these rides feel and act real.
I remember my mom taking me to Florida on a bus when i was like 12 to go here from canada. This ride and the kingkong were fucking insane n 20 yrs later i still remember how scary they were lol
Nice! I went on the Jaws ride when visiting Florida on a family holiday as a teenager in the early 90s. It's been great to see this video! Thanks! 👍 🦈👍🦈❤️
It was literally my dream job as a kid to be a skipper on this ride hahah. As a kid, I knew it was all a ride, and a show. But these skippers were always so committed to the part. They were always just having the time of their life, and never saw a single one of them 'phone it in'
This is one of my favorite amusement park rides ever!! But that story of the guy falling in is my exact nightmare with that ride. XD I get great chills just thinking about the visual of falling in and being chased by mechanical great white sharks.
I did the Jaws ride in '96. It was cool, especially the fried shark at the end. Was scary, even knowing the shark(s) was a robot!
Oh man, this was my favourite ride at Universal. Shame they had to close it! I remember the fire being uncomfortably hot, just made it feel more dangerous. :D
I have indeed been on the jaws encounter on the studio tour. We went to Universal studios Hollywood like 2-3 days in a row and all days except the last one none of the moving elements of it were operating. It was just a view of a replica of the town in Jaws with no shark attack or other effects. Then on the last day that we went it was operating. We didn’t know until right when we got up to the encounter and everyone seemed pleasantly surprised because it had not been operational. The shark seems to attack the train as water is sprayed and flames ignite. It was really cool to be on and then when we got home I started seeing things about how the old jaws ride at universal studios Florida had problems with it. Definitely glad I wasn’t on that one.
Great vid Defunctland, I remember going to Universal and doing the Jaws ride so many years ago, it was fun.