The Worst Rides Based on Movies

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Over the span of 28 years, Disney’s Hollywood Studios was graced by an unforgettable gem known as The Great Movie Ride. This immersive journey through cinematic history transported me into the world of timeless films such as Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, and Singin’ in the Rain, among others. Though perhaps not as sophisticated as today’s attractions, The Great Movie Ride had a unique, homespun allure that made it truly special. In my opinion, it was an exceptional movie-going experience.

You might call the ten attractions below the Not-Great Movie Rides.

These attractions at Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and other theme parks were initially inspired by movies, but they’ve transformed captivating source material into rather dull or even tedious experiences. Many have already been shut down to make room for more exciting and engaging attractions, but some of them continue to operate, leaving tourists feeling underwhelmed visit after visit.

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

As a devoted Disneyland enthusiast, I must admit that the Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters ride is a staple across many Disney parks worldwide. It’s essentially an interactive shooting game set in a neon-lit environment, where you aim and shoot targets to score points. Most versions are enjoyable, but the original one at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, which has been around for over two decades, has some flaws.

Firstly, unlike newer versions, the blasters on this ride are fixed to the vehicles, making it difficult to adjust aim or move them around as you would expect. Instead, you have to maneuver your vehicle left and right to assist in aiming, which can be challenging.

After 25 years of operation, the wear and tear on the ride is evident, making it a less enjoyable experience compared to its earlier versions. In my opinion, it feels more like a worn-out Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story 4 than the sleek and efficient character from Toy Story 2.

Dragon Challenge

Initially, when Universal introduced a Harry Potter section in its Islands of Adventure park, they cut costs by revamping an existing roller coaster to fit the Wizarding World theme. Known as the Dueling Dragons coasters before, they were transformed into “Dragon Challenge” within the realm of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The rides, although decent, lacked any significant connection to Harry Potter beyond the redesigned queue. Unfortunately, the concept of “dueling” coasters, where both rides launched simultaneously and came close on their tracks, was discontinued within a few years following two guest injuries. It seemed that Universal acknowledged the ride didn’t live up to the exceptional theming of the rest of the land and, by 2017, they shut down Dragon Challenge, replacing it with Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure – an attraction more closely tied to the Harry Potter series.

E.T. Adventure

An unverified claim suggests that filmmaker Steven Spielberg, who holds a consultancy role at Universal Studios parks, maintains some contractual influence over the continued operation of the E.T. Adventure ride in Orlando, due to his dissatisfaction with the closure of the Jaws rides years ago. However, this tale appears to be unfounded. Nevertheless, its persistence highlights guests’ curiosity about why this opening day attraction at Universal Studios Florida, despite appearing outdated and not particularly remarkable initially, remains operational. The ride essentially mimics Disney’s more polished Peter Pan attraction, inviting riders to hop on “flying” bicycles to assist E.T.’s journey back to his planet. With the E.T. franchise not receiving a new installment in four decades, one may question what is sustaining this ‘adventure’.

Fast & Furious: Supercharged

Translating the text into a more natural and easy-to-read style:

The Fast & Furious franchise, known for its over-the-top, high-speed action, appears perfect for an exhilarating theme-park ride. However, it disappoints as it’s featured in the subpar Fast & Furious: Supercharged, a ride present at both Universal Studios Florida (utilizing much of the existing infrastructure from their old Earthquake ride) and a component of the long-running Studio Tour ride at Universal Studios Hollywood. In both iterations, guests travel through a lengthy tunnel that’s subsequently filled with unrealistic images of cars, trucks, motorcycles, helicopters, and tanks participating in an animated chase scene. Unfortunately, none of it looks genuine, and you never feel like you’re in the midst of a real battle. How poor is this ride? A longtime Universal theme park designer publicly stated that allowing Supercharged to transition from Hollywood to Florida was the biggest mistake of his career.

Haunted Mansion Holiday

Among Disney’s most outstanding attractions stands The Haunted Mansion, which, after years of operation, continues to be fantastic with its eerie, humorous, atmospheric, and special effects-laden qualities. However, during the autumn season, this iconic mansion at Disneyland undergoes a transformation into “Haunted Mansion Holiday,” inspired by “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” This alteration results in a less spooky, humorous, or atmospheric experience. Moreover, it appears that Haunted Mansion Holiday is being kept operational for an extended period each year, which unfortunately means the original mansion is open less frequently. In essence, while this transformation can be considered an update, it doesn’t necessarily represent an upgrade in terms of providing the classic experience.

Luigi’s Flying Tires

The Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure, featuring life-like animatronics and a thrilling race, is among the top theme park attractions inspired by films. On the other hand, just a stone’s throw away, there once was something called Luigi’s Flying Tires – an odd spin on bumper cars that blended the “Flying Saucer” technology from a closed Disneyland ride decades ago with… inflatable beach balls? It’s hard to say whether this attraction was good or bad, but it certainly didn’t reflect the usual high-quality standard of Disney attractions. Unfortunately, after only three years, Disney decided to shut down the ride and replace it with Luigi’s Rollicking Roadsters, a more advanced trackless spinning ride.

Na’vi River Journey

In much the same way, the Avatar-themed district within Disney’s Animal Kingdom park showcases a standout attraction, namely the Flight of Passage, alongside Na’vi River Journey, which unfortunately falls short in comparison. This latter ride is characterized as a tranquil and unremarkable dark ride through a glowing Pandora landscape. After drifting along a leisurely river for a few minutes, you encounter an impressive animatronic Na’vi Shaman figure, but the experience quickly ends there. It seems like a relaxing introduction to a thrilling ride that never truly materializes.

Stitch’s Great Escape!

Similar to how Dragon Challenge, Fast & Furious: Supercharged, and Haunted Mansion Holiday revamped older rides with characters from popular new franchises, Stitch’s Great Escape aimed to refresh Tomorrowland’s Extraterrestrial Alien Encounter. Instead of a fearsome alien like the one from the Alien series, guests encountered the loveable yet mischievous Stitch from Lilo & Stitch. This change was beneficial as it reduced the number of terrifying dreams among children. However, the attraction fell short on entertainment value, being both dull and off-putting. For instance, Stitch would “belch” in guests’ faces, and a chili dog scent was dispersed to enhance the experience. Despite lasting nearly twice as long as its predecessor, Stitch’s Great Escape ultimately shut down permanently in 2018.

The Right Stuff: Mach 1 Adventure

As a seasoned movie critic in the late ’80s, I found myself intrigued by Six Flags’ foray into simulator rides, a trend that was sweeping through Disney theme parks. Their offering, aptly named The Right Stuff: Mach 1 Adventure, took a creative spin on the hit biopic about American aviation pioneers. Instead of piloting your own spacecraft or a time-traveling DeLorean like in other rides, this one transported you to a movie theater. The seats were arranged in rows that mimicked the look of jet fighter cockpits, but the illusion was far from convincing compared to other simulator experiences.

In the following years, Six Flags opted to play different films in the theater, including an Elvira feature and one starring SpongeBob SquarePants. However, these productions failed to match the original’s excellence, and by 2010, The Right Stuff Adventure had permanently shut its doors.

Twister … Ride It Out

Following the massive success of the original “Twister” movie in the 1990s, Universal naturally wished to incorporate it into their theme park attractions. They repurposed an area that previously housed a “Ghostbusters” stage show and created a special effects display, replicating one of the film’s disaster scenes within a limited space. However, the challenge was that most of the movie’s tornadoes were digitally generated, making the real-life version appear less impressive compared to the on-screen spectacle. This underwhelming impression could be seen clearly on the late, iconic Bill Paxton’s face in his introduction for “Twister” … Ride It Out. Struggling to keep pace with an increasingly digital world, the attraction ceased operations in 2015 and was replaced by a motion simulator featuring Jimmy Fallon.

Amazing Theme Park Rides Based on Movies That Were Never Built

Indiana Jones and the Lost Expedition

Disneyland initially had grand plans for its Indiana Jones area, Adventureland, back in the 90s. Instead of just one ride, The Indiana Jones Adventure that opened in 1995, Imagineers had envisioned a more extensive Indy property, which would have significantly transformed the park. A pavilion called The Lost Expedition was planned, featuring not one but two rides. One was to be a roller coaster modeled after the mine-car ending of ‘Temple of Doom,’ and the other a dark ride in jeeps showcasing Indy’s greatest exploits. This concept would have also incorporated the existing Jungle Cruise. However, most of the land earmarked for The Lost Expedition was eventually used to construct Splash Mountain instead.

Indiana Jones Ore Car Attraction

Let’s delve into the details of the hypothetical “Ore Car Simulator,” which would have been part of the Lost Expedition complex, had the Indiana Jones land been constructed. However, it’s important to note that even though the Indiana Jones land wasn’t built, the Disney empire does operate a mine-train roller coaster inspired by Indiana Jones: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, located at Disneyland Paris. This was the first looping coaster ever established in any Disney park. (As a teenager, I had the misfortune of experiencing it once, and mid-ride, it got stuck – not an enjoyable experience.)

Indiana Jones Jungle Cruise

The “River Idol” would likely be a focal point in the revamped Jungle Cruise, designed to align with an entire land filled with Indiana Jones-themed attractions. Indeed, it appears as if it belongs straight out of an Indiana Jones film.

The Hauntington Hotel

Prior to interactive shooting galleries becoming commonplace in Orlando attractions such as Toy Story Midway Mania and Men in Black Alien Attack, Six Flags had conceived a Ghostbusters ride called Hauntington Hotel. Riders would have explored a haunted building, firing at targets with car-mounted proton packs, designed by the ride’s creator as detailed in an interview on 2600connection.com. The entire project, from concept to prototype, was fully developed and set for installation in Texas, but it never came to fruition due to Six Flags’ parent company selling its theme parks division under new ownership. This unfortunate event may be considered one of the biggest disappointments in human history.

Nostromo

For about eight years, the Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland was home to an attraction named ExtraTERRORestrial: Alien Encounter. Riders were literally strapped down to their seats while a menacing E.T. “materialized” in the center of the room, and then proceeded to touch and breathe on them while the lights were out. When Alien Encounter opened it starred a creepy alien; when it was conceived it starred *the* creepy alien — as in H.R. Giger’s iconic xenomorph from Ridley Scott’s classic 1979 film. Astonishingly, someone at Disney thought it was a good idea to insert a little acid-blooded horror into the Happiest Place on Earth. Eventually, Disney came to their senses and abandoned the ‘Alien’ aspect (and the original name for the attraction, Nostromo, after the ship in the film), but not the overall concept. After terrifying children for almost a decade (I was one of them; this thing was pure nightmare fuel), Alien Encounter finally closed in 2003. The site now houses a toned-down version starring Stitch from ‘Lilo & Stich.’

The James Bond Live-Action Stunt Show

In the early design of Universal Studios Florida, there was a breathtaking illustration by renowned ‘Star Wars’ artist Ralph McQuarrie for a stunt show based on James Bond. This concept had a significant impact from longtime James Bond production designer Ken Adam. The idea featured a massive rotating roof that would open, revealing large screens displaying Bond’s most fearsome enemies, who would seemingly watch as 007 met his end and a nuclear warhead was launched. Unfortunately, this project never took flight, but Universal Studios later created stunt shows themed around Conan the Barbarian, The A-Team, Miami Vice, Spider-Man, and Waterworld.

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The original vision for Universal Studios Florida included a James Bond-themed stunt show conceptualized by Ralph McQuarrie and influenced by Ken Adam, longtime James Bond production designer. The centerpiece was a giant rotating roof that would open to reveal screens filled with Bond’s arch nemeses, watching as 007 perished and a nuclear warhead was launched. Regrettably, this idea never came to fruition, but Universal Studios eventually created shows based on Conan the Barbarian, The A-Team, Miami Vice, Spider-Man, and Waterworld.

Mel Brooks’ Hollywood Horror Hotel

At its earliest stages, the Tower of Terror wasn’t themed to ‘The Twilight Zone,’ and was instead conceived as a collaboration between Disney and Mel Brooks. Eventually Brooks dropped out of the project, and ‘The Twilight Zone’ elements were introduced, but before then ideas for “Hotel Mel,” as it was commonly called, involved an attraction and a working hotel housed together in the same building, and a murder mystery that could be solved with clues littered around the grounds. StudioCentral.com says Brooks lost interest and left to make ‘Life Stinks’ right around the time Imagineers stumbled on the idea of adding haunted elevators which leap out of their shafts. The Tower of Tower is a great ride, but when you hear that we almost got an entire Mel Brooks hotel, it does seem that life stinks.

Batman Island

At Comics101.com, you’ll find a sequence of articles detailing the initial blueprint for Universal Studios’ Islands of Adventure: Originally, instead of Marvel Super Hero Island, there was an entire district themed around Batman. This concept emerged in the early 90s during the peak popularity of Tim Burton’s Batman films, and it would have encompassed a Batmobile ride, a Bat-jet attraction, and a live performance featuring Batman, Robin, and Superman. However, as changes frequently occur, this space was eventually reallocated to accommodate characters from Marvel, such as Spider-Man and the Hulk.

Batwing: Batman vs the Penguin

At Batman Island, one could imagine thrilling rides like the suspended roller coaster, offering two distinct paths – one modeled after Batman and another after the Penguin. Each track would have offered unique experiences, special effects, and even pyrotechnics. In the lower left corner, a sign for Shreck’s Department Store is visible, a nod to Christopher Walken’s character in ‘Batman Returns.’ Despite this attraction never materializing, the concept of “dueling” coasters found a place at Islands of Adventure, where it was transformed into the Dueling Dragons ride (now known as Dragon Challenge, and situated within its Harry Potter land).

Dick Tracy’s Crime-Stoppers

Before Warren Beatty’s “Dick Tracy” movie premiered in 1990, Disney envisioned a theme park attraction based on it, where visitors would embark on a thrilling ride through Chicago as Dick Tracy’s sidekick, complete with functional tommy guns to fire at targets along the way. However, when “Dick Tracy” failed to establish a successful franchise, this idea was abandoned. The design of the planned ride vehicles resembles those used in the Indiana Jones Adventure, and the concept of a shooting gallery persists in Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin.

‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ Ride

Visitors on this ride inspired by the 1993 stop-motion Christmas movie would have climbed aboard spooky, flying caskets (similar to Peter Pan’s Flight, but with a peculiar, eerie, and Tim Burtonesque vibe). Disney found the concept appealing, but Tim Burton, who jointly owned the characters, wasn’t keen and scrapped the project entirely. Instead, Disney annually reimagines the Haunted Mansion in California as “Haunted Mansion Holiday,” showcasing characters from the movie during this season.

Godzilla Bullet Train

Plans for a bullet train ride were discussed as early as the 1970s for inclusion in the Japan Pavilion at Epcot. This hypothetical ride would have had guests viewing Japanese landscapes through windows on a moving vehicle. A more intriguing concept involved incorporating Godzilla into the experience, with him emerging from the sea to attack the train as it traversed Tokyo Bay. However, these ambitious plans never progressed beyond initial talks with Toho, the studio that owns Godzilla’s rights, due to their belief that a colossal, destructive monster like Godzilla was not in harmony with Epcot’s tranquil and naturalistic environment. Regrettably, this idea never came to fruition.

The Great Muppet Movie Ride

For over two decades, The Muppets have been a prominent feature at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, showcasing their MuppetVision 3D movie. Originally, the plan was for The Muppets to play a more significant role in the park, with a satirical replica of the Great Movie Ride called The Great Muppet Movie Ride. This attraction would have featured Jim Henson’s beloved characters enacting scenes from famous movies. However, this idea never came to fruition due to a corporate merger between Disney and Henson that fell apart after Henson’s death in 1990. Nevertheless, Disney eventually acquired The Muppets in 2004, so it’s possible that their most iconic theme-park attraction is still on the horizon.

Jurassic Park Jeep Safari

At Universal’s Islands of Adventure Jurassic Park area features a River Adventure ride, which while bearing some resemblance to the ‘Jurassic Park’ films due to animatronic dinosaurs, is quite different from the movies in essence. The initial plan encompassed additional Jurassic Park attractions such as a Jeep Safari that would have closely followed the movie’s narrative, allowing visitors to navigate through the park via remote-controlled jeeps. These jeeps would have navigated under brontosaurus, outrun T-Rexes, and confronted raptors. However, DisneyAndMore.Blogspot.com reports that the Jeep Safari concept was considered too similar to the River Adventure, leading to the decision not to introduce both attractions simultaneously.

Jurassic Park Jeep Safari

Take a look at this detailed shot of the Jurassic Park Jeep Safari vehicle. It carries a striking resemblance to the iconic 8-passenger DeLoreans used in ‘Back to the Future’.

Or, more casually:

Check out this up-close picture of the Jurassic Park Jeep ride. It’s got that nostalgic feel like the old 8-seater DeLoreans from ‘Back to the Future’ rides.

Baby Herman’s Runaway Buggy Ride

Disney capitalized on the success of ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ by creating one theme-park ride (Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin in Disneyland). However, their initial plan included more rides. One proposed attraction was Baby Herman’s Runaway Buggy Ride where visitors would take on the role of Baby Herman’s stunt double in a risky scene, riding in vehicles modeled after baby carriages. As shared by JimHillMedia.com, guests were intended to wear baby bonnets throughout the ride, enhancing the experience and boosting sales of souvenir photos. Regrettably, disputes between Disney and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment over creative control of Roger Rabbit halted the development of this attraction, as well as other planned projects.

Toontown Trolley

Similar to the Baby Herman ride, disagreements about the character of Roger Rabbit halted plans for a simulator-style ride modeled after Star Tours, which would have given guests a tour through the cartoon residence of Toontown, as seen in ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit.’ Originally, these rides were intended to be included in a completely new section of Disneyland called Hollywoodland. However, this area was ultimately reimagined as Mickey’s Toontown instead. I’m afraid that meant no ride for poor Roger.

Toontown Trolley

Here’s another fascinating illustration for the Roger Rabbit Trolley Ride. It appears quite psychedelic. Kids, particularly those high on sugar, would find it enchanting.

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2025-02-20 08:27