Hey Everyone!
I hate to be the one to break the news if you haven't heard yet... but as of Friday, March 30 2007 the amazing simulator ride that was based upon a great Trilogy by Steven Spielberg closed its doors forever at Universal Studios Orlando.

Back to the Future: The Ride
May 2, 1991 - March 30, 2007

Unlike the closing of the much loved Kongfrontation...BTTF had no news coverage, no special going party, nothing! It has given many rides & gave millions of people great memories of traveling in time with Doc Brown in the famous flying Delorean. Sadly it has been closed & unfortunately it seems the same fate awaits the ride at Universal Studios Hollywood as well. Just thought I'd let all of you theme park loving people know the sad news. But as Doc Brown ounce said "The Future hasn't been written yet" & "You can't keep a good scientist down!"

~CHRIS

I here it's being replaced by the "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" Ride.

The Rumored Replacements for BTTF:

The Simpsons
Fast and the Furious
HALO
Transformers

There are only 2 of these that would actually work for that area of the park, that is the last 2 mentioned. Simpsons is not very likely (even though everyone believes the rumor), it is a Fox network show (soon to be on the big screen) Universal is owned by NBC, I doubt they'll pay the amount of money itd cost to get the rights.
Fast and the Furious is somewhat a current movie because of Tokyo Drift, but would work better as a coaster rather than a simulator. Think about it...a "drift" coaster... I say get rid of Nuetron & put F&TF there.

HALO would be great for the park & the location. It was rumored that Universal was working on a ride concept back in 2005 based on the popular videogame (soon to be movie) but that has died down a little when Universal backed out of the HALO movie due to, what else..money issues at the last minute, leaving the popular videogame movie studioless (all that could change)
Transformers is a very likely replacement because if I am correct, Steven Spielberg is attatched to that movie. Afterall it was Spielberg who created the BTTF trilogy.


as for a BTTF update... the building has been walled off by construction walls. On the walls are signs saying that the new ride will be coming in 2008! The old BTTF sign has been painted over with black paint.

I hope it's Transformers. It's about cars that change into robots. How can you NOT go with a high-tech adventure?

As far as the closing of BTTF, well, it's getting old, it's time has come. Make way for a new adventure Doc.

Simpsons? A ride? How long did the Hanna Barbera ride last? It was an attraction that was there since the park opened, but it was one of the first attractions to bite the dust. The older Hanna Barbera characters were something that kids today just could not identify with. So it was axed.

Kong, well, that's more or less in the same boat. Parks have to update or add to their attractions, or they'll go stagnant. Loose money, and close altogether. So better get off that nostalga train.

BTTF was cool, but Spiderman blows it outta the water.

Thats sad...

I rode it, it did seem old, but it was vintage.
I wanted to ride KONG, but I couldn't find it...
(I guess it was closed...)

Halo?
Hmm...
Well, if you want a first person shooter simulator, that would be nice...


Neutron? what?...
Drift Coaster... Hmm...
*pulls out blueprint paper and starts designing*

Great Scott!!
I hope they replace it with HALO.

Theres some other big rumors going around, and as we know Universal is getting a large budget (120 million I believe?). Of which, 100 million would go into attractions. There are many rumors, obviously some of that money would go into the BTTF replacement, but other news has talks of a Harry Potter re-theme for IOA's Lost Continent island, the long rumored Jurassic Park Jeep Tours attraction, an IOA Lagoon show, and refurbishments. After the recent numbers of visitors to the park was indicated to be behind their orlando rival disney (with IOA behind seaworld, other changes higher for Studios due to this years Holloween Horror Nights visitors possibly), its about time for some changes to give visitors a reason to come back to Universal. The only major changes Confirmed so far is that the Blue Man Group will be here this June, and theres supposed to be "something great in 2008" where BTTF used to be. Lets just hope whatever Universal does with their money, they put it to good use.

It is a shame to have lost Back to the Future, its an OLD ride, but a classic and ALWAYS 'had' long lines as it was so popular. Kong was certainly NO LOSS...especially by being replaced with The Mummy.

Universal certainly do need to add some more attractions in the parks tho.

Universal annouced a new Simpson's attrraction will replace the Back to the Future rides at both Orlando and Hollywood parks in 2008.

I'm going in October. I hope Back to the Future is still running.

Sorry, Ekimmel, but I believe that the "Back to the Future" ride has already been closed.

OK, I'm a HUUGGGEEE Simpsons fan, but seriously, Simpsons The Ride? I can't imagine it would be any good. (word automatically removed) in 2008 though, 'cause I'm going in Sept 07.

I'm guessing what will happen is at this time they'll work out plans and work on the ride film. Later they'll work on fixing up the old BTTF cars and interior. Then last the exterior, and we'll see the ride opening around next Spring. As the simpsons advertising becomes popular I'm guessing we'll see Simpsons merchandise around the park, specifically around the release of the Simpsons movie.

Ugggh, it'll be like the early 90's again.

yes it is very sad that BTTF will be replaced with the Simpsons. Honestly, they could have gotten rid of the Jimmy Nuetron simulator (original location of the old Hannah Barbara ride) and put Simpsons there & just given BTTF a face-lift.

Universal has already gotten the rights to use the characters this summer, you'll be able to get photos with the characters in the park when the movie rolls out into theaters. Then in spring of next year, you'll get to ride a ride that'll get old after the 1st few times.

yes, Harry potter is taking over Lost Continent along with a new ride possibly in 2009, IOA itself is getting a lame lagoon ski show.

Blue Man Group opens the 1st week of June

Hmm... A lot of things happening at Universal Studios.
I wanted them to replace it with a Halo ride (It's Halo, Not HALO), as that was (And still is, but my attraction for its dying) my favorite game. That was one of the games I was modding while I was away.
P.S. My "Shot Computer" was fixed about 4 months ago, and I've been modding Halo ever since.

Never heard about the HP attraction going in. I'm guessing they'll revamp that water experience they had already revamped a while back. It was through that spinning water tunnel, and the magic part was finding yourself back where you started.

The transformers is something that has a decent pre-established audience. People who were kids back in the 80's all know of the transformers. It has established and recognizable characters. It would link with the movie coming out.

But the Simpsons? Isn't that series dead yet? Lost intrest in that show like in the late 90's. Once I watched a full season and didn't laugh once.

What I don't get is why Universal hasn't gleemed on to the fact that their old attractions aren't keeping people away, it is the overall lack of anything really new in years. They would be smarter in my opinion to add to the park without taking things away. Almost every time Disney has done this, they've been bit in the @ss. Now Disney chooses expansion over replacement more often than under Eisner. Universal should really be paing more attention to their competition. I wonder what they'll bring from Florida to the new Singapore park they are opening?

believe me i know.. Universal has a lot of dead space... they STILL havent done anything with the old Herc & Xena soundstage (originally Murder She Wrote).... that soundstage is right next to Shrek 4D (formerly Alfred Hitchcok) attatched to the Monster Cafe... the soundstage is also located in the middle of the park

of course we can't forget the old Hard Rock Cafe building over near the fievel/barney/curious george section...

they also have a huge plot of land perfect for something new where they had 2 houses last year for Horror Nights...


I'd really like to point out at the fact that Universal has lost touch to what has really made them what they are today... The Classic Monsters: Phantom of the Opera, Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, & Wolfman

instead of getting rid of old attractions, give them a face-lift... BTTF would have made a great hi-tech coaster.


IOA needs a lot of work too

Thing is about the old rides. They keep breaking down or need replacement. Imagine having to pull out those motion bases... Funny. Disney's PotC and The Haunted Mansion, are much older than BTTF. Yet they yanked it. I guess Universal doesn't want a collection of classic attractions like Disney has. But I do miss the Trip to the Moon, If You Had Wings and a handfull of others.

HRC is also right on top of Citywalk. If I remember correctly, you can walk into the old Hardrock cafe, from the street, walk through the building, and exit the back door, into the park. If you ask me, They could make it into a full service park entrance. Valet parking, have the car detailed while you're in the park, a kennel for pets, shops, a super arcade. Like a mall. Heck, I'd build an up-scale hotel there, or even a casino.

How come we're not working for Universal. With all these great suggestions, I think they would litterally do better with our input than that of their own staff. I agree with what you said about Disney Wolfman, but despite the age of their rides, people still go on them in record numbers. Disneyland's retrofit in Pirates, Space Mt, and even It's a small world, among others, seems to have drawn new life into older attractions. As these newer versions of old rides make their way to Magic Kingdom, I think Universal will lose even more of it's initial push into Disney's market. I've always wanted a Disney for adults, and that is the market that Universal seemed to hold until recent choices were made. It's a shame that they seem so directionless, and it really shows in the shift in visitor numbers over the last 5 years. Universal may have wiped out Cypress Gardens, but they don't seem to know how to compete with Disney.

Sad news

BACK TO THE FUTURE, Universal Studios Hollywood.
Closes September 3, 2007



It will be replaced by the simpsons, it is not a rumor, i have asked the some of the staff myself.

Sorry to see BTTF go. Here is my memorial to BTTF.

Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment

built in the Tower of Terror game a while ago
using sim ride

RIP............ BTTF

Heres My BTTF tribute:

"Flux Capacitor...Uhh..Fluxing"
"1.21 Jigawatt's, Oh how could i have been so careless"....."What the heck is a jigawatt?!?"
"Is this a train robbery?"..."It's a science experiment!"
"Well it's all in the past"..."Don't you mean the future?"

Doh. I'll be there in early October. BTTF was always one of the rides I enjoyed there. I'll miss it.

nice tribute rctdude 2316, but i thought it would have been better as a tribute to the lost ride not the film. although the ride came from the original film idea. it is the ride that is now lost, you can still buy the dvd of the film. as a tribute to the film, very good work...... that aside, when i was in florida in 2005 and queueing for BTTF, i remember standing in a large building waiting to sit in a simulator car and experience the thrill.
i would have thought that a large looking building, housing 8 simulator rides from the game would be a better representation of the ride that is now lost to every1. R.I.P BTTF

A good tribute would be The Institute Of Future Technology, since that is where the ride is placed