Steven Spielberg's E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial is 40 years old this year. The story of a friendship between a boy and an alien that defies the odds is cinematic magic on a level that is beyond the screen. It will return to the screens later this summer on IMAX, but it is never left. E.T. Adventure is the only attraction open on opening day. The dark ride opened in the summer of 1990 at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Japan. The executive creative director at Universal Creative said that the E.T. Adventure attraction is close to Steven's heart. The legendary director worked with Universal to make E.T. Adventure a reality. Steven Spielberg is an overall creative consultant for Universal Parks and Resorts. He reviews almost everything we create for Universal parks around the world and gets even more involved with projects based on his films. After my parents introduced me to the movie, I rode E.T. Adventure at Universal Studios Hollywood. When it was released on VHS, I asked for a bike after watching it at home and imagining myself on the moon. A trip to Universal was in order and I remember most of the details, like the forest queue and its smell, being a little afraid before hopping on the bikes to experience the familiar movie scene, and my surprise that the experience included a trip to E.T.'s home world. It took everything we loved about the film to create a continuation of the story, which had never been done before in a theme park attraction. New aliens like Botanicus and Orbidon can be found on the Green Planet. I have been a fan of E.T. Adventure since I was a child.
Johanna Atilano, who has worked in business development for live events for the Jim Henson Company and managed the production of attractions at Universal Creative, shared a similar story about growing up on the west coast. She said that her parents allowed her to celebrate her birthday at a theme park with her cousins. I was a big fan of theme parks and Steven Spielberg films. Universal Studios Hollywood was special to me in many ways. I was amazed when I rode E.T. Adventure. I was surprised that my favorite films came to life. I rode a bike with someone.
Revenge of the Mummy replaced the Hollywood version of the ride in 2003 and the Japan version ended in 2009. For fans like me and Atilano, the love for the ride has transferred over to the original ride, which is rumored to be under Spielberg's protection.
The fact that E.T. Adventure is still going strong more than three decades after the park opened is proof that the attraction is a timeless classic. It is a testament to both the enduring legacy of the film on which the attraction is based as well as the fact that the ride is a unique fly-through experience. E.T. emerges from the basket in front of you to show you how to ride a bike that takes flight.
Everyone who wanted to be friends with E.T. shared the same excitement about how much the ride sticks with them. Immediately, it is nostalgia-evoking. When I visited the E.T. ride on the East Coast for the first time, I felt like I was in the same place I was when I first rode the ride as a child. When Orbidon says, "Welcome home, you've arrived," it's like a return to your hometown. It just transports you no matter how many times you visit.
And Atilano said the same thing. One of my favorite things to do at E.T. Adventure is to show the attraction to friends and family who have not been to it in a long time. Everyone in the queue has the same memory. She shared that the ride smells like Pine Forest and Fern. She understands how nostalgic it is for the first time. I was terrified because the flying sensation on the bicycles felt realistic. That doesn't mean I disliked it. I was interested in what was happening. As a kid, I loved E.T. and I finally got to meet that cute little creature. I got into the theme park business because of these early memories. There is something amazing about reading a book, watching a movie, or reading a story. Theme parks bring you into the movies. The world that I loved became a reality.
It jumped out for Surrell when he told us about the opening day of Universal Studios. He remembered visiting Universal Studios Florida during its opening months in 1990 as one of his favorite memories. I will never forget stepping into that dark ride building as I made my way through the moonlit pine forest and then flying high above the twinkling lights of the city and across the moon with E.T. He said that the moment when John Williams' score swells as your bike takes flight in the moonlit sky is the most powerful moment in the film.
There are details from the film that help you understand it. The homemade communication device that E.T. used to call home has to be the biggest easter egg from the film.
Atilano shared with us her favorite fun fact about Greg MacLaurin, who was the special effects designer for E.T. Adventure in Hollywood. When the stars burst you to the Green Planet, there are 33,000 individual fibers that make up the exploding tunnel. Individual fibers were put into the wall by just Greg and a team of five, which took six months to complete. We are blessed with a fully practical and glorious fiberoptic effect that still astounds guests today, even though the scene would have been designed as projection mapping.
The ride has a sense of belief that newer rides can't duplicate. When E.T. Adventure opened, it was ahead of its time. There are figures, suspended ride system, scale and scent. Each guest is given an Interplanetary Passport after they show up. E.T. will say your name at the end.
The theme of E.T. Adventure is that it is an escape into the movies and a source of inspiration for future filmmakers. This is where you have the legendary Spielberg in the pre-show entrusting you with getting his friend home safely, something masterfully set up by the director, who is as much of an icon as E.T., and he is the one who invites you to the set to meet his Fourth-wall breaking is more than that. He remembers your name at the end since this feature has a lot of off days. I was lucky to have been on the ride when it broke down and walked through the green planet set with the lights on. An unofficial behind the scenes look didn't detract from the magic.
It feels like the first time you've been in that queue in a long time when you return. There is something special about the books, movies, or stories that you love. Theme parks bring you into the movies. When Atilano was a child, the worlds he loved became tangible. There are a lot of interactive theme park attractions today, but it was 1990! It is important that an attraction like E.T. Adventure continues to operate.
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