Back to the Future: The Ride

Back to the Future: The Ride
Universal Studios Florida
Area	Expo Center (1991–1999) World Expo (1999–2007)
Status	Removed
Cost	$40 million
Soft opening date	May 1, 1991
Opening date	May 2, 1991; 33 years ago (1991-05-02)
Closing date	March 30, 2007; 17 years ago (2007-03-30)
Replaced by	The Simpsons Ride (Springfield)[1]
Universal Studios Hollywood
Area	Upper Lot
Status	Removed
Cost	$60 million
Opening date	June 12, 1993 (1993-06-12)
Closing date	September 3, 2007 (2007-09-03)
Replaced	Battle of Galactica
Replaced by	The Simpsons Ride (Springfield)
Universal Studios Japan
Area	San Francisco
Status	Removed
Opening date	March 31, 2001 (2001-03-31)
Closing date	May 31, 2016 (2016-05-31)
Replaced by	Despicable Me Minion Mayhem (Minion Park)
Ride statistics
Attraction type	OMNIMAX motion simulator
Manufacturer	Intamin
Designer	Universal Creative
Theme	Back to the Future
Vehicle type	DeLorean time machine
Vehicles	12
Riders per vehicle	8
Rows	2
Riders per row	4
Duration	15 minutes
Height restriction	40 in (102 cm)
Host	Doc Brown (played by Christopher Lloyd)

Back to the Future the Ride
Promotional Poster
Directed by	Douglas Trumbull (ride) David deVos Les Mayfield (pre-show)
Written by	Peyton Reed
Story by	Bob Gale Peter N. Alexander
Produced by	Steven Spielberg Peter N. Alexander Sherry McKenna Craig Barr Philip Hettema Terry Winnick
Starring	Christopher Lloyd Thomas F. Wilson Darlene Vogel Douglas Trumbull Michael Klastorin
Music by	Alan Silvestri
Production company	Amblin Entertainment
Distributed by	Universal Studios
Release dates	May 2, 1991 (1991-05-02) (Florida) June 12, 1993 (1993-06-12) (California) March 31, 2001 (2001-03-31) (Japan)
Running time	32 minutes

Back to the Future: The Ride was a simulator ride located at several Universal Destinations & Experiences locations. The first installation opened on May 2, 1991, at the World Expo area of Universal Studios Florida in Orlando, Florida. A second installation opened on June 12, 1993, in the Hollywood Lot area of Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, California. A third installation opened on March 31, 2001, in the San Francisco area of Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, Japan. Based on the Back to the Future franchise, the ride is a first person adventure that takes place after the events depicted in Back to the Future Part III. Riders engage in a race through time in pursuit of Biff Tannen, who has stolen the DeLorean time machine.

Steven Spielberg, looking to match the success of the Star Tours ride at Disneyland, served as the ride's creative consultant. Declining popularity in the early 2000s led to the ride's eventual closure in 2007, although the version at Universal Studios Japan continued to operate until 2016. The Simpsons Ride opened in its place at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Florida, while Despicable Me Minion Mayhem opened in its place at Universal Studios Japan.