Kevin Perjurer introduces an episode of Defunctland, discussing the history of Universal Studios' extinct attraction "Back to the Future: The Ride." He explains the ride's development, from its conception in 1986 by Peter Alexander and Steven Spielberg to its closure in 2007 (Florida and Hollywood) and 2016 (Japan). The ride was a motion simulator that took guests on a time-travel adventure with Doc Brown, battling Biff Tannen across different time periods. Despite its popularity, it was replaced by newer attractions like "The Simpsons Ride" and "Despicable Me Minion Mayhem." Kevin also mentions a subreddit for post-episode discussions and future plans for a virtual reality park that could feature defunct attractions. For more details, he directs viewers to visit the Defunctland website.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The Back to the Future ride was a simulator ride located at Universal Studios Florida from 1991 to 2007, Universal Studios Hollywood from 1993 to 2007, and Universal Studios Japan from 2001 to 2016.
2. The ride was conceived in 1986 by Peter Alexander and Steven Spielberg.
3. The ride's film was originally going to be created by Richard Edlund and his team, but they were replaced by Douglas Trumbull and his company, Entertainment Design Workshop.
4. The ride's film was shot on 70-millimeter film and projected on an 80-foot diameter Omnimax dome screen.
5. The ride featured 24 cars, 12 in each of the ride's two domes.
6. The ride's cars were hydraulically powered and programmed to move with the film.
7. The ride opened on May 2nd, 1991, at Universal Studios Florida.
8. The ride was a huge success and a fan favorite, attracting 600,000 visitors before its official opening.
9. The ride was replaced by The Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios Florida and Hollywood.
10. The Japan version of the ride was replaced by Despicable Me Minion Mayhem in 2017.
11. The ride's film is no longer available in its original form, but a DVD version was released in the 1990s, and some fans have attempted to recreate the original IMAX reel.
12. The ride's concept art, created by Greg MacGillivray, is still available online.
13. The ride's budget was $40 million, and it took nearly 5 years to complete.
14. The ride required 35 employees to operate, including guides, safety personnel, and technicians.
15. The ride's closure was due to Universal's desire to move on to newer franchises.