The Last Remaining Opening Day Ride at Universal Studios Florida: E.T. Adventure (POV 4K 60FPS)

RIDE CHAPTERS
00:00 - E.T. Adventure Intro
00:08 - Entering The Ride
01:12 - Pre-Show Film
02:51 - Ride Queue Area
05:03 - E.T. Adventure Ride
10:43 - Exit and Gift Shop

E.T. Adventure is a dark ride located at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando, Florida, United States. Primarily designed in-house by Universal Creative in collaboration with Steven Spielberg, the ride first opened to the public at Universal Studios Florida in 1990. Similar installations of the ride opened at Universal Studios Hollywood in 1991 and Universal Studios Japan in 2001, both of which have since been removed.

E.T. Adventure recreates the flying-bicycle chase scene from the 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, while introducing E.T.'s homeworld, the Green Planet, featured in the sequel novel E.T.: The Book of the Green Planet. Many of the ride's animatronics and exotic plants were designed and manufactured by Sally Corporation.

History

In 1989, following the success of Earthquake: The Big One at Universal Studios Hollywood, which left a positive impression on Steven Spielberg, work began on a new attraction to be based on his 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Universal Vice President and Executive Producer Peter Alexander worked closely with Spielberg and led Universal Creative in the creation of the dark ride attraction. Alexander found the task challenging, saying that the "emotional impact" of a two-hour-long film is "not easily translated into six or eight minute theme park rides". After suggesting that the chase scene from the film could transition into a voyage through E.T.'s homeworld, the Green Planet, Spielberg liked the idea but emphasized the importance of keeping the story "personal". He said guests should have a "personal moment" with E.T., and that the Green Planet should be depicted as a "friendly place".

Following Spielberg's advice, the scenes depicting the Green Planet were designed to be both "alien" and "friendly". Inspiration was drawn from E.T.: The Book of the Green Planet, a novel by William Kotzwinkle in 1985 that serves as a written sequel to the 1982 film. The character Botanicus and the shape of E.T.'s home featured in the attraction were directly influenced by the book, as were the many plant-like creatures. Alexander also channelled his childhood experiences with coral reefs off the coast of California, which he recalled had the appearance of an "alien landscape". Underwater plant research was conducted and used by art directors to also aid in plant design. Sally Corporation was brought in to assist, designing and manufacturing over 300 animatronics and plants.

To create the personal encounter in the ride's finale, Universal worked with Birket Engineering to design an animatronic E.T. that could say goodbye to each guest by name as they passed by. The system could recognize as many as 20,000 names, which each guest would supply to a ride attendant earlier in the line queue.

The completed ride opened as E.T. Adventure during the grand opening of Universal Studios Florida in 1990. Another instance of the ride opened at Universal Studios Hollywood in 1991, followed by a third at Universal Studios Japan in 2001. The Hollywood version closed on March 14, 2003, and was replaced by Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride. The Japanese installation closed on May 10, 2009, and was replaced by Space Fantasy – The Ride. The E.T. Adventure in Orlando became the last remaining in operation and later received a refurbishment in 2017. An E.T. Adventure was expected to open at Universal Studios South Korea in 2021, but plans for the theme park were scrapped.

In 2012, the last remaining installation received new track switches by Dynamic Structures. Over the years, the section of the theme park where the ride is situated has changed several times. It was originally located in the Expo Centre of the park in 1990, an area that was renamed Woody Woodpecker's KidZone in 1999. In 2024, the section was renamed again to Hollywood.

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