The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man

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The Amazing Adventures Of Spider-Man
The Logo For The Ride
Universal's Islands Of Adventure and Universal Studios Japan
Area Marvel Super Hero Island (Islands) New York (Japan)
Theme Spider-Man
Opening date May 28, 1999 (Islands) March 31, 2004 (Japan)
Ride duration 7 minutes
Height requirements 40" (102 cm)

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man is a theme park ride located in Islands of Adventure, in Orlando, Florida and Universal Studios Japan. Built for Islands of Adventure's opening in 1999, the ride is a 4-D film, combining motion simulation with 3-D effects to give the rider the experience of traveling through a city.

The ride takes park guests-turned-last-minute-reporters into the world of Marvel Comics' Spider-Man, and after boarding a Daily Bugle vehicle known as the "Scoop", the rider learns that the evil Sinister Syndicate has captured the Statue of Liberty with an anti-gravity gun. This evil group is made up of many famous Spider-Man villains, including Doctor Octopus, Scream, Electro, Hydro-Man, and the Hobgoblin.

Contents

[edit] Story

[edit] Queue

At the entrance to the Daily Bugle, guests are shown a video in which the company's good reputation is touted and an introduction to the new news vehicle, the Scoop.

After walking though the empty office, guests are shown a "live" video feed of news coverage. Five of spider-mans' villains has lain siege to the city by stealing an experimental anti-gravity cannon made by Stark Industries. The syndicate steals the Statue of Liberty and threatens to destroy it if the city does not surrender to Doctor Octopus and his gang of villains.

As guests walk through the empty offices of the Bugle, it becomes apparent that all the reporters have fled, leaving J. Jonah Jameson with only one choice to cover the story: by sending the tourists into the heat of the fight armed only with the Bugle's new Scoop Vehicle.

[edit] Ride

After donning Night Vision Goggles (3D glasses) the "cub reporters" get in the Scoops and leave the loading docks to a New York back alley where they encounter Spider-Man. He warns that he is in for the most dangerous night of his life and for the guests to be careful.

Nearly missing a trash truck, the guests enter a warehouse where the Sinister Syndicate are holding the Statue of Liberty hostage. Once spotted, Electro, Scream, and Doc Ock attack and hurl the Scoop into the sewer where Spider-man is waiting. After fending off Hydro-man in the sewer, guests escape narrowly, after being nearly burned by Doc Ock, to the river where Hobgoblin attacks with exploding pumpkins and sends guests into the streets. Here, Doc Ock manages to lift the scoop with the anti-gravity cannon, flinging everyone high in to the sky. Spider-man attempts to pull it down but is attacked by all of the Sinister Syndicate. Spidey thwarts all of the super-villains but not before Doc Ock disengages the anti-gravity device, sending the scoop on a free-fall 20 stories to the ground to be saved at the last second by Spidey's web.

Spider-man thanks the guests for their help and sends them back to the Bugle where Spidey has rigged the anti-gravity cannon to lift J. Jonah Jameson to the ceiling in his office.

[edit] Ride Effects

There are 13 screens on the attraction, 12 of which use the 3D effect. Each of these screens utilizes two projectors that have polarizers to interact with each lens of the 3D glasses. By blocking light from one projector with each lens, the 3D effect is achieved.

One screen has only one projector. That is the scene that plays during the vehicle "levitation." The feeling of levitation is achieved by a choreographed combination of the DOF motors moving slowly and without stops, the projected screen, faux-projected windows on the left and right side, and a large, collapsable building facade. Afterwards, two Imax screens in the following scene allow for the feeling of being whipped through the city during the final showdown.

Some effects that many people do not notice are the collapsing bridge overhead as Hobgoblin throws a pumpkin at the bridge support, and Jacob's Ladder, to the left of the scene where Electro shocks the Scoop.

[edit] Technology Behind the Ride

The Ride Vehicles in the attraction cost several million dollars each due to the complexity of the systems involved. Each vehicle is mounted to a track-roaming platform which provides the forward motion to move the RV through each show scene. The cabin is capable of moving 360 degrees and different angles thanks to the Yaw motor and the six DOF (Degrees of Freedom) motors attaching it to the platform.

Also, each vehicle is outfitted with a motor that controls the right side door. Attendants and technicians operate the door by the 5 button console under the right-front headlight (cat eye.)

The ride track is constantly monitored by a control booth operating attendant. This specially trained attendant can see everything on the ride track and report errors to the Technical crew.


♦ In the ride, just after Hobgoblin's attack on the bridge there is a phone number on the marquee of the Coup Theatre. If you call the number there is a message about the theater being closed as a result of the battle. (407)224-1783. This number used to belong to Thierry Coup, the Creative Director for the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. The message that plays is as follows:

"Thank you for calling the Coup Theatre. Due to the recent unpleasantness caused by Doc Ock and his gang of villains, we will be closed until further notice, or at least until Spider-Man can make our city safe again."

Also while entering this scene, you can see a sign overhead that says "The Towbridge" which is in reference to one of the designers, Scott Trowbridge.

  • When getting in the vehicle you notice a WANTED:HOBGOBLIN sign, note that it says HOBGOBLIN A.K.A. NED LEEDS hinting that the hobgoblin is ned leeds.

♦ At the end of the ride, in the big falling scene, after Spider-Man saves us and his web stretches towards the street we come really close to hitting a manhole cover which has a message engraved on it. The message reads: "Not an Exit".

As you go through the ride you begin to see different parts of the Statue of Liberty

Iron Man appears twice in the ride, but as a drawing. In the first 3-D room, at the top right Iron Man is painted near the top of a building. Then when the riders are dragged around the city, an ad for Stark Industries that features Iron Man flashes by on the bottom right.

[edit] Universal Studios Japan Version

In 2004, Universal Studios Japan, celebrated the opening of its own version of the Spider-man attraction. Differences include:

♦ Dual Loading Platform

♦ New Printing Room in the Pre-show

♦ Blue Night vision Goggles (Orlando uses black)

[edit] Future

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man will appear in Universal Studios Singapore, which will open 2010, and Universal Studios South Korea, which will open 2012.

[edit] See also