Jaw[]
| Jaws | |
|---|---|
|
Parks |
Universal Studios Florida, Universal Studios Florida |
|
Park sections |
San Francisco/Amity (Florida), Amity Village (Japan) |
|
Opening date |
June 7, 1990 (Florida), March 31, 2001 (Japan) |
|
Closing date |
January 2, 2012 (Florida) |
|
Duration |
5 minutes |
|
Ride type |
Boat ride |
|
Theme |
Jaws |
Jaws is a popular boat located in the Amity section of Universal Studios Japan, and formerly Universal Studios Florida. The attraction opened in June 1990 at Florida, and late March eleven years later in Japan.
Ride synopsis[]
Tourism on Amity Island decreased due to the "Jaws" shark accident, but seaman resident Jake Grundy opened a new boat tour on the island which would take tourists into areas where the shark attacked.
Queue[]
As riders enter the boat tour building, named Captain Jake's Amity Boat Tours, riders walk through some boathouses in Amity Harbor. Upon reaching the end of the queue, riders board one of Captain Jake's boats.
Ride experience[]
Riders, after departing and boarding the boat learn that they are visiting the shark attack spots from 1974 on their peaceful cruise. The tour begins in Amity Harbor and passes by some seaside businesses, which were part of a movie shortly afterwards. As the tour boat approaches a lighthouse situated on top of a rocky jetty, the tour is suddenly interrupted by a radio distress call from a fellow tour boat skipper named Gordon. His call for help degenerates into screams of terror, followed by an eerie silence. As the skipper contacts the home base in an attempt to figure out what is going on with Gordon's boat, the tour boat rounds the jetty to reveal the remains of Gordon's tour boat, Amity 3, sinking into the murky waters of Amity Harbor. Suddenly, a dorsal fin rises out of the water, the fin of what appears to be a shark. The fin submerges and passes beneath the boat, rocking it back and forth. In a panic, the skipper pulls out the grenade launcher as the dorsal fin rises out of the water on the opposite site of the tour boat. Not realizing that it is actually loaded, the skipper fires at the shark, but misses it entirely. They try firing a second shot, but miss again as the fin sinks back beneath the surface of the water. By this time the skipper gets the idea to try to tie the boat up in the boathouse (once owned by Quint). As the skipper is looking for somewhere to tie up, a sound is heard in the back of the boathouse. As the confused skipper tries to figure out what it was, another noise and the walls start to shake. The skipper realizes that the shark is on the outside trying to break in. The skipper finally gets the boat to drop in to gear, as the music starts to build up and the walls begin to burst open. As the boat leaves the boathouse, the shark breaks through the wall bumping into the side of the boat with its mouth open. As the tour boat leaves the boathouse, the skipper is informed by Chief Brody over the radio that he will be there in ten minutes. Knowing that the tour boat (and its passengers) will be shark bait in ten minutes, the skipper rearms himself with the grenade launcher just as the shark attacks the tour boat again near Bridewell's Gas Dock. Unfortunately, the next grenade that the skipper fires manages to hit the nearby gas dock, which erupts into flames, threatening the tour boat and its passengers. Fortunately, the skipper manages to make a getaway before the flames reach the tour boat. As a last resort, the skipper decides to unload everyone at an old fishing pier that happens to be located near a high voltage barge. But just as they reach the pier, the shark's fin reappears heading straight for the tour boat. Suddenly, the shark emerges right next to the tour boat as it bites down onto a submerged power cable from the barge and electrocutes itself. The smell of roasted shark fills the air as the shark disappears into a cloud of steam that engulfs the tour boat. As the steam cloud dissipates, the charred corpse of the shark resurfaces and makes one final lunge at the tour boat. But the skipper quickly takes one last shot at it with the grenade launcher and finally hits it, destroying the shark and restoring the tranquility of Amity Island. The boat then arrives at the station.
Photo Gallery[]
