Jaws

It is now closed. Boo! Universal shut it down so they could put in the new Transformers attraction. I was sad to see Jaws go, but was hopefully the new Transformers attraction would be great. Boo! The Transformers attraction is Spiderman. Great imagination there, Universal. Way to go (note sarcasm!)! I digress. I’ll leave my boos and hisses for when I review the Transformers.
I should have reviewed this attraction years ago and did not. I suppose I was too busy reviewing all things Disney. Well, even though Jaws is no more, I feel it deserves a little bit of my time. =)
I never once went to Universal Studios and failed to go for a ride on Jaws. My girls always whined and complained, «Awww Mom! It’s so Boooorrrrrring!» Tough. They generally sat and waited while hubby and I rode. They were teenagers and stubborn, and I suppose they thought they were proving something to me by not riding? Oh well, mommy got to have her fun anyway!
Cheesy? Yes, Jaws was definitely cheesy. I am more than willing to admit this. But who doesn’t love a little cheese from time to time? Heck, go watch the movie now and it’s all cheese, but back in the day, Jaws scared the crap out of me (and a lot of other people too)!
Hopping onto Jaws always took me back to a younger, carefree time. I miss this attraction just like I’ll always miss the Back to the Future attraction.
So long, Jaws. I’ll always remember you fondly. I promise not to forget you even though huge Transformers are now standing on your ground. ~Love, Amy

If you grew up at around the same time as me, you will remember the profound effect that Jaws the film had on the planet. You can still hear that evocative soundtrack with only 2 notes but to this day, can send a chill down your back
People stopped swimming in the sea, even in places where there are no sharks. There was a genuine fear of that big mouth with 6 rows of backward facing teeth and those beady cruel looking eyes
So, I was dying to see if Universal Studios could come up with a ride worthy of whipping up that fear factor. Now, of course, you have to make allowances for the fact that you’re in a theme park in Orlando. And also that they have to make allowances for kids being on the ride
These rides are always best experienced by getting rid of all cynicism and trying to live in the movie moment (hard for a Brit!).
They line you up in rows to board the cruise boat. If you can, try to sit on the left hand side of the boat for the best shark experience. The start is cleverly designed to obscure your view of the lagoon in which all the actio takes place
Your friendly guide chats to the whole boat but of course, it’s not long before trouble looms and like the film, tension is built up without any actual sighting of the shark but you get to experience the full spectrum of chaos one mighty great white can wreak. One memorable moment is when an explosion causes a wall of flame which really send a blanket of heat towards you.
When it comes, the shark attack is full on and as mentioned before, more vicious on the left hand side of the boat
If you’re prepared to let your imagination put you into the Jaws movie, this is a fun scary experience. Just have that movie soundtrack running in your head!

Man what a rip off. How can they still run this miserable ride! A long wait for something you could do on your porch with a little imagination (or none actually). I have only seen a few jobs that made me appreciate my own, and being an «actor» on this ride gave me a new found appreciation for my miserable job! So I guess it was not all bad.
P. S.: Working on the «Jaws» ride is cool if you’re a teenager on a summer job, but for a middle aged man delivering well chewed lines from the movie? come on!

If you’re a fan of JAWS, this is for you.
I’m not the biggest fan myself, but it’s worth trying out. You board a ship in a large group around the scene of Amity essentially waiting for JAWS to lunge at you.
There is a 48″ height requirement and I wouldn’t recommend this for any kids.