Strolling through the (Theme) Park One Day: E.T. Adventure!

There are certain icons for Universal Studios and one of them is E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.  The movie was a phenomenon in 1982.  In 1985, there was a follow-up to the film with the novel, E.T.: The Book of the Green Planet, by William Kotzwinkle (he wrote the novelization of the film) “based on a story by Steven Spielberg.”  The E.T. Adventure attraction opened in Universal Studios Florida on June 7, 1990.  This was at the Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone.  It opened in Universal Studios Hollywood on June 12, 1991 in the lower lot.  It closed on March 14, 2003, the lower lot was devoted to thrill rides, and Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride replaced it.  Steven Spielberg insisted that the Florida attraction never close and it is still open today in Orlando.  

Outside of the E.T. Adventure, Universal Studios Florida, 2010, photo by the author. 

At Universal Studios Hollywood, the outside queue has the Speak and Spell with the umbrella, this is inside at Orlando.  You enter the doors and queue up in rows.  On large screens on the wall above your row you get a pre-show introduction by Steven Spielberg and later E.T., Spielberg says, “E.T. needs your help.”  He explains that E.T.’s teacher, Botanicus, has called E.T. back.  A trip of 3 million light years!  You have bring him home to heal the dying planet.  Next, you go into a room to give your first name to an assistant that sits with a computer, hopefully your name is not too difficult to type, then you are given an Interplaneteary Passport, on the back is a scan code.  The next queue area is through a cave tunnel to a forest, this is stunning with pine tree scents before the wonderful scents in Soaring.  John Williams’ music is throughout the ride.  

This is the photo op, not the actual E.T. Adventure ride!, 2010, photo by the author.

There are astronauts in the forest, you see E.T.'s Speak and Spell phone home device, there is a tiny waterfall, finally on a rocky ledge there is lasers and smoke that herald the appearance of Botanicus!  He is an older E.T. with a staff that has a crystal globe.  I dunno I'm always fascinated by mentor figures and this is the Yoda of E.T.'s world.  You finally reach the load area.  Your passport is scanned before you enter the ride vehicle.  The ride vehicle has rows of four seats, there are bicycle handles, and a basket, E.T.’s head pops up at certain times in the ride.  You see animatronic scientists, equipment, flashlights in the dark forest.  Suddenly, a truck’s bright head lights show and it lurches toward you!  A police officer tries to stop you as your bikes and your hear the thump as your tires roll over a police car underneath.  Two police cars try to wedge you in, E.T. says “Fly” and you are lifted over them.  

You are basically taken through the events of the movie just in case you somehow missed it.   Then, you taken over a panorama of the city similar to London in Peter Pan’s Flight.  The standout is the stars and full moon where you see shadows of bikes flying across it!  E.T. says, “Home, home” and you are taken to the side and hear the crash of a warp, very cool, some flashing lights.  It is one thing to experience a film in an attraction, but this ride takes you beyond the movie!  Then, you emerge on the Green Planet, that warp takes you planet side, 25 years before Han Solo swiped the maneuver in Force Awakens.  Fountains stream, there is lava flows, and steam blasts as you pass Botanicus next to the orb ship.  The heartlight sparkles kinda like Tinker Bell, we see E.T.’s heartlight, and then this opens to some of the craziest and wonderful alien creatures ever seen.  

E.T. dressed up by Gertie closet photo op, photo by the author.

Strange, root-like creatures, mushroom aliens, an Ordon?, who sings, “Welcome home”, I think E.T. identifies them, but it is not too clear.   There is Madon, a tiny alien with almost Rastafarian hair that looks like plant vines.  Then, there is a celebration, tiny E.T.s are everywhere, playing music and singing the E.T. theme, they hanging from every gourd and vine.   In a way, it kinda reminds me of Felucia, the fungus planet from Star Wars. A small pond has a lil’ E.T. there water streams around him.  We finally get the gourd home of E.T., who says “Goodbye” and also your name.  There are no other rides in the world that says your name and to have a farewell from E.T., priceless.  Next to the exit and enterance is E.T.’s Toy Closet & Photo Spot.  There is all sorts of E.T. merch and two photo ops with a bike next to the moon and E.T. in the closet.  

You can probably watch a ride video, but this is not the same as experiencing it.  There have been criticisms that the attraction has not aged well.  Peter Pan’s Flight had upgrades in 2015.  How to plus the attraction.  Number one, sell stuffies and figurines of all of the aliens, I will buy all of them.  Two, have a ride photo somewhere in the ride, I would say at the Green Planet.  Three, the heartlight sparkles are lights, they can be projections, in fact I would use projections and digital screens to enhance the ride especially the hyperspace tunnel.  The passport is kinda cool, you have to drop it at the end of the ride, but you can also use your phone to have a bar code.  Also, there can be a game to find E.T. or other aliens hiding in the forest using your phone.  I also wouldn’t mind profiles of all of the aliens that you can access on your phone.  I would say this attraction still ranks as one of my favorite movie-themed dark rides and worth a trip to Universal Studios Florida.    

#ETAdventure, #UniversalStudiosFlorida, #ETTheBookoftheGreenPlanet, #StevenSpielberg