Earthquake: The Big One
Universal Studios Florida · San Francisco
Overview
One of Universal Studios Florida's original 1990 attractions, Earthquake put guests aboard a mock BART subway train that was struck by a magnitude 8.3 earthquake, complete with a collapsing platform, flooding tunnels, a runaway fuel truck fire, and a large-scale physical set that shook and broke apart around riders in real time.
ParksLog verdict
A genuine piece of the park's founding lineup, remembered for its ambitious physical special effects at a time when most theme park attractions relied on simpler show techniques. Its finale effects were good enough that Universal kept them largely intact for over a decade across two different attractions.
About this experience
Motion simulator experience based on a massive earthquake striking a subway system and city infrastructure. Predecessor to Disaster! A Major Motion Picture Ride… Starring You!
Best for
- Guests who rode it during the park's first two decades
- Universal park historians
- Fans of large-scale physical special-effects attractions
Tips
- Its earthquake finale was carried forward almost intact into Disaster!, its 2008 successor.
- It was one of the attractions open when Universal Studios Florida first opened its gates in 1990.
- The collapsing subway platform effect was considered one of the most technically ambitious physical sets in the park at the time.
Details
History
Earthquake: The Big One opened with the park in 1990 and closed in 2007. Its building and earthquake-simulation finale were carried forward into Disaster! A Major Motion Picture Ride… Starring You!, which opened on the same site in 2008.
Fun facts
- It was one of the original attractions when the park opened in 1990.
- Its physical earthquake set — including a collapsing platform and flooding effects — was reused almost entirely in its 2008 successor, Disaster!
- The ride depicted a fictional magnitude 8.3 earthquake striking a San Francisco BART station.