The Complicated History of JAWS at Universal Studios Florida

Re-Engineering JAWS

Universal scrapped the former JAWS ride system and effects, except the basic lagoon structure and themed sets. The old boats were sold to MGM Grand Adventures, a theme park in Las Vegas, for its Backlot River Tour.

After losing millions on its investment, Universal took this time to evaluate the creative and engineering aspects of the attraction.

On the creative side, Universal worked on a more engaging script for the skippers. The spiel for the original JAWS ride was somewhat reactionary with rudimentary lines. Peter Alexander tweaked the story to be more captivating, also incorporating new scenes to replace the old defective effects. For a more reliable ride, this version of JAWS wouldn’t have the boat attack scene or the “meat machine.”

Adam Bezark took over during development to oversee production. Jay Stein, president of Universal Studios Florida, also put a lot of care into the redesign as it was one of his final projects in the park before retiring.

The Right Team for the Job

Universal partnered with several contractors on the redesign of JAWS. The Totally Fun Company, having worked on prior Universal Studios attractions, served as the executive producer on the redesign.

Eastport International Inc., soon acquired by Oceaneering Entertainment Systems, created the new shark animatronics. The company specialized in deep sea robotic submarines, so the new animatronics could handle being underwater. The company crafted seven fiberglass, latex skin, and steel sharks, which were as powerful as the liftoff of a Boeing 737 airliner. The sharks, attached to 12-ton hydraulic lifts, were carefully designed to forcefully and safely lunge through the resistance of water.

The show sets were built by The Nassal Co., with previous work on Universal Studios Florida projects such as the Psycho House and Bates Motel.

Regal Marine Industries fabricated the new boats.

The track and motion base ride system were manufactured by Intamin, which made the simulators for Back to the Future: The Ride and many roller coasters.

ITEC Entertainment developed the ride control system, including the programming of movements and triggers.

Floating Toward a Reopening

After completely overhauling the ride, the combined cost of the two versions of JAWS jumped up to an estimated $70 million. Needless to say, this was a massive investment, and it had to work this time around.

The ride’s creators cycled the ride day and night to fine-tune every detail. Even if they were making minor tweaks to a single scene, they had to complete the entire layout since the ride vehicles couldn’t move in reverse. It was a long, tedious process getting the complex ride up and running to Universal’s standards.

Shortly after the skippers started training, JAWS was officially in technical rehearsals by August 1993—three years after its original opening. Universal was more patient this time around as technical rehearsals lasted for months; 500,000 guests rode JAWS during technical rehearsals.

To generate buzz leading up to the ride’s reopening, Universal Studios had a 13-foot-tall, 30-foot-long LandShark vehicle that made 300 promotional tour appearances.

Universal Studios Florida had some positive years after fumbling its grand opening. The theme park rehabbed its image, and a functional JAWS ride would really be the cherry on top.

“Bringing Jaws on at this point really closes a chapter for us, and allows us to move forward.”

— Bob Ward, senior vice president for design and planning