The Making of Men in Black: Alien Attack at Universal Studios Florida

Rumors of a New Attraction

Men in Black: Alien Attack was in development behind the scenes, but as far as the general public was concerned, it was only a rumor by late 1998. It was the best- or worst-kept secret in the galaxy until Universal Orlando confirmed the new ride in spring 1999, scheduled to open the following year.

Finishing Touches

Universal Orlando was going big with its Men in Black ride. Its 80-foot-tall, 76,000-square-foot show building was becoming the largest ride venue on Universal Orlando property.

Even though the building was under construction, the Creative team had yet to hammer out the ride’s final scenes.

One draft of the attraction had riders push a red button midway through, leading to a speed tunnel from Central Park to Times Square. This scene, similar to PeopleMover’s SuperSpeed Tunnel at Disneyland, would have created the illusion of speed with effects like projections, wind, and audio. However, due to space constraints and the slow ride system, this effect would not have been believable. The scene was transformed into an interactive moment where riders could zap the other vehicle.

Test Runs

With some finishing touches, Men in Black: Alien Attack was nearing completion by late 1999. The team took their first test ride that December, exactly four months before the attraction’s grand opening.

The ride spinning function wasn’t programmed yet, but that was updated over time. Early on, the rider’s gameplay determined whether the ride spun a lot or hardly at all. However, this made the ride less exciting for skilled riders. The ride was later programmed to have guaranteed spinning at certain points.

Getting Ready to Open

The grand opening for Men in Black: Alien Attack was coming soon. Universal Orlando started marketing the ride to be as family-friendly as possible; the laser tag hardware was carefully referred to as “zappers,” and the ride introduced a revised MIB logo that excluded weapons.

Universal Orlando sent out a traveling preview exhibit to 30 cities across the eastern United States to promote the new ride. The Men in Black Mobile Recruiting Station was a truck equipped with an assortment of extraterrestrial paraphernalia. Inside, visitors had the chance to recreate the film’s tunnel scene in front of a blue screen and meet a slime-spewing alien animatronic. The preview truck made appearances at local science centers, museums, and other venues, accompanied by representatives from the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Institute, which was a science-based research group.

Men in Black: Alien Attack held technical rehearsals in early April 2000 with its grand opening just around the corner.