Remembering Twister…Ride It Out at Universal Studios Florida

A Blockbuster Turned Theme Park Attraction

Twister blew audiences away in 1996, making nearly $500 million at the box office worldwide. The cash cow, which was co-distributed by Universal Pictures and Warner Bros., was the 10th-highest-grossing film in history at the time of its release.

That success was more than enough to turn the movie into a theme park attraction. But how was that even possible? How could you make a real tornado in a theme park?

This is the story of Twister…Ride It Out at Universal Studios Florida.

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Twisting Up a New Idea

In the mid-‘90s, Walt Disney World was a few years away from opening its fourth theme park: Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Universal Orlando had a new park of its own, Islands of Adventure, coming soon, but that was still a few years down the road. In the meantime, Universal Orlando would build a new attraction in its existing park, Universal Studios Florida.

To make room, Universal Studios shut down an opening-day attraction: Ghostbusters Spooktacular. The stage show closed in November 1996, just on the heels of Twister storming through theaters earlier that summer. Universal hadn’t announced what was replacing Ghostbusters. But, Jim Yeager—a spokesperson for the park’s parent company, MCA—point-blank mentioned they were considering a concept based on Twister.

This made sense for several reasons: For starters, the film was an absolute blockbuster co-produced by none other than Universal Studios Florida’s ongoing creative consultant, Steven Spielberg. Also, Universal Studios was no stranger to simulating forces of nature for its attractions—just take a look back at Flash Flood on the Hollywood Studio Tour and Earthquake: The Big One in Orlando. But, that’s not to say making a Twister attraction would be easy.

The movie was a spectacle of practical effects and impressive CGI. The production of Twister went to great lengths to create those effects, like producing 100 mph winds with commercial jet engines. The effects were so good at the time that Twister received multiple award nominations in that category. With that in mind, any Twister attraction would have to live up to that reputation with stunning special effects.

The Twister attraction would undoubtedly feature a tornado. But how could they create an actual twister in a theme park? The question was simple, but the answer was complicated—and no one at Universal Studios exactly knew. Universal would have to get inventive and collaborative.

Creating a Twister

Universal had caught wind sometime earlier of Ned Kahn, an artist who created a real vortex sculpture. Kahn shared some names to Universal of other wind specialists; they were eventually brought in to help Universal make a real twister.

The team set up inside the empty Ghostbusters Spooktacular venue where they began engineering a complex system of fans that would generate a large-scale vortex. The simulated tornado would be the centerpiece of a special effects presentation; although, the patent does show the possibility of it being a ride with moving vehicles. In any case, Twister was becoming another action-packed attraction for the park’s thrilling lineup.

“We just tore everything out and just about started from scratch.”

— Mike Hightower, project director, via The Orlando Sentinel, 1998

During trials, the team did a lot of fine-tuning to generate a sustainable vortex. The vortex, however, reacted differently every time changes were made in the venue, like when new set pieces were added. This of course was all before the attraction opened—just imagine what could happen if and when an audience of theme park guests were in the room with an unpredictable vortex. So, the crew brought in some Universal team members to stand in the room during trials, but they needed more people for a more accurate simulation.

They ended up ordering 240 mannequins, dressed them in clothes from the costuming department, and placed them in the showroom. The team continued constructing the attraction and tweaking the conditions as progress moved forward.

“This special effect is the most difficult at Universal because we don’t have direct control over it. For instance, if we want the Jaws shark to move faster, we just turn up the pressure.”

— Mike Hightower, project director, via Orlando Business Journal, 1998

In February 1997, Universal Studios Florida officially announced Twister…Ride It Out, coming the following year. The park revealed the first-of-its-kind special effects show would feature a 50-foot tornado, and guests would stand only 20 feet from the action, feeling water and heat from the fiery storm. It was going to be the real deal—no 3D glasses needed.

“Twister will again raise that bar by combining—for the first time ever—special effects with the forces of nature.”

— Tom Williams, president of Universal Orlando, via The Tampa Tribune, 1997

Stormy Allegations

Production for the new attraction took a twist in 1997. Reel EFX, a special effects firm in North Hollywood, alleged Universal Studios stole its tornado-generating technologies to create the upcoming Twister attraction, according to a Los Angeles Times report. The firm had previously used similar methods for productions like a Volvo commercial.

In response to the claims, Universal reportedly requested for the firm to specify which parts of the design were stolen. Things got a little stormy as, allegedly, the two parties previously met the year prior when Universal began developing Twister. They never made it past negotiations as Universal partnered with other vendors.

Reportedly, Universal won the case by proving artificial tornadoes had been made before; it wasn’t a brand-new concept.

Storming Toward an Opening

Construction for Twister…Ride It Out continued. Twister’s themed gift shop opened in late 1997 as the attraction neared completion. Twister was almost ready for guests, but unfortunately, its debut had to wait.

Tornadoes struck the Central Florida area in early 1998, taking the lives of 42 people and heavily affecting nearby communities. The outbreak was called the Night of the Tornadoes and was the deadliest tornado event in Florida history.

Universal immediately halted all marketing for Twister out of compassion for the disaster. At this time, Universal closed the Twister gift shop and instead used that space where guests could donate to tornado relief efforts. Universal Orlando donated $100,000 to the cause.

After a month, Twister quietly opened for periodic technical rehearsals in March 1998. Universal did not publicly advertise the soft opening, instead relying on word-of-mouth.

Marketing for Twister…Ride It Out gently resumed in April as Universal Orlando softened its approach.

“It would be fair to say that we have softened the message a bit, primarily in the state of Florida.”

— Jim Canfield, Universal Orlando spokesperson, via The Orlando Sentinel, 1998

By May 1998, Universal Orlando rolled out an interactive experience to promote the attraction. The Twister Truck was a semi-trailer with a 100 mph wind tunnel simulation inside. Adults could go inside one at a time and strap in to weather the storm while wearing a poncho, ear protection, and goggles. A storm-chaser from the National Severe Storms Laboratory was on location to educate visitors about tornadoes. The Twister Truck visited science centers in more than 15 cities across the U.S.

After delays and altered marketing efforts, Universal Orlando was finally ready to debut its newest attraction to the public.

“All indications were that this was the appropriate time.”

— Jim Canfield, Universal Orlando spokesperson, via The Orlando Sentinel, 1998

Twister…Ride It Out Opens at Universal Studios Florida

Twister…Ride It Out touched down at Universal Studios Florida on May 4, 1998, in the New York section of the park. The soundstage of the $16 million addition had some weather-damaged theming, like the broken marquee and debris battered into the walls.

The Queue

The outside queue mostly lined around the exterior of the soundstage with some light theming and familiar nods to the movie and its setting of Oklahoma. Guests would wait by decorations like one of the Dorothy weather machines as seen in the movie, the imprint of a cow, and an Esmoo’s Dairy cow advertisement. The extended queue area even had a few recognizable tornado-chasing vehicles from the movie. Weather-themed tunes like Windy by The Association played over the radio.

The queue led into the soundstage and to the first pre-show room, lined with props from the movie. A video played over the screens, starting with the film’s intense opening scene and other clips. The film’s stars—Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton—introduced the attraction and shared some background about their time on set as Dr. Jo Harding and Bill Harding. This pre-show video was shown on two split screens; rumors say the two sides were filmed separately after a supposed falling out between Hunt and Paxton on the set of Twister.

Once the first pre-show ended, guests filed into a somber recreation of Aunt Meg’s destroyed home. The set was harrowing with the wreckage from a tornado. It was detailed with references to the movie and even a small gag of Mickey ears stuck to the spinning tire of Dr. Jonas Miller’s van.

In this area, guests viewed the second pre-show. Bill Paxton gave a behind-the-scenes look at how Twister and its special effects were made while also putting it into perspective just how forceful tornadoes are. The video abruptly ended with booming thunder, flickering lights, and the TV going to static.

The Show

A tornado siren sounded off. The doors in front of guests opened, leading into the main theater with warnings of an approaching tornado. Guests were ushered to stand on an open-air observation platform—sounds safe. The tiered viewing platform overlooked an outdoor set of the rural Midwest where they would soon see a special effects presentation unlike any other. The realistic set, similar to the film’s drive-in scene, had a gas station; diner; and drive-in theater, which was showing the 1991 film, The People Under the Stairs.

The wind picked up as an oncoming storm loomed in the distance. A flash of lightning struck a tree, splitting it in two as sparks flared. A flashlight shone from inside the dark diner; the storm neared. A massive tornado, projected on a giant IMAX screen, was seen in the distance. The ambiance in the room shifted as set pieces started moving in the wind.

Suddenly, the tornado manifested in the middle of the theater. High winds wreaked havoc on the set, shattering the windows of the diner. The Dorthy device, sitting in the bed of Dr. Jo Harding’s Jeep, took off in the wind and soared in front of the crowd. The large drive-in sign blew away, and the awning above guests lifted from the winds.

Just as expected from any self-respecting Twister attraction: A flying cow, named Esmoo, drifted by.

The destruction continued as Bill Harding’s truck slid into a fuel pump, causing gas to leak and catching the station on fire. The flames grew for a fiery finale, and the tornado dissipated.

The winds calmed down, the awning above guests fell back in place, and the floor slightly dropped for one final scare. The showpieces started resetting for the next viewing, and the flashlight from inside the diner meekly peeked through the broken windows. Over the speakers, Bill Paxton thanked guests for surviving Twister as they made their way out the door.

The attraction—predictably—exited through the gift shop, called Aftermath, decorated by movie props and stocked with cow merchandise. A small buffer room was used between the theater and the gift shop so the air pressure and winds wouldn’t knock items off the shelves.

The Spectacle of Twister

Overall, Twister…Ride It Out, which was ironically not a ride, was an advanced attraction that showed off 55 special effects. It was a lot to pull off, but here are some details.

The 5-story, 12-foot-wide vortex used a combination of steam and liquid nitrogen to make it visible. Its complex design of large fans generated 35 mph winds with enough air every show to fill more than four full-sized blimps. The attraction measured the weather conditions outside and adjusted accordingly to optimize the indoor effects. Each showing cycled tens of thousands of gallons of water to simulate the storm.

Guests could feel the rainy, blustery conditions, almost like being in a real storm. It was a full sensory experience with water, wind, and thunderous sound effects—made possible by a robust sound system and modified animal grunts to sound like a real disaster.

Reception

Twister…Ride It Out was popular upon opening, being a positive addition for the park. The effects were exciting and sometimes a little goofy. The experience nicely fit into Universal Studios. Twister the movie was still very much in the zeitgeist considering the attraction debuted not too long after the blockbuster came out. In fact, talks went around in 1998 about a potential sequel, but the director and stars were not on board at the time. Point being, the craze surrounding Twister was almost like lightning in a bottle.

Universal Orlando’s Struggles

Unfortunately, attendance for Universal Orlando Resort waned throughout the 2000s. Budgets between the two parks tightened up, and some operations were dialed back. These cuts affected Twister…Ride It Out as the attraction was reduced to only seasonal operations in early 2009. The show was expensive to operate, costing an estimated $1,500 each cycle. Fortunately, Twister’s hiatus didn’t last long as the attraction reopened a month later after guest feedback.

Since then, Twister operated steadily; however, its popularity was declining—so much so that the attraction lost its extended queue when the neighboring Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster was built.

After the addition of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Orlando Resort was thriving once again. New attractions were popping up across Universal Studios Florida to improve the park at large.

Twister was on borrowed time.

The move was just about two decades old by the 2010s, and the attraction itself—while still impressive—was old news compared to Universal’s latest and greatest. The show’s set did make a brief cameo in Sharknado 3, but Twister was not safe. The classic attractions of Universal Studios were closing one by one over the years in favor of newer properties and modern ride systems. The rumor mill suggested Twister was next, shutting its doors as soon as 2014.

The show outlasted that rumor for a moment, but the writing was on the wall when Universal converted the Twister gift shop into a Halloween Horror Nights retail space before fall 2015.

In 2015, Universal Orlando Resort announced Twister…Ride It Out would soon close to make room for a ride themed to The Tonight Show hosted by Jimmy Fallon.

Fans showed up for the attraction’s final day on Nov. 2, 2015, celebrating Twister by dressing in blue shirts and denim like Bill Paxton and white tank tops like Helen Hunt from the pre-show. During Twister’s final showing, the crowd cheered throughout, especially for the flying cow. That evening, before the park’s after-hours Halloween Horror Nights event started, Twister…Ride It Out closed to the public for good.

A New Attraction (Not) Starring Twister

Twister’s replacement, Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon, opened in 2017. Twister isn’t completely gone from the park as Race Through New York has a few small Easter eggs to the old show. The redesigned building, now a 30 Rockefeller Plaza recreation, has a window outside with some props in honor of Twister, like a blue shirt for Bill Paxton, a fake advertisement for “Twister Cola,” and—at one point—an office stapler labeled “B. Paxton” in memory of the film’s late star.

Among other small nods, Twister has a brief appearance in Universal Studios’ CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular nighttime show with a quick blink-and-you’ll-miss-it flying cow.

After Twister closed, a few pieces from the attraction were available for sale in the Williams of Hollywood Prop Shop—including the Wakita town welcome sign and the flying cow.

Legacy

Excitement for Twister is swirling again with a new movie, Twisters, hitting theaters. The marketing for the reboot makes it feel like 1996 all over again.

While we can always rewatch a movie, Twister…Ride It Out is a thing of the past. But, the attraction is still utterly remembered nearly a decade later—and it will be by fans until the cows come home.