Jurassic Park River Adventure

Location: Islands of Adventure – Jurassic Park

Height Restriction: 42”

Age Appropriateness: Older children who can handle darkness, scary dinosaurs and steep drops

Seat Description: Benches with lap bars; about 4 to a row

Ride Description: Jurassic Park River Adventure begins as idyllic and peaceful as John Hammond’s original vision for the island. Your boat meanders through calm waters while herbivorous dinosaurs calmly observe their visitors. A few even get playful, snorting and spraying water at the boat. Unfortunately, this part of the tour is short-lived and your boat soon goes off track into the raptor containment area.

Even if you missed out on the movies, you’ll soon realize that raptors are bad, bad news. As you near enter the raptor enclosure, a couple of Compsognathus (the tiny but deadly dinosaurs who make quick work of Stark in “The Lost World: Jurassic Park”) are seen playing tug-of-war with a staff member’s mangled shirt. Your boat continues on its dangerous path toward a large industrial building and passes beneath a raptor cage that nearly falls on you.

As you enter the building, your boat begins to climb the massive lift that takes you to the top of the ride. There are loose raptors on every side, lunging at what remains of the fencing along either side of the boat. At the top of the lift, Dilophosauruses hiss and spit at the unwelcome visitors. Dennis Nedry met his end at the claws (and poisonous saliva) of these dinosaurs in “Jurassic Park.”

Just ahead is the climax of the ride. A full size Tyrannosaurus Rex emerges from the darkness and mist with a terrifying roar. Your boat is headed directly for him. The gigantic head of the T-Rex, lunging downward to scoop up a snack is the last thing you see before you’re plunged downward and out of the building.

The combination of the steep drop, massive splash of water and dazzling brightness of the sunlight as you rapidly drop out of the dark building are enough to leave anyone a little stunned. From here it’s just a short ride around the bend to the unloading dock – just enough time to catch your breath and gather your things before you’re off to the next adventure.

Getting Ready: If you haven’t seen the Jurassic Park movies, watching at least the first one will give you a better feel for what this whole ride is about. There are plenty of movie references and recognizable dinosaurs to enjoy.

Worth the Wait: 45 to 60 minutes

Ride Restrictions: You should not ride this attraction if you:

• are expecting
• have a heart condition or abnormal blood pressure
• have neck, back, or similar conditions
• are susceptible to motion sickness
• have a medical condition aggravated by strobe lights
• have a medical condition aggravated by fog effects
• have had recent surgery

Guests in wheelchairs must be able to transfer to ride seating.