5. The water tunnel in Poseidon's Fury: Escape from the Lost City

The experience: To make the transition from the land to the sea, guests walk through an 18-foot by 30-foot tunnel of water. They are able to literally reach out and touch the water as they pass by. How it works:The tunnel is equipped with a manifold that contains 40 nozzles, with the water being blasted out at 90 to 100 miles per hour – the speed that is required to ensure that it goes all the way up and around the inside wall of the tunnel without falling away.

4. Imhotep in Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride

The experience:In the first scene of Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride at Universal Studios Florida, riders encounter Imhotep - the Mummy himself. How it works:The enormous animatronic figure stands at six feet eight inches tall, weighing 680 pounds. Inside is 1,000 feet of hydraulic tubing, enabling the figure to perform some 80 motions (and, incredibly, allowing it to theoretically lift around 2,500 pounds). Although it is capable of very natural-looking movement, it was intentionally adjusted not to be too lifelike so that guests would not mistake it for a human actor in a suit.

3. The exploding shack in Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls

The experience: On the final drop, boats plunge down into a shack ominously labelled "Danger! Explosives". As they pass underneath it, the shack is blown into several pieces before falling back into itself. It then magically reconstructs itself before the next boat approaches. How it works:Each of the shack's exterior walls is split into several different pieces, which are hinged together in opposing corners. Pneumatics are used to actually move the wall and roof panels upwards during the "explosion", and to lower them back into position afterwards.

2. The big "fall" at the end of The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man

Image: Universal Orlando ResortThe experience: The final scene of Spider-man features an incredible special effect that brings together all of the disparate technologies employed by the ride. Doctor Octopus shoots the riders' Scoop vehicle with a levitation gun, sending it flying 40 stories into the air above Manhattan. It then falls off a skyscraper's roof, plummeting towards the ground below before being caught in Spider-Man's web. How it works:Set supervisor Phil Bloom explains: "[It is] a series of simple effects built on top of each other. One has static scenery with some lighting cues. We also have an actual physical building that has motion that drops away from us, and makes us feel like we're rising. All this is synced with a movie projection screen. Add in the motion effects of the vehicle and some wind effects, and you feel like you're flying in the air."

1. The hidden elevators in Transformers: The Ride - 3D

Image: Universal Orlando Resort
The experience: Riders witness a scene in which Optimus Prime battles Megatron, while Grindor chases EVAC (the riders' vehicle) until Grindor's arm is broken off by a train. Later, they witness EVAC forcing the AllSpark into Megatron's chest, causing both to freefall to the ground.
How it works:Transformers: The Ride uses an identical ride system to The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. The Transformers ride building is half the size of Spider-Man's, but still includes 2,000 feet of track. To compensate for this, the ride is split across two floors, with an elevator carrying the car from one level to another. So that guests don't notice the transition, they witness a spectacular animation sequence in each elevator - encountering full-scale Transformers that are nearly 30-feet-tall.