1. Disaster! A Major Motion Picture Ride… Starring You! (now Fast and Furious: Supercharged!)

A rewatch of a full POV of Disaster! showcases how this ride was truly a sign of the times - a 20-30 minute experience that lets guests in on the little-known ‘secrets’ behind creating real movie magic, before giving them the opportunity to star in their very own disaster movie. Having taken over from Universal’s Earthquake! Attraction in 2008, Disaster! stood for less than 8 years before it was replaced by one of Universal’s major IPs, the Fast & Furious franchise.

For many, Fast & Furious: Supercharged falls short in a number of areas, with one key complaint being that it offers very little in the way of innovation, and is incredibly similar to Skull Island: Reign of Kong over in Islands of Adventure, which had opened just two years prior to Fast &Furious: Supercharged. While Disaster! had certainly dwindled into becoming one of Universal’s more outdated and lesser-loved attractions as time went on, it offered a unique, interactive experience, therefore many argue that there could have been a much greater use of the space than the Fast & Furious: Supercharged motion simulator bus ride. 

2. Back to the Future (now The Simpsons Ride)

Closing back in 2003 to make way for its animated successor, Back to the Future offered the same nostalgic blast from the past as the beloved movies do, with the ride actually acting as a mini-sequel to Back to the Future Part III. This motion simulator attraction first opened back in 1991, as riders are invited to volunteer to take part in Doc Brown’s latest time travel experiment.

While The Simpsons Ride is by no means a bad replacement, some feel as though that it’s little more than an overlay for what was an already fantastic attraction. Despite the understandable need to continue refreshing attractions within the park, one could argue that, given the love that still surrounds the film’s story and characters, Back to the Future (with a little refurbishment) could still have been a popular attraction to this day.

3. Twister… Ride It Out (now Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon)

Twister had most certainly had its hay day having first debuted in Universal Studios in 1998, so news of its closing came as very little surprise to many and for some, was even welcomed. Twister stayed true to Universal’s movie studio roots, as its intricately detailed queue saw Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt invite riders to experience the true power of a Twister through a theatre style attraction.

Therefore, Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon was a somewhat anticlimactic replacement. Having opened in 2017, Race Through New York certainly offers a fun ride experience as you race the Late Night host through various New York landmarks, However, the general consensus amongst park fans is that it doesn't, unfortunately, provide anything overly exciting or new and is largely reminiscent of a number of other attractions that already reside in Universal, having drawn many comparisons to Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, in particular, upon opening. 

Which ride do you consider to be Universal's best replacement? Are there any rides that you feel should have been left as they were?