Twister...Ride It Out was an indoor special effects attraction based on the 1996 film Twister, located in the New York themed area at Universal Studios Florida. It replaced Ghostbusters Spooktacular and opened to the general public on May 4, 1998. Hosts Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt, stars from the original film, were featured in recorded video footage and audio narrations throughout the attraction. Guests experienced a life-like encounter with a simulated tornado in the main show area which included water, fire, and the movement of objects across the stage among other audio and visual effects. Declining popularity due to a lack of long-term cultural significance led to the attraction's permanent closure on November 2, 2015. Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon opened in its place two years later in 2017.
History
Prior to the opening of Twister...Ride it Out, the building housing the attraction was formerly home to Ghostbusters Spooktacular, a show themed to the Ghostbusters franchise that was featured at Universal Studios Florida's grand opening on June 7, 1990. By the mid-1990s, the popularity of the attraction had significantly declined, and its final show took place on November 8, 1996. Following the closure of Ghostbusters Spooktacular, Universal sought a change and considered theming a new attraction to Twister, a film that was released in theaters on May 10, 1996.
On February 6, 1997, Universal Studios Florida announced that they would be adding Twister...Ride it Out for the 1998 season in place of the former Ghostbusters Spooktacular. Construction began in the spring of 1997 and was completed later that year.
To accurately simulate a tornado, Universal Parks & Resorts entered talks with tornado meteorologists to discover the actual sights, sound, and feel of the experience. It was necessary to generate constant winds of for a full size effect generation. The sound of thunder was piped through 54 speakers powered by 42,000 watts, enough to power five average homes. The roar of the tornado was made of a combination of camel sounds, lion roars, backward human and animal screams. More than 65,000 gallons of water would simulate the rainstorm and could be ready for the next show every six minutes. The 20 laserdisc players, 300 speakers and 60 monitors were connected by 50 miles of electrical wire and controlled by 20 computers.
Twister...Ride it Out was originally going to open in March 1998, but just a few weeks before that, the Kissimmee tornado outbreak happened nearby. For this, the attraction's opening was delayed to May 4, 1998. During its opening year, staff members performed a demonstration of the attraction experience inside the wind truck. Officials also donated $100,000 to the victims. At the same time, Universal Studios Escape was introduced when the company was gearing up to open Islands of Adventure and CityWalk in 1999.
In 2008, the outdoor queue line was reduced to make room for Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, where the roller coaster blasts through the firehouse facade. The ride involved the closure of the Boneyard in September 2008, and the moving of the Blue Man Group pathway in November 2008. This was to make room for the Universal Music Plaza Stage and the entrance of Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit.
On February 16, 2009, the attraction began operating only during peak seasons. However, it reopened by Universal on March 9, 2009 due to guest demand.
On October 27, 2015, Universal announced the decision to retire Twister...Ride it Out after 17 years of service on November 2, 2015. Over the years, it had become outdated and one of the park's least popular attractions. The film it was based on lacked long-term cultural significance, and the cost of operation was expensive. In 2017, it was replaced by Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon, a 3D motion simulator ride that was constructed in the same building.
In a window display of the Jimmy Fallon attraction featuring elements of NBC's broadcasting history, there are multiple references to the former Twister attraction including one that honors Bill Paxton, who died on February 25, 2017, shortly before the new ride's debut. It includes Bill Paxton's light blue shirt that became synonymous with the actor's performance in a video displayed in Twister's pre-show queue. Other references include a stapler on a nearby desk labeled "B. Paxton" and an advertisement for Twister Cola.