by Michele Hinh
The year is 1985. July 1985, to be specific. The film Back to the Future has just been released and is making its way towards becoming the newest summer blockbuster. By the end of its theatrical run, the film will become the highest-grossing film of 1985, earning a total of $215 million domestically and $388 million worldwide. Universal Pictures had a hit on their hands. It was so much of a hit that Universal would begin planning for not only more Back to the Future movies, but also a ride at the Universal Studios theme parks.
Fast forward a few decades: the ride has closed at all locations and the franchise, while definitely still present at the parks, has slowly dwindled in prevalence. That is until August 2024, when Universal Studios Hollywood announced a brand new after-hours event that would feature attractions based on the franchises of Dungeons & Dragons, Star Trek, and, you guessed it, Back to the Future! This event was just in time for the 40th anniversary of the movie.
The inclusion of Back to the Future in their next biggest event now begs the question: could Fan Fest Nights mark a change in the franchise’s presence in the parks? Or was this just a means to celebrate 40 years of one of the most famous movie trilogies?
The Ride That Changed Everything
Back to the Future: The Ride officially opened on May 2, 1991, in Universal Studios Florida and on June 12, 1993, in Universal Studios Hollywood. It would later open at Universal Studio Japan on March 31, 2001, as an opening day attraction. On the ride, guests are given the chance to board their very own DeLorean as Doc Brown himself invites the riders to travel to the future. However, things go awry when 1955 Biff Tannen escapes his time period and riders must now track him down in order to save the space-time continuum.
The ride was a motion simulator set in a large theater with 12 DeLorean ride vehicles experiencing the ride at once. Imagine something like a drive-thru theater, but each car is a motion simulator in front of a huge (70 ft!) screen. Each car was also stacked in such a way that riders would not be able to see the other vehicles during the ride, unless they really tried.
As the ride began, each DeLorean would rise up from the room that riders entered from and into the giant Omnimax Dome theater. Once in the theater, the ride vehicles could move up to 2 ft in any direction to simulate acceleration, flying, falling, and a variety of other motions. This combined with water and wind effects alongside matching on-screen action made for an exhilarating ride that truly brought the movie to life.
The ride was a hit for both fans of the movie and regular parkgoers alike. It was one of the first motion simulators in the game and the ride system was certainly one of a kind at the time. Being one of the first major attractions at Universal Studios Florida and a new premiere attraction at Hollywood, attendance numbers skyrocketed and the landscape of the Universal theme parks was changed.
Fading Away, But Never Gone
As the years went on, Universal began to seek out new franchises to keep the parks feeling fresh and to encourage attendees to return to the parks. However, by doing so, this ultimately meant that some of their older rides would have to go due to the limited amount of space available at the parks. By the early 2000s, the ride’s popularity had already been dwindling, and this, coupled with the closure of Kongfrontation in Florida for a Revenge of the Mummy ride, meant that Back to the Future could be the next on the chopping block.
Unfortunately for fellow time-travel enthusiasts, Back to the Future: The Ride closed at both the Orlando and Hollywood parks in 2007 to make room for the new Simpsons ride, which used the same ride system and Omnimax Dome theater. Universal Japan’s Back to the Future ride would eventually close in 2016 to be replaced by Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem, meaning that all iterations of the Back to the Future ride had officially closed their doors.
However, even years after the ride’s closure, the franchise never completely left the parks. Merchandise of the film was still present and parkgoers could have a conversation with Doc Brown as a meet-and-greet character. On the Studio Tour in Hollywood, guests could be lucky enough to see the original Courthouse Square where the movie was filmed, as long as nothing is being filmed there that day. For the Studio Tour’s 60th anniversary, fans could also get a glimpse at a DeLorean picture car as the tram drove past Courthouse Square.
The films’ status as a pop culture icon meant that Universal still wanted to make sure that one of their most beloved IPs was being represented at their parks. Still, nothing could quite beat a permanent attraction or even just something a bit bigger.
Destination: Fan Fest Nights
That “something bigger” came to fans in the form of an announcement on August 23, 2024. In a press release, Universal Studios Hollywood announced Fan Fest Nights, an all-new after-hours event where guests can experience their favorite fandoms through interactive and immersive experiences. At the time of the announcement, Back to the Future, Star Trek, and Dungeons & Dragons were on the lineup, and One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, Super Mario, Harry Potter, and Wicked were added later.
Back to the Future: Destination Hill Valley was the newest and arguably coolest addition to the movies’ list of park attractions. Guests would board the Studio Tour trams during the event and be taken to the one and only Courthouse Square. Unlike the Studio Tour where the tram would just pass by the building, here, guests would actually get to step off of the tram, explore Courthouse Square for themselves, and be in the actual events of the movie.
That isn’t an exaggeration, either. The entire set was decorated to look like 1955 Hill Valley, complete with 50s-style carnival games and the Enchantment Under the Sea dance. Marty, Doc Brown, Biff, and so many other characters would walk around and reenact the entire plot of the first movie all within 45 minutes while also interacting with any guest who wanted to strike up a conversation.
Destination Hill Valley was incredibly well-received by fans, theme park enthusiasts, and casual parkgoers, with some calling the experience “the best part of Universal Fan Fest Nights” (Tom Corless, chief executive officer and founder of WDW News Today). People praised the performances, the level of immersion and interactivity, and the concept as a whole. While there was criticism over some of the logistics (it was difficult to hear the actors at times), many expressed excitement over the possibility of this experience’s return next year.
What’s Next for Marty and Doc Brown?
Attendees of Fan Fest Nights were given a survey after their visit to provide feedback about the new event. Within the survey was a question that asked respondents what franchises they would be excited to see at Fan Fest in the future. Among the several franchises listed was Back to the Future, suggesting that another Back to the Future experience isn’t completely out of the conversation. Nothing is confirmed, of course, but given the success of this year’s experience and now that Fan Fest Nights is confirmed for next spring, there is a chance we’ll have another opportunity to go “back to the future.”
Could we see a consistent return of Back to the Future at the Universal Studios theme parks? Will Fan Fest Nights be the place fans go to for time-travel experiences? As of right now, only time can tell. But perhaps the reception of recent initiatives could sway executives into reexamining the franchise’s potential for success in the parks. After all, the future is what we make it.
Explore More: Videos
Back to the Future: The Ride Behind The Scenes IMAX Dome Ride Vehicles
Rare | Behind the Scenes w/ Steven Spielberg: The Back To The Future Ride
Back to the Future Fan Fest Nights Full Experience 2025
Explore More: Resources
- Web page: Universal Studios Hollywood Back to the Future Fan Fest Night (Universal Studios Hollywood)
- Article: TOM’S HONEST REVIEW: Universal Fan Fest Nights Brings Together the Best of Back to the Future, Anime, Star Trek, and More (wdwnt.com)
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Michele Hinh is a community worker, writer, film buff, and full-time theme park enthusiast. Being from sunny Southern California, she grew up going to theme parks like Disneyland, Universal Studios, and Knott’s Berry Farm. Here, she discovered the magic of themed experiences and is thrilled to be a part of a community that shares the same passions.
