Watch the great comeback of one of the most iconic attractions on Universal's Studio Tour after a year long rehab!
The Studio Tour is an iconic attraction which dates back to 1964, and is also the catalyst for creating what we now know and love as Universal Studios Hollywood. Throughout the years numerous attractions have come and gone on the tour, but some of them have withstood the test of time and grown to become iconic classics, Earthquake being one of them.
Enter Soundstage 50, one of the many unassuming special buildings used for filming on the lot. Dressed up to look like a San Francisco BART station, the 35 year old attraction (Opened in 1989) simulates in striking detail the chaos and terror that ensues as an 8.3 Quake hits the station.
Your experience begins as your 4 car studio tour tram pulls inside of Stage 50 for what is supposed to be a close up look at a two story film set replica of a San Francisco BART station. Eveything goes to plan until a violent jolt and rumble strikes the entire set, causing power to briefly flicker. A few seconds pass offering a false sense of comfort before the rumble begins once again and more louder, this time bringing with it a more aggressive shaking, a clear sign that this isn't any ordinary small tremor.
Power fails as the entire set is plunged into darkness and electrical lines hum and surge as the shaking continues. The tram in which one is seated is tossed violently at the mercy of mother nature's fury. An ominous crunching and cracking sound emanates from the ceiling above, indicating that solid concrete and steel have begun to fail under the intense forces brought forth by the quake.
With a loud crack, the entire ceiling and street deck come crashing down into the station. A shower of concrete dust obscures a large vehicle up above on the street, with only a pair of flashing emergency hazard lights illuminating the front and rear end of it. The cracked cement/asphalt slab slams into the tracks with a loud thud. A baleful and distinct screech of rubber tires skidding on asphalt pierces the air as the large vehicle behind the curtain of concrete dust starts sliding down straight towards the tram. Only once its mere feet away can one see that the mystery vehicle is a full size 18 wheeler carrying a trailer full of highly flammable gas (Hydrogen). The truck slams with a loud metallic clang into a support column mere feet away from the tram, severely buckling it.
More ominous cracking and crunching are heard as more sections of the station ceiling/street deck break away and collapse, leaving motorists and entire buildings up above clinging perilously close to the edge of the newly opened chasm. Meanwhile further towards the back, the liquefied hydrogen has begun to leak onto the floor, a sparking live wire ignites it creating a trail of fire. The trail reaches a fuel source and ignites violently, ultimately resulting in the entire truck becoming a blazing inferno as the flammable gases escape the confines of the steel tank.
Further up, the station's platform begins to buckle and tear open, exposing gas and other utility lines. Turnstiles and trash cans are uplifted off the ground as concrete and pebble flooring are torn apart and lifted up. Opposite the blown up truck, the doors to the station's electrical terminal swing open, exposing an ensemble of arching wires.
The chorus of the rumble, electrical buzzing and humming, and metal and cement tearing apart is interrupted by the shrill scream of a subway horn. A train enters the station, with its emergency brakes fully applied. Its operator aware of the tracks being blocked by the collapsed street wreckage, and trying to avoid a collision. His efforts are in vain as the train slams into the collapsed street deck/ceiling, causing the train to jacknife violently into a support column.
The rumble dies down, and the tram continues shaking as the ground beneath continues to shift and settle. Screams of passengers are heard from somewhere in the mess of concrete and steel. A panicked man yells "Tidal Wave!" as a large flood comes roaring down the stairs, washing and knocking away anything that gets in it's path. The rumble dies down, only to be replaced with the roar of the water destroying all that's left of the station.
Unlike other tour attractions which rely on screens, Earthquake makes use of practical effects such as fire, water, moving objects, and lighting to bring to life the mass destruction caused by the dark side of mother nature. The entire station is able to reset itself in 30 seconds for the next tram, ready to terrify and amuse a new batch of tourists.