The SATURDAY SIX Celebrates 35 Years of JAWS at Universal Orlando (Ride, Merchandise, 50th Anniversary Celebration and more!)

This week’s SATURDAY SIX gets into the shark proof cage as we check out JAWS at Universal Orlando! The film Jaws by Steven Spielberg is on my movie Mount Rushmore and it has made an indelible mark on my psyche and collecting habits. I originally saw Jaws at much too young an age and immediately became terrified of the ocean (and even the city pool.) Over the years I began to understand what a monumental movie Jaws was and became low key obsessed with it. I read every book I could on the film, watched every documentary on the making of the movie, and would collect anything even tangentially related to Jaws (toys, artwork, parody films, etc.) However, the true “when peanut butter met chocolate” moment was discovering that a theme park had a Jaws ride.

I have written many times over the years that I was very blessed to have been brought to the theme parks as a kid by my single mother and grandmother (you can read a tribute to my mom at the end of this article and one for my grandmother at the end of this article.) As a kid growing up in New Hampshire in a time before the internet, the only time I knew something existed at a theme park was when I was actually in the park to experience it. Walking into Universal Studios Florida and discovering there was a whole area devoted to my favorite movie? My mind was blown.

The “land” that ride took place in was the town of Amity, celebrating the fourth of July.

The Jaws ride itself was a stand alone attraction that built off the Jaws section of the famous Studio Backlot Tour over in Universal Studios Hollywood.

Jaws was an opening day attraction at Universal Studios Florida back in 1990, and like the film it was based on, the ride was subject to constant problems for years. In fact, at one point they just completely shut the ride down and didn’t reopen until the next year.

One thing that was great about the Jaws ride was that it was Universal’s version of an attraction I loved at Disney, The Jungle Cruise. In fact, boat rides may be my all time favorite type of attraction in any theme park. The storyline of the Jaws ride is that it takes place in the same universe that the Jaws film did, and we are several years removed from the infamous shark attacks. Amity’s tourism has dropped, and Captain Jake has opened up a charter business to take people to historic areas where the shark attacks took place and became famous because of the movie.

Guests got a chance to see a recreation of the Orca itself.

As with almost all of the best theme park rides, “something goes terribly wrong” and we find ourselves encountering a great white several times.

Like The Jungle Cruise, skippers on the boat had to both narrate the attraction and become part of the story.

Universal spared no expense, and many elements of the attraction were visually incredible.

To this day, the Jaws ride is beloved to many and is right up there with Back to the Future: The Ride with fan reaction being similar to Horizons and original Journey into Imagination over at Disney.

Let’s go back to Amity for a second. This entire “land” was straight up bonkers, with stores such as Quint’s Surf Shack (something that makes absolutely ZERO sense given the context of the film Jaws) and restaurants like the Midway Grill serving Nathan’s hotdogs.

Maybe Amity is similar to Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama at the Animal Kingdom and this is a case of “well, actually it’s supposed to look cheap because this is exactly what would happen in the real world.” In the movie Jaws, Amity is a Summer town that only makes its money during a short period of time, so it makes sense that it wouldn’t have the normal larger than life stores and restaurants that we are used to seeing at the theme parks.

Now, I know a lot of time and money and tons of talented people worked on putting this land together…but let’s face it, Amity wasn’t that good of a theme park “land.” It was eventually replaced by Diagon Alley and the Wizarding World is a massive improvement in literally every single way possible. Sorry Jaws fans, but it’s true.

The last Jaws ride took place in 2012, but the world’s most famous shark has kept a presence in the park ever since. Not only is there the famous photo-op (which we started the article with) but a whole bunch of other stuff has appeared over the years as well. With 2025 being the 50th anniversary of the movie Jaws, I thought we would spend a little time looking at Jaws representation at Universal Studios Florida, starting with…

# 6 – The Food

Longtime readers of this fine blog series know how much I love the Universal branded line of candy bars. To me they are one of the best gifts you can bring back home to friends and family because they are relatively inexpensive, small, and extremely unique.

My personal favorite candy bar is for E.T., because I love Reese’s Pieces, but my second favorite is JAWS. Appropriately enough, the flavor profile for the Jaws candy bar includes sea salt (and caramel.)

Universal could have easily just had themed wrappers on these candy bars and called it a day, but each of them has extra added details as well.

The Jaws movie poster is one of the best ever done, so of course I’m going to buy a box of Gummy Fish Candy when it looks like this!

There have been several Jaws related items in the snack cases in various Tribute Stores and Sweet Shops over the years.

This year Universal opened two outdoor kitchens that were brilliantly themed to echo the cheap retro aesthetic that guests saw when walking through Amity back in the early ’90s. The first is Captain Quint’s Board Walk snacks, named after the famous skipper of the Orca who vowed to “find ’em for three (thousand dollars) but I’ll catch and kill him for ten.”

The serving container for the “bucket of bait” references the Amity Island mural that was defaced in the movie.

How incredible is this Jaws-themed Taiyaki?!!

Our second outdoor kitchen is The Midway Grill.

There were two refillable cups released for the 50th anniversary. A more traditional one that could be used at all the park’s Coke Freestyle machines…

…along with possibly the greatest sipper in the history of theme parks.

The end of the first Jaws movie had the character Sheriff Brody shooting at an oxygen tank that the shark had in its mouth. This sipper has the soda going into a miniature oxygen tank which can then be placed inside the mouth of the shark. E-Ticket doesn’t even begin to describe how great this is.

# 5 – Hello Kitty Mash-up

One of the true “best kept secrets” at Universal is the mash-up series of merchandise that involve well known Universal brands (including Back to the Future, Jurassic Park and King Kong) and Hello Kitty. It is absolutely surreal to see the incredibly cute children’s character mashed up with more adult leaning fare like Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, the Child’s Play series of horror film, and – of course – JAWS.

Everything about the Jaws/Hello Kitty mash-up merchandise is incredible.

I love a good theme park print, and the Hello Kitty/Jaws print is one of my all-time favorites.

# 4 – Other Merchandise

The amount of merchandise released for the Jaws brand at the Universal parks over the years is just crazy, including an Amity Island scented candle.

A Jaws shark and Orca salt & pepper set? Yes, please!

Many new items were released in 2025 for the 50th anniversary.

There have been many varieties of shark plush over the years, but this year was the first time we got to see one with the Jaws branding.

Pins, glass ware, coffee cups and more!

Everyone has their own Funko pop these days, but how about that Fischer-Price Little People set? Just AMAZING.

Several years ago, Universal featured several “Mold-A-Rama” options for each season. A couple of the machines featured Jaws.

Only @bioreconstruct would be the person who could track each color variation of the Jaws mold over time. Are you kidding me?!!! Just incredible.

Another machine featured a more traditional looking shark.

There have been several pressed penny designs featuring Jaws over the years…

…with none better than an option to get the Hello Kitty/Jaws mash-up!!

Don’t ask me why, but some people might even like this – UGH – Metal Earth version of the famous Universal Studios Jaws photo-op.

# 3 – Jaws in Tribute Stores

I’ve written many times about how I’m constantly blown away by the absolutely amazing Tribute Stores that Universal Studios Florida has been hosting for the last decade. They seem to pop up almost overnight, and have an unbelieveable amount of creativity and TLC put into them that we don’t see in the vast majority of gift shops put into theme parks recently. While my all time favorite Tribute Store (and I’m severely biased on this one) was the Haunted Comic Book Store back in 2023, my runner up favorites all incorporated Jaws into the mix. These include the Summer 2022 Tribute Store that paid homage to three classic Universal movies: E.T., Back to the Future, and Jaws.

For those who have never been inside a Universal Tribute Store, they are essentially elaborately designed gift shops that take you through a “story” via several rooms. The Jaws room was filled with wonderful details to not just the film, but the retired attraction.

Absolutely love this piece of artwork evoking the feeling of Jaws.

In 2024, the Summer Tribute Store focused on a video store. Outside the shop was a bulletin board loaded with fantastic Easter eggs that referenced Universal movies and attractions. At the top left in the picture below you’ll see a seminar hosted by Matt Hooper, one of the three lead characters in Jaws.

Later in the store there was a terrific Jaws movie poster photo-op…

…along with a giant recreation of the Orca boat.

For several years in CityWalk there was the Universal Legacy Store, which was absolutely loaded with props and memorabilia from the history of the Universal Orlando parks. These included several items related to Jaws, such as the Amity concept art below.

# 2 – Mega Movie Parade

In 2024 Universal Studios Florida had the debut of the Mega Movie Parade that featured floats and parade units dedicated to some of their biggest films. One of those movies was Jaws. The start of the parade unit includes members of the Amity high school band holding a banner that brings guests right back into the opening of Universal Studios Florida back in 1990.

Two of the walk around characters for the Jaws float include police chief Martin Brody…

…and the infamous mayor of Amity, Larry Vaughn.

The two characters have a lot of fun interacting with guests watching the parade, especially if you are wearing Jaws memorabilia.

The actual Jaws float itself is fantastic. At the very front is the shark cage that Matt Hooper goes into the water with (it cleverly holds the driver of the float.)

The rest of the Jaws float features the shark “Bruce” attacking the Orca.

You’ll often see Captain Quint himself on board the Orca.

Jaws also makes an appearance in the nighttime CineSational show. This moment combines John Williams’ E-Ticket score from the film with images from the movie projected on water screens and drones in the air creating a shark. We truly live in the best timeline.

Even Optimus Prime knows this show is amazing.

# 1 – 50th Anniversary in San Francisco

Universal Studios Florida itself celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Jaws film with some wonderful details located in the San Francisco area of the park. This includes another wonderful re-creation of the Welcome banner that guests encountered when walking into Amity back in the day.

The iconic Amity Island Welcomes You billboard has been recreated for a photo-op.

Guests have another wonderful photo-op experience with a boat from the Jaws ride.

When inside the boat, you get to see some wonderful details…

…including pages from the Jaws ride script!!!

Like the awesome matte paintings used in the early Star Wars films, that actual back half of the boat and background itself is artwork used to create a realistic environment. I love the retro Universal Studios Florida shirt hanging over a seat.

The San Francisco Candy Co. sweet shop has become a sort of mini Jaws-themed Tribute Store with a whole bunch of memorabilia and other items from the Jaws ride and the Jaws films throughout the store (and even on shelves among the ceiling.) Just a TON of stuff that is worth going out of your way to check out if you are a fan of the movie Jaws or miss the Jaws ride.

One of my personal favorite scenes in the movie Jaws was when we were introduced to the character of Quint. The scene began with several characters walking into a room and passing a black chalkboard. A tense argument between the characters is broken up by the screeching sound of nails scratching the chalkboard. We then find out those nails belong to Quint, and now there was a drawing of a shark eating a human on the chalkboard as well. We can surmise that Quint himself did the chalk drawing.

Next to the chalkboard is a straight up E-Ticket attraction poster created for the Jaws ride. Would buy this print in a second if Universal sold it.

HONORABLE MENTION – Skill Game Prizes

There is no bigger fan of Theme Park Skill Games than yours truly, and you can imagine how my heart leapt during the Summer of 2023 when out of nowhere Jaws themed prizes showed up at the skill games in-between Toon Lagoon and Marvel Superhero Island. These prizes were all done in the what I like to call “cute plush” style that has become one of my favorite souvenirs at Universal Orlando. I still can’t believe we were given a Quint plush!

We even got a cute plush of Bruce the shark!

These plush were first ballot entrants into the Theme Park Skill Game Prize Hall of Fame.

There was a fifth plush available as well. A screaming victim!

DOUBLE SECRET HONORABLE MENTION – References in the Parks

The Universal parks will almost always be tied to the iconic character of Jaws, and the removal of the Jaws attraction back in 2012 may have caused a riot if people didn’t know a “bigger and better” Wizarding World experience was coming to replace it. A beloved ride that had major problems from literally day one, the Jaws ride holds a special place in the hearts of many Universal fans. Now, when Hogsmeade Village opened in 2010, it contained exactly zero references to any of the elements of Lost Continent that it replaced, such as the Enchanted Oak Restaurant, so not everyone was convinced that there would be any Jaws references in Diagon Alley.

Great news though, there are multiple references to Jaws in Diagon Alley, including this one at the record store in the London Waterfront façade.

Some references can be less recognizable, such as this telescope in Wiseacre’s Wizarding Equipment that includes elements from the Jaws ride queue. There are multiple telescopes in the gift shop, with Rumors and Innuendo telling us they have been built out of parts from the Jaws ride and queue, including one that has an actual steering wheel from a Captain Jake’s Amity Boat Tours boat.

My personal favorite reference to Jaws in Diagon Alley is actually now gone. However there was a time when you could use an interactive wand to cast a spell in Nocturn Alley to make a group of shrunken heads in a window talk. Occasionally, the group would sing a song that is well known to any fan of Jaws…

Outside of the Wizarding World you’ll find references to the Jaws attraction as well. We once did an article looking at all the amazing things you’ll see “hidden in plain sight” behind windows at Universal Studios Florida, and one of those details can be found in a window in the Hollywood section of the park.

If you look closely at the group of orange colored oil cans, one is slightly different than the others. Instead of D*A Speed Sport Oil, it is Skipper Retro-Ride Oil, referencing the Jaws ride. I’m not 100% sure when this window display was originally created, but if the D*A cans are a reference to Diagon Alley, I’m actually shook.

In Mel’s Diner, the menu screens will occasionally show black and white tributes to several Universal films, including Jaws.

Chez Alcaratraz is a bar located directly next to the Jaws photo-op experience in the San Francisco area of the park.

The bar was recently refurbished and a whole bunch of Jaws film and Jaws ride references were added. These include an ad for “Steven’s Cannery” as Steven Spielberg directed the first Jaws movie.

The most ordered drink at Chez Alcatraz is the Ocean Attack (Don Q coconut rum, blue curaçao, pineapple juice, Sprite, dash of grenadine) because the bartenders will generally perform a fun show while making and presenting the cocktail.

Now, years ago the most popular drink at Chez Alcatraz was the SHARK ATTACK. This was always fun to get because the last minute addition to the drink by the bartender made it seem like blood was flowing down the cup. In the movie Jaws, Chief Brody was compelled to change the cause of death for one victim. He originally had the cause as “shark attack.” Life imitates art if Universal also made Chez Alcatraz change the name and presentation of this drink for societal reasons.

Chez Alcatraz is a weird bar when it comes to theming. There are a whole bunch of references to Jaws and the northeast United States (Amity is basically Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts) but also has a bunch of references to San Francisco and the Alcatraz prison where the bar gets its name. So you have drinks on the menu that include San Francisco Bay Breeze, The Alcatraz, Escape (referencing a prison escape) and BRUCE.

Over in Islands of Adventure  you’ll find a parody of the Jaws movie poster in the queue for Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls.

In CityWalk, one side of the Hollywood Drive-In Minigolf includes a Jaws reference.

In our love letter to the legacy of Shrek 4D, we mentioned how much we loved all the details in the queue. Well, one of those details was a parody of the Jaws movie poster.

Jaws ride props have even been used at Halloween Horror Nights!

Jaws is even going to represented in the upcoming Universal park in Great Britain that is coming in 2031…

…as a close look at the concept art reveals the “hanging shark” photo-op that we know and love at Universal Studios Florida.

*Triple Thread Honorable Mention – For the Fans

Universal has had several homages to Jaws for their loyal guests over the years including an Annual Passholder magnet…

and button.

In 2023 there was a Christmas tree that was decorated with elements from several extinct Universal Studios Florida attractions, including the Jaws ride.

You could also find sharks “hidden” among the garland inside the park.

Grand Slam Honorable Mention – Artists Inspired by Jaws

Let’s take a look at some pieces inspired by the Jaws ride by some wonderful artists.

It’s great to see how much the “peaceful” part of the Jaws ride made an impact on artists as you would assume everyone would be want to focus on the shark attack aspect of the ride. Sailing through Amity Harbor and passing by the lighthouse was just a great experience for a theme park guest.

Artist Bryan Bindman created this incredible map of Amity Island at Universal Studios Florida that includes all the show scenes from the Jaws ride as well.

Meanwhile the crew over at ParkLore did an AMAZING ride layout map of the Jaws ride.

For those who don’t know, back in 2020 when the theme parks shut down for Covid, I wrote and drew a comic book with all the proceeds going to Universal Team Members and Disney Cast Members who were suddenly thrown out of work. The title of the comic book was Batman Visits the Theme Parks and had the Caped Crusader having fun at the Disney and Universal parks. One of the pages had Batman experiencing the Jaws ride.

While its impossible to tell because of my limited art skills, the Jaws skipper boat captain in my drawing above was actually none other than Michael Aiello, the current Senior Director of Entertainment Creative Development at Universal.

Let’s close with some of my favorite artwork inspired by the movie Jaws. I’m not sure if there are many other movies who have inspired greater pieces of artwork. If there is I can’t name any. Here’s a fantastic piece by artist Sam Carter that uses the silhouette of Chief Brody combined with imagery from the climatic moment of the movie.

There are certain pieces of artwork that just leave me with my jaw on the floor, and one of them is this topographical map of Amity by Anthony Petrie.

This piece by artist Glenn Melling tells a great story via one piece of art and includes a very seldom referenced part of the movie: Chief Brody approaching to the area on the beach where the movie’s first victim was found.

Here’s three more just absolutely awesome Jaws movie poster creations by (from L-R) Justin Osbourn, Doaly, and phase_runner.

We’ll close with another Sondy, and his recreation of the iconic Jaws movie poster.

So there you have it: The SATURDAY SIX Celebrates 35 Years of JAWS at Universal Orlando! See you next weekend for the latest installment of the SATURDAY SIX, where we’ll look at something fun from the world of Disney and Universal. If you enjoyed yourself, be sure to check out the THEME PARK ENJOYMENT INDEX, giving a monthly recap of all the theme park news you need to know (and a lot more you don’t need to know, but we’re gonna tell you anyway). You can also follow Your Humble Author on BlueSky (@derekburgan).

If you enjoyed this article, you will surely like the following: 

Theme Park Turkeys of the Year Archives

The SATURDAY SIX Celebrates 10 Years of @bioreconstruct

SATURDAY SIX Tribute to Josh easyWDW

SATURDAY SIX Tribute to Ian Barritt

Special Thanks to The Elite Brandon Glover, Digital Maestro Scott Walker, the bio-est of all reconstructs @bioreconstruct, Captain Cruiseline Scott Sanders of the world famous Disney Cruise Line Blog, my personal protege Hunter “Elvey” Underwood, artist @SonderQuest, the mighty maven of merchandise Hedgehog’s Corner, the SAT SIX Fun Squad of Parkscope Joe and “the Dadalorian” Nick, hot shot Michael Carelli, charter member of the Universal Four @Nitro230, the permit princess Alicia Stella, master cartographer Tommy Hawkins, and Hermione Granger’s tutor Megan Stump for their invaluable assistance with this article. Absolutely no help was added by SeaWorld Influencer @SuperWeenieHtJr. The SAT SIX is inspired each week by goofballs Aengus Mackenzie and LitemAndHide and you Potterheads will enjoy Meg’s other blog work over at the Central Florida Slug Club.