Disaster! - A Major Motion Picture Ride...Starring YOU

Description And Comments

An upgraded version of Universal's opening-day Earthquake attraction, Disaster! (subtitled “A Major Motion Picture Ride...Starring YOU!”) serves as both an entertaining introduction into movie-making special effects, and a parody of low-budget action flicks, bad acting and Hollywood egos. In the first part of the attraction, guests are recruited for roles in a film called Mutha Nature, directed by the overbearing and conceited Frank Kincaid (Christopher Walken) and starring an unnamed actor you’ll recognize as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

After the volunteers are selected, the crowd gets a standing-room-only audience with Kinkaid, who appear as a full-size hologram, seemingly interacting with a live performer on stage. The effect is accomplished with a Musion Eyeliner screen, which is also employed inside the Harry Potter attractions. The audience is then seated in a soundstage where a number of seemingly random scenes are filmed starring the guests-cum-volunteers. Each volunteer is placed in front of a "green screen" and given some unremarkable task to perform, possibly while being pelted with foam debris from whatever disaster will later be overlaid onto the film. The humor comes from the volunteer's slightly delayed reaction to whatever is going on around them, the emcee's running commentary of their acting ability, and Walken's deadpan delivery of his director's lines.

Finally, guests board a faux city subway to shoot the final scene, which sees the train subjected to earthquakes, explosions, and onrushing water. The finale's effects are a bit dated (when and if they are working), but the pyrotechnics still impress most first-time riders. Following the quake, while the subway returns to the station, the audience gets to see the finished "film" which pieces together the green screen performances from earlier with the subway ride.

Touring Tips

Not usually crowded, we recommend seeing Disaster! in the late morning or afternoon, after tackling the park's other major rides. If you're unsure about all the shaking, you can enjoy the preshows and skip the ride portion.

Disaster! - A Major Motion Picture Ride...Starring YOU Wait Times

This chart shows you roughly how long you'll wait for Disaster! - A Major Motion Picture Ride...Starring YOU when you visit on a day with a given Universal Studios Florida Crowd Level. The blue bars represent the average "peak" wait time (that is, how long the line will be at its busiest). The bottom and top black lines represent the range of peak wait times to expect (for you fellow nerds out there: it's the 5th percentile and 95th percentile of peak wait times). Please note that these are estimates, and for a better forecast for your travel dates, see Disaster! - A Major Motion Picture Ride...Starring YOU Wait Times.

Special Comments

• This attraction may be frightening for children.

May frighten young children.

Blog Posts on Disaster! A Major Motion Picture Ride...Starring YOU:

• Six Most Underrated Attractions and Shows at Universal

Special Needs

• Physical Considerations
• Must Transfer To Standard Wheelchair

Other Attractions in San Francisco

• Beat Builders
• Fast & Furious – Supercharged