Question about ending in Jaws

[phamton]

My friend just got back from UO and was talking about the "Jaws" ride. When she saw it, the shark wasn't killed and when they got back to the dock, the boat driver said, " There is a shark loose! We gotta call the military and blow that damn shark out of the water!"

Now the times I have gone, the shark bit the electrical cable and was blown up because of the sparks that hit the gasoline in the water. Please tell me that I haven't lost my mind. Has the ending changed or did my friend just experience technical difficulties?

Bev

 

[rocketman23]

The ending has not changed... that was a fluke or your friend spaced out on the ride and made up her own ending.

 

[DocBosch]

I'm sure it had alot to do with how the shark was working that day. I know at times certain sharks don't work, so they have to improvise. In your friends case, the last, "electical cable" shark was probably not working, so the skipper had to make something up to make sense of the ride.

-Kevin

 

[USO2003]

Here is one of those (Common) Times when it fails to work, 3 times last months I went on it didn't work.

They improv, one guy tour guide said "He's gone under the boat, I think he's snagged the electical wire." Then the other one popped up and he went on script. "Boy we really roasted him..."

 

[chainsawwolf]

Actually, it's not improv. There are "cover" lines for every effect on JAWS. A few months back we were having a lot of problems with the Kill Shark (The one that bites the cable) but he has been working fine for several weeks.

I would really like to know who the skipper was who did the line about calling the military, because that is definitely NOT the cover. (Actually NWO is correct, the cover line is "He's going under the boat...")

Wolf (Jaws skipper for over 2.5 years!)

 

[phamton]

Here is some excerpts form her trip report to Universal:

Jaws was surreal to say at the least. We got a very hyper UE piloting the boat and it was a hoot to hear him talk at warp speed. The ride started out slow with him pointing out various things along the seashore and doing the everyday chatter until we went around the bend and saw damage to a fish warehouse, pieces of a boat floating, and a little bit of a fire burning on the surface of the water. The pilot "freaked", grabbed his two way radio and screamed into that saying that something happened and the dock employees were nowhere to be found.

He pulled out his rifle and did a big show of priming the gun with several clicks. He kept telling us that we're safe (click!) and he'll make sure (click!) that we'll get back to the dock (click!) in one piece. (click!) We went through a warehouse and heard a lot of thuds, bangs, and creaks as the pilot said "He's coming after us! He's going through the warehouse to get a bite out of us but I won't let him!" My head was spinning around as I tried to "follow" the sounds as it came closer and closer to us.

The next thing I did was stupid and I got a head whack from my husband. I screamed "BOO!" and everybody jumped! There were two rows of other guests in front of us and they all turned to look at me. Eeep! I gave them a very sheepish smile while my husband smacked me on the head. The pilot barked an order at me saying that I must not attract the attention of the killer shark and that if I did it again, he'll feed me to the shark. Hehehehehehe...everybody did laugh over it.

I heard a THUD and a tip of a shark's nose as he came up on the opposite side of the boat and rocked the boat a bit. The pilot was in fine form: screaming while blasting away at the shark with his rifle. My poor daughter was freaking out so bad and I was hysterical from laughing. It was so SURREAL! The shark went after us several times and I loved that "blam-blam!" and that "DIE! DIE!" scream.

The kicker was hearing the pilot yell at another UE as we approached the dock. "There is a shark loose! We gotta call the military and blow that damn shark out of the water!" It was priceless to hear him say that.

 

[BarryHom]

I remember once that Jaws did not pop up near the dockhouse. The skipper said, "I can hardly see him!" but she shot the grenade launcher anyway and the explosions shot up from the water. It was night too, so it was hard to see the shark anyway.

 

[DocBosch]

From her trip report, it sounds like she never got to see the shark at all during the ride. Is this accurate?

I always thought that JAWS would be a cool gig at Universal, since I assumed you, as the skipper, could "Jungle Cruise" it and change the routine around at times. But are you saying that there is a specific script that all the skippers have to stick to?

I remember this one time during Halloween Horror Night, I believe. It was a night time ride, and as we enetered the boat house, the skipper must have hit some sort of emergancy stop button on the dash, because the entire ride system shut down. We were in that boat house for a good while before the ride started again.

He tried to keep us entertained by talking about other rides and HHN mazes, but I think I could have been far more entertaining in that situation. As we were leaving, I wondered if I could apply for the job the poor guy was about to lose for stalling the entire ride.

-Kevin

 

[USO2003]

Originally posted by DocBosch
I remember this one time during Halloween Horror Night, I believe. It was a night time ride, and as we enetered the boat house, the skipper must have hit some sort of emergancy stop button on the dash, because the entire ride system shut down. We were in that boat house for a good while before the ride started again.

-Kevin

HHN's 1998 our captain stopped the boat because some drunk kept screaming telling the captain to give him the granade launcher. So he stopped the boat said "We are not mving until you people behave." During the stop, you could see Amity 3 resurface and the Jaws's both of them go back into place and the rest of the ride was all off. It was my brothers 1st time and only time riding Jaws and some drunk dude ruined it for him. The point was when he stopped the boat, the ride continued to go.

 

[USO2003]

Originally posted by phamton
Here is some excerpts form her trip report to Universal:

Is that from the USH Backlot Tram Tour? It doesn't sound like the ride I have been on at USF.

 

[phamton]

It was her family's first trip to UO and they just rode Jaws once. Maybe she got some of her facts wrong since this was the first time. But she said that Jaws definitely didn't get fried. Her mother, brother, husband and 4 kids were there with her. I doubt that they would all "forget" that Jaws didn't die at the end though.

 

[the Dark Marauder]

Originally posted by DocBosch

I always thought that JAWS would be a cool gig at Universal, since I assumed you, as the skipper, could "Jungle Cruise" it and change the routine around at times. But are you saying that there is a specific script that all the skippers have to stick to?

Yes. They want you to stick to the script as much as possible and avoid alteration/addition that's not "pre-approved". Some creative types, like myself, would feel very restricted in that kind of situation.

 

[USO2003]

Originally posted by the Dark Marauder
Yes. They want you to stick to the script as much as possible and avoid alteration/addition that's not "pre-approved". Some creative types, like myself, would feel very restricted in that kind of situation.

That and Universal does send plan clothed Managers/Supervisors around the parks and on the rides to see if the employees are doing their jobs. (At least that was known in the early to mid 90's, I would imagine they still do that but I don't honestly know.) If you are not sticking to a script or doing something you shouldn't have, you might get fired or written up.

 

[ParkHopperUO]

(At least that was known in the early to mid 90's, I would imagine they still do that but I don't honestly know.)

yup, they still do this.

 

[DocBosch]

Originally posted by USO2003
HHN's 1998 our captain stopped the boat because some drunk kept screaming telling the captain to give him the granade launcher.

We must have been on the same boat! And I wasn't drunk, I was just really worried about the situation with the shark, and didn't trust the skipper's abilities with the gun.

Actually, it would be quite a coincidence, though possible, if you happened to have been on the boat right behind mine that night. Though, my skipper did seem to have a look on his face as if he was in big trouble.

Yes. They want you to stick to the script as much as possible and avoid alteration/addition that's not "pre-approved". Some creative types, like myself, would feel very restricted in that kind of situation.

That offically takes JAWS off of my list of jobs I would like to have at Universal. I can't imagine having to do the same exact five minute routine the entire day. That narrows it down to an IFT assistant, a character, or a tour guide.

That and Universal does send plan clothed Managers/Supervisors around the parks and on the rides to see if the employees are doing their jobs... If you are not sticking to a script or doing something you shouldn't have, you might get fired or written up.

Well, I hope that doesn't include being in-character at rides where employees normally aren't. The only joy I can think of getting by working at BTTF The Ride is being able to act as if I actually work at the IFT, by calling the guests "Time Travel Volunteers" and excitingly warn them about the hazards of temporal displacment.

Is that from the USH Backlot Tram Tour? It doesn't sound like the ride I have been on at USF.

It's definitly not USH. The only thing that happenes there is the tram crosses a brodge, and the jump flys out of the watter and greets the tourists.

-Kevin "Shark still looks fake" Bosch

 

[USO2003]

Originally posted by DocBosch
We must have been on the same boat! And I wasn't drunk, I was just really worried about the situation with the shark, and didn't trust the skipper's abilities with the gun.

Actually, it would be quite a coincidence, though possible, if you happened to have been on the boat right behind mine that night. Though, my skipper did seem to have a look on his face as if he was in big trouble. -Kevin "Shark still looks fake" Bosch

It wasn't you I seen you in person before and you're not in your 30's. This guy was drunk, depends on what day this happened to you.

10.10.98 was the day that happened at 10:21pm.

One week before this on 10.3.98, 9:43pm some else did the exact same thing, same story lines "I was in the navy I can use that toss it to me I can hit it." It wasn't the same guy but the thing happened 10.10.98 so it must have gotten out and people picked up it and decided to do it.

 

[USO2003]

The ride worked, all the Jaws's worked, however they sent us out early and I guess the other boats as well, we entered the boat house just as the other one was leaving, we seen the Jaws inside go back in place. Then he just sat there for awhile looking around, and then he picked up the lines. Then we did the tanks then the electrical barge, well he dies and all that, but there is a line to get in, so he finishes his speech at the electrical barge then talks about how he is from Tampa, and who were Buck Fans. Then the water begins to bubble and the fin came back up and our guide said "I guess we didn't get him." Then he said "He's going to pop back up." but he never grabbed the barge. So he said "Guess not" It was pretty cool to see that.