It’s been in technical rehearsal for the past few weeks, and now you can race through New York with Jimmy Fallon on his new motion simulator ride at Universal Studios Florida. April 6 marks the official transformation of the old Twister building into a brand-new experience that combines the 4-D show with an immersive visit to 30 Rock and the Tonight Show studio, complete with the Ragtime Gals and Hashtag the the Panda.
Close collaboration with Jimmy Fallon
Race Through New York With Jimmy Fallon is the culmination of a close collaboration between Universal Studios Florida and Jimmy Fallon, which you’ll learn about in the video below:
Jimmy had wanted to work on a theme park ride as long as nine years back, but at there time there wasn’t a good fit. With Twister being retired and Jimmy taking on the Tonight Show host role, things finally fell into place and the new attraction was born.
No lines for Race Through New York With Jimmy Fallon
The experience begins when guests, who reserve ride times in advance, show up at the designated time and enter the 30 Rock building. The first floor is an homage to the early days of the Tonight Show and NBC itself, running all the way through present day. Guests have color-coded cards that alert them when it’s time to proceed upstairs for the next level of entertainment.
The second floor of Race Through New York makes you feel as though you’ve stepped into the Tonight Show studio. It’s also a place to kick back, relax, and top off your phone battery on one of the couches with USB charging ports. If you’re feeling more active, catch a live Ragtime Gals performance and get up close and personal with Hashtag the Panda. All of the activity makes the time whiz by until you’re called to the ride. The video below captures one of the Ragtime Gals’ and Hashtag’s performances:
Actually, “ride” is something of a misnomer, as Race Through New York With Jimmy Fallon is more of a 4-D show, with the theater set on a platform that provides the motion. While it’s a pretty wild journey through the streets, waters, and even skies, it’s still suitable for just about anyone who meets the height requirement. It has a lot of little Easter eggs, like Jimmy’s family as bystanders in one of the scenes, an plenty of humor that everyone will enjoy, especially Tonight Show fans. Jason Surrell of Universal Creative chatted with me about the ride, and it turns out that he and I both share the favorite scene (hint: think Hashtag Kong):
The ride is now open, so grab your place in the virtual queue, head to 30 Rock right inside Universal Studios Florida, and have your very own Tonight Show experience as you take on Jimmy Fallon and the Tonight Rider in your own personal race through New York.
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