10 Things You Didn’t Know About Universal Orlando’s Most Nostalgic Ride

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man was an opening day attraction at Universal Islands of Adventure. As one of the key attractions of Universal Orlando’s new, super hero-themed land, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man was highly anticipated – and it didn’t disappoint! The attraction introduced new ways to experience a theme park ride and brought a beloved character to life all at the same time. Not only was it a success when it first opened, it remains a fan-favorite attraction to this day.

There’s a web of fun facts, secrets, and Easter eggs that are held within the walls of this attraction. We’re going to swing into these facts by taking a look at the history of this ride, pointing out moments that you won’t want to miss, and filling you in on things that you may not know! Hold on tight as we take a look at 10 lesser known facts about The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man.

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1. Stan Lee Cameos

Those who watch Marvel movies know that Stan Lee often made cameos in the films. Naturally, it makes sense that he would also make an appearance in The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. In the movies, he usually only appeared for a short period of time in one scene. However, in the attraction, he can be spotted a total of four times.

He can first be seen in the driver’s seat of the garbage truck that almost crashes into our ride vehicle. His second appearance takes place when Doc Ock is attacking the city. While the Doc is destroying everything, Stan can be seen running with a woman into a movie theater in an attempt to find safety. His third cameo takes place when Spider-Man saves us by catching us in one of his webs. During that moment, Stan can be seen standing on the sidewalk in front of a dress shop. His fourth appearance takes place right at the very end of the ride in the scene where Spider-Man has all of the villains dangling in a web. At this point, Stan can be seen in the background standing under a Parking sign.

While there are four instances where we can see Stan Lee, we can actually hear him as well. When The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man was refurbished, Stan’s voice was recorded and used for the “Ride Announcer” on the attraction.

2. A Big Space for a Big Adventure

You’d never know it by looking at the front entrance, but the show building that encloses this attraction is actually quite large. While our adventure takes place through the streets (and skies) of New York City, the attraction itself weaves its way through a building that covers over two acres. For reference, that’s the size of 1 ½ football fields!

When considering the length of the queue, the size of the screens and practical sets that are used, and the number of scenes that are experienced on this attraction, it does make sense that a large building would be necessary in order to contain it all. However, it’s still mind boggling to think about just how much space is covered.

3. The First of its Kind

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man was the very first ride to ever combine the use of moving, motion-based vehicles, 3-D film, and live action attributes. While on this attraction, riders experience simulated motion as they’re moved through the ride scenes. 3-D film is used to put Guests right in the middle of the action. All the while, live action attributes such as moving props, fire blasts, and splashes of water are used to heighten the experience.

Even though The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, which was built back in 1999, was the first attraction to combine all of these features, it still feels very modern and provides an exciting experience for those riding it. Many rides have since been built that use all of these attributes, and not only at Universal! Rides such as this have since been built at the Disney Parks and other theme parks around the world.

4. Impressive Ride Vehicles

As one can expect from a super hero ride, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man is packed full of action. Through simulated motion, fast-paced movement, twists, and turns, we manage to escape the evil actions of some of the most memorable Spider-Man villains.

There are times during the ride when our ride vehicle, which is called a Scoop vehicle, spins us away from the mayhem. An incredible fact about these vehicles is that they can spin 360° in just 2 seconds!

5. A Web of Projectors

As we previously discussed, along with moving, motion-based vehicles and live action attributes, 3-D film is also used. On The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, the film portions aren’t simply used as background scenery or scenes that we sit back and watch.

The 3-D film is used to put us right in the middle of the action. It successfully makes us feel like the villains are launching items at us, we’re being levitated into the sky, Spidey is swinging us through the air with his webs, we’re falling from the top of a skyscraper, and that we get caught in Spidey’s web.

In order to successfully create this experience, a total of 25 projectors are used. Again, it’s no wonder why such a large show building is needed for this ride!

6. Walking Through The Daily Bugle

The Daily Bugle plays such a large part in Peter Parker’s life, especially in The Amazing Spider-Man comics. It’s very exciting that we get a first hand look inside of The Daily Bugle on The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. The entire queue weaves through the offices and break rooms of the newspaper. If you’re using Universal Express Pass, you’ll even get a special look at Peter Parker’s office and the dark room where he develops his pictures!

In an earlier portion of the queue, there’s a display case that holds trophies and certificates. If you have the time, take a moment to read these certificates. Some of the things that are written on them are quite comical. However, more importantly, pay attention to the names. The name’s that are on the certificates are members of Universal Creative that had a hand in designing and creating The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man.

7. Comic Book Inspiration

You’ll most likely notice that The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man doesn’t reflect any of the Spider-Man movies that have been created. With three live action Spider-Man movies featuring Toby Maguire, 2 with Andrew Garfield, and three Spider-Man movies as well as other appearances with Tom Holland, it seems like there would be plenty of material that could be incorporated into the ride.

However, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man goes all the way back to Spider-Man’s roots. It, as well as the rest of Marvel Super Hero Island, is based off of comics. This attraction specifically reflects The Amazing Spider-Man comics. Besides comic books, there was also an animated show that was created, appropriately titled “Spider-Man: The Animated Series”. This show aired from 1994 to 1998, yielding 5 seasons and 65 episodes. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man brings in the settings, characters, and crime that are reflected in both the original comics and the animated series.

When the attraction first opened, it had more of a “flat” animation style. In 2012, the attraction was refurbished and received an upgrade in technology, projectors, and an improved animation style, which resulted in more realistic visuals. While the attraction received a fresh appearance, the beloved ride did not change overall.

8. The Amazing Connection to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Scott Trowbridge was one of the creators that worked on The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. He spent 15 years with Universal Creative, lending his talents to things such as Revenge of the Mummy and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

After the planning of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was complete, Trowbridge left Universal and moved on to Walt Disney Imagineering. This change took place in 2007 and Scott remains with Disney to this day. There he serves as the Senior Creative Executive / Studio Leader at Walt Disney Imagineering.

One thing that Scott is most recognized for at Disney is his assistance in the creation of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. This attraction is world-renowned and introduced never-before-seen ride technologies, which resulted in an exceptional cinematic ride experience.

It’s amazing to see that Scott’s talents were used to create The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man in 1999, and his skills continued to progress to the necessary levels that were needed to create Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which opened 20 years later in 2019.

9. The Similarities to TRANSFORMERS: The Ride – 3D

If you’ve ever ridden TRANSFORMERS: The Ride – 3D at Universal Studios Florida, you’ve most likely noticed that it’s very similar to The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. TRANSFORMERS: The Ride – 3D, which opened up 14 years later in 2013, shares the same ride system, vehicles, and technologies as The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. Even the story shares a very similar plot.

Many speculate that Universal created TRANSFORMERS as a backup for The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. Since Disney bought Marvel in 2009, Universal park goers wondered if Universal would have to close Marvel Super Hero Island. Therefore, the assumption arose that TRANSFORMERS was created as a backup in case the super hero-themed land needed to be closed down.

However, this is actually not the case. Universal signed a licensing agreement with Marvel in 1994, which allows them to use Marvel characters in its theme parks that are located East of the Mississippi River. Disney’s purchase of Marvel did not void this agreement.

Universal was never under the impression that Marvel Super Hero Island would need to be shut down. This is because there is no expiration date for this agreement. Universal will only lose access to Marvel characters in their theme parks if the land and attractions are not maintained to high standards, they do not pay the licensing fees or merchandise shares, or they make the decision to shut down Marvel Super Hero Island on their own.

Therefore, TRANSFORMER: The Ride – 3D was never created with the intention of being a backup. If anything, it just falls under the simple fact that it’s much easier for a theme park to copy and re-theme a ride than it is to create a whole new one.

10. Get a Unique Glimpse of Spider-Man in the Express Queue

Guests who have Universal Express Pass have the unique opportunity to have a special Spider-Man sighting. As I previously mentioned, when you have Universal Express Pass, as you make your way through the queue, you’ll end up walking through Peter Parker’s office and the dark room that he uses to develop his prints.

When you’re in the dark room, make sure that you look all around you. While you’re able to see some of the shots that Peter captured, you’ll also see something strange. There’s handprints and other marks that trail up the wall, on the ceiling, and through a vent that’s slightly opened.

This would be an odd thing to see for anyone who isn’t aware of Peter’s secret identity!

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