"Do what you love for a living and you never have to work a day in your life," as they say. I love hearing stories about how people turned their passions into careers, and it seems to be especially prevalent in the theme park industry. Arthur, I think your love of the hobby really comes through in your writing and that's why I've always enjoyed your articles over the years.
As for Back to the Future: The Ride, it was certainly one of my favorites. I was a huge fan of the movie trilogy, and I remember being absolutely blown away by the pre-show and being able to enter the DeLorean. It was really heartbreaking when I found out it was closing for good. I never did get a chance to go down and ride it one last time; I missed it by a year, returning in 2008.
Thanks for the kind words Tim. BTTF was certainly a classic and beloved E-Ticket attraction. I didn't mention this in my post, but with failures (such as the original Jaws attraction) and other missteps, USF was on shaky ground the first couple of years. BTTF:TR is viewed as the attraction that really put the park on the map and drove attendance. Doug Trumbull was viewed as something of a white knight, both salvaging the ride and helping, in some ways, to save the park.
Thanks for sharing your origin story Arthur. It's wonderful that you've been able to pursue a passion for so many years!
I had no idea that Douglas Trumbull was involved with amusement park rides and flight simulators. Very interesting.
More than just involved. He was an innovative pioneer who left his mark on the industry b
That is very interesting, I had no idea.
"Do what you love for a living and you never have to work a day in your life," as they say. I love hearing stories about how people turned their passions into careers, and it seems to be especially prevalent in the theme park industry. Arthur, I think your love of the hobby really comes through in your writing and that's why I've always enjoyed your articles over the years.
As for Back to the Future: The Ride, it was certainly one of my favorites. I was a huge fan of the movie trilogy, and I remember being absolutely blown away by the pre-show and being able to enter the DeLorean. It was really heartbreaking when I found out it was closing for good. I never did get a chance to go down and ride it one last time; I missed it by a year, returning in 2008.
Thanks for the kind words Tim. BTTF was certainly a classic and beloved E-Ticket attraction. I didn't mention this in my post, but with failures (such as the original Jaws attraction) and other missteps, USF was on shaky ground the first couple of years. BTTF:TR is viewed as the attraction that really put the park on the map and drove attendance. Doug Trumbull was viewed as something of a white knight, both salvaging the ride and helping, in some ways, to save the park.