The new and improved Jurassic World water ride at Universal Studios Hollywood boasts an impressive 22-foot-tall I-Rex and an equally terrifying T-Rex doing animatronic battle at just the perfect moment to allow our escape.

The updated Jurassic World attraction officially debuts on Thursday, April 15 during annual passholder Bonus Days at Universal Studios Hollywood. The Hollywood theme park reopens to the general public on Friday, April 16 after a yearlong coronavirus closure. Universal previewed the updated Jurassic World water ride during soft opening “technical rehearsals” during the Taste of Universal food festival that ran through Sunday, April 11.

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The revamped Jurassic World attraction adds a dramatic oomph to the finale after Universal Creative added a new impressive Mosasaurus aquarium tank scene in July 2019 to give the classic water ride a new beginning and end.

“When you say you want to recreate Jurassic World, you’re making a very big commitment,” said Universal Creative’s Jon Corfino, who served as senior director and executive producer on the Jurassic World — The Ride expansion project. “You have to go big or go home.”

If you haven’t ridden Jurassic World lately, the Mosasaurus scene at the top of the first lift hill will be new for you. Riders pass through an aquarium-like tunnel with eight massive high-definition video screens that are seemingly strung together. The jaw-dropping visual effect — reminiscent of the King Kong 360 3-D attraction on the Studio Tour — is as impressive as it is massive. The Mosasaurus eventually “cracks” the aquarium tank and reaffirms the ride’s admonition that “you will get wet.”

The middle of the Jurassic World ride remains largely unchanged. Riders pass through a rock grotto and emerge into a lush jungle filled with dinosaurs — still stunning simply because a Hollywood studio back lot sits only a few steps away. A cracked and empty gyrosphere ride vehicle from the 2015 “Jurassic World” film portends trouble in Predator Cove. The bloody claw marks on the towering containment walls aren’t a good sign either. Something very big has gotten loose.

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Riders catch a glimpse of the I-Rex animatronic at the bottom of the second lift hill — another indication that things are going to be very different up ahead. “Containment Alert” flashes on video screens. Venomous Dilophosaurus animatronics spit on riders and Velociraptors emerge from the shadows -—- but those predators aren’t what you should be worried about.

Booming footsteps precede the appearance of a massive 55-foot-long from head to tail and 22-foot-tall Indominus Rex animatronic.

“She moves fast,” Corfino said during an interview in the park. “You’re not used to seeing something that big move that fast.”

The towering and terrifying I-Rex is an impressive and sophisticated animatronic.

“She’s very big,” Corfino said. “The physics of moving her that much are very real because there’s a lot of weight there.”

The sheer scale of the terrifying hybrid dino is reminiscent of the 39-foot-tall Kong animatronic from the old Kongfrontation attraction on the Studio Tour. Just as the I-Rex threatens our boat our old friend T-Rex — now even bigger and more menacing than before — comes to the rescue. The twin Rexes battle as we escape down the 84-foot-tall water flume.

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I’ve never been a water ride fan. I’ve always thought getting wet was for water parks — not theme parks. Universal sells rain ponchos for water averse riders like me. The new Jurassic World ride was worth every drop of water that got sprayed, splashed and squirted on me.

For fans of the old attraction, there’s plenty of new thrills to be found on the revamped Jurassic World — The Ride. And for the uninitiated, heed the warnings: You will get wet. And most importantly: You will have fun. When you’re not screaming in terror at the fast-approaching Indominus Rex.

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