The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera (ride) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera |
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Promotional poster
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| Directed by |
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| Produced by | Peter N. Alexander Sherry McKenna |
| Written by |
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| Starring |
Voices of
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| Music by | James S. Levine |
| Studio |
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| Distributed by | Universal Studios |
| Release date(s) | June 7, 1990 |
| Running time | 8 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera | |||||||||||||||
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Entrance to The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera
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| Ride statistics | |||||||||||||||
| Attraction type | Motion simulator | ||||||||||||||
| Manufacturer | Intamin | ||||||||||||||
| Designer |
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| Theme | Hanna-Barbera cartoons | ||||||||||||||
| Music | James S. Levine | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft (1.8 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Vehicle type | Rocket | ||||||||||||||
| Riders per vehicle | 8 | ||||||||||||||
| Rows | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| Riders per row | 4 | ||||||||||||||
| Duration | 8 | ||||||||||||||
| Height restriction | 40 in (102 cm) | ||||||||||||||
| Pre-show hosts | |||||||||||||||
| Ride host | Yogi Bear | ||||||||||||||
 Universal Express available |
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 Single rider line available |
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The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera was an exciting simulator ride at Universal Studios Florida. It was one of the very first attractions when the park opened. The ride took guests on a wild adventure with famous Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters.
The story of the ride was simple: the sneaky villains Dick Dastardly and Muttley had kidnapped Elroy Jetson. It was up to Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo to chase after them and save Elroy. Guests got to join Yogi and Boo-Boo on this thrilling rescue mission!
This attraction first opened its doors in 1990 and closed in 2002. It was a groundbreaking ride because it was one of the first to use a lot of computer-generated imagery (CGI) for its film. The cartoon characters were drawn by hand, then combined with the CGI backgrounds.
The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera was the first of three simulator rides built in the same spot at Universal Studios Florida. After it closed, it was replaced by Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast, and then later by Despicable Me Minion Mayhem.
Contents
Exploring the Hanna-Barbera Ride Experience
Waiting in Line: The Queue Area
Before getting on the ride, guests waited in a special area called the queue. Here, televisions played classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons. When the ride first opened, you could watch full episodes of shows like Huckleberry Hound and Yogi Bear. You could also see clips from popular shows like The Flintstones and The Jetsons. Later, clips from newer cartoons like SWAT Kats were also shown.
Getting Ready: The Pre-show Story
After the queue, guests moved into a pre-show room. This is where the adventure began! There were three screens in the room. On one screen, Yogi Bear would pop up, looking for snacks. Boo Boo would then explain that everyone was there for a special animation show by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, the creators of Hanna-Barbera.
Hanna and Barbera appeared on a different screen, talking about how they made cartoons. Barbera even drew Elroy Jetson, who magically came to life and jumped right off the paper! Hanna then showed how they used computers to animate things, using Dick Dastardly's spaceship as an example.
Suddenly, Dastardly and Muttley appeared from inside the spaceship. They wanted to be the stars of the next cartoon! But Hanna and Barbera told them that the Jetsons were next, followed by The Flintstones and Scooby-Doo. This made Dastardly very angry! He grabbed Elroy with a special plunger gun and pulled him into the computer, shouting, "If I'm not the star, then no one will be!"
The computer started to break down, and Hanna and Barbera quickly left. Yogi and Boo Boo decided they had to help. They led the guests into a rocket ship, which was actually the main ride theater, to go save Elroy!
The Main Adventure: The Ride Itself
Once inside the main theater, everyone sat in a rocket ship with Yogi Bear as the captain. The rocket was launched by a giant rubber band and a huge slingshot! The launch was so powerful that everyone traveled back in time to Bedrock, the home of The Flintstones.
The rocket flew off a cliff and through a construction site, then into the city. Yogi and the riders chased Dastardly through the streets, dodging cars and people like Wilma Flintstone and Betty Rubble. Yogi even accidentally chased Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble in their car!
Next, the chase went into the sky and through a swirling vortex. The riders then found themselves in a spooky cemetery at night. They almost crashed into the Mystery Machine where Scooby-Doo and Shaggy were driving. The chase led them into a haunted castle filled with ghosts. The rocket zoomed through hallways, trying to find Dastardly, while Scooby and Shaggy hung from a chandelier! Then, it was into another vortex.
This time, the riders landed in the future, in Orbit City, the home of The Jetsons. They dodged flying cars and buildings. Elroy's family (George, Jane, and Rosie) appeared and saw Elroy captured. They joined the chase through a futuristic amusement park.
The rocket followed Dastardly on a roller coaster track. As they went down a steep drop, Rosie the Robot stretched her arm out and grabbed Dastardly and Muttley from their ship! George then saved Elroy. Dastardly and Muttley were quickly surrounded by flying police cars, arrested, and put into a flying jail cell.
The Jetsons thanked everyone for their help. The riders then flew back home through another vortex, crash-landing safely back at the station on a giant bumper that said "END." Yogi Bear gave a final farewell, and the screen went dark, ending the ride.
To ride the simulator, you needed to be at least 40 inches tall. If you were shorter, or if you had certain health conditions, you could sit in a non-moving seat to still enjoy the film. The ride had 12 sections, each holding 8 people, for a total of 96 riders.
After the Ride: Post-show Fun
After the exciting ride, guests could explore an interactive area. This space had different technologies and games designed for children to play with.
Souvenirs: Hanna-Barbera's Store
Finally, after the interactive area, there was a gift shop. Here, you could buy all sorts of cool Hanna-Barbera merchandise to remember your adventure!
Meet the Voices of Hanna-Barbera
Many talented actors brought the characters in The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera to life. Here are some of the main voices you heard:
- Greg Burson as Yogi Bear
- Patric Zimmerman as Elroy Jetson
- Michael Bell as Dick Dastardly
- Don Messick as Boo-Boo Bear, Muttley, and Scooby-Doo
- Joseph Barbera as Himself (in the pre-show)
- Henry Corden as Fred Flintstone
- Frank Welker as Barney Rubble, a Dinosaur, and a Robot
- Jean Vander Pyl as Wilma Flintstone and Rosie the Robot Maid
- B.J. Ward as Betty Rubble
- Casey Kasem as Shaggy Rogers
- Jeff Bergman as George Jetson, Ghosts, and the Police Chief
- Penny Singleton as Jane Jetson
- William Hanna as Himself (in the pre-show)
How the Ride Was Made
Creating the Animation
The cartoon characters in the ride film were animated by a company called Sullivan Bluth Animation. They worked to make the characters look just like they did in the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons. Universal wanted the ride to have a high-quality, movie-like animation style.
Some of the animators worked in California, while others from Bluth's team in Ireland worked on other movies at the same time. The director, Mario Kamberg, and art director, Allen Battino, also worked on the ride that replaced it, Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast.
Two different companies created the computer animation: Rhythm & Hues made the Jetsons part, and deGraf/Wahrman created the Flintstones and Scooby-Doo sections of the film.
Unlike many other simulator rides that use a moving screen, this ride took place in a large auditorium. The audience sat in chairs that moved along with the film. If someone didn't want the motion, they could sit in non-moving chairs. The ride vehicles were designed by Ride Trade and could move in four different ways.
The Ride's Closing and What Came Next
The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera ride closed on October 20, 2002. It was replaced in spring 2003 by Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast. This new ride featured characters from Nickelodeon shows like Jimmy Neutron, Rugrats, Hey Arnold!, The Fairly OddParents, and SpongeBob SquarePants.
The Hanna-Barbera ride film was also shown at other theme parks. For example, it was at Canada's Wonderland and Kentucky Kingdom. It was also shown at Busch Gardens Williamsburg for many years and at Dollywood for a special event called KidsFest.
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