APRIL 22 2008
GREEN TECHNOLOGY IN THE NEW “THE SIMPSONS RIDE” AT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD AND UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT REFLECTS THEME PARKS’ COMMITMENT TO ENVIRONMENT
Universal City, California and Orlando, Florida – Consistent with a company-wide initiative, creative teams at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando have employed a variety of technological innovations in the design and construction of “The Simpsons Ride” --opening at both parks in May 2008 -- and are ushering in a new era of environmentally conscious theme park ride construction.
“The Simpsons Ride” is a new mega-attraction based on the blockbuster movie and TV series.
Dramatic savings in energy consumption will be achieved through the use of new lighting technologies, new technologies in electric motor drives and through cutting-edge software designed to control hydraulic systems for maximum efficiency.
Through this “green” conversion process, “The Simpsons Ride” will achieve a power savings of over 55,233 watts per hour and cumulative power savings of 662,796 a day during the busy summer months of operation compared to average usage by the simulator-based attraction that previously occupied the new ride’s site.
The newly minted, environmentally conscious “The Simpsons Ride” represents the largest lighting installation of LED lamps in theme park ride history. The attraction will be illuminated with 2,582 LED lights, expending just 27,675 watts per hour as compared to 82,909 watts consumed per hour by standard incandescent lighting.
Energy conservation also extends to Variable Frequency Drives installed within the attraction to efficiently control the electrical power supplied to the ride’s many motor-driven components. This system will ultimately reap a power saving in excess 50 percent by incrementally increasing the necessary motor speeds used in controlling the ride’s countless behind-the-scenes technical controls.
A custom-written software program designed to oversee the Ride’s master control system will reconfigure power usage supplied to the ride’s hydraulics system resulting in significant energy consumption.
Universal Studios embarked on a company-wide “Green is Universal” initiative last year to heighten environmental consciousness through all the company’s operations. Newly instituted programs have included higher recycling ratios to reduce solid waste streams, switches to alternative fuels, conservation of energy to reduce carbon footprints, printing on recycled paper, conservation of water and adoption of the principle of sustainability as a core business value.
The Simpsons Ride” is a collaboration between Universal Parks & Resorts and “The Simpsons” creators, Executive Producer, Matt Groening; Executive Producer, James L. Brooks; and Executive Producer, Al Jean. “The Simpsons Ride” is the first-ever mega-attraction based on the blockbuster TV series.
Universal Studios Hollywood (www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com <http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/> ), The Entertainment Capital of L.A., includes a full-day, movie-based theme park and Studio Tour; the CityWalk entertainment, shopping and dining complex; the Universal CityWalk Cinemas; and the Gibson Amphitheatre concert and special event venue. Universal CityWalk features over 60 entertainment-themed restaurants, nightclubs, shops and dynamic entertainment options. Universal CityWalk Cinemas, offering the best movie-going experience in Los Angeles, features 19 screens including one of Southern California’s largest IMAX® venues and newly renovated stadium-style seating. The theme park features such groundbreaking attractions as “Revenge of the Mummy™ – The Ride,” “Shrek 4-D™,” “Jurassic Park® – The Ride,” the world-renowned Studio Tour, which takes guests behind-the-scenes of such landmark TV and movie locations and sets as Steven Spielberg’s “War of the Worlds,” and the upcoming Spring 2008 new mega-attraction, “The Simpsons Ride,” based on the blockbuster hit movie and TV series.
Universal Orlando Resort (www.universalorlando.com <http://www.universalorlando.com/> ). With Steven Spielberg as creative consultant, Universal Orlando has created some of the world’s most innovative theme park attractions based on pop culture’s most compelling films and stories.
Families will experience two world-class theme parks - Universal Studios and Universal’s Islands of Adventure - a nighttime entertainment complex and magnificently themed on-site hotels. Universal Studios is a working film and TV production studio as well as a highly acclaimed motion picture and television theme park featuring attractions such as “Revenge of the Mummy—The Ride” and “Shrek 4-D.” Universal’s Islands of Adventure is the world’s most technologically advanced theme park and features five uniquely themed islands that include Seuss Landing, Marvel Super Hero Island and Jurassic Park. Its marquee attractions include “Jurassic Park River Adventure” and “The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man.”
In addition to its theme parks, Universal Orlando Resort also includes CityWalk, a 30-acre nighttime entertainment complex that features restaurants, shops, clubs, a 20-screen cineplex and live-entertainment. The destination’s three on-site Loews hotels include the Portofino Bay Hotel, the Hard Rock Hotel and the Royal Pacific Resort.
About Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising: A recognized industry leader, Twentieth Century Fox Licensing and Merchandising licenses and markets properties worldwide on behalf of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Twentieth Television and Fox Broadcasting Company, as well as third party lines. The division is aligned with Twentieth Century Fox Television, one of the top suppliers of primetime entertainment programming to the broadcast networks.
