On Thursday, June 20th, Universal Orlando rolled out the red carpet for the grand opening of Transformers: The Ride – 3D. In a huge opening ceremony, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee of the Autobots were joined by celebrities, executives, and a few surprises.
The first stars to appear on the red carpet were Optimus Prime and Bumblebee. Shortly after, Peter Cullen (the voice of Optimus Prime) and Frank Welker (the voice of Megatron) strolled down the red carpet for photos. Other special guests included Mark Woodbury (President of Universal Creative), Bryony Bouyer (Senior Vice President Global Promotions and Marketing Partnerships of Hasbro), Tom Williams (Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Universal Parks & Resorts), and Bill Davis (President and Chief Operating Officer of Universal Orlando Resort).
The highlight of the red carpet came when Steven Spielberg (Executive Producer of Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Transformers: Dark of the Moon) was escorted by Optimus Prime to the entrance of the attraction.
After the red carpet portion of the ceremony, General Morshower (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Transformers: Dark of the Moon) and NEST soldiers arrived in Humvees to clear a path for the vehicle versions of Optimus Prime and Bumblebee. Upon their arrival, Megatron and the Decepticons interrupted the event and started attacking civilians, NEST soldiers, and the NEST facility. Amidst the explosions and fire, NEST soldiers and fighter jets successfully defended the building against the Decepticons. Optimus Prime and Bumblebee then returned for the official announcement of the grand opening of the NEST facility and Transformers: The Ride – 3D.
Ride Synopsis: Recruits enter the NEST (Non-Biological Extraterrestrial Species Treaty) facility for a briefing from General Morshower and the Autobots explaining that the Decepticons are in search of the Allspark which is being housed at NEST. Recruits ride along with Evac, a new Autobot created for the attraction, and team up with Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Sideswipe and other Autobots to protect the Allspark from falling into the hands of Megatron and the Decepticons. The ride uses the same motion simulator technology and 3D effects as The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man at Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park next door.
The newest attraction to come to Universal Studios Orlando started construction in July 2012 and was rapidly pieced together for a grand opening in less than a year. The attraction debuted in Universal Studios Singapore in December 2011 and shortly after, it was opened in Universal Studios Hollywood in May 2012. Less than a month after the opening of the Hollywood version, the Orlando version was announced and demolition started on Soundstage 44 in order to make room for the brand new building. Universal Creative learned a lot about the construction from the previous two versions which helped them get the attraction up and running in a very short amount of time.
If you think you are ready to become a freedom fighter and defend the Earth from the Decepticons, NEST and the Autobots are taking new recruits daily. Roll out.
