Admittedly, E.T. Adventure gets five stars out of me, mainly for the nostalgia factor. In the early 90s, I rode this ride as a kid shortly after it opened. I don't remember if it was this exact same ride at Universal Studios Florida or if it was the E.T. ride at Universal Studios Hollywood, but it was one of the two. Regardless, when we visited Universal Studios Florida earlier this year, I was surprised to see this ride was still open and operating in 2025. What a treat and blast from the past. I'm a sucker for retro stuff and this is as retro as it gets.
This is the oldest active ride at Universal Studios Florida. It opened on June 7, 1990. This is also the oldest of the three E.T. Adventure rides that existed. The one at Universal Studios Hollywood opened on June 12, 1991 and closed on March 14, 2003. The one at Universal Studios Japan opened on March 31, 2001 and closed on May 10, 2009.
We went to E.T. Adventure on an ordinary Monday around 4:30pm. The wait time on the big entrance sign said 35 minutes. We used our Express Passes and barely had to wait. The Express Passes are worth it, in my opinion. They saved our group a lot of time. We purchased the "2-Park 1-Day Park-to-Park Dated Adult" for $194.00 per person plus the "2PK Express" for $149.99 per person. $343.99 per person total. There are two Express Pass checkpoints at E.T. Adventure, one outside and one inside.
We started in large groups that were transferred, in waves, into what looked like sci-fi holding cells. We then watched a standard-definition intro video starring Steven Spielberg. After that, we got in line for our personalized "passport" cards. None of us knew what those were for until after the ride. They were for E.T. to say our name at the end of the ride. My wife and I never heard our names, but I was having so much fun taking in all the sights and sounds, I could've easily missed it.
After receiving our passport cards, we waited in line inside a simulated redwood forest. This forest is known for its pine smell and I definitely smelled it. It was subtle, but noticeable. There were some cool things to see and hear while in the forest, like astronauts and a Botanicus animatronic. One thing I do remember from when I waited in line as a kid was the Speak & Spell, as used in the 1982 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial movie. We then loaded as groups onto bicycles with E.T. in a box, covered in a white cloth, at the front; again, just like in the movie. From there, we went on a fun chase through a forest with police and other authorities on our tail. It was exciting. Then, we magically elevated above the city in the pale moonlight to John Williams' iconic Flying theme song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AR6KQOiNHA
After the flying sequence, things got weird. Lol. We left Earth, went through a portal (by today's standards, a very crude portal effect, but I loved it), and ended up on E.T.'s home planet, Green Planet. This part was *not* in the movie. We rode past a lot of other extra-terrestrials and goofy-looking aliens, who danced, sang (?), and celebrated around us. Some were cute, like the baby E.T.'s, and some looked downright crazy. I loved all the colorful and wacky designs. This part of the ride was a bit of a sensory overload; well, at least for people in the 90s (not so much these days). Music, alien voices, flashing lights, water, movement, etc. Everything was done with the same old practical special effects and animatronics they used in the early 90s -- that was my favorite thing about this ride. It's so charming for this very reason.
Just an hour or so prior to E.T. Adventure, we rode Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, which opened on July 8, 2014. The difference in the special effects, animatronics, props, video quality, everything, was night and day. I'm happy that Universal hasn't changed anything about E.T. Adventure. I hope they keep this ride open for as long as possible. I've read rumors on the internet (Reddit) that Steven Spielberg / his contract is the big reason this ride is still open. On a side note, my favorite theme park ride of all time, Back to the Future: The Ride no longer exists anywhere. The one at Universal Studios Florida opened on May 1, 1991 and closed on March 30, 2007.
We rode this with a couple of our friends who are Gen Z'ers. They liked it and appreciated it for what it was, but they could certainly tell it was dated. It was amusing for me to hear their takes.
Even the gift shop had Astronaut freeze-dried ice cream like I remember from when I was kid. Don't change any of this, Universal, and bring Back to the Future: The Ride back. :)
Check out this video on YouTube for a decent video recording of what we experienced, including the exterior gate entrance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vzxE9z0lHI Nothing beats experiencing the ride for yourself in person, of course, and I highly recommend it. read more