Virtual Tour of Amity

[Jeremy12Lopez]

I'm unsure if this has been noticed before but upon browsing around USO on Google earth (mobile version) I stumbled upon a gem of nostalgia. Amity is alive and well on Google's street view. The satellite image is updated to reflect the second phase of potter's Diagon Alley but when you enter street view you can roam around Amity and see the closed queue for Jaws. Here are some screen shots.

 

[MamaJama33]

Thank you for this. I miss Jaws immensely, and remember when I did the soft-opening for it when I was 7.

 

[shiekra38]

Sorry, Diagon is better in every way...cool trip back to see how far we've come though

 

[IAmFloridaBorn]

Sorry, Diagon is better in every way...cool trip back to see how far we've come though

Completely disagree. I think Diagon makes you feel included and more interactive but I think what Amity was and the northern beach town feel was pretty effin awesome .

 

[Jeremy12Lopez]

It is important to take into consideration the advancements in technology, product development as well as a surplus of captital during this recent era. Amity was constructed in the late 1980s and was confined to limitations which would make comparing the two a little difficult. With that being said I must say Amity as well as the Jaws attraction was years ahead of its time.

 

[UniversalCrazy]

Although I was extremely saddened when Jaws closed down, I'm very happy that Diagon Alley replaced it. I will still always miss the nostalgia of the music on the boat ride though.

 

[RonaldsModernLife]

Completely disagree. I think Diagon makes you feel included and more interactive but I think what Amity was and the northern beach town feel was pretty effin awesome .

Eh. The themeing was basically a single banner saying "4th of July Celebration" and a bunch of midway games. I never got much of an Amity feel. The ride itself was fun, but the outside area was nothing to really brag about.

 

[AmitySam]

I actually do this all the time when I'm at the park to see "If I was standing in this location in 2010, what would I be looking at?" For all you iPhone users too, Apple Maps hasn't been updated as far as the satellite image goes, so you can see where you would be in amity. Unfortunately, most of Amity is covered up by the massive Gringotts show building, but still fun.

 

[shiekra38]

Queue Video from JAWS...figured some may enjoy it

 

[Andalasia]

I'm going to be the bad guy here and say out of all the retired attractions in Orlando I don't see why Jaws is the one people harp on about. Amity was easily the worst themed area at Universal Studios, and I like Diagon Alley because it's incredibly impressive and it adds to the park's theme in a way that Amity never could. I understand mourning the Ghostbusters Spooktacular; Kong Frontation; Back to the Future; the list goes on... but Jaws was kind of a mess from the start.

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

I'm going to be the bad guy here and say out of all the retired attractions in Orlando I don't see why Jaws is the one people harp on about. Amity was easily the worst themed area at Universal Studios, and I like Diagon Alley because it's incredibly impressive and it adds to the park's theme in a way that Amity never could. I understand mourning the Ghostbusters Spooktacular; Kong Frontation; Back to the Future; the list goes on... but Jaws was kind of a mess from the start.

coughProductionCentralcough

 

[Andalasia]

coughProductionCentralcough

Touche, but at least Production Central had a purpose when the park opened.

 

[craigt]

Queue Video from JAWS...figured some may enjoy it

Wow, didn't realise it was so long, 50+minutes!

Imagine having been in the queue and seeing it loop around :ack:
Thankfully I never waited more than about 20-30 minutes for the ride (that I remember), but seeing all the empty switchbacks gives me nightmares....though not as much as those for Duelling Dragons - is the extra switchback area to the left of the castle still there? I've never seen that used.

 

[Maurice2029]

I bought some old tokens from the Amity Games on Ebay. However, I have never seen the Amity Games in the park the times I've visited it. Does someone have pictures of the Amity Games, preferably of the 1996-2000 period but everything is welcome as I cannot find images of it. Seller told me it was next to King Kong then.

 

[Jwhee]

I bought some old tokens from the Amity Games on Ebay. However, I have never seen the Amity Games in the park the times I've visited it. Does someone have pictures of the Amity Games, preferably of the 1996-2000 period but everything is welcome as I cannot find images of it. Seller told me it was next to King Kong then.

The amity games were in amity.. On the complete other side of the park from Kong. They were just basic carnival games scattered throughout the amity land.

 

[Jon84]

The amity games were in amity.. On the complete other side of the park from Kong. They were just basic carnival games scattered throughout the amity land.

I read they got moved to Springfield and were refurbed to the Simpsons theme?

 

[Jwhee]

I read they got moved to Springfield and were refurbed to the Simpsons theme?

Don't know if all of them did, but the old basketball one is from Amity- the others probably are too.

 

[Maurice2029]

These are the tokens I'm talking about:
Token Universal Studios Amity Games TERMINATOR 3D
Token Universal Studios Amity Games EARTHQUAKE
Token Universal Studios Amity Games TWISTER
Token Universal Studios Amity Games BACK TO THE FUTURE
From what I've been told they were used for the games there. Later Universal Studios used quarters instead of these tokens. I'm not sure if they would use tokens or quarters for basketbal game, so for me it sounds more like tokens for arcade games. They used to have prints of the different attractions on them 'till Universal Studios switched to quarters. That's what I've been told. If anyone knows more about these tokens or the Amity Games were they were used (Amity Games is also printed on the token), please tell.

 

[ThreePack Shagur]

The tokens are from the old Amity outdoor arcade. It predates the carny games. Simple things like ski-ball, basketball, and claw machines.

They weren't moved anywhere - the heat and humidity caused enough damage that they were just scrapped.

 

[Maurice2029]

The tokens are from the old Amity outdoor arcade. It predates the carny games. Simple things like ski-ball, basketball, and claw machines.

They weren't moved anywhere - the heat and humidity caused enough damage that they were just scrapped.

Thanks for the info. Can you tell me where in the park it was exactly? And do you have any pics of it by any chance?