I was able to ride this ride in a boat all by myself when I was in 9th grade. Me and two classmates went to Universal for my birthday, I think it was, and it was on a VERY slow day. We all went on Jurassic Park, then ate in the cafe next door. I had finished eating (hey, I was hungry!), and the big Jurassic fan I was REALLY wanted to ride it again, so I told them I was gonna jump on it real quick since they were taking their time and I could tell there wasn't really a line earlier. So, I go and get on it, front row, all happy with myself, and then they start to make the ride start... and I turn around and notice NO ONE ELSE WAS ON THE BOAT! Haha! I had no idea they didn't load anyone else on until I started going up the lift. Which was kind of a shame, because despite being in the front row, I wasn't center since I went all the way to the end of the row, like you are supposed to. Oh well. Anyway, I was genuinely excited and could not believe it was really happening. The ride felt much more personal to me, like it really was a personal tour through Jurassic Park.
What's funny though was, after a while, I actually DID start to feel nervous. Not like "oh no the dinosaurs are real and going to eat me", but more like "oh there's going to be some kind of malfunction and I'll be stuck on the ride". So when the ride enters the carnivore section, it was the first and ONLY time it actually did feel scary! Being the only person on the boat, without anyone else surrounding you or next to you, made the ride feel that much more real and truly enhanced the experience and the effects. It especially felt scary when I went into the darkened building, completely alone. THAT was truly scary for me, but I loved every minute of it. The ride truly felt REAL at that point. Now, when the boat was about to go down the drop, with the T-Rex hiding behind the waterfall before me... the ride stopped. Like really... STOPPED. Wasn't moving for what seemed like many minutes. I started having dark thoughts like "What if for some reason the brakes system doesn't work this ONE time, and as I go down the drop, the boat crashes or something and I die, and it won't be so bad to them, because it'll just be one person, like it was meant to be". Yeah... I'm weird, haha! At the same time, I also thought it was possible they saw I was some kid who was the only one on the boat and they wanted to mess with me a little, who knows? But I really was sitting there, completely alone in that building with the T-Rex... awaiting my "fate". I almost wanted to try and get out of the boat... but if I tried to and the boat suddenly started to move again I would perhaps fall over the edge and slide all the way down the drop! So I stayed, of course. Suddenly there was a grinding sound almost... and the boat ever so slowly started to move forward, the T-Rex burst, and down the drop I went... and safely landed, of course.
As my boat was safely making it's way to the landing, I actually did notice some people looking at me oddly since I was the only one on the boat, haha. After I got off, I thought "no one is going to believe my story... unless I have proof". Even I didn't believe it, almost. My friends probably wouldn't either. So, what did I do? I HAD to buy the on-ride photo, and so I did. Oddly enough, I have NEVER scanned it to put up online, I guess because at the time there wasn't really such a huge social media craze, and I don't think I had a good scanner anyway. So if you guys want to see it, I may upload it and post it here so you all can see the "evidence", haha. (EDIT: I have posted the evidence
here.)
So there you have it! My favorite Jurassic Park- The Ride story. Probably my second coolest Universal Studios-related story, in brief, was that one of the times I went there they had sets up that they were still filming for Jurassic Park 3. They had made Falls Lake's backdrop turned into the cliffs of the Aviary! I swear I took photos of this, but I have yet to find them again to scan. Maybe someday I will.