Line #3 Ride/EarthquakeTheBigOne


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/earthquake_ride.jpg]]
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3	->''"Ladies and gentlemen, we just experienced a slight tremor. There is no danger, please remain [[KilledMidSentence calm-]]"''
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5	''Earthquake: The Big One'' was a special effects simulation attraction that existed at [[Ride/UniversalStudios Universal Studios Florida]] from its opening day until 2007.
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7	Based on the disaster film, ''Film/{{Earthquake}}'', the attraction featured three pre-shows that explained how the special effects in the film were accomplished; such as a miniature model being used to show Los Angeles' destruction, blue screen effects for the backgrounds, and numerous other practical effects. Along with this, the pre-shows also featured a narration by Charlton Heston, explaining in further detail the special effects work that went into the movie.
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9	The final part of the attraction had guests boarding a San Francisco subway train and experiencing a simulation of an earthquake in the subway tunnels, which included events such as fires, roads collapsing, a near-collision with another subway train, and a huge flood as the finale.
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11	The attraction was slightly altered in 2002, making it focus on several Universal movies instead of just ''Earthquake''. This lasted until the later part of 2007, where the attraction was then closed and converted into the also now-gone ''Ride/{{Disaster}}'', a virtually identical attraction that was instead a tongue-in-cheek parody of the disaster B-movie genre; not being based on a particular movie.
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15	!!Tropes used in '''Earthquake: The Big One''' include:
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17	* AdaptationExpansion: The attraction took the ''Earthquake'' scene from Universal Studios Hollywood's ''Studio Tour'' and made an entire ride/show around it.
18	* AudienceParticipation: Guests that volunteered were taken onstage to reenact certain scenes from the movie in the attraction's third pre-show.
19	* ChromaKey:
20	** Used in the first version of the attraction to help create the illusion of the volunteer guests being on an escalator during an earthquake.
21	** The second version of the attraction utilized this for the filming of guests in the ''U-571'' scene, with the host showing the different things you can do with a blue screen, such as having a submarine be out in the middle of city traffic.
22	* EpilepticFlashingLights: During the ride, the lighting all around the subway would flicker violently as the earthquake continued.
23	* EveryCarIsAPinto: A tank truck would explode upon hitting a subway column.
24	* FromBadToWorse: The ride started with there first being a "slight tremor" that causes a mild disturbance, but was soon followed by a full-blown earthquake.
25	* ItsQuietTooQuiet: Just before the earthquake started in the ride portion, there was nothing but the faint sound of ambient subway noise.
26	* MatteShot: The third pre-show in the original version had Charlton Heston explaining how a lot of the effects in the film were pulled off via matte paintings.
27	* MiniatureEffects: A good chunk of the second pre-show was showing a clip of Los Angeles being destroyed by an earthquake, and then how they pulled the effect off: by building and destroying a miniature model of the city (which was shown to the guests).
28	* MoodWhiplash: The rather horrific earthquake finale of the ride was followed by a "director" coming out from a door and telling the riders to give themselves a round of applause.
29	* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: That's ''totally'' not UsefulNotes/BayAreaRapidTransit trains and a station getting trashed. The signature angled nose[[note]]Until the retirement of the classic-style trains in 2022 in favor of newer trains[[/note]] of the train gives it away. The map itself, while not an actual BART map, does show some familiar locations like Daly City and San Francisco International Airport.
30	* OminousFog: Used in the second version during the ''U-571'' scene, to help create the illusion that the volunteer guests were out in the sea at night.
31	* ProductPlacement: Advertisements for various brands were placed inside the subway tunnel, as a way of making the setting more realistic.
32	* RunawayTrain: The earthquake causes a nearby subway train to derail and nearly collide with the riders.
33	* SceneryGorn: The miniature model of a destroyed Los Angeles was this.
34	* SinisterSubway: The ride was purposely designed to create a sense of dread in guests before the earthquake starts, with the subway tunnels being empty and foreboding.
35	* SplitScreen: The original second and third pre-show had three side-by-side screens, that occasionally each showed a different image.
36	* StockScream: Several stock female screams were utilized in the main subway portion.
37	* StockSoundEffects: Along with the screams, several other stock sounds were used, including that of police and ambulance sirens.
38	* StuffBlowingUp: During the main ride, a tank truck falls down and creates an explosion when the street above collapses.
39	* StyrofoamRocks: In the portion of the attraction where guests recreated scenes from the film, these were dropped down from the ceiling.
40	* SubwaysSuck: The main part of the attraction is riding a subway train through a big earthquake.
41	* {{Tagline}}: "Brace yourself for THE BIG ONE!"
42	* ThisIsNoTimeToPanic: After the "slight tremor", the female announcer stated, "Please remain calm" before getting cut off at the end by the earthquake.
43	* UpdatedReRelease: Originally focusing on just the ''Earthquake'' movie, in 2002 the attraction was changed to have its pre-shows discuss more Universal movies, such as ''Film/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas'', ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial'' and ''Film/{{U571}}''.
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Context Ride / EarthquakeTheBigOne