After Back to the Future: The Ride closed, like many fans of the iconic Universal Studios theme park ride, I was heartbroken. To me, it was the attraction that outside of the studio tour really encompassed what Universal was all about. You got in the DeLorean and had your own time-travel adventure on a huge screen as you flew past iconic settings and even encountered prehistoric threats. It put you into the movies and no matter what other attractions came and went around it, it felt timeless for being out of time. Until of course, it was replaced by The Simpsons Ride, which doesn’t hold a candle to the glory of Universal’s iconic original attraction. I can’t even bring myself to ride it as it feels like I’m walking on the hallowed resting place of what was once my favorite ride ever.
So when Universal Studios Fan Fest Nights was announced and featured the DeLorean in its marketing, it felt like finally respect was being put back on the studio’s beloved ’80s classic’s name. With Back to the Future: Destination Hill Valley, Universal delivers on the promise of bringing you into the movies in a new, impactful way. The immersive experience is a triumph and you won’t want to leave.
You get on the studio tour and it becomes a time traveling tram that drops you into the moment that Marty McFly arrives and through the events of Back to the Future on the courthouse square where the Robert Zemeckis film was shot. Through roaming actors portraying George, Lorraine, Biff, and Doc, we get to see iconic moments recreated and be a part of them. I got to chat with my childhood crush George McFly and turned into a total shy mess as he asked if I was going to the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance. The storytelling propels forward as you are able to encourage him to ask Lorraine to go with him and help with his writing before we see the hilarious hijinks of Lorraine hitting on Marty, her future son who she wants to go to the dance with. Biff shows up and causes mayhem while fans spectate and quote along.
To be standing in the real setting with themed areas where you could wander off to, including a meet and greet with the first time traveler, Einstein, or see the gas station attendants perform was such a treat. But what really tugged at my heartstrings were the moments where fans were able to have personal interactions with the characters that meant so much to them. The cast was excellent at reacting to the cosplay and lore cleverly, which having to do all over again after the about 45-minute interval of story is a huge feat for an event that goes until 2 a.m. There are two casts so thankfully they get a break.
I spent two intervals of the story there myself, one for work and the other for fun in recreating my first date with my husband. Our hard launch was at an Enchantment Under the Sea-themed Valentine’s Day dance since we connected over time-travel films when we met. And it was especially meaningful to go back to that night in a timey-wimey way with our little “Earth Angel” baby girl to dance the night away. Like many there with friends and loved ones who were brought together by the films, the experience brought back immense nostalgia for the movies and its presence at the parks. The love for the Amblin franchise runs deep and you could pretty much spend the whole night there with friends or make news ones including real fan club members who met up that were also there to slip out of time for a spell.
Destination Hill Valley successfully brings immersive experiences to Universal in a big way. There’s so much Universal could do with the concept if it so choose, like a similar set up with Back to the Future Part II at the Courthouse Square, but I’m not sure if it has that same retro romanticism as classic Hill Valley does. I think that this specific experience expanded with the sequels in other ways would be neat. And maybe, just maybe, Universal could add a surprise remaster of the Back to the Future Ride to experience—if not in its original home, then maybe inside the DreamWorks theater.
Universal Studios Hollywood’s Fan Fest Nights after-dark event has a few dates left from May 2-4, 9-11, and 15-18. Ticket info here.
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