Earthquake – The Big One

This is one of the premier attractions in the park, so be prepared to wait in line. This attraction is actually divided into two sections; a pre-ride where you get to go behind the scenes of the movie Earthquake and then a ride in a subway car during an earthquake that registers 8.3 on the Richter scale.

The pre-show is fairly amusing. It takes volunteers out of the audience to demonstrate how some of the special effects from the movie were created. Charlton Heston makes a cameo and you get a live re-creation of some of the scenes.

The pre-ride prepares you for the second half of the show, a thrilling ride on the Bay Area Rapid Transit trains. As these trains enter a station, the earth starts to rumble and you begin to experience a severe earthquake. Trains are derailed, pipes burst and flames shoot out as action takes place in every direction. The ride is exciting, but one of the miraculous aspects of he ride is that the massive destruction is reset and ready to go again in just a couple of minutes. Expect lines for the 20-minute presentation.