Jurassic World Live Tour is a new stage show where families can see the giant dinosaurs from the movie franchise up close. The action-packed show features numerous stunts and special effects like fireworks and flamethrowers. But the real wow moment comes when the dinosaurs take stage. You can hear the entire audience gasp when the 40-foot Tyrannosaurus Rex takes center stage and lets out his roar.
I was excited to get an invitation for an early look at the show and to get a behind the scenes tour. I’ve been a fan of Jurassic Park for decades now. I read the original book. I did a book report and class presentation about it back in my junior high days. And more recently, I’ve enjoyed seeing the Jurassic World films with my son. When Feld Entertainment said that I could literally meet the dinosaurs, I jumped at the opportunity.
Here are a few things parents should know about the show:
- Jurassic World Live Tour is a lot of fun for families. The music and set design make it feel like you stepped into the movies and in the jungles of Isla Nublar.
- The show has two 45-minute acts plus a 15-minute intermission, for a total of a 1 hour and 45-minute run time.
- Allow some time to check out the souvenir stands. The show has several booths in the lobby with lots of dinosaur merchandise and some photo opportunities.
- Much like the movies, Jurassic World Live Tour is action packed. It is a fast-paced show with several action scenes. There are loud noises and flashing lights during the action scenes.
- It was wonderful that the show had a strong, female lead character. Dr. Kate Walker is a paleo-veterinarian who specializes in neuroscience. She leads the research team and doesn’t hesitate to defend them during the action scenes.
- Every parent knows their own child best, but I felt that the show was great for ages 7 and up. I am basing this on the number of action scenes and the amount of dialogue in the show.
- Related to the last point, the show doesn’t have any graphic violence or blood (like you would see in the movie). Even though the show features carnivorous dinosaurs, the creators made sure to keep it family friendly.
Jurassic World Live Tour is created by Feld Entertainment, the same group that creates family shows like Disney On Ice, Disney Live!, Marvel Universe LIVE!, and Sesame Street Live! (to name just a few of their shows). The group worked with Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment to develop the show, which is why the dinosaurs are near exact copies of what was used in the movies. Universal provided all the 3D models for the dinosaurs, and those were used when constructing all the costumes.
The technology inside the costumes is one of the most impressive parts of the show. Jurassic World Live Tour features more than 20 life-sized dinosaurs that are either operated by a dino-puppeteer inside or (for the larger dinosaurs) controlled remotely by a team of puppeteers.
Dinosaurs like the Velociraptor Blue and Jeanie, the newly introduced Troodon, are brought to life by puppeteers who wear the 150-pound costumes. They control the dinosaur’s eyes, mouth, and head using a joystick and lever system connected to small motors throughout the costume. When you see the dinosaurs blinking eyes, claws, and scales up close you quickly forget that a puppeteer is controlling things behind the scenes.
The larger dinosaurs like the Stegosaurus, Tyrannosaurus Rex, and Triceratops use a team to control the movements. These dinosaurs are huge and will make a big impression on your kids. The show also has some adorable mini-dinos like the baby Stegosaurus which glows in the dark.
I had a great time seeing a preview of the show in Florida and I look forward to seeing it again with my family when the show comes to our area. To get the best seats for the show, sign up to become a Jurassic World Live Tour Preferred Guest at JurassicWorldLiveTour.com. This will get you exclusive access to an advance pre-sale code to purchase tickets about a week before they go on sale to the general public.
