Jaws ride removed but not forgotten in Diagon Alley expansion

As many of you may or may not know, the Jaws ride at Universal Studios Orlando was closed in 2012 to make room for the Wizarding World Diagon Alley/London expansion. Now comes word that the creative team at Universal Studios has paid homage to the classic ride, which opened in 1990, by placing Jaws Easter eggs throughout Diagon Alley and London.

Fans of Universal Studios probably remember the Jaws ride that had been part of the theme park since it opened in the early nineties. In order to make room for the exciting new addition to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, everyone’s favorite great white shark, Bruce, was sadly put out to sea.

While guests of the park will no longer be able to experience the thrill of being (safely) attacked by an enormous shark while taking a boat ride around Amity Island, the creative team was sure not to let the classic ride be forgotten. Throughout Diagon Alley and London, guests with a keen eye will be able to pick out subtle details alluding to the 1975 film Jaws.

Some of the clever nods to the film include a record inside a record shop on the London side entitled Here’s to Swimmin’ with Bow-Legged Women by the Quint Trio, which is of course based on a quote from the film by one of the three men aboard the Orca, hunting down the shark. Inside Diagon Alley, guests who look closely inside Mulpepper’s Apothecary will see an enormous shark jaw hanging on the wall. Inside Wiseacre’s Wizarding Equipment, guests can see telescopes above them, some of which were created with pieces from the old boats from the Jaws ride. Lastly, those guests brave enough to venture into Knockturn Alley just might hear some shrunken heads singing a classic song from Jaws.

Check out pictures of some of the Jaws Easter eggs below, as well as a video of the shrunken heads singing their heads off. Pun intended.

And for those who weren’t lucky enough to experience the Jaws ride before it was removed, you can check out this tour of the ride and of Amity Island.

A special thanks to Inside the Magic for this exciting information and to the Universal Studios creative team for keeping a classic aspect of Universal Studios alive. Will you be searching for these and other nods to the Jaws ride when you visit Diagon Alley? Did you ever have the chance to ride the Jaws ride before it was removed? Let us know in the comments below!