Did you grow up in the 1990s? Was traveling to a real-life Jurassic Park one of your top childhood dreams?
A new incredibly elaborate website now allows you to plan a fake vacation to Jurassic World on Isla Nublar, a fictional island just off the west coast of Costa Rica. It is all part of Universal Picture’s viral marketing campaign for this summer’s release of the highly anticipated fourth film in the Jurassic Park franchise.
WARNING: This article consists of details that may be considered as plot spoilers for some readers.
The website is arguably better than most theme park websites, capturing the essence of a theme park and zoo website, with its intricate details on the fantasy of what a living, breathing dinosaur zoo, safari, biological preserve, amusement park and luxury resort looks like. It reveals a park that “spares no expense.”
JurassicWorld.com also has information on ticket packages, outlining the varying multi-day experiences for adventure seekers, romantic couples, families with young children and even budget-conscious students.
Image: Universal Pictures
The packages are accompanied with fake reviews, such as one that reads: “You’d think that with all the money they spend on the dinosaurs, they’d figure out how to install towel warmers in the bathrooms.” Here are a few other reviews:
Image: Universal Pictures
An interactive map lays out the 57 square kilometre island’s attractions and facilities, which are centralized around the monorail loop with trains that depart every 20-minutes (replacing the first movie’s electrified Ford Explorers).
Image: Universal Pictures
The park can accommodate 20,000 visitors at any one time, with guests staying at the Hilton Isla Nublar Resort – a five-star luxury hotel consisting of 5,000 rooms.
Image: Universal Pictures
Over at the island’s Main Street, there are 37 shops, eight cafes and 12 sit-down restaurants, including Margaritaville, Ben & Jerry’s, Jamba Juice, Dave & Buster’s burgers, a Starbucks, and Winston’s Steakhouse (which has an online menu with items such as the $38 Grilled Swordtail).
Image: Universal Pictures
There are a number of attractions to keep tourists busy: the educational Samsung Innovation Center (science museum), world’s biggest 3D IMAX theatre, Creation Lab for a glimpse of how the dinosaurs are made (Mr. DNA returns), large water park, nightclub, gondola lift to the top of the island’s mountain peaks, botanical garden with Jurassic flora, golf course, hiking through the Bamboo Forest, Gentle Giants Petting Zoo, Underwater Observatory, Gyrosphere, Cretaceous Cruise down the island’s river, and an aviary keeping the Pteranodons and Dimorphodons.
Image: Universal Pictures
Image: Universal Pictures
Image: Universal Pictures
Image: Universal Pictures
The website also boasts a complete catalogue of the cloned dinosaurs found on the island, particularly the movie trailer’s massive Mosasaurus (prehistoric crocodile that lives in the island’s lagoon) with its Sea World-esque feeding show and the genetically engineered Indominus Rex (which plays a major role in the film’s plot when it breaks loose and wreaks deadly havoc on the island).
The Indominus Rex is advertised on the theme park website as a new attraction “coming soon:”
Image: Universal Pictures
One of the website’s most surreal elements is its “real-time” aspects such as the park webcams providing “live” video footage of the park’s attractions and key areas. There is even “live” information on ride wait times, ferry sailing times and a park capacity indicator.
So does the website get any realer? Well, it even includes a Safety section that warns visitors not to touch the 10,000 volt electric fences, tap on the glass, cross barriers, throw anything into the exhibits, make excessive noise, and tease or incite the dinosaurs.
Image: Universal Pictures
There is also a link to another viral marketing website, the Masrani Global Corporation – a fictional multinational corporation that acquired InGen, the original fictional company that made the dinosaurs in the first movie, after the events of The Lost World: Jurassic Park.
Image: Universal Pictures
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Even though the fake theme park website already holds an insane amount of information, the film’s marketers plan to roll out more details and interactive elements over the coming months.
Jurassic World is set 22 years after the original 1993 film, based on Michael Crichton’s bestseller novel, on the same fictional island where the electric fences failed and dinosaurs ran rampant before it was able to open for visitors.
The film is directed by Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed), executively produced by Steven Spielberg, and stars Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation, The Lego Movie, Guardians of the Galaxy), Bryce Dallas Howard (50/50, Spider-Man 3), Ty Simpkins (Iron Man 3), Nick Robinson, and BD Wong, who will reprise his role as Dr. Henry Wu from the 1993 film.
Filming took place over four months last year in Hawaii and Louisiana, including the abandoned Six Flags amusement park in New Orleans. Jurassic World‘s musical score will be composed by Michael Giacchino (Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, Super 8, Up, Ratatouille, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) and will include the iconic original themes by John Williams.
The park finally opens in theatres on June 12, 2015.
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Feature Image: Universal Pictures
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