"Biola Tours" Now Operational For Students And Families
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The yearly increase of prospective students has led Biola to finalize the construction of a new transportation system called “Biola Tours”, an innovative attraction geared toward helping visiting families to experience the campus in a unique way.
Construction for Biola Tours concluded on March 31st and the ride is scheduled to be fully operational by April 8th.
BIOLA TOURS HAS CONNECTION TO HOLLYWOOD MOVIE
The ride will feature 17 vehicles on an electricity-powered track with stops placed at strategic spots on campus. The vehicles were bought from Amblin Entertainment, Steven Spielberg’s production company that produced the 1993 film Jurassic Park. The purchase comes after the jeeps had been refurbished for additional scenes needed for the upcoming Jurassic Park 3D which will be released on April 5th.
STUDENTS EXCITED ABOUT NEW ATTRACTION
The students behind the short film, “The Last Raptor,” are ecstatic that the new tours will bring more attention to the topic of dinosaurs. Fundraising for the project will grow an estimated 2% due to the added interest in the lizards.
TOURS WILL HIGHLIGHT SPECIFIC SPOTS ON CAMPUS
The jeeps are attached to a 2-mile track that weaves from Metzger Lawn to the Biola Organic Garden and back onto campus via a route through the Creek Park tunnel. The track can be customizable at any time and extended to include other vehicles such as the Soaring Eagle and the Biola Shuttle.
THE TOURS INTEGRATE EDUCATION WITH ENTERTAINMENT
Although Biola Tours is primarily educational in nature, student ambassadors also see the entertainment value that will come with the new attraction.
“Biola Tours will give prospective students the opportunity to really see what it’s like to be a student at Biola," Student Ambassador Katrina Largusa said. “These tours will definitely keep our prospective students entertained.”
ATTRACTION TO ADD THRILLS TO THE CAMPUS
Biola Tours is an “enhanced motion vehicle ride featuring high speeds, sharp turns, and sudden stops and drops over turbulent terrain.” This will contribute to a dramatic decrease in Biola Bound expenses since they will no longer take prospective students to Disneyland. The attraction will feature special effects such as an animatronic Biola Eagle, the Jurassic Park soundtrack, and a photo opportunity when ride vehicles take a 385-foot plunge down Caf Hill. Photos can be purchased in the Bookstore after exiting the ride.
Biola Tours will be a stand-by only attraction, but admissions staff are working with Student Development to create a FastPass-type system to be incorporated for larger events.
