Gondolas of Venice

By Sharon&Susan

Introduction

The Gondolas are one of the most iconic sights of the real life version of Venice, so of course they’re present here in Universal’s version of Venice. This semi-educational sightseeing tour will

give guests a romantic tour around Venice and even take them inside a tunnel that takes guests back to the days of the Renaissance!

Loading Station/Vehicles

The dock that guests enter the Venetian gondolas is a wooden former fishing shack at the edge of town near the entrance by San Francisco that while not as elegant as the rest of the city, still exudes that Old World charm. Inside the queue has pictures of Gondolas from over the century including a piece of art showing hundreds of gondolas within Venice. Sadly that’s non-existent both in the Real Venice and Universal’s Venice, but at least the gondolas still around still provide a romantic journey for guests all over the world. Before the exit back outside to the loading dock, there’s a gondola license that's shown to have been given from the city of Venice to the Universal Gondola Co.

At the loading station, guests board an authentic facsimile of a wooden Venetian Gondola like one that you can still find in Venice today. Each boat has room for six passengers over three rows that all directly face the gondolier. The gondolier, attired in straw hats and blue and white striped shirts, both paddle the boat (though the gondolas are on a track there’s no motor to move the boats) and serve as a tour guide pointing out the beautiful Italian sights.

Ride Experience

The gondolas start moving. The Gondolas go straight through a fork in the canal and soon go past the Doge's Palace. Afterwards they float by St. Mark's Island, home of Venice’s age-old, traditional marketplace. After pointing out what is in the marketplace (including the Piazza dei Mercanti and a wonderful stand that sells gelato). The gondolier also points out that many people are flocking to a mysterious construction site in the alley that is rumored to be where a man with a mysterious past roams. After passing under a bridge, the gondolier then sings wonderful traditional Italian songs like La Biondina in Gondoeta or Gondoli Gondola as the gondolas go past the backs of many of the buildings of Venice many built long ago.

The gondolas soon go underneath a bridge into a tunnel located underneath the Doge Palace Art Museum. The bridge is labeled with an inscription that reads “Squalus Gratias Pristis”. Initially inside it’s dark with the only light coming the way that guests came, the ceiling of the tunnel will be close to riders possibly giving them a sense of claustrophobia After journeying through the tunnel, the gondolier stops the boat and speaks.

“Even before the Renaissance, Venice was one of the world’s largest trading centers. So of course during the “rebirth” of the rest of Europe, the city state of Venice flourished as well with many great artists in their own way creating culture that still lives on and is appreciated to this day. First to the left you shall see some of our famous artists”

Feast of the gods

To the left of the gondola is the first of the dioramas. There are three artists of the Renaissance that are represented; Bellini, Tritan, and Tintoreto which are presented with limited motion figures. Only one can be seen at a time as they’re spotlighted with light only when the gondolier is talking about them.

First is Giovani Bellini midway through the work of one of his paintings:

“This here is Giovani Bellini laboring on one of his last paintings, Feast of the Gods finished in 1514. Part of a family of Venetian painters, he’s famous for his innovations in color and light in his works. He also taught our next artist…”

Now it’s Titian, giving over one of his paintings to an obviously very rich man.

“Titian, here holding his painting the Allegory of Prudence, from sometime in the mid 16th century, ready to give it over to his rich customers. As one of the most versatile and prolific painters of Venice, even in his day his work could only be afforded by wealthy leaders. He at one time had an apprentice that he fired named….”

Finally the light shines on Tintoretto hanging up one of his finished paintings.

“Tintoretto, known for his bold, quick style that his contemporaries both criticized and admired. Here he is hanging up his 1561 painting Marriage at Cana.”

The gondola continues down the dark tunnel until it makes it to the next diorama, unlike the last one it lights up all at once showing Marco Polo traveling his way to China, Baldassare Donatoi writing music, and Andrae Palladrino overviewing construction of a building.

Allegory of Prudence

Marriage at Cana

Marco Polo

Music related Renaissance art

Andrea Palladrino

“But it wasn’t just painters who created culture in Venice. It was explorers, like Marco Polo, who spread stories about what else existed in this world, Baldassare Donato who composed music that’s still performed to this day, and the architect, Andrea Palladrino who built buildings that still survive to this day in Venice. All these men brought new horizons to the world that we live in.”

The gondolas then move past the diorama and approach close to the end of the tunnel. The gondolier then speaks once again:

“True Renaissance men were skilled in multiple fields. Like Leonardo Da Vinci known for his art and his inventions, he also helped fortify Venice by designing military installations that still prot-”

Suddenly the boom of a cannon is heard. Suddenly a cannonball can be felt going above guest’s heads and leaves large holes on both sides of the tunnel (achieved in a similar way to what is seen at the end of Muppet Vision 3D). The Gondolier then shouts:

“Spoke too soon! Let’s get out of here and say Ciao again to the outside world, before another cannonball can blast through.”

The gondolier exits the tunnel back into Venice.

Back outside, the gondolas pass behind the Internationale Island where tourists roam where the gondolier informs guests that tons of action has been seen at the local Luogo di Levatura hotel and has even heard odd mechanical gift shop nearby, but the gondolier is sure it's nothing. The gondolas continue going down the canal under another two bridges as it circles around the majestic St. Mark's Island with it's majestic Campanile tower. The gondolas then go into the main Universal Florida lagoon where guests can grab a view of what the park has to offer including the Simpsons Ride, Men in Black Alien Attack, and the brand new show Trial of Terror. The gondolier comments:

"Lot to see around the globe, hmmmm. Yes?

Yes, yes there is.

All journeys have to end somewhere, and this gondola ride is no different. After going past the Doge and St. Mark Island once again underneath two bridges, where the gondolier give some more fun facts about these Italian landmarks, the gondolas arrive back at the fork in the canal from where the ride began. This time the gondolier goes toward the dock to finish this adventure. The gondolier guide gives them an arrivederci and guests unload at the dock from where they began. On the positive side, this tour should have given guests a good idea of what’s in Venice and where it’s located, emphasized by a map at the exit showing the gondola's route through Venice and it's landmarks.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse