Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
People are always going to enjoy rides that get you wet on hot days. I don't think that will ever go "out of style".
Actually, just compare to Jurassic Park River Adventure (or is that what you meant?). Attraction pacing is absolutely something Universal has often not gotten right in their more recent efforts, more often opting to hit you with chaos right from the start (though this is obviously fine for roller coasters). Pacing is what separates experiences resonating with you vs. feeling like whiplash. For instance, Spider-Man has pretty solid pacing, whereas Transformers is amped up from the beginning. Spider-Man always scores higher and resonates stronger with first time riders than Transformers. I DO like Transformers a lot, but I had to ride it a few times before I appreciated it.
Kong is a more recent example of them getting pacing right, but only if the ride uses the outside portion, which it has been skipping for quite some time. Without it, you use a lot of narrative setup and buildup and, like many other attractions, go straight into peril.
I'm a bit late to this, but a large part for me is really about pacing. Universal's Beijing's JP ride makes it 7 seconds into the opening serenity scene before things turn. Compare and contrast to River Journey.
The inability to ramp up or downward smoothly is often compounded by the 'great job' at the end with people clapping for us trope that lasts another few seconds or just the immediate dump off into unload. It's whiplash.
Actually, just compare to Jurassic Park River Adventure (or is that what you meant?). Attraction pacing is absolutely something Universal has often not gotten right in their more recent efforts, more often opting to hit you with chaos right from the start (though this is obviously fine for roller coasters). Pacing is what separates experiences resonating with you vs. feeling like whiplash. For instance, Spider-Man has pretty solid pacing, whereas Transformers is amped up from the beginning. Spider-Man always scores higher and resonates stronger with first time riders than Transformers. I DO like Transformers a lot, but I had to ride it a few times before I appreciated it.
Kong is a more recent example of them getting pacing right, but only if the ride uses the outside portion, which it has been skipping for quite some time. Without it, you use a lot of narrative setup and buildup and, like many other attractions, go straight into peril.