All things Universal Studios Hollywood

Rich T

Rich T

Well-Known Member
truecoat said:
The crowd levels aren't surprising. Here's the parking lot around noon on opening day.

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I’m sure most of the guests that day were staying at the hotels. Busload after busload kept unloading in the pre-opening area, apparently starting about 5:00 AM.

In retrospect, my only surprise is that Universal kept the opening crowd level as low as they did. They set a limit, sold it out, and no more tickets were available.

I really wouldn’t be surprised if they were caught a bit off-guard by just how many people would stay in the Ministry line. Turned out great for everyone in the other areas! 😃
 
CaptinEO

CaptinEO

Well-Known Member
Rich T said:
All I can contribute to this is what I witness on my many, many trips to UOR:

The Wizarding World is still super popular here—And with all age groups. Adults, teens and children still show up to the park gates wearing wizard robes, far more guests wear their Hogwarts house shirts and hats, the interactive wands sell and sell and sell, Butterbeer is still a hit and the atmosphere is one of excitement and wonder. Still. This applies right now to Hogsmeade and Diagonal Alley.

Wizard Paris/British Ministry (This land needs a clear, non-awkward name!!!) takes longer to sink in, because Fantastic Beasts is not as immediately easy a concept for non-fans to grasp as “Magic School!”, and its outdoor whimsy is far more adult-oriented and real-world anchored than the original two Potter lands.

But once the tech issues with Ministry get sorted out and most people can actually experience it, this world is going to thrive. The level of detail is astonishing, even by Potter World standards; the whole land is a story being told all around and it rewards curiosity. The Circus show is wonderful, the two restaurant are two of the best park dining establishments on Earth, and that dang ride just might be the best dark ride on Earth (though my favorite is still Monsters Unchained).

But I do agree that this is plenty o’ Potter. Going forward, time for more variety. And by that at EU, I mean I’d love to see more Vikings, more Nintendo and more monsters. And Hill Valley. And Amity. And Tolkien.
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Very well said! That ministry land and ride are so impressive! It's basically a giant epcot pavilion with a small bit of fantasy added on.

I also really like the potter land I've been to at Hollywood even as someone who just casually has seen some of the movies. Especially at night it's a cool place to be.

But Universal also has such a rich history and so many properties that could make nice lands, seems Potter land worked once and now its a crutch they rely on too much.
 
mickEblu

mickEblu

Well-Known Member
Professortango1 said:
I'd be more excited it it looked well themed. Instead it looks like a bunch of exposed track on a hillside. It will have a better queue and preshow than a Six Flags coaster, but that's about it.
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This and I’d also be more excited if it was a notch or two less intense. I also don’t care for the theme. So basically I like nothing about it. lol. Well, other than the fact that it’ll take some pressure off the other rides as I don’t think this is the type of attraction that will bring in a whole lot of new guests.
 
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Nirya

Nirya

Well-Known Member
I mean, I'm excited to get something on the level of Velocicoaster and Stardust Racers out here, which is cool and all, but yeah we're still a year out so the hype for the ride feels like it's in the right spot currently.
 
CoastalElite64

CoastalElite64

Member
Nirya said:
I mean, I'm excited to get something on the level of Velocicoaster and Stardust Racers out here, which is cool and all, but yeah we're still a year out so the hype for the ride feels like it's in the right spot currently.
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Yeah, Velocicoaster is the most popular non-HP attraction in Florida. Hollywood getting something of that caliber is exciting.
 
Professortango1

Professortango1

Well-Known Member
CoastalElite64 said:
Yeah, Velocicoaster is the most popular non-HP attraction in Florida. Hollywood getting something of that caliber is exciting.
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Velocicoaster is a great coaster and an okay theme park attraction. The ride is thinly themed as a coaster through a Jurassic World themed area. I am happy to ride Velocicoaster, but I wasn't especially excited about it's construction. We knew it would be a big unthemed metal track through minimal theming. And that's what we got.

When I speculate and wonder, it is due to seeing new details or surprises. I think we will have a mild spike when they install the themed graffiti walls, but there won't be enough details to fuel more chatter.
 
Rich T

Rich T

Well-Known Member
In all seriousness, when a coaster is as beautiful to the eye as Velocicoaster AND looks so at home in its surrounding area that you can’t imagine the park without it AND features a wonderfully themed queue AND spends its first half merrily cartwheeling through gorgeous rockwork… AND is one of the most amazing terror machines on the planet…

… I’m okay with no animatronics to speed past at 70 mph. Not every attraction has to tick every theming checkbox.

The wonderful animatronics are in the queue where guests can get a good, closeup look at them. And then it’s lockers, metal detector, beautiful themed boarding station, take a seat, lap bar, VOOOOOOOOM!!!

This is one of the best rides on Earth, just the way it is. And that statement’s coming from an old guy who’s only ridden it 5 times and most likely won’t ever ride it again because I’m not getting any younger. I still love to watch it…listen to it…

Speaking of listening, it could use an onboard music score (the one from Universal’s official POV video would do just fine). That’s the only thing I think is truly missing. 😃

(EDIT)

Just to be clear, I’m not saying I want every new attraction to be like Velocicoaster. I love great, in-depth theming. Velocicoaster is just an incredibly marvelous one-of-kind creation that plussed its park’s sightlines like nobody’s business. 😃
 
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CaptinEO

CaptinEO

Well-Known Member
Nirya said:
I mean, I'm excited to get something on the level of Velocicoaster and Stardust Racers out here, which is cool and all, but yeah we're still a year out so the hype for the ride feels like it's in the right spot currently.
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The ride is much shorter than those, I would set expectations accordingly.
 
Professortango1

Professortango1

Well-Known Member
Rich T said:
In all seriousness, when a coaster is as beautiful to the eye as Velocicoaster AND looks so at home in its surrounding area that you can’t imagine the park without it AND features a wonderfully themed queue AND spends its first half merrily cartwheeling through gorgeous rockwork… AND is one of the most amazing terror machines on the planet…

… I’m okay with no animatronics to speed past at 70 mph. Not every attraction has to tick every theming checkbox.

The wonderful animatronics are in the queue where guests can get a good, closeup look at them. And then it’s lockers, metal detector, beautiful themed boarding station, take a seat, lap bar, VOOOOOOOOM!!!

This is one of the best rides on Earth, just the way it is. And that statement’s coming from an old guy who’s only ridden it 5 times and most likely won’t ever ride it again because I’m not getting any younger. I still love to watch it…listen to it…

Speaking of listening, it could use an onboard music score (the one from Universal’s official POV video would do just fine). That’s the only thing I think is truly missing. 😃

(EDIT)

Just to be clear, I’m not saying I want every new attraction to be like Velocicoaster. I love great, in-depth theming. Velocicoaster is just an incredibly marvelous one-of-kind creation that plussed its park’s sightlines like nobody’s business. 😃
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If they had built something as themed as Taron in Phantasialand, I would be singing Universal's praises. But they didn't. They built a coaster that looks like an exposed coaster while also diminishing the view of the Visitor's Center by having the coaster track go right through that area.

I don't need the raptors on the ride portion to have moment, but they could have decided to keep the show scene planned for the end. Instead, we got nothing. I'm not going to praise Universal when they decided to cheap out on things which could have made it a better theme park experience.
 
Rich T

Rich T

Well-Known Member
Professortango1 said:
If they had built something as themed as Taron in Phantasialand, I would be singing Universal's praises. But they didn't. They built a coaster that looks like an exposed coaster while also diminishing the view of the Visitor's Center by having the coaster track go right through that area.

I don't need the raptors on the ride portion to have moment, but they could have decided to keep the show scene planned for the end. Instead, we got nothing. I'm not going to praise Universal when they decided to cheap out on things which could have made it a better theme park experience.
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I agree all your suggestions would have made Velocicoaster even better. I just happen to love the way that track looks along the shoreline and swooping above the trees.
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I mean, come on—This is gorgeous! 😃 I honestly believe this is a unique case where the exposed track not only looks great, but has such a distinctive look that it has become iconic (in a good way) for IoA. And every fun-to-watch maneuver it pulls is easily viewable for spectators, adding oodles of fun energy and life to that plaza.

I’ll even go so far in saying this is the ONE time I think the otherwise-lame “It’s SUPPOSED to look like that” Chester & Hester-type backstory actually works and provides a lot of great dark humor in the queue.

I know, beauty’s in the eye of the beholder, and if you don’t care for it, I understand. Just to show that I’m not defending everything Universal does, I’ll say that as much as I love Stardust Racers at Epic, I am disappointed by the minimal theming on that ride: the look of its exposed structure clashes with just about everything else in the park (Except, amazingly, in next-door Isle of Berk where its visibility as a backdrop actually complements Berk’s steampunky Vikings-Inventing-New-Contraptions vibe.)

Here’s a thought though: Velocicoaster was designed with a definite purpose in mind: To draw in thrillseekers with one of the scariest and most intense coasters on Earth.

So, is it worth the time and expense to add show scenes to a ride that many of the park’s guests can not or will not ride? Or do you wait to put those funds into a more family-friendly project?

Again, I’m not trying to say more theming wouldn’t improve Velocicoaster, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the thrillseekers vs. nonriders balance factored into the budget planning.
 
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Professortango1

Professortango1

Well-Known Member
Rich T said:
I agree all your suggestions would have made Velocicoaster even better. I just happen to love the way that track looks along the shoreline and swooping above the trees.
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I mean, come on—This is gorgeous! 😃 I honestly believe this is a unique case where the exposed track not only looks great, but has such a distinctive look that it has become iconic (in a good way) for IoA. And every fun-to-watch maneuver it pulls is easily viewable for spectators, adding oodles of fun energy and life to that plaza.

I’ll even go so far in saying this is the ONE time I think the otherwise-lame “It’s SUPPOSED to look like that” Chester & Hester-type backstory actually works and provides a lot of great dark humor in the queue.

I know, beauty’s in the eye of the beholder, and if you don’t care for it, I understand. Just to show that I’m not defending everything Universal does, I’ll say that as much as I love Stardust Racers at Epic, I am disappointed by the minimal theming on that ride: the look of its exposed structure clashes with just about everything else in the park (Except, amazingly, in next-door Isle of Berk where its visibility as a backdrop actually complements Berk’s steampunky Vikings-Inventing-New-Contraptions vibe.)

Here’s a thought though: Velocicoaster was designed with a definite purpose in mind: To draw in thrillseekers with one of the scariest and most intense coasters on Earth.

So, is it worth the time and expense to add show scenes to a ride that many of the park’s guests can not or will not ride? Or do you wait to put those funds into a more family-friendly project?

Again, I’m not trying to say more theming wouldn’t improve Velocicoaster, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the thrillseekers vs. nonriders balance factored into the budget planning.
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Its a pretty standard coaster track over walkways. I appreciate it not being a garish color, but its still just a coaster track over walkways. I'm glad that its not over dirt or a parking lot like Six Flags is known to do, but in the end it is still just a standard coaster track over walkways. It just reminds me of Silver Bullet or Pony Express with the exposed coaster track zooming over and around a themed area. Fun ride, but makes the area they exist in look worse overall.
 
Rich T

Rich T

Well-Known Member
Professortango1 said:
Its a pretty standard coaster track over walkways. I appreciate it not being a garish color, but its still just a coaster track over walkways. I'm glad that its not over dirt or a parking lot like Six Flags is known to do, but in the end it is still just a standard coaster track over walkways. It just reminds me of Silver Bullet or Pony Express with the exposed coaster track zooming over and around a themed area. Fun ride, but makes the area they exist in look worse overall.
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Totally see your point. I’m just one of those folks who find coaster tracks beautiful—Ever since I can remember. And when a coaster layout is elegantly designed and set in a lovely, garden-like environment (like at IoA)… I could put it on a pedestal and exhibit it at the Louvre. 😃

On the opposite end of the scale is Rip Ride Rocket. There’s a thin line between art and ugh. 😃
 

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