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Posted my thoughts on Epic’s rides over in the Universal Hollywood Thread. I ranked one particular ride a bit higher than some might think it deserves, but… hey… Werewolves are awesome! 😃

Californian-In-Florida Reviews Epic Universe: Part One — The Rides Disclaimer/Honorable Mention for Stardust Racers. I haven’t ridden this one yet (It’s very intense and I’m old 😃). As a non-rider, I call it the most spectacular and fun-to-watch coaster I’ve ever seen. If you can handle its...

Just got back from 2 days at Epic Universe. I’ll try to post a coherent review very soon, but… quick thoughts: -Beautiful…spectacular…SUPER fun… -Running smoothly enough that I nearly forgot it was a preview period. - Battle For The Ministry and Monsters Unchained are amazing (And I was...

What if PoC had been based on a colorful animated film? I love the combo of whimsy and darkness in this new Pirates-style dark ride in Italy! A bit heavy on screens in spots, but plenty of charm and spectacle along the way. The impressive, multi-room, surprise-filled finale (starts at the 8:25...

People have to choose from what the manufacturer/dealer offers. I bought a “space grey” car because 1) I don’t find grey boring when it’s used well and 2) the alternative was school bus yellow. 😃

There’s something about the tone of this promo video for Europa Park’s 50th that I really love. It flows, it’s pleasant, and it’s cheerful without sounding forced or theatrical. It bounces around with a nice unpredictably, starting with the company’s first theatrical animated feature (and...

From my point of view, Single Rider lines are fantastic, but should mainly be used on rides with more than two seats per row, or other situations where vehicles would otherwise often be dispatched with empty single seats. I include Hagrid’s in this category, as the bike and side car are separate...

Just from a real world perspective, the loading at EE is very fast-paced and really does not allow any time for thinking about any of this. And I’ve personally witnessed CMs there being very (understandably) I-don’t wanna-hear-it and strict about not letting people change seating assignments...

Thank goodness they decided clarity is a good thing this time around. Kinda miss Cheap Trick’s “Surrender,” though…

Re: That clip of the CGI dwarfs running on the conveyor belt that Disney keeps promoting their new Snow White with…. Does… does anyone at Disney actually think that looks good? That it’s funny? That it’s appealing? That it’s anything besides a huge slap in the face to their animation legacy...

I really like this new promo for UOR. This is exactly the message they should be getting out there to families planning vacations; “This is what we are now.” Lots of Water Taxi love. Not too heavy on the talking heads. Good presentation of Universal’s “bubble,” and how it has a different vibe...

My last trip to MK, they were trying very earnestly to keep the line moving, so they were directing every lone rider to sit with an odd number group. Trying NOT to bump into an anonymous seatmate while zipping around the turns certainly adds a bit of awkward stress to the ride experience. 😬

As long as I don’t get barfed on, I’m fine with the single rider pairings. I’ve met a lot of very nice people from all over the world that way… for a few seconds of greets n’ goodbyes. DL Space… yeah, that’s a bit close. Big Thunder’s worse. 😄

“Hi.” “Hi.” (The ride operates) “That was awesome!” “Yeah!” “Have a good day!” “You too!”

The Universal Orlando app has been updated to include Epic Universe on its interactive map. The map looks great, and leads to a lot of information about the rides, shops and dining. Great news: it seems all the coasters and dark rides will have single-rider lines.

I get your point, but the franchise has a bazillion fans worldwide (I still enjoy the main rpg games) and the monsters themselves are generally well designed and a merchandiser’s idea of Heaven. It’s up to Universal to come up with an appealing way to present it all to the GP. They did a great...

I’m sure the Disney parks, if they still exist in 2060 and keep following the same path, do indeed stand a chance of being an even worse value and a more upcharge-packed, dumbed-down, no-original-ideas experience than they are today. Wheeee! 😄 I also can imagine a possible rewording for the...

No cell phones? No instagram? No vloggers? Count me in! 😃 Oh wait… that means the park burgers would taste like they used to… (shrugs) … worth the trade off.

Compared to what the park is like today, I would absolutely lock it in at 1989. If the park experience had actually improved since then, I’d say let it keep changing. But it has, IMO, devolved into a far less satisfying experience. And this is not mere nostalgia. This is eyes-wide-open...

I worked at Universal (first on the tour, then in the movie studio) during that era. I was fortunate enough to see the Conan show progress from outdoor rehearsals during the theater renovation to opening day and then through its many tweaks and changes. It was fun to watch it evolve and improve...