All things Universal Studios Hollywood

[Rich T]

I'm surprised that opening day tickets are still available three hours later. Guess locking it to multi-day tickets initially was the right move.

Yes! I got my opening day ticket (bundle). Now I can relax.

 

[AlexMBush]

News - Universal Studios Hollywood Projects 515 & 294: New Resort & Security Overhaul

As originally found by Theme Park Wizard on Twitter, NBCUniversal has filed three permits today: for an 11 story hotel structure east of the property. https://twitter.com/ParkWizar1/status/1653557739564732416 I have also done checks and can confirm it's legitimacy.

parkfans.net

From Park Fans, permits have been filed for USHs brand new hotel and a major security overhaul!

 

[Phroobar]

Universal is like how many things can we build on a cliff face?

 

[Phroobar]

Fast & Furious Hollywood Drift - mockup in Planet Coaster 2

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/heres-what-the-new-coaster-at-universal-studios-looks-like-now/

 

[AlexMBush]

Fast & Furious Hollywood Drift - mockup in Planet Coaster 2

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/heres-what-the-new-coaster-at-universal-studios-looks-like-now/

Oh hey who dat listed as the maker of the mock-up—

 

[truecoat]

Fast & Furious Hollywood Drift - mockup in Planet Coaster 2

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/heres-what-the-new-coaster-at-universal-studios-looks-like-now/

That's going to be a huge hit for Universal.

 

[Professortango1]

I hope its not just an exposed coaster on a hill. I think it will be, but I hope Universal keeps the "theme" in their "theme park" status.

 

[Phroobar]

I hope its not just an exposed coaster on a hill. I think it will be, but I hope Universal keeps the "theme" in their "theme park" status.

We know it will have sound walls like the Incredicoaster has. The train and building will be themed. I don't know how you would theme a coaster on a hill side.

 

[PiratesMansion]

I hope its not just an exposed coaster on a hill. I think it will be, but I hope Universal keeps the "theme" in their "theme park" status.

So is IOA not a theme park just because it has Incredible Hulk and Velocicoaster?

 

[Professortango1]

So is IOA not a theme park just because it has Incredible Hulk and Velocicoaster?

I think both are wanting in terms of themeing. I would love to see US theme parks build something like Taron or F.L.Y. They don't hide the track, but instead build a world so detailed where the track blends in. The spaghetti bowl of Velicoaster was a noble effort, but they unfortunately gave up on that idea as well as the show scene planned for the end of the attraction.

 

[Professortango1]

We know it will have sound walls like the Incredicoaster has. The train and building will be themed. I don't know how you would theme a coaster on a hill side.

If they made the sound walls work as faux environments to ride through instead of unthemed structures. Its unfortunately a bad place to try and put a themed coaster, especially one themed to an urban environment like F&F. If they had themed it to something with more naturalistic elements, they could put rockwork and landscaping around it to theme the experience and look nice for guests, but I imagine that Universal doesn't want their hillside looking like a back alley industrial yard with chop shops and urban decay.

 

[Phroobar]

If they made the sound walls work as faux environments to ride through instead of unthemed structures. Its unfortunately a bad place to try and put a themed coaster, especially one themed to an urban environment like F&F. If they had themed it to something with more naturalistic elements, they could put rockwork and landscaping around it to theme the experience and look nice for guests, but I imagine that Universal doesn't want their hillside looking like a back alley industrial yard with chop shops and urban decay.

It could be themed to Mulholland Drive overlooking the valley. It worked for DCA.

 

[Emmanuel]

It could be themed to Mulholland Drive overlooking the valley. It worked for DCA.

A Muholland theme? Thats...madness

 

[Rich T]

So is IOA not a theme park just because it has Incredible Hulk and Velocicoaster?

Velocicoaster is actually fairly well themed, as it’s brilliantly presented exactly as what it looks like: a steel roller coaster that the owners of Jurassic World stupidly chose to build inside a raptor paddock despite Chris Pratt’s character’s warnings.

Ordinarily I’d put this in the Chester and Hester file, but the coaster is so scary (and GREAT looking—it’s genuinely stylish), the backstory is so jolly, and the raptor AAs in the fantastic queue are so wonderful that it just works. Velocicoaster is an immersive E-Ticket experience even though it kind of plays the “It’s *supposed* to look like that” card.

 

[mickEblu]

Man, I could probably do without that drifting. Hoping this ride isn’t a one and done for me. I haven’t been on a thrill ride that intense in a while. It’ll be a good barometer to see what I can handle after years of only Disney thrill rides. With that said I did ok with Ghostrider and some of the more tame coasters at Knotts and Sea World.

 

[Rich T]

I think both are wanting in terms of themeing. I would love to see US theme parks build something like Taron or F.L.Y. They don't hide the track, but instead build a world so detailed where the track blends in. The spaghetti bowl of Velicoaster was a noble effort, but they unfortunately gave up on that idea as well as the show scene planned for the end of the attraction.

I really don’t mind bare tracks as long as the end result is a big plus for that particular park’s vibe.

I’d say that Velocicoaster, Hulk and Seaworld’s Pipeline are so beautiful as engineering works of art that their exposed structures make their parks’ skylines delightful. Certainly the lagoon view at IoA has become iconic.

On the other hand, I think Rip Ride Rocket looks like garbage and the only other SeaWorld Orlando coaster I’d call beautiful (Mako) is stuck where guests in the park can barely see it.

More theming is nearly always better, of course, but each park has its own personality and sometimes exposed coaster tracks can add to the fun. The question is, “Does It Work for that park?”

 

[Professortango1]

I really don’t mind bare tracks as long as the end result is a big plus for that particular park’s vibe.

I’d say that Velocicoaster, Hulk and Seaworld’s Pipeline are so beautiful as engineering works of art that their exposed structures make their parks’ skylines delightful. Certainly the lagoon view at IoA has become iconic.

On the other hand, I think Rip Ride Rocket looks like garbage and the only other SeaWorld Orlando coaster I’d call beautiful (Mako) is stuck where guests in the park can barely see it.

More theming is nearly always better, of course, but each park has its own personality and sometimes exposed coaster tracks can add to the fun. The question is, “Does It Work for that park?”

While I agree that certain coasters can look aesthetically interesting, I wouldn't say that they are very immersive for me.

I like Tatsu and Goliath, but I'm not being sucked into any story or emotional foundation. I put Universal on the same level as Disney in striving to create themed experiences. An unturned coaster track strikes me as a step backwards rather than forward. As I kid I remember I would sit and daydream about working for Six Flags and building a Gotham City for Batman the ride to weave through. The queue had promise, but the coaster just flew above gravel. I wanted to feel like I was flying through Gotham. And now, I want to feel like I'm driving in a Fast and the Furious movie

 

[PiratesMansion]

Velocicoaster is actually fairly well themed, as it’s brilliantly presented exactly as what it looks like: a steel roller coaster that the owners of Jurassic World stupidly chose to build inside a raptor paddock despite Chris Pratt’s character’s warnings.

Ordinarily I’d put this in the Chester and Hester file, but the coaster is so scary (and GREAT looking—it’s genuinely stylish), the backstory is so jolly, and the raptor AAs in the fantastic queue are so wonderful that it just works. Velocicoaster is an immersive E-Ticket experience even though it kind of plays the “It’s *supposed* to look like that” card.

While all of that is true, you still see a lot of bare VC steel coaster track from other areas of the park. I don't personally see the contradiction that others do (that unthemed/lightly themed coasters don't belong in theme parks), but it's worth noting.

It's fairly common in Europe, but because it's relatively rare here and because of the standard Disney set, so many people have come to the conclusion that theming and coasters cannot co-exist unless the coasters are built inside a themed mountain or otherwise inside. I don't feel like it needs to be an either/or situation.

Man, I could probably do without that drifting. Hoping this ride isn’t a one and done for me. I haven’t been on a thrill ride that intense in a while. It’ll be a good barometer to see what I can handle after years of only Disney thrill rides. With that said I did ok with Ghostrider and some of the more tame coasters at Knotts and Sea World.

If you're good on GhostRider, I'd say you're good to go on more coasters than you are probably expecting. Certainly you could handle everything at SeaWorld.

 

[Rich T]

While I agree that certain coasters can look aesthetically interesting, I wouldn't say that they are very immersive for me.

I like Tatsu and Goliath, but I'm not being sucked into any story or emotional foundation. I put Universal on the same level as Disney in striving to create themed experiences. An unturned coaster track strikes me as a step backwards rather than forward. As I kid I remember I would sit and daydream about working for Six Flags and building a Gotham City for Batman the ride to weave through. The queue had promise, but the coaster just flew above gravel. I wanted to feel like I was flying through Gotham. And now, I want to feel like I'm driving in a Fast and the Furious movie

I’m hoping that Epic Universe succeeds as a perfect combo of the two types of theme park design, with the central area using the coaster-structure-as-art spectacle as Celestial Park’s headliner, while the four IP lands take full-immersion-in-a-theme to amazing levels.

 

[Rich T]

After avoiding the ride for two years, I have finally been able to ride Forbidden Journey (IoA version) without getting motion sick.

And it’s been a genuine revelation for me: Without the motion sickness factor, this is now one of my favorite rides ever. It’s nice to finally appreciate all its technical cleverness and fun aerobatics without turning green.

The bit where you *seem* to move backwards away from the screen dragon into the bridge set is a wonderful illusion— one of my top favorite theme park moments.