All things Universal Studios Hollywood

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Jurassic World soft opened.

Thoughts?

It's pretty much the same ride just with a different beginning and end and a blander middle section. I think the new first scene is done really well and the new ending is cool I guess but not really what I was expecting based off of the leaks prior to ride opening.

Now with screens. Including several screens where the guy from GOTG once again appears on screens in a theme park ride. But by God does it make absolutely no sense in Universal. Why are there a series of TV screens installed above this waterfall the boats accidentally travel up where that guy appears to talk to "you" in the boat?

 

[Rich T]

Just judging from watching a ride-through video, this seems like a downgrade. Screens, static artwork and a smaller outdoor area with no impact or sense of wonder. Having the jungle-like "T-Rex Kingdom" at the top of a huge lift makes no sense at all, and the finale isn't nearly as imaginative or effective as the original. And the TV ad really misrepresents the ride. I think guests are going to be disappointed to find it much milder, more cartoonish and comical than the commercials suggest.

 

[truecoat]

Just judging from watching a ride-through video, this seems like a downgrade. Screens, static artwork and a smaller outdoor area with no impact or sense of wonder. Having the jungle-like "T-Rex Kingdom" at the top of a huge lift makes no sense at all, and the finale isn't nearly as imaginative or effective as the original. And the TV ad really misrepresents the ride. I think guests are going to be disappointed to find it much milder, more cartoonish and comical than the commercials suggest.

I saw those tv's on the lift hill and was like, WTEFFF?

 

[ThemeParkTraveller]

I'm sad the Ultrasaur Lagoon is gone. The AAs have not aged well, but they were large and visually impressive. I can't believe it was replaced by a giant screen. Soundtrack is also much less emotional now with much of the classic John Williams theme removed.

 

[Sharon&Susan]

 

[Snow Queen]

The sweeping John Williams score playing as you turn AWAY from the dinosaurs and face a concrete wall is just hilarious to me.

 

[Phroobar]

It looks like they took out the things that didn't work reliably. The Ultrasaurs were lots of trouble over the years because of the water. The falling truck hasn't worked in years so they replaced it with nothing. They could have kept at least a few of the popup fan dinos squiring water. I guess the final scene makes up for the lack of dinos throughout the ride.

 

[Rich T]

...I guess the final scene makes up for the lack of dinos throughout the ride.

Too bad their placement is nonsense. And the ride now has no kind of story arc, flow or suspense at all. Things start to "go horribly wrong" starting with the very first scene, and then there's the cartoonish stegosaurs, and then a painted mural, and then cartoonish TV screens as you're lead to a T-Rex Kingdom in the top of a high-rise that-- Well, gee, I *hope* that's not supposed to look like it's outdoors.

And then the two big AA heads put on a little non-threatening puppet show and you go down the drop. The end. Pfffffff.

 

[Rich T]

Was "Blue"'s appearance supposed to be a big dramatic moment? Even though she does absolutely nothing?

 

[GrizzlyAdams]

Yeah that’s a downgrade... the screens, Pratt, Jesus... can’t say Universal is crushing Disney, same kind of crap Exec decision making. The only reason WW is any good is because Rowling is present and demanding good execution.

 

[BasiltheBatLord]

Was "Blue"'s appearance supposed to be a big dramatic moment? Even though she does absolutely nothing?

The idea was/is supposed to be that the T-Rex comes out to fight/scare away the I-Rex at the last moment thereby "saving" the raft. If you didn't know that ahead of time I definitely don't think you would get that impression from the scene that that's what's supposed to be happening though.

For what it's worth some people have been saying on Inside Universal that they've heard that the final I-Rex AA is not finished yet and that the goal is eventually to have it stick out more so that it's obvious that the T-Rex and the I-Rex are "fighting." We'll see if that' true.

 

[Phroobar]

Here again there are too many dead areas. Before the hill there were dinos. Now nothing but open cages. It doesn't need the video screens. A random voice would have been better.

 

[Rich T]

Here again there are too many dead areas. Before the hill there were dinos. Now nothing but open cages. It doesn't need the video screens. A random voice would have been better.

Agreed. Before, the voices gave the ride urgency and suspense. The TV screens make it look like... you're watching a video of a celebrity on a TV screen. It actually makes the ride less believable.

 

[Rich T]

..For what it's worth some people have been saying on Inside Universal that they've heard that the final I-Rex AA is not finished yet and that the goal is eventually to have it stick out more so that it's obvious that the T-Rex and the I-Rex are "fighting." We'll see if that' true.

From pre-opening PR, I was certainly expecting to see two dinos fighting at the end. Right now it looks like they just poke their heads out and say "howdy" to each other.

 

[mickEblu]

Agreed. Before, the voices gave the ride urgency and suspense. The TV screens make it look like... you're watching a video of a celebrity on a TV screen. It actually makes the ride less believable.

So what’s going on here? Do current imagineers not understand these basic things or do they have a mandate to get Chris Pratt’s face on the ride? If they do understand it, do any of them care enough or have the guts/ ability to tell the higher ups what should and should not be on a theme park attraction?

I guess it’s clear that theme parks are just extensions of the movies now. Instead of doing what’s best for a particular attraction, they re focused on reminding guests “isn’t this cool, it’s from that movie saw!” IP has been around at theme parks for a long time but it was executed much better in the past. Maybe technology is partly to blame too?

 

[Rich T]

Right before the boats enter the unload zone at the end, there should be an AA of Dr. Wu saying, "Don't blame me! I just built what they asked for!"

 

[Disney Analyst]

Ride is officially in Technical Rehearsals.

 

[Rich T]

Maybe technology is partly to blame too?

Nope, nope. This is all on the designers and studio heads. Can't blame a hammer for a crappy house.

 

[Rich T]

Ride is officially in Technical Rehearsals.

They should end the TV ads with that poster until they decide it's actually ready be declared for-real done.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

So what’s going on here? Do current imagineers not understand these basic things or do they have a mandate to get Chris Pratt’s face on the ride? If they do understand it, do any of them care enough or have the guts/ ability to tell the higher ups what should and should not be on a theme park attraction?

I guess it’s clear that theme parks are just extensions of the movies now. Instead of doing what’s best for a particular attraction, they re focused on reminding guests “isn’t this cool, it’s from that movie saw!” IP has been around at theme parks for a long time but it was executed much better in the past? Maybe technology is partly to blame too?

It goes back to the whole "immersion" shtick. They seem to think theme park guests want to feel more "immersed" by having the characters in rides address "you" like you're not just one of the zillion people that went through before and will go through after you're gone. None of us are that important.

Universal in particular really spearheaded the characters on screens talking to "you" gimmick. It's no different here than on, say, The Mummy where Brendan Fraser suddenly and nonsensically appears on a screen at the end. Of course, the stupid coffee gag there is actually funny.