All things Universal Studios Hollywood

cmwade77

Well-Known Member
The Platinum Pass is back at Universal, but $80 more expensive and the Express part of the past isn't valid until after 3 PM, but is still only once per day. Add in mask requirements and still a no go for me, but thought some might want to know.
 

Tamandua

Well-Known Member
The Platinum Pass is back at Universal, but $80 more expensive and the Express part of the past isn't valid until after 3 PM, but is still only once per day. Add in mask requirements and still a no go for me, but thought some might want to know.
Just in time to be an alternative to magic keys I guess, but a no go for me as well with the current restrictions
 

D.Silentu

Well-Known Member
I'm sure there are pandemic-related factors accounting for some of it, but man does USH's HHN look incredibly weak compared to Orlando's. Walking Dead back from the dead? Pandora's Box and Halloween 4 back, really?
It does look pitiful and even worse is the evidence that they had to make last minute alterations to the lineup.
 

Tamandua

Well-Known Member
Other than licensing, is there any reason why they couldn't reuse past years houses? I assume they keep all that stuff around... I went in 2019 and there was some pretty great stuff.
 

Nirya

Well-Known Member
Honestly I think it is hilarious that they went with Halloween 4 specifically.
Other than licensing, is there any reason why they couldn't reuse past years houses? I assume they keep all that stuff around... I went in 2019 and there was some pretty great stuff.
Universal tends to rotate mazes out on a yearly basis. Which has its positives and negatives (positives: if a maze is bad then good news! Negatives: if a maze is bad then bad news!)
 

SplashGhost

Well-Known Member
The only mazes that I am interested in at all this year are Bride of Frankenstein Lives and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. They have done TCM in the past, but this is the first time they have done the original movie instead of a made up sequel or remake. That said, they are probably doing this theme as a cheap way to reuse the past props. I have hopes for Bride of Frankenstein since the past Classic Monsters maze has been great. Bride of Frankenstein is the only one that might get me to spend a single night there.

This is definitely going to be one of their very worst years.
 

Professortango1

Well-Known Member
I'm sure there are pandemic-related factors accounting for some of it, but man does USH's HHN look incredibly weak compared to Orlando's.

Walking Dead back from the dead?

Pandora's Box and Halloween 4 back, really?
I mean, HHN always pales in comparison to Orlando's. Orlando has tons of original mazes, amazing sets, and some great executions. HHN....they have black walls and the same properties over and over and over and over again. I'm so tired of seeing the New Line crew in their line up.
 

J4546

Well-Known Member
Universal should get rid of the mummy coaster even though its one of the best rides in the park to many, but tear it down and make a sister coaster to the Velosicoaster in FL. They could theme that huge area with some cool stuff and the coaster could really take advantage of the huge hill USH is built on, weaving in and out of the hillside, close calls with trees and theming, alot you could do. you could really make a spectacularly themed and immersive area that compares to FL JW area.
 

PiratesMansion

Well-Known Member
Universal really doesn’t try with HHN and it’s kinda sad. It’s like they’re afraid to compete with Knotts.
Which is ridiculous, because theoretically they should be able to bury Knott's.
-They have budgets and resources Knott's could never dream of.
-They have popular IP for dozens and dozens of iconic horror franchises.
-They have incredibly successful (financially and artistically) sister events.

But they just lack a certain something. I'm not knowledgeable enough about the event to say precisely what it is...competence? drive? A certain Je Ne ais Quoi?

And so David (comparatively) continues to slay Goliath every time.
 

PiratesMansion

Well-Known Member
Universal should get rid of the mummy coaster even though its one of the best rides in the park to many, but tear it down and make a sister coaster to the Velosicoaster in FL. They could theme that huge area with some cool stuff and the coaster could really take advantage of the huge hill USH is built on, weaving in and out of the hillside, close calls with trees and theming, alot you could do. you could really make a spectacularly themed and immersive area that compares to FL JW area.
While they are working on moving around parts of the backlot, I think you are underestimating the amount of space a ride like Velocicoaster takes up and overestimating the amount of space USH Mummy has to offer. To my understanding, Nintendo is basically taking up all remaining space on the Lower Lot that currently exists. Any other usable land like there is a) likely years away from being usable, and b) almost certainly going to be earmarked for Nintendo expansion first and foremost.

I think USH Mummy is underappreciated and should remain-there's certainly room in their lineup for two adult coasters.

What would be awesome would be a custom terrain coaster that really plays to the unique locational advantages USH has, but I imagine that there are various red tape/NIMBY/etc annoyances that would inhibit such a ride's existence. It certainly doesn't help that not only Universal's own soundstages and backlots but also those belonging to Disney and Warner Bros. are right there.
 

cmwade77

Well-Known Member
Which is ridiculous, because theoretically they should be able to bury Knott's.
-They have budgets and resources Knott's could never dream of.
-They have popular IP for dozens and dozens of iconic horror franchises.
-They have incredibly successful (financially and artistically) sister events.

But they just lack a certain something. I'm not knowledgeable enough about the event to say precisely what it is...competence? drive? A certain Je Ne ais Quoi?

And so David (comparatively) continues to slay Goliath every time.
They lack the entertainment team that Knotts has managed to put together and all because Disney let them get ahold of John Storbeck, who then brought Ken Parks in as vice president.of entertainment for the park. Together they managed to improve Knott's and are now moved up in Cedar Fair to help the other parks that are struggling while leaving a great team in place at Knott's to take over and that will keep doing a great job.

Add in the fact that Knott's has been doing a form of Haunt since 1973 and Universal since 1997 and as a result of all of these factors and probably more, Knott's wins and will continue to win.
 

Nirya

Well-Known Member
Which is ridiculous, because theoretically they should be able to bury Knott's.
-They have budgets and resources Knott's could never dream of.
-They have popular IP for dozens and dozens of iconic horror franchises.
-They have incredibly successful (financially and artistically) sister events.

But they just lack a certain something. I'm not knowledgeable enough about the event to say precisely what it is...competence? drive? A certain Je Ne ais Quoi?

And so David (comparatively) continues to slay Goliath every time.
Knotts has a lot of local cache just for being the original Haunt, but I think part of it is that IP issue. Specifically, Universal relies too much on the IP itself to be the draw, rather than making a good maze that utilizes the IP. I think back to the Stranger Things maze from 2019, and that was such a middling maze for me. They hit a bunch of scenes that I as a casual viewer understood, but it wasn't a scary maze, and it was way too big and spread out. And they do it so often that when they do actually-good IP mazes, they stand out (the TCM mazes, Ghostbusters even though I wasn't the biggest fan of it). But in the end, the IP (and, let's be honest, large budget) ends up stifling their creativity.

Compare it to Knotts, which has basically made a ton of IPs all on their own and utilizes their smaller budget to their advantage by being more economical with their scares. Knotts only needing to invent a couple of new mazes each year works to their advantage because they can focus on making those as great as possible while spending time plussing what they've done. It's almost funny just how much better Knotts is each time.
 

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