Fast & Furious- Supercharged details officially released

[Rob562]

We just got back from a quick 3-night trip to UOR, one last use of our Seasonal Passes before the summer crowds descend. (We're hoping to get one more trip down sometime in the fall before they expire in Nov)

We rode F&F only once. (Coincidentally, that's the same number of F&F movies I've seen)

I reserved a virtual queue spot in the app for mid-afternoon. It took about 20 minutes from the time we entered, walked through the queue, made it through both preshows and were boarding the bus. Pretty much everything that has been said about it was spot-on. It was confusing, underwhelming and had absolutely no sense of closure/finale. We walked off confused, bewildered and wondering what the hell had just happened. (And it sounded like those around us were of the same mindset)

A quote from my bf (who has seen none of the F&F films): "I went into it with very low expectations, and it was worse than that."
And it's not the ride system or screens that are our issue. My bf loves Kong, and I'll admit it's been growing on me over our past three trips. It's just that the plot is convoluted and confusing, the CGI isn't that great, and it has no sense of finale.

I will give it two positive points, though:
1) I liked that the 360 tunnel had images in front of the bus, too. (Not sure how visible that would be from the second bus, though)
2) The visuals in the transition scene tunnel are probably the best thing in the attraction. (Though they really need to add some little jostles of the bus driving over bumps, joints in the road. It's quite obvious that you're sitting still.

This is a major fumble by Universal. I don't see this thing sticking around long-term in its current form. I'm not sure what they can do, but they really, really need to throw some additional money at it to redo the storyline, re-render the tunnel sequence and *somehow* give it a sense of finale.

Worst-case scenario, the attraction is pretty much just a warehouse with a flat-slab foundation with trackless ride vehicles driving on it. While they can't expand out the back of the building because of the train, perhaps they could take over some of the queue/pre-show space for either an expansion of the existing ride system, or tear it out and put in a totally different ride system. There is a LOT of open space in the rooms the queue goes through devoted to the cars and giving them a large enough buffer to keep people away from them. I'd be interested to see an overall floorplan of the attraction.

So yeah, you laid a real stinker this time, Uni.

-Rob

 

[Tom Morrow]

I'm not even sure if it's fair to call it a "fumble" because that implies that they at least tried somewhat.

 

[MisterPenguin]

I'm not even sure if it's fair to call it a "fumble" because that implies that they at least tried somewhat.

sick burn

 

[Prototype82]

I'd argue if the ride used similar technology, but was themed differently, (thinking NASCAR in general, Talladega Nights, or some other racing action movie), the ride could have been better

The Wachowski's Speed Racer would have worked beautifully in a 360 digital format...Oh man....

 

[OG Runner]

I have an idea, for an easy fix. Could they remove the tops of the buses? The small screens add little
or nothing to the ride. They could still include the audio. Without the tops, sight lines would be approved
you just about everyone, and with screens, the effect works that much better when you can actually see it.

 

[Tom Morrow]

I have an idea, for an easy fix. Could they remove the tops of the buses? The small screens add little
or nothing to the ride. They could still include the audio. Without the tops, sight lines would be approved
you just about everyone, and with screens, the effect works that much better when you can actually see it.

They would have to project onto the ceiling for the 360 screen tunnel to retain any sort of immersion, and also install a restraint system.

 

[OG Runner]

They would have to project onto the ceiling for the 360 screen tunnel to retain any sort of immersion, and also install a restraint system.

It was just a thought. I think it is pretty clear though, the current ride and overall experience sucks. I was trying to think of a way
everyone, could see better and experience ride. I rode the ride from the front, middle and back and to me the farther back you
were the worse the experience.

 

[The Tuna]

Just rode it for the first time as well as Kong and Fallon and underwhelming is how I would describe all 3. the 360 tunnels weren't great. The effects weren't great either but the rides weren't terrible. Would I plan a trip to ride any of them? Hell no. They will fall into the category of rides you might go on if you walk by them and have ridden everything else. They were enjoyable but for the money the probably spent could have done something much better. USF seems like such a mishmash right now with little to no theming that really pulls everything together, but i guess since that is how it has been sort of rebuilt over the past decade it is to be expected. HP exlcuded it really isnt cohesive at all.

 

[JT3000]

Just rode it for the first time as well as Kong and Fallon and underwhelming is how I would describe all 3. the 360 tunnels weren't great. The effects weren't great either but the rides weren't terrible. Would I plan a trip to ride any of them? Hell no. They will fall into the category of rides you might go on if you walk by them and have ridden everything else. They were enjoyable but for the money the probably spent could have done something much better. USF seems like such a mishmash right now with little to no theming that really pulls everything together, but i guess since that is how it has been sort of rebuilt over the past decade it is to be expected. HP exlcuded it really isnt cohesive at all.

???

Diagon Alley and Springfield were the only newly themed areas of the park in the past decade. Everything else is the same, minus the actual attractions.

 

[smile]

They need to tear it down and use the space for a car park.

it's a great way to gather up fans of the franchise...
problem is, they're made to leave afterwards

srsly tho, anthing making m:b look like a masterpiece could be redeemed with little else, if anything

 

[The Tuna]

I know that it is similar but it just doesnt seem to have a decent flow. I love going there but I think it is the remnants of being a production studio, similar to issues in Hollywood studios. Rides shoved in certain places. Maybe I am liking the themed lands look more than just rides put in any old space.

 

[Tom Morrow]

The "studio park" concept is pretty dead which is why they didn't do it with Universal Studios Singapore. But it means that currently USF is a weird mashup of everything. IOA is too, but at least the attractions are divided up into respective themed lands.

 

[lazyboy97o]

The "studio park" concept is pretty dead which is why they didn't do it with Universal Studios Singapore. But it means that currently USF is a weird mashup of everything. IOA is too, but at least the attractions are divided up into respective themed lands.

And that’s what really sucks about the franchise obsession. Each park in Central Florida is just becoming more and more an imitation of Islands of Adventure and Universal’s going to add another one.

 

[Tom Morrow]

And that’s what really sucks about the franchise obsession. Each park in Central Florida is just becoming more and more an imitation of Islands of Adventure and Universal’s going to add another one.

Yeah. Currently the only park in Orlando that has a completely cohesive theme throughout, in my opinion, is DAK. Even with Avatar.

Some argue that Islands of Adventure is an imitation of Magic Kingdom, but I disagree. Islands of Adventure has no overarching theme, it is quite literally a collection of franchises that are unrelated (with the exception of Lost Continent). Magic Kingdom has an overarching theme in that it is a collection of genres, which they have unfortunately muddied somewhat by placing in IP where it doesn't fit.

 

[Sorcerer Mickey]

Yeah. Currently the only park in Orlando that has a completely cohesive theme throughout, in my opinion, is DAK. Even with Avatar.

Some argue that Islands of Adventure is an imitation of Magic Kingdom, but I disagree. Islands of Adventure has no overarching theme, it is quite literally a collection of franchises that are unrelated (with the exception of Lost Continent). Magic Kingdom has an overarching theme in that it is a collection of genres, which they have unfortunately muddied somewhat by placing in IP where it doesn't fit.

IoA's theme is novels come to life.

 

[Tom Morrow]

IoA's theme is novels come to life.

Literature, but this was more of a coincidence and is never played up or referenced anywhere in the park.

 

[MisterPenguin]

IoA's theme is novels come to life.

Literature, but this was more of a coincidence and is never played up or referenced anywhere in the park.

I'm not a Uni hater, but, that's just PR BS. Superhero Island is only tenuously related to "literature" (much less a novel). Then you have the Dudley Do-Right IP which is based on a cartoon. I mean "Toon Lagoon" says it all -- non literature based. Poseidon thingy is not at all based on any classic ancient literature but a Hollywood version of it. There was no King Kong novel before the movie.

If that was an idea at one time... then it's a good thing they don't advertise it in the park because it would be a big ol' lie.

 

[JT3000]

I'm not a Uni hater, but, that's just PR BS. Superhero Island is only tenuously related to "literature" (much less a novel). Then you have the Dudley Do-Right IP which is based on a cartoon. I mean "Toon Lagoon" says it all -- non literature based. Poseidon thingy is not at all based on any classic ancient literature but a Hollywood version of it. There was no King Kong novel before the movie.

If that was an idea at one time... then it's a good thing they don't advertise it in the park because it would be a big ol' lie.

The literature theme isn't PR BS, because it was never PR, it's just a fan observation. I'm not sure how comic books are only tenuously related to literature though. They're comic books. They technically tell stories in a written format, even if they also rely heavily on artwork. Dudley is from a cartoon, but almost all of the other "toons" in Toon Lagoon originated in comic strips, the precursor to comic books. Mythology is literature. Granted, there's no Darkennon in Greek mythology, but people originally made this observation before he was shoe-horned in. Same goes for Kong.

I personally don't think a park based on disparate IPs is really any different than a park based on disparate genres or what have you, such as Magic Kingdom. People only think the DL parks are logically and congruently themed because they've been programmed to think that. The themes in use are all "classic" enough for people to believe they belong together. In reality, pirates have nothing to do with a space port or a western ghost town. And then there's the fact that these parks contain an ever increasing number of IPs themselves.

Will the 3rd park be the same format as IOA? Probably. I think Universal is entirely capable of using original concepts, but IPs have historically been their bread and butter and it's what gets butts through the turnstiles sadly, even at Disney. It probably doesn't help that Universal's only previous attempt at a relatively original concept, Lost Continent, is seen as a failure, despite having some of the best theming in the park. While most people are only interested in finding out what IPs will be used in the new park, I'd be a lot more excited by the news of original concepts being implemented.

 

[Tom Morrow]

Yeah, the "literature" aspect was ever a promotional concept or anything. I've only ever seen the idea expressed on these forums.

I would say that Magic Kingdom had an overarching unified concept based on genres before they began dropping in IPs where they don't thematically fit. Aside from Fantasyland, the experiences in their respective lands were themed around typical concepts within those genres.

I don't think we will ever see a new park with a completely unified concept and theme like DAK again.

 

[danpam1024]

Just my 2 cents- I went in open minded, in the middle of the day on Memorial Day. There was NO WAIT. (Like a restaurant with no people on a Saturday night, I should have just left). Why is the queue so freaking big? What a waste of space. Anyways, The actors that try to get you "pumped" for the "party" seemed embarrassed, but did their best. I kind of felt sad for them. So off to the "party". Seriously, if one of my friends took me to a real party as lame as that one, I'd throat punch her for wasting my time (kidding of course). The rest of the ride...I had more fun showering in the morning. WOW, what a complete failure. And I like Transformers and Kong...I'm usually all about UOR, but this was a complete miss. I won't even go just to cool off this summer. Hope they have plans to burn it to the ground and completely start over. Kill it with fire.