Yeah, ideally a land should have at least one E ticket, one D or C ticket, and one B or A ticket.
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Kong - skipping outside portion
- Thread starter Tom Morrow
- Start date
Yeah, ideally a land should have at least one E ticket, one D or C ticket, and one B or A ticket.
The volcano bay mention was becuase in big industry changes it was not mentoned at all and it is something that resort was building, so it seems weird not to mention an entire large waterpark getting built. Improving the water park experience of not waiting on slides and interactivity is what it did for industry. Guests really enjoy that. No one had done virtual queue included with the water park concept before and it actually works better there than at theme parks becuase you lazy river or do other things until it is time to go. You never wait as long on hot stairs is the biggest innovation with Tapu Tapu (although The food is far better than any other water park in FL, which is odd, as Uni gets trashed on for quick service)
I was not trying to be dismissive of the other things. I was just pointing out trends and how they go. The only real issue with Disney is their stagnation and avoidance of trusting their Imagineering with in house IP.
Both have had great attractions and meh ones. I agree with your final statement.
And they did not copy exact plans for Rise of the Resistance to be Spidey when it was in the works as Superman, but there is a reason they got Scott Trowbridge who is connected to the patents legally for the technology. ;-)
What we do know is as a whole, even with Fast and Fallon being really let downs or step backwards is that for guest pleasing and investment timing, it is working better for Universal now.
Universal Studios has had meh years from late 2015 to now in terms of attractions.
IOA has had some setbacks with closing and budget cuts, but design of new rides and offerings in that timeline is not one of them.
Disney has had EPCOT with those years 2006 to Guardians with nothing new for EPCOT except a Test Track retheme and media updates as Wonders of Life completely shuttered. The sudden Moana, Guardians and Rat were too little too late. I think that is far more egregious than meh attractions(that still please plenty) from 2015-2022 but that is just me.
During those same EPCOT years, Hollywood Studios was pretty darn dry as well. Toy Story Midway Mania in 2008, Star Tours in 2011 and then...a long time before Mickey and Minnie, TS/Galaxy's Edge with a lot of venues closing up doors and neglect.
Animal Kingdom post Everest...I mean enough said because it was pretty dry until Avatar and has been very dry since.
Disney is a larger company with larger resources. So it is wild that we are even able to compare them like this, but Universal did more with their two parks turning into two with a revitalized water park concept in the last fifteen years,
than Disney did with their 4 theme parks and mega sized resort property.
The Mature product Bob Iger pushed when he first got in did not hold as he spent 2 billion on the data resources, and the attendance and guest spending after stagnation has suffered a lot.
This all being said, I imagine the perspectives of the earlier screens suffer a lot on Kong and some on the main, as well as the outdoor portion should definitely come back.
Agreed that Tapu Tapu is innovative, but the park as a whole is not super amazing. The landscaping does the bulk of the work. I maintain that, at least of the water parks I have seen, Typhoon Lagoon remains the one water park that feels like a natural setting and has theming on par with the actual theme parks.
Interesting. I'd say one of Disney's biggest problems right now is their over-reliance on any IP at all. They were once confident enough to present brand new experiences in their theme park and trusted guests to be able enjoy something they weren't previously familiar with. Disney used to have a balance of IP and original experiences, and Universal was where you went to "ride the movies". Now they're both pumping out the same type of experiences.
How so? What do you mean?
I'm not really following the rest of your post. Stagnation and bad attractions are bad when Disney does it because (reasons) but great when Universal does it because (reasons)?
Attendance reports show its up at IOA and Universal Studios Florida.
Attendance growth is not healthy according to reports for EPCOT or AK post 2022 bump.
On the note of when is Stagnant is bad anywhere it happens. If we are going by what is currently happening and happened the most, its not at Universal. It has been the gaps at Disney. We have a recent rush of attractions that have not resonated to match the investment. We can see at WDW nothing of new structure is under groundbreaking
In terms of progress of investment, none of the years at Universal have ever been as Stagnant as what EPCOT,(DHS post Star Tours 2.0) or AK has experienced.
Closest thing would be IOA 1999-2006. But even that had minor attractions open up to a brand new theme park's first five years.(we as fans can debate subjectiveness of course all the time between both companies and quality of attractions)
Any updates? Still skipping outside? Still 2D?
Andrew25
Well-Known Member
Still bad - no 3D or going outside.
Approaching 1-year of skipping outside portion now as I started to notice it around April it was skipping it entirely on most days.
Not a fan of the ride... but I really hate when the parks get rid of key elements in attractions in favor of saving a few dollars.
Unfortunately there were three that really damaged the entire experience.
I would at least be happy to see performer in the queue line budget return.
Declining by degrees. Everyone make sure to hit Epic Universe, and that new park in Texas in the first five years of opening.
My thing for any attraction fan. IOA was a very different place in 1999 even with attractions that remain and in some ways for the better in that former regard too.(Live entertainment used to be much better)
I miss original Cauldron Cakes and Pumpkin Spice at Hogsmeade, on the subject of things changing or declining by degrees.
I also find the 3D away on Minion Mayhem to be an unfortunate change as it is one attraction that benefited from it and the overkill was not its fault.
Kong was designed to have that kinetic opening and as much as it sucks to not have the 3D, that is a larger scale impact. The magic of the trackless trucks going by and the giant doors opening and closing(which have had issues before this) Jaws had that watchable area of the boats going touring by and going around the lighthouse(Japan uses this very well with a quick service dining location that is immaculately themed.)
It makes the shoehorned island feel even less like its own world.
Like the Poseidon Vortex, this seems to be an effect that will be gone for a long while.
Andrew25
Well-Known Member
I agree with some parts of your comment, but IOA is a far better park today than it was in 1999. Entertainment was never great at IOA, it was laughable, so the loss of Sinbad/Toon Lagoon's original shows was not that much of a dramatic change as it rarely drew crowds. (Doesn't excuse not putting anything into the theaters though)
I can see that in some ways.
I think Poseidon(which to be fair, likely have plans for) and Sinbad are better being there than nothing at all.(as you point out)
I actually think Sinbad was one of the best live stunt shows that is performer based ever. But that is just me. It is also something that is definitely needed at the park as there are zero theater shows.
Trike Encounter, although to some extent you can say became Raptor Encounter(very different in that it is a meet and greet vs walk through experience with finale) is a spot where in a perfect world both could have co-existed and Trike was a bit richer. Baby trikes from Discovery Center are also no more which is a downgrade. You only see living dinos of the dino park in Jurassic Park now if it is a raptor at the Raptor Encounter/Discovery center. Any others if you are on River Adventure which alienates a lot of people compared to the entire land themed to dino park. So I disagree on entertainment 1999 to now.
Toon Lagoon, who knows why that space only ever was destined to be auxiliary.
I also remember when John Hammond and Ian Malcolm actually would have conversations with the guests.
River Adventure and other attractions were also in much better shape Cat in the Hat's unfortunate changes, Spidey(the new film upgrades that give it longevity but some missing effects and programing were superior in the original version)Flyers only for anyone with short children now but it makes sense due to capacity nightmare that the attraction as it stands is.
Park as a whole, for sure has improved. Things have grown and expansion plots utilized fully.
But if you want to see those details in their prime, you visit before something unique declines by degrees was my point.
Agreed that if we had to choose between the outside portion and 3D, I would choose the outside portion.
What are some examples of this? I was unaware that much was missing from Spider-Man.
What are some examples of this? I was unaware that much was missing from Spider-Man.
It is not missing in terms of footage, although some of that is arguably a little less convincing with the new 3D(kind of worth it for the new graphics)
The other things that are missed are the better sensation of falling and flying with the programing as the buildings lower. The timing changed after the upgrade 4K refurb. The positioning of the vehicles between the live sets built sideways are different. The timing of the truck with Stan Lee vs when it was the old driver is different. The newly animated brick sequence is not as in your face with one brick coming right at your eyes for longer. Some of the sensation of going up the stairs from the underground level is less intense. The Finale flight is different and the fog effect with mist as Electro accidently destroys Hydro-man is gone completely. This used to be a large misty fog blast from below eye level as the scene happens horizontally and you would feel some moisture from it.
Then there are a few funny changes that were done to self-serve things from the controversies.
The first scene you come across villains after missing the truck has been reanimated to have the torch hand in the opposite direction, as many people thought the original made it look phallic.
The audio at the end used to have Doc Oc with one last quip that Spidey buttons up with a web. And many, including myself could not hear anything else other than "Explicit word, You Spiderman." And that audio was completely removed.
A lot of other minor things with the new animation and art direction.
The biggest unfortuante change for me was the change in the fall timing. The scoop chipping the building as gravity returns to it now lasts longer and Stan Lee's third cameo of the ride changes the timing and the "No Exit" but more specifically, the feeling of being saved by the web catching you is much weaker.
Thanks for that, I had forgotten about some of those changes, like the timing and programming of the fall.
Rob562
Well-Known Member
Seth Kubersky of the Unofficial Guides reported on last week's UUOP podcast episode that the 2D change is now permanent.
-Rob
That's a shame. Then we need to voice our concern that they should restore the outdoor portion.
Andrew25
Well-Known Member
The outdoor portion will probably get fixed later this year or early next year, it's an extensive project that supposedly requires them to redo the entire outdoor track/concrete for it.
Another experience completely ruined by penny pinching. Might as well just replace it at this point. Oh right, that would cost money.
When do they remove the 3D from Hollywood's tram tour? Or do they have more competent park management out there?
Kong is the second attraction to have 3D removed, right? Despicable Me was first, and for Fast they opted to not have 3D from the beginning even though it is in 3D in Hollywood.
I believe some of this is to offset their perception as the "3D glasses and screen theme parks", but they brought that on themselves, and the attractions are undeniably better in 3D if they were designed to be in 3D.
Hope this is true.
I believe some of this is to offset their perception as the "3D glasses and screen theme parks", but they brought that on themselves, and the attractions are undeniably better in 3D if they were designed to be in 3D.
Hope this is true.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
It’s really cost. Think of how many people you actually need to run the 3D each day. You need someone making sure glasses are available. Someone making sure people return glasses. Moving glasses to the wash area. Washing glasses. Moving them to distribution. That’s probably at least a few people during each shift. Between dropping 3D and only running one load station they’ve probably been able to cut a decent amount of staffing from the attraction.
Yeah. It also allows them to use half the projectors which cuts projector upkeep and maintenance in half.