DHS Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway confirmed

[DeletedAccount55555]

Why? What has Universal done in the past 10 years attraction wise? Screens, Screens, Screens with a 2 second animatronic, Screens, Screens with a set of stationery animatronics in the line, Screens, Screens, Screens. It got so bad that they finally were forced by the fans to build something different with the new Hagrid ride.

(all of following attractions have Screens)

Fast and the Furious
Race through New York
King Kong
Hogwarts Express
Escape from Gringotts
Transformers
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Despicable Me (Originally Hanna Barbera and then Jimmy Neutron)

plus they already had

Spiderman
The Simpsons
Shrek 4d

This again.

I could just as easily generalize Disney attractions as being mostly boat or dark rides with animatronics.

Screens aren’t everything, but they are indeed a huge part of the modern day attraction arsenal.

What he said.

I think saying "all screens are bad" is a gross generalization that largely comes from a pro-Disney bias. I've often said that if Universal built something like Flights of Passage, it would be trashed for being another screen-based ride. Because Disney did it, it's viewed more positively.

I am in no way defending all screen-based rides, but it's all about how those screens are utilized. Fast & Furious is a prime example of them being used in a lazy, uninteresting way that makes for an unsatisfying ride experience. Spider-Man and Forbidden Journey show how they can be used effectively along with physical sets to create an immersive ride experience that you're not going to get at a regional theme park.

Just the fact that a ride utilizes screens does not make it a bad attraction.

 

[Hawg G]

Alright, it maybe a tad off topic. Back to the breakdowns.

Every other time I go on a ride in Universal it seems like they are having a problem. It happened on King Kong and Gringotts during my vacation twice each. And I'm not the only one, the first weeks they were open it happened for other people. People even got stuck upside on Forbidden Journey. Universal seems to rush out their rides to quickly, that they breakdown very easily.

Sorta like when it was rumored only 1 of 4 theaters was working wen FoP opened?

 

[Epcot_Imagineer]

Sorta like when it was rumored only 1 of 4 theaters was working wen FoP opened?

Was that actually a rumor? The only FoP rumor I was ever aware of was at most 1/2 of the theaters being down for overheating. I believe it was confirmed that one of the four theaters are regularly rotated out to prevent over-heating.

 

[marni1971]

A few screen based rides are alright. But Universal has just been lazy copying the same ride over and over again. Despicable Me is just a rehash of the previous rides in its building (Hanna Barbera and Jimmy Neutron) and it even sits across the street from a similar attraction (Shrek 4d).

That’s not gone unnoticed. FatF was a decision made in Burbank, despite being warned against it, and they’re now paying for it.

However, if Despicable is lazy what is Stitch’s Great Escape? Clue. One facility opened in 1990. One in 1971.

What ride has Universal been “lazy (in) copying the same ride over and over again” though? I can’t think of it.

 

[marni1971]

People even got stuck upside on Forbidden Journey..

You do know that upside down is impossible on Forbidden Journey. As is upside. Probably.

 

[Dunston]

Obviously not all screen rides are up to par, but I do love a good screen ride. Spiderman is still one of my favorite rides even after all these years. And honestly, they could build 5 more rides based on the FoP ride system and I'd be thrilled. I've been dreaming of a variant where instead of sitting on the bike, you are sitting on some ride vehicle attached to a Kuka arm. If they'd allow the rider to modify the intensity that would make it even better. Cranked to 11 for me!

That's more or less already part of Forbidden Journey, in the parts where you're flying through the Quittich game.

 

[DeletedAccount55555]

You can't compare Boat Rides and Dark Rides with animatronics with Universal's overly used Screen Rides.

I can and I will. You're lumping together all screen-based rides together, when I could just as easily say Small World and Pirates are just boat rides with different animatronics, or Snow White's Scary Adventures and Pinocchio's Daring Journey are just dark rides with different animatronics.

Having animatronics doesn't make the ride inherently better. It's about how the elements are utilized.

But Universal has just been lazy copying the same ride over and over again.

As Martin said, I don't know where you're getting this from.

Only two screen-based attractions at Universal have been rethemed at some point in their lifespan: Hanna Barbera->Jimmy Neutron->Despicable Me and Back to the Future -> Simpsons. As Martin pointed out, Disney has done the same thing several times.

As ride systems being copied in different attractions, there's two I can think of: Spider-Man/Transformers and Skull Island/F&F. In both cases, the rides are in separate parks. Again, Disney does the same thing.

You may be stretching your argument by considering anything with the screen as the same or lumping together two different styles of simulators (like Fallon and Simpsons).

 

[Brer Panther]

Yeah, count me in as somebody who's not too thrilled about the fact that the ride's gonna be based on the new shorts.

Am I the only one who doesn't like Mr. Diamantopoulos' Mickey? He sounds like a parody of Mickey I'd expect to see on South Park or something.

 

[britain]

Yeah, count me in as somebody who's not too thrilled about the fact that the ride's gonna be based on the new shorts.

Am I the only one who doesn't like Mr. Diamantopoulos' Mickey? He sounds like a parody of Mickey I'd expect to see on South Park or something.

He’s terrific! Give it enough years, and one day YouTube Mickey will be THE ONLY MICKEY ANYWHERE!!!

Muah-hah-hah!

 

[TeriofTerror]

Ratatouille is all screens. I'd assume Guardians has lots of screens. Both Pandora rides use projections heavily. New Soarin and TSMM additions.

The Screenz argument is just a tired mantra from the DizNoids who never go to Universlal anyway.

I'll take new screen rides over nothing, which has been Disney's MO. And they finally build new rides, and as above, most are screens anyway

I don't have a problem with screens as a way to enhance an attraction. I do have an issue when screens replace actual effects in a way that induces nausea.
I am old, however, which skews my perspective a bit.

 

[TheIndoorKid]

Yeah, count me in as somebody who's not too thrilled about the fact that the ride's gonna be based on the new shorts.

I just hate what they did to Goofy.

 

[solidyne]

Alright, it maybe a tad off topic. Back to the breakdowns.
[...]

So the topic of this thread is breakdowns on Universal rides? OK. Glad we're back on track.

 

[I am Timmy]

I enjoyed FatF at Uni, until we got on the bus. Then it was terrible. The actors were actually funny and endearing, though, and the cars on the way in were interesting if you like cars (I'm a woman, and I like cars to an extent). After that I could just leave. As far as Runaway Railway, I'll reserve judgement until I get to ride it myself. And, I will in no way (sniff) compare it to GMR (sniff) or judge it (sniff, sniff) for not being GMR (SNIFF) which I still miss immensely.

 

[marni1971]

No it isn't. A guy even sued over it and the amount Universal gave him was undisclosed. So Universal knew they were in the wrong, if they didn't they would have fought it.

Fort Pierce man settles Universal lawsuit after claiming to be stuck upside down on Harry Potter ride

A Fort Pierce man has settled a lawsuit after he said he hung upside down for an hour when the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride broke down at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. Tomm…

www.orlandosentinel.com

Trust me. Forbidden journey doesn’t go upside down.

Watching the arms running through the show building from Tower on the CCTV network is like poetry in motion though.

 

[Bender123]

Trust me. Forbidden journey doesn’t go upside down.

Watching the arms running through the show building from Tower on the CCTV network is like poetry in motion though.

Even the linked articles states that...The lawyer for the plaintiff stated it wasn't "upside down" so much as at a downward/sideways angle.

 

[marni1971]

Maybe not completely, but it does really angle into positions where the head can be really tilted.

That isn’t upside down. I rest my case.

 

[marni1971]

Blood still rushes to people heads if they are severely tilted for an hour. If I were to hold you upside down or tilted, to get your change. Money would still fall out of your pocket.

Isn’t that obvious?

I was attempting to correct the statement that FJ went upside down.

 

[Horizons '83]

That’s not gone unnoticed. FatF was a decision made in Burbank, despite being warned against it, and they’re now paying for it.

However, if Despicable is lazy what is Stitch’s Great Escape? Clue. One facility opened in 1990. One in 1971.

What ride has Universal been “lazy (in) copying the same ride over and over again” though? I can’t think of it.

Isn’t that obvious?

I was attempting to correct the statement that FJ went upside down.

He is real good at twisting his words and own posts Martin.... I wouldn't feed him anymore than he needs

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Every company is busy. And hiring

One should also keep in mind that it's a specialized industry. Sure, regular construction companies can get the work done with infrastructure, facilities, and even hotels and some guest buildings. But skilled labor, the kind that does show installation, ride engineering, sculpting work, prop manufacturing, etc, are in limited supply. And it's not as if it's just local projects keeping these groups busy - international investment in themed entertainment has kept Orlando companies well occupied.

I don't know if there is a shortage - I'm not in the numbers enough to know. But I do know few venders are struggling.

Yes. They struggle to find candidates with the appropriate credentials who can routinely show up on time and sober.

I’m not trying to be mean. The college I work for added an advanced manufacturing program and that is literally what the would-be employers claim they struggle with. Not lack-of-work, as you similarly suggest.

Edges OT, but I just have to add that this is a larger problem than just Orlando when it comes to skilled construction and similar professionals. Makes me think of Mike Rowe and his foundation that gives grants to those seeking careers in the trades. We need fewer people weighing themselves down with 4yrs of college debt and more going into these important fields.

 

[Tori]

Alright, it maybe a tad off topic. Back to the breakdowns.

Every other time I go on a ride in Universal it seems like they are having a problem. It happened on King Kong and Gringotts during my vacation twice each. And I'm not the only one, the first weeks they were open it happened for other people. People even got stuck upside on Forbidden Journey. Universal seems to rush out their rides to quickly, that they breakdown very easily.

Forbidden Journey doesn't go upside down.