Universal sprucing up Islands of Adventure

[monorail_silver]

Universal is currently restoring the park to how it was on opening day back in 1999. Currently painting can be seen all around the park, as well as effects that have disappeared over the years being brought back to how they were intended to work according to original designs. The park is getting these enhancements to coincide with the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter making the park feel like brand new. Just some information to pass along as we await Potter.

 

[dxwwf3]

Universal is currently restoring the park to how it was on opening day back in 1999. Currently painting can be seen all around the park, as well as effects that have disappeared over the years being brought back to how they were intended to work according to original designs. The park is getting these enhancements to coincide with the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter making the park feel like brand new. Just some information to pass along as we await Potter.

Hopefully this is a time of great growth by Universal. It would be fantastic for us all if they are able to take a small chunk out of Disney's attendance with Potter.

 

[JT3000]

Universal is currently restoring the park to how it was on opening day back in 1999. Currently painting can be seen all around the park, as well as effects that have disappeared over the years being brought back to how they were intended to work according to original designs.

For example?

And they obviously can't restore everything... not unless they evict Harry Potter.

 

[monorail_silver]

For example?

And they obviously can't restore everything... not unless they evict Harry Potter.

Well obviously I didn't mean the park layout would be the same...I implied that the rest of the park would look brand new. They just painted the Suess Landing archway to look brand new, as well as the JP visitor center mural. I was at Doom earlier this week and happy to report that the fog on the alley as well as inside the towers is back and working 100%. It's only the start of a well overdue plan to bring the park back to it's opening day glory.

 

[RozFan]

hopefully this means that once the new section is open the islands will continue to have their luster long after potterland is open. ioa was simply amazing in june 1999.

 

[JT3000]

Unfortunately, new paint can only go so far. If they want to restore the park to its former glory, they need to bring back the lagoon show, reinstate all the face characters that have gone missing, and reverse all of the various other mistakes they've made in the past ten years.... like Poseidon's Fury 2.0, which doesn't even have its trademark effect anymore due to cost cutting. They have a lot of work to do.

 

[dxwwf3]

like Poseidon's Fury 2.0, which doesn't even have its trademark effect anymore due to cost cutting. They have a lot of work to do.

I didn't think the original version of the show was all that great, but it was a ton better than the current version. It's bad when you have an attraction where the queue is a thousand times better than the actual attraction.

 

[Captain Hank]

Do we know if the water vortex at Poseidon's Fury will ever re-appear? I never got to see it in person.

 

[JT3000]

I'm not holding my breath. It's been gone for almost a year now. It was rumored to return for the busy summer season, but it never did.

 

[Captain Hank]

I'm not holding my breath. It's been gone for almost a year now. It was rumored to return for the busy summer season, but it never did.

Bummer.

 

[DarrenLevesley]

Toon Lagon needs a freshdrop of paint espically Dudley.

 

[maelstrom]

Reading about it online, I must have experienced the original version of Poseidon's Fury. Sad to see that it has changed, and that a chunk of the Lost Continent was sacrificed for Harry Potter.

 

[figmntal95]

When I was at IoA about a month ago, I was somewhat dissappointed with the Jurassic River Adventure. The big brontosaurus AA wasn't working, and the background set was ripped off. That ride could use a decent refurb.

 

[EpcotServo]

That's great, the park has taken quite a beating.

I doubt it'll last, but I appreciate the effort.

 

[CoasterKing]

I didn't think the original version of the show was all that great, but it was a ton better than the current version. It's bad when you have an attraction where the queue is a thousand times better than the actual attraction.

To me, the queue is kinda part of the attraction, as it really prepares you for what's ahead. Without the water vortex feature, the attraction definitely is not near as good as it once was.

It was just really cool to walk through that tunnel with all that water spinning around you. That was the highlight of the attraction for me!! I hope they eventually get that going again, maybe when Harry Potter opens!!

CoasterKing :king:

 

[Captain Hank]

I was just at IOA today. It was dead. I think I saw a tumbleweed go through the Port of Entry. All in all, though, it looked really good. Seuss Landing had a fresh coat of paint, and looked awesome. Harry Potter is coming along very well. Jurassic Park River Adventure was a mixed bag--there were effects working that I don't remember at all, but there were some dinosaurs on the fritz. Notable things working included: moving security camera where the boat goes off-course (don't remember it ever moving), smoking engine on the crashed boat just inside the Raptor containment area, the raptor crate and many fog and water effects that I don't remember inside the water treatment building. Unfortunately, the gates were stuck open, the Ultrasaur acted kind of funky, and one of the Psytaccasaurs (likely massacred that spelling) was not functioning. Spiderman was awesome, and I didn't notice any effects missing.

Looks like Universal is spending some much-needed money on upkeep.

 

[protiius]

this all sounds fantastic, esp. hank's updates...

i've found that of all the disney/universal parks ioa definetly has the most effects on the fritz, so it's good to see that it's getting some much needed tlc...i'm looking forward to see some of the fixes over xmas...

 

[E P C O T]

Void.

 

[marni1971]

Expect a LOT More fx to reappear over the next year

 

[ChrisFL]

This is very good news and the least I would expect for a park that will potentially be mobbed...I really think that if IOA looks as good as it did in 1999, people who go to see Harry Potter and visit IOA for the first time will wonder why they never went before.