Universal Studios Fall From Grace

not sure if anything can be the beauty of DAK or the grandeur of TDS though.
yes, a mighty tough act to beat.

I really appreciate your quick assessment of DAK(beauty) and TDS(grandeur) layouts/grounds/fronts ..... that sums up those two nicely.



(And after seeing your screen emblem I also appreciate that you didn't rip me a new one after I called Uni Studios archways, the park's icon, lousy. ;) I do, however, especially like IOA's impossible and fantastical light tower)
 

Andrew25

Well-Known Member
yes, a mighty tough act to beat.

I really appreciate your quick assessment of DAK(beauty) and TDS(grandeur) layouts/grounds/fronts ..... that sums up those two nicely.



(And after seeing your screen emblem I also appreciate that you didn't rip me a new one after I called Uni Studios archways, the park's icon, lousy. ;) I do, however, especially like IOA's impossible and fantastical light tower)

Thank you

Personally, I think the arches look fine - however, everything behind it feels outdated/bland
 
That's OK Frankie they are building you a new home down the road

excellent!!

yes, his new home should be fabulous.

If Frankie's new home stretches the boundaries of a PG 13 setup just shy of R rating then I'm ready to make a way too early, flat out reckless declaration: Monster land will be the sleeper hit of the park, the unsung hero. Most eyes are on Nintendo and Potter but this traditional monster area will be Epic's best.
 
Why would it do that?

makes for more intensity and serious atmosphere. If it's destined to be a place for clowning around, jokes and buffoonery then I'm out.
Besides the fact that it's a land in a family theme park,
hence, like I said not rated R.........thus, still within bounds. It's fair and good to go. I hope to see the area taken to the same serious level as attractions we know like Alien Encounter, ToT, Kong Skull Island, Dinosaur, Everest, Journey To Center Of Earth. If it's Monster Inc Laugh floor vibe then I'm done.
have you seen the films? They're firmly PG by today's standards.
I got some bits and pieces years back.........they looked too cheesy to enjoy the full film. Considering all genres and themes classic horror doesn't interest me. But Epic's land will be done exceptionally well, in color of course and fully built out realistic-looking sets and it's the area I'm looking forward to the most. I foresee first class place setting there.
 

Jrb1979

Well-Known Member
Why would it do that? Besides the fact that it's a land in a family theme park, have you seen the films? They're firmly PG by today's standards.
Why can't they make it a land similar to HHN. Have that type of attractions. Make it dark and scary. Not everything has to be family friendly.
 

JT3000

Well-Known Member
Why can't they make it a land similar to HHN. Have that type of attractions. Make it dark and scary. Not everything has to be family friendly.
Because HHN is a hard ticket event with content that day guests would consider inappropriate. If some of the things seen at HHN were placed in a regular attraction, the longest line in the park would be guest services. So yes, everything in a Universal park has to be family friendly. There are also levels to "dark and scary;" you can give something those characteristics without creating a furor, but it can be a difficult line to straddle. The "scariest" attraction in Orlando is in a Disney park, but possibly not for much longer.
 
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Because HHN is a hard ticket event with content that day guests would consider inappropriate.

overall I'm with you here.............

but there already has been hard ticket scare availability during normal/day operating hours. It has been tested already. I was in Studios(must have been 2 years ago during mask up in parks) and 2 walk through Holloween houses were open to day guests. One was themed to "Tooth Fairy" with gruesome content and featured live actors jumping out at guests in every other room. I hated it. HATED IT!!! It wasn't scary; it was grotesque and a stupid waste of effort. That is what people pay $100 to experience on HHN??!!!???? I wouldn't go for free.
I did not walk through the other 'scare house' as I was sure it would have been more of the same despicable format.

something worth noting:
signage...........there was a prominent advisory at queue entrance so I'd bet not too many guests were angry and complained to customer service.

I would not want a land dedicated to HHN level gore and scare tactics effectively cutting off 20% of the park to people like me. There is a sizable difference between Yeti/TOT(which I fully welcome) vs "Tooth Fairy"(which is a grotesque fest) content.
 
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Jrb1979

Well-Known Member
Because HHN is a hard ticket event with content that day guests would consider inappropriate. If some of the things seen at HHN were placed in a regular attraction, the longest line in the park would be guest services. So yes, everything in a Universal park has to be family friendly. There are also levels to "dark and scary;" you can give something those characteristics without creating a furor, but it can be a difficult line to straddle. The "scariest" attraction in Orlando is in a Disney park, but possibly not for much longer.
It doesn't need to be that level but more like what Extraterrestrial was. You don't need to gore but some jump scares. Not everything needs to be for the whole family. This obsession with riding things together has really weird to me.
 

JoeCamel

Well-Known Member
overall I'm with you here.............

but there already has been hard ticket scare availability during normal/day operating hours. It has been tested already. I was in Studios(must have been 2 years ago during mask up in parks) and 2 walk through Holloween houses were open to day guests. One was themed to "Tooth Fairy" with gruesome content and featured live actors jumping out at guests in every other room. I hated it. HATED IT!!! It wasn't scary; it was grotesque and a stupid waste of effort. That is what people pay $100 to experience on HHN??!!!???? I wouldn't go for free.
I did not walk through the other 'scare house' as I was sure it would have been more of the same despicable format.

something worth noting:
signage...........there was a prominent advisory at queue entrance so I'd bet not too many guests were angry and complained to customer service.

I would not want a land dedicated to HHN level gore and scare tactics effectively cutting off 20% of the park to people like me. There is a sizable difference between Yeti/TOT(which I fully welcome) vs "Tooth Fairy"(which is a grotesque fest) content.
What you experienced was not HHN or even HHN lite. They put together something for the fans and actors so all their hard work would not go to waste never to be seen. It was appreciated but I didn't pay beyond park admission so I liked the effort in rough times. It showed they care what people think
 

Sharon&Susan

Well-Known Member
It doesn't need to be that level but more like what Extraterrestrial was. You don't need to gore but some jump scares. Not everything needs to be for the whole family. This obsession with riding things together has really weird to me.
They did it with Walking Dead at Hollywood and the responses tended to either be "it's not scary enough" or "THIS IS WAY TOO SCARY!1!!". And now it's permanently closed.
 

Andrew25

Well-Known Member
Haunted houses don't make good year-round attractions. Actors lose their motivation and tire out.

They can't make it too scary or family complain... yet if they don't make it scary enough others complain.
 
What you experienced was not HHN or even HHN lite. They put together something for the fans and actors so all their hard work would not go to waste never to be seen.


I see. Fair enough

but then I have to ask:
was that "Tooth Fairy" walk-through the epitome of a HHN walk-through? I know HHN would have had multiple 'houses'...(.what, like 7 of them perhaps???) but what I experienced must have been commensurate with HHN offerings, no? .......lots of gore, indoor meandering paths leading to fully decorated room after room with 20 live actors either jumping at guests or acting within their respective sets(like a freak surgeon covered in blood standing over a mutilated corpse)
 

JoeCamel

Well-Known Member
I see. Fair enough

but then I have to ask:
was that "Tooth Fairy" walk-through the epitome of a HHN walk-through? I know HHN would have had multiple 'houses'...(.what, like 7 of them perhaps???) but what I experienced must have been commensurate with HHN offerings, no? .......lots of gore, indoor meandering paths leading to fully decorated room after room with 20 live actors either jumping at guests or acting within their respective sets(like a freak surgeon covered in blood standing over a mutilated corpse)
No it was a house that was built (they start when this year's event ends so rather than just tear it down they skeleton staffed it. Currently there are 10 houses, 5 scare zones and roaming scare actors. Much more intense than anything in those houses. They were a display of scenic design and placesetting more than anything.
Did you tour Brides as well?
 
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They did it with Walking Dead at Hollywood

I remember that---at least I think I do. Was it a standing attraction meaning lasting outside of Holloween times??

I never knew much about the "Walking Dead" show at that time but during my visit to the park that day I stumbled on that walk through attraction years back----- could it have been around '08 ish???? It seemed long and well done at least compared to some local Holloween setups I saw as a kid.
 

JT3000

Well-Known Member
overall I'm with you here.............

but there already has been hard ticket scare availability during normal/day operating hours. It has been tested already. I was in Studios(must have been 2 years ago during mask up in parks) and 2 walk through Holloween houses were open to day guests. One was themed to "Tooth Fairy" with gruesome content and featured live actors jumping out at guests in every other room. I hated it. HATED IT!!! It wasn't scary; it was grotesque and a stupid waste of effort. That is what people pay $100 to experience on HHN??!!!???? I wouldn't go for free.
I did not walk through the other 'scare house' as I was sure it would have been more of the same despicable format.

something worth noting:
signage...........there was a prominent advisory at queue entrance so I'd bet not too many guests were angry and complained to customer service.

I would not want a land dedicated to HHN level gore and scare tactics effectively cutting off 20% of the park to people like me. There is a sizable difference between Yeti/TOT(which I fully welcome) vs "Tooth Fairy"(which is a grotesque fest) content.
No, Universal's haunted houses are not a "stupid waste of effort." They are wonderfully detailed, award-winning walkthrough attractions with hard-working actors who take a lot of crap from unappreciative guests. During HHN, the park is packed with people each evening who want to to see these houses, accounting for a large chunk of Universal's annual profit. They opened those houses during the day in 2020 because HHN was cancelled and they wanted to do something for the event's fans. If you hated it so much, I question the wisdom of asking for something scary from Universal, because that is exactly how Universal does scary.

"Despicable format?" It's a haunted house. What were you expecting to see?
 
If you hated it so much, I question the wisdom of asking for something scary from Universal, because that is exactly how Universal does scary.

I have been consistent here as to type of content I welcome and others I dont't want to see again

As I said I welcome attractions along the lines of a Yeti, ToT, Kong, Journey to Center of Earth, Mummy, Alien Encounter(PG 13+ if you will)..........not straight up Tooth Fairy level gore and mutilation(R, NC 17 ish) type attractions
 

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