Very disappointed with Dragon Challenge

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retroeric

Active Member
Original Poster
They ruined what used to be the #1 queue in the entire world. Now it is just empty cavern after empty cavern. Endless walking through, well, nothing really. And would it have been too much to ask to give the tracks a fresh new coat of paint, perhaps a different color? Or maybe change the body of the ride vehicles? Or maybe add some lights around the track so you can actually see stuff at night?

And the entrance. It's literally hidden. At night you have to be looking for it or you'll miss it. The entrance is dark (not dark in a good atmospheric way, just dark in a "can't-find-the-entrance" way). I actually found it quite funny how the ride entrance was blocked by a huge line for Olivander's Wand shop. Think about that for a second: A souvenir shop with an hour wait, its line blocking the entrance to a high-speed roller coaster with NO WAIT. How bizarre is that?

Anyways, the roller coaster itself is obviously still great and will always be great. But it's just disappointing what they did with the rest of it. This ride has always been more about the queue than the ride itself, and they blew it. First time in history that a theme park re-themes a ride and it's not as good as it used to be. Well okay, maybe outside of Imagination at Epcot.
 
Thrill Seeker

Thrill Seeker

Well-Known Member
Plus I'm still shocked that the ride itself wasn't repainted or skinned. It looks exactly the same as Dueling Dragons, except for the fact that the name and queue are changed...
 
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ryno1982

Active Member
The thing I'm most surprised about is that you can barely see the coaster at all from Hogsmeade. I was so worried about two B&Ms intruding on everything, but they can barely be seen until you're in the queue. With the ruined queue and the lack of visibility, the entire ride's existence is pretty irrelevant now.
 
EvanAnderson

EvanAnderson

Active Member
^So wait, you wanted the ride to be hidden from Hogsmeade (which it is) but then you complain that the ride doesn't seem to exist anymore?
 
unkadug

unkadug

Follower of "Saget"The Cult
It would seem to me that coaster enthusiasts would welcome these changes as it allows them MORE access to the ride as less people are clogging the line.

But I guess there's just no pleasing some people. :shrug:
 
RozFan

RozFan

Member
i too was disappointed with the retheming of dragons challenge but from what i was told there was very little money allocated to the retheme of this attraction so perhaps it is a case of be thankful for what we did get.

maybe down the road when potter investment shows if it was a successful we will see something more materialize inside the queue for dragons challenge. myself i am hoping this is a grand slam and we will see the expansion of the wizarding world. i want the ministry, diagon alley and (fingers crossed) gringotts.
 
crazydaveh

crazydaveh

Active Member
You know, so they redid the line... bummer. But at least the line is still air conditioned! I too think the que could have been done a lot better, but who cares, DD or DC, it's still a great ride!
 
R

retroeric

Active Member
Original Poster
By the way, tonight the entrance sign was lit up. It wasn't lit up Friday night. So this obviously makes it easier to see, but I still think it's a bit hidden looking.
 
Figment1986

Figment1986

Well-Known Member
retroeric said:
...And the entrance. It's literally hidden. At night you have to be looking for it or you'll miss it. The entrance is dark (not dark in a good atmospheric way, just dark in a "can't-find-the-entrance" way). I actually found it quite funny how the ride entrance was blocked by a huge line for Olivander's Wand shop. Think about that for a second: A souvenir shop with an hour wait, its line blocking the entrance to a high-speed roller coaster with NO WAIT. How bizarre is that?
Click to expand...

The entrance for dragons Challenge is clearly visible during the day and current as well at night. It is in an area where there is a wide open space. Now with the queue for olivanders or bangers wrapping around the exit queue then there is a problem but it's not hard to find currently.

During day:
898278424_qscja-M.jpg


At night
907167775_Qtqqz-M.jpg


Now inside the queue, 95% is just dark caves twisting and winding... only 3 rooms have something to look at really.
 
R

retroeric

Active Member
Original Poster
Figment1986 said:
The entrance for dragons Challenge is clearly visible during the day and current as well at night. It is in an area where there is a wide open space. Now with the queue for olivanders or bangers wrapping around the exit queue then there is a problem but it's not hard to find currently.


At night
907167775_Qtqqz-M.jpg
Click to expand...


I beg to differ. Even with the lights it doesn't exactly scream HIGH SPEED DUELING SUSPENDED COASTERS. Add in long lines for the shops and you could easily pass it by and not know it's there. Now most people will be looking for it, but for first time visitors I can easily see them waltz on by completely unaware there's a state of the art thrill ride there.

By the way, looking at that pic you can only imagine how it was Friday WITHOUT the sign lights. It was literally invisible lol.
 
Figment1986

Figment1986

Well-Known Member
retroeric said:
I beg to differ. Even with the lights it doesn't exactly scream HIGH SPEED DUELING SUSPENDED COASTERS. Add in long lines for the shops and you could easily pass it by and not know it's there. Now most people will be looking for it, but for first time visitors I can easily see them waltz on by completely unaware there's a state of the art thrill ride there.

By the way, looking at that pic you can only imagine how it was Friday WITHOUT the sign lights. It was literally invisible lol.
Click to expand...

Forbidden Journey doesn't scream Robo coaster... but people find it :lookaroun There are test seats in front of Dragons Challenge, the track goes all over the back area and is visible from the entrance, There are lockers next to the entrance. The only way to make it more visible is a directional sign but I doubt it's needed unless people really do have a problem with it.:shrug: Remember J.K. Rowling approved everything including the modifications to dueling dragons.

edit: On top of that IOA is RARELY open long enough that having a huge presence at night would be a problem, I believe this is the first summer it's open till 10 (give or take... since I took photos all the way to 11:59pm the night of the grand opening) Normally it's not open past dusk, or of those who want to ride it would already have done it before dark and only the die hards would be wanting to ride it after dark.
 
unkadug

unkadug

Follower of "Saget"The Cult
retroeric said:
I beg to differ. Even with the lights it doesn't exactly scream HIGH SPEED DUELING SUSPENDED COASTERS. Add in long lines for the shops and you could easily pass it by and not know it's there. Now most people will be looking for it, but for first time visitors I can easily see them waltz on by completely unaware there's a state of the art thrill ride there.

By the way, looking at that pic you can only imagine how it was Friday WITHOUT the sign lights. It was literally invisible lol.
Click to expand...

What exactly do you want? If the sign did scream high speed coaster people would be complaining that the sign did not fit the themeing of the area. :rolleyes:

Most people will have read the map for the area and will aware that that there is a coaster there.
 
AndyMagic

AndyMagic

Well-Known Member
Also, most people don't realize this but the reason Dragon Challenge (and Dueling Dragons before it) seems to have a small wait time is because there is so much walking before one gets to that line. Technically speaking the wait in the castle might be only "10 minutes" but it is the long trip from entrance into the castle that helps keep the line psychologically short because there is so much walking before there is any waiting. I have a question though for everyone saying it is just dark caverns after a few themed rooms. I know they took out the skulls and things like that but what about that large blue door that looked like something was trying to get in? Did they remove that as well?
 
R

retroeric

Active Member
Original Poster
unkadug said:
What exactly do you want? If the sign did scream high speed coaster people would be complaining that the sign did not fit the themeing of the area. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I didn't mean the signage has to scream COASTER AHEAD. I was just pointing out that it's almost the exact opposite. Again I don't think those pics do it justice. When you're there and there are lines for the shops in front of the DC entry, it's just not a very noticeable entrance. The lights on the letters do help at night, but it's still tucked away and kind of hidden. But hey if this helps keep the queue at 5 minutes (which is what it was Friday night) I could get used to it. :)
 
unkadug

unkadug

Follower of "Saget"The Cult
retroeric said:
I didn't mean the signage has to scream COASTER AHEAD. I was just pointing out that it's almost the exact opposite. Again I don't think those pics do it justice. When you're there and there are lines for the shops in front of the DC entry, it's just not a very noticeable entrance. The lights on the letters do help at night, but it's still tucked away and kind of hidden. But hey if this helps keep the queue at 5 minutes (which is what it was Friday night) I could get used to it. :)
Click to expand...

Exactly! :D
 

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