Very disappointed with Dragon Challenge

[hpyhnt 1000]

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?

A new door has been placed in this area, and from what I could tell, it does not move or suggest that something is trying to get in. Its now just a static prop basically.

And just to throw in my $.02, the new entrance is a far cry of what it used to be and rather unimpressive, and the queue is certainly lacking in detail and scenery. Even the new name is a letdown. With essentially a wall at the entrance and nothing in the queue, DC kinda exudes a feeling of being forgotten in a "pay no attention to the state of the art coaster" sort of way. :shrug:

 

[Sketch105]

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?

The door is revamped. It never moved-contrary to what some people have thought- but it does still have the same sound effects.

From what I can guess, they made it so that the dragon is being "contained" inside the castle for the Challenge, instead of trying to break into the castle to kill the Knights in the previous form. Just my opinion.

 

[ryno1982]

^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?

I'm not complaining, just stating an observation. The ride gives off a vibe now that basically says "This was already here and we've done as little as possible to give it the Potter theme."

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

I'm not complaining, just stating an observation. The ride gives off a vibe now that basically says "This was already here and we've done as little as possible to give it the Potter theme."

Which is what they did in the end.

Its the ride that counts for me. Plastic castles just dont impress me much.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Well.....it was good....but not that good.

Indy at Disneyland has a better queue.

Of course you could never appreciate it because the Fastpass merge point is in the wrong spot.

 

[Moritz Stiefel]

*Sigh*

Well,im not complaining. Its an awesome ride.

I am surprised they didnt change the body of the ride, but it doesnt make much difference anyways.:shrug::sohappy::sohappy:

 

[Tom Morrow]

I too was disappointed that they gutted the queue and removed the creepy atmosphere from it (creepy background music and noise is now replaced with upbeat stuff). However, I never thought that that queue was the best in the world. It was just a series of creepy rooms, no story or relevance to anything, really.

On the plus side, they are finally operating the coaster efficiently, at least when I went. They had groupers and were actually loading fast - something I had NEVER seen on Dueling Dragons before.

 

[daikonjam]

Every single time i used to ride dueling dragons we would get stuck on the lift hill up waiting for the other coaster... I could never understand why they didn't just wait and let them start at the same time >_< lift hills are my biggest fear.

Does that still happen with dragon challenge?

 

[Disneyson 1]

If they kept the corpses it wouldn't fit with the potter theme. Because the queue was basically just a bunch of corpses, they had to remove them. Even the stained glass is corpses! Everything that wasn't corpses was re-themed eqully (Book -> Tent, TriWizard Cup, and Goblet of Fire). Unfourtuantely, you can't simply sprinkle the corpses of dead competetors on the walls of the caverns... that might discourage some from playing the games...

 

[JROK]

Every single time i used to ride dueling dragons we would get stuck on the lift hill up waiting for the other coaster... I could never understand why they didn't just wait and let them start at the same time >_< lift hills are my biggest fear.

Does that still happen with dragon challenge?

Yes, it's so they can have both coasters sync'd on the track to give a full experience during the near-misses. The reason they don't have it wait at the load platform is so they can continue to move the other trains forward. There could be a train waiting at the unload platform and a third waiting to get into the station. So the system was designed to go ahead and move one train out so they could get the other people off the ride.

It's not a flaw in the ride if it creates more anxiety for the riders thus making the attraction more thrilling.