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Universal Studios Hollywood (USH) Discussion Thread


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I guess I'm more open minded about screens on rides with how fast media technology has evolved.

Who pays the bills again?

 

I have no problem admitting that Universal's previous screen efforts were pretty bad. If you are going to use a screen, it should at least be done in a way that is passable like this and doesn't require 3D glasses. A whole ride based on that though? That wouldn't fly at all. I don't mind it as one piece of an attraction.

 

The screens we should be talking about are the ones used after Parasaurus all the way up to the top of the lift. Those are bad when spaced between everything else.

Edited by Jew
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The screens we should be talking about are the ones used after Parasaurus all the way up to the top of the lift. Those are bad when spaced between everything else.

Those fall under the "that whole section is a complete mess" category!

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I’ve actually been on the ride, and the screens are super impressive in person. And I say this as someone who is on the “universal has too many screens and I’m sick of screens” bandwagon. But the size, clarity, and synchronization of these screens in person are pretty incredible. It just doesn’t come across on a video.

 

As for the old opening, it was impressive at one time, but let’s not ignore the facts that the parking structure was clearly visible, the animitronics never really worked very well (always seemed like that first dino had a broken neck), and the doors rarely worked well—if at all. Even if it did work, the sound was nearly always out of sync.

 

My biggest issue is the entire middle section is basically a total void. However, word is being spread that there’s still more to come both there and in the ending. So this may not be the fully finished version. After, this is still a technical rehearsal, not the grand opening.

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My biggest issue is the entire middle section is basically a total void. However, word is being spread that there’s still more to come both there and in the ending. So this may not be the fully finished version. After, this is still a technical rehearsal, not the grand opening.

I'm not too up on the films or the narrative, but it seems like this is a dino vs dino battle of some kind? It might have been cool to have a couple of "losing" dinos where the old car-fall scene was — maybe the carcass of that shark from the aquarium scene suddenly surfaces or, better yet, a dino carcass falls from above and lands next to the boat as it passes (followed by a victory snarl). That'd make it a different kind of "dead zone" at least!

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Going off of the early videos, I think that I may have been overly, cautiously optimistic.

 

I'm glad that they added some new animatronics to the last third of the attraction, but they totally screwed up the pacing of the rest of the ride. The opening underwater screen tunnel goes on for way too long for what it is, and it isn't nearly as good as the dramatic intro that it replaced. The containment scene into the lift also goes on for way longer than it should given that it looks like most of the cool effects and dinos were removed.

 

They clearly spent money on the overlay to make all of these changes... so I guess I can't fault them for trying.

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I think it looks really awesome. And the new indoor tank section actually works well. Finally fixed those terrible sight lines. And wow. The main indoor portion is incredible.

Did we watch the same video!??!? The indoor tank section is like a lesser immersive version than Orlando's Kong or Supercharged and those rides are already underwhelming. And the main indoor section was just a mess. No real story or anything and just random stuff everywhere with a bad looking new dinosaur animatronic at the end.

 

I would honestly question anyone's "opinion" who would rather have a bunch of TV screens and water sprays than a practical set with real animatronics.

 

"Awesome" or "incredible" are absoultely not words I would imagine many people using to describe this re-do....

 

I’m really shocked at how little the Indominus Rex actually has to do with the the indoor section of the ride. I expected the Rex and the Indominus to actually be squaring off in a epic way instead of just kinda staring at each other? It looks very “half baked” and random imo. The Indominus is a HUGE part of JW, but it feels slapped on. Random is a great word you used for the indoor section.

 

Also in regards to the front gate missing I’m extremely confused as well. They could have easily had a gate that said “Jurassic Wolrd” instead of “Park”.

 

As a big JP fan this doesn’t seem to have the same magic. To me it feels like they wanted to have it both ways. They wanted new stuff from JW, but they didn’t take the time and effort to actually make it cohesive in a way that made sense. On the other side of things they kept so much from JP that it feels like a odd hybrid. Identity crisis.

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I’ve actually been on the ride, and the screens are super impressive in person. And I say this as someone who is on the “universal has too many screens and I’m sick of screens” bandwagon. But the size, clarity, and synchronization of these screens in person are pretty incredible. It just doesn’t come across on a video. .

No, it actually does. Trust me. I have seen EVERY TYPE of screen based attraction known to man. At parks, at IAAPA, honestly, I've been around the world and seen a lot of screen based attractions. Seriously, you cannot in any way convince me that these screens are BETTER than having a physical set, an iconic reveal and animatronics. Don't try to even go there.

 

I get that there are going to be Universal apologists. But this is just not acceptable in any way, IMO. It's a shame they are probably going to ruin all the other Jurassic Park rides in the process.

 

And seriously if one more person says "Oh, the screens are better because you can't see the parking lot anymore", I honestly will hop on a plane and punch the living shit out of that person. Because that is the STUPIDEST FUCKING excuse for apologizing why a bunch of TV screens replaced something that was actually impressive.

Edited by robbalvey
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Just saw the pov... God I hope that is not coming to orlando. The screens are so... meh. They do nothing. The indoor sections feels better but not by much but given the space limitation i wasn't expecting much. I just feel there is not a lot of story going o. It feels like they just meshed elements from jurrasic park and world into one big blob.

Hope they don't add screens in Orlando.... but knowing universal I am pretty sure they will

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I guess I'm more open minded about screens on rides with how fast media technology has evolved. Loved Flight of the Passage and I thought this got the job done as a faux aquarium featuring a giant swimming dino.

Seriously though, the film industry is now relying pretty much entirely on computer graphics for their creatures (like the mosasaurus, which is supposed to be 56 feet long). CG often becomes the way to represent those creatures at their intended scale for a ride, especially when you can represent things like forced perspective using CG without having to construct a physical set.

 

There's also the difference between having an overlay budget (Jurassic World (I'm assuming), Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout, etc) and a moneybags new attraction budget (Pandora, Hagrid's Motorbike Adventure, etc).

 

That the mosasaurus aquarium scene replaced the original gate scene, I'm still not sure which side to take, and I don't think I'll take one until I've ridden it for myself. I've never been into Jurassic Park to begin with so even Orlando's ride is neither here nor there for me.

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The old ending scene with the fog and the waterfall completely hiding the T-Rex was *terrifying* as a kid and that's why I remember the ride so fondly. It made me feel something. The flashing lights and alarms and giant surprise dinosaur all got burned into my memory.

 

This new version will never do that for anyone. The T-Rex isn't even close to the boat when it gets revealed.

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Add me to the disappointed list.

 

The new Blue raptor upstairs is neat and i don't mind the i-rex additions but other than that is it is sad they removed so many of the elements that made the old ride great.

 

The gates

The first time you see the giant dinos (working or not)

The first theme you heart the Jurassic park theme with the gates

The fake track showing where the ride was going before 'something goes wrong'

the car drop

the broken boat with the mouse ear drop and the Dilophosaurus

the attack by the Dilophosaurus pre-lift

the first raptor on the lift

trex coming out of the waterfall

the last surprise attack by the Dilophosaurus before you get off

 

In theory adding a screen scene is not the end of the world but starting with that the screens and doing something that unimaginative was a mistake.

 

If they did screens (not TVs with Chris Pratt) - up the lift hill - that could have worked. Maybe set up the I-rex climbing up or Blue fighting it off to buy you time - getting you ready for the reveal up top. But the current redo is really a declining by degrees change. Turned an amazing ride into a good ride.

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I was able to check it this past Sunday, and in addition to the complaints above it now feels very constrained and claustrophobic. Gone is the vista of "Jurassic Park" of the lagoon, makes it seem smaller scale ironically for "Jurassic World" The scene with the I-rex cage is devoid of all action, we just float around and look at basically nothing. The only good improvement is the indoor section before the final drop, I did like design work in there.

 

The Dino Play area was improved, not by huge degrees, as was the Raptor encounter. The Nu bar and Cafe are a nice addition. But for the remodel of the actual ride, I think the aquarium section took away too much from the original story telling of the ride.

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I was able to check it this past Sunday, and in addition to the complaints above it now feels very constrained and claustrophobic. Gone is the vista of "Jurassic Park" of the lagoon, makes it seem smaller scale ironically for "Jurassic World" The scene with the I-rex cage is devoid of all action, we just float around and look at basically nothing. The only good improvement is the indoor section before the final drop, I did like design work in there.

 

The Dino Play area was improved, not by huge degrees, as was the Raptor encounter. The Nu bar and Cafe are a nice addition. But for the remodel of the actual ride, I think the aquarium section took away too much from the original story telling of the ride.

 

I would say that Dino play and the raptor encounter were big upgrades. Dino play added a whole second level and more activities and they also added a baby raptor puppet+triceratops to the “encounters.” The triceratops (previously only seen at USJ) is really cool.

Edited by Jew
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Universal Studios Hollywood has sent out a press release with new artwork for this year's Stranger Things house at Halloween Horror Nights.

 

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On the heels of the highly-anticipated debut of “Stranger Things 3” on Netflix, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort have released new artwork for the all-new “Stranger Things” mazes coming to Halloween Horror Nights this fall. The artwork was designed exclusively by Kyle Lambert, who has previously illustrated art for Seasons 1-3 of the mega-hit Netflix Original series, and depicts the “Stranger Things” cast bravely facing a horrifying monster and ferocious Demodogs – a fate guests will soon experience themselves in the mazes at the nation’s premier Halloween events.

 

Inspired by seasons 2 and 3 of the critically-acclaimed series, this year’s chilling mazes will pick up where last year’s mazes left off, continuing the suspenseful storyline where a mysterious entity terrorizes the small town of Hawkins, Indiana, and delving even further into the parallel universe, referred to as the Upside Down. The mazes on both coasts will also parallel the hit show as it leaps forward to 1985, taking guests on a terrifying excursion through portions of “Stranger Things 3,” which is now streaming on Netflix.

 

“Halloween Horror Nights” begins Friday, September 6 in Orlando and Friday, September 13 in Hollywood. Additional details about the events will be revealed soon. For more information about “Halloween Horror Nights” at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort, visit http://www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Universal Studios Hollywood has sent us a press release announcing the debut of a new Killer Klowns from Outer Space HHN maze after last year's successful scare zone at Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights!

 

Metro Goldwyn Mayer’s (MGM) “Killer Klowns from Outer Space” lands at this year’s “Halloween Horror Nights” in all-new chilling mazes at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood – bringing together the most twisted scenes and ghastly gags from the popular horror sci-fi film at the nation’s premier Halloween events.

 

Based on the cult 1980s film favorite, the “Killer Klowns from Outer Space” mazes will transport guests to the sleepy small town of Crescent Cove, taken over by a pack of murderous clown-like creatures. Guests will be lured by the sweet smell of cotton candy and ice-cream and find themselves in an otherworldly circus tent where they’ll come face-to-face with the crazed klowns and their sinister, side-splitting antics. As they make their way through the Big Top Space Ship, guests will witness diabolical klowns making cotton candy cocoons from unsuspecting victims and will realize the joke’s on them as they are next to become the gooey snack. From one shrieking klown to the next, the mazes will lead guests through the doomed community of Crescent Cove to an eerie amusement park closed for the season. Trapped in a terrifying funhouse full of killer klowns, guests will be left screaming as there’s no stopping this twisted three-ring circus.

 

Universal Studios’ “Halloween Horror Nights” is the ultimate Halloween event. For more than 25 years, guests from around the world have visited “Halloween Horror Nights” to become victims inside their own horror film. Multiple movie-quality mazes based on iconic horror television shows, films and original stories come to life season after season. And, the streets of each park’s event are transformed into highly-themed scare zones where menacing scare-actors lunge from every darkened corner.

 

“Halloween Horror Nights” begins Friday, September 6 in Orlando and on Friday, September 13 in Hollywood. Additional details about the events will be revealed soon. For more information about “Halloween Horror Nights” and to purchase tickets at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort, visit http://www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com.

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This years HHN is ramping up to be one of their best. They have really responded to people's complaints of the recent years lack of scare zones. I mean, that was one of my main problems of the most recent two years, vs. years passed where it was so much more immersive.

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Universal Studios Hollywood has sent us a press release about the next maze that will be at this year's Halloween Horror Nights, Creepshow!

 

 

“Creepshow” will scare the creep out of guests when this all-new “Halloween Horror Nights,” maze, inspired by the 1982 cult classic movie and Shudder’s all-original anthology series, debuts as part of Universal Studios Hollywood’s wildly popular nighttime event, kicking off on Friday, September 13.

 

The original Creepshow movie, created by legendary director George Romero, and the all-new series, debuting on Shudder’s streaming service, reimagined by acclaimed make-up artist, director and executive producer, Greg Nicotero, invites “Halloween Horror Nights” guests to step into the anthology’s comic book pages to experience five terrible tales of terror guided by The Creep, the skeletal namesake of the comic book.

 

“I’ve partnered with Universal Studios Hollywood and ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ for years and it’s a thrill to bring ‘Creepshow’ to life for the fans as part of this year’s iconic event,” said Greg Nicotero. “I consider myself honored to have had the opportunity to work alongside George Romero and many other groundbreaking filmmakers who have inspired me. So to be able to create a television show based on the Creepshow movie, and then see it come to life as a ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ maze is a great way to pay tribute to this legendary filmmaker and introduce this incredible anthology series to a fans old and new.”

 

“We’re thrilled to bring this beloved horror classic to ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ as well as introduce our fans to the upcoming Shudder series,” said John Murdy, Executive Producer, “Halloween Horror Nights.” We’ve had a long association with Greg Nicotero as part of ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ and getting the opportunity to again work with his talented special effects team at KNB FX brings a whole other level of authenticity to this incredible maze experience.”

 

Capturing the essence of the original film that touted, “the most fun you’ll have getting scared,” to Shudder’s assertion that “a new generation of horror has risen from the dead,” the five frightening fables featured in the maze include:

 

  • “Father’s Day” – Years ago Nathan Grantham, the cruel patriarch of the wealthy Grantham family, was murdered by his long-suffering daughter on Father’s Day. Now Nathan’s maggot-infested corpse has risen from the grave to take revenge on his inheritors…and finally claim his Father’s Day cake.
     
  • “The Crate” – An unlucky janitor finds a long-forgotten shipping crate under the stairs of a science hall in a small east coast college. Little does he know, the crate contains a ravenous beast that’s been hibernating for over a hundred years…and it’s just woken up.
     
  • “They’re Creeping Up On You” – Eccentric billionaire Upson Pratt lives in a hermetically sealed “germ proof” penthouse apartment in Manhattan but he still has a bug problem. When a citywide blackout cuts his power, Mr. Pratt’s pest problem is about to get a whole lot worse.
     
  • “Gray Matter” – Ritchie Grenadine, an alcoholic former factory worker, unknowingly ingests a strange mutagen after guzzling a can of cheap beer. Now an alien fungus has taken over his rundown apartment and his body…creating in him an insatiable hunger that can’t be quenched by his favorite ale.

 

[*]“Bad Wolf Down” – The surviving members of a decimated American army platoon in the North of France during World War II are holed up in a small village jail awaiting the German army to overwhelm them. The clever lot, however, have an ace up their sleeve that the German’s won’t expect; the men are all werewolves and tonight is a full moon.

 

"Halloween Horror Nights" at Universal Studios Hollywood brings together the sickest minds in horror to immerse guests in a living, breathing, three-dimensional world of terror. Featuring an all-new slate of unrivaled film production quality mazes and frightful scare zones uniquely themed to today’s most definitive horror properties, “Halloween Horror Nights” will taunt, terrorize and torment guests with spine-chilling haunted attractions as part of Southern California’s most extreme Halloween experience.

 

All tickets for Universal Studios Hollywood are on sale now. Updates on “Halloween Horror Nights” at Universal Studios Hollywood are available online at Hollywood.HalloweenHorrorNights.com and on Facebook at: “Halloween Horror Nights – Hollywood,” Instagram at @HorrorNights and Twitter at @HorrorNights as Creative Director John Murdy reveals a running chronicle of exclusive information. Watch videos on Halloween Horror Nights YouTube and join the conversation using #UniversalHHN.

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Universal Studios Hollywood has announced that the hit horror film "Us" from Jordan Peele will be a maze at Halloween Horror Nights year's event!

 

 

The reality unearthed in Universal Pictures’ global horror film blockbuster, Us, from visionary Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Jordan Peele, becomes perilously tethered to Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort in all-new terrifying “Halloween Horror Nights” mazes, debuting this September.

 

Featuring the unnerving labyrinth of underground tunnels that stretch from coast to coast below America, to the disorienting and the ominous uprising of “The Tethered”— doppelgängers of every living man, woman and child in the country—the “Us” maze will place guests at the heart of this living nightmare where they quickly realize they are their own worst enemy.

 

The journey begins circa 1986 as guests follow in the footsteps of the young girl they first meet as Adelaide Wilson as she innocently ventures through a mirror funhouse at the Santa Cruz boardwalk and has a fateful and traumatic encounter with her tethered doppelgänger, an event that will forever alter both of their lives. The harrowing experience will then transition to present day, thrusting guests into the chaos of “The Tethered” uprising as they emerge from their tunnels to murder their privileged doubles in a nationwide coordinated act of rebellion.

 

"It's very exciting to know that fans of Us will get to experience firsthand the terror of being stalked and tormented by ‘The Tethered.’ It’s been a lifelong ambition of mine to create a monster that would scare people on Halloween, so having ‘The Tethered’ join such esteemed company is a dream come true,” said Jordan Peele.

 

“Jordan Peele has put his indelible stamp on a new genre of psychological horror films with the Academy Award®-winning movie, Get Out and the critically-acclaimed film, Us,” said John Murdy, Executive Producer, “Halloween Horror Nights,” Universal Studios Hollywood. “And, it’s an honor to have the opportunity to work with him and his talented team to bring his unique vision for Us to life as a ‘living horror movie’ as part of ‘Halloween Horror Nights.’”

 

“The idea that ‘we are our own worst enemy’ and the visuals around that notion are what made the story of Us so compelling, personal and exciting for our design team to translate,” said Michael Aiello, Sr. Director of Entertainment Creative for Universal Orlando Resort. “Surrounding our guests in that horrific world of duality Jordan Peele created is a perfect fit for Universal’s ‘Halloween Horror Nights.’”

 

Universal Studios’ “Halloween Horror Nights” is the ultimate Halloween event. For more than 25 years, guests from around the world have visited “Halloween Horror Nights” to become victims within their own horror film. Multiple movie-quality mazes based on iconic horror television shows, films and original stories come to life season after season. And, the streets of each park’s event are transformed into highly-themed scare zones where menacing scare-actors lunge from every darkened corner.

 

“Halloween Horror Nights” begins Friday, September 6 in Orlando and on Friday, September 13 in Hollywood. Additional details about the events will be revealed soon. All tickets for Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort are on sale now. For more information about “Halloween Horror Nights” at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort, visit http://www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com.

 

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I can't imagine a trip to USH that doesn't include the backlot tour. It's the whole reason for going as far as I'm concerned. Let's face it, they're not floating the idea of having a cheaper ticket if you don't go on the backlot tour. So imagine traveling thousands of miles and shelling out over $100 per ticket--and then being asked to pay more for the thing that is the entire point of why you came.... This is virtually guaranteed to create long lines at Guest Services to handle complaints.

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I can't imagine a trip to USH that doesn't include the backlot tour. It's the whole reason for going as far as I'm concerned. Let's face it, they're not floating the idea of having a cheaper ticket if you don't go on the backlot tour. So imagine traveling thousands of miles and shelling out over $100 per ticket--and then being asked to pay more for the thing that is the entire point of why you came.... This is virtually guaranteed to create long lines at Guest Services to handle complaints.

 

Only way I can *possibly* see this working is if they take some of the VIP exclusive aspects of the studio tour and move them to the regular tour. As it stands now, the current tour is in no way worth an “up charge”

 

 

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