Universal Orlando Resort (USF, IOA, Epic) Discussion Thread

[Hockeyman55]

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp4eQNVx2Wk

 

 

I . . . must . . . resist . . . the . . urge . . . to . . . watch . . . .

 

Well that didn't work, just couldn't resist

[Top Thrill Dragster]

Wow! Such a cool looking ride!

 

 

Great to see Universal re visit "traveling through the screen" effect. IMO one of coolest aspects of T2:3D.

 

 

Hard to tell in the video, besides spinning, do the vehicles have any motion base to them like Spider Man and Transformers?

[nickbuol]

 

I . . . must . . . resist . . . the . . urge . . . to . . . watch . . . .

 

Well that didn't work, just couldn't resist

 

Same here. I did, however, just skip to the parts that Robb mentioned so that I could see the "coaster" parts. I still want some level of surprise when I ride it. The first part, at :44 in, must seem frightening in the dark as someone was screaming/hyperventilating pretty hard. Hehehe

[robbalvey]

Hard to tell in the video, besides spinning, do the vehicles have any motion base to them like Spider Man and Transformers?

They do, yes. That section where the guards or whatever they are grab onto the ride vehicle has motion to them, as does the tilt when it looks like you're falling. There's quite a bit of motion base through the entire ride.

[BlahBlahson]

It's a hard call for me. While I don't think I would argue against anyone that wants to put it on their "coaster list", the ride certainly *feels* much more like a "dark ride" than it does a "roller coaster." To me, Gringotts feels like "Spider-man with some faster sections" rather than it being more like "Mummy with more video screens.".

 

Robb is dead on this one. The ride's system and effects in the end are almost identical in feel to Spidey and Transformers.

[KBrylczyk]

^^ What surprised me was the fact that they took so long to get the initial drop going. Bellatrix is zapping at you and it seems like the action stops while the track tilts and aligns and THEN send you on your way. Since they installed the motion base you'd think they'd have made it so the car can stay upright while the track tilts, that was when she starts attacking it can have been waiting to drop you already.

 

Then again it could just be that since the camera turned to face the track as it's tilting I don't even realize there's still stuff happening on the screen. Can anyone clarify if there's a pause there?

 

I'd also like to note that it looks like they realized their huge errors with Forbidden Journey. It's an actual story this time, much more accessible a la Spidey or Transformers. Also the integration between screens and sets! Forbidden Journey's integration was horrible as you could see the zipper effect happen each time, as well as the speed / 2D and 3D issue. "Oh, I'm flying at 60 miles an hour on a broom being chased by a dragon in 2D oh crap wait we're crawling now but the now 3D dragon is still trying to murder us....wait."

[robbalvey]

^^ What surprised me was the fact that they took so long to get the initial drop going. Bellatrix is zapping at you and it seems like the action stops while the track tilts and aligns and THEN send you on your way. Since they installed the motion base you'd think they'd have made it so the car can stay upright while the track tilts, that was when she starts attacking it can have been waiting to drop you already.

 

Then again it could just be that since the camera turned to face the track as it's tilting I don't even realize there's still stuff happening on the screen. Can anyone clarify if there's a pause there?

It's the poor camera work by who ever filmed it. That sequence is actually pretty darn cool.

Edited July 17, 2014 by robbalvey

[KBrylczyk]

^ Well alrighty then!

[aCoasterStory]

I feel like I would be so terribly disappointed if I waited more than 20-30min for that...

 

I'm willing to bet that a lot of people would have been more than satisfied with just a good coaster without all the other stuff, so long as it was relatively true to the source material (and given all the extensive theming in Diagon Alley & the rest of the bank, etc.).

 

Or they could have even gone halfway but still given us a roller coaster. Imagine if you will, a coaster that takes you on a harrowing ride down into the vault (picturing something that reminds me vaguely of Donkey Kong, with random bits of track all over the place, and you're never really sure which piece of track is one you'll be on vs. what's just decoration hanging there); maybe it's a little 'wild-mouse'-esque, with sharp turns & such, but not anywhere near so predictable. Anyways, when you get to the bottom, you get caught in the middle of the theft/escape (stopped/very slow for a 3/4D scene) and then get launched back up out of the vault (via a spell, I'm sure), where you go through a bunch of much crazier elements. Maybe even an inversion or two as you dodge debris or attacks or something? I just have to think that they could have done something truly epic without having to invent ridiculously complicated ride technologies, and still kept closer to the original source material.

 

I'm all for immersive experiences, but to me Gringott's should have been so much more than just another Spider-Man/Transformers/Forbidden Journey ride, particularly since the source material practically screams 'coaster'. I'd still keep the rest of the bank theming, though. From what I've seen/heard, all that is fantastic.

[PCW_Nut]

I am very much looking forward to riding this when I am down there in September for HHN as I am indeed a Potter fan so this has been on my radar for quite sometime.

 

Much like most dark ride POV's, I think that, while you can see everything on the ride in this video, nothing will do it justice like actually being on it. So, I am glad to hear that it rides better than it looks.

 

As for the credit debate, I would consider it as much as a credit as Wonder Mountain's Guardian. Both are very dirty credits for those that care, but at the end of the day, if those count Journey To Atlantis as a credit than they should count this.

 

Question Robb, did you get a chance to try the butterbeer ice cream? I am not sure if you are a fan of butterbeer or not but curious if you had any opinion of the ice cream form?

[robbalvey]

if those count Journey To Atlantis as a credit than they should count this.

I don't count Journey to Atlantis, so....

 

Question Robb, did you get a chance to try the butterbeer ice cream? I am not sure if you are a fan of butterbeer or not but curious if you had any opinion of the ice cream form?

I did, actually. I'm not a fan of Butterbeer and I'm not a Potter person so I don't quite "get" it. The ice cream was good, but I felt it just tasted like soft serve with a hint of butterscotch flavor. I admit I'm not the target audience, though, so I'm probably not the right person to ask.

[PCW_Nut]

Fair enough. It's actually refreshing reading the opinions of someone that isn't a Potterhead like everyone else as it gives a more impartial review of the land/ride/food/etc.

 

Thanks for the reply.

[cfc]

 

Question Robb, did you get a chance to try the butterbeer ice cream? I am not sure if you are a fan of butterbeer or not but curious if you had any opinion of the ice cream form?

I did, actually. I'm not a fan of Butterbeer and I'm not a Potter person so I don't quite "get" it. The ice cream was good, but I felt it just tasted like soft serve with a hint of butterscotch flavor. I admit I'm not the target audience, though, so I'm probably not the right person to ask.

 

That's pretty much all Butterbeer is--butterscotch soda (which is OK by me, as I rather like the stuff).

[KBrylczyk]

That's pretty much all Butterbeer is--butterscotch soda (which is OK by me, as I rather like the stuff).

 

You left out one key ingredient -

 

- 1,000 metric f&%#tons of sugar

 

I've had the Butterbeer once and felt like I was gonna die afterward. It didn't taste bad, but I'm pretty sure I went full Wilford Brimley "diabeetus" for the afternoon, and I don't have diabetes.

[chargersmichael]

I'm a Potterfan but not someone who is overly obsessed with Harry Potter. With Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts...my mom has no clue about anything Harry Potter as she didn't see any of the movies and she absolutely loved the ride. The ride has so many unique elements to it. Also, for the coaster portion...it feels so much faster than it looks. You can hardly see the coaster track at all during the ride. Well maybe if you're in the front but still. This ride tops any ride I have been on. I was so fascinated by all of the effects. The transitions from scene to scene was spot on. The ride was very enjoyable and it was really cool to ride this new innovation. I thought the ride was simply...brilliant!

 

Also, the butterbeer ice cream...it was delicious.

[robbalvey]

Also, for the coaster portion...it feels so much faster than it looks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp4eQNVx2Wk

See, and that's interesting you would say that because I actually felt the coaster section went SLOWER than it looked. Not that I'm complaining, but I when I watched this video (keeping in mind I've only been on the ride once), I thought to myself "I don't remember it going that fast at all!"

 

To me, the coaster section felt a LOT like the drop on Pirates of the Caribbean with a short S-curve. I liked it, but it's not much of a coaster section.

[Nrthwnd]

^ First of all, I think that screaming is way beyond belief. To me.

But the coaster part does look/feel to me like it moves at a

pretty fast pace.

 

But I haven't ridden it, so I really shouldn't say. But the video sort

of convinces me...

Edited July 18, 2014 by Nrthwnd

[Woodie Warrior]

Looks like Vekoma track to me. And since they are the creators of Gravity Max which has a similar tilt drop (except for Gravity Max's is completely vertical and a lot taller), it leads me to believe Vekoma is the track manufacturer.

 

Has Intamin ever manufactured track of that style, though?

[robbalvey]

Looks like Vekoma track to me. And since they are the creators of Gravity Max which has a similar tilt drop (except for Gravity Max's is completely vertical and a lot taller), it leads me to believe Vekoma is the track manufacturer.

It's Intamin.

[Coasterbp]

So we know that Intamin manufactured the track... is everything else done by Dynamic Attractions then? (trains, control)

 

-=CoasterBP

[chargersmichael]

Also, for the coaster portion...it feels so much faster than it looks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp4eQNVx2Wk

See' date=' and that's interesting you would say that because I actually felt the coaster section went SLOWER than it looked. Not that I'm complaining, but I when I watched this video (keeping in mind I've only been on the ride once), I thought to myself "I don't remember it going that fast at all!"

 

To me, the coaster section felt a LOT like the drop on Pirates of the Caribbean with a short S-curve. I liked it, but it's not much of a coaster section.[/quote']

 

I was basically on it twice as my first ride broke down right before that second/last launch thing or whatever it is. We were given a free ride once returned to the station. 2 rides from a 45 minute wait in single rider and then we got to ride together second time! Pretty cool

 

Anyway, it could have been I was so excited to try out the new ride that it felt fast to me. I think I was just so into the storyline as I am a fan of Harry Potter that I got really excited for the ride. Do you think it is better in the front car or the back car? Both rides I was in the front car so maybe it was that wind or whatever that felt fast. Mummy also feels really fast to me so idk.

[robbalvey]

^ I'm not sure. I only rode in once in the front car. And trust me, that's not a BAD thing that you thought it felt fast. That's pretty much EXACTLY what the ride designers were going for!

[empires]

I just watched the night vision video, and to try compare it to Indiana Jones at DL is just shameful.

[robbalvey]

I just watched the night vision video, and to try compare it to Indiana Jones at DL is just shameful.

I would have to strongly disagree. While both rides are very good, there is nothing "shameful" about Indiana Jones compared to Gringotts. First off all, I think while they use similar motion based vehicles, the two rides ARE very different. One uses a lot of 3D media, the other uses all physical sets in a fairly open environment. I also think that Indy continues to hold up VERY WELL considering the original version of the ride is nearly 20 years old now!

 

I think you're totally over-reacting.

[Hilltopper39]

When I watched that night visin POV all I could think was the thing looks A LOT faster than all of the reviews I've read so far. I was really expecting the experience to be a bit "tamer" considering the lower height restriction but the video looks fairly intense. The rock work inside the building looks amazing.

 

I haven't been on either Potter ride yet but have (shamefully) watched POV's of both and the Forbidden Journey just looks like it kind of moves between various screen and scenes where as Gringotts appears to be more of a complete experience moving though one immersive setting. Gringotts looks really good and I can't wait to check it out.