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

[Hilltopper39]

Looks cool, excited to see what they do with the attraction. I'm assuming it will be similar to the experience on the Studio tram tour in Hollywood just on a larger more immersive scale.

[BackseatBoss]

All of this just makes me want to get back to IOA so much more. I went in 2008 and loved it, but so much has changed now. I can't wait to see how this comes together.

[Mrlittle]

KONG! It looks good. I haven't read anything about 3D glasses. I really hope we don't need them.

[TIMtationX]

Welp. Time to start planning my next trip to Orlando.

[DirkFunk]

I think I've commented on this before but it's pretty amazing the pace that Universal has been building new attractions in recently. If King Kong opens in 2016 then between 2009 and 2016 they will have opened Simpsons, Wizarding World, Despicable me, Transformers, Diagon Alley, King Kong, Cabana Beach, Sci Fi Mini Golf, an overhaul of City Walk, and might even be done with Saphire Falls and the new Waterpark.

 

That's pretty impressive, say what you will about that Wizard Boy but it would appear that he knows how to put people through the turnstiles.

 

Their earnings were so high, they were talking about large capital improvements in both parks every year in the investors call a couple days ago. Just keep that in mind.

[aeyrolet]

I wonder if they could make Kong attraction with the same technology as Escape From Gringott's and Revenge of The Mummy. Make it part coaster and part 4D ride.

[Heth]

I am excited for the new ride, but definitely worried that this will be another overwhelmingly screen-based ride. OK, I do love Spiderman and Gringotts, but there's just so many of these rides now in those parks. It'd be nice to see some big animatronics...a giant Kong would be a must for me!

[chargersmichael]

^I thought I read somewhere before that there were rumors that the ending would have a giant Kong animatronic. I really hope that there is on this ride! Ya I understand that there are a lot of screen based rides...but these are parks about movies right? What would be a movie without a silver screen? LOL

[DJeXeL]

Kong looks like it will be amazing. I wonder what manufacturer will be called upon to design ride vehicles/system.

[cfc]

I prefer animatronic and physical effects to the CGI stuff, but practicality and budgets can get in the way. It looks like this will be an improvement over the original Hollywood version, though.

[DirkFunk]

I don't get the screens vs. animatronics thing. It all looks hilariously fake to me and I can't picture a grown adult riding Pirates of the Caribbean and feeling like it is real and not like a 9 figure version of Chuck E Cheese's band. Given the limitations of what robots can do, I'm fine with SCREENZ~! instead when combined with physical sets and pieces. Apparently this ride will have both, so that's nice? I really have more interest in them getting rid of the metal detectors, which probably isn't happening.

[Hilltopper39]

Should be interesting to see what the new Fast n Furious attraction looks like when it opens. As I understand it that is going to combine more physical sets with the 3d video interaction. I would imagine the new Kong attraction will likely do the same.

[TehCooKidz]

I wonder where this will go in IOA. i could see it going into either The Lost Continent or Jurrasic Park

[Heth]

I don't get the screens vs. animatronics thing. It all looks hilariously fake to me and I can't picture a grown adult riding Pirates of the Caribbean and feeling like it is real and not like a 9 figure version of Chuck E Cheese's band. Given the limitations of what robots can do, I'm fine with SCREENZ~! instead when combined with physical sets and pieces. Apparently this ride will have both, so that's nice? I really have more interest in them getting rid of the metal detectors, which probably isn't happening.

 

Even with their limitations I imagine that those grown adults, if they're anything like myself, would find the robots and physical sets more impressive than a Pirates of the Caribbean filled with projection screens instead

 

A balance of the two would be good really, big Kong animatronic being a must. Spiderman and Gringotts balances the physicality of the sets with the screens well, but I just liked the idea of animatronics for the sake of variety and a giant Kong

[cfc]

I don't get the screens vs. animatronics thing. It all looks hilariously fake to me and I can't picture a grown adult riding Pirates of the Caribbean and feeling like it is real and not like a 9 figure version of Chuck E Cheese's band. Given the limitations of what robots can do, I'm fine with SCREENZ~! instead when combined with physical sets and pieces. Apparently this ride will have both, so that's nice? I really have more interest in them getting rid of the metal detectors, which probably isn't happening.

 

My problem with the CGI effects is that it feels like I'm just watching a big cartoon. Physical sets and effects help, and animation can be combined effectively with animatronics (the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at the Magic Kingdom is a good example).

 

That being said, Spider-man is still my favorite ride at Universal, followed by Mummy and Men in Black.

[ECZenith]

coolkidz ^^^, It has been under construction for over a year now, the very large show building is going up in between Toon Lagoon and Jurassic Park, the exterior is starting to look like the Temple scene from the film. Its an extremely large building, I cannot wait for this, welcome back Kong!

[gisco]

This looks pretty cool. I will have to set aside time to visit the park after it opens.

[SharkTums]

WESH 2 NBC just had an interview with one of the Universal guys where he explained it would be a ride for the whole family with a 34" height requirement. Pretty sure that means it's going to be VERY similar to the USH Tram Tour version.

[DJeXeL]

^Agreed. 34" is pretty low so I'm thinking USH version with physical sets to go with it.

[DirkFunk]

Different strokes for different folks. Most of it appears super fake, but some of those projections Universal does like in the Potter queues or Disaster look a helluva lot more real to me than any animatronic ever produced by anyone. Whatever works best to create the illusion, I'm fine with.

[Nrthwnd]

Not being picky or assumptive (assumptive?) but,

the guy in the video never said anything about

massive screens. Massive everything else, yes.

Screens...nope.

 

Just noting.

 

And for myself, if a mix of everything available

helps enhance the experience, great. Even the

animatronics, which are sometimes pretty wild.

 

(See Joker - new Justice League dark ride)

[chargersmichael]

My local news station reported on the new ride and a person from Universal at Islands of Adventure said like not only will there be a massive 3D screen, but also massive sets.

[Woodie Warrior]

Judging from the announcement videos, this ride will probably be reliant on screens. The animation of Kong and the other creatures definitely looks like footage that will appear during the ride.

 

Giant Kong animatronic or not, this looks like a solid addition to IoA.

[BBparks57]

Very excited to see this coming back! I'm hopeful for this concept and I'm pretty confident we can expect some cool animations and screens but some great sets and animatronics.

[Divv3k]

Oh wow - Nintendo and Universal have signed a deal to bring Nintendo characters and rides into Universal parks! How exciting is this?!

 

Press Release on Business Wire

 

Nintendo Partners with Universal Parks & Resorts to Create World’s First-Ever Theme Park Attractions Based on Nintendo’s Beloved Games and Characters

KYOTO, Japan & ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nintendo and Universal Parks & Resorts today announced plans to bring the world of Nintendo to life at Universal theme parks – creating spectacular, dedicated experiences based on Nintendo’s wildly popular games, characters and worlds.

 

The agreement brings two icons of entertainment together and represents a significant partnership for Nintendo as it expands the reach and popularity of its characters and intellectual property.

 

Universal theme parks offer incredibly popular, innovative themed family entertainment experiences based on compelling stories and characters – using powerful storytelling and innovative technology. Nintendo has created remarkable and imaginative worlds filled with captivating stories and beloved characters. Now, for the first time, those stories and characters will be brought to life in entirely new ways – only at Universal theme parks.

 

The immersive experiences will include major attractions at Universal’s theme parks and will feature Nintendo’s most famous characters and games. More details will be announced in the future, as the Nintendo and Universal creative teams work to create specific concepts.

 

About Universal Parks & Resorts

 

Universal Parks & Resorts, a unit of Comcast NBCUniversal, offers guests around the globe today’s most relevant and popular entertainment experiences. With three-time Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg as creative consultant, its theme parks are known for immersive experiences that feature some of the world’s most thrilling and technologically advanced film- and television-based attractions. Comcast NBCUniversal is a global media and technology company that owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news, sports and entertainment networks; Universal Pictures, a premier motion picture company; significant television production operations; a leading television stations group; and world-renowned theme parks.

 

Comcast NBCUniversal wholly owns Universal Studios Hollywood, which includes Universal CityWalk Hollywood. It also owns Universal Orlando Resort, a world-class destination resort featuring two theme parks (Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure), four resort hotels, and Universal CityWalk Orlando. Comcast NBCUniversal also has license agreements with Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, Japan and Universal Studios Singapore at Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore. In addition, Comcast NBCUniversal has recently announced plans for a theme park in Beijing and an indoor theme park to be developed as part of the Galactica Park project in Moscow.

 

About Nintendo

 

The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii U™ and Wii™ home consoles, and Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ families of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.3 billion video games and more than 680 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™, Nintendo GameCube™ and Wii systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™.

 

A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company's website at http://www.nintendo.com/.

Edited May 7, 2015 by robbalvey