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

[jonlocke]

Just had a few beers and watched them remove the top of the loop. So now the only thing remaining is the launch tunnel and a small portion of the loop bottom, I wonder how much longer that has.

[KarlaKoaster]

Wow blimey, thanks for the update. I wondering yesterday what progress had been made as they seem to be moving at quite a decent tempo.

 

BTW Screamscape have said in their latest update they now believe that the rumours of it not being B&M appear to be false and that unpainted track has been spotted in Clermont, possibly for Hulk. I've not seen any pictures of this though.

[robbalvey]

Do you miss Horror Nights already? The dates for HHN26 have been announced today!

 

EVENT DATES CONFIRMED FOR UNIVERSAL ORLANDO’S HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS 26

 

Universal Orlando Resort has announced event dates for next year – guests can look forward to more startlingly-real scares in 2016 from select nights Sept. 16 to Oct. 31.

 

Halloween Horror Nights 25 shattered records as the scariest and highest-rated event in Universal Orlando’s history – and there’s more to come. The twisted minds behind the nation’s best Halloween event are already hard at work planning for next year. Stay tuned to Universal Orlando’s blog as details for next year’s event are revealed, and visit http://www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com/Orlando

 

Here's a recap of HHN25!

[TheCoasterKid211]

^ Sept. 16! OK, that's early! And GOOD!!!

[I love pie]

I feel like Universal is getting ruined. First they have the idiotic idea of removing most of the theming on dueling dragons when 're theming' it, then they remove disaster, and replace it with a Jimmy Falon ride, then they remove twister.

[COASTER FREAK 11]

Dueling Dragons - > Dragons Challenge

 

Disaster - > Fast and the Furious

 

Twister - > Fallon

[I love pie]

Dueling Dragons - > Dragons Challenge

 

Disaster - > Fast and the Furious

 

Twister - > Fallon

Which is exactly my point

[DoinItForTheFame]

I feel like Universal is getting ruined. First they have the idiotic idea of removing most of the theming on dueling dragons when 're theming' it, then they remove disaster, and replace it with a Jimmy Falon ride, then they remove twister.

 

I feel like as time's change and some things that were once considered "hot items" like Twister, or Disaster getting replace by new things that are current "hot items" or at least things that are more people can currently relate to keeps the park more up to date.

 

I'm sure replacing a ride, or giving a ride a face lift is much cheaper than building a brand new ride from the ground up. So by replacing old rides not only are they getting a "new attraction" but they are not spending nearly as much as they would on a new build.

[DirkFunk]

Fallon will have to be actively terrible to be worse than Twister. That...thing...is hot garbage.

[COASTER FREAK 11]

Dueling Dragons - > Dragons Challenge

 

Disaster - > Fast and the Furious

 

Twister - > Fallon

Which is exactly my point

 

I was simply correcting your previous statement. I think anything is better then Disaster and Twister.

[coasterbill]

I feel like Universal is getting ruined. First they have the idiotic idea of removing most of the theming on dueling dragons when 're theming' it, then they remove disaster, and replace it with a Jimmy Falon ride, then they remove twister.

 

I love how you cherry pick these 3 things (at least one of which is very debatable... especially when we're talking about rides that aren't open yet) and then ignore the fact that during the same time frame they built a really cool Simpsons land, an awesome Transformers ride and 2 of the most amazing themed lands and ride experiences anywhere in the world anchored by 2 of the most incredible rides ever built anywhere ever with Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, Gringots and Forbidden Journey. How can you ignore all of that and claim that Universal is "getting ruined" because they removed 2 crappy rides in Disaster and Twister?

[DoinItForTheFame]

Fallon will have to be actively terrible to be worse than Twister. That...thing...is hot garbage.

 

[DJeXeL]

I feel like Universal is getting ruined. First they have the idiotic idea of removing most of the theming on dueling dragons when 're theming' it, then they remove disaster, and replace it with a Jimmy Falon ride, then they remove twister.

 

I love how you cherry pick these 3 things (at least one of which is very debatable... especially when we're talking about rides that aren't open yet) and then ignore the fact that during the same time frame they built a really cool Simpsons land, an awesome Transformers ride and 2 of the most amazing themed lands and ride experiences anywhere in the world anchored by 2 of the most incredible rides ever built anywhere ever with Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, Gringots and Forbidden Journey. How can you ignore all of that and claim that Universal is "getting ruined" because they removed 2 crappy rides in Disaster and Twister?

 

I'm not even sure he knows what he's complaining about.

[I love pie]

I feel like Universal is getting ruined. First they have the idiotic idea of removing most of the theming on dueling dragons when 're theming' it, then they remove disaster, and replace it with a Jimmy Falon ride, then they remove twister.

 

I love how you cherry pick these 3 things (at least one of which is very debatable... especially when we're talking about rides that aren't open yet) and then ignore the fact that during the same time frame they built a really cool Simpsons land, an awesome Transformers ride and 2 of the most amazing themed lands and ride experiences anywhere in the world anchored by 2 of the most incredible rides ever built anywhere ever with Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, Gringots and Forbidden Journey. How can you ignore all of that and claim that Universal is "getting ruined" because they removed 2 crappy rides in Disaster and Twister?

 

 

I was simply correcting your previous statement. I think anything is better then Disaster and Twister.

I'm confused. You first you say that anything is better than Disaster, and Twister, and in your last comment you said twister, and Disaster is better than something.

Also is a chinese knock off SLC, with cactus seats, and sandpaper restraints better than Disaster and Twister.

[robbalvey]

Dueling Dragons - > Dragons Challenge

 

Disaster - > Fast and the Furious

 

Twister - > Fallon

I dunno, I kind of see it more like this....

 

Dueling Dragons SLIGHTLY > Dragon Challenge

 

Disaster = Fast and the Furious

 

Twister = Fallon

 

Remember that Dragon Challenge didn't start out not dueling. So it's entirely possible that had Dueling Dragons continued in existence, this same thing might have happened to the ride. DD's theming of course was WAAAAAAY better than DC's, but honestly, I've ridden both sides of it recently, and they are both still pretty kick ass coasters!

 

I've been through Disaster/Earthquake three times in the last 10 years, and two of those were to help someone film it during the last week.

I don't think I've been into Twister in probably 15 years.

 

So neither one of those attractions I ride at all, and I'm expecting (only do to my interest level of the properties) that I will not ride F&F or Fallon much more often than I did Twister or Disaster, so in my mind both of them are a wash. They aren't replacing something I frequent, and they aren't something I probably frequent once they are built.

 

But who knows? I'm willing to give them a chance. Maybe they will surprise me and end up being a bit of fun!

Edited November 4, 2015 by robbalvey

[I love pie]

Dueling Dragons - > Dragons Challenge

 

Disaster - > Fast and the Furious

 

Twister - > Fallon

I dunno, I kind of see it more like this....

 

Dueling Dragons SLIGHTLY > Dragon Challenge

 

Disaster = Fast and the Furious

 

Twister = Fallon

 

Remember that Dragon Challenge didn't start out not dueling. So it's entirely possible that had Dueling Dragons continued in existence, this same thing might have happened to the ride. DD's theming of course was WAAAAAAY better than DC's, but honestly, I've ridden both sides of it recently, and they are both still pretty kick A$$ coasters!

 

I've been through Disaster/Earthquake three times in the last 10 years, and two of those were to help someone film it during the last week.

I don't think I've been into Twister in probably 15 years.

 

So neither one of those attractions I ride at all, and I'm expecting (only do to my interest level of the properties) that I will not ride F&F or Fallon much more often than I did Twister or Disaster, so in my mind both of them are a wash. They aren't replacing something I frequent, and they aren't something I probably frequent once they are built.

 

But who knows? I'm willing to give them a chance. Maybe they will surprise me and end up being a bit of fun!

 

Do you know why they downgraded the theming?

[robbalvey]

Do you know why they downgraded the theming?

J.K. Rowling.

[I love pie]

Do you know why they downgraded the theming?

J.K. Rowling.

[jarmor]

So yeah . . . Heard the news twister was officially closing. Went to the studios sunday morning for some cheap hhn gear and decided "well its no line, might as well e?perience it again".

 

Left, came back for HHN and saw a huge crowd hanging around it. Realized it was the last day! I admit, I never made ot a must attraction but I did like the cheesiness of it.

[BlahBlahson]

As much fun as the Bill Paxton experience was, I think this is all I really need from the show, for this to be preserved. Probably the greatest acting ever.

 

[A.J.]

Do you know why they downgraded the theming?

J.K. Rowling.

Y'know, considering that they fabricated what's basically an original story for Forbidden Journey, I'm surprised that they didn't try to come up with one to tie into the Fire / Ice dragons thing instead of plucking the Triwizard Tournament story from the books.

[robbalvey]

Do you know why they downgraded the theming?

J.K. Rowling.

Y'know, considering that they fabricated what's basically an original story for Forbidden Journey, I'm surprised that they didn't try to come up with one to tie into the Fire / Ice dragons thing instead of plucking the Triwizard Tournament story from the books.

From what I've heard she HATED the ride and wanted it removed. Universal had to fight to keep it, and I'm sure part of that was removing any theming and just keeping the minimal, bare bones attraction and what little story line they were allowed to have for it. My understanding is that they were told to downplay dragons to make Forbidden Journey seem like the feature ride in the area.

 

And that is pretty much exactly what happened.

[A.J.]

Fair enough. I actually like the current queue design even though it's a little dark, but I understand why people were so let down by the change. But, then again, I never got to experience the attraction when it was Dueling Dragons, so I really don't know.

[DirkFunk]

Fair enough. I actually like the current queue design even though it's a little dark, but I understand why people were so let down by the change. But, then again, I never got to experience the attraction when it was Dueling Dragons, so I really don't know.

 

Dragons had a pretty awesome queue line, but one of the issues is that the ride was both at a park that rarely had giant crowds and was a people eater. The queue line simply ended up being something to pass through quickly en route to the station and the almost constant walk on crowds (a bit like now, honestly).

[Garet]

Fair enough. I actually like the current queue design even though it's a little dark, but I understand why people were so let down by the change. But, then again, I never got to experience the attraction when it was Dueling Dragons, so I really don't know.

 

Dragons had a pretty awesome queue line, but one of the issues is that the ride was both at a park that rarely had giant crowds and was a people eater. The queue line simply ended up being something to pass through quickly en route to the station and the almost constant walk on crowds (a bit like now, honestly).

 

Reminds me of Lotte World, they had an amazing queue line for Pharaohs Fury but because of graffiti you had to wait outside so people just passed through quickly when let in and they ending up ripping out most of it for a separate attraction, a trick art gallery, instead of passing a lot of exhibits, you now just end up in a tiny exhibit area and straight into the excavation section.