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

[kenban]

^^ No idea where you got the idea most of the resorts are open...

 

At Universal, Portofino Bay never reopened and Dockside has had its opening basically cancelled plus they announced a few days ago they are suspending operations at Sapphire falls, and Aventura hotels. So half their resorts will be closed.

 

Disney World has 30 resorts, only 15 are open to the public, and NBA players are staying at 3. The list of closed resorts is pretty long, and a handful have reopening dates but they keep getting pushed later and later.

 

I suspect a lot of the crowds are just locals, or at least people within driving distance. Universal has been offering deals to Florida residents. Kings Island has been seeing pretty big upticks in attendance on the weekends, last Saturday it was pretty busy with hour plus long lines on most of the big rides. I have heard reports Cedar Point is seeing a similar gain on the weekends at least.

Edited August 16, 2020 by kenban

[Stealth1]

I know that the resorts are open. Universal is closing a couple next week and Disney has delayed opening more do the increase isn't from resort stays. Maybe it is locals then.

[jarmor]

Are they busy because of social distancing practices? If you run an attraction a half capacity with half the guest then you should get the same outcome as full capacity with the normal amount of guest?

[pianojohn]

Sorry for the double post! Tried to delete but no luck! Enjoy the REAL post below!

Edited August 17, 2020 by pianojohn

[pianojohn]

Are they busy because of social distancing practices? If you run an attraction a half capacity with half the guest then you should get the same outcome as full capacity with the normal amount of guest?

 

I've been to the park a few times since COVID 19 and it was NEVER this crowded. I think a couple of factors came together:

 

1) Orange County schools starting on Monday

2) Perfect weather (although HOT but no rain)

3) People just tired of staying at home

4) Disney parks severely limiting attendance

5) New pay one day get the rest of year free pass

6) All Premier passholders can bring a friend for free AND express pass after 2pm

7) No reservations needed so no cap on amount of people in parks

8) Several BIG rides not running (Hagrids, Gringotts) and more closed (Fast & Furious, spinners at both parks)

 

Put it all together and you get a clusterf*ck!

[Jew]

Wow Shrek 4D is 75 minutes? I don't remember even seeing lines that long for it at USJ.

 

I would assume for labor cost purposes that they are only running 1 of the theaters and with social distancing guidelines in place, that’s Got to be no more than 100 people per show...

Edited August 20, 2020 by Jew

[kenban]

I would assume for labor cost purposes that they are only running 1 of the theaters and with social distancing guidelines in place, that’s Got to be no more than 100 people per show...

 

The second theatre has been used as a location for an HHN house for years now. They remove the seats and build a temporary floor before building the house. The cancellation came way too late to not perform this work. It takes several weeks to tear out everything and return the theatre to normal. Unless the park decided to not use this location it’s almost not possible the theatre is in one piece and usable right now.

[coasterbill]

Wow Shrek 4D is 75 minutes? I don't remember even seeing lines that long for it at USJ.

 

Hey man, people know greatness when they see it.

[Garet]

Wow Shrek 4D is 75 minutes? I don't remember even seeing lines that long for it at USJ.

 

Hey man, people know greatness when they see it.

 

Perhaps I just looked at the wrong time at USJ and the line was short because it was on an alternate hour for Sesame Street 4D instead.

[SharkTums]

Went on a quick Universal lap today. Park was busier than expected but nothing like the reports from the weekend. 20-45min waits for most rides. Biggest I saw was 60min for the Potter Train.

[Haymaker]

Interesting

[Garet]

^Uh, what a horrible click-baity title.

[Haymaker]

^Uh, what a horrible click-baity title.

 

Hooked me, because I didnt even get to see the "on rides" part

[coasterbill]

^Uh, what a horrible click-baity title.

 

Inside the Magic always delivers the clickbait trash.

[Satans Hockey]

I missed this news until I got an email about making a reservation today for it, unfortunately I'm not a local so I couldn't attend even if I wanted to but I'm curious to watch some videos and read reports about how they are. Anyone plan on going?...

 

https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/plan-your-visit/fall-and-halloween-at-universal

 

You can still get your fright fix with daytime admission as we test a new experience this weekend, Sept. 19-20. And it’s included with your daytime admission to Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure. There are two heart-pounding haunted houses in Universal Studios—Revenge of the Tooth Fairy and Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives—so you can get your scream on. You can take your kids trick-or-treating in Islands of Adventure. Plus, you can all dress in costumes throughout the resort to get in the sinister spirit of the season.

 

 

Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives

“We belong dead.” The last words of Frankenstein’s monster on that fateful night when his Bride rejected him. But his end was her beginning. Now the Bride is stepping out of the shadows to bring him back. And there’s nothing she won’t do as she sharpens her brilliance by experimenting on unsuspecting victims. The mate will have her monster. And the monster his mate.

 

 

Revenge of the Tooth Fairy

The innocent traditions of the tooth fairy hide a darker ritual. All children must give up their baby teeth to the goblinesque tooth fairies or pay a gruesome price. Step into an old manor that has been overrun by yellow-clawed fiends who extract teeth by force. It’s an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

 

The Virtual Line™ experience is available for the haunted houses. When you're on property, use The Official Universal Orlando Resort app to select a return time for your group.

[SharkTums]

It sold out reservation wise pretty fast today so I think it's safe to assume we'll see it a lot in the next month and a half, not even just on weekends! I'll wait till the hype and crowds have died down before checking the houses out.

[Jew]

From the reviews, it looks like they did a good job with trying to keep it “safe” during these times.

[pianojohn]

I went on Friday for Premier Passholder preview day. Had 2pm reservations. Waited about 45 minutes for Tooth Fairy since they stopped the line for about 20-25 minutes for a cast changeover. Since this was the first day, I imagine they will figure out a better way to keep the attraction open and the line moving.

The whole house felt like a typical HHN house with sets, sound, lights, and scare-actors. The only differences were the plexiglass dividers in front of each scene and the attendants with their red wands insuring people keeping their distance. I really like this house and its concept.

Got out of the house at 2:55pm and ran to Bride of Frankenstein. Another 45 minute wait with about 15 minutes of not moving. This queue is brutal since it's on the Hollywood Bowl lawn with zero shade. People are asking for shade, but I don't know how they will accomplish this over such a huge area.

The house itself was good, very gothic. Lots of monsters from the Universal era which was also a nice nod to the past. Overall it felt like a solid attempt at doing a house in these "unprecedented" times.

A few other observations:

The Scarecrow Stalk was GREAT! A really nice color map of the park with 13 locations, very easy to find. And the various skeletons and scarecrows were awesome and fit into the theme of the shop in which they resided. AND you get a bag of candy at the end!

A few food trucks set up selling Twisted Taters and other typical HHN fare.

I am assuming they will extend it since both parks closed to capacity this weekend, and the houses were all full by the first hour on the virtual queue system.

The tribute store is awesome. Such a nice level of detail was created, and the bonus rooms make you wonder how much space they have in some of these fake store fronts!

Enjoy the pics!

The Spongebob Skeleton

Men in Black

Fast and Furious

The Mummy

Some cool shots of HRRR can be had from the Tooth Fairy queue

Backstage shot of Hogwarts Express

Brutally HOT!

[Garet]

 

Was the line really this long or is it a mistake on the board? I don't think I've seen a line number that long since USJ's Flying Dinosaur.

[abovethesink]

Last year we spent the longest day we have ever spent in a park doing the haunt at Universal. We got there at normal park open which was at like 8 AM if I remember right and then left around 1 AM, maybe a little after. I was pretty happy though as we got through every single haunted house without buying any sort of express pass which we were told would be impossible. Though I will say they definitely had diminishing returns as the night went on. The wife and kid stopped being scared after a couple.

 

One thing that really hurts them is the never ending line. The other guests break the immersion. If a social distanced version gives your group some separation and makes you feel alone in there, that would be an infinitely better experience. The logistics of that are a nightmare though. You'd have to make each house and individual upcharge or something to really manage that.

[pianojohn]

 

Was the line really this long or is it a mistake on the board? I don't think I've seen a line number that long since USJ's Flying Dinosaur.

 

No. That was just a test of the monitor. It never had the time listed. I think it said "At Capacity" or "By Reservation Only."

[SharkTums]

I look forward to checking out their Halloween offerings once they offer them on week days so it won't be super crowded. Thanks for the detailed report, the skeleton crawl is a cute idea.

[Satans Hockey]

Thanks for the report, I like the scarecrow stalk idea too, they must have received good reviews about the xmas tree hunt where they had different themed xmas trees around both parks and CityWalk and you received a free minion Xmas ornament if you got a stamp for every tree.

[DJeXeL]

 

I love the physical distancing! Thanks for the report.

[robbalvey]

Well, we have a name for the new Universal Orlando coaster! "Jurassic World VelociCoaster" From the Universal Orlando website: https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/theme-parks/islands-of-adventure/jurassic