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

P. 625: Harry Potter Ministry of Magic revealed!

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if any of you wonderful people have any laborious task you don't want to bother yourself with that two strapping young men could do in exchange for free tickets to Universal for just one day.

I'm sure someone at the parliament house has a task that'll pay kinda good!

 

Went to the Parliament House for the first time a couple of weeks ago. deaconnor is definitely in for some hardcore work there.

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And if you work in 'house cleaning' up the rooms, the main level doors are usually always open 24/7.

Hmm, I remember some of the upper level rooms having "open door" welcomes, too. (Back in... 1991!)

 

 

(Sorry, couldn't help myself. Really.)

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if any of you wonderful people have any laborious task you don't want to bother yourself with that two strapping young men could do in exchange for free tickets to Universal for just one day.

I'm sure someone at the parliament house has a task that'll pay kinda good!

 

Went to the Parliament House for the first time a couple of weeks ago. deaconnor is definitely in for some hardcore work there.

 

Lmao I'm dying! This is the first thing I thought too lol.

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If I'm not mistaken, Talon was the first B&M to be "quieted down". I would assume that it had to do with Dorney's neighbors.

 

Digging back a few pages, but I actually know this one! In fact, Dueling Dragons were the first B&Ms to be "quieted down" ('99 for DD vs '01 for Talon).

 

I used to have a coaster DVD that had interviews with the Universal Creative guys talking about the design process behind coasters at IOA. Basically, DD's proximity to the back of the park (and neighbors) meant they needed to quiet it down (on top of building the big wall along Turkey Lake Rd).

 

I'm paraphrasing, but the design/marketing spin on it was along the lines of "we wanted Dueling Dragons to be quiet - so it was as if you were on the back of a majestic beast soaring through the air. The Hulk on the other hand is big, powerful, loud, and brash. A ride called Hulk should roar, and it does." Which to me sounds like "it costs a bit extra to quiet a coaster down with the whole sand filling thing, and Hulk was far enough from the neighbors that we didn't have to. Also, without too many mental gymnastics, a roaring noisy Hulk actually fits pretty well with the theme anyway."

 

So, if new noise restrictions don't get in the way (ask a local, but I'm not aware of any), it would be consistent with the original decision making by universal for Hulk 2.0 to be just as loud as the original.

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Brakes will be installed once track work is complete. It is odd though as B&Ms usually come with brake equipment pre-installed from Claremont Steel.

 

just now seeing this, but this is REALLY weird (then again, the whole project is weird)

 

They don't even have the staircase or the catwalks. I've never heard of that being added after-the-fact but I guess anything's possible

 

This coaster really needs the midcourse brake since it doesnt have a traditional lift hill, otherwise it cant really be dispatched until the entire course is completed and first brake run is cleared!

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^ I don't think they would have reprofiled the footers to hold a much heavier load if the track didn't have sand in it.

 

Hadn't noticed that... though admittedly I haven't been following the particulars of the footers, just the vertical construction. Taking the briefest of looks, I will say that, to my eye, the footers look the most different in areas where clearances are tighter. To me that suggests new trains (for example, with the new-school vest restraints ala Banshee that result in slightly wider rows) more than sound deadening. Could be wrong though. Could be both?

 

I'll be a little sad though if the roar goes away. I've always liked that original psuedo-justification for why Hulk was loud and Dragons isn't.

 

///

 

Getting back to this page: awesome new pics. Really excited to see what little tweaks get made (or not) as we move back towards the first half of the layout.

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I still don't think Hulk 2.0 is getting trains with the vest harnesses, because that would require mods to the layout since the reach envelope is wider with those seats. Since the layout isn't changing at all, and the tunnel doesn't look like its being modified, I think we could rule out trains with vest harnesses, unless the park inspected the reach envelope on every inch of track and decided it was ok to get wider trains. We won't know until the new trains come.

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^ Are there any really tight clearances on Hulk to begin with? Yeah, it's got the launch tunnel and the ditches under the loop, but they're both huge and I don't recall there ever being any close choppers on the ride.

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No vest restraints.

 

It is interesting what they are doing with the lack of brakes and catwalks on the MCBR and final brake run... I don't even see attachment points, at least from these photos, so I assume everything will be welded. I just wonder the reasoning for doing it this way vs. pre-installed.

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Is it just me, or are the supports a tad darker than the original? My OCD keeps fixing on that and the new green rails, albeit both are inconsequential to the quality of the product. Really happy that it appears nothing is really changing at all. Hulk is my favorite B&M looper and up there with Nitro and AC as my favorite B&M overall. I would have been upset if they neutered the ride experience at all. It appears it will only improve, and that is without knowing what new effects are in store for the queue and launch tunnel, and possibly upgrades to the train.

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It is interesting what they are doing with the lack of brakes and catwalks on the MCBR and final brake run... I don't even see attachment points, at least from these photos, so I assume everything will be welded. I just wonder the reasoning for doing it this way vs. pre-installed.

 

Maybe they kept all the old hardware and will re-install it on the new track as a cost-cutting measure.

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Seeing the crisp green paint on the new track is like a breath of fresh air after seeing the OG Hulk left to rust for so many years (I know they repainted it some years ago but there was a time the rust was truly awful). It'll be interesting to see what they do with the trains.

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I just returned home from an Orlando/TB trip. The last time I visited USO Mummy was brand new so that shows you how long ago it was.

 

Comcast really seems to know what they're doing on the theme park side. Both Harry Potter additions are outstanding. The level of detail in Diagon Alley was impressive. I was absolutely blown away!! I was in USO/IOA Tuesday and Wednesday- I had Park-to-Park tickets both days. Both days were fairly busy, but operations were top notch. I flew through the queue lines. I would kill to have a park like this closer to home! I purchased a Universal Express pass for Wednesday and was glad I did.

 

I was sad to hear every time they announced the closing of a classic ride, but they sure made the right decisions! There were guests from all over the world in the park. The Harry Potter investments really seem to be paying off.

 

Escape from Gringott's had a much better storyline than Forbidden Journey, but I'm not sure which one I enjoyed more. Spiderman is still top notc, and my 2nd favorite ride in the park. I think Transformers was overall my favorite ride, though. Excellnt special effects, a good story, and a blast to ride.

 

I need to go to Florida a lot more often!

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-

New details revealed for Kong ride, still no date announced though.

 

 

THE STORY REVEALED FOR SKULL ISLAND: REIGN OF KONG

It’s time to unearth the island’s mysteries

Mike WestMike West | February 25, 2016

 

I know you’ve been waiting for more details about Skull Island: Reign of Kong at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. The time has finally come! Over the next few months, I’ll be revealing all the details on our newest attraction.

 

Here’s what to expect on your incredible journey.

 

It all begins with Skull Island – a land shrouded in mystery, steeped in ancient tales of colossal creatures fighting for dominance of a lost world. The name alone is enough to keep any adventurous soul from setting foot on its foreboding shoreline, to say nothing of mustering the courage to explore its terrifying interior.

 

Despite the apprehension of such an undertaking, you decide to join the 8th Wonder Expedition Company on their daring research adventure. Your mission: to discover species of unknown origin dwelling within the hidden mysteries of the island. Your hope is to substantiate the existence of prehistoric creatures.

 

Your first objective is to reach the communication base amid the outlying ruins. Communication is key and a crackling radio broadcast from scientists, expedition leaders and fellow explorers warns of the treacheries that lay ahead.

 

Undaunted—though certainly a bit uneasy—you head towards your next objective: the 8th Wonder Expedition base camp.

 

There is a hypnotic presence in the rhythmic beating of distant drums that draws you deeper and deeper into an ancient ruin, almost against your will. Signs of a native presence become evident. But are they still around?

 

Finally, you make it through to base camp and expedition vehicles. You set off for the heart of the island to rendezvous with your expedition leader.

 

Within minutes, you come upon a massive temple wall. Drums beat, flames arise, huge wooden doors swing open and you drive through. You now face a dark labyrinth of caves where danger lurks around every bend.

 

You manage to narrowly escape the caves… but the jungle ahead holds yet another breathtaking challenge. Suddenly, you find yourself in the midst of a raging struggle between creatures of incomprehensible size and ferocity. All seems lost until, from out of nowhere, a deafening roar cuts through the melee. The mighty Kong has arrived!

 

But is he friend or foe? Well, you’ll have to find out this summer.

 

The next chapter in the evolution of the King Kong legend is about to unfold. This immersive new experience will feature one of the longest rides of any Universal attraction, along with several new firsts for Universal Orlando Resort.

 

Want to keep up to date on all things Skull Island: Reign of Kong? Sign up for e-mail updates, and join the conversation on Universal Orlando’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with #ReignOfKong.

 

Source: http://blog.universalorlando.com/whats-new/skull-island-reign-of-kong-story/?__source=sm.awr.jb.fj.&linkId=21636380

Kong-blog-featured-1170x731.thumb.jpg.7a07ea1efe864f4c8036a4ab200e6870.jpg

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I know it's still early, but it would be sweet if they brought a "skipper" on board with you. Someone to narrate and keep the riders in touch with a real person. Now, picture this. The jeep stops and all of a sudden the host is pulled from the Jeep! Whether a T-Rex reaches down and eats him from the Jeep (seriously, how sweet would that be!), to the natives pulling them off into the caves. Obviously there would have to be some way for the Jeep to drive itself, but that can be explained in a line of dialogue somewhere about "Eighth Wonder Technology blah blah blah."

 

Or is that gimmick too similar to Disney's Great Movie ride?

 

All in all, I'm excited to see what Universal has come up with.

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I know it's still early, but it would be sweet if they brought a "skipper" on board with you. Someone to narrate and keep the riders in touch with a real person. Now, picture this. The jeep stops and all of a sudden the host is pulled from the Jeep! Whether a T-Rex reaches down and eats him from the Jeep (seriously, how sweet would that be!), to the natives pulling them off into the caves. Obviously there would have to be some way for the Jeep to drive itself, but that can be explained in a line of dialogue somewhere about "Eighth Wonder Technology blah blah blah."

 

Or is that gimmick too similar to Disney's Great Movie ride?

 

All in all, I'm excited to see what Universal has come up with.

 

That sounds awesome. I would prefer it in a Jurassic Park format

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That sounds awesome. I would prefer it in a Jurassic Park format

 

Yeah, I agree. But this would be a great way to bring the action to life. Especially if it's 3D and immersive screens. A live action performer would really bring the action to life. Even if Kong somehow snatched someone from the Jeep, that's less graphic than a person being eaten by a T-Rex right in front of you. But, they did say it's next generation... of traumatizing children.

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