Universal Orlando Resort (USO, IOA) Discussion Thread

[BeemerBoy]

What if you placed a statue of Manute Bol between the loops.

Quite simply, it'd be worth riding again.

 

This park is becoming dead to me at an alarming rate. Such a shame.

[SharkTums]

^Same.

[UnderCoverDrummer1]

Honestly, the one and only time I went to IOA I was somewhat underwhelmed by Dueling Dragons. Maybe it was due to my being pissed off from the length of time I was stuck in the queue listening to the same stupid rhymes over and over again. It was cool but I didn't think that the dueling aspect was really THAT interesting. I definitely felt like Hulk was a drastically better ride than DD.

 

So here is to hoping that with the buzz about possibly more B&M launched coasters, that we'll see another coaster just as good if not better at a park which isn't declining to rapidly.

[SharkTums]

^I wonder how many people feel the same way you do.

 

I feel that both dragons on their own offer a better ride than Hulk. When you put them together with the dueling, they were just great.

 

I also though, have never waited for any length of time in the queue.

[cfc]

^Agreed. The ending was very good, but the build-up was a bit weak.

[haydn12]

Hulk gave me a headache when I rode it a couple weeks ago. Dueling Dragons seemed fine to me, not my favorite for this kind of ride but still a good ride.

 

Most of the people at the park a couple weeks ago were foreigners who probably don't care if Dragons duels or not. Sure didn't hear any complaints about it.

 

Jim

[gisco]

Something just occurred to me. Maybe they are using the people getting hurt as an excuse to run only one side ? Save on maintenance and number of ride ops if only one side was running! This could be a cost cutting move and have nothing to do with safety.

[coasterfreak101]

^But they're still running both sides...

[ernierocker]

Perhaps the maze (The Thing) was one of those cases where Universal wanted to plug the new movie but the creative team was against the idea and didn't put much into the maze. I'm sure it is not the first time this has happened.

[Hilltopper39]

I thought the Thing maze was okay, the costumes were really cool but I don't know anything about the Thing movie franchise so the plot line of the house was kinda absent. It didn't have that many scares in but none of the houses this year really had that many scares. It wasn't my favorite but it wasn't my least favorite either.

 

I was pretty disappointed with the event overall this year, next year if some of the early reviews don't reflect a drastic improvement in the overall event then I may skip HHN altogether and just do HOS (which was awesome this year).

[gisco]

^But they're still running both sides...

 

For the moment.......

[ginzo]

Something just occurred to me. Maybe they are using the people getting hurt as an excuse to run only one side ? Save on maintenance and number of ride ops if only one side was running! This could be a cost cutting move and have nothing to do with safety.

 

It wouldn't surprise me if this were a factor. Completely inexcusable in a park that charges $85/day if you ask me. But, yeah, it takes a lot of staff to run both sides of Dragons.

[doublestufforeo]

^ Considering right now we're dead in the parks I'd guess that could be a factor.

 

Also as to the plexiglass idea wouldn't the item just bounce back with that much momentum into the person or people after them on the ride?

[FeelTheFORCE]

When I was there about a month ago, on more than one occasion (both sides) I, along with the people I was with, were the only ones on the entire train. I went to the park three days and it was like this every day. If saving money were really that important, one would assume then would have been an opportune time to shut a side down, and not send out empty trains with one row filled.

[Jew]

^^That seems right. The one in Orlando didn't really follow the plot of the movie, aside from having costumes that match the Thing. The one in Hollywood was a much closer match to the story of the movie.

[Retro_Gaga]

This is my idea on how to make the loops safer but still give the duel.

 

Encase them in a semi-destroyed burnt out castle structure with holes in it too see parts of the loops from off the ride and remove some of the top of the structure so the top parts of the loop remain visible also from off the ride. Inside the tracks can see each other through giant holes in the wall between the two loops. These holes will be draped with netting so while you can see the train there is no chance of getting struck by an object from the other train. It would look good, keep the theme and keep people safe.

 

I'll possible draw it up later. But that's my idea for the situation.

[kidcoaster 2]

Sorry to change subject away from the slaying of the dragons, but I am doing a flordia trip next month and am planning to do both parks friday the 18th and was wondering if anyone knows what the crowds are like around that time? Thanks

[alpengeist04]

^I wonder how many people feel the same way you do.

 

I feel that both dragons on their own offer a better ride than Hulk. When you put them together with the dueling, they were just great.

 

I also though, have never waited for any length of time in the queue.

 

 

I feel the same way. To me, each side of Dueling Dragons offers a much more enjoyable ride even without the dueling. ...Though I do really like the Hulk's launch into the zero-g roll.

 

Original Dragon's theme + dueling = top 5 on my steel coaster list.

 

Potter theme + no dueling = outside my top 10 for Fire and a few spots lower for Ice.

 

They're still very good on their own, but no longer great. ...Such a shame.

[Philrad71]

I E-mailed guest services at Universal about this on Sunday and I got a response that wasn't automated!

 

He has asked me to call him personally, so I will call him tomorrow to discuss & let you know the response I receive. I am already very impressed that they have responded this quickly and his E-mail just implies that they are personable and seem to care about guest experiences. I have not had the same warm, fuzzy feeling when contacting CF & SF guest relations in the past (still trying to get a response back from CF on why the website won't let me renew my 2012 Platinum Pass online).

 

While the response might not be what we want to hear as coaster enthusiasts (or maybe it will?), I am generally excited about being able to talk to a real live person in guest relations about Dragon's Challenge.

 

You just don't see a lot of personal responses in guest relations these days and being that I work for a corporation investigating and resolving customer quality issues, I am looking very forward to engaging in a meaningful conversation with this gentleman!

 

It truly means a lot when a person working to help the customer address a concern about their services or quality of product...is actually trying to do just that.

[Six Flags Enthuseast]

In my eyes, this is the nail in the coffin for the awesomeness that Dueling Dragons used to have. When I first rode it, Fire was awesome and Ice was just a bit behind it. The theming was top notch, the rides were decent individually, and the dueling made them great. I visited Universal Studios Orlando this year and rode them again. While disappointed by the removal of the awesome entrance and change of theming, I still enjoyed the ride. The dueling was definitely the element that made it unique and worth riding, and without it, Dragon Challenge won't be quite as exciting as it used to be.

 

If it's an issue of money, then I agree that it's ridiculous that a park with admission so expensive should try to 'cost cut' by removing an element that is vital to the ride's reputation and experience. If safety is really the matter, then I hope some kind of solution can be made to fix the problem in the future. Floored trains, cameras on the lift hill to see when people remove objects from their pockets, and stricter enforcement of "Secure all loose articles" policies could all help. Designing theming that blocks the path of flying objects toward the other train (as mentioned above) would also work.

[texcoaster]

Putting theming between the loops sounds good until you remember that riders' feet were a mere 18 inches apart. Putting a structure there would drastically reduce the maximum height requirement.

Also, putting a structure between them on the first duel would be pretty sketchy (and ugly).

The corkscrew duels probably wouldn't need anything. They aren't that close.

[BeemerBoy]

Theoretically, I could stand off to the side of ANY coaster and throw stuff at it until I hit someone. Should we "idiot proof" everything?

[Hilltopper39]

Theoretically, I could stand off to the side of ANY coaster and throw stuff at it until I hit someone. Should we "idiot proof" everything?

 

I have actually seen people do this at BGT on Gwazi. Some "locals" were standing by the exit ramp throwing ice at oncoming trains, it was pretty pathetic.

[dragonskeep]

I will hold out hope that this was an accident. It really was just the one incident, a very bad one but just one. I have been hit with items a couple times on coasters including a good whack in the eye on DD, I always assumed it was a big bug. With the nature of the man's injury I am guessing cell phone, what a surprise. Get a locker jerks.

[coasterfreak101]

Theoretically, I could stand off to the side of ANY coaster and throw stuff at it until I hit someone. Should we "idiot proof" everything?

 

Is this country America? There's your answer.