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Universal Orlando Resort (USO, IOA) Discussion Thread

p. 623 - New Epic Universe details, including Celestial Park!

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Two things....

 

1. The word filter MAKES this entire discussion!

 

2. As someone who has ZERO interest in either Potter or LOTR franchises, all I ask for is this: Please make decent rides where I don't need to know every aspect of the story before going into it. As someone who has been on dark rides and themed attractions all over the world where the language isn't even in English, I was able to understand what was happening in those rides more than I could Forbidden Journey. I just find that ride very confusing, and that's my biggest issue with Wizarding World. I don't know anything about Spider-Man or Transformers either, but I felt those rides were a GOOD example of how I didn't need to have watched all the movies or read the comics prior to going into it, and I still understood what was going on. Even Twister, I get it, there's a tornado going on. Didn't need to see the movie to understand it.

 

So in short - Please make rides that are *slightly* less nerdy so they appeal to a wider audience.

 

Thank you!

 

--Robb

Edited by robbalvey
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I personally think that Lord of the Rings just wouldn't translate very well into a theme park since it takes place over such a vast area and only has one or two good starting points for attractions. I also wouldn't really want a Lord of the Rings area just because I feel it would be a tacky rendition of a really amazing story.

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This doesn't do a whole lot to get me excited. I enjoyed the LOTR movies, but beyond that I don't have a huge desire to visit Middle Earth. There's definitely a huge fan base out there that they could draw from, but I agree with others that Potter and LOTR are way too similar.

 

Does it bother anyone else that the media still refers to Wizarding World as it's own theme park after being open for almost 2 1/2 years?

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I must say that Middle Earth has some amazing spots and architecture that I would like the see in real life. Also I believe you can make great rides with the theme. That said the idea doesn't get me exited. If they are going to build this I need to make a judgment on the concept art.

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When I read this I thought I had recalled that Disney had gotten the rights several years ago. But in doing some searches I am not bringing up anything. Does anyone else remember talks of this happening? (I thought it was around the time that Universal secured HP).

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I second the Shelob dark ride idea. That was one seriously horrifying, badass spider. (And I'll admit that the big spider encounter in Forbidden Journey made me scream like a little girl every time I rode that thing.)

 

Has a good ríng to it, no?

 

I see what you did there.

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When I read this I thought I had recalled that Disney had gotten the rights several years ago. But in doing some searches I am not bringing up anything. Does anyone else remember talks of this happening? (I thought it was around the time that Universal secured HP).

 

No.

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YES! I LOVE Lord Of The Rings! (Made it small JUST for the filter) And I LOVE The Hobbit! (We should make the word filter change The Hobbit to The Hob-Hobb-Bitty-bitty-bit)

Edit: Rethought this a bit, and I definintly think with Harry Potter already here, it wouldn't mix well. Also, the Toilken WB relationship? Yeah, that's bullcrap.

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I actually believe that the WB/Tolkien Estate stuff is plausible. The Tolkien Estate has been known to be extremely rigid with their property and how it is handled, on par with if not even more so than JK Rowling on Harry Potter. Rowling would likely serve as a great reference for Universal on such talks, because she can easily affirm that she's had creative control, gotten everything she wanted and more out of her work with Universal and the projects have all racked in serious cash despite being very faithful to the intellectual property it is based on.

 

I see this acquisition as a win for Universal (if it happens), but not as big of one as Harry Potter was. While the Lord of the Rings franchise has time on its side and a huge following, it has never be as accessible as Potter was. I read The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings in elementary school in addition to the first five Harry Potter books, and the difference in difficulty and accessibility were clear--I preferred the latter reading, despite liking the content of the Tolkien books more. The movies have certainly helped with that more, but the books haven't helped the franchise in the same way that the paper version of Potter did as compared to the movies (in the case of Potter, both were insanely successful and continue to be).

 

I personally would be thrilled to see the world of Middle Earth brought to life somewhere in Orlando. I'm not the biggest fan of the franchise enough to know the difference between Erebor and Moria, but I have enjoyed the movies and feel like another immersive realm can be formed from this property. I think that the franchise has legs beneath it because of the time behind it, as well as the continued exposure ahead of it in the form of the two additional Hobbit movies, along with the rumored additional films based on The Silmarillion and other stories from within the Tolkien Estate.

Edited by jedimaster1227
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If it's true then I can't wait to see what they come up with. Mines of Moria dark ride would be cool - I'm thinking something along the lines of Indiana Jones at DL.

 

Disney shouldn't be too worried, after all what's Lord of the Rings when you have AVATAR?

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Who els loves to see a B&M winged coaster in Smaug style?

I was thinking about how it could look like, I mean Middle Earth has lots of spots that where important in the story like: Helms Deep, the Shire, Isengard, Minas Tirith, Erebor and off coarse Mordor. Its not like you can take some of the most known places and make them in one area its not like the movie at all. So I wonder how they are going to choose if it comes through.

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An issue I see is that in LOTR and The Hobbit, there are no modern vehicles. Its walking, or riding an animals back. Or flying with an eagle, but you cant really just throw people in a jeeep, it would look out of place.

 

But you ride a magic bench in Harry Potter. They could come up with something that would work for LOTR

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The barrel river ride from The Hobbit could easily be a flume ride

Smaug the dragon/lonely mountain would definitely be a theme for a coaster

An eagles based flat ride for kids is plausible

A tower-based ride of Sauron's tower

Options are endless, I'm intrigued anyway

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^If they do that they need to make it in the theme of Sarumans tower, and make it like Mystery Castle in Phantasialand. I mean it would totally fit the scene from The Fellowship of the Ring where in Saruman fights Gandalf, you would be Gandalf then I know everyone would understand that.

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^ Good point

 

Though if they can set up an effect in which when it goes dark, Sauron's "eye" appears at the top of the tower and moves. That would look visually impressive from a distance and the tower itself (day or night) would lure people to that area of the park. In theory.

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The Runaway Mine Train of Moria?

 

Kidding aside. I agree with Wes on this. I just don't see how this could be done without taking a lot of liberties with the Tolkien world as non of his books really have immediate ride potential in their stories. Tolkien always tried to keep the magical elements of middle earth to a minimum.

Edited by darklingscribe
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