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Universal Orlando Resort (USO, IOA) Discussion Thread

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

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Perhaps there's an interesting light show that will happen inside at night.

Is the park even open at night? I thought I read somewhere that it was closing by 6 or 7pm every night? And I would have to imagine if that's the case then most of the guests probably would have left by that time anyway so I can't seem them putting on a light show for a smaller amount of people who would have stayed in the park. And if they were going to do a light show, wouldn't it look better on the FRONT of the volcano where you don't have a giant ugly gaping hole in the middle of it?

 

Seriously, I think what surprises me about this is that it looks really "unfinished" and I don't understand why so many people gave DIsney so much crap when you could see the exposed building of Expedition Everest (from the parking lot keep in mind, not from inside the park) but here at this "themed" water park it is being billed as one of the best themed water parks in the world, and you have a giant hole in the volcano and you can see all the slide structures, stair cases, etc? This to me looks like something you'd see in a Chinese park where the theming only goes half-way. Why does Universal get a "pass" on this, but people criticize and flip out at Disney for similar things?

 

Like I said, I'll have to see what the final product looks like, but I guess I just expected more from how Universal was positioning this park as the be-all end-all of themed water park experiences.

 

Absolutely 1000% agree.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi

 

I was hoping somebody might be able to help me. I understand that back in the fall of 2016 Dr. Doom at IOA was closed for a bit. From what I understand, they changed the restraints on this ride and did something else. I was just wondering if anybody heard anything or has ridden it since. This was an amazing drop tower with lots of air time. I was wondering if things have changed with a new restraint system?

 

Thank you!

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Considering the nature of those slides, I'd feel a lot more comfortable jumping on them if I could see what they do. I'm always a bit iffy about body slides that involve high speed sharp turns, so it's a relief that it is not completely covered so people don't have to guess and find out what it does only upon riding it.

 

That said, I'm also not a big fan of seeing the volcano open either. It just cements the idea that the volcano is just a "facade" and kinda brings the illusion away once you're at the backside of the park or looking at it from outside. Maybe it's open to entice people that are outside the park to see what's in, but even then, it's a giant volcano. That should probably do enough attention grabbing on its own. Disney's proven that you could close off or connect the mountain to a slide and still maintain it pretty well (case in point, the enclosed slide at Disney's Polynesian resort).

 

Still, very interested in seeing how the water park looks once its open. I'm betting it'll all flesh together and look alright once people are in the park. And judging off of my experience doing numerous drops on Deep Water Dive at KK, you guys are in for a REAL treat with the drop on Ko’okiri Body Plunge! Just be weary of that climb up... it's a guaranteed adventure on its own.

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So just got back from my first park in 2 years :O and it was Universal Studios and IoA. Have to say it was a really good time. Will do a full TR soon, but did wanna make a few quick notes.

 

The lockers ugh

Metal detectors in each line hope this has not become common to all parks

Either I don't remember or Hulk has really gotten rough over these 15 years, that thing gave me some major head banging

 

Dragon Challenge however, still super smooth and I actually enjoyed blue more

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit was much better than I expected. It was faster than I thought, the helices at both ends were more forceful than I expected, the pops of airtime and non inverting loop were all more than I expected.

 

 

Mummy was unexpectedly fun as well, I actually got a surprising amount of airtime over the launched hill, and during another hill later.

Didn't even know Escape from Gringotts was a coaster. Was also quite fun.

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I've just thought, with the new Mummy movie coming out soon, what do you think are the chances that the Mummy ride will get an update?

 

I guess the success of the movie will be a factor, but even though the Brendan Fraser movies were good (well the first two) the first is almost 18 years old now, so the relevance of the franchise is fairly dated now, especially with the new film ushering in the Universal Monster's shared universe, you would think that an update for the ride would be a no-brainer, with an updated story, sets and effects.

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Either I don't remember or Hulk has really gotten rough over these 15 years, that thing gave me some major head banging

 

Hulk was torn down and completely replaced last year. It only reopened in August of 2016. It was a complete replacement there is new track, new supports, and new trains.

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I've just thought, with the new Mummy movie coming out soon, what do you think are the chances that the Mummy ride will get an update?

 

I guess the success of the movie will be a factor, but even though the Brendan Fraser movies were good (well the first two) the first is almost 18 years old now, so the relevance of the franchise is fairly dated now, especially with the new film ushering in the Universal Monster's shared universe, you would think that an update for the ride would be a no-brainer, with an updated story, sets and effects.

 

The new Kong attraction was based on the 2005 Peter Jackson movie judging by the monkey's design. And a new Kong movie came out a couple months ago and pulled in similar numbers (before inflation) at the box office and is connected to a larger movie universe.

 

I doubt there will be any change and if there is any, it'll probably be what SharkTums said. It seems like more of a Tom Cruise thing to do than Brendan Fraser anyways.

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Either I don't remember or Hulk has really gotten rough over these 15 years, that thing gave me some major head banging

 

Hulk was torn down and completely replaced last year. It only reopened in August of 2016. It was a complete replacement there is new track, new supports, and new trains.

 

Wasn't it just a new launch tunnel audio/visuals? As well as a new queue, maybe there were new trains but a complete tear down and replacement of the track? And if this was the case...they have severely screwed up because it was very rough, every non loop element thrashed me (and I'm good at holding myself straight to avoid it) and even the turns were rough. I was very excited for the ride and left with no want to ride again. If this is the result of their changes, yikes

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Here is an image which I found on google which shows what the park looked like after the demolition was complete.

 

 

If you spend a minute or two on google you can find pictures of the trains and track at a scrap yard waiting to be recycled.

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Wow.

Well, can anyone answer if Hulk was getting rough pre 2016? Because if not, they really really messed up!

Regardless, ride was very rough, very disappointing. I'd dare say Hollywood was my favorite coaster of the parks.

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The new Kong attraction was based on the 2005 Peter Jackson movie judging by the monkey's design. And a new Kong movie came out a couple months ago and pulled in similar numbers (before inflation) at the box office and is connected to a larger movie universe.

 

Isn't that due to them re-utilising the ride film from King Kong 360 3-D from Hollywood, with a few tweaks. I can just see Universal taking advantage of the new Mummy movie (providing it's a success), to make a relatively cheap makeover changing up the sets and animatronics to give the ride a fresh start. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the ride itself, and I personally wouldn't mind if it stayed as it is, but I can definitely see it happening.

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Wow.

Well, can anyone answer if Hulk was getting rough pre 2016? Because if not, they really really messed up!

Regardless, ride was very rough, very disappointing. I'd dare say Hollywood was my favorite coaster of the parks.

The New Hulk was super smooth when I rode it in Decemeber 2016...

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Isn't that due to them re-utilising the ride film from King Kong 360 3-D from Hollywood, with a few tweaks.

 

The ride film for Reign of Kong, while based on the foundation of Kong 360 in Hollywood, was fully reanimated for Orlando's attraction and there are several differences in the on-screen visuals.

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Wow.

Well, can anyone answer if Hulk was getting rough pre 2016? Because if not, they really really messed up!

Regardless, ride was very rough, very disappointing. I'd dare say Hollywood was my favorite coaster of the parks.

I recently rode Hulk, and it was extremely smooth. Do you have a very low pain tolerance? It has snappy elements, which may cause you to whack your head, but other than that, it's an amazing ride.

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Universal has sent us a press release announcing the newest house coming to Halloween Horror Nights this year!

 

For the first time ever, the psychological horror film, The Shining, will bring unspeakable terror to “Halloween Horror Nights” in terrifying new mazes opening at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood, beginning this September.

 

The twisted minds behind the nation’s best, most intense Halloween events will bring every gruesome moment and paranormal haunting that fans have seen in the film to life in original, disturbingly authentic mazes.

 

“The Shining” maze at Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights will provide guests with a unique opportunity to relive some of the film’s most iconic, and sinister, moments. While venturing through the eerie Overlook Hotel, guests will be thrust into the hotel’s tragic history of murder and madness, bearing witness to caretaker Jack Torrance’s spiraling descent into insanity. Nightmarish visions will come to life in this macabre maze, overwhelming guests with the “shine” of the murderous, ghostly entities that lurk around every turn – all while trying to escape the wrath of Jack Torrance as he violently succumbs to the hotel’s paranormal forces.

 

The Shining has been regarded as “a masterpiece of modern horror” by critics and fans alike. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, the film’s enormous influence on pop culture has been captured throughout a multitude of films, television shows, music and more since its disturbing debut in 1980.

 

Universal Studios’ “Halloween Horror Nights” is the ultimate Halloween event. For more than 20 years, guests from around the world have visited Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando and Hollywood to become victims inside their own horror film. The streets of each coast’s event are transformed into highly-themed scare zones where menacing “scare-actors” lunge from every darkened corner. Multiple movie-quality haunted houses are erected throughout the event, based on everything from iconic slasher films to hit horror television series to haunting original stories.

 

Additional details about Universal Studios’ “Halloween Horror Nights” will be revealed soon. For more information about Halloween Horror Nights at either Universal Orlando Resort or Universal Studios Hollywood, visit http://www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com.

 

 

1916726366_TheShiningisComingtoUniversalStudiosHalloweenHorrorNights.thumb.jpg.12493a2e70a85d5bdc918d313ba17099.jpg

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Yeah! Creepy AF! I have always thought The Shining and the overlook hotel would be an awesome idea for a maze.

 

If you ever go to the Stanley hotel in Colorado, the actual hotel that the Overlook is based on, you can't help but be creeped out! The place is teeming with bad vibes.

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Wow.

Well, can anyone answer if Hulk was getting rough pre 2016? Because if not, they really really messed up!

Regardless, ride was very rough, very disappointing. I'd dare say Hollywood was my favorite coaster of the parks.

I recently rode Hulk, and it was extremely smooth. Do you have a very low pain tolerance? It has snappy elements, which may cause you to whack your head, but other than that, it's an amazing ride.

 

From my experience it depends on where you sit. Sit in the front half--particularly the first three rows, and in the center--and it's B&M at their best, I daresay at least as good as anything at Busch (and that's high praise). Sit in the back few rows--mainly the outer seats--and I can agree with JJ.

 

I also don't quite buy the narrative that they were making it easier to re-theme. The old queue wasn't exactly Dueling Dragons, and given the Hulk statue (not to mention the Marvel character names on the launch tube), I think the old ride would've been at least as easy to redo.

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Yeah! Creepy AF! I have always thought The Shining and the overlook hotel would be an awesome idea for a maze.

 

If you ever go to the Stanley hotel in Colorado, the actual hotel that the Overlook is based on, you can't help but be creeped out! The place is teeming with bad vibes.

 

I have seen the Stanley on TV, but would love to go there someday!

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Yeah! Creepy AF! I have always thought The Shining and the overlook hotel would be an awesome idea for a maze.

 

If you ever go to the Stanley hotel in Colorado, the actual hotel that the Overlook is based on, you can't help but be creeped out! The place is teeming with bad vibes.

 

The book was inspired by the Stanley hotel but the movie was mainly inspired by the Ahwahnee hotel in Yosemite. Pics from the real hotel:

 

 

dsc01593.jpg

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Very intrigued on this news! I've always been interested in seeing this brought to life, and while many scenes are made for haunted house atmosphere there is also a lot more psychological fear, slow burn and atmosphere at play in the story which will hard to see crammed into a 5 minute experience. On top of that, it goes back to how I felt about the Halloween house (which was amazing) It's mostly going to be the same few characters coming at you every scare. Again, not a bad thing...the hedge maze should make for amazing scares that I'm already nervous for.

 

I do feel bad for Stephen King. I don't believe he ever had any intent on seeing his works come to life like this. He barely wanted the movie's made (and wasn't that happy to the point where he remade The shining in the 90's as a TV miniseries) I'm assuming due to the movie rights vs. book rights and the fact that this isn't based on King's novel/movie version they have gone around him to some extent. I hope not, but if that is the case I do feel a little bad for the protective artist (which he always has been, from what I've read and followed over the years they've been trying to get him and his content ever since the start of the event and other stand alone attractions, much like the hitchcock stuff)

 

Either way, This has potential to be a tremendous house...but could also fall very flat due to the hype and expectation of such a iconic horror masterpiece. The one thing I really like that I've seen here and many other places is people who have no interest in haunted houses being excited for this and making the trip. They have a winner already it seems just based on hype!

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Honestly, Shining is not a good scary movie! I feel the only reason it's popular is because it's cult following spread to the internet and it went viral. Couldn't make it 30 minutes into the film. If Universal is gonna do houses based on IPs, stick to actual HORROR films like Halloween & The Purge.

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Yeah, I'm pretty sure the Internet was the thing that made it popular. I mean, there were those millions of people who bought the book in 1977 and made it Stephen King's first bestseller, and also those millions of people who went to see the 1980 movie by the acclaimed director of Doctor Zhivago and 2001: A Space Odyssey, both of which were on AFI's list of the 100 best movies of the twentieth century--but you're right, it was definitely some people on the Internet twenty years later.

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