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

[FeelTheFORCE]

It's all up to you, really. Highly debatable, though. I can see the arguments for both sides.

[VegasBaby]

^Its the same experience, so no. And this is coming from someone who counts the floorless conversions as new credits.

 

I would agree with you that it's not a new credit since nothing really changed. And yes, I count floorless conversions as new credits too.

[CoasterDirected]

I'm torn on it because I don't count conversions or relocations because it's "same track, same credit" but with Hulk it is nearly the same ride experience even though its a new track. I'm just gonna wait until I ride it and decide if it was different enough from when I rode it a few years ago.

[robbalvey]

So have we heard if anything will be put in place to cover the back side of the mountain at Volcano Bay?

I'm hearing that, aside from the scaffolding on the side of the mountain and the cranes, that this is how the backside of the mountain is going to look. Has anyone heard anything more? Thoughts on this?

[RollerManic]

So have we heard if anything will be put in place to cover the back side of the mountain at Volcano Bay?

I'm hearing that, aside from the scaffolding on the side of the mountain and the cranes, that this is how the backside of the mountain is going to look. Has anyone heard anything more? Thoughts on this?

It will be open. Personally, I like it like this. The mess of slides in there is seriously impressive (and under construction, it looks really rustic and bada$$ with the tarps over the slide pieces, but those won't last )

 

[michaellynn4]

I'm not sure that's the best choice. While I agree that it looks cool to see inside the structure like that while under construction, I feel leaving it permanently open like that diminishes it a little. To me, it creates too much of a "peaking behind the curtain" experience, much more so than I tend to expect from the large Florida parks. It's admittedly a minor complaint, but I think it'd look better completely covered.

[Nrthwnd]

If they could have covered that entire back area with a kind of luminescent suncreen cover,

that could be seen through, but not clearly. Like looking into it's guts, so to speak. And if

the attraction is opened into the evening, the lighting of it's "innards" could be very cool.

[robbalvey]

It will be open.

That's disappointing. It looks REALLY "unfinished" and maybe it will look better, but with as much as they are pushing this park on its "theming" and how it will be on par with Universal and IOA, and even implying on par with the Disney parks, I personally think leaving a giant hole full of slide structures doesn't look amazing.

 

Maybe it's also that we were just at Yas Waterworld in Abu Dhabi where they also have a giant themed structure in the middle of their park with slides coming off of it and the theming there was seriously insane. Aside from the coaster track & supports, everything else is themed including putting rock work around the slide supports and the stair cases. In fact, if it were up to me, I'd remove the coaster so that it didn't look as out of place with the rest of the theming!

 

[A.J.]

I don't know, I think I kind of like the "exposed arteries" look, but it definitely breaks with the immersion that they were going for. Perhaps there's an interesting light show that will happen inside at night.

[RollerManic]

I would have liked to see them enclose the volcano and make it into a indoor water park if sorts. Imagine entering the volcano from the bottom and looking up to see thar mess of slides!

 

I think that would have been the best of both worlds; keep the guts hidden but still be able to show off the cool mess of tubes inside.

[Morgan]

I guess one reason for leaving it open would be to allow visitors to be able to see the slides contained within. I imagine there would be either people unsure whether to ride a slide if they couldn't see what it's like first, or some people that would get a nasty surprise from doing a slide they weren't prepared for. I just hope that the stair and platform structures that are on show receive some theming to help them blend in.

[DirkFunk]

I know they've been testing a lot of waterfalls on this thing, but there's also the possibility that some of the stair structures go up through there and have all sorts of themed elements. Also, keeping the mountain somewhat open means you might actually be able to replace one of the slides/easily repair them, unlike Blizzard Beach (where Summitt Plummet/Slush Gusher keep going down due to all sorts of issues they can't fully rectify).

[Henry M]

I have no clue what will go on that side, but a huge glass structure with a waterfall flowing down the side would be cool.

[Hilltopper39]

If it does stay exposed it will be interesting what kind of vantage points you have of that area from inside the park at ground level. I still don't really have a grasp on just how big the mountain is or where all of the guest areas are located but on the backside with the lazy river up near the base and and all of the tropical foliage they're installing maybe you don't ever really get a clear view of the "exposed" inside until you taking the stair towers up to the slides.

 

Even that picture Robb posted looks to have been taken from above the roof line of a building outside of the park, so maybe the vantage points from the base up in the real guest areas "feel" different.

 

I know there are supposed to be some thematic elements built into the lazy rivers here and there but it would be kinda cool to float through the middle of the volcano and look up to see a mess of slides a hundred feet above your head.

[robbalvey]

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.

Edited April 18, 2017 by robbalvey

[robbalvey]

unlike Blizzard Beach (where Summitt Plummet/Slush Gusher keep going down due to all sorts of issues they can't fully rectify).

Weird. I have never been to the park and seen those two slides closed and this is the first I've ever heard about any issues at all with them.

[DirkFunk]

unlike Blizzard Beach (where Summitt Plummet/Slush Gusher keep going down due to all sorts of issues they can't fully rectify).

Weird. I have never been to the park and seen those two slides closed and this is the first I've ever heard about any issues at all with them.

 

The longest span was last year for 6 weeks:

 

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-disney-summit-plummet-open-20160502-story.html

[robbalvey]

unlike Blizzard Beach (where Summitt Plummet/Slush Gusher keep going down due to all sorts of issues they can't fully rectify).

Weird. I have never been to the park and seen those two slides closed and this is the first I've ever heard about any issues at all with them.

 

The longest span was last year for 6 weeks:

 

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-disney-summit-plummet-open-20160502-story.html

So the park has been open for 22 years and the slides were down for 6 weeks due to a maintenance issue is a problem because.... ?

 

Seriously though, we probably have people in town about once every other month who visit Blizzard Beach since we moved out here and not once have I heard someone say those slides were closed and they have never been closed on any of our personal visits. I can't see how this is even an issue or why it's being brought up other than someone purposely searching for a reason to slam Disney on something that's not really an issue. The idea that a ride or a slide would break down and need maintenance after 20 years of operation is not outside of the norm for theme park attractions in the slightest.

Edited April 18, 2017 by robbalvey

[Satans Hockey]

I'm still really curious to see how they end up trying to hid i-4 from when you're inside the park. I really didn't realize how it's directly next to it until I actually drove by.

[DirkFunk]

unlike Blizzard Beach (where Summitt Plummet/Slush Gusher keep going down due to all sorts of issues they can't fully rectify).

Weird. I have never been to the park and seen those two slides closed and this is the first I've ever heard about any issues at all with them.

 

The longest span was last year for 6 weeks:

 

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-disney-summit-plummet-open-20160502-story.html

So the park has been open for 22 years and the slides were down for 6 weeks due to a maintenance issue is a problem because.... ?

 

Seriously though, we probably have people in town about once every other month who visit Blizzard Beach since we moved out here and not once have I heard someone say those slides were closed and they have never been closed on any of our personal visits. I can't see how this is even an issue or why it's being brought up other than someone purposely searching for a reason to slam Disney on something that's not really an issue. The idea that a ride or a slide would break down and need maintenance after 20 years of operation is not outside of the norm for theme park attractions in the slightest.

 

It's not a slam. But when you fully enclose all the good stuff, it makes it a lot tougher to remove/alter/fix "the good stuff" later. Wild Wadi doesn't embed all their stuff either, which is how they were able to replace existing slides with trap doors a couple of years back.

[Apollo von Sol]

It's not a slam. But when you fully enclose all the good stuff, it makes it a lot tougher to remove/alter/fix "the good stuff" later. Wild Wadi doesn't embed all their stuff either, which is how they were able to replace existing slides with trap doors a couple of years back.

 

I didn't view your post as a slam on Disney either. It actually does raise a valid and legitimate point, it may as well be for that reason, maintenance. Water slides DO need re-surfacing from time to time. Even my home park, Valleyfair, had to resurface their brand new slide one (or two) years after opening because there was a gap between slide joints and it was hurting a lot of guests back when they went over this joint. New technology is also another good point, having the volcano open on one side makes it easier to add in "new technology" if they wish to upgrade the slides at a future dates like the drop pods example you used, maybe not now, but 10 years down the line, and if the volcano was completely enclosed, it would have to be expensive and time consuming to replace the technology. Or it may as well be simple as having the slides exposed for the guests to see and get a better idea of what they can expect while riding the slide, just like a roller coaster enthusiast studies the layout of the ride before they get on to know what they can expect.

[robbalvey]

I give up. I really don't understand how people continue to bash Disney for things yet let Universal slide on others. I simply don't agree with it and I just have to leave it at that...

[Hilltopper39]

New technology is also another good point, having the volcano open on one side makes it easier to add in "new technology" if they wish to upgrade the slides at a future dates like the drop pods example you used, maybe not now, but 10 years down the line, and if the volcano was completely enclosed, it would have to be expensive and time consuming to replace the technology.

 

Or they could design in access points to help with maintenance in the future.

[dreynolds1982]

So I'm correct that the open side is the backside of the Volcano, correct? To me that seems to negate any perceived intentional reason like them wanting people to be "wow'd" by the mess of slides inside. There may very well be some technical/maintenance reason for leaving it open as well. However, given the placing on the backside it just seems like budget cutting/lazy theming to me.

 

Just IMHO though and like I said, maybe they have a valid reason for doing it. Personally I don't like it. Think it would not only look better thematically but could have been a much better, more immersive experience for guests climbing up into the volcano to get on the slides. Could have done some cool interior things with lighting, fake lava, etc. that you can't really do as effectively with that open.

[jray21]

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.