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All things Universal Studios Hollywood
- Thread starter Darkbeer1
- Start date
coffeefan
Well-Known Member
I have a feeling it will be more popular with locals and thrill seekers than parks fans expect. The lack of theming on it won't affect is as much, because riders will literally be drifting on location in LA with views of the valley.
Professortango1
Well-Known Member
But the rest of guests who have to walk by it and see it...the lack of themeing will affect that experience. Ugly coaster squashed between retaining walls over dirt with bad capacity. Universal could have built a high capacity darkride that improved the park, instead we get uglification and longer lines. Yay. I'm so excited.
Nirya
Well-Known Member
I feel Harry Potter and Nintendo were much faster builds, but that may be me misremembering.
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
Can’t say I’m excited about it. Impressed they were able to build something like this on that hillside but ideally this would have been built after a family friendly coaster and dark ride. Our USH passes are expiring in a few days. I’ll be officially pass-less for all and any So Cal parks for the first time in a while. I think we only used our USH passes like 5 times over the last year. Thought for sure the coaster would have opened before our passes expired.
As far as the uglification yes the park was more aesthetically pleasing before. The giant trees and planters in front of the Animal Actors stage and hillside with greenery were better than the brick building with graffiti and steel coaster with giant tarped scream walls. Not to mention some of the sight lines now around the park but it’s not as bad as I thought it could have been. I’m glad it only wraps around that first escalator and the views of the golf course/ Burbank from the second escalator going down have not changed. Meaning to say the best views, sightlines of the park have not changed.
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coffeefan
Well-Known Member
I'll reserve judgment until I see it in person. But I'm not aware of any legion of park guests upset about it being on the hill and going above the Starway.
Professortango1
Well-Known Member
Is anybody looking at that mess and thinking "yeah, that looks really pleasant and picturesque?
coffeefan
Well-Known Member
Professortango1
Well-Known Member
From what I've seen, people like looking at the cars drift by.
Because staring at the mess of steel and dirt isn't a choice for anyone. The cars are the only things to look at.
DL-fan
Well-Known Member
Yea im not too excited for this either, reminds me of West Coast Racers at Six Flags with no show scenes which is kind of sad since this is Universal.
It is crazy that this coaster has been in construction for so long and to this day there is still no opening date…
It is crazy that this coaster has been in construction for so long and to this day there is still no opening date…
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denyuntilcaught
Well-Known Member
Having just visited USH a week or two ago, I'm more of the consensus that the roller coaster looks pretty cool sitting on the hillside. The element swooping over the escalator gives the area some nice kinetic energy, and standing in the Lower Lot looking upwards, the whole thing looks imposing and thrilling in the right way.
It's not like USH has ever knocked it out of the park when it came to views and sightlines in the first place. The best view in the entire park...is the view of the world outside of the park, and that remains.
It's not like USH has ever knocked it out of the park when it came to views and sightlines in the first place. The best view in the entire park...is the view of the world outside of the park, and that remains.
eddie104
Well-Known Member
Universal builds bare bone coasters this is nothing new.
That’s been their model for decades now and the fans love it. Thrill seekers could give a rats a** about theming.
I mean Fast and Furious doesn’t lend itself too much elaborate rock work or anything like that either so I didn’t expect them to do much.
That’s been their model for decades now and the fans love it. Thrill seekers could give a rats a** about theming.
I mean Fast and Furious doesn’t lend itself too much elaborate rock work or anything like that either so I didn’t expect them to do much.
Professortango1
Well-Known Member
It would been cool to have them racing through a themed set of alleys and show scenes.
And The Mummy (Orlando) is my favourite indoor coaster and is incredibly well themed throughout. Same with Gringotts.
Theme park implies thematic inclusion is prioritized. Amusement park implies physical thrills are the focus. If Universal wants to be a theme park, they should stick to that. If they want to be another Six Flags. then stick to that.
Could they make a themed version of a F & F coaster experience for their movie Theme Park? Yes. But instead we get the Amusement Park version.
They give us less than their title promises and your rebuttal is: people are okay with lesser park experiences. Duh. Six Flags exists. I just don't visit there. And if Universal wants to be a Six Flags, I just won't visit those parks either.
denyuntilcaught
Well-Known Member
In all fairness, doesn't The Mummy start incredibly well-themed before essentially tossing you into a black box?
I think Universal has always straddled the line between thrill and immersion and that's given them the opportunity to build something relatively bare bones like F&F:HD.
Professortango1
Well-Known Member
It starts well themed, then you get a fake exit platform (well themed), then shoot through the themed mouth of Imotep into the bowels of hell. The whole experience is like Rock'n Rollercoaster if Disney had built show scenes and sequences rather than just cut-outs.
And this new coaster isn't straddling the line, it is firmly in Six Flags territory of coaster design. Stradling the line would be if they had sequences where cars on Kuka arms almost seem to collide with us as we drift around, barrels and junk is impacted and reacts, and the space is themed to LA streets.
I think this coaster is gonna be one of the most popular rides in the park and looks great! I know its not themed but its a massive outdoor coaster and theres only so much they can do on this plot of land. Seems like a great use of what was an unused and unnaccessable hillside. I like how the cars go over the escalator and rotate and the views will be incredible.
Now the USH got the massive coaster (and basically on site hotel) checked off, hopefully they can focus on darkrides and redo Simpsons land + expansion.
Now the USH got the massive coaster (and basically on site hotel) checked off, hopefully they can focus on darkrides and redo Simpsons land + expansion.
Professortango1
Well-Known Member
They would have to add a lot of charm to counteract this ugly mess. They made the park experience quite a bit worse for guests with this. That means they have even more to counteract the issues USH has. I just don't see them doing that.
i disagree but we all have our opinions!
Professortango1
Well-Known Member
I'm just speaking for me and my wallet. Universal's recent addition made the park a place I'm far less likely to spend money to visit. Or spend time there when visiting.
But keep chasing 12 year old boys, Universal. I hear they have a ton of money to spend at theme parks...I mean, amusement parks.
D.Silentu
Well-Known Member
You’re talking about the version we wish we had in California.