Well in design yes, but the guests ultimately decide.
Universal would say F&F is an E-ticket... but popularity suggests a C-ticket lol
DreamWorks Land coming to USF (2024)
- Thread starter Brian G.
- Start date
-
Signing up for a Premium Membership is a donation to help Inside Universal maintain costs and offers an ad-free experience on the forum. Learn more about it here.
Universal would say F&F is an E-ticket... but popularity suggests a C-ticket lol
Reality would suggest its a "doesn't exist" ticket & an earthquake or rogue Twister will take it out
- Apr 30, 2017
- 735
- 2,025
Universal’s opinion is subjective too. “E-ticket-ness” is not measurable.
Hagrid’s is an anchor attraction. The Dragon coaster isn’t going to be on the level of Hagrid’s - it will be closer to the Werewolf coaster, albeit a step up from that - a nice secondary ride.
The bigger issue is that HtTyD needs a family-friendly anchor with no height-limit. In fact, the entire park - heck, the entire resort - needs that. The lack of family-friendly rides in a park that is 3/4ths Mario, Dragon, and Potter is deeply silly.
Um....
....Yoshi, Carousel, & Dragon boats...
Dragon show, Potter show..
....Yoshi, Carousel, & Dragon boats...
Dragon show, Potter show..
Mario Kart as well....
I mean even USF has more "family available" attractions....Minions, Villain Con, Fallon, F&F, MIB, ET, Simpsons...new DW land...I mean that leaves out 4 attractions of the ones they have. Islands is a different story, I agree.
- Apr 30, 2017
- 735
- 2,025
Yes, two live shows and a handful of ancillary attractions in a park featuring overwhelmingly family-oriented properties - in a resort for a company whose most viable IPs are cartoons…
Mario Kart has a height requirement. Yoshi has an even taller height requirement.
PS: MiB, Mayhem,ET, Fallon, Simpsons, F&F - all have height requirements.
The issue with many you listed is they have height restrictions. MIB is even higher than the 40". I believe the issue is family with NO height restriction. The fact that Seuss has height restrictions for 2 of their rides is bad. Dark rides shouldn't have height restrictions.
1. Intention isn't subjective, however.
2. Just because they don't match on themeing doesn't change the fact it's the land's anchor "ride" (or as I referred to earlier, "1B"). Hulk isn't anywhere near the level of detail and theme of Hagrid's - but I'd very much call that an anchor attraction. Also comparing it closer to the Werewolf coaster is crazy talk - especially for an attraction with little to 0 intel on other than aerial construction photos.
3. I don't go to McDonald's for a Whopper. Universal isn't Disney, and Disney isn't Universal - and expecting the other to mimic each other in that regard is gonna get you nowhere. Universal caters to families with older children. They'll have stuff for little tikes but that's not what they're aiming for.
Despite target demos - It's mostly a safety thing, too.
There isn't an expectation for Universal to mimic Disney... but Universal is attempting (and is) trying to become a more family-friendly resort compared to their past... and they definitely need more attractions that are desirable for all members of the family to experience together.
Not saying they need to go on a building spree of Fantasyland-esque dark rides and Small World rides, but it would be nice if Universal gave us a nice no (or very low) height requirement dark ride for the entire family with no fear of getting motion sickness.
They may not have a dark ride coming - but the show and the boat ride should satisfy that (as well as the playground for the little ones).
- Apr 30, 2017
- 735
- 2,025
And as I’ve said before, Universals brand is now Minions, Despicable Me, Kung Fu Panda, Shrek, Puss in Boots, Bad Guys, Trolls, etc. Heck, their biggest franchises, Minions and Despicable Me, are LESS adult then Pixar and many Disney animated properties!
Universal is, for several interrelated reasons, in the unique position among Hollywood studios that they cannot revive many of what they have identified as their core franchises - Jaws, Back to the Future, ET, Hitchcock. If Paramount wants to keep Star Trek current, they can crank out another film or show. Same with Disney and Star Wars or any other studio with almost any other IP. Uni can’t - that’s one of the reasons we’re seeing the very risky attempt to revive Twister. At this point, they are arguably more reliant on animation than any other studio in town. This alone should raise real questions about the resort’s long-standing “older kids” approach.
I 100% understand they can't change the rides to lower the height limits. For me it was the choice to make those rides with those vehicles and those height restrictions. I also understand it was owned by different people and Comcast themselves would probably not make the same decisions. Just was odd choices from those owners. They could have made cars differently for both those rides and lowered the limits. I am happy to see the latest coasters not be 54" inches like VC and Starfall. So I think Comcast understands and sees the need for lower to no height limits on rides and I do think they are trying to lower the age of their demographics. Only for the understanding people don't have 1 kid. They have multiple kids that can span multiple age ranges and they need to start bringing those families in. Like myself we waited until my son was 48" to get Uni tickets. But my 13 and 9 year old would have enjoyed the park earlier we just didn't want to deal with the younger having less to do. Now we could have done it slightly earlier and if it wasn't for covid we would have probably gotten tickets at 44".
But many families I know who have kids who are teens still have Disney and not Uni tickets because of the younger kids they have that can't do as much. They are missing out on a market of families with wide ranges of ages in kids.
HTTYD is fine, the show will be a big success for family-friendly experiences. The boat ride is questionable as it's not a major ride and won't draw people who don't like getting wet.
But overall, the resort could use additional experiences that cater to everyone.
I don't disagree that Universal now caters to the entire family, and should reflect that in their park(s), but their brand is still remarkably tied to franchises like Jurassic Park/World, Fast & Furious, and Classic Monsters which all lean to older crowds.
Well, what's the argument? A major ride that appeals to all or a ride in general that appeals? Because the original argument was they need *something* for families - without the "major/anchor" connotation; and they have that *something*.
This.
And what's good for the MCU is good for MSHI.
While you're not wrong - I don't think they are missing something they aren't actively aiming for. And I say this as someone who takes their toddler to Universal weekly.
- Apr 30, 2017
- 735
- 2,025
F&F is dying quickly and its star is heavily tainted. There will be more Jurassic something, probably starring Scarlett Johansson, but it’s in a lull at the moment and we don’t know how the relaunch will do. Monsters is one of my favorite franchises, but Uni has been trying and failing spectacularly to extend its appeal beyond film geeks - Dark Universe, Renfield, Demeter, all sorts of unrealized projects… heck, go all the way back to Van Helsing.
The franchises earning Universal money, now and for the forseeable future, are overwhelmingly animated.
And this isn’t even taking into account the degree to which Universal Resorts identity is “the parks that have Harry Potter.”
My argument is that Universal doesn't offer a true "major" attraction suitable for all ages without fear of motion sickness or tall height requirements that isn't just a motion simulator.
Once we get Epic's slate of attractions, I'd argue Universal can last a few years without major thrill-ride additions and can focus on more traditional family-friendly experiences suitable for most guests to enjoy together.
Trying to make a distinction between "child-friendly" experiences specifically created for them like If I Ran The Zoo, and family experiences that cater to everyone like Pirates of the Caribbean.
This is still ongoing? Yikes... I tried to bring it back to the *checks thread title* DreamWorks Land topic..
*sigh*
*sigh*
Last edited:
I actually think they are aiming for those multi-age families. It shows with Epic, the coasters being lower heights, and with the re-do of kidzone. Even Minion land. All of it shows me they are throwing bones at the multi-age families. Where the olders are tired of Disney, but they also have younger kids. They for sure don't need to be Disney with a ton of family/toddler rides, but they do need to throw more bones to the families with older and younger kids. I do think they have and do not disagree that Epic has that. I think Epic has the mix all their parks need.
ETA: Sorry I saw the move on after posting this.
