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Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts

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OU just posted this on their twitter account. Now we're talking.

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Wonderful to see the waits reducing over time! I can't wait to go back this week. My first experience was lovely despite a quick stop while onthe ride, and we can't wait to try it again!
 
Looks like universal is getting its act together. Possible the lack of real softs caused so many issues. I hope they learned their lesson
 
I wouldn't judge the waits for today, right now all of orlando is experiencing the World Cup effect, wait till tomorrow.
 
Looks like universal is getting its act together. Possible the lack of real softs caused so many issues. I hope they learned their lesson

I would guess that this is indeed the case. Reports are now that when you get off the elevator.. there's little/no line going up the stairs. Good to hear.
 
Wow...pretty good and clear POV because I can't tell where the sets starts and the screen ends at all. Do not watch if you don't want to spoil the ride for yourself.

[video=youtube;WlEcQ6DxNoc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlEcQ6DxNoc[/video]
 
Sooo...we are complaing about the fact that fat people cant ride the ride and universal should take that into consideration when designing their attractions?
 
Sooo...we are complaing about the fact that fat people cant ride the ride and universal should take that into consideration when designing their attractions?

We're not talking about 400 pound people who need wheelchairs to move. I just don't think people being turned away is a good thing, it isn't like this ride is a thrill machine that requires these crazy tight restraints either. I think they could easily mess with it a bit and make restraints that allow bigger people to ride.
 
While its not super crazy in the motion department I feel like they have to be somewhat secure because the vehicles are open on the sides combined with the spinning. On spiderman or transformers you cannot get thrown out because of the door whereas if the restraints was loose enough or maybe designed in a more generous way I could see smaller people sliding out the sides since the seats aren't that deep. We just now live in a time where Universal needs to cover their asses and would rather turn people away over risking injury, death, or lawsuits.
 
Wow...pretty good and clear POV because I can't tell where the sets starts and the screen ends at all. Do not watch if you don't want to spoil the ride for yourself.

[video=youtube;WlEcQ6DxNoc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlEcQ6DxNoc[/video]

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
 
Heavy spoilers. Ok I found the coolest POV video yet! This one is shot from towards the back of the train, and it's the first one I've seen that really shows the movement of the ride vehicles. For example, during the Thief's Downfall scene the trolls pick up the cart and move it around, then you spin and face a different screen for the freefall portion. It also gives the best look so far at the physical vault scene, WOW those are huge sets on both sides of the track! The lava scene has an extremely large wrap-around screen and the dragon pulling you through the screen looks incredible. This video occasionally gives you glimpses facing backwards, not just at the screen. It also shows off the physical sets surrounding the screens instead of just giving you a closeup of the 3D projections.

[video=youtube;boH4D5pQmWI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boH4D5pQmWI[/video]
 
Gringotts Review - Non Spoilers

I rode Gringotts on the 11th and I must say that after waiting 2 and a half hours to ride I was very pleased with the result. This ride really opens a new chapter in Universal history. I understand the nostalgia factor with Spiderman and the famous first screen scene, however, I truly feel like Gringotts is a preview of what is to come from Universal in the next few years. The whole experience is very detailed and multi-sensory. Read below for my thoughts..overall I enjoyed the ride, but the line and constant breakdowns really left a bad taste in my mouth, and I can only imagine what guests who had no idea what was going on thought...

Gringotts Review - Warning Spoilers!

Queue : The queue is beautiful and much larger than I thought it would be. Plus the detail is phenomenal (trust me I spent a while in it to take it all in). The ceiling in the goblin room is so tall and the room is expansive and grand, it is truly larger than life. The first pre-show is similar to Disaster’s pre-show...the audio is turned down way too low to hear for some reason so I have no idea what was said, but it looked nice I guess. The elevator was a huge surprise! I was expecting something similar to MIB, vibrating floor and lighting effects..what I got was projection and bouncy floor effects, loved it and really was taken by surprise when the walls started to move.

Ride : All I can say about the ride is prepare for sensory overload. Now the overload is different then Forbidden Journey where too much is going on at once to really focus, here the overload comes from the ride being unpredictable and not knowing what the car is going to do next. The teeter totter at the beginning really got me as I thought to myself “There is no way that this car is going to fit in that tiny tunnel,” then, bam, we flew down the incline. Overall the sets are beautiful and the projection is crystal clear, and big, I mean the scenes are massive and for some reason feel bigger and more expansive than say, Transformers. Perhaps because you are literally engulfed in the projection and the sharpness mixed with the 3-D really is incredible enough to convince you that you are careening through the vaults..plus the gigantic sets really help to convince you as well. I read somewhere that someone was complaining about the ride just being screens...this is not true. While the ride has no animatronics, it certainly has huge areas of beautifully done set work (which Universal excels at). Honestly the best part of the ride is when you careen through one of the projection screens and launch while spinning, it’s a tremendous experience.

Final Thoughts : Gringotts, as I’ve said, ushers in a new era of attractions for Universal. From the sets to the pre-shows to the ride itself, everything about this screams ambitious. While Spiderman will always hold a special place in our heart this ride aims to quickly become the new favorite in town...I loved it...don’t let the wait kill your experience!
 
Took advantage of the shorter wait times and went to ride it today (via single rider line)..it was about an hour wait.

My impressions are that it deserves the praise that is heaped on it. The thing that jumped out at me the most is how believable the projections were. Very clear and crisp. I can see myself riding this every time I go.

I guess if I had to give it an off the cuff description is that it's like the Spider-Man and Mummy rides got together and did bath salts (obviously don't take that too seriously lol)
 
While its not super crazy in the motion department I feel like they have to be somewhat secure because the vehicles are open on the sides combined with the spinning. On spiderman or transformers you cannot get thrown out because of the door whereas if the restraints was loose enough or maybe designed in a more generous way I could see smaller people sliding out the sides since the seats aren't that deep. We just now live in a time where Universal needs to cover their asses and would rather turn people away over risking injury, death, or lawsuits.

then I guess the question is why they wouldn't put doors on the ride so that everyone could get it it... I don't know, I do think it is kind of sad to wait for so long only to be turned away. Specially if your group gets to ride and you have to wait for them. that must be awful.