King Kong Speculation Thread

[Teebin]

Tearing down the whole building? Is it for the rumored F&F attraction? I'm eagerly hoping its not like the one proposed in Hollywood

Yes, that and the entire Beetlejuice area. I would imagine the SF facades will possibly remain. But that is just a guess on my part.

 

[sjago13]

So are we anticipating kong to be divulged whenever they announce the 25th anniversary stuff or possibly have an event on the anniversary and announce it then and show off an exclusive trailer and let everyone "ride" it with occulus?

As for earthquake. It died to me when the rebranded it. I like the pre show stuff but the cameras and the lights and the director telling us to scream takes the sense of place out of that ride. It use to feel like u were really in a subway station going to ****.

 

[IAmFloridaBorn]

So are we anticipating kong to be divulged whenever they announce the 25th anniversary stuff or possibly have an event on the anniversary and announce it then and show off an exclusive trailer and let everyone "ride" it with occulus?

As for earthquake. It died to me when the rebranded it. I like the pre show stuff but the cameras and the lights and the director telling us to scream takes the sense of place out of that ride. It use to feel like u were really in a subway station going to ****.

Same here. I have no love for Disaster. Earthquake however, was one of my favorite attractions.

 

[Disneyhead]

I loved Earthquake. I also enjoy Disaster!, but that whole trick is getting old. Bring on more new stuff!

 

[UK-Trigg]

I loved Earthquake. I also enjoy Disaster!, but that whole trick is getting old. Bring on more new stuff!

Disisater holds special memeories for e and my family, I treated my Mum to an Orlando trip to see the mouse (shes a huge Disney Fan) but also took her over to Uni where we managed to get her picked for the role as the old lady. Mum is quite shy so the whole experience of seeing her up on stage "acting" before getting turned into nothing more than a skeleton was something else, and a moment never to be forgotten. Shame they didn't sell the videos.

As Disney says though it is getting and time for something new, as much as I love the attraction and the memories that come with I think its time has come.

The way Uni are building attractions these days I have the up most confidence that they will build us something bigger and better so that even more memories can be created. I will be over the pond in July and September and I hope that I get chance for one last run through before they finally draw the curtains on Disaster.

 

[UNIrd]

As Disney says though it is getting and time for something new, as much as I love the attraction and the memories that come with I think its time has come.

Ah, Disneyhead. I was like Disney says that? Really?

 

[Teebin]

Has Peter Jackson ever been on property at UOR? I don't believe that he has but I am not sure. I only know that a few of you here will know conclusively.

Perhaps he is one of the rare occasions that UC flies to Los Angeles to meet with him?

 

[Disneyhead]

Has Peter Jackson ever been on property at UOR? I don't believe that he has but I am not sure. I only know that a few of you here will know conclusively.

Perhaps he is one of the rare occasions that UC flies to Los Angeles to meet with him?

Or New Zealand.

For research, you know, just in case.

 

[Teebin]

This may be already known by most of you, but I will add to it a bit. The synopsis of the big projection scene will be exactly the same as Hollywood except that it will be rerendered with particular elements changed to mirror the Orlando ride (which will be markedly different). We can already see that the Orlando version will be a whole lot more than it's Hollywood neighbor, but it seems everyone UC has been "programmed" to say that it will be exactly the same, even though they contradict this with further descriptions of additional scenes. The 50' facade and mega show building contradicts this all by itself.

I offer this up to let you know that F&F seems to be discussed the same way... that it will use the already filmed elements of Hollywood's. While this is fine and dandy, it doesn't sync up completely with the rumored dimensions in Orlando; that like Kong, it will be bigger and more fleshed out. Let us hope this is true.

 

[Disneyhead]

This may be already known by most of you, but I will add to it a bit. The synopsis of the big projection scene will be exactly the same as Hollywood except that it will be rerendered with particular elements changed to mirror the Orlando ride (which will be markedly different). We can already see that the Orlando version will be a whole lot more than it's Hollywood neighbor, but it seems everyone UC has been "programmed" to say that it will be exactly the same, even though they contradict this with further descriptions of additional scenes. The 50' facade and mega show building contradicts this all by itself.

I offer this up to let you know that F&F seems to be discussed the same way... that it will use the already filmed elements of Hollywood's. While this is fine and dandy, it doesn't sync up completely with the rumored dimensions in Orlando; that like Kong, it will be bigger and more fleshed out. Let us hope this is true.

And yet include the major 3d aspects from Hollywood.

Yeah, more 3D!!!!!!

 

[belloq87]

This may be already known by most of you, but I will add to it a bit. The synopsis of the big projection scene will be exactly the same as Hollywood except that it will be rerendered with particular elements changed to mirror the Orlando ride (which will be markedly different). We can already see that the Orlando version will be a whole lot more than it's Hollywood neighbor, but it seems everyone UC has been "programmed" to say that it will be exactly the same, even though they contradict this with further descriptions of additional scenes. The 50' facade and mega show building contradicts this all by itself.

I offer this up to let you know that F&F seems to be discussed the same way... that it will use the already filmed elements of Hollywood's. While this is fine and dandy, it doesn't sync up completely with the rumored dimensions in Orlando; that like Kong, it will be bigger and more fleshed out. Let us hope this is true.

I don't mean to derail this Kong thread, but the implication here would be that F&F is indeed very much on the table for the Disaster/San Fran plot, correct? If true (and if, as you say, it's going to be heavily influenced by what's coming to the Hollywood park), then that's kind of a bummer. It's too bad that we'd be losing one of the few big-scale practical experiences left in the park for another one of Universal's patented screen-heavy rides. Ditto for the supposed Twister replacement, which by all accounts sounds like it's either going to be a theater show or some kind of simulator.

I'm not a screens hater by any means (I regard Spidey as the greatest and most exciting ride on the planet), but at some point enough's enough. Is Universal ever going to build another classic style dark ride, or should we expect every new ride they build to be one of these mega fast-paced blockbuster e-tickets that can seemingly only be achieved through heavy screen work? Would that not result in a studios park that offers just many variations on the same basic type of experience? Even just strictly talking about F&F, it feels like a Kong: 360 style experience (which Hollywood's F&F appears to be heavily influenced by) would not even come close to making full use of the franchise's attraction potential.

Anyway, sorry for the derail. I've been mostly lurking in the shadows on this board, but I'm going to try to make an effort to engage more!

 

[Miketheboss]

I don't mean to derail this Kong thread, but the implication here would be that F&F is indeed very much on the table for the Disaster/San Fran plot, correct? If true (and if, as you say, it's going to be heavily influenced by what's coming to the Hollywood park), then that's kind of a bummer. It's too bad that we'd be losing one of the few big-scale practical experiences left in the park for another one of Universal's patented screen-heavy rides. Ditto for the supposed Twister replacement, which by all accounts sounds like it's either going to be a theater show or some kind of simulator.

I'm not a screens hater by any means (I regard Spidey as the greatest and most exciting ride on the planet), but at some point enough's enough. Is Universal ever going to build another classic style dark ride, or should we expect every new ride they build to be one of these mega fast-paced blockbuster e-tickets that can seemingly only be achieved through heavy screen work? Would that not result in a studios park that offers just many variations on the same basic type of experience? Even just strictly talking about F&F, it feels like a Kong: 360 style experience (which Hollywood's F&F appears to be heavily influenced by) would not even come close to making full use of the franchise's attraction potential.

Anyway, sorry for the derail. I've been mostly lurking in the shadows on this board, but I'm going to try to make an effort to engage more!

I agree, if universal adds F&F I would flip. I'm tired of screen based rides. Universal uploaded their Super bowel commercial, and everyone in the comments are saying the same thing. Its enough.

 

[DragonSlayer]

Is Universal ever going to build another classic style dark ride[...]?

I think every person who asks this question already knows the answer.

 

[quinnmac000]

The rides not even out yet and its part of the tram tour instead of a full fledge ride that UO is supposedly getting. Why don't you wait for the one in LA to come? You also don't know the practical effects that will be in used. Not every ride does well in dark ride style. Nor do you know the screen based effects they will use for the ride.

I get the want for dark rides however they tend not to be highly feasible for fast paced rides and the upkeep of them takes a lot more down time than screen based rides.

 

[belloq87]

The rides not even out yet and its part of the tram tour instead of a full fledge ride that UO is supposedly getting. Why don't you wait for the one in LA to come? You also don't know the practical effects that will be in used. Not every ride does well in dark ride style. Nor do you know the screen based effects they will use for the ride.

I get the want for dark rides however they tend not to be highly feasible for fast paced rides and the upkeep of them takes a lot more down time than screen based rides.

That's fair enough. I was basing my opinion of the upcoming F&F component of the tram tour based on Robert Niles' write-up of it after last night's TV spot arrived online; Niles' description very much makes it sound like just a slightly souped up version of King Kong: 360-3D. However, I'll reserve judgment until it's actually open.

As for your statement about dark rides, it's absolutely true that they are not ideal for the kind of fast-paced e-tickets Universal has been building of late... but why is that the only type of ride they seem interested in building at the moment? This isn't me not liking that kind of ride, this is me wanting there to always be a lot of variety in the offerings, especially in the studios park (as IOA, I feel, does have a great balance of classic dark rides, coasters, boat rides, and fast-paced hybrid simulator/dark ride mega e-tickets). If every ride they build is going to be a variation on the Spidey or Gringotts ethos, couldn't that diminish the "WOW" factor that that kind of ride experience can offer? When every new ride is like that, it might not feel too special anymore.

 

[quinnmac000]

That's fair enough. I was basing my opinion of the upcoming F&F component of the tram tour based on Robert Niles' write-up of it after last night's TV spot arrived online; Niles' description very much makes it sound like just a slightly souped up version of King Kong: 360-3D. However, I'll reserve judgment until it's actually open.

As for your statement about dark rides, it's absolutely true that they are not ideal for the kind of fast-paced e-tickets Universal has been building of late... but why is that the only type of ride they seem interested in building at the moment? This isn't me not liking that kind of ride, this is me wanting there to always be a lot of variety in the offerings, especially in the studios park (as IOA, I feel, does have a great balance of classic dark rides, coasters, boat rides, and fast-paced hybrid simulator/dark ride mega e-tickets). If every ride they build is going to be a variation on the Spidey or Gringotts ethos, couldn't that diminish the "WOW" factor that that kind of ride experience can offer? When every new ride is like that, it might not feel too special anymore.

I wouldn't worry too much about that as there are still many more things that can be done. It just needs the right IP to tell the story.

 

[Alicia]

As much as I like dark rides, and I really do, they just do not lend themselves well to film adaptations. Creating animatronic characters that seem lifelike is a lot easier for cartoon characters or things we haven't seen before in the flesh. The police officers in the ET ride look like mannequins on a swivel base, but the aliens look fine to me.

You go and try to add celebrities to a dark ride and you end up with Ellen's Universe of Energy: a creepy animatronic that not only doesn't look like a real person, but certainly doesn't look like Ellen. I can't even imagine how silly the HP rides would've been if we had robot people on brooms "flying" by on wires ala the cow from Twister style. It would've been laughable, and rightly so.

So, yea Universal gets a lot of crap for relying too heavily on screens, but sometimes that's best way to bring a franchise with recognizable actors to life.

 

[MissyKrissy]

You go and try to add celebrities to a dark ride and you end up with Ellen's Universe of Energy: a creepy animatronic that not only doesn't look like a real person, but certainly doesn't look like Ellen. I can't even imagine how silly the HP rides would've been if we had robot people on brooms "flying" by on wires ala the cow from Twister style. It would've been laughable, and rightly so.

Is this actually supposed to be Ellen? I am cringing and laughing at the same time. That's almost an insult!

 

[JungleSkip]

Ah a SCREENZ discussion.

Because those never go out of style.

 

[belloq87]

Ah a SCREENZ discussion.

Because those never go out of style.

Not a screens discussion so much as a discussion of Universal building the same basic kind of attraction over and over (put you in front of video and move you around, OR move you around from video to video) to the point that uniqueness and variety in park offerings is affected. Assuming (and this is a big assumption) that Twister gets the Fallon theater/simulator thing, and that F&F comes to Frisco in an altered form of the Hollywood version, that would leave only Mummy, Men In Black, E.T., and Horror Makeup as the lone experiences that are primarily tangible and physical.

Again, I don't dislike screens at all (and Kong sounds like it's going to be the best of all possible worlds), but when I take somebody to the park and that person's basic reaction to Gringotts is "It was fun, but I feel like between Spider-Man, Forbidden Journey, the Mummy, and Transformers that I'd already kind of ridden it," I think it's valid to discuss. That's anecdotal, of course, and maybe nobody else is bothered by it, but I don't think it's quite fair to write it off as "Oh, you just don't like screens. Get over it." I love Spider-Man, and I love Forbidden Journey, but that doesn't mean in ten years I want the Universal parks to be full of variants of those rides.