The Official "Use of Screenz" Thread

[belloq87]

I think your summary doesn’t give his article justice. While I question some of his support, his argument seems to be at least a big valid. Should Orlando build versions of Hollywood’s Tram Tour scenes?

I think his overall tram tour argument only holds water if you buy into his ridiculous thesis that Kongfrontation, Earthquake, and Jaws were somehow not organically expanded from their Hollywood counterparts. I believe they completely were, and improved on the Hollywood versions in every conceivable way.

 

[Mad Dog]

I wonder how much Universal paid him to write that article...

You may well be on to something. What a coincidence that he wrote that article at about the same time that you reported (on another thread) seeing Comcast Executives touring USF....Ace reporting, Nick. :toast:

 

[WAJAS]

I think his overall tram tour argument only holds water if you buy into his ridiculous thesis that Kongfrontation, Earthquake, and Jaws were somehow not organically expanded from their Hollywood counterparts. I believe they completely were, and improved on the Hollywood versions in every conceivable way.

True, I just wanted to make sure the argument was clear here.

 

[shiekra38]

In Orlando, Universal strips the ride of that "industry insider" context, opting instead to play the encounter as an actual visit to Skull Island. Universal turns Hollywood's trams into themed transport vehicles, then supplements the encounter with additional video as well as a massive Kong animatronic at the end of the ride. A richly detailed queue also helps set up the experience.

One thing he misses throughout the article is the context of the Hollywood Tram Tour and Standalone attractions in Orlando....Hollywood's Tram Tour is technically all one huge "ride" if you will...Surrounded by the Kong 360 and F&F 360 scenes are a ton of practical scenes and mini rides throughout (Earthquake for instance)....So really, the Kong and F&F part of the Tram Tour are a small fraction of the overall Tram experience

In Orlando, they are the experience dressed up a ton.

I agree that Kong is a victim of its own set up, but he has to understand why screenz are the enemy....It's the trick of sitting and starring at one for prolonged periods of time that really hurt the enjoyment of attractions

You can't fault people for being underwhelmed by Kong after seeing the rovers go by and move into a giant practical temple set....You can't fault them for expecting something more grand...

Unfortunately, in bringing Fast & Furious to Orlando, Universal lost the context that originally made the Hollywood encounter one of the best things Universal's ever produced in its parks.

Aaaaand he lost me

 

[belloq87]

Aaaaand he lost me

It's truly a quote so insane, so unhinged, so disconnected from reality that I have to believe he's having a laugh. He can't possibly, really mean that!

 

[Freak]

Fast and Furious one of the best “encounters” they’ve had at their parks???

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA NILES YOU DRUNK!

 

[tielo]

You could argue Disney has too much omnimover rides. You glide besides stages with limited moving AA's in a constant loop. The key scene's rehash an animated movie using the songs from the movie to finish the experience off. All true.
And Disney have a large amount of screen attractions. Epcot has a ton of cinema's, every park has a 4D theater. Now Disney is building almost exclusively screen rides. All based on life action popcorn movies and a lot of them on animation.

What I think is key is balance and quality. Not everyone will be able to ride a screen based simulator. But lets not forget there are great AA dark rides and bad AA dark rides too. The current 'journey into your imagination' is bad just like the Avatar boat ride and 'the little mermaid' didn't get high praise in Disneyland but still got a clone at MK where it also didn't rock the boat.
I would argue that the MIB shooter ride is a better ride than the Buzz shooter at MK and both beat the screen based Toy story Mania shooter.

What the man from Universal Creative is saying in the (daring) interview with Niles is that each ride should choose the ride system that it needs to tell the story. I would say that is true but there are many ways to tell a story. I think a ride as Spiderman couldn't be done better as is done with screens. Universal has quite a lot of successful screen based rides, some meh and few bad. Thing is balance. No animated movie ride should be using screens. Despicable Me should be a dark ride as should be Shrek. I think Secret Life of Pets was envisioned as a screen-less dark ride. Also missing is beauty in their screen rides. Not every scene should be action or explaining the story. There should be room for a breather that just is beautiful. Sure Disney overdid it with Na'vi but there is value in a breather or 2 between the action.

In the end Niles is right in saying that Universal's financial results are speaking for themselves and customer satisfaction is high. Should Universal balance their rides more, sure. I also don't think he get payed by Universal to write the article. He is trying to put another perspective on the screens discussion and it's his own opinion. Last time I checked the USA was a free country so that is great and hopefully broadens the discussion.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

I mean... I didn't want to go there, but it certainly reads like he's carrying water for somebody.

Something is up, he’s not the only one as we all can see on this forum.

 

[Mad Dog]

When someone is breathing down your neck, and perhaps the people above are considering a move or change, call in the favors......Too much coincidence for me to think everything is above board......This all seems curious to me.

 

[Bobharlem]

To be honest, Heads probably should roll for what was F&F in Orlando. Technically it was fine, and the guys working on it did ok for what they had to work with, the whole idea to use the kong vehicles as a bus in a ride that screams, well fast and furious, was just dumb.

 

[shiekra38]

You could argue Disney has too much omnimover rides. You glide besides stages with limited moving AA's in a constant loop. The key scene's rehash an animated movie using the songs from the movie to finish the experience off. All true.
And Disney have a large amount of screen attractions. Epcot has a ton of cinema's, every park has a 4D theater. Now Disney is building almost exclusively screen rides. All based on life action popcorn movies and a lot of them on animation.

Disney can do whatever they want and people eat it up...Universal does not have that luxury and has to work extra hard with a tighter budget

To be honest, Heads probably should roll for what was F&F in Orlando. Technically it was fine, and the guys working on it did ok for what they had to work with, the whole idea to use the kong vehicles as a bus in a ride that screams, well fast and furious, was just dumb.

Agreed, if you're assigned to put out a good product and a bad product is put out...Their should be some consequence...Someone needs to be held accountable for green lighting F&F...I mean, it was a potential brand tarnishing ride...

I wish they would hold themselves to the standard that Warner Brothers holds them too

 

[truejonas]

I mean, they already have though.

Earthquake, King Kong (Pre Fire) & 360 Kong (Post Fire), Jaws, and Supercharged have all been ported from Hollywood, in differentiating way's. Why should they try to remake their scenes, when they have already done that in way's that have been consistently (loose term for F&F) plussed for locations like Orlando and Osaka.

Would you really want Gasolina or Flash Flood to be turned into ride material?

Sign me up for one Flash Flood please...although we technically got that in Disaster (RIP). I could get behind a new non-IP disaster ride.

 

[Mike S]

Disney can do whatever they want and people eat it up...

DCA 1.0, Walt Disney Studios Paris, and several smaller examples of single attractions like Luigi’s Flying Tires, American Idol Experience as time went on, etc.

 

[shiekra38]

DCA 1.0, Walt Disney Studios Paris, and several smaller examples of single attractions like Luigi’s Flying Tires, American Idol Experience as time went on, etc.

Yeah, I forgot about California Adventure...What a misfire

I still think Disney can get away with more than Universal can...Screenz/omnimovers/etc included

 

[Nick]

DCA 1.0, Walt Disney Studios Paris, and several smaller examples of single attractions like Luigi’s Flying Tires, American Idol Experience as time went on, etc.

Stitches Great Escape, Jack Sparrow experience, Dino-Rama, even Toy Story Land to an extent.

 

[Mike S]

Yeah, I forgot about California Adventure...What a misfire

I still think Disney can get away with more than Universal can...Screenz/omnimovers/etc included

They get away with “screenz” because of the sheer amount they already have that isn’t “screenz.”

 

[shiekra38]

They get away with “screenz” because of the sheer amount they already have that isn’t “screenz.”

Other than Epcot's dark theaters I guess...I feel Disney will get away with screen/3D applications for a lot longer

A good test run will see be how everyone reacts to a ride like Rat, that is horribly paced and altogether dull

I'm certainly not dismissing Universal's screen issue (which I believe is more of a storytelling issue)

 

[twebber55]

Yeah, I forgot about California Adventure...What a misfire

I still think Disney can get away with more than Universal can...Screenz/omnimovers/etc included

the online community hammers disney far more than Universal in my opinion. The general public i agree

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

Other than Epcot's dark theaters I guess...I feel Disney will get away with screen/3D applications for a lot longer

A good test run will see be how everyone reacts to a ride like Rat, that is horribly paced and altogether dull

I'm certainly not dismissing Universal's screen issue (which I believe is more of a storytelling issue)

Most of the online community HAAAAAAAAAAAATES Epcot in its current form. TPR is probably the only forum where it's still talked about in a positive light.

 

[Freak]

Most of the online community HAAAAAAAAAAAATES Epcot in its current form. TPR is probably the only forum where it's still talked about in a positive light.

Well, of course it is. Talk about WDW in any negative way....BANNED.

What else would you expect from a site run by a middle-aged man who brings Ana and Elsa dolls onto the late Malestrom?