CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular

[DOOMBOT]

I can understand the timing argument. That makes sense, and I certainly wouldn't want to be the Ops TM corralling the Mardi Gras parade crowds as they pack into the Lagoon viewing area each night.

(... But, Disney can apparently handle it with Fantasmic and has been doing that for close to 40 years, and even USF has got the equally uncomfortable Nightmare Fuel squeeze down to a science and they do that show like 18x a week or something, so .)

I also entirely agree with @Mad Dog that a park like USF is only better with CineSational operational. There is an entire park day to engage with Mardi Gras activities (which themselves really aren't that demanding imo) before capping off the night with the parade and CineSational, which still have a solid 30 to 60 minutes of buffer time between each other.

CineSational (along with Dreamworks) were the big expansion projects of 2024 for UOR, and that show is one of the very best things on offer in a park that is currently one of the worst in the area. It's just unfortunate to see it underutilized.

 

[Brian G.]

Alright, now that I'm home and free from distractions, I can type better

First, let me make clear that I agree that USF is better with CineSational running and love to see it used more overall. I'm not trying to say you're wrong for wanting it, but just explaining the UO perception to the best of my knowledge.

I can understand the timing argument. That makes sense, and I certainly wouldn't want to be the Ops TM corralling the Mardi Gras parade crowds as they pack into the Lagoon viewing area each night.

(... But, Disney can apparently handle it with Fantasmic and has been doing that for close to 40 years, and even USF has got the equally uncomfortable Nightmare Fuel squeeze down to a science and they do that show like 18x a week or something, so .)

I also entirely agree with @Mad Dog that a park like USF is only better with CineSational operational. There is an entire park day to engage with Mardi Gras activities (which themselves really aren't that demanding imo) before capping off the night with the parade and CineSational, which still have a solid 30 to 60 minutes of buffer time between each other.

Fantasmic works because Hollywood Studios is structured around that nighttime flow; it’s the anchor that pulls people to Hollywood Blvd at the end of the night. CineSational isn’t playing that same role during Mardi Gras, at least in Universal’s eyes (and FWIW, Disneyland currently treats Fantasmic as a seasonal nighttime offering). Nightmare Fuel works differently because it’s repeatable and contained; guests can choose which showtime they want throughout the night. Mardi Gras and CineSational would be two large, fixed events back-to-back.

With a 7pm parade, an 8:30 or 9pm CineSational, and a 9pm park close, the last 2-3 hours become securing a parade spot, immediately relocating to secure another spot, and losing time that would otherwise be spent riding attractions or visiting food booths.

It seems like Universal is trying to avoid pushing guests into a “pick one” scenario and would prefer them to roam, eat, and stay engaged with the event. Especially during a slower season, keeping guests fluid is likely the best option, and they probably have internal data that reflects that.

There is an entire park day to engage with Mardi Gras activities (which themselves really aren't that demanding imo)

I wanted to note this: While the food booths are open all day, most of the live music and performers don’t start until around 4 pm, so the evening hours matter much more.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Starlight/MSEP will typically run an hour before HEA/Wishes each night... and they do a heck of a job managing that many people.

Right after the Mardi Gras parade, you'll see a stream of guests exiting... why not push to keep those folks inside the park for another hour or two?

 

[Brian G.]

Starlight/MSEP will typically run an hour before HEA/Wishes each night... and they do a heck of a job managing that many people.

Right after the Mardi Gras parade, you'll see a stream of guests exiting... why not push to keep those folks inside the park for another hour or two?

“Disney can do it, why can’t Universal?” really can't apply here, as it's not an apples-to-apples comparison.

MK crowd flow around nighttime parades was chaotic for years, to the point that Disney had to expand walkways and build new backstage exit paths just to relieve congestion. Not to mention, Disney didn't have a nighttime parade for about a decade and relied solely on the fireworks show until last year.

Disney can manage it now, but it took years of infrastructure and ops changes.

Universal doesn’t have that same luxury at USF at the moment.