Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift coaster (USF) - Opening 2027

[belloq87]

You and your technicalities!

The technicalities matter!

But even if you want to include Epic, from 2019 - 2027, Universal will have built eight coasters versus three dark rides (of varying kinds, and personal mileage varies, apparently*) across all three parks.

It would be nice if a USF project or two could shift that balance a little bit in coming years, that's all I'm saying!

* I've only been on Mario Kart in Hollywood, so can't speak to the other two in question with firsthand experience.

 

[HHN Maddux]

The technicalities matter!

But even if you want to include Epic, from 2019 - 2027, Universal will have built eight coasters versus three dark rides (of varying kinds, and personal mileage varies, apparently*) across all three parks.

It would be nice if a USF project or two could shift that balance a little bit in coming years, that's all I'm saying!

* I've only been on Mario Kart in Hollywood, so can't speak to the other two in question with firsthand experience.

It's the exact same ride, i.e. still really not good IMO.

 

[Brian G.]

We're now 12 pages into this thread, and most of it is off-topic nonsense.

That said, I personally don't see Battle or Bowser as UDX's best in any way, or on-par with the best the competition is offering. They are servicable, but derivative, mostly screen or AR-based attractions without many physical props, or many solid engaging moments of physical movement. Just my thoughts, but they aren't really what I'm looking for in these kinds of rides personally. Hagrid and Hiccup do a superior job at being dark ride-type experiences, but ... those are still coasters.

I think this is mostly just preference being treated like fact. A dark ride is still a dark ride, whether someone personally likes it or not. Disliking the style doesn’t change what it is.

And at the end of the day, this stuff is all subjective.

Comparing them to Hagrid or Hiccup also kind of shifts the goalposts, since those are coasters first, even if they tell a story.

It’s totally fine to say they’re not your thing. That doesn’t mean they’re bad, just that they’re aiming at a different kind of dark ride

 

[DOOMBOT]

We're now 12 pages into this thread, and most of it is off-topic nonsense.

I think this is mostly just preference being treated like fact. A dark ride is still a dark ride, whether someone personally likes it or not. Disliking the style doesn’t change what it is.

And at the end of the day, this stuff is all subjective.

Comparing them to Hagrid or Hiccup also kind of shifts the goalposts, since those are coasters first, even if they tell a story.

It’s totally fine to say they’re not your thing. That doesn’t mean they’re bad, just that they’re aiming at a different kind of dark ride

Hope I haven't come across as trying to push my opinions as fact. They're not. And as you say, it's all subjective. I am just loud in my beliefs on here, that's all.

That said, yeah, I think Mario Kart and Ministry are only okay at best, and they haven't sated my desire for more dark rides and general variety.

We are also in a definite speculation drought for UDX right now. We're post-Epic, it's far too early for proper HHN, Pokemon, Oz, Broom coaster talk (and we've been talking about those for months or years now already), and until we start to see the actual shape of the coaster track be filled out, there is very little to speak about regarding this thing imo. Can't even speculate on what the ride experience will be like based on the name ... since it's directly lifted from Hollywood's version.

 

[Lucky Planet]

Gonna' be real blunt here, "Paying in Exposure" is NOT it. There's a multitude of reasons why it has such an incredibly negative connotation. Legacy does mention one reason.



And to add to that, exposure doesn't pay the bills, it doesn't pay to move and set up your equipment, venue fee's, gas money etc. etc.

A major theme park is not the place to do a show for free, especially when it has plenty of shows and performers who're getting paid to do theirs. Not to mention it would look incredibly cheap (and bad) on the park itself if they weren't paying bands to perform there.

I've always heard how sometimes bands don't make money on tour and sometimes they even lose money and the only way they make money is their shirts and merchandise at the tour tables because the ticket companies and venue take most of the money and the labels take more and stuff?

 

[Jake S]

That said, yeah, I think Mario Kart and Ministry are only okay at best, and they haven't sated my desire for more dark rides and general variety.

Right, obviously it’s just my opinion but I think it’s far from a consensus that either of these are “world class,” unless that’s just a stand in for “expensive, new and utilizing expensive tech.” Which, fine! But then something can (imo) be “world class” and “not good” haha.

 

[Brian G.]

Hope I haven't come across as trying to push my opinions as fact. They're not. And as you say, it's all subjective. I am just loud in my beliefs on here, that's all.

That said, yeah, I think Mario Kart and Ministry are only okay at best, and they haven't sated my desire for more dark rides and general variety.

We are also in a definite speculation drought for UDX right now. We're post-Epic, it's far too early for proper HHN, Pokemon, Oz, Broom coaster talk (and we've been talking about those for months or years now already), and until we start to see the actual shape of the coaster track be filled out, there is very little to speak about regarding this thing imo. Can't even speculate on what the ride experience will be like based on the name ... since it's directly lifted from Hollywood's version.

I just think the disagreement is less about whether it’s subjective, which we all agree on, and more about how far that subjectivity is being stretched into overall judgment.

But I also get your other point about the forum just spinning our wheels right now.

unless that’s just a stand in for “expensive, new and utilizing expensive tech.” Which, fine! But then something can (imo) be “world class” and “not good” haha.

I think this is where wires are getting crossed. We got the dark rides, but some didn't like the flavor.

 

[Mad Dog]

Yes, at this time of year, we're often a forum in search of a fun discussion. Better to have some b.s. than crickets.

 

[UOR92]

Right, obviously it’s just my opinion but I think it’s far from a consensus that either of these are “world class,” unless that’s just a stand in for “expensive, new and utilizing expensive tech.” Which, fine! But then something can (imo) be “world class” and “not good” haha.

I think that’s my overall point, albeit maybe not communicated to the highest extent. What is “world class”? Yes, whether a ride is good or world class has some level of subjectivity to it, but…world class also has to have some definable level of objectivity somewhere. Right?

My initial point to @belloq87’s statement was arguing against the perceived notion that UC isn’t interested in giving us dark rides, when (world class or not) we just got 3 major ones at one park - one of them is arguably one of the greatest ever built. I would reckon there are more on the way for LC, USF too. It just seemed like a short sighted observation that exposes our tendency to be forgetful and always looking for the “next best thing”. If I worked for UC, I wouldn’t pay much attention to what us nerds say either because of how fickle we can be. lol

The reality is (and trying to stir this back on track) roller coasters flesh out a resort but so do dark rides/water rides etc. when we look at recent roller coasters additions, we lost three (DD, HRRR) and they were replaced with 2 incredible attractions that fulfill theming, storytelling, and thrills. We’ll see about FF lol. Even if FF falls short on theming, storytelling, and isn’t a dark ride, that’s 66% of recent roller coasters additions that have been a smash hit. And this one is bound to give thrills and a level of theming you won’t find anywhere else. And for the GP, that’s all that we can ask for. More GP attendance equals greater budgets to do what we know they can do within the dark ride sector. So, to me it’s a win. Everything we’ve seen over the last year, like it or not, has been an overwhelming win for UOR - dark rides or not, and I think we should try and aim for a greater level of gratitude and being content when they’ve given us so many reasons to do so.

If the future additions resemble anything like Villain con, supercharged, race through New York, then yeah…I’ll be all in on the calls for change. But for now, I’m just observing rhetorics that should be discussed and a differing perspective offered.