Universal Studios Florida: What Do We Think About It?

[Legacy]

Kong, Earthquake, Jaws were the big 3 E, maybe over time turned D when it became Disaster and the park line up changed.

For marketing purposes, sure. But actually experiencing those attractions when the park opened, the true three E-Tickets were Kong, Jaws, and ET. ET was the only “all ages” dark ride, which marked it above Earthquake in popularity. Earthquake was 85% a show/walkthrough. Earthquake was also the OLDEST franchise in the park, that being the entity with the longest gap between new release and park opening.

Earthquake - 1974
Jaws - 1975 (Jaws the Revenge - 1987)
King Kong - 1976 (King Kong Lives - 1986)
Alfred Hitchcock’s Family Plots - 1976
ET - 1982
Hanna Barbera - Featured scenes had new releases in the 80s
Murder, She Wrote - 1984-1996

Earthquake was a D Ticket.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

I disagree. That back line of attractions will be E-Ticket (Drift), E-Ticket (Mummy), Supercharged, E-Ticket (Gringotts). Transformers is a solid D. Men in Black is a D(+). The Simpsons replacement will inevitably be an E-Ticket (and, arguably, age is the only thing keeping it from be considered an E-ticket now.

The SF *spot* has never really been an “E-ticket” because it was smack between two true E-tickets. Earthquake was always a D. Supercharged was always more akin to a D in design (but its execution dropped it to C/B level). Execution and age are the only thIngs that make things feel imbalanced now. People forget that the Disney ticketing system was fluid. An “E-Ticket” today may not be an E-Ticket tomorrow.

Does UOR consider Transformers a D-Ticket internally? It's the park's 3rd most popular attraction based on wait-time & capacity data. Everything else I agree on, but I'm a bit shocked by Transformers being classified as a D-ticket.


Based on 2024 & 2025, the attraction ranks 3rd (including when Rockit was online).

*Data according to Touring Plans.


And yes, I agree that tickets change over time as people often forget.

I know Dreamworks land isn't that old, but do we believe it's here to stay for the next 15 - 20 years? That space, combined with animal actors, feels like it's underutilized. Last time we went, Shrek's playground had multiple slides/areas closed off and the splash area was under construction. That area just feels temporary/a placeholder

While I'd like to rip it all out and make a proper DreamWorks Land, I think we're stuck with it for at least a decade. There's unfortunately to many other areas to prioritize.

 

[Mad Dog]

Does UOR consider Transformers a D-Ticket internally? It's the park's 3rd most popular attraction based on wait-time & capacity data. Everything else I agree on, but I'm a bit shocked by Transformers being classified as a D-ticket.

View attachment 28832
Based on 2024 & 2025, the attraction ranks 3rd (including when Rockit was online).

*Data according to Touring Plans.


And yes, I agree that tickets change over time as people often forget.


While I'd like to rip it all out and make a proper DreamWorks Land, I think we're stuck with it for at least a decade. There's unfortunately to many other areas to prioritize.

One thing about Dreamworks as opposed to KidZone. When it was KidZone,, and I go to Universal a lot, it was almost always deserted/empty. Dreamworks gets a bit of a crowd. So that's an improvement.

 

[JohnHammondsCane]

Does UOR consider Transformers a D-Ticket internally? It's the park's 3rd most popular attraction based on wait-time & capacity data. Everything else I agree on, but I'm a bit shocked by Transformers being classified as a D-ticket.

View attachment 28832
Based on 2024 & 2025, the attraction ranks 3rd (including when Rockit was online).

*Data according to Touring Plans.


And yes, I agree that tickets change over time as people often forget.


While I'd like to rip it all out and make a proper DreamWorks Land, I think we're stuck with it for at least a decade. There's unfortunately to many other areas to prioritize.

Yikes. Looking at that list really drives home the lack of updates at USF, but also gives me hope that the park has the opportunity for an overhaul over the next 10-15 years.

On that list, feels like the following are staying:
HRRR Replacement (obviously)
Mummy
Gringotts
HE
ET
Transformers
Both Minions rides, because it seems like Universal prioritizes them in a lot of their advertisements
Dreamworks Land. -- Again, I just feel like this land is bland. Not incorporating a family dark ride somewhere was a whiff.

On the chopping block:
Simpsons rides (Wicked?)
Supercharged
Fallon?
MIB?
Fear Factor space (Diagon Expansion or could USF be eyeing a land being built where FF/MIB are? I'm talking 2035+ here)

 

[TheCodeMan95]

The Simpsons replacement will inevitably be an E-Ticket (and, arguably, age is the only thing keeping it from be considered an E-ticket now.

Now this is a hot take I can get behind. If they somehow were able to update the ride vehicles and screens, Simpsons would be an E-ticket.

 

[Mad Dog]

I only see Supercharged, and ultimately Simpsons depending on 2028 end or short contract extension, on the chopping block prior to 2032. Universal has too much to do between the three parks on expansion/replacements, and there's only so much money to go around.

 

[belloq87]

E-Ticket (Drift) ... Men in Black is a D(+).

The coaster will "draw" like an E... even if it will (probably) have the theme-work of a B. But then MIB certainly is an E in that comparison because it is markedly more ambitious in scope than an unthemed (we assume) coaster.

also gives me hope that the park has the opportunity for an overhaul over the next 10-15 years.

What's your rush?

Does UOR consider Transformers a D-Ticket internally? It's the park's 3rd most popular attraction based on wait-time & capacity data. Everything else I agree on, but I'm a bit shocked by Transformers being classified as a D-ticket.

If Spider-Man is considered an E (and of course it should be), then I think we probably have to consider Transformers an E, just to be fair (even though I think it's inferior to Spidey in every conceivable way).

While I'd like to rip it all out and make a proper DreamWorks Land, I think we're stuck with it for at least a decade. There's unfortunately to many other areas to prioritize.

It just needs a dark ride, and would probably be what I would prioritize after Superchaged and Springfield (in an ideal world, Transformers, Minion Mayhem, and VillainCon would all be next in line, but that's just not plausible or probable). Then the Fear Factor theater area.

Dreamworks Land. -- Again, I just feel like this land is bland. Not incorporating a family dark ride somewhere was a whiff.

Yep. Not putting a more traditional dark ride either here or Shrek's spot, after a decade of screen-based ride after screen-based ride, was a real missed opportunity to start correcting some park imbalances (that are still nowhere near being corrected).

 

[DOOMBOT]

Simpsons being in the '24/'25 Top 5 is such an indictment against USF. That's like ... really bad.

 

[TheUniC6]

I know Dreamworks land isn't that old, but do we believe it's here to stay for the next 15 - 20 years? That space, combined with animal actors, feels like it's underutilized. Last time we went, Shrek's playground had multiple slides/areas closed off and the splash area was under construction. That area just feels temporary/a placeholder

Or, do we think if Wicked is slated for Simpsons that Animal Actors would also be on the chopping block?

My longstanding hope is that if Springfield goes for wicked only AA gets lumped in for DW phase 2. If Shrek 5 does well, Universal Creative might want to consider more ways to leverage the ogre beyond a play set.

 

[belloq87]

Simpsons being in the '24/'25 Top 5 is such an indictment against USF. That's like ... really bad.

MIB only at 7 is troubling.

On the other hand, having Supercharged, VillainCon, Minion Mayhem, and Race Through New York all at the bottom is comforting.

 

[DOOMBOT]

MIB only at 7 is troubling.

On the other hand, having Supercharged, VillainCon, Minion Mayhem, and Race Through New York all at the bottom is comforting.

Villain-Con basically being a brand new ride with a theoretical of >1000, and averaging below Supercharged at barely >250 is ... noteworthy, I think? That seems potentially catastropic.

@UniversalRBLX How accurate is this data and how is it obtained? If we don't have a thread for this already, I'd be very interested in one specifically talking about data like this. If this is anywhere close to accurate ...

 

[kingcooger]

MIB only at 7 is troubling.

On the other hand, having Supercharged, VillainCon, Minion Mayhem, and Race Through New York all at the bottom is comforting.

It still surveys well and from an incidental evidence standpoint I can say that we brought some friends who have never been to UO last year and they LOVED MIB.

 

[Mad Dog]

It still surveys well and from an incidental evidence standpoint I can say that we brought some friends who have never been to UO last year and they LOVED MIB.

Still best shooter in the world. Why would anyone want it replaced.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Villain-Con basically being a brand new ride with a theoretical of >1000, and averaging below Supercharged at barely >250 is ... noteworthy, I think? That seems potentially catastropic.

@UniversalRBLX How accurate is this data and how is it obtained? If we don't have a thread for this already, I'd be very interested in one specifically talking about data like this. If this is anywhere close to accurate ...

The wait-time data comes from Touring Plans and is a total year average. The THRC column is the hourly capacity (assuming operations at 100%). The "how popular" calc is then taking it's average wait and dividing it into the expected THRC to guess how many people are currently experiencing (on ride + queue) compared to others.

I think Villain-Con as an attraction concept is fine, but it's prominent location and the strength of the IP versus the attraction's overall experience makes the whole attraction lackluster.

Honestly, I can care less about the attraction... I just wanted a proper Minion Land in the style of Beijing's or Singapore.

@DOOMBOT I'm still working with some folks, but hope to release park data sometime this year. Just a lot of data to make "presentable" for people to actually use.

 

[Brian G.]

The wait-time data comes from Touring Plans and is a total year average. The THRC column is the hourly capacity (assuming operations at 100%). The "how popular" calc is then taking it's average wait and dividing it into the expected THRC to guess how many people are currently experiencing (on ride + queue) compared to others.

I think Villain-Con as an attraction concept is fine, but it's prominent location and the strength of the IP versus the attraction's overall experience makes the whole attraction lackluster.

Honestly, I can care less about the attraction... I just wanted a proper Minion Land in the style of Beijing's or Singapore.

@DOOMBOT I'm still working with some folks, but hope to release park data sometime this year. Just a lot of data to make "presentable" for people to actually use.

I don’t think this is wrong, but I do think it’s suspect due to some assumptions - like dispatch and efficiency, or even how downtime or reduced operations are handled. Any change to that data could quickly reshuffle the results, which is why I'm skeptical of the chart data. It's useful, but I wouldn’t treat the rankings as weighted or definitive.

Also - I could've sworn DM: MM seats had 96. 12 pods with 8 seats?

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Also - I could've sworn DM: MM seats had 96. 12 pods with 8 seats?

Fixed - had another attraction reading through there. Thanks

I don’t think this is wrong, but I do think it’s suspect due to some assumptions - like dispatch and efficiency, or even how downtime or reduced operations are handled. Any change to that data could quickly reshuffle the results, which is why I'm skeptical of the chart data. It's useful, but I wouldn’t treat the rankings as weighted or definitive.

Yes it shouldn't be seen as a definitive ranking of UOR's attractions.

Still trying to gather all the data (and make it presentable) but below is a quick example of how wait-times, downtime and overall capacity impact the attraction's true popularity.

Monsters Unchained has a low wait, but you can see that it's just as popular as Hiccup's & Stardust Racers. (Those 3 have been known to post fairly accurate wait-times).

 

[Brian G.]

Fixed - had another attraction reading through there. Thanks


Yes it shouldn't be seen as a definitive ranking of UOR's attractions.

Still trying to gather all the data (and make it presentable) but below is a quick example of how wait-times, downtime and overall capacity impact the attraction's true popularity.

Monsters Unchained has a low wait, but you can see that it's just as popular as Hiccup's & Stardust Racers. (Those 3 have been known to post fairly accurate wait-times).

View attachment 28838

But where are you getting dispatch, downtime, etc?

 

[UniversalRBLX]

But where are you getting dispatch, downtime, etc?

Wait-Time: Touring Plans recorded data

Downtime: Touring Plans data -> this isn't 100% accurate as, from my understanding, Universal will not post "Delay" for smaller delays (like Ministry's smaller & consistent delays). They'll just add it to the wait-time to deter closing the line so often.

Dispatch: This is the quickest interval an attraction can operate at. For some attractions it's set (like Monsters), while others (like Donkey Kong) are dependent on the number of trains operating and how far apart they are. This is the most difficult one to figure out at the moment as it can change day to day (e.g. Hagrid not having enough trains at opening).


Not trying to reach a definitive answer, just trying to provide a general idea with some data to back it up as most conversations end up as "it always has a 10-min wait, so it's not popular compared to this xyz attraction posted at 180"

 

[belloq87]

I think Villain-Con as an attraction concept is fine

In isolation, as (hypothetically) a B/C-ticket offering to flesh-out an overall Minions Land that had a dark ride and a coaster, or something, I might agree.

But in the park's current state, I think it's basically the last thing it needed. If you want a Minions-heavy screen-based attraction, the superior Minion Mayhem is just across the street. If you want a shooter, the (infinitely) superior MIB is ten minutes across the park.

It’s basically the same issue as WEB Slingers in California Adventure: an extraneous and inferior version of a concept that already exists in the park.

 

[Mad Dog]

Wait-Time: Touring Plans recorded data

Downtime: Touring Plans data -> this isn't 100% accurate as, from my understanding, Universal will not post "Delay" for smaller delays (like Ministry's smaller & consistent delays). They'll just add it to the wait-time to deter closing the line so often.

Dispatch: This is the quickest interval an attraction can operate at. For some attractions it's set (like Monsters), while others (like Donkey Kong) are dependent on the number of trains operating and how far apart they are. This is the most difficult one to figure out at the moment as it can change day to day (e.g. Hagrid not having enough trains at opening).


Not trying to reach a definitive answer, just trying to provide a general idea with some data to back it up as most conversations end up as "it always has a 10-min wait, so it's not popular compared to this xyz attraction posted at 180"

Yeah, the downtime is real far from reality due to Universal not posting the constant delays, that are many and often. It's even tough for touring the park since the delays rarely pop up on the app. So, it's probably best to eliminate that stat since it's so unreliable and not really indicative of what's happening at Epic. It's really an irrelevant stat.