Originally Posted By EmmaJayne I rode the one in Hollywood this July and it was great.. we had absoloutely no idea what we were in for and loved it. It was very well done, the whole area was well themed for it and to me it was US's only redeeming feature (otherwise I hated the place). It's an amazing ride really but I wouldn go to the park again just for it. I don't know how different the teo US parks are?
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo I never understand how people "hate" USH. I think it is a fantastic attraction and a great way to learn about movie making.
Originally Posted By figment1986 In case you were wondering: The Simpsons Ride received a Thea Award for Best Attraction from the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), during the 2008 International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Attractions Expo. it cannot be all that bad!
Originally Posted By u k fan Whilst I don't hate Universal on our last trip to USF we were ready to leave by lunchtime having experienced everything we wanted to. We couldn't say the same for DAK or DHS. For me the type of attractions that Universal make just don't make me want to ride them. I just can't get interested. I have never riden Jaws - nor do I want to, I never experienced Twister - nor did I want to... The list goes on!!!
Originally Posted By barboy I still say that Universal masterfully made Simpsons Ride. Again, I really don't like the TV show; I don't like anything about it such as the animation, jokes, voices or plots. So if a Simpson's show hater like me applauds the ride then it must be damn good(for a simulator based attraction anyway), right?
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo UKFAN, I was referring to Universal Studios Hollywood, which I wholly recommend you try when you go to California. It's the real deal (I am not a big fan of USO either - though I do like Twister!).
Originally Posted By EmmaJayne 'I never understand how people "hate" USH. I think it is a fantastic attraction and a great way to learn about movie making.' I think for me it was a combination of things, some of which aren't the parks fault (the weather, the people I was with, the lack of food I enjoy) but the layout for one is very frustrating. It's a pain to navigate and there is an extreme lack of shade. I also found the shows to be of poor quality and it was lacking enough attractions to warrant the entrance fee. The back lot tour was interesting and I won't say I hated everything about the park, but in general it just didn't appeal to me at all. Especially when I was on a very strict time frame, it was disappointing to waste a day there. If I lived close by and went in cooler weather with some friends I might feel a little warmer towards it, but for now, I can easily say I hate the place!
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo I think it depends on expectation. I expect to go to USH and go on the tram tour. For me that is the whole purpose, but then again, I have been going since before people considered it to be a Theme Park. It is a shame, some of the better shows like the Wild Wild Wild West Stunt Show, Conan the Barbarian, and the Monster Movie Make Up are long gone, and have yet to be replaced. But the Animal Actors Stage, the Special Effects exibit, and Waterworld I think are world class. Add in the excellent Terminator, and the fun Jurassic Park. USH was always a studio first, and to my mind, that is the way it should always be.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***I have never riden Jaws - nor do I want to, I never experienced Twister - nor did I want to...*** How do you know if you "want to" or not if you haven't checked them out? I assume by seeing clips or something? Twister didn't really do anything for me, but Jaws is a pretty fun ride I think. ***I am not a big fan of USO either - though I do like Twister!*** And there ya have it. Different strokes. What is it you like about Twister Dave (just curious). I thought it was "okay", but it really didn't impress me for some reason (I've only been on a couple of times, so maybe I missed something). Anyway, whatever you say about Universal, you can't deny that they provide attractions at least on the same SCOPE as Disney (Terminator, Jurassic Park, SPIDER-MAN which is freakin amazing). No other parks come close to that (not even SeaWorld, there was something "cheap" about their stuff I thought).
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo What I love about Twister, and Backdraft, and Armageddon, is they create something that is really dangerous, a real experience in an overly themed environment. I like pretending to be in peril, in a situation I would hopefully never get in to in real life. These are attractions built with a purpose and not about character. I would rather see Twister than go on Indy. But for some reason, people are really blase about these elemental attractions. If anything the physics and engineering that are used to create these are mind boggling. Add the sets and the soundtrack, and they are a rush. But then again, I like real storms to a degree too! I find the elements a reminder that Jesus may or may not be fictional, but mother nature is very real, and can be scary. These are safe experiences you cannot get anywhere else. A coaster is a dime a dozen, a cartoon character is oversaturated and lazy. These show real creativity in creating a sense of place and an experience (same reasons why I love PotC, Jungle Cruise and HM).
Originally Posted By Mr X ***What I love about Twister, and Backdraft, and Armageddon, is they create something that is really dangerous, a real experience in an overly themed environment. I like pretending to be in peril, in a situation I would hopefully never get in to in real life.*** I understand that point completely, and I sort of felt the excitement in Backdraft (fire freaks me out anyway, even in "normal" circumstances lol), but Twister just never made me feel nervous (not even "fun" nervous). I dunno why, I guess that's just the way it goes sometimes. Didn't move me at all, didn't feel any sort of worry/thrill/anything much. I think the actual "twister" seemed kind of lame.
Originally Posted By Mr X Really dig the rest of your post too, and agree 100% (reason why I'm not bothering to reply...cause I agree). Although I'm not sure about skipping Indy in favor of Twister. I think you'd probably appreciate Journey and 20k Leagues at DisneySea a lot, based on what you wrote here.
Originally Posted By u k fan <<<What I love about Twister, and Backdraft, and Armageddon, is they create something that is really dangerous, a real experience in an overly themed environment. I like pretending to be in peril, in a situation I would hopefully never get in to in real life.>>> These are the exact reasons I don't like these sorts of attractions. And are the same reasons that I'm happy to skip CTX (Dinosaur - I hate that crappy name) and have never experienced either Alien Encounter or SGE. I rarely watch the 3D shows because they don't work properly for me, but when they do they mostly do a number on me. I've only riden Spiderman without the glasses (kind of a waste of time) because I know it would be too much on both counts. Yeah, I'm a wuss!!!
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Don't worry Kiz, Sarah is a wuss too. Those attractions and Alien Encounter (which I also loved) scare Sarah witless. It adds immensely to my sadistic enjoyment ;-)
Originally Posted By dshyates Dave, we SOOO don't agree on ANYTHING about amusement parks. I was REALLY disappointed in UniHollywood. It in my mind is a studio tour with a few hit from Otown. It is NOT a theme park. More like a museum. And as a theme park fan USH is LAME!!! I give Twister a C at best. I will say that I don't really get the hysteria over Indy. I liked Backdraft more than Twister, but not much. I have to ask, do you actually go on rides in the parks or mostly sit and soak?
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo In the main I am a museum and theatre lover, so I like attractions that appeal to that ilk. RIdes are fine, but if it is about phyical, I am passed that - I have sailed a squaremasted rigger many times in my teen years, flown, driven a race car, bobsleighed and bungie jumped. SO thrill rides do little for me. They are fun, but they are not my motivation. I like to learn things on vacation or have experiences. I hate USO because it I a theme park - I prefer the real deal. Also, in europe, I am too big for some coasters, but even then they are cheap thrills. I like immersive environments most of all (love the highly themed casinos before they strted to kill them off). To me the greatest attractions of all time in no particular order are: PotC, HM, Carousel of Progress, the American Adventure, Spaceship Earth, Killemenjaro Safari, It's a Small world, Moteurs Action, Tower of Terror, Soarin', Le Visionarium, Star tours, Men in Black. I also love Cinemagique and I loved Capt Eo.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo To me, the settings and streetmousphere coupled with Illuminations are the best things in all of Florida (after the signature attractions I mentioned). I like to descover depth, and te one thing I love about USH is I go treating it as a day at an awesome living museum. After visiting about 80 parks around the globe and riding probably over 100 coasters, not many impress me after the first couple of rides (maybe Nemesis and Ghost Rider). Space Mountain in Paris used to be my fav because of the theme and smoothness - both are gone. I don't care if I ever ride a coaster again. And frankly, the reliance on toons and thrills at Disney for the last 15 years is totally contrary as to what I love about the parks.
