E.T. Adventure General Discussion

[Fatality]

I get the love of nostalgia, but ET, Jaws, BTTF(one of my favorite movies) are going on 30 years old as movies. You can't expect them to keep them with kids never knowing what they are and others not caring.

Things like that are timeless staples of our collective minds. Age is regardless.

 

[Viator]

Disaster was beloved?

The only thing sacred to UC is the same storyline for every ride. And dragons. They love dragons.

Touché

 

[Mike S]

I get the love of nostalgia, but ET, Jaws, BTTF(one of my favorite movies) are going on 30 years old as movies. You can't expect them to keep them with kids never knowing what they are and others not caring.

Sadly those Universal classics don't seem to have stayed as popular as Disney's movies have except maybe BTTF and definitely Jurassic Park. Let's not forget how huge BTTF day was. It got people to actually buy newspapers.

 

[belloq87]

I get the love of nostalgia, but ET, Jaws, BTTF(one of my favorite movies) are going on 30 years old as movies. You can't expect them to keep them with kids never knowing what they are and others not caring.

Oh, I totally understand the business rationale Universal would use. Doesn't mean I have to like it.

And also, it's not like the first iteration of Universal Studios Florida was directly aimed at just kids. If it were, attractions like Alfred Hitchcock: The Art of Making Movies, Murder She Wrote Mystery Theater, Earthquake, and Horror Makeup would never have been included. Granted, I was a kid and I loved those attractions (I had peculiar and eclectic taste even as a child), but USF never pandered to children by tossing in IPs only for them, generally-speaking.

 

[JungleSkip]

Given Universal's recent track record, it doesn't seem smart to put too much hope in them adding a classic dark ride to make up for E.T.'s loss. I know "Secret Life of Pets" was rumored to be on the slate, and in that style, but then again, a lot of things have been rumored over the last few years that haven't come to pass, like the Lorax dark ride and the Jurassic Park amber mine coaster.

I hope this recent talk about E.T. getting the axe is just that: talk. I always really look forward to riding it. Yes, for nostalgic reasons, because it transports me back to my experiences at USF in the 1990s, but I don't think that makes it an invalid reason.

The park has slowly transformed from one that was once filled with some of my favorite IPs (Hitchcock, King Kong, Jaws, BTTF, E.T., Ghostbusters) to one that has tons of fun rides, but only a few IPs I have any strong affection for at this point (Potter and E.T.). I'd wouldn't like seeing a ride that has a big emotional connection to me just discarded for the sexy, flashy new thing, however fun that new thing might end up being.

We know Nintendo is supposed to be more old school effects-wise than recent projects. I think it's best to see what the announce than assume Universal won't build something significantly better than ET (not hard) and also be old school in its design choices.

 

[belloq87]

We know Nintendo is supposed to be more old school effects-wise than recent projects. I think it's best to see what the announce than assume Universal won't build something significantly better than ET (not hard) and also be old school in its design choices.

Fair enough. Taste is subjective, and if I'm being honest, I'd have a hard time giving an E.T. replacement a fair hearing no matter how good a ride it might be. The original means too much to me, not just because of the ride itself, but because of the movie. I admit my bias.

 

[JungleSkip]

Fair enough. Taste is subjective, and if I'm being honest, I'd have a hard time giving an E.T. replacement a fair hearing no matter how good a ride it might be. The original means too much to me, not just because of the ride itself, but because of the movie. I admit my bias.

The movie is one of my favorites of all time.

The ride is just kind of mediocre

 

[belloq87]

You're not the only one who feels that way about the ride, but I'm pretty much totally blind to its imperfections (save for the department store mannequins passing as AAs in the forest scene). I step into the queue, and it takes me instantly right back to 1993 when I first experienced it.

 

[Mike S]

I think I know how Universal can please classic movie fans and the people looking for the latest and greatest IP's. How much room is there in the Hollywood section? If not a lot I guess they can get rid of Terminator to make room for:

The Great Universal Movie Ride

Or maybe a different name to avoid a lawsuit from Disney.

 

[belloq87]

I think I know how Universal can please classic movie fans and the people looking for the latest and greatest IP's. How much room is there in the Hollywood section? If not a lot I guess they can get rid of Terminator to make room for:

The Great Universal Movie Ride

Or maybe a different name to avoid a lawsuit from Disney.

I've wanted them to do something like this for YEARS. Don't think we'll ever see it, though. But the potential is there for something really neat. Jaws, BTTF, E.T., Hitchcock films, the Classic Monsters, and more could find representation. Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps.

 

[JungleSkip]

You're not the only one who feels that way about the ride, but I'm pretty much totally blind to its imperfections (save for the department store mannequins passing as AAs in the forest scene). I step into the queue, and it takes me instantly right back to 1993 when I first experienced it.

Oh, don't get me wrong, the queue is GREAT.

 

[Mike S]

I've wanted them to do something like this for YEARS. Don't think we'll ever see it, though. But the potential is there for something really neat. Jaws, BTTF, E.T., Hitchcock films, the Classic Monsters, and more could find representation. Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps.

I know Jurassic Park is already in IoA, but I'd love to see a recreation of the T-Rex escape from the first movie. One of my favorite scenes in any movie ever.

 

[universal_fanatic]

I've wanted them to do something like this for YEARS. Don't think we'll ever see it, though. But the potential is there for something really neat. Jaws, BTTF, E.T., Hitchcock films, the Classic Monsters, and more could find representation. Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps.

That would be a dream come true! Unfortunately I don't think it has the same pull with the general public as it would with us, but damn that would be sweet.

 

[AzaJ12345]

To a lot of us on these forums, we have emotional nostalgic attachment to ET and never want it to go because we loved it when the park was in its infancy.

Times have changed, the average guest that is going to UO now doesn't have that attachment and as their first visit was post Hogsmeade they see ET as a bit of a letdown in comparison to the E-ticket attractions that are there now but that isn't their fault necessarily.

When the park was young ET, Kong, BTTF, Jaws etc were on par with each other and to say that they will be all closed is a sad sentence to say but change is necessary to progress and I think it's had its day. Makes it harder considering my oldest UO memory is standing in the botanical forest and that smell resonating with me forever.

I don't get the argument that ET is our Its A Small World and it should be cherished forever, it's not. Disney get slated for standing still (I know not because of this issue in particular) and with Uni being pushed for space I feel that ET's time may be up in the next couple of years and yes I'll be sad but I feel it's the right call.

 

[s8film40]

To a lot of us on these forums, we have emotional nostalgic attachment to ET and never want it to go because we loved it when the park was in its infancy.

Times have changed, the average guest that is going to UO now doesn't have that attachment and as their first visit was post Hogsmeade they see ET as a bit of a letdown in comparison to the E-ticket attractions that are there now but that isn't their fault necessarily.

When the park was young ET, Kong, BTTF, Jaws etc were on par with each other and to say that they will be all closed is a sad sentence to say but change is necessary to progress and I think it's had its day. Makes it harder considering my oldest UO memory is standing in the botanical forest and that smell resonating with me forever.

I don't get the argument that ET is our Its A Small World and it should be cherished forever, it's not. Disney get slated for standing still (I know not because of this issue in particular) and with Uni being pushed for space I feel that ET's time may be up in the next couple of years and yes I'll be sad but I feel it's the right call.

While there certainly is the nostalgia factor I think ET actually holds up pretty well on it's own. As I said previously I've come in contact with a good number of people who have claimed that as there favorite attraction. Meaning they went in rode both Harry Potter rides all the other new attractions and without any nostalgic emotions connected to ET decided they liked it best. That to me is pretty impressive when you consider how old it is and how spectacular some of the new stuff is. ET for a lot of people still works even if some of those people have never even seen the movie.

 

[AzaJ12345]

While there certainly is the nostalgia factor I think ET actually holds up pretty well on it's own. As I said previously I've come in contact with a good number of people who have claimed that as there favorite attraction. Meaning they went in rode both Harry Potter rides all the other new attractions and without any nostalgic emotions connected to ET decided they liked it best. That to me is pretty impressive when you consider how old it is and how spectacular some of the new stuff is. ET for a lot of people still works even if some of those people have never even seen the movie.

I totally agree with you, I still love the ride and it blew my other half away when she went on it for the first time in October as she had no idea why they were asking for her name and was made up at the end.

On a personal note I hope it doesn't go but I'm trying to argue that I could understand their reasoning if they did. It is a unique attraction in a park that has a lot of 'similar' rides

 

[s8film40]

On a personal note I hope it doesn't go but I'm trying to argue that I could understand their reasoning if they did. It is a unique attraction in a park that has a lot of 'similar' rides

I think there is a lot of potential that it's guest satisfaction scores could be what is saving it. It does well and people like it. There are quite a few other less popular attractions that could be eliminated before taking out ET.

 

[AzaJ12345]

I think there is a lot of potential that it's guest satisfaction scores could be what is saving it. It does well and people like it. There are quite a few other less popular attractions that could be eliminated before taking out ET.

Very possible, I think it would have to be a highly anticipated attraction going in there to make it worthwhile and not have too much backlash from the fans. I think it was with a heavy heart that they replaced Jaws but they only need to look at their bank balance to see that worked.

I don't think anyone would accept a layover a la BTTF->Simpsons

 

[Teebin]

I think there is a lot of potential that it's guest satisfaction scores could be what is saving it. It does well and people like it. There are quite a few other less popular attractions that could be eliminated before taking out ET.

What if the space that they need is for Nintendo only?

I suppose they could tear down a wing of the Hard Rock Hotel... :saywhat:

 

[misterID]

I love the ET ride, so there's an admitted selfishness in my opinion, but it's an IP that's important to the park and UNI, IMO. And I'm not going to add any personal anecdotes, anyone can add them to fit their point of view or argument, but there are so few rides at UNI anymore that are accessible to everyone, the whole family, basically, where a ride doesn't have a WARNING sign posted about the different ways it can make you sick or exclude you from trying, that it would be a shame to lose a real family ride at UNI. It's a fun ride, it could use some updating and love, but knocking something down doesn't 100% guarantee the replacement will be better.

And I'm not convinced that just because an attraction has a great plot of land means its replacement will be utilized to be great... Not naming names... Fast & The Furious... Yeah, I know, wait and see... Still, it'll have to be the greatest moving simulator ever... Ughh.