Future of Dragon Challenge?

[ReelJustice]

This suggests that the project has been postponed or it's much bigger.

I believe it to be bigger than Hulk. The addition would require more time and more approvals than Universal had to do with Marvel. Also, I think they know how important any Potter addition would be and want to proceed with all ducks in a row.

 

[Bobharlem]

This rumor was probably just flat out bad from the get go or misjudged.

 

[JoeCamel]

This rumor was probably just flat out bad from the get go or misjudged.

I'm not admitting that until the end of the year. That was what I heard originally.

In any case I just can't see them keeping this eyesore now that Hogsmeade is proven to have staying power. It is a cash cow and a poorly attended coaster is a waste of the space IMO so I tend to believe it is happening just not on the timetable we would like it to.

 

[GadgetGuru]

In any case I just can't see them keeping this eyesore now that Hogsmeade is proven to have staying power. It is a cash cow and a poorly attended coaster is a waste of the space IMO so I tend to believe it is happening just not on the timetable we would like it to.

It's a ton of real estate in arguably the most important part of park. It's a great coaster, but something's gotta change. My gut feeling is still that they'll be a dining component to that land (cough Great Hall cough), but it'll be interesting for sure. Universal seems to be moving away from un-themed coasters (like Hulk, where there's not a ton of theming during the ride itself), so I personally don't see another coaster in that plot.

 

[Galaxy Defender]

It's a ton of real estate in arguably the most important part of park. It's a great coaster, but something's gotta change. My gut feeling is still that they'll be a dining component to that land (cough Great Hall cough), but it'll be interesting for sure. Universal seems to be moving away from un-themed coasters (like Hulk, where there's not a ton of theming during the ride itself), so I personally don't see another coaster in that plot.

The Hulk's ride theming is being in the middle of the park and over the lagoon.

DC is sitting over gravel and water with backlot area on one side and Hogsmeade on the other.

 

[fryoj]

Universal seems to be moving away from un-themed coasters (like Hulk, where there's not a ton of theming during the ride itself), so I personally don't see another coaster in that plot.

They are moving away from unthemed coasters.... yet just spent millions of dollars completely rebuilding an unthemed coaster. Not following the logic there.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

This rumor was probably just flat out bad from the get go or misjudged.

There's something there.

 

[Scott W.]

I'm going home on Saturday and I still need to get a last ride in. Not had the chance yet to go on it in our 3 trips due to weather.

Islands is a bit of a nightmare when it rains which is making me lean heavily towards an indoor coaster.

 

[Youtherevmk]

It's sad for me to hear that it could be closing, this ride was probably my favorite coaster out of any theme park.

The idea of a ride based around the Forbidden Forrest would be amazing though! If that is the case, I'd love to see them pull out some new tricks. Like an adventure through the forest in the Weasley's car, but you have on-board wands that you would use to fend off attacking creatures. So it's like a shooting gallery, mixing the technology of Toy Story Mania and Men in Black.

My imagination is scampering off now, but I feel like with two intense HP rides in the park(s) it'd be nice to tone it down just a bit, but not lose any of the magic.

 

[Joel]

I'm going home on Saturday and I still need to get a last ride in. Not had the chance yet to go on it in our 3 trips due to weather.

Islands is a bit of a nightmare when it rains which is making me lean heavily towards an indoor coaster.

Hopefully you'll be getting a night in at HHN as well! I'm telling you, a few drinks and the wifey will get over her jitters!

 

[Joel]

Interesting to note.. While waiting in line for a house on Friday night at exactly 11:28PM, I noticed that DC was still running. I thought it was odd considering the park closed at 8pm and there definitely is no way the residual line at closing lasted that long. Maybe there was a private event? Can't think of any other reason unless some type of testing is underway for new development (but that doesn't make sense to me).

 

[mitchada04]

I don't know how they do their maintenance but each train will be checked every day. Over here they move one train into the workshop when The queue is empty after park close, then when that train is done they move it out and put the other in. To do that they therefore have to send the other train around. Unless it was going round constantly I would guess that to be the case.

 

[Joel]

I don't know how they do their maintenance but each train will be checked every day. Over here they move one train into the workshop when The queue is empty after park close, then when that train is done they move it out and put the other in. To do that they therefore have to send the other train around. Unless it was going round constantly I would guess that to be the case.

So I was pretty drunk at this point, but I'm pretty sure I saw multiple trains going through. For example, I saw a train in the middle of the ride, while another one was going up the lift hill.

 

[shiekra38]

They are moving away from unthemed coasters.... yet just spent millions of dollars completely rebuilding an unthemed coaster. Not following the logic there.

Hulk seems to work with the idea of Marvel land...DC does not work with the idea of Harry Potter land....


not sure why I quoted you, just putting it out there haha

 

[ArchieAndrews]

They are moving away from unthemed coasters.... yet just spent millions of dollars completely rebuilding an unthemed coaster. Not following the logic there.

Hulk is a really well executed outdoor coaster with an original score, nice surrounding area on the water (minus the backside of PoE) and mild theme-ing.

KEEP IN MIND THIS IS TOTALLY MY OPINION, BUT...

Dragon's Challenge is honestly the weakest coaster in all of Universal, not only that, but probably the weakest non children based attraction (basically not anything WW's Kid Zone or Dr. Suess). It's fun, but the view is rather weak as you can see undecorated areas, buildings that kill a decent chunk of the feeling of the area and just as a whole it feels out of place in the Harry Potter sections. It's not bad, but personally it doesn't feel like it matches up to the quality they're going for and to put a ton of work into decorating a coaster that was never even designed for the land it was in further than they have would probably be a waste.

If there's a ride that has to go, I'd definitely say that's pretty high on the list (between the amount of space it will clear up, it improving one of the most successful lands they own and in general improving the park's quality). I want to make it clear though, I don't hate the ride and this is 100% just how I see it personally.

 

[amityboattours]

Hulk is a really well executed outdoor coaster with an original score, nice surrounding area on the water (minus the backside of PoE) and mild theme-ing.

KEEP IN MIND THIS IS TOTALLY MY OPINION, BUT...

Dragon's Challenge is honestly the weakest coaster in all of Universal, not only that, but probably the weakest non children based attraction (basically not anything WW's Kid Zone or Dr. Suess). It's fun, but the view is rather weak as you can see undecorated areas, buildings that kill a decent chunk of the feeling of the area and just as a whole it feels out of place in the Harry Potter sections. It's not bad, but personally it doesn't feel like it matches up to the quality they're going for and to put a ton of work into decorating a coaster that was never even designed for the land it was in further than they have would probably be a waste.

If there's a ride that has to go, I'd definitely say that's pretty high on the list (between the amount of space it will clear up, it improving one of the most successful lands they own and in general improving the park's quality). I want to make it clear though, I don't hate the ride and this is 100% just how I see it personally.

It's odd that I completely agree with you on this point with DC, but at the same time I'd still give Flight of the Hippogriff a complete free pass in this respect, because it just kinda all 'works'.

 

[Galaxy Defender]

Any word on this project?

 

[Galaxy Defender]

We are now less than a month away from the start of the holiday season. No work has started on Dragon challenge I think it unlikely that anything would begin until after the first of the year. This is assuming they are not in a really big hurry to get started.

This means nothing would be started until after Fantastic Beasts come out in theaters. They could see how well it does in the theaters and with merchandise. This would seem to make Fantastic Beasts replacing Dragon Challenge a more likely possibility than before .

 

[ReelJustice]

It is my impression that UC is overwhelmed and in over its head right now.

Much like Art and Design.

Time for both groups to grow up. Show them he money Comcast.

 

[Teebin]

Time for both groups to grow up. Show them he money Comcast.

Goodness RJ, you are full of chutzpah lately...