Future of Toon Lagoon

[shiekra38]

Remove the rides from TL and you have an outdated land with horrible food

 

[Andysol]

30 is pretty much a full on adult where it’s expected you have a family by then.

I've enjoyed my 30s infinitely more than my 20s. Having more money is nice.

I’d rather see LC go before TL. I think TL has potential to expand while LC is dead and is prime for redevelopment with something new.

There’s bigger fish to fry than these two areas however.

Remove the rides from TL and you have an outdated land with horrible food

I agree 110% with both Scott and Shiekra. LC is still badass and has a great feel to it, even after being cut in half. Its just the worst stunt show ever and a walkthrough that kills it. Which is why I'd rather it get replaced and agree with Scott.

But Shiek is dead on- TL sucks hard once you remove the two rides (one of which is the best water ride in the US) and Me Ship, the Olive (which is an underrated gem being able to shoot people with water for free).
It's all concrete and hot as balls- even with the water features. The food is awful. The carny games are awful. There's barely a tree to be had. And from October-March, it's nothing more than a long trek to get to Kong from Spiderman.

 

[SpatulaShack]

Something tells me Toon Lagoon won't be going anywhere for a while mostly because guests love those rides. They both score incredibly well and there are plenty of other things in the parks that are more dated and in need of replacing before Toon Lagoon. Now whether or not they combine the land by the theater with the retail/food area to create another "mini-land" ala Skull Island is another story.

 

[Mad Dog]

Something tells me Toon Lagoon won't be going anywhere for a while mostly because guests love those rides. They both score incredibly well and there are plenty of other things in the parks that are more dated and in need of replacing before Toon Lagoon. Now whether or not they combine the land by the theater with the retail/food area to create another "mini-land" ala Skull Island is another story.

Yes. I recall Popeye was number two or three of Florida Universal Parks attractions in TP guest surveys. Dudley was rated highly too. I would guess Universal's internal surveys reflect the same.

 

[Scott W.]

Yes. I recall Popeye was number two or three of Florida Universal Parks attractions in TP guest surveys. Dudley was rated highly too. I would guess Universal's internal surveys reflect the same.

Seriously, Popeyes is excellent and so is Dudley even in its current poor state. If Dudley got a proper refurbishment and made it 2018 Universal theming and not 1999 Universal theming, it would be one of the greats in Orlando.

 

[Mad Dog]

Seriously, Popeyes is excellent and so is Dudley even in its current poor state. If Dudley got a proper refurbishment and made it 2018 Universal theming and not 1999 Universal theming, it would be one of the greats in Orlando.

Yes, it's a really fun & thrilling ride. And funny as all hell.

 

[Imperius]

Guess I simply care more than you do.

Or just simply more impatient.

 

[happy bunny rabbit]

Is it just me or is Popeye kinda meh? I never really got the huge appeal.

 

[Scott W.]

Is it just me or is Popeye kinda meh? I never really got the huge appeal.

It’s as good as these types of rides can be plus it’s lightbhearted and fun, plus that finale after you get to the top of the lift hill. I thought for sure I was going to die after that turn.

 

[Collin]

I really think Universal needs to go in and fix Toon Lagoon up, but the question is, is it worth updating or would it be better to replace it.

 

[shiekra38]

Is it just me or is Popeye kinda meh? I never really got the huge appeal.

It's the best raft ride I've been on (holding out for Infinity Falls)

 

[Mike S]

Seriously, Popeyes is excellent and so is Dudley even in its current poor state. If Dudley got a proper refurbishment and made it 2018 Universal theming and not 1999 Universal theming, it would be one of the greats in Orlando.

Dudley didn’t even meet Popeye standards when they first opened.

 

[faceleg]

I wish they'd do something with the theater. It just sitting there makes me heart hurt.

 

[faceleg]

Jesus... I didn't even know that was a thing... That looks terrible.

Yeah it wasn't a huge hit, IIRC.

 

[happy bunny rabbit]

It’s as good as these types of rides can be plus it’s lightbhearted and fun, plus that finale after you get to the top of the lift hill. I thought for sure I was going to die after that turn.

It’s pretty good but for me it lacked any sorts of thrills, feels pretty tame. I do enjoy the animatronics but the ride experience is better on Kali at AK, and I personally enjoy Kali’s aesthetic as well

 

[Mad Dog]

It’s pretty good but for me it lacked any sorts of thrills, feels pretty tame. I do enjoy the animatronics but the ride experience is better on Kali at AK, and I personally enjoy Kali’s aesthetic as well

Have to respectfully disagree with you on that. Kali is probably the most lame raft ride I've ever been on. Plus, You get a sprinkle on Kali. Popeye & Dudley are true soakers.

 

[Matterhorn88]

It's pretty sad that a ride called Kali River Rapids lacks any.... rapids. I like the big drop though :shrug:

 

[Galaxy Defender]

Dudley and Popeye seem pretty safe. The rest of the area could be boarded up with walls and most people would not miss it. This area would be easy to retheme and also tuck a decent-size attraction in the theatre space.

A project like this might be a bit more likely than KidZone or LC simply because it would be smaller in scale. Large-scale projects just do not seem in the cards at the moment for IOA.

 

[Andysol]

Is it just me or is Popeye kinda meh? I never really got the huge appeal.

Yes, it’s just you.

It’s pretty good but for me it lacked any sorts of thrills, feels pretty tame. I do enjoy the animatronics but the ride experience is better on Kali at AK, and I personally enjoy Kali’s aesthetic as well

Kali is mediocre. Theming is solid but it’s very short and you have a 30% chance of getting a little damp. Popeye is a guaranteed soaking. But more than that, it’s pure jubilation and laughter every ride.
Isn’t that what it’s all about?

Interesting thing about Kali is that it was originally going to be called tiger rapids run - which is why there are tigers as the theme, but they changed it as they shortened the ride by over half the length; and, well, it didn’t have tigers.
It was going to have monkeys and birds and tigers in the ride with a more thorough storyline. Think kilaminjaro safari, but Asian animals and incorporated on a raft ride. The ride vehicle was also going to be more like a raft/boat than the tube raft we have now. More like Jurassic Park style.

If interested in knowing what could have been:
Jambo Everyone: The Lost DAK Files: Tiger River Run

 

[happy bunny rabbit]

Have to respectfully disagree with you on that. Kali is probably the most lame raft ride I've ever been on. Plus, You get a sprinkle on Kali. Popeye & Dudley are true soakers.

I had a great time with the ride experience the last time I rode, especially on the huge drop that Popeye lacks. Not getting soaked isn't really an issue for me, but last time I actually remember getting pretty wet, so not sure what you're talking about. I also enjoy Kali's theming of the burning forest and asian architecture, and the queue is beautiful.

Dudley's still my favorite water ride though, purely based on the ride layout and drops. Infinity Falls seems promising, though.