Passports gone on E.T. ?

[Cole]

Is there any word on if/when this may be going down for a refurb? Will it go down when the rest of kidzone goes down in the fall?

Talk of it going down for refurb early 2015

 

[UNIrd]

No passports when I rode after 9pm this weekend, but I figured it was just because of the time. Interesting..

 

[sjago13]

The computers are gone from the cabinets. So idk if it's new computers or what.

 

[JungleSkip]

According to multiple TMs/sotries from TMs on twitter, it will be coming back.

 

[TylerDurden]

The computers used to generate the names were archaic, and have been long due for an update. Im assuming its down so they can update it. Ive heard that recently the system has had a hard time keeping up with names because as is, there arent very many names in the system. In reality, if you have a name thats not in the database (which is quite a few), then the TM will have ET say a name with a similar ending and hope the guests dont know the difference. I would assume that the name database will be expanded so this doesnt have to happen, considering all the people (and weird names) that will be coming through soon.

 

[MrRoamer]

Does anyone remember what OS the computers were running? I want to say it looked like XP last time I saw it, perhaps they finally decommissioned all those PCs for full installs and the software had to be updated.

 

[AK-Jake]

Considering the age of the attraction, it was probably running BASIC, Pascale, or FORTRAN. :smiley:

No clue, I'm just being a smart ass. If I had to guess, it was probably MS-DOS or Windows-based. I'd also be curious as to what OS it was running. And is it a proprietary software program, or something more off-the-shelf?

 

[Shadow Carelli]

I know the situation is most likely due to software updates, but do you think one of the reasons they're choosing to take the passport thing away for a while now is so that they can get guests on the ride faster and reduce long lines? :shrug:

 

[awhen]

I know the situation is most likely due to software updates, but do you think one of the reasons they're choosing to take the passport thing away for a while now is so that they can get guests on the ride faster and reduce long lines? :shrug:

The time spent waiting to get your passport mostly transfers to time spent waiting in the forest (which is arguably a nicer place to wait). However it does create a rather chaotic funnel effect as all three groups try to merge at once instead of paced by the operators.

 

[Quint]

Total system crash. Replacement is being built. Another few weeks yet.

 

[Cole]

Total system crash. Replacement is being built. Another few weeks yet.

Thanks for the update!!!! It's about time this thing gets updated, hopefully it's incredibly easy for the ops and keep all the names. I'd be a real shame is wakabayashi was taken out

 

[Thatguyoverwhere]

Maybe now it'll actually sound like he's saying people's names, instead of "Goodbye, Houusnfyoonfyhsobfskedtslvnia" at the end of each ride

 

[Cole]

Maybe now it'll actually sound like he's saying people's names, instead of "Goodbye, Houusnfyoonfyhsobfskedtslvnia" at the end of each ride

que the ET baby scream to make the names even harder to hear

 

[natespf]

Maybe now it'll actually sound like he's saying people's names, instead of "Goodbye, Houusnfyoonfyhsobfskedtslvnia" at the end of each ride

I couldn't tell you how many times I went on this ride before I realized he is trying to say everyone's name :doh:

I thought he was talking some alien language and that whole passport thing was a stupid time waster.

 

[mahnamahna]

When I was little, I remember being scared to ride E.T. because the old ads used to show the bikes flying over USF - so I assumed E.T. had you go 300 ft in the air, flying over the park :rofl:

Also found myself confused at E.T.'s pronounciation of the names. Maybe the audio will get upgraded?

 

[Cole]

I was hesitant to go on the ride as a kid because I didn't know what it would be like (rode jaws before so I was a bit shaken up) after my first ride I was obsessed and went on it 3 more times until I got stuck in a evac. Yep I've step foot on the green planet and went backstage to look at the monitors. My little kid mind was blown to shreds and without ET I probably wouldn't be into theme parks the way I am now (for better or for worse) I also have a picture of little cole that day on ET, I'll post it sometime

 

[Mad Dog]

It may not be the greatest ride, but it's my favorite at Universal. It always puts a smile on my face. And I usually forgo my Express Pass privileges so I can spend some time in the forest.

 

[Teebin]

I rode it once and cannot believe it is still open as is. Take heart, I also rode Jaws and Small World only once.

 

[Cole]

It may not be the greatest ride, but it's my favorite at Universal. It always puts a smile on my face. And I usually forgo my Express Pass privileges so I can spend some time in the forest.

Agreed, probably my favorite ride in the entire resort. Maybe it's nostalgia but it's seriously more magical then any other ride at disney

 

[Cole]

I rode it once and cannot believe it is still open as is. Take heart, I also rode Jaws and Small World only once.

WHAAT?!? Explain yourself teebs, those are all awesome rides. In all honestly I've only ridden jaws 3 times during it's lifetime but still