The Future of E.T. Adventure

[shiekra38]

Compared to the rest of Universal nowadays, it definitely comes across as that.

Compared to the rest of Universal it is a callback to the old school - I'm ok with that

 

[Yabbadabba Doh]

I agree that Pan is definitely the most "aged" of the bunch. I won't even ride it without a FP since its not worth the normal 75 min wait. I do appreciate, however, the fact that PP, COP, and IASW were all Walt originals but I think they could be refreshed and plussed without significant changes to the original storyline/design.
In the case of ET, I feel the same way. If they could cleanup the AAs and improve some of the scenes and effects without significantly changing the ride, I would welcome that.

 

[martydmc12]

So glad to hear that Universal is going to maintain and keep E.T. up and running for a little while longer. For all the space the Florida park has, it never made sense to close Back to the Future or Jaws... those, plus E.T. are Universal Studios defining legacies; the most important brands in their entire history.

BRING BACK BTTF AND JAWS!!!

 

[Joshua Porter]

So glad to hear that Universal is going to maintain and keep E.T. up and running for a little while longer. For all the space the Florida park has, it never made sense to close Back to the Future or Jaws... those, plus E.T. are Universal Studios defining legacies; the most important brands in their entire history.

BRING BACK BTTF AND JAWS!!!

I'm not sure how much an unpopular opinion this is, but here goes: I hated Simpsons when I rode it. I don't get motion sickness, ever. However, this ride made me feel sick in a totally different way. The smell, was the main thing. I specifically won't ride it again because it cannot hold a candle to BTTF in my estimation. The ride vehicle isn't enjoyable, the positioning of the vehicle seems to be off with the screen too. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something just didn't seem well put together about it. Maybe it is my high opinion of BTTF because I am such a fan of the franchise, but the two are chalk and cheese and I know what I would rather eat.

Jaws I can take. I loved it, despite it giving me deep seated fear of water when I was a child. That ride literally ruined swimming pools for me for a couple of years. However, if I could go back and ride it again, I would love to do so. However, Diagon Alley is spectacular. Jaws made way for something better. In that frame of mind, I do think ET would make way for something excellent too when it does eventually go. I'm glad it is sticking around for longer though, it's nice to still have something left over from the old school.

 

[Paulio]

So glad to hear that Universal is going to maintain and keep E.T. up and running for a little while longer. For all the space the Florida park has, it never made sense to close Back to the Future or Jaws... those, plus E.T. are Universal Studios defining legacies; the most important brands in their entire history.

BRING BACK BTTF AND JAWS!!!

Back to the Future ride's timespan has already past its prime so it would be completely awkward if they keep it to this day and way past the actual 2015 so it wouldn't make sense to keep it. As for Jaws, it's true it's a sad tragic loss, but the ride was costing Universal tons of money (it cost $70 just to do the fire thing and it's expensive to redo the entire story by this point when everyone involved in the Jaws movie either retired or dead) and Harry Potter was massively popular that turned Universal Studios into a serious rival to Disney so Universal really needed the extra space to make room for newer IPs to replace those that was way past its prime, regardless of the nostalgic purposes.

 

[Ryan]

I'm not sure how much an unpopular opinion this is, but here goes: I hated Simpsons when I rode it. I don't get motion sickness, ever. However, this ride made me feel sick in a totally different way. The smell, was the main thing. I specifically won't ride it again because it cannot hold a candle to BTTF in my estimation. The ride vehicle isn't enjoyable, the positioning of the vehicle seems to be off with the screen too. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something just didn't seem well put together about it. Maybe it is my high opinion of BTTF because I am such a fan of the franchise, but the two are chalk and cheese and I know what I would rather eat.

The vehicles and positioning are identical, literally. I get preferring BTTF but arguing that against Simpsons is purely psychological.

And I mean, yes I get nostalgic ties but at some point it needs to be recognized. E.T. can be better, and it's weird that some just want it purely to stay in its 1990s state. Then again some wanted UoE to stay despite it being dated as hell so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[wizwit]

Why do the aliens on ET's planet speak english?

 

[Captain Tragedy]

Why do the aliens on ET's planet speak english?

 

[Joshua Porter]

The vehicles and positioning are identical, literally. I get preferring BTTF but arguing that against Simpsons is purely psychological.

And I mean, yes I get nostalgic ties but at some point it needs to be recognized. E.T. can be better, and it's weird that some just want it purely to stay in its 1990s state. Then again some wanted UoE to stay despite it being dated as hell so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Like I said, probably an unpopular opinion and maybe just something I feel towards the ride. I think ET could also be made better. Every ride could be made better in some shape or form. I definitely do not think it will be made better, though. I feel that would have happened already if that were to ever be the case unfortunately.

 

[Alicia]

I think the ride film for BttF being as dark as it was (every scene takes place at night or in caves) vs how bright and vibrant the Simpsons film is makes a big difference in the experience. The darkness kind of hid the seams better. The brightness kind of gives away the edges of the screen, illuminates nearby cars more, etc. So, identical layout and practically same motion profile, but I can see how Simpsons doesn't feel as believable to some. I like it just fine. The jokes are great. "I'm a baby bird."

 

[Mr. EPCOT]

Back to the Future ride's timespan has already past its prime so it would be completely awkward if they keep it to this day and way past the actual 2015 so it wouldn't make sense to keep it. As for Jaws, it's true it's a sad tragic loss, but the ride was costing Universal tons of money (it cost $70 just to do the fire thing and it's expensive to redo the entire story by this point when everyone involved in the Jaws movie either retired or dead) and Harry Potter was massively popular that turned Universal Studios into a serious rival to Disney so Universal really needed the extra space to make room for newer IPs to replace those that was way past its prime, regardless of the nostalgic purposes.

I think the ride film for BttF being as dark as it was (every scene takes place at night or in caves) vs how bright and vibrant the Simpsons film is makes a big difference in the experience. The darkness kind of hid the seams better. The brightness kind of gives away the edges of the screen, illuminates nearby cars more, etc. So, identical layout and practically same motion profile, but I can see how Simpsons doesn't feel as believable to some. I like it just fine. The jokes are great. "I'm a baby bird."

Back to the Future was great for the era in which it was built, but it doesn't hold up nowadays, you'd expect something more epic. The Simpsons is fine as a simulator because it's a silly cartoon and you wouldn't necessarily expect something on the scale of Spider-Man or Forbidden Journey. If they were to take a risk and build a new Back to the Future ride in the Spider-Man/EMV format, I'd be willing to wager that it'd be pretty popular. The decision to build a new King Kong ride is somewhat mystifying on one level because the ability to push merchandise is obviously a high priority for any new major project. I can't help but feel that if you're going to build a new ride based on a classic franchise that you would get a much higher ROI on something like Back to the Future rather than something like King Kong. I'd think that Back to the Future would even push more merchandise than E.T. But maybe they'll end up addressing all of this with Site B. In my ideal world, newer IPs would kind of migrate there, and then USF itself would start to reorient its focus to attractions based on mainline Universal properties (you'd have your Fast and the Furious and Mummy/Dark Universe/Monsters but also maybe new BTTF/Jaws/Hitchcock attractions). From what I have observed, there are still many casual guests who show up to Universal just wanting to see "the main park" kind of expecting that's going to feature all of the iconic Universal stuff. But I doubt this is actually what's going to happen, of course.

 

[Alicia]

Back to the Future was great for the era in which it was built, but it doesn't hold up nowadays, you'd expect something more epic. The Simpsons is fine as a simulator because it's a silly cartoon and you wouldn't necessarily expect something on the scale of Spider-Man or Forbidden Journey. If they were to take a risk and build a new Back to the Future ride in the Spider-Man/EMV format, I'd be willing to wager that it'd be pretty popular. The decision to build a new King Kong ride is somewhat mystifying on one level because the ability to push merchandise is obviously a high priority for any new major project. I can't help but feel that if you're going to build a new ride based on a classic franchise that you would get a much higher ROI on something like Back to the Future rather than something like King Kong. I'd think that Back to the Future would even push more merchandise than E.T. But maybe they'll end up addressing all of this with Site B. In my ideal world, newer IPs would kind of migrate there, and then USF itself would start to reorient its focus to attractions based on mainline Universal properties (you'd have your Fast and the Furious and Mummy/Dark Universe/Monsters but also maybe new BTTF/Jaws/Hitchcock attractions). From what I have observed, there are still many casual guests who show up to Universal just wanting to see "the main park" kind of expecting that's going to feature all of the iconic Universal stuff. But I doubt this is actually what's going to happen, of course.

I agree with your sentiments on not enough iconic Universal properties at USF. I still propose a Great Universal Movie Ride in one of the large double-wide soundstages, especially now that GMR is gone. It would be such the perfect countermove to Disney's removing theirs, and give a permanent home for nostalgia driven attractions like Jaws and BttF.

I think Universal holds Kong near and dear to them and that's part of the reason he came back instead of something like BttF. Besides the original film being one of the most iconic films in history, the addition of King Kong Encounter to Hollywood's tram tour was a turning point for the company. It cemented the Hollywood tour as a theme park experience rather than just a backstage tour. Universal is what it is today in Orlando, and around the world, thanks to Kong. And until the fire, it was still a guest favorite over 20 years later.

 

[Joshua Porter]

Back to the Future was great for the era in which it was built, but it doesn't hold up nowadays, you'd expect something more epic. The Simpsons is fine as a simulator because it's a silly cartoon and you wouldn't necessarily expect something on the scale of Spider-Man or Forbidden Journey. If they were to take a risk and build a new Back to the Future ride in the Spider-Man/EMV format, I'd be willing to wager that it'd be pretty popular. The decision to build a new King Kong ride is somewhat mystifying on one level because the ability to push merchandise is obviously a high priority for any new major project. I can't help but feel that if you're going to build a new ride based on a classic franchise that you would get a much higher ROI on something like Back to the Future rather than something like King Kong. I'd think that Back to the Future would even push more merchandise than E.T. But maybe they'll end up addressing all of this with Site B. In my ideal world, newer IPs would kind of migrate there, and then USF itself would start to reorient its focus to attractions based on mainline Universal properties (you'd have your Fast and the Furious and Mummy/Dark Universe/Monsters but also maybe new BTTF/Jaws/Hitchcock attractions). From what I have observed, there are still many casual guests who show up to Universal just wanting to see "the main park" kind of expecting that's going to feature all of the iconic Universal stuff. But I doubt this is actually what's going to happen, of course.

My thoughts on a Site B would be that they would try and intertwine some classics with newer IP's so as to mitigate any risk that people would bore of the nostalgia, in a way? Disney has proven that nostalgia can win you favour with Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios up until recently, but Universal's properties don't garner as much nostalgia across the board, I would say. However, I would hugely welcome back a modern take on a Back to the Future ride. Our only real hope of that though is probably in the form of an indoor launch coaster themed to the Delorean or the train. A dark ride would probably need new footage filmed with the older characters as I can't see any ride using full on AA's anymore.

 

[Frank Drackman]

I'm not sure how much an unpopular opinion this is, but here goes: I hated Simpsons when I rode it. I don't get motion sickness, ever. However, this ride made me feel sick in a totally different way. The smell, was the main thing. I specifically won't ride it again because it cannot hold a candle to BTTF in my estimation. The ride vehicle isn't enjoyable, the positioning of the vehicle seems to be off with the screen too. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something just didn't seem well put together about it. Maybe it is my high opinion of BTTF because I am such a fan of the franchise, but the two are chalk and cheese and I know what I would rather eat.

Jaws I can take. I loved it, despite it giving me deep seated fear of water when I was a child. That ride literally ruined swimming pools for me for a couple of years. However, if I could go back and ride it again, I would love to do so. However, Diagon Alley is spectacular. Jaws made way for something better. In that frame of mind, I do think ET would make way for something excellent too when it does eventually go. I'm glad it is sticking around for longer though, it's nice to still have something left over from the old school.

I seldom ride the Simpson's ride. I love the film and all, but I do not recall BTTF being as rough...I mean like when the wrecking ball hits the car, I think some of that banging around is not needed. Sort of why I dislike Shriek, when they are riding horses, the seat movement to me is just annoying.

Heck, I never get the like for AK's dinosaur ride...most rooms are just dark and the vehicle just tosses you around for no reason

 

[GAcoaster]

With ET celebrating it's 35th anniversary they are doing a special theatrical presentation:

 

[shiekra38]

I agree with your sentiments on not enough iconic Universal properties at USF. I still propose a Great Universal Movie Ride in one of the large double-wide soundstages, especially now that GMR is gone. It would be such the perfect countermove to Disney's removing theirs, and give a permanent home for nostalgia driven attractions like Jaws and BttF.

I think Universal holds Kong near and dear to them and that's part of the reason he came back instead of something like BttF. Besides the original film being one of the most iconic films in history, the addition of King Kong Encounter to Hollywood's tram tour was a turning point for the company. It cemented the Hollywood tour as a theme park experience rather than just a backstage tour. Universal is what it is today in Orlando, and around the world, thanks to Kong. And until the fire, it was still a guest favorite over 20 years later.

I could see them regularly switching out certain scenes as well...Sort of how the original GMR was supposed to..Plus, it would quiet the fans a bit haha

 

[Ashhanbre]

I get the point of Back to the Future ride being an out of date ride concept. But that means the Simpsons is also an out of date concept, since its basically the same ride just using a different film. And Fallon, and Shrek and Minions.

I also will never understand why people say Back to the Future wouldn't work because 2015 is now passed. A new version of Back to the Future would ALWAYS WORK......because its a time machine. You don't have to go to 2015. You can go to anytime you want...which means its timeless.

That being said, if it ever was to come back I wouldn't want a remake of the the way it was before. Not really interested in the same thing with just a different video. I'd want something new and exciting, but still using that IP and still using that car.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

I get the point of Back to the Future ride being an out of date ride concept. But that means the Simpsons is also an out of date concept, since its basically the same ride just using a different film. And Fallon, and Shrek and Minions.

I also will never understand why people say Back to the Future wouldn't work because 2015 is now passed. A new version of Back to the Future would ALWAYS WORK......because its a time machine. You don't have to go to 2015. You can go to anytime you want...which means its timeless.

That being said, if it ever was to come back I wouldn't want a remake of the the way it was before. Not really interested in the same thing with just a different video. I'd want something new and exciting, but still using that IP and still using that car.

Not trying to be rude, but how does that relate to ET Adventure?

 

[Ashhanbre]

Not trying to be rude, but how does that relate to ET Adventure?

I was replying to Mr. Epcot and Paulio (see posts above)...but yeah...ET

 

[Paulio]

I get the point of Back to the Future ride being an out of date ride concept. But that means the Simpsons is also an out of date concept, since its basically the same ride just using a different film. And Fallon, and Shrek and Minions.

I also will never understand why people say Back to the Future wouldn't work because 2015 is now passed. A new version of Back to the Future would ALWAYS WORK......because its a time machine. You don't have to go to 2015. You can go to anytime you want...which means its timeless.

That being said, if it ever was to come back I wouldn't want a remake of the the way it was before. Not really interested in the same thing with just a different video. I'd want something new and exciting, but still using that IP and still using that car.

First, BTTF would always involve Marty McFly and Doc Brown aka the original actors who play them. That's how it's always has been, they're the biggest actors around and the reasons why the BTTF franchise skyrocketed into popularity; you just can't replace their wisdom and charisma. Second, you need a new BTTF movie that is popular that appeals to the large demographics, which isn't likely considering the original movies are always the best and cannot be replaced. Third, BTTF hasn't had a movie....like since 1990 so it wouldn't make sense especially from the videos being filmed in the early 90s being outdated by late 2000s standards, so it wouldn't have the same charm by today's standards. Finally, while the Simpsons uses the same system as BTTF, it's not outdated, since there are many people especially today's generation still watch the Simpsons, considering the TV series is still ongoing as of today, not to mention the opening of Springfield Land in both Hollywood and Florida a couple of years ago.