The Old KidZone Thread

[mahnamahna]

First off, ET can not be ridden by all, as it has a height restriction. So comparing it to HM, Pirates, PP, etc. doesn't even work to begin with. Second, I would compare it to Peter Pan, but not the other ones. HM, POTC, etc are all WAY better rides than ET. If you have not been on HM or POTC you should not be comparing any ride to them, to make a comparison you have to have ridden both rides.

Now I don't want ET replaced. It needs a major upgrade to bring it up to HM and POTC level and not stay at PP level. If they could re-do the cars to remove the height restriction that would be even better, but that won't be happening. They should first re-work the cars for that stupid trolley ride in Seussland as having that at 40" is the dumbest thing I ever saw. Anyway, just make the ride more up to date and fix the timing of stuff and this ride can stay. Keeping it as is I don't think is an option.

The trolley has a 34" height requirement but I agree it's terrible that a Peoplemover has a height requirement. I just compared ET to them because it's the only large-scale family dark ride USF has. I also compared it to Peter Pan which is worse than ET IMO. I do agree ET needs to change to no height requirement but pretty much everyone over the age of 2.5 yrs can ride ET so it's the closest to an all-ages dark ride for USF. Cat in the Hat is for sure an all-ages dark ride though.

- - - Updated - - -

Universal didnt get rid of Kong because they realllllly wanted a Mummy ride, nor did they cut BttF because they wanted the Simpsons (which was originally going to be Fast and Furious). Those rides were taken out because they couldnt be saved...Kong was costly to run, BttF was outdated and running at half capacity. Theres a reason things have to go. To say Comcast would overlook this had they been in charge adoesnt make sense.

It doesn't make sense to assume Universal realllly wanted to get rid of Kong or BTTF when they had no money back then. With the kind of cash flow they have these days, I would guess the two rides could have been saved but Potter 2.0 was just too great of an investment to not tear down Jaws IMO.

 

[Cupcakes]

BTTF could have been saved had it been given the Spidey 2.0 treatment, but obviously Universal wasn't interested in going in that direction.

And in regards to some of the other arguments here, I firmly believe Universal would not have axed Kong and Jaws had they not been expensive to run (there are other spots Mummy and Potter 2.0 could have gone into).

 

[USO92]

(to mahna) And quite honestly it doesnt make sense to assume what you are assuming about Kong and BTTF. When Uni was in the dark years they had NO money so they had to get rid of rides that were making them go bankrupt because of high maintanence or illegitimacy in that day's culture and society. It's called business and frankly Kong and BTTF weren't bringing in massive heaps of tourists. You talk about wanting the parks to be even in terms of thrill level and something for all to ride but everything you mention is strictly based off of the fact that you miss a few rides.

I guess when you live in a culture that literally changes daily one forgets that in order to maintain a succesful business and bring in profit, one has to keep up with the times.

 

[Cupcakes]

I can definitely agree that removing Kong was a necessary evil to keep Universal alive at the time, as sad as it is.

 

[Milla4Prez66]

BTTF could have been saved had it been given the Spidey 2.0 treatment, but obviously Universal wasn't interested in going in that direction.

And in regards to some of the other arguments here, I firmly believe Universal would not have axed Kong and Jaws had they not been expensive to run (there are other spots Mummy and Potter 2.0 could have gone into).

You're probably right with Kong. But if all this talk about amazing AA dragons and goblins and effects for Gringotts is true, then it may be as expensive if not more-so than Jaws.

 

[Shucker]

ET should go. Thats my final word and stance, no more from me in regards to that certain subject

No it should not and that is my final answer Alex T

 

[Cupcakes]

My whole stance on the argument everyone's having here is that Universal should strike a fair balance between what's hot and nostalgia. Go too far in either direction and you'll start to alienate audiences.

 

[IzzyB]

The trolley has a 34" height requirement but I agree it's terrible that a Peoplemover has a height requirement. I just compared ET to them because it's the only large-scale family dark ride USF has. I also compared it to Peter Pan which is worse than ET IMO. I do agree ET needs to change to no height requirement but pretty much everyone over the age of 2.5 yrs can ride ET so it's the closest to an all-ages dark ride for USF. Cat in the Hat is for sure an all-ages dark ride though.

ET is 34" and yes, most kids 2 1/2 can ride it (my son could not at 2 1/2, so I might be still bitter about that :smiley. However the trolley is 40", by the time you can ride the trolley you can ride things like Spidey, transformers, Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain, etc. Who in the world is going to want to ride the trolley if they can ride all those other things? I know my LO would love the trolley now, but is too short, by the time she is tall enough I don't think she will have any desire to be on it. This is why Uni so badly needs a good family kid area, because so many of their attempts at family rides in the past fall a little short. I do think they are trying though. Twirl & Hurl is a win for families and I think HE will be a HUGE win for families.

And as I said, the closest to ET comparison would be PP, I honestly think the two are pretty equal, other than ET might have the edge because of the line theming.

 

[mahnamahna]

ET is 34" and yes, most kids 2 1/2 can ride it (my son could not at 2 1/2, so I might be still bitter about that :smiley. However the trolley is 40", by the time you can ride the trolley you can ride things like Spidey, transformers, Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain, etc. Who in the world is going to want to ride the trolley if they can ride all those other things? I know my LO would love the trolley now, but is too short, by the time she is tall enough I don't think she will have any desire to be on it. This is why Uni so badly needs a good family kid area, because so many of their attempts at family rides in the past fall a little short. I do think they are trying though. Twirl & Hurl is a win for families and I think HE will be a HUGE win for families.

And as I said, the closest to ET comparison would be PP, I honestly think the two are pretty equal, other than ET might have the edge because of the line theming.

I'm 99.9% sure the Seuss Trolley has a 34" height requirement but if it does have a 40" height requirement, Universal is just dumb :doh: there's no way a child over the age of 2 should be able to fall out of those tight restraints and they could always build catwalks and mini-show scenes to make it kid-friendly. It's my least favorite ride in all of Universal Orlando Resort for what's it worth and I'd prefer the bumper car idea they originally proposed. Or maybe give it a cohesive theme?

Yeah it's obvious Comcast is making baby steps to making the parks more accessible to families
1. Twirl n' Hurl (no height requirement) small win
2. Hogwart Express (E-ticket with no height requirement) HUGE win
3. Kong dark ride where Disaster is (more than likely no height requirement since Kong 360 doesn't have one) BIG win
4. JP family coaster (I'd guess a height requirement between 40"-44" since it'll be a step above jr but below thrill machines) BIG win
5. Lorax dark ride (this'll probably be the 2016 IOA addition - no height requirement)
6. KidZone revamp (any height requirement on rides would be 40" or below) GIGANTIC win
7. Wonka overlay for Lost Continent (aside from the glass elevator, no height requirements) HUGE win

Not to mention there's other things Universal might do for families (Toon Lagoon revamp, HP 3.0 with family flat ride and Great Hall, Super Silly Fun Land by DM:MM, ferris wheel in London area, the mystery project on the Springfield/MIB plot will probably have a family ride/attraction of some sort, the 3rd gate, WonderSea Island, etc) that have been mentioned on here or speculated. I definitely think by 2023, Universal Orlando will be a family destination just as much as WDW

- - - Updated - - -

My whole stance on the argument everyone's having here is that Universal should strike a fair balance between what's hot and nostalgia. Go too far in either direction and you'll start to alienate audiences.

Yeah ET, Horror Makeup Show, Lucy, and T2 3D (basically all of Hollywood) are the perfect amount of nostalgia IMO. Maybe turn San Francisco into a Horror area? Build a Classic Monsters fun house, add the Kong E-ticket where Disaster is, and maybe put Wicked in Beetlejuice's spot as a bridge between New York and Horror. Move Monster Cafe over to here and retheme Monsters Cafe near Transformers to Starbot Cafe

 

[IzzyB]

I'm 99.9% sure the Seuss Trolley has a 34" height requirement but if it does have a 40" height requirement, Universal is just dumb :doh: there's no way a child over the age of 2 should be able to fall out of those tight restraints and they could always build catwalks and mini-show scenes to make it kid-friendly. It's my least favorite ride in all of Universal Orlando Resort for what's it worth and I'd prefer the bumper car idea they originally proposed. Or maybe give it a cohesive theme?

Yeah it's obvious Comcast is making baby steps to making the parks more accessible to families
1. Twirl n' Hurl (no height requirement) small win
2. Hogwart Express (E-ticket with no height requirement) HUGE win
3. Kong dark ride where Disaster is (more than likely no height requirement since Kong 360 doesn't have one) BIG win
4. JP family coaster (I'd guess a height requirement between 40"-44" since it'll be a step above jr but below thrill machines) BIG win
5. Lorax dark ride (this'll probably be the 2016 IOA addition - no height requirement)
6. KidZone revamp (any height requirement on rides would be 40" or below) GIGANTIC win
7. Wonka overlay for Lost Continent (aside from the glass elevator, no height requirements) HUGE win

Not to mention there's other things Universal might do for families (Toon Lagoon revamp, HP 3.0 with family flat ride and Great Hall, Super Silly Fun Land by DM:MM, ferris wheel in London area, the mystery project on the Springfield/MIB plot will probably have a family ride/attraction of some sort, the 3rd gate, WonderSea Island, etc) that have been mentioned on here or speculated. I definitely think by 2023, Universal Orlando will be a family destination just as much as WDW

I am 100% sure, for one, my daughter can ride 36" rides and cannot ride that (we like you thought it was shorter height restriction and just walked into the line and was stopped before getting into the line and told she could not ride it). And 2, it says it right on the Uni website.

https://www.universalorlando.com/Rides/Islands-of-Adventure/Seuss-Trolley-Train-Ride.aspx

So yes, they are dumb, or I should say the WERE dumb because, I do agree with everything else you stated. They are starting to recognize the families that have smaller children, because they realize they need that market if they are ever going to open a third gate and expand their resort more.

 

[mahnamahna]

I am 100% sure, for one, my daughter can ride 36" rides and cannot ride that (we like you thought it was shorter height restriction and just walked into the line and was stopped before getting into the line and told she could not ride it). And 2, it says it right on the Uni website.

https://www.universalorlando.com/Rides/Islands-of-Adventure/Seuss-Trolley-Train-Ride.aspx

So yes, they are dumb, or I should say the WERE dumb because, I do agree with everything else you stated. They are starting to recognize the families that have smaller children, because they realize they need that market if they are ever going to open a third gate and expand their resort more.

Holy moly you're right.... how does that tame little thing have a 40" height requirement?!?!?! Spider-Man, Transformers, Despicable Me, Big Thunder Mountain, DINOSAUR, Splash Mountain, and The Simpsons Ride all have that... and this has 40"?!?! Man the people at GE and Blackstone really hurt Universal :died: it's a good thing Comcast is in charge now

 

[IzzyB]

People without kids or older kids often wonder why people with smaller kids complain about Universal. It is because of things like 40" on stupid things like that, that allow us to complain. But again, Comcast realizes they are missing a large market and that they need to capture that market. Those of us with young kids are not asking for Disney 2.0, but we are asking for things like this to be designed to not have a restriction of 40" when it is the real young kids that are under 40" that would want to go on it. That would give more rides for the LOs, I don't want them to remove a thrill ride to add a family ride, I am looking for new land to be used or replace stupid rides. Which is what Comcast is looking to do. So I am liking the future of Uni.

 

[TylerDurden]

Holy moly you're right.... how does that tame little thing have a 40" height requirement?!?!?! Spider-Man, Transformers, Despicable Me, Big Thunder Mountain, DINOSAUR, Splash Mountain, and The Simpsons Ride all have that... and this has 40"?!?! Man the people at GE and Blackstone really hurt Universal :died: it's a good thing Comcast is in charge now

Actually, the heighy requirement was bumped up to 40" just this summer, under Comcast's control

 

[mahnamahna]

Actually, the heighy requirement was bumped up to 40" just this summer, under Comcast's control

...I apologize to Blackstone and GE! Comcast's only blunder so far is giving a PeopleMover style ride for KIDS that goes a whopping 5 mph a 40" height requirement.

Why did they bump up the height requirement (I knew it used to be 34" )

 

[Clive]

...I apologize to Blackstone and GE! Comcast's only blunder so far is giving a PeopleMover style ride for KIDS that goes a whopping 5 mph a 40" height requirement.

Why did they bump up the height requirement (I knew it used to be 34" )

Since it's a height requirement issue, it's gotta be safety-related.

 

[USO92]

I wouldn't trust kids either, no matter what height, age, etc with a ride that is elevated. You never know what ways kids can wiggle squirm etc...one little mistep and Uni could have a problem on their hands. As with any circumstance, precautionary measures. Better to be safe than sorry,

 

[mahnamahna]

I wouldn't trust kids either, no matter what height, age, etc with a ride that is elevated. You never know what ways kids can wiggle squirm etc...one little mistep and Uni could have a problem on their hands. As with any circumstance, precautionary measures. Better to be safe than sorry,

All they'd have to do is tighten the restraints and add some catwalks and nets. Then everyone can ride it :thumbs: it's not as big a safety issue as Universal thinks it is since no one has died or been injured on the ride, right?

 

[Felipe]

All they'd have to do is tighten the restraints and add some catwalks and nets. Then everyone can ride it :thumbs: it's not as big a safety issue as Universal thinks it is since no one has died or been injured on the ride, right?

I believe there's already catwalks (though I'm not sure how they help in safety other than serve during an evac), and nets are fugly. As for the restraints, they'd need to completely replace them with individual ones, because in the single lapbar for two, if a kid sits with an adult, or any two people of different dimensions really, the smaller person has wiggle room and it's less safe, especially at that height...

I'll ride pretty much anything, and I love intense thrill rides, but Seuss Trolley is scary as :stunned: to me. Those RVs and restraints at that height... :look: Makes me feel really unsafe :look:


Anyways, back to the possibilities in KidZone's future...

 

[Eric]

Sorry about continuing off topic, but Seuss Trolley's height requirement was changed due to smaller guests actually getting out of the restraint. It was a major safety concern that simply wasn't worth messing with.

As for the restraints, they'd need to completely replace them with individual ones, because in the single lapbar for two, if a kid sits with an adult, or any two people of different dimensions really, the smaller person has wiggle room and it's less safe, especially at that height...

Seuss Trolley has a lapbar for each rider.

 

[Felipe]

Seuss Trolley has a lapbar for each rider.

I thought it had the one lap bar per row :inquisitive: I must be confusing it with the other Seuss ride, CitH. The Trolley ride is still scary as hell Especially that turn over the water... Eek!