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Best Shooting Attraction: TSM, Buzz, MiB

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jakemeister
  • Start date Start date May 12, 2011

Which "shooting" attraction is your favorite?

  • Toy Story Midway Mania

    Votes: 26 17.1%
  • Men In Black: Alien Attack

    Votes: 122 80.3%
  • Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin

    Votes: 4 2.6%

  • Total voters
    152
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Jakemeister

Jakemeister

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  • May 12, 2011
  • #21
I don't know how you guys get to ride TSMM so much. You make it seem like you ride it every trip. That thing always has a monstrous wait. For me it's always like a nice treat like "Hey, it only has a 40 right now, which really means it has about a 30. Let's jump in line." I kid but you know what I mean.

I think part of the problem with Buzz is it's ease to max out but it's difficulty to use. I've seriously ridden the ride 7 or 8 times and I maxed out. I got buffered BUT now I know how to max out without getting buffered. I have maxed out twice on MIB. Once I seriously have no clue how I did it and the other time I got buffered. I have MIB HUNDREDS of times, and I really am not exaggerating that either. I don't think I'll ever max out TSMM and I'm having a good day on MIB when I peak at about 900k.
 
JungleSkip

JungleSkip

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  • May 12, 2011
  • #22
Jakemeister said:
I don't know how you guys get to ride TSMM so much. You make it seem like you ride it every trip. That thing always has a monstrous wait. For me it's always like a nice treat like "Hey, it only has a 40 right now, which really means it has about a 30. Let's jump in line." I kid but you know what I mean.
Click to expand...

I go right when the park opens and right when the park closes. It ensures I get on at least twice a trip.
 
trishNdale

trishNdale

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  • May 12, 2011
  • #23
We should have and Orlando United class to trip to Universal, and have a shoot out contest and see who the best of the best is in MIB hahaha
 
Vyrus

Vyrus

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  • May 12, 2011
  • #24
trishNdale said:
We should have and Orlando United class to trip to Universal, and have a shoot out contest and see who the best of the best of the best is in MIB hahaha
Click to expand...

Fixed it for ya :lol:

Can we bet??? I'm decent, but I have a couple of people I'd put my money on before myself :lol:
 
Jakemeister

Jakemeister

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  • May 12, 2011
  • #25
Don't try and do MIB with other veterans. It's terrible. Anyone who has rode with other people who get high scores know what I'm talking about. You never know which laser is yours and everyone is shooting at the same thing.

I'm never up early enough to go at park opening. I wake up at like 9 on a good day and all my friends call me the early bird. I usually try and get in line towards the evening when I actually go to DHS.
 
April

April

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  • May 12, 2011
  • #26
I'm going with Men In Black. I find it fun competing against all my different friends. :)

I thought Buzz was fun when I was younger, but once I learned how to max out easily, it's kind of taken the charm away from it. Plus, it just seems so old now.

Toy Story's fun every once in awhile. I have to agree with what someone else said -- my arm always feels like it's going to fall off like halfway through the ride. It shouldn't be a physical workout, lol.
 
mantaguy

mantaguy

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  • May 12, 2011
  • #27
Never ridden TSM or Buzz, but I'll say, why have 3D screens when you can have the real thing surrounding you? I love the way you feel like you're part of the action in MiB, and it's just plain fun to ride. It's also fun to watch the stupefied looks on people's faces when I have a score of 300-400 k (yeah I know I'm not so hot) and they have only in the 1000-9000s. :lol:
 
T

Tbad556

Time Traveler
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Aug 17, 2009
Messages
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  • May 12, 2011
  • #28
Jakemeister said:
Don't try and do MIB with other veterans. It's terrible. Anyone who has rode with other people who get high scores know what I'm talking about. You never know which laser is yours and everyone is shooting at the same thing.
Click to expand...

I can vouch for that. It really ruins the ride for you. I make it a point to do single riders, even when there's no line just to avoid having to play with the rest of my family. :lol:

As for my favorite of the three, I'd have to go with MiB:AA for all of the reasons already mentioned.
 
S

Splatter

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  • May 12, 2011
  • #29
Men in Black has the most solid backstory and theming for the attraction that fits its area, as well as has practical effects. We are talking Fog, Animatronics that shoot back and have your vehicle react to such things. There is nothing like going through an actual dark ride environment.
 
jtsalien

jtsalien

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  • May 12, 2011
  • #30
Tbad556 said:
I can vouch for that. It really ruins the ride for you. I make it a point to do single riders, even when there's no line just to avoid having to play with the rest of my family. :lol:

As for my favorite of the three, I'd have to go with MiB:AA for all of the reasons already mentioned.
Click to expand...

Same here! I also love the "how did he do that" looks I get from the people I ride with. haha
 
UNIrd

UNIrd

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  • May 12, 2011
  • #31
Jakemeister said:
I think part of the problem with Buzz is it's ease to max out but it's difficulty to use. I've seriously ridden the ride 7 or 8 times and I maxed out. I got buffered BUT now I know how to max out without getting buffered. I have maxed out twice on MIB. Once I seriously have no clue how I did it and the other time I got buffered. I have MIB HUNDREDS of times, and I really am not exaggerating that either. I don't think I'll ever max out TSMM and I'm having a good day on MIB when I peak at about 900k.
Click to expand...

I'm having a good day at MIB when I hit 130k. And that's with the bonus. :lol:

My friend doesn't like TSMM because it makes her hand hurt. But she's obsessed with MIB.
 
batsmouth

batsmouth

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  • May 13, 2011
  • #32
MIB>All the entire themeing for the ride is great with amazing visuals and the lift :lol:
 
LadyVulpix103104

LadyVulpix103104

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Orlando, FL
  • May 13, 2011
  • #33
batsmouth said:
MIB>All the entire themeing for the ride is great with amazing visuals and the lift :lol:
Click to expand...

:lol: I see what you did there...


I'm actually torn between MIB and TSMM. MIB is very action-y and TSMM is just a lot of fun despite "plainness" of the ride itself. I love both queues in their own way. I love both movie franchises. I can't just pick one over the other!
 
TSSD

TSSD

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  • May 13, 2011
  • #34
MIB. TSM is cool, but real life sets are always better than 3D screens.
 
meki1219

meki1219

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  • May 13, 2011
  • #35
Im going to take MIB over Buzz since i never rode TSM
 
TheDecemberists

TheDecemberists

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Chattanooga, TN
  • May 14, 2011
  • #36
Men In Black. Definitely.

Buzz Lightyear is charming in its own special way, but it doesn't match up with Men In Black.

As for Toy Story Mania. . . . I am very unimpressed by it. They essentially used the same technology a family is capable of having in their own living room. And then put it on wheels. I mean really. . . . What is the point in it even being a ride on a track if there is no set? It might as well have been a game at DisneyQuest.
 
Mr MudFish

Mr MudFish

Minion
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
Messages
691
Location
Florida
  • May 14, 2011
  • #37
MiB by far. I know Buzz is old, but the whole thing is just cardboard and strings.. And Toy Story Mania is fun, but it's just screens.
 
L

LADY_BUG

Newbie
Joined
Apr 28, 2011
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23
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Fort Lauderdale, fl
  • May 18, 2011
  • #38
MIB all the way, my favorite part is the big spin when the beatle swallows you whole.
 
Mike554

Mike554

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  • Jun 9, 2011
  • #39
Men in black by far TSMM doesn't feel special and Buzz is just not good enough to surpass MIB.
 
Clive

Clive

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May 26, 2010
Messages
7,019
  • Jun 11, 2011
  • #40
Men in Black is the best attraction at UO

Yep. After a lot of thought and evaluation, I've come to the conclusion that Men in Black has simply the best execution of any Universal attraction. I'm not saying that Men in Black is my favorite attraction (though it is among my favorites), or that it must be everyone else's favorite attraction - I'm making the argument that in terms of story, theming, spectacle, depth, scale, and repeatability, Men in Black reigns as the best executed attraction at the Universal Orlando resort.

My arguments:

It fits into its theme area.
An increasing problem in theme park evolution (both Universal and Disney) is a less-than-strict adherence to the established themes of the original park. Men in Black manages to buck this trend by completely fitting into the theme of the World Expo, with the MIB operations staged as a World Fair attraction ("The Universe and You").

Its facade is impressive.
The World Expo towers now serve as an iconic part of the Studios skyline; moreover, MIB's massive soundstage is completely masked by fascinatingly retro-cool architecture. With the exception of backstage events (ie HHN), it's impossible to see the MIB soundstage at any time as a park guest, which is very impressive and gives MIB a leg up against Mummy, Forbidden Journey, and Spider-Man.

The preshow establishes the context and story.
Men in Black has a mandatory preshow that immediately sets the context and plot, which immerses the guest into the story if they haven't done so already. This is contrary to Spider-Man, Mummy, and Forbidden Journey's passive approach. The muddled and convoluted nature of those attractions' stories display the lack of effectiveness in this approach. The transition is neatly made from the cutesy World Expo "Universe and You" attraction (which is established in both the preshow announcements and decorations itself to the fun posters out in the exterior queue) to the Men in Black HQ. The elevator ride successfully transports you to your new role as a MIB trainee with little to no confusion.

The queue in general is awesome.
The aforementioned exterior queue suits itself well as overflow before the preshow, with in-theme posters that gently rib Disney while strengthening the Universe and You. Once past the preshow, the queue hits new levels as a high-tech, cool MIB facility complete with interactive elements, sight gags, audio-animatronic aliens, an enormous lobby, and an amusing (while informative) preshow video. All of these areas reference and accurately reflect the Men in Black facilities seen in the films. The loading area too is impressive, with its simple but spacious look - it all feels very film accurate.

Team member positions don't feel forced into the theme.
Theme park rides by their nature require human employees to operate safely, and this has often resulted in an awkward juxtaposition between the story that is supposed to be told and the human being that is required by law to check your restraints. The Simpsons is a prime example of this, as is Dragon Challenge (moreso when it was Dueling Dragons), Spider-Man, and Hulk. The human accomplices simply don't fit into the established story, so some suspension of disbelief is needed. Here, not so - the employees loading your ride vehicle or checking your express pass is a MIB agent assisting in your training. No suspension of disbelief necessary.

The average guest is all but guaranteed to know everything (s)he needs to before boarding the vehicle.
In Forbidden Journey, true understanding of the plot relies on the guest picking up on chatter by various characters in previous passive rooms. Spider-Man requires some distinctly comic book style logic (it's hard to wrap your mind around the idea of an antigravity cannon or the stealing of the Statue of Liberty)... in Men in Black, all the information you need to know is force fed and reinforced (either through the mandatory preshow or various monitors leading up to the ride). Even if you take the Express queue, which bypasses the preshow, it becomes immediately obvious that you are training to become a MIB trainee by the Doofus queue video. This leads to a greater guest experience because they actually have some idea of what's going on and what their purpose in the ride's plot is.

The vehicles are stylish and memorable.
Spider-Man does have the slightly superior SCOOP, and the Forbidden Journey benches are nothing to scoff at - but MIB's vehicles are both unique and cool to look at, mainly due to the exhaust port, which glitters futuristically (when proper maintenance is undergone, of course...) While the 3 to a row can be a little awkward in parties of 4, the tiered seating structure works like a charm to provide a fair view for every rider.

The gunplay is superior to similar rides.
Of course, I'm referring to Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin and even the newer Toy Story Mania. The MIB guns are far more comfortable and provide for a complete degree of control, unlike the Buzz guns which are bolted to the vehicle, or the Midway guns that are not only bolted but also lack rapid fire.

Animatronics and physical sets!
Along with ET, Cat in the Hat, and [debatably] Jurassic Park River Adventure, MIB is the last attraction at Universal that can be considered a spectacle of audio-animatronics. MIB's robotic alien creatures vary in scale, style, and complexity - and have an incredible headcount of over one hundred individual creatures. In addition, all of the sets are PHYSICAL - the massive, overrun cityscapes feel real and impressive, and the forced perspective used in the final Time Square set effectively set the stage for the overwhelming scale of the "Big Bug." There are only a handful of screen-based moments during the ride, both of which take place at the end and change based on your performance [more on that in a moment]. While a Will Smith animatronic moment might've been cool, the screens work, and are augmented by an additional animatronic scene to complete the ending, so I'll give it a pass. Spider-Man does have its impressive and fluid 3D visuals, but there's something very different about actually having the creatures in a physical space in front of you.

No expense spared.
Let's face it - some money was cut on previous Universal projects in recent memory, which led to disappointments. Potter's ending fizzled and included a stationary Aragog. The Simpsons animation felt a little lacking. The promised "space-age robotics" and "leaping mummies" and... well... "ending" of Revenge of the Mummy failed to every really materialize. Spider-Man is the rare exception where everything seemed to work out. Men in Black is another such exception - in no part in the ride does one feel like they ran out of money or cut corners. True, some alien models were duplicated, but this effect is never jarring and there's enough variety in the rest of the cast to make up for it. You can tell that Universal Creative to fully realize their creative vision - and it shows in the final product.

The plot makes sense.
This is a big one. Forbidden Journey's plot never truly makes complete sense (though the ride is still ridiculously entertaining), and Spider-Man gets a little too chaotic for its own good sometimes... let's not get started on Mummy and its coffee-based finale. MIB hits a series of story beats that are drilled into the head of riders and make complete sense in the world you're supposed to be apart of. You're on a routine training mission, a red alert sounds off when a troupe of alien bad guys crash land in the streets, you abandon the training to take on the intergalactic villains, you split up, are ambushed, meet back up and then realize the other car was defeated and replaced by alien spies, battle the other car, battle the Big Bug, defeat the Big Bug via the infamous "red button," receive your final grade, and depart. It's a mouthful, I know, and out of context it seems a little ridiculous - but on the ride it makes perfect sense due to Zed's well-scripted and communicated dialogue.

The ride is seriously fun!
I mean, c'mon, you're shooting alien bad guys while careening around chaotic streets and spinning incessantly... who couldn't have fun in such a scenario? MIB wisely mixes mild thrills in the spinning with the grand showmanship of the main sets. And it's damn fun to lose yourself in the world shooting the snarling creatures.

Repeatability.
It goes without saying that MIB is repeatable, as it is indeed an interactive shooting ride. MIB has a surprising amount of strategic depth, with much debate over which seat and track gives you the best chance at maxing out, what targets to aim at & when, and the unpredictability of the competition between the two tracks. Not to mention the multiple endings, which leads me to...

Amazing endings.
While Star Tours now has entire randomized ride experiences, MIB was among the first to dabble in alternative ride experiences - in this case, different endings based on your performance. Beating the other team and average player score alter the three segments of the ending, the second (the audio-animatronics scenes) being the most significant. It's incredibly rewarding to play a good round and receive "Galaxy Defender" with the "Suit" ending.

Transition back to the park...
This is a facet of attraction design that many rides ignore. Mission: Space places you in Mars and then dumps you out into Future World without any real transition. A big offender at Universal is Mummy, which abruptly throws you from Egyptian tomb to soundstage at the ride's climax. ET has you travel to the Green Planet, and yet somehow round a corner and magically reappear in the initial forest. MIB transitions you back to the park by (following the Big Bug) returning you to MIB HQ, where, after receiving your final grade, you are "zapped" and your memory "erased" like in the movies - you are then promptly dumped into the hilariously ironic conclusion of the Universe and You exhibit, which proudly contradicts everything you've just seen. Your experience at the World Fair attraction concluded, you exit back into the World Expo proper, but on your way out you see a wink to your intergalactic adventure - the alien secretary silhouette. Brilliant, clever storytelling.

Men in Black is a ride that tells a competent story from start to finish that places riders at the center of the action. Its vision appears to be fully realized and well-executed, and its an experience populated with impressive sets and varied audio-animatronics. The depth of the ride is surprising and enjoyable, leading to intense re-rides and fierce & fun competition. While Spider-Man is an amazing attraction as its name would imply, it has a few subtle flaws (namely its exposed soundstage building and chaotic plot) that put it just a hair below MIB in overall execution.

So there you have it. My arguments as to why Men in Black is technically the best attraction at Universal Orlando.

Let the debate begin!
 
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