Wow, I just realized that came off very negative. I mean, I ENJOY it but just...I'm not excited about it even 1% anymore. Even Simpsons is more immersive for me. And the cheesy and long loading process/safety check before the ride starts has been very cringe worthy cheesy recently. Like...are we 5?
I know you said you're not the target audience, but that loading process is geared strictly at, yes, five year olds. I do find it highly ironic that the height requirement is 40 inches, but what can you do?
I noted this in my post back in July, but I actually really liked the way that they load the theater. All the other attractions in Universal, ESPECIALLY Transformers have a rather stressful and rushed atmosphere to the loading. I tried the best I could whenever to calm down children who were literally on the verge of tears in utter terror at what lies ahead, and it doesn't help that from being grouped to sitting in the ride vehicle it could be less than sixty seconds, and you're screamed at almost the entire way in, not to mention how dark and unsettling it can be when the load platform is at full capacity.
When I was six my parents took me to Walt Disney World, and my dad and my sister really wanted to do Alien Encounter. I was rather different as a child, and even though I was already at a fifth grade reading level, I did not like how the words "ExtraTERRORistrial" sounded. Add in the fact that I could read all safety warnings and fully understanding the announcements and it didn't take long for my heart to start racing nonstop and struggling not to hyperventilate the second we stepped into the pre-show room with S.I.R. The music was sinister and foreboding, and Tim Curry's menacing performance combined with the AA's brilliantly condescending movements made the pre-show felt like an extremely uncomfortable four-minute stay of execution. Then immediately I was shoved in a seat in a dimly lit auditorium surrounding a terrifying-looking steel contraption. Oh, and the music and the sound effects were still super unsettling. Then the restraints came down. I am trapped. My mom leans over to me, "Remember, just close your eyes. It'll be fine."
Anyone who knew about Alien Encounter knows that advice is useless. I ended the attraction in tears, and my mom took me to ride the Astro Orbiter while my dad and my sister went right back in the short line. Following that trip, I had nightmares about AE for months.
Of course, if I were to travel back in time from now to then, I'd gladly join my dad and sister and tell them that this great and innovative attraction is ruined in the future because of a movie that I ironically really like. The point is that I extremely relate to kids scared of these overwhelming experiences, especially when everything surrounding you is so massive. So I actually applaud Universal for making Minion Mayhem, also a potential overwhelming experience (the second pre-show room is fairly dark and the subwoofer effect I've noticed does make kids a little on edge), into a very easy, calm atmosphere, with a very comforting brightly colored (and lit) room to start out on, and zero rushing. This attraction is fun, not scary, and I've literally never seen a large attraction like this cater to this. Disney is extremely steadfast on creating mood, realism and escapism and I'm not at all chastising them for it... this is what makes them great. Walt Disney was the one who always said, "it's okay for kids to be scared". And I totally agree with him, but sometimes you have to realize there is a way to balance fun with scary, and that's by setting the mood.
It's funny because Pirates and Haunted Mansion are both fantastic attractions, but I always gravitated to Pirates more as a child. Now it's close to Haunted Mansion, but I know exactly why. Pirates had a dark and mysterious second act, whereas the first and third are rather lighthearted. The first act of Pirates, of course, being the queue, walking past the happy guests in the boats with the parrot, and then boarding a boat on a rather calm and peaceful Louisana bayou. Then comes the drops, dark caves and such... and we end with the silly pirate antics. It worked easier on me because the introduction was much more forward and calming. Haunted Mansion, on the other hand, is spooky, unnerving and creepy (by design) for the entire first half, before finally moving on to the Marc Davis silliness in the second half. This is almost exactly why the new HM queue at WDW is so weirdly cartoonish, to help children get acquainted to the ride's intended mix of macabre and silly that you encounter later on, but won't necessarily see at first.
And some people hate it. Hate it, hate it, hate it. But guess what? WDW caters to families, and some of those children are understandably already having issues on handling the grandeur of everything around them. It's very loud, brassy and bold. More power to Disney if they want to adjust a small thing just to cater to them... I mean, as long as they don't literally dumb down the attraction. (which goes back to Alien Encounter) And yes, parents should realize what their children can or can not handle.
So it'd be really unfair to build an attraction about the most popular childrens film franchise in years, have it be a 3D simulator in the dark and not at least try to cater the experience so all of those families (as long as they're over 40 inches!) can rest easy in enjoyment.
Sorry if this sounds like I'm putting you down Allen, because I really am not. I'm just happy that Universal seemed to recognize this going in, and crafted the experience like that. It just touches me on a personal level, that's all.