Forbidden Journey Refurbishment (Update: Early Dec)

[graspthesun]

It's my gift... accidental dirty puns.

 

[Badgeking]

So, it appears that this ride was updated last night with new Dementors! According to Josh Solomon on Twitter, "The last two dementors in FJ got a super scary update and they look AWESOME". He later went on to say "the second to last comes toward you out of nowhere (spooked me) and they're both more flow-y looking".

So glad to see them making changes and updates to this ride during it's nightly down time. Makes me hope they don't have to bring it down for a total revamp anytime soon!

 

[IzzyB]

I thought I was going crazy when I rode it the other day, but both my husband and I said that we thought there was more dementors and they looked much more scary. But I hadn't seen anything on here so I thought I was just losing it. We had rode it in April and both thought it was different from April.

 

[Galaxy Defender]

So, it appears that this ride was updated last night with new Dementors! According to Josh Solomon on Twitter, "The last two dementors in FJ got a super scary update and they look AWESOME". He later went on to say "the second to last comes toward you out of nowhere (spooked me) and they're both more flow-y looking".

So glad to see them making changes and updates to this ride during it's nightly down time. Makes me hope they don't have to bring it down for a total revamp anytime soon!

More Dementors? Hogwarts has some serious security problems on its grounds.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

FJ is testing an express entrance along with looping stand by backwards through the classrooms and back out to the greens houses.

 

[boomerthom]

FJ is testing an express entrance along with looping stand by backwards through the classrooms and back out to the greens houses.

Maybe it's because I've been on a single rider kick recently, but I've forgotten where the classrooms are...after the lockers are a cavern-style area, followed by the greenhouse/outdoor queue, correct? Are the classrooms part of the regular queue path?

 

[Skubersky]

More Dementors? Hogwarts has some serious security problems on its grounds.

Nope, same dementors, though the black lights on them were cranked up.

 

[Absimilliard]

I found the queue set-up for Forbidden Journey at Universal Studios Japan interesting. I only did Universal Express, but you directly enter the castle, get sent to the lockers and once your stuff is locked in, you come back to the merge point and hand in the huge locker instruction card. This allows you access to the castle and once you're upstairs, you don't have the greenhouses and instead go straight to the classrooms. It is only 3 rooms before getting on the ride. The process was efficient and they had enough lockers installed that it was a not a choke point like it is at IOA.

The ride did not have the "extra room" wing seats that were implemented in Florida, but I was fine anyway. The ride itself? Like Florida, except you need to wear useless 3-D glasses.

 

[IzzyB]

Hey not sure where to put this, but figured I would ask here. So the other day we were on FJ and we did Child Swap. After I waited with the 2 youngest I went on with the two oldest kids. They sat on the end and I went to sit next to them. The lady made me and a guy switch so I was on the outside and not next to the kids. I did not feel comfortable with this at all and she was rushing. I asked her why and she refused to answer me. The guy was an adult, so I can't imagine it had anything to do with seats. He was not plus size by any means and while I am overweight I fit into every normal seat with several clicks to spare. So I know it was not me being put into a big seat either. It just really bugged me that she did that since I was no longer next to the kids.

Also, he was from the single rider line, doubt that makes a difference though.

 

[UNIrd]

Was he overweight at all? The restraints on FJ could be extremely unforgiving. If they noticed he wouldn't have gotten enough clicks to ride, they would ask to switch since the outside seats require less clicks to ride. Why they didn't fix this on all the seats vs just the two outside ones is beyond me.

Wait: I just read your post again.. they put you on the outside. Hm.

 

[Frank Drackman]

Hey not sure where to put this, but figured I would ask here. So the other day we were on FJ and we did Child Swap. After I waited with the 2 youngest I went on with the two oldest kids. They sat on the end and I went to sit next to them. The lady made me and a guy switch so I was on the outside and not next to the kids. I did not feel comfortable with this at all and she was rushing. I asked her why and she refused to answer me. The guy was an adult, so I can't imagine it had anything to do with seats. He was not plus size by any means and while I am overweight I fit into every normal seat with several clicks to spare. So I know it was not me being put into a big seat either. It just really bugged me that she did that since I was no longer next to the kids.

Also, he was from the single rider line, doubt that makes a difference though.

Was he overweight at all? The restraints on FJ could be extremely unforgiving. If they noticed he wouldn't have gotten enough clicks to ride, they would ask to switch since the outside seats require less clicks to ride. Why they didn't fix this on all the seats vs just the two outside ones is beyond me.

Wait: I just read your post again.. they put you on the outside. Hm.

I've been split like that from my family before, but I always thought it was because I didn't fit correctly in the inside seat yet most times I have been ok on an inside seat.

We will use single rider from time to time, so I would typically be in outside seat when we do that.

I wonder if they need a certain balance on the benches that might cause them to swap the folks in seats 3 & 4? But really, in my case, I thought it happened because seat four accepts more body types than seats 1 to 3.

 

[IzzyB]

I would say the guy and I may have weighed the same, maybe him a little more. Like I said, I have never needed the big seats. I have been on FJ many times with no issues. I am not even close, on coasters a ton of clicks happen vs. My husband who only gets a couple. Just was odd and I sat the kids on the outside so they wouldn't be next to a stranger and they ended up next to a stranger.

 

[anihilnation]

Has happened to my wife, I think maybe not all benches are the same, or some TMs don't like to push the restraint down too much an inconvenience you and hence ask you to sit on the other seat.

 

[anihilnation]

I would say the guy and I may have weighed the same, maybe him a little more. Like I said, I have never needed the big seats. I have been on FJ many times with no issues. I am not even close, on coasters a ton of clicks happen vs. My husband who only gets a couple. Just was odd and I sat the kids on the outside so they wouldn't be next to a stranger and they ended up next to a stranger.

Usually my wife has no problems, maybe two times they have asked her to move.

 

[SMatP]

I had something similar happen to me recently. I ( doing singles ) was placed on the last seat next to this couple who were in the middle two. As I was about to pull the restraint down one of the TMs ran up to us and made the guy and myself switch seats. He was an average sized dude and they didn't say anything about why besides telling us to move. I felt kinda bad about it, too..
The woman didn't seem too happy about it, and honestly I probably wouldn't have been either if I was in their position.

 

[IzzyB]

Yeah I can't believe it is size. Wonder what they switch people for? I imagine it pissed people off a lot. Just curious now hearing all these stories. I would expect it if it was my husband, he fits everything, but is borderline on many things. He doesn't need the big people seats, but he just gets the needed click. But never would expect it with myself since I always get a ton of clicks and never have issues.

 

[Frank Drackman]

Yeah, I've always found it odd, but I can run heavy sometimes. The thing is, my family is three so when we do the regular line, we tend to stage for the first three seats, but I've had visits to UOR where I would be good one day and then on another day, I would be told to switch.

I think that is part of the reason we will do single rider more often as we can save time and we never know if we will truly sit together each ride.

It did freak me out a little the first time it happened, but now that my daughter knows the park well and she even suggest single rider these days.

I have noticed that the staff at FJ seem to err on the side of safety, which is a good thing...I am not sure how they tell, but they seem to be looking at indicators (I assume lights) at the front of the benches and then again when they mess with buttons on the side of the restraints...they seem to be quick about getting folks to switch since it is a magic carpet load and when I am asked to switch, it is at the last check...

 

[IzzyB]

Yeah, I've always found it odd, but I can run heavy sometimes. The thing is, my family is three so when we do the regular line, we tend to stage for the first three seats, but I've had visits to UOR where I would be good one day and then on another day, I would be told to switch.

I think that is part of the reason we will do single rider more often as we can save time and we never know if we will truly sit together each ride.

It did freak me out a little the first time it happened, but now that my daughter knows the park well and she even suggest single rider these days.

I have noticed that the staff at FJ seem to err on the side of safety, which is a good thing...I am not sure how they tell, but they seem to be looking at indicators (I assume lights) at the front of the benches and then again when they mess with buttons on the side of the restraints...they seem to be quick about getting folks to switch since it is a magic carpet load and when I am asked to switch, it is at the last check...

But what reason are they switching people is my question I have?

 

[sparky]

But what reason are they switching people is my question I have?

something must have been triggered that told them to reset the load on the car? That is the only thing that makes sense. Or they were playing some sort of musical chairs game on guests that day. Just be glad they didn't make you run around the car three times before they let you sit?

 

[epcyclopedia]

But what reason are they switching people is my question I have?

If you've pulled the harness down and it's not all the way down to the safe point or if they assume it wont close to that point. If the larger of two people sits on the inside seat they'll swap them out of habit.