Lack of New C/D Ticket Attractions

[Happytycho]

A new thread for something I've been thinking about with the Epic Universe plans and some of the discussion in EU threads.

In the last decade (post-potter), it seems to me that very few C/D ticket (think mid-tier) attractions have been built at Florida theme parks. In conjunction the increased IP immersion, parks have been trying to built "the latest and greatest" E-tickets with massive promotional campaigns. We as fans have often complained about new lands not having enough rides besides the headliners, yet the few C/D tier rides to get built recently have received plenty of criticism (Fallon, Rat, F&F?).

I'm interested to hear others' thoughts on this industry trend away from ride quantity towards mostly E-tickets and food/merch in new construction projects.

 

[Jerroddragon]

I mean it if your going to spend money now of days makes more sense its something to really draw people in

Bugland was all lower ticketed stuff and while yeah some kids enjoyed it im sure overall your not going to gain much support for these kinda rides. SLOP is a think a good ride and would not mind seeing more of those but for the most part they want an E ticket and maybe throw in a C ticket like MK and Yoshi.

Also Toy Story land is kinda this, so Disney at least still trys some lower tier rides. I'm sure most Nintendo lands at Universe will have two rides one bigger ride and one smaller ride and Epic Universe for sure will have 6-10 C ticket or lower kinda attractions

 

[belloq87]

From a number-crunching perspective, I'm sure the companies don't believe that the return on investment for things less than D-ticket level (which they'll market as Es anyway) is worth the effort. Exceptions exist, of course, but it seems a rare event that a standalone C-ticket dark ride gets added in Orlando, for example.

I also think that these single IP lands that are in vogue right now tend to be underbuilt in terms of number and variety of attractions. Sometimes that eventually gets rectified, but not often enough. Pandora, Diagon Alley, and Galaxy's Edge would all benefit from a wider array of offerings.

 

[Nick]

I don't necessarily know if it's a "lack" of C/D tickets. If you look in recent years, we've seen things like/are getting Pets, Yoshi, Fallon, Swirling Saucers, Bourne, Na'vi River Journey, etc. There's been other stuff but not enough. I would consider MMRR and Rat a D, but I believe the true definition of an E-ticket from the beginning are the rides that are some of the most popular (which is why they were more expensive), which would technically classify them as an E.

So what I just named off between Universal and Disney isn't actually a lot, you're right. However, I think most of the problem stems from a shift in guest expectations expecting every new ride to be an E-ticket. Disney saw WWoHP and said they wanted something like that. So they've been trying and trying ever sense and they don't seem to get that Potter works because it's straight out of the books and movies. This is a place fans want to go and have an emotional attachment to. The same can be said for SNW - there's a strong emotional attachment there and from everything i've seen, the land looks just like stepping into a game.

No one has an emotional attachment to Batuu, Avengers Campus, Toy Story Land, or Pandora. In those four lands, there's a combined 9 rides and the best one is next to impossible to get on since you need a ride reservation. There's also only one ride out of those 9 that doesn't have a height requirement (yes, Swirling Saucers has as height requirement).

 

[Happytycho]

I don't necessarily know if it's a "lack" of C/D tickets. If you look in recent years, we've seen things like/are getting Pets, Yoshi, Fallon, Swirling Saucers, Bourne, Na'vi River Journey, etc. There's been other stuff but not enough. I would consider MMRR and Rat a D, but I believe the true definition of an E-ticket from the beginning are the rides that are some of the most popular, which would technically classify them as an E.

So what I just named off between Universal and Disney isn't actually a lot, you're right. However, I think most of the problem stems from a shift in guest expectations expecting every new ride to be an E-ticket. Disney saw WWoHP and said they wanted something like that. So they've been trying and trying ever sense and they don't seem to get that Potter works because it's straight out of the books and movies. This is a place fans want to go and have an emotional attachment to. The same can be said for SNW - there's a strong emotional attachment there and from everything i've seen, the land looks just like stepping into a game.

No one has an emotional attachment to Batuu, Avengers Campus, Toy Story Land, or Pandora. In those four lands, there's a combined 9 rides and the best one is next to impossible to get on since you need a ride reservation. There's also only one ride out of those 9 that doesn't have a height requirement (yes, Swirling Saucers has as height requirement).

You're right that there's not an absolute lack of C/D tickets. Perhaps it's more a relative lack, in that the number of E-tickets getting built is at least as large as the number of non E-ticket rides getting built? Whereas we would normally expect E-ticket headliners to be around 25% of the total attractions in a park. And this leads to a lower total number of rides getting built. It's not really good enough for each land to have only 1 E-ticket and 1 C-ticket if a standard park only has ~5 lands because that only gets you like 10 attractions.

And a side note on "tickets":
I'm using the "tickets" naming because it provides an easy way to talk about the relative stature of attractions, but I do recognize that there are flaws in the ticket system and I don't want this thread to be arguing about the exact classifications of various attractions. In my mind, I see three general categories of attractions:
1. Headliners - basically the "can't miss", top ~5 attractions in a park
2. Mid-tier attractions - all of the "good" main rides that are not headliners
3. Filler & kids attractions - everything else, including spinners, play areas, etc.
This thread is about that middle tier.

 

[Mad Dog]

I can see why Disney doesn't build many C ticket rides anymore. With the atrocious prices the Imagineer group charges the parks, the return is too small. Dumbo, a flat ride rebuilt almost a decade ago, reportedly
cost north of $30 million dollars at that point in time. ROI at that price point isn't great......Universal's lack of space at IOA and Studios may have a bit to do with it, since their costs aren't crazy like Disneys'. They did,
to their credit, fairly recently shoehorn Kang & Kodas into a small space, but ridership is usually slow except during busy times.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

I don't necessarily know if it's a "lack" of C/D tickets. If you look in recent years, we've seen things like/are getting Pets, Yoshi, Fallon, Swirling Saucers, Bourne, Na'vi River Journey, etc. There's been other stuff but not enough. I would consider MMRR and Rat a D, but I believe the true definition of an E-ticket from the beginning are the rides that are some of the most popular (which is why they were more expensive), which would technically classify them as an E.

So what I just named off between Universal and Disney isn't actually a lot, you're right. However, I think most of the problem stems from a shift in guest expectations expecting every new ride to be an E-ticket. Disney saw WWoHP and said they wanted something like that. So they've been trying and trying ever sense and they don't seem to get that Potter works because it's straight out of the books and movies. This is a place fans want to go and have an emotional attachment to. The same can be said for SNW - there's a strong emotional attachment there and from everything i've seen, the land looks just like stepping into a game.

No one has an emotional attachment to Batuu, Avengers Campus, Toy Story Land, or Pandora. In those four lands, there's a combined 9 rides and the best one is next to impossible to get on since you need a ride reservation. There's also only one ride out of those 9 that doesn't have a height requirement (yes, Swirling Saucers has as height requirement).

I agree there isn’t a lack really, but, none of those are in Islands of Adventure, and Epic is really only having DK, Yoshi, Monsters Show, A Water shooter, and a VR ride.

I think the type of C/D tickets is changing, if anything. A water shooter is new to level of a theme park, a VR ride is new, DK is also a new ride system. I just think they’re chanting.

IOA it does feel is mostly coasters, or a D/E ticket. If anything that park needs something more C level.

 

[Nick]

IOA it does feel is mostly coasters, or a D/E ticket. If anything that park needs something more C level.

While I disagree that IOA is mostly coasters (although I do get how it could feel that way as they are very prominent in the park), the need for more accessible rides is real at IOA as the only ride aimed at all ages ride (four quadrant ride) is in Seuss Landing, and even then there's slight height restrictions.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

While I disagree that IOA is mostly coasters (although I do get how it could feel that way as they are very prominent in the park), the need for more accessible rides is real at IOA as the only ride aimed at all ages ride (four quadrant ride) is in Seuss Landing, and even then there's slight height restrictions.

I mean, Kong, Spidey, FJ, and CITH are the only non coaster rides you can’t get wet on, so it’s not a negative is mostly coasters as they’re gonna have like THE top 2 coasters in the US or close to it at their park, but I think that argument still stands.

They also need to use their theatres, or like you said, add more accessible attractions.

 

[Mad Dog]

Closure and lack of 'stage' shows at both Universal parks is an issue. Having four vacant theaters (Toon, Lost Continent, former Barney, Fear Factor) , three of which have been permanent, is
a shame. Live entertainment helps to make an amusement park into a Theme Park.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Closure and lack of 'stage' shows at both Universal parks is an issue. Having four vacant theaters (Toon, Lost Continent, former Barney, Fear Factor) , three of which have been permanent, is
a shame. Live entertainment helps to make an amusement park into a Theme Park.

Once Covid blows over this is the easiest way to bring new things to UOR pre Epic Universe.

 

[Mad Dog]

Once Covid blows over this is the easiest way to bring new things to UOR pre Epic Universe.

Easiest, but doubtful they bring back anything but the Fear Factor stage and maybe Barney for something like a Trolls show. I doubt they'll use either of those two huge stages in IOA for anything near term.
And, that's a shame.

 

[Magic Feather]

the few C/D tier rides to get built recently have received plenty of criticism (Fallon, Rat, F&F?).

Of those, only Fallon was designed as a C/D. Being a bad/mediocre E doesn’t not make it an E terms of scale and budget.

Between WDW and UOR, since 2015, the only C/D Tickets we’ve received are Fallon, NRJ, and Slinky (Aliens is a B, someone with enough convincing I’d be willing to call it a C).

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Easiest, but doubtful they bring back anything but the Fear Factor stage and maybe Barney for something like a Trolls show. I doubt they'll use either of those two huge stages in IOA for anything near term.
And, that's a shame.

Idk if it can fit, but Waterworld fits IOA so well, I really just wish it’d go in the TL plot. Sinbad theatre I get more because LC is likely on the chopping block whenever they can. Still wish it never closed.

Something replacing Fear Factor can be a 2024 thing as well, or 2023, with SLOP being in another year. That’d balance out USF a lot better

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

I mean, Kong, Spidey, FJ, and CITH are the only non coaster rides you can’t get wet on, so it’s not a negative is mostly coasters as they’re gonna have like THE top 2 coasters in the US or close to it at their park, but I think that argument still stands.

They also need to use their theatres, or like you said, add more accessible attractions.

IDK about that—it’ll be interesting to see how Veloci compares to Busch’s duo (not that I ever expect to get up to Williamsburg, but that’s what living vicariously thru POVs is for ). But, they’re most definitely quality nonetheless, and that statement is mostly true for just FL—I could easily see VC being at least #2 in state for at least a few months.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

I think a bigger issue is the lack of traditional flat rides in the parks. When parks do have flat rides (see ASS) the ride cycle time is super short.

 

[Legacy]

I mean, Kong, Spidey, FJ, and CITH are the only non coaster rides you can’t get wet on, so it’s not a negative is mostly coasters as they’re gonna have like THE top 2 coasters in the US or close to it at their park, but I think that argument still stands.

They also need to use their theatres, or like you said, add more accessible attractions.

Storm Force. Fear Fall. High in the Sky. Caro-Suess-sel. And you barely get wet on One Fish, Two Fish.

I think there are a number of C/D’s that just get forgotten as being there. I also think fans automatically associate “new” with E-ticket more broadly without considering overall park structure. The entirety of Seuss Landing is C/Ds. Poseidon’s Fury is a C/D. I’d argue Kong and Dudley are Ds. Fallon is a C. Bourne is a D. Fast & Furious is an (inadvertent) C/D. Slinky is a D. Ratatouille is, in reality, a D.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Bumpin’ cause Minions VillainCon rumor!

 

[Jerroddragon]

Bumpin’ cause Minions VillainCon rumor!

What kinda ride is it?

 

[OrlandoGuy]

What kinda ride is it?