Skull Island: Reign of Kong - General Discussion

[ReelJustice]

I'm incredulous as to the dissent being directed towards this attraction. Looks like the best non-Potter attraction since Spider-Man.

 

[Woodz]

My money is still on the bats, at the very least. Hopefully a bug too

Im with you. My money is on a bat on the top of the temple

 

[Mad Dog]

I'm incredulous as to the dissent being directed towards this attraction. Looks like the best non-Potter attraction since Spider-Man.

I agree 100%. But whenever I see the dissent I'm always reminded of the line from Casablanca, "round up the usual suspects". Some folks are just negative oriented.....As an example of the You Tube video judging crowd. There's a staff writer on a certain popular Theme Park site that's always criticizing the attractions at Universal Orlando. Too many screeeenz, too much 3D, not enough AA's etc. But, by his own admission, he's never been to Orlando. Not Universal or even WDW. Always says he'd like to get around to getting there some day though.

 

[Imperius]

Well Teebin mentioned a new animatronic that he just found out about being here also. So I'm guessing three total with Kong. Hoping for a bat, Kong, and a dinosaur but it will probably the worm creature.

 

[Mad Dog]

Well Teebin mentioned a new animatronic that he just found out about being here also. So I'm guessing three total with Kong. Hoping for a bat, Kong, and a dinosaur but it will probably the worm creature.

Yeah, I'm kind of betting on the worm creature too. Its too cool not to have it.

 

[Milla4Prez66]

Those creatures are nightmare fuel, this ride is going to be amazing. Can't wait.

 

[belloq87]

I'm incredulous as to the dissent being directed towards this attraction. Looks like the best non-Potter attraction since Spider-Man.

I’ve mentioned this before, and I’ll say it here again: I think much of the restlessness isn’t because people don’t like screens or screen-heavy attractions. I think it mostly has to do with a desire to see Universal break out of the simulator-y or ride-film-dependent mold they’ve been in for this past decade. I think even just one traditional dark ride - crammed full of AAs and detailed sets, and spiced up with whatever modern surprises or ride systems you’d like - would quiet these concerns; speaking only for myself, if just one ride out of Universal’s next five or six was in that mold (with the rest falling into the Spidey/Transformers/Gringotts/Fallon/F&F paradigm if need be), I’d be more than satisfied.

It’s not that I don’t like 3D or screen-based rides, as I’ve enjoyed all of them, pretty much, with Spider-Man being my favorite ride of all time; I’d just like it if it didn’t feel (to me) like Universal reflexively jumps to those techniques rather than coming up with attraction concepts that could be achieved by more physical, practical means. I don’t think that’s an unfair or unreasonable desire.

 

[Imperius]

I don't want this thread to go into the screeeennnnzzz debate again but I would much rather ride Spiderman, transformers, FJ, and Gringotts than Disneys dark rides filled with AAs.

 

[belloq87]

I don't want this thread to go into the screeeennnnzzz debate again but I would much rather ride Spiderman, transformers, FJ, and Gringotts than Disneys dark rides filled with AAs.

Why must one choose? It's possible to love both approaches.

 

[TheLastAshen]

It’s not that I don’t like 3D or screen-based rides, as I’ve enjoyed all of them, pretty much, with Spider-Man being my favorite ride of all time; I’d just like it if it didn’t feel (to me) like Universal reflexively jumps to those techniques rather than coming up with attraction concepts that could be achieved by more physical, practical means. I don’t think that’s an unfair or unreasonable desire.

I think a major factor here is that Universal just doesn't have the budget Disney does. I think it costs a lot more to build an animatronic heavy, thrill ride like Dinosour at Animal Kingdom than it does to build a screen heavy thrill ride like Kong.

 

[belloq87]

I think a major factor here is that Universal just doesn't have the budget Disney does. I think it costs a lot more to build an animatronic heavy, thrill ride like Dinosour at Animal Kingdom than it does to build a screen heavy thrill ride like Kong.

Fair point. That's why I'm only asking for one ride out of the next five or six!

 

[rhino4evr]

Because most people, AKA not hyper critical theme park fans, see this and go, "Oh wow that's cool!"

yeah, maybe, but only hyper critical theme park fans even watch this stuff.

It's made for us. Screw "them".

 

[rhino4evr]

I think a major factor here is that Universal just doesn't have the budget Disney does. I think it costs a lot more to build an animatronic heavy, thrill ride like Dinosour at Animal Kingdom than it does to build a screen heavy thrill ride like Kong.

THATS A BINGO!

 

[JungleSkip]

yeah, maybe, but only hyper critical theme park fans even watch this stuff.

It's made for us. Screw "them".

This was a story on io9 and ComingSoon.net today. The Kong stuff is definitely being sent out to non theme park sites

 

[rhino4evr]

This was a story on io9 and ComingSoon.net today. The Kong stuff is definitely being sent out to non theme park sites

I wasn't really being serious, but there is some truth to this statement. The general public knows what "bad CGI" looks like, and when you show clips of a dinosaur that look "less than" the most recent release of Jurassic Park, Which millions of people have seen, you will no doubt get a relative "meh" from the non-theme park geeks as well.

All I'm saying is, if it looks so much better in person, then why give of the wrong impression to folks that may not realize it probably looks better in person.

 

[JungleSkip]

I think a major factor here is that Universal just doesn't have the budget Disney does. I think it costs a lot more to build an animatronic heavy, thrill ride like Dinosour at Animal Kingdom than it does to build a screen heavy thrill ride like Kong.

Kong is expensive. Super freaking expensive. Same as an Disney E-ticket. I'd wager it's way more expensive than Dinosaur ever was.

Big reasons why AAs are not a prime option for the style of ride Universal builds IMO:

1) Action: AAs are, more or less, glued to one area. The characters in Universals rides do a lot. Screens allow them to tell the story they want it to be told. They're not hindered.

2) Human characters: People can disagree with me all they want, but AAs are terrible at representing a realistic depiction of humans. They work well in a Pirates or Mansion cartoon-y style, but Uni sets their attractions, more often than not, in the "real" world. AAs just do not do well in those conditions.

We're getting AAs in this ride, because there were scenes that are appropriate for them.

Honestly, I'd understand these complaints a lot more if Uni was crapping out a string of bad attractions. But they've all (IMO) been good to great. Feels similar to me as when Nintendo fans complain about all the great titles in Mario/Zelda/DK series because they're "too similar". I'll take great rides. Don't very much care how they get to me.

 

[rhino4evr]

I need to add, that I think the ride looks and sounds amazing, and think it will be an amazing experience, but those videos aren't really selling me on that optimism.

 

[rhino4evr]

AAs could never act or do nearly as much as anything going on in this ride. Do you think you would see 1000s of AA bats flying toward your car? or a giant worm lunge out of it's own skin?

The "screenz" argument is kind of invalid when you think about the story and experience that UOR is trying to create with their rides.

 

[JungleSkip]

The "screenz" argument is kind of invalid when you think about the story and experience that UOR is trying to create with their rides.

I think this is the biggest thing. I think people have more of a problem of the type of experience Universal likes to deliver more than the method in which they deliver it.

I get that. I LOVE the fast paced/action-oriented story telling they prefer, personally.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Guys, you know what I'm about to say.

Keep the Kong thread about Kong for those just looking for updates.