Skull Island: Reign of Kong - General Discussion

[belloq87]

As for JPRA, it's in rougher shape, but I do think it's a tad overblown. Ultrasaur is important, absolutely, but the wonderful Stego animatronics serve a similar function in a pinch. The tone is still just as dread inducing, even if the Raptor's look a little dated by today's standards. Rexy looks just as good as I've ever seen her, and the big drop pleases as many guests as it ever did, why close it for a few effects? Just seems like throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

It is the first impression scene of the ride. It's an unacceptable level of show quality to have a fenced-in empty box out there. It's not an insignificant thing.

I hope the rumors of it finally being fixed are correct (though the lack of confirmation after hearing that rumor several days ago at this point has me skeptical of it).

 

[Brian G.]

It is the first impression scene of the ride. It's an unacceptable level of show quality to have a fenced-in empty box out there. It's not an insignificant thing.

I hope the rumors of it finally being fixed are correct (though the lack of confirmation after hearing that rumor several days ago at this point has me skeptical of it).

I’m gonna go ride on Monday.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

The parks certainly have their problems that prior management let build up (the parks have seen a dramatic increase in maintenance and money being dedicated to refurbs since Karen Irwin took over) and that have been caused from storms, so there is a backup in some of this stuff getting fixed all in one go right now, but at least to me, the important thing that i've seen is that things are getting fixed and the money is being spent to upgrade existing infrastructure.

Yes, very positive they're getting back to fixing the parks through attraction, dining, and bathroom refurbs.

But this time last year, the resort was looking pretty shabby and it bled until this year, which is why some of us are concerned. The positive thing about Universal is, unlike Disney, they still believe parks are a strong business.

 

[Rhian]

I compare the outside portion of Kong to be a lot like the beginning of the Jaws ride that sets the stage. It would be like if the skippers didn't say anything except a small greeting (this includes skipping the radio distress call) before the entering the first scene with the sinking boat. I wouldn't argue to shut the ride down over it as that's dramatic but I would expect an actual solution to be done so that it does put the ride's best foot forward as often as possible. This part was specifically built for that, and it does add to the atmosphere walking up to and moving through the queue. The chanting heard as you approach the big doors only builds on the introduction and is a great intro into the building.

I think it's tough because this isn’t the kind of thing a theme park would really come out and talk about (if they're working on solutions or not), but I think there's also valid concern because Universal also has a history of leaving certain things in a subpar state for many years. Yes, they've had many great additions and Kong was one of them at one point and I'd argue it still is too but I dislike have having to add "when the outside part works" each time. Once EU opens I hope to see the entire resort get a good polish all over, specifically the parts we're highlighting here but I'm pretty sure that's exactly what we're starting to see now.

I can only hope that some of the bigger refurbishing projects are on the table somewhere on the heels of Epic's opening and not left in an indefinite b-mode. The reports on ET's TLC have been great!

 

[Brian G.]

I compare the outside portion of Kong to be a lot like the beginning of the Jaws ride that sets the stage. It would be like if the skippers didn't say anything except a small greeting (this includes skipping the radio distress call) before the entering the first scene with the sinking boat. I wouldn't argue to shut the ride down over it as that's dramatic but I would expect an actual solution to be done so that it does put the ride's best foot forward as often as possible. This part was specifically built for that, and it does add to the atmosphere walking up to and moving through the queue. The chanting heard as you approach the big doors only builds on the introduction and is a great intro into the building.

I think it's tough because this is the kind of think a theme park would really come out and talk about (if they're working on solutions or not), but I think there's also valid concern because Universal also has a history of leaving certain things in a subpar state for many years. Yes, they've had many great additions and Kong was one of them at one point and I'd argue it still is too but I dislike have having to add "when the outside part works" each time. Once EU opens I hope to see the entire resort get a good polish all over, specifically the parts we're highlighting here but I'm pretty sure that's exactly what we're starting to see now.

I can only hope that some of the bigger refurbishing projects are on the table somewhere on the heels of Epic's opening and not left in an indefinite b-mode. The reports on ET's TLC have been great!

It def seems the parks are currently undergoing a "Project Stardust" in prep for EU. From food kiosks, restaurants, bathrooms, and attractions, of course.

 

[Mike S]

It def seems the parks are currently undergoing a "Project Stardust" in prep for EU. From food kiosks, restaurants, bathrooms, and attractions, of course.

So that’s their ultimate plan, a Death Star to destroy the competition!

 

[IzzyB]

Do any insiders know if this is being looked at and addressed? Seems like a long time with little to no action from what people are saying and worse ride employees saying they don't even have a budget. This forum hammers Disco Yeti, but in reality that didn't change the coaster itself, this takes out a part of the actual ride and to have no plan to fix it seems bad.

 

[mccgavin]

Do any insiders know if this is being looked at and addressed? Seems like a long time with little to no action from what people are saying and worse ride employees saying they don't even have a budget. This forum hammers Disco Yeti, but in reality that didn't change the coaster itself, this takes out a part of the actual ride and to have no plan to fix it seems bad.

Given that the Ultrasaurus is finally back at JPRA, I have hope they'll be working to fix this soon.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Do any insiders know if this is being looked at and addressed? Seems like a long time with little to no action from what people are saying and worse ride employees saying they don't even have a budget. This forum hammers Disco Yeti, but in reality that didn't change the coaster itself, this takes out a part of the actual ride and to have no plan to fix it seems bad.

One said there was a vehicle down, the other said it was hurricane damage, and another report said it was the concrete on the exterior ride path. The gate was working perfectly fine after the storm, can't imagine it's that.

 

[Mad Dog]

One said there was a vehicle down, the other said it was hurricane damage, and another report said it was the concrete on the exterior ride path. The gate was working perfectly fine after the storm, can't imagine it's that.

That gate even had issues a couple years after Kong opened. I rode the outside open portion on a couple vacations when the gate remained open all the time and didn't close. But they continued to run the outside portion. Perhaps the gate is an intermittent problem. I also recall that the wheels on those vehicles wear out way quicker than they originally expected, so perhaps there's something to do with that and budgeting for those costs.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Kong is running with a Virtual Queue or Standby line today. So it definitely looks like they're running low on vehicles?

 

[Brian G.]

Kong is running with a Virtual Queue or Standby line today. So it definitely looks like they're running low on vehicles?

To clarify - I didn’t mean to imply that the hurricane damaged Kong, but that with other areas needing attention due to the storm, that refurbishments and maintenance schedules were affected.

 

[Crypt Keeper]

Such a shame cause that is the biggest highlight of Kong.

 

[GA-MBIT]

The biggest highlight is clearly Kong himself. The outdoor bit is neat and definitely needs to be fixed, but the ride isn't totally ruined without it.

 

[Crypt Keeper]

The biggest highlight is clearly Kong himself. The outdoor bit is neat and definitely needs to be fixed, but the ride isn't totally ruined without it.

Lol I forgot Kong shows up at the end.

I'd argue the ride isn't as fun without the outdoor portion. The outdoor portion helps separate Kong from any other attraction on property.

 

[Freak]

Shame the outdoor portion isn’t working, but the ride itself is pretty underwhelming IMO. So….eh.

 

[belloq87]

So is that section just gone for good, or what?

Whatever's going on, it's disappointing.

 

[Clive]

So is that section just gone for good, or what?

Whatever's going on, it's disappointing.

I agree. Whatever the scope or complexity of the issue, it's something that deserves more resources than it's received up to this point. The setup/more deliberate pacing of the outdoor sequence takes this from being a "good" ride to a "very good" ride, to me.

 

[belloq87]

Wasn't the point of the bypass not just to account for weather, but also to allow for exterior refurbishment without having to close the attraction?

We should all be expecting whatever the problem is to be fixed. This becoming a Yeti situation would not be a good look at all.

 

[ibanezjp]

Such a shame cause that is the biggest highlight of Kong.

One of the comments suggest they’re leaving it closed because cutting that portion cuts 60-70 seconds off the ride, thus increasing its hourly capacitor by enough that Uni wants to keep the outdoor part closed. There is no way that takes 60-70 seconds. My guess is 20 seconds max.