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Universal Orlando (Studios/IOA/Epic Universe) : General Discussion

Just a quick question, inspired by the Europa spider theming (eurgh). What exactly happens in the Forbidden Journey ride with the spiders? In case I ever get the chance to ride, it'd be sweet to know, as I hate them.
 
You encounter a few smaller spiders which hiss at you, then Aragog spits water over everyone (not loads, just a fine spray). Hermione calls out to riders telling you to follow her voice as she leads you away from them.

They're pretty impressive, just like the other animatronics you encounter in there. :)


Edit: If you want to know because you aren't sure about riding, just ride it. It's sensational, and to not ride it for the sake of one scene potentially giving you the heebie-jeebies would be daft. :p
 
BigAl said:
You encounter a few smaller spiders which hiss at you, then Aragog spits water over everyone (not loads, just a fine spray). Hermione calls out to riders telling you to follow her voice as she leads you away from them.

They're pretty impressive, just like the other animatronics you encounter in there. :)


Edit: If you want to know because you aren't sure about riding, just ride it. It's sensational, and to not ride it for the sake of one scene potentially giving you the heebie-jeebies would be daft. :p
Click to expand...

Would've been better in 3D though. :p Just saying.
 
Nah, screens should only be used in moderation and confined to just things which would be impractical / impossible to physically create. They're boring and could potentially ruin dark rides if they replace everything inside them. :p

Anyway, if I wanted to sit in front of a screen, I'd watch a POV of it on Youtube for free! ;)
 
BigAl said:
Nah, screens should only be used in moderation and confined to just things which would be impractical / impossible to physically create. They're boring and could potentially ruin dark rides if they replace everything inside them. :p

Anyway, if I wanted to sit in front of a screen, I'd watch a POV of it on Youtube for free! ;)
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The experience on Spiderman is better though, I'm sure you agree, than that on Forbidden Journey? :)
 
Spiderman's good, but not a patch on Forbidden Journey. I had a tear in my eye after my first go on it! :p
 
BigAl said:
Spiderman's good, but not a patch on Forbidden Journey. I had a tear in my eye after my first go on it! :p
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But...but...the bit where you rise into the air then fall (without actually moving up and down at all) is probably the finest piece of dark ride I've ever been on. On Forbidden Journey you just move around for real and the screens are quite clearly screens.
 
Alastair said:
On Forbidden Journey you just move around for real and the screens are quite clearly screens.
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Isn't moving around for real as opposed to pretending to not better though? :p And the way you move and interact with the theming and animatronics is truly fantastic (especially the Whomping Willow)!

On Spiderman you can tell you're just being shook as the picture on the screen zooms to the ground. Some of Harry Potter's screens are designed to surround the vehicle whereas others are also set with theming around them (like the windows). The scene where you're racing across the water to Hogwarts with the cold air rushing at you makes it feel less so much more realistic.

Spiderman is similar, but you can't escape the fact that it's all just a cartoon. :p
 
I have to agree with Alastair, between the two I enjoyed Spiderman just that tiny bit more than Forbidden Journey. The only thing I felt was a let down was the picture quality, but with the new projection setup it seems to be far better.

All down to personal preference I guess, but that fall scene is stunning!
 
BigAl said:
Alastair said:
On Forbidden Journey you just move around for real and the screens are quite clearly screens.
Click to expand...

Isn't moving around for real as opposed to pretending to not better though? :p And the way you move and interact with the theming and animatronics is truly fantastic (especially the Whomping Willow)!
Click to expand...

Yes, I agree moving around for real is better. I just find it odd that IOA's star attraction (arguably) doesn't utilise the monstrous 3D technology that makes Spiderman so immersive, and such a gem of a dark ride. The projection quality of Forbidden Journey is what lets it down, it just seems poor in comparison with how well the rest of it is done.

BigAl said:
Alastair said:
On Forbidden Journey you just move around for real and the screens are quite clearly screens.
Click to expand...

makes it feel less so much more realistic.
Click to expand...

What? :p
 
I read earlier this year that universal are planning on upgrading the projection system on FJ to the same super high def video quality they used on the updated Spider-Man and despicable me. Won't be 3d but much higher quality.

I love the ride but I also think Spider-Man and transformers the ride are among my fav dark rides.
 
Alastair said:
BigAl said:
Alastair said:
On Forbidden Journey you just move around for real and the screens are quite clearly screens.
Click to expand...

Isn't moving around for real as opposed to pretending to not better though? :p And the way you move and interact with the theming and animatronics is truly fantastic (especially the Whomping Willow)!
Click to expand...

Yes, I agree moving around for real is better. I just find it odd that IOA's star attraction (arguably) doesn't utilise the monstrous 3D technology that makes Spiderman so immersive, and such a gem of a dark ride. The projection quality of Forbidden Journey is what lets it down, it just seems poor in comparison with how well the rest of it is done.
Click to expand...

Maybe it's due to Spiderman's animation interaction with riders? Unlike FJ, Spiderman relies mainly on parking riders in front of big screens, so what's on them has to do more. The theming, for me, was just there as a transition, whereas on FJ it was the screens which felt like they were the transition between the physical themed scenes.

It could also be down to them wanting to blur the lines between what's cartoon and what's real and physically there in front of you (the transition between the Hobgoblin throwing a bomb on screen to the car you're in reversing to show the bomb exploding over the car)? After all, the characters on the screens in FJ are real people, as opposed to cartoons.

I'd like to think that it's because having to wear those glasses is annoying. They really aren't helpful when you're trying to take in your surroundings in a dark building (which it is :p )?

Maybe it's because the cartoons on their own weren't as effective, so the 3D was used to help jazz it up a little; make them look less like cartoons? Maybe it's just down to 3D not being used because it was cut from an already gigantic budget?

I have no idea why it wasn't used, but it didn't leave me disappointed that 3D wasn't included in FJ. If anything, I prefer it without them! :p


Alastair said:
BigAl said:
Alastair said:
On Forbidden Journey you just move around for real and the screens are quite clearly screens.
Click to expand...

makes it feel less so much more realistic.
Click to expand...

What? :p
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I was referring to how much more effective that scene is as opposed to what's in Spiderman. The fluid motion and cold air blasts combined with what's on the screen (which is better than you're making out :p ) makes it feel less like a bench on the end of an arm that's wriggling around inside a large dark building. With Spiderman, it's good, but the movement combined with what's on the screens (which is what most of the attraction consists of) isn't convincing, much like lifts that simulate going up and down (MiB: Alien Attack and Sub Terra).
 
BigAl said:
With Spiderman, it's good, but the movement combined with what's on the screens (which is what most of the attraction consists of) isn't convincing, much like lifts that simulate going up and down (MiB: Alien Attack and Sub Terra).
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Oh come on, that's a low blow on Spiderman. The lift effects on both MIB and Sub-Terra are awful (badly designed and executed) and everyone in them knows that they're fake. The rise/fall effect in Spiderman, conversely, is probably the most stunning simulative effect in any dark ride in the world, given that you barely move yet it felt (to me at least) as though I was.

And regardless of what you say, they could and should still implement 3D on the screens on FJ. Granted, it's not ideal to have to wear the glasses, but the extra dimension of realism that it would add to the otherwise static screen sections outweighs that downside.
 
It's the height that you supposedly fall combined with the movement which makes it feel unconvincing for me. There's no real sudden movements with the ride system (everything feels too soft, slow and clumsy, apart from the speed of the cars when you move from one screen to the next) and it could probably benefit from having the same cold air blasts as FJ to make the falling section feel a bit more realistic.

The 3D effect isn't great. It's just far too blurry, though, like I said, does aid in trying to merge what's on the screen with what is actually there in front of you. I'd much rather 3D be left out until it can be carried out in a more convincing manner, and without the need for specs. :p

Don't get me wrong, I do like Spiderman, but it just isn't the best dark ride in Universal Orlando. It has its strengths, but FJ really is something else. And if what is being said about Gringotts making FJ look old fashioned, I really can't wait to see what they've done!

:)
 
i would guess FJ isn't 3D because it wouldn't be safe to wear the glasses on such a dynamic ride system.
 
They are, and certainly put the Simpsons ride to shame (something I was left a little disappointed by).
 
Love FJ, the willow was definitely a highlight. Nothing better than being flipped about like FJ does, and the screens are incredibly immersive.

Spiderman didn't do much for me, probably because i rode transformers before it.. and therefore spiderman felt like a poorer version due to the projection quality.
 
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