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

Rob said:
The big question here - will these be the first B&Ms to be scrapped
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This was my first thought. A quick look on RCDB showed a handful that have been "removed" from parks, however no indication as to whether they're scrapped or being stored somewhere. I doubt it's the latter tbh.
 
Mi-Nigle said:
This was my first thought. A quick look on RCDB showed a handful that have been "removed" from parks, however no indication as to whether they're scrapped or being stored somewhere. I doubt it's the latter tbh.
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A lot of B&M coasters that have been removed from parks have been relocated somewhere else. A few in storage like the Time Machine sitter at Freestyle, but that's been relocated to Vietnam IIRC.
 
New rumours from Screamscape:
Screamscape said:
After hearing rumors about how the ride system used for Arthur at Europa Park was intended for the next Harry Potter themed attraction for the past 18 months, imagine my surprise as I am now learning that Universal Creative has decided to switch gears entirely for the Forbidden Forest ride hardware. Note that I’m still hearing that Universal love the Mack creation and still want to use it… just for something else they have in mind down the line.

So what will the Forbidden Forest ride be like now? If the new information sent to Screamscape is true, Disney isn’t going to like this news one little bit, because Universal is said to be designing a custom motocycle themed launched coaster attraction concept. I’m told they are working with Intamin to create this, and the bike would be themed to look just like the one Hagrid rides, complete with a sidecar, which would offer you a unique way to experience the ride in two different seating positions.

From the little I know so far about it, it sounds like it will continue to use the Forbidden Forest theme and feature stops for show scenes to play out (much like Gringotts) where you would have encounters with various creatures. I’m also hearing that it will feature forward and backwards track sections as well, which should prove to be a fun new feature.

For now I’m trying to dig up a bit more detailed information, but the warning that Dragons Challenge is set to close later this year is still holding true. No one seems to know when it will close for sure, but I could see Universal attempting to tie the event to the announcement of the dates for the 2018 “A Celebration of Harry Potter” event. Typically I think the dates and rundown for this event is released in the fall (in time for the ride to close) and the event taking place usually in January I believe, which would be a great time and place to announce the new attraction. Just spitballing here though… no firm information on any of that just yet.
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Interesting and another believable idea. Would probably work better from a whole thematic concept side of things.

:)
 
But why not turn the bikes into brooms and make it a Quidditch roller coaster? Seems like a more natural fit for the ride system than trying to force it into a dark ride hybrid with an awkward seating position.
 
Tim said:
But why not turn the bikes into brooms and make it a Quidditch roller coaster? Seems like a more natural fit for the ride system than trying to force it into a dark ride hybrid with an awkward seating position.
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I feel like there wouldn't be enough content for a quidditch ride, especially theming wise unless you took it outside of the stadium and you encountered more scenes. That would, however, feel pretty similar to Forbidden Journey if that was the case considering you follow Harry on a broomstick in that
 
Big, but not surprising, news coming from Universal. Dragon Challenge will close on 5th September 2017 (last day of operation is 4th September) and a new Harry Potter coaster experience will open in 2019:
Universal said:
New Generation of Thrill Ride Coming to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade

I’m super excited to tell you that a new generation of thrill ride is coming to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade at Universal’s Islands of Adventure in 2019! I can’t tell you everything about the new ride just yet, but here’s what I can share:




    • This all-new thrill ride will take you deeper into J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World, where you will encounter some of your favorite characters and creatures. It’ll be unlike anything we’ve ever done before and it will be fun for the entire family.
    • The new attraction will be one of the most highly-themed coaster experiences we’ve created. It will combine a new level of storytelling with an action-packed adventure…and a few surprises along the way.
    • Our award-winning Universal Creative team is once again collaborating with Warner Bros. and the production design team from the Harry Potter films to bring this new coaster experience to life.
    • This ride is going to redefine the category and transport you to thrilling places, drawing you into even more exciting adventures within the wizarding world. It’s going to be the perfect addition to Hogsmeade.
We’re permanently closing Dragon Challenge on September 5 to make way for this all-new ride. The last day of operation will be Monday, September 4.

Stay tuned to the blog or sign up for email updates – more details will be released in the future.

In the meantime, make sure you come out and take your last ride on Dragon Challenge before it closes.
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This has been coming for a long while now so I have got over the disappointment. However I do still feel that it is a shame that IOA will be losing two iconic coasters from when the park first opened. They, along with Hulk, are somewhat symbolic of Universal in Orlando. I hope the coasters find a new home but suspect that they will be ripped down.

It has been long reported that JK Rowling was not a fan of the coasters and they were never as immersive as the other Harry Potter attractions. They also took up a lot of space, just look at this from Inside Universal:

My main hope is that the replacement turns out to be an actual coaster, not something like Gringotts. Gringotts is a good ride but I feel there was potential for so much more. Universal seem to be calling it a thrill ride that will be fun for the entire family so it will be interesting to see exactly what they mean, it obviously won't be on the same level as Dragon Challenge.

I'd suspect either an SFX Coaster from Dynamic Attractions or some sort of Intamin motorbike coaster.

Finally, please can Universal just let it duel for one final time on the day it closes?

:)

 
Rob said:
I hope the coasters find a new home but suspect that they will be ripped down.
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Given that Hulk has been running for roughly the same number of hours and just got entirely retracked I don't think there is any chance of the dragons getting rebuilt anywhere else as they may be reaching the end of their lifespan anyway.
 
I doubt they are anywhere near the end of their lifespan. I know that they have run more than your average B&M however they did only open in 1999. Plenty of years left in the tank!

Hulk could probably have kept running as it was if Universal wanted to do so however I suspect that they wanted to improve the ride experience to ensure it was the best it could be. Comcast have money to burn anyway!

:)
 
It's highly unlikely Universal will sell the coasters. they have scrapped all the water slides at Wet n Wild which could have easily been sold inc the pro slide racer that was only 18 months old.
 
Rob said:
I doubt they are anywhere near the end of their lifespan. I know that they have run more than your average B&M however they did only open in 1999. Plenty of years left in the tank!
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I guess nobody knows for sure, but it would be odd to think that they would have replaced Hulk in the way that they did if it wasn't coming to the end of its lifespan and Dragons has been running nearly two years longer than the original Hulk at this point. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't understand why a sit down coaster of the same age would have a much shorter life than an inverted when they share so many components.

They perhaps could have kept Hulk going longer than they did, but only with vastly increased maintenance effort and costs which would have required more closures.

With some simple maths, I reckon each ride has more than double, approaching triple, the number of operating hours per year vs. a seasonal ride - depending on whether you take a calendar from a UK or US seasonal park.

Following on with the maths, the replacement of half the length of the Dragons track on Hulk was a very time consuming/expensive endeavour, so perhaps they figured that money is better spent on some new and shiny Potter, rather than some 'new' Dragons largely indistinguishable from the original. Public companies don't burn money!

That original entrance was iconic, for sure. It's a shame that had to go. If you got a ride on them, great. If you didn't - that's just the way it goes.
 
Such a shame both of them are going, but to be honest, they were never the same again after they stopped duelling. It's what made the coasters so special in the first place.
 
Rob said:
The big question here - will these be the first B&Ms to be scrapped, or will they be sold? I hope they do manage to find a new home, they are good coasters! Although I feel that may be unlikely.

I like the idea of a Mack Inverted Powered Coaster, it is a brilliant ride system that either Disney or Universal could do something very special with. And as Tim says, the Dragon Challenge site is huge meaning plenty of room for a second attraction if that is what they wanted. I have also seen a B&M Hyper Coaster rumoured, I believe one was planned for a Forbidden Forest area in Japan, but I can't help but feel it would not really fit in with the immersive Harry Potter themes were have seen so far.

:)
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I feel it would be in B&M's interests surely to tout them around a bit, sound out whether anyone might want them. Of course it's up to Universal to negotiate price etc, but it would no doubt be substantially cheaper than two brand new inverts, and there is a precedent for the relocation of the ride type at least (Monster). Hoping they aren't scrapped!
 
It's a shame that are going, I managed to ride them in both their incarnations. The original was far superior than the potter overlay. The duelling made a massive difference.

What they will replace it with will be interesting as it looks like they could double the size of hogsmead (the actual area you can walk around).
 
@Alastair Wouldn't it be in B&Ms best interest to find someone to sell new ones to? If they're coming to the end of their service life, there is no reason to try and relocate.
 
Rick said:
@Alastair Wouldn't it be in B&Ms best interest to find someone to sell new ones to? If they're coming to the end of their service life, there is no reason to try and relocate.
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Yes but reputation-wise I'd want to keep my company's 25+ year record of every single ride ever made still being in operation.
 
shawnoc said:
The original was far superior than the potter overlay. The duelling made a massive difference.
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They did duel even after the potter overlay, Wizarding World has nothing to do with the duelling stopping.
Some guests tried to throw coins at the other train (which is not a good thing!). The duelling was stopped and they added metal detectors to Dragon Challenge, The Hulk and Rip Ride Rocket to stop ANY personal belongings being taken onto the rides to stop any chance of coins falling out of pockets or being thrown.
 
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