• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

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

I am no fan of 13, but the budget for the HP attraction is probably six times greater.
 
13 is a great example of where Towers/Merlin came up with a really good idea but didn't quite pull it off. The backstory and theme is good but the ride, especially the outdoor section, is just so ordinary and bland. It will always be a "what could have been" ride for me. I still like it but I will always feel like they missed a trick with it.

Edit: That Potter coaster looks stunning though. The level of detail that looks to be going into what is essentially a slightly better version of 13 really is incredible. It will make all the difference I'm sure. Far better fit for the park than the dueling B&M's which may have been good for thrillseekers but not so much for the target audience of the area.
 
Last edited:
I personally think Thirteen is a fun and rather underrated family coaster, but I'd certainly say that this looks better than Thirteen from what we've seen so far. I'd say it almost looks like a mini Taron in parts, and look how much praise that ride gets!

Controversially, I'd also say that there's a high chance I will prefer this coaster to both Dragon Challenges (even excluding the theming); I really wasn't a fan of either side of that coaster!
 
Benjsh said:
13 is a great example of where Towers/Merlin came up with a really good idea but didn't quite pull it off. The backstory and theme is good but the ride, especially the outdoor section, is just so ordinary and bland. It will always be a "what could have been" ride for me. I still like it but I will always feel like they missed a trick with it.
Click to expand...
I really enjoy Thirteen nowadays as I've accepted it for what it is. The first drop is fun, and the indoor/backwards section is great.

But yeah - the overall outdoor section should be a lot better than it is.
 
Thirteen would've been great if they'd built more of a coaster at the start. I still like it though.

Also the theming was confusing initially, when I went the week it opened I thought the scaffolding in the entrance was legitimately because they'd not finished the station at that point.
 
Agree with the sentiments re: Thirteen. I would say Thirteen and NST are two excellent ideas that haven’t been executed to their potential, although they certainly did better with the former than the latter.

I’ve always felt with Thirteen that it would have benefitted from being entirely enclosed, other than perhaps the ‘escape’ section at the end where you’re launched backwards. I understand why it isn’t all enclosed, as its for a forest theme and they already have natural theming there, but I feel it would have benefitted from being a different theme that suited a dark ride setup. If they did that properly I feel they could probably have gotten away with the first part of the ride as it is and it would have felt far more exciting as it’s is indoors.
 
Did I read somewhere that they couldn’t remove any trees for the construction of 13? So that is why the outdoor section is a rather strange meander through the woods?
 
It's an American thing. They like to have the full explanation of things as they have next to no imagination. Like pavement isn't acceptable to them so they use sidewalk etc. There's plenty other examples.

I agree it is an absolutely grotesque name for a coaster but I have no doubts it will be a fantastic experience, especially for potter fans. We'll be giving it a go in 2021 when we next visit.
 
Guess this is going to be the first motorbike coaster (well, half motorbike coaster :p) to feature a free fall drop then? :D And that is the strangest, yet most ingenious, seating configuration on a coaster I think I’ve ever seen!
 
Can I suggest in an old fashioned way, that it is a "Motorcycle and side car combination".
Used to wind my grandad up calling it a tricycle!
 
Taking early bets at the name for the next coaster themed to Jurassic World.....I'm going for: Blue: The Velociraptor launched coaster experience through Jurassic World.

Catchy I'm sure you will agree. :)
 
Something that's been bothering me for a while is that if this is supposed to take place in the Forbidden Forest why is there some random ruin in the middle of it? I originally thought this was supposed to be part of Hogwarts that the ride is breaking out of, but as recent concept art has shown it clearly isn't. A massive ruin doesn't really fit in story canon.

Of course the real reason there's a ruin is so they can reuse Dragon Challenges Station.
 
Tim said:
Something that's been bothering me for a while is that if this is supposed to take place in the Forbidden Forest why is there some random ruin in the middle of it? I originally thought this was supposed to be part of Hogwarts that the ride is breaking out of, but as recent concept art has shown it clearly isn't. A massive ruin doesn't really fit in story canon.

Of course the real reason there's a ruin is so they can reuse Dragon Challenges Station.
Click to expand...

I was thinking something quite similar. What is being built obviously looks fantastic and of very high quality, however the station building does seem a bit forced as it were. Despite the fact that it is being re-themed it is blatantly obvious that it is the old Dueling Dragons station. I'm no Harry Potter expert but I am led to believe that it does not resemble anything from the films or the books.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top