Skull Island: Reign of Kong - General Discussion

[Teebin]

Didn't see a single rider line for the 12 days I was there.

Wouldn't that mostly be because it is the slow period? Were they using the outside queue for standby? I believe it was most common for singles to open up during the very busy seasons.

 

[Mad Dog]

Wouldn't that mostly be because it is the slow period? Were they using the outside queue for standby? I believe it was most common for singles to open up during the very busy seasons.

Depended how busy it was concerning the standby queue. Most everyday the inside was completely filled or nearly completely filled, and sometimes it extended to outside queue. ...I have no idea on what the future plans are for singles.....Usually Express was around 5 to 10 minutes, but on one of the days, when they were only running two vehicles, we stood in Express for 45 minutes. I thought I got lost and was in a WDW Fast Pass line. That was the time there was the 360 degree room film bled over to the blank wall area.

 

[Mad Dog]

I still haven't found the time to do my detailed Kong review, but I do have a short funny story. We were standing in a short Express line & spoke briefly to a middle aged couple that were standing next to us. They said they rode it earlier in the day and enjoyed it immensely. Anyway, the four of us were placed in Row 9. As we were standing there, the vehicle pulled up, and the lady loudly exclaimed to her husband, as she spied the front of the vehicle. She said to him, "See, I told you, the drivers are live. I was right". I kept my mouth shut, snickered inside, but let her believe her fantasy.

 

[universal_fanatic]

Didn't see a single rider line for the 12 days I was there. Express only....At the end of the Express line, if it was 5 minutes or longer, they would play a long tape of radio communications between the expedition members, that basically described the background story. You were also right next to the Witch scene, so I would stop & watch that whole scene until it culminated in the effects & Kong, Kong, Kong chants. Best of all worlds, speed of Express, greatest pre show ever(as many times you wanted to watch), and the expedition storyline (as long as there was a short Express line).

I agree, except that you miss out on the scareactors!

 

[Mad Dog]

I agree, except that you miss out on the scareactors!

The 6 times I went through the regular queue always had scare actors, because I could hear & see the reactions from groups in front or behind us near the boo holes. But I actually only saw one fully once, and a hand reaching out twice. I think they should actually do it more since it seemed people loved them, but chances of seeing them are, unfortunately, kind of low. And, the whole queue is really good so if the lines get shorter in the future, I'd probably skip Express often & go with standby, since I love a great queue....That's what I do with Mummy, since I love the queue, and the lines aren't real long early in the day. But with Kong, at this early stage , lines were long except for the first hour or two of opening. And I was trying to get my Tony Baxter 20 rides in so I could do a thorough review.

 

[deathcab4cutie]

you know though when you go through the que it feels like there was suppose to be more scare-actors but its just one.At the start of the temple there is a small space next to the skull mus-ion effect where some one could hide.Also after the witch there is another dark corner where you could stick someone.So it makes me wonder did they plan to have the que be more scary just like the ride was suppose to be more scary but then decided to go soft.

 

[Teebin]

you know though when you go through the que it feels like there was suppose to be more scare-actors but its just one.At the start of the temple there is a small space next to the skull mus-ion effect where some one could hide.Also after the witch there is another dark corner where you could stick someone.So it makes me wonder did they plan to have the que be more scary just like the ride was suppose to be more scary but then decided to go soft.

Simple answer is no. Where the actors are, is where it has been intended all along. Now there are multiple boo holes in that current area (3?), but either they found that having multiples there was just a giveaway and the later just weren't scary - that one actor at a time works best.

 

[Mad Dog]

Simple answer is no. Where the actors are, is where it has been intended all along. Now there are multiple boo holes in that current area (3?), but either they found that having multiples there was just a giveaway and the later just weren't scary - that one actor at a time works best.

I remember back when the scare actors were first announced. The predominant Disney crowd on Theme Park Insider went crazy deriding & criticizing Universal for having scare actors in the queue. The reality is that chances of seeing the scare actor are minor, plus it doesn't scare the kids in the line anyway. That queue is filled with lots of fairly young children. So. it really is a family attraction. The only ones I ever heard shriek were the teenage girls that kind of over dramatize that kind of stuff, even at HHN.

 

[Galaxy Defender]

I remember back when the scare actors were first announced. The predominant Disney crowd on Theme Park Insider went crazy deriding & criticizing Universal for having scare actors in the queue. The reality is that chances of seeing the scare actor are minor, plus it doesn't scare the kids in the line anyway. That queue is filled with lots of fairly young children. So. it really is a family attraction. The only ones I ever heard shriek were the teenage girls that kind of over dramatize that kind of stuff, even at HHN.

From the times I have ridden it seems like the scareacters mainly target young girls/women. I image they give the best reactions. Unless it is this young lady.

 

[Scott W.]

General reviews are very poor. Are they still having issues? It seems like there is always a long wait and I get the impression that a lot of people are only riding once.

 

[Galaxy Defender]

General reviews are very poor. Are they still having issues? It seems like there is always a long wait and I get the impression that a lot of people are only riding once.

No more issues than most other Universal high tech rides early in their service. The long wait motivates many to wait to ride it again when lines are shorter. Everyone that I know has ridden it has enjoyed it. Most do not want to wait for 90 minutes again.

 

[Mad Dog]

The ride has high capacity. Lines are long. Sounds like someone likes it.

 

[Scott W.]

The ride has high capacity. Lines are long. Sounds like someone likes it.

I can't see any long lines in a year. I'm thinking the long lines are mainly due to it being the new ride in town and break downs.

 

[Mad Dog]

I can't see any long lines in a year. I'm thinking the long lines are mainly due to it being the new ride in town and break downs.

I rode it 20 times on multiple days over nearly a two week span (and would have more if the hurricane didn't chase me out of town). No breakdowns. Only one small issue that didn't affect the ride. Most of the reviews on this thread are pretty good. I'm thinking the negatives & rumored breakdowns are over blown. If you look at the early reviews on Gringotts, they're similar in most respects. Like Gringotts, it's an attraction aimed at families, a category where Universal has been a bit deficient. So I'm thinking those that were expecting super thrills are a bit let down, as they were with Gringotts. Gringotts is now generally accepted as one of the very best Universal attractions. But this wasn't intended as a roller coaster thrill oriented ride.And, this just gets better & better, as does Gringotts, with repeat rides. It is what it is and it does it well....I really need to find some time to do full review.

 

[Scott W.]

I rode it 20 times on multiple days over nearly a two week span (and would have more if the hurricane didn't chase me out of town). No breakdowns. Only one small issue that didn't affect the ride. Most of the reviews on this thread are pretty good. I'm thinking the negatives & rumored breakdowns are over blown. If you look at the early reviews on Gringotts, they're similar in most respects. Like Gringotts, it's an attraction aimed at families, a category where Universal has been a bit deficient. So I'm thinking those that were expecting super thrills are a bit let down, as they were with Gringotts. Gringotts is now generally accepted as one of the very best Universal attractions. But this wasn't intended as a roller coaster thrill oriented ride.And, this just gets better & better, as does Gringotts, with repeat rides. It is what it is and it does it well....I really need to find some time to do full review.

Oddly, I think I had relatively low expectations for Gringotts because of the reviews I read but I absolutely loved everything about it and it produced more thrills than I had expected.

I look forward to your review.

 

[Teebin]

It is what it is and it does it well....I really need to find some time to do full review.

Well get on it buster!

 

[Mad Dog]

Oddly, I think I had relatively low expectations for Gringotts because of the reviews I read but I absolutely loved everything about it and it produced more thrills than I had expected.

I look forward to your review.

I learned my lesson on ride expectations during my first theme park power trips. On my initial rides of Mummy & Jurassic Park River Adventure, I was disappointed because I had inaccurate expectations. Once I got a number of rides in, my ratings for both changed drastically. Now both attractions are among my favorite in any theme park. So I no longer attempt to review an attraction unless I ride it a significant number of times. I'm a firm believer in the Tony Baxter view of theme park attractions.

 

[Teebin]

I was like that with Mummy the first time... I expected the pop up mummies to move yet they did nothing. I ranted to a Uni manager friend of mine at the time but soon got over it. Toss ancient Egypt anything in front of me and my tongue hangs out like a panting dog.

 

[Mad Dog]

I was like that with Mummy the first time... I expected the pop up mummies to move yet they did nothing. I ranted to a Uni manager friend of mine at the time but soon got over it. Toss ancient Egypt anything in front of me and my tongue hangs out like a panting dog.

So you would be absolutely thrilled at NYC's Metro Museum Egyptian area. I know I was. I must have walked through the reconstructed tomb a half dozen times. Just an amazing exhibit.

 

[Teebin]

So you would be absolutely thrilled at NYC's Metro Museum Egyptian area. I know I was. I must have walked through the reconstructed tomb a half dozen times. Just an amazing exhibit.

Mr. Man, I practically camped in the Temple of Dendur. I never got to see the vastly expanded collection but I sucked the paint off the canvasses at the Met, The Frick, The Cloisters, and the Morgan Library (where I was invited into their archives and handled multiple Rembrandts, with cotton gloves of course).

Just like theme parks, if I want to know something, then there is a good chance I will know it inside out. And yes, I am being cocky.