Dark Universe - General Discussion Thread

[johnathanm]

Man, monsters unchained is in rough shape these last few days. Just got off again and now the hunchback bell isn’t swinging. The bride attacking Victoria while she shoots at it, the mummy, and the last bride that flies towards you at the end all haven’t been working in days. At least they got the phantom animatronic working again.
Also, is the final Dracula just never going to fly again?

Hate to be negative and I know it’s only been open a week so hopefully over time the animatronics start working better

I was there a week ago today, and final Drac was certainly coming out of his “boo hole” (not super far, but noticeably), but was there a more substantial flying effect working prior to that?

 

[Dragontrainer2]

I was there a week ago today, and final Drac was certainly coming out of his “boo hole” (not super far, but noticeably), but was there a more substantial flying effect working prior to that?

During previews he would come all the way out and fly right over you

 

[Mike S]

During previews he would come all the way out and fly right over you

Hopefully I see this one day and this isn’t Universal’s Yeti.

 

[Wesker69]

Hopefully I see this one day and this isn’t Universal’s Yeti.

Not until the strobe lights happen

 

[saint.piss]

During previews he would come all the way out and fly right over you

I went to multiple previews and only saw this effect working ONCE. I've ridden this ride 102 times. Lol

 

[Evan]

Tiana’s bayou adventure all over again

Maybe we need to go back to simpler AA’s

 

[GA-MBIT]

I do wonder how well this ride ages. At peak operation, it's absolutely incredible, but what happens when it gets as old as E.T. or JPRA? How do you maintain an attraction of this quality and fluidity.

 

[Brian G.]

Y'all, Epic is still a baby. I want the effect to work, too; but we gotta pump the overdramatics a bit.

I do wonder how well this ride ages. At peak operation, it's absolutely incredible, but what happens when it gets as old as E.T. or JPRA? How do you maintain an attraction of this quality and fluidity.

Are those the two best examples to use, though?

E.T. was built way before Universal had any real grasp on building quality AAs, and JPRA is exposed to the water and the brutal heat for most of the calendar year.

 

[Tereglith]

Trying to think of what's the oldest "this whole thing lives and dies on its state of the art animatronics" attraction that's still running well. American Adventure is 43 years old and Ben Franklin is still walking up stairs and shaking hands with Mark Twain.

 

[OrlandoGuy]

Are those the two best examples to use, though?

E.T. was built way before Universal had any real grasp on building quality AAs, and JPRA is exposed to the water and the brutal heat for most of the calendar year.

Probably not, but what other comps are there? Men in Black and FJ have a lot of “figures” but nothing to the scale of Monsters. Kong is super advanced, but it’s just the one head.

I sprung for a room at Helios before general public preview tickets were available specifically after reading about the scale of animatronics on Monsters. Nobody can fault Universal if they don’t all work 100% all the time because nothing of this scale has really been attempted before…that’s why I wanted to get on the ride asap.

Trying to think of what's the oldest "this whole thing lives and dies on its state of the art animatronics" attraction that's still running well. American Adventure is 43 years old and Ben Franklin is still walking up stairs and shaking hands with Mark Twain.

I think the difference here will be American Adventure’s figures get 30-60 minutes to reset/refresh. Monsters animatronics are serving vehicles coming through on a constant basis, and their motions are not simple. They’re making wide ranges of motions with practically 0 time for resets or breaks in between.

 

[Dragontrainer2]

I went to multiple previews and only saw this effect working ONCE. I've ridden this ride 102 times. Lol

Maybe it doesn’t have enough time to reset? Because it came out pretty far and was right above you

 

[rhino4evr]

I listened to the Dark Universe vinyl today. Having never been to the park , I was somewhat anxious to listen. Sounded very much like the soundtrack to a lost Tim Burton movie. Pretty much what I expected. The pressing itself is high quality , as most stuff made at waxwork records.

 

[Alicia]

I listened to the Dark Universe vinyl today. Having never been to the park , I was somewhat anxious to listen. Sounded very much like the soundtrack to a lost Tim Burton movie. Pretty much what I expected. The pressing itself is high quality , as most stuff made at waxwork records.

It’s wild how walking through the portal into Dark Universe how recognizable the main theme is now to me. It works.

 

[Wesker69]

Sounded very much like the soundtrack to a lost Tim Burton movie.

The Dark Universe movie(s) we were promised, but never got because the studio doesn't understand the material like Epic & HHN

 

[Brian G.]

Probably not, but what other comps are there? Men in Black and FJ have a lot of “figures” but nothing to the scale of Monsters. Kong is super advanced, but it’s just the one head.

I sprung for a room at Helios before general public preview tickets were available specifically after reading about the scale of animatronics on Monsters. Nobody can fault Universal if they don’t all work 100% all the time because nothing of this scale has really been attempted before…that’s why I wanted to get on the ride asap.


I think the difference here will be American Adventure’s figures get 30-60 minutes to reset/refresh. Monsters animatronics are serving vehicles coming through on a constant basis, and their motions are not simple. They’re making wide ranges of motions with practically 0 time for resets or breaks in between.

Yeah, there's not a lot of comparison to make since there isn't much of a precedent.

 

[GA-MBIT]

Are those the two best examples to use, though?

E.T. was built way before Universal had any real grasp on building quality AAs, and JPRA is exposed to the water and the brutal heat for most of the calendar year.

Sure! I just wonder how this era of theme park attractions will end up aging. The animatronics here are at a whole other level than anywhere else that I've personally seen. I'm not trying to catastrophize or anything, but I don't think it's out of the question that this ride could see similar long-term decay similar to how stiffly AA's like Imhotep, MK Voyage Ursula, the Navi Shaman, or TSM's Mr. Potato Head move nowadays. All of those were incredibly smooth, when they opened. Except here we have a dozen or more animatronics at that same level. It's more of a curiosity than a complaint.

 

[Evan]

Sure! I just wonder how this era of theme park attractions will end up aging. The animatronics here are at a whole other level than anywhere else that I've personally seen. I'm not trying to catastrophize or anything, but I don't think it's out of the question that this ride could see similar long-term decay similar to how stiffly AA's like Imhotep, MK Voyage Ursula, the Navi Shaman, or TSM's Mr. Potato Head move nowadays. All of those were incredibly smooth, when they opened. Except here we have a dozen or more animatronics at that same level. It's more of a curiosity than a complaint.

Right. I’m mostly worried that it will never be consistent. These new AA’s cause so many problems for everyone. Disney or Universal.

Maybe we need to go back to more simplistic proven theatrical effects, that can run consistently over and over again?

Can these things be achieved with less… technological figures?

 

[Brian G.]

Right. I’m mostly worried that it will never be consistent. These new AA’s cause so many problems for everyone. Disney or Universal.

Maybe we need to go back to more simplistic proven theatrical effects, that can run consistently over and over again?

Can these things be achieved with less… technological figures?

I hear screens are efficient.

 

[Evan]

I hear screens are efficient.

Now now, no need for such cruel threats

 

[saint.piss]

Monsters Unchained but remove the animatronics and it's all screens... oh no