Villain-Con Minion Blast (General Discussion)

[GA-MBIT]

So, I feel like this is probably best suited for this thread than any other at the moment. I do not want this to turn into the HHN33 spec thread by any means, I am simply curious about the Minion Flex space that seemed to be commonly talked about during the construction of this attraction. There was some talk in other threads that the space is actually much smaller than anticipated and wouldn't be able to see much use for HHN or any potential summer/winter event offerings. Is any of this true? If so, was this always planned for purely back-of-house utility and fans got overzealous thinking the spot would keep it's use from the Shrek 4-D days? Or was it potentially a mistake during planning/construction somehow like some potentially hinted at? Maybe something completely different?

Again, pleaseeeeeee I beg the HHN Speculation junkies to not turn this into another Spec board. I want to respect Brian and Co's hibernation as much as possible, and the flex space could've been built for plenty of different reasons outside of HHN. I think the conversation is most useful if we focus purely on the state of the Flex Space itself. I'm just curious to hear if anyone has word on this because it was a major point in most of the rumors for VCMB and for it to end up completely different under everyone's noses here would be incredibly interesting.

 

[Alicia]

So, I feel like this is probably best suited for this thread than any other at the moment. I do not want this to turn into the HHN33 spec thread by any means, I am simply curious about the Minion Flex space that seemed to be commonly talked about during the construction of this attraction. There was some talk in other threads that the space is actually much smaller than anticipated and wouldn't be able to see much use for HHN or any potential summer/winter event offerings. Is any of this true? If so, was this always planned for purely back-of-house utility and fans got overzealous thinking the spot would keep it's use from the Shrek 4-D days? Or was it potentially a mistake during planning/construction somehow like some potentially hinted at? Maybe something completely different?

Again, pleaseeeeeee I beg the HHN Speculation junkies to not turn this into another Spec board. I want to respect Brian and Co's hibernation as much as possible, and the flex space could've been built for plenty of different reasons outside of HHN. I think the conversation is most useful if we focus purely on the state of the Flex Space itself. I'm just curious to hear if anyone has word on this because it was a major point in most of the rumors for VCMB and for it to end up completely different under everyone's noses here would be incredibly interesting.

Speaking from permits and plans only, it was listed as "unoccupied shell space" or "auditorium" in most cases. It is the exact size of the former Shrek theater closest to main pathway only. There is a small strip of office space and retail back of house between the Evil Stuff gift shop and the empty theater space.

What it will be used for? I will let others who have heard anything more recently speak to that. HHN houses used to use a theater AND a preshow space, right? And this one would not have that ability, as the preshow space on that side is now the Evil Stuff gift shop area.

 

[TheUniC6]

So, I feel like this is probably best suited for this thread than any other at the moment. I do not want this to turn into the HHN33 spec thread by any means, I am simply curious about the Minion Flex space that seemed to be commonly talked about during the construction of this attraction. There was some talk in other threads that the space is actually much smaller than anticipated and wouldn't be able to see much use for HHN or any potential summer/winter event offerings. Is any of this true? If so, was this always planned for purely back-of-house utility and fans got overzealous thinking the spot would keep it's use from the Shrek 4-D days? Or was it potentially a mistake during planning/construction somehow like some potentially hinted at? Maybe something completely different?

Again, pleaseeeeeee I beg the HHN Speculation junkies to not turn this into another Spec board. I want to respect Brian and Co's hibernation as much as possible, and the flex space could've been built for plenty of different reasons outside of HHN. I think the conversation is most useful if we focus purely on the state of the Flex Space itself. I'm just curious to hear if anyone has word on this because it was a major point in most of the rumors for VCMB and for it to end up completely different under everyone's noses here would be incredibly interesting.

Speaking from permits and plans only, it was listed as "unoccupied shell space" or "auditorium" in most cases. It is the exact size of the former Shrek theater closest to main pathway only. There is a small strip of office space and retail back of house between the Evil Stuff gift shop and the empty theater space.

What it will be used for? I will let others who have heard anything more recently speak to that. HHN houses used to use a theater AND a preshow space, right? And this one would not have that ability, as the preshow space on that side is now the Evil Stuff gift shop area.

Maybe there is a door somewhere in the queue of VCMB that quests could enter into the now Dormant Shrek theater for events assuming they can't fit HHN houses in there. But if they don't plan on using it for anything other than storage or back of house functions, that really sucks considering they could have used both Shrek theaters to do an attraction more substantial than a moving walkway.

 

[Nick]

It's not big enough for a house. It's also not really too much of flex space as much as storage. Events is not allowed to use it currently.

 

[Legacy]

It's not big enough for a house. It's also not really too much of flex space as much as storage. Events is not allowed to use it currently.

That’s all I need to hear.

 

[TheUniC6]

It's not big enough for a house. It's also not really too much of flex space as much as storage. Events is not allowed to use it currently.

Which begs the question of why design an attraction with an empty space when you could easily use it as part of the attraction? I totally understand the logic people use when they say there must have been a planning mistake that wound up with a space too small for HHN houses. But then again I am also inclined to believe that maybe we just all jumped the gun about this being used for HHN houses as the construction crews who design these things to to school to learn how to do it and are probably aware of the dimensions needed to be able to accommodate an HHN house or a flex space in general.

It also begs the question of what will happen to options for HHN houses down the line if some parts of the park that use them like the spring tents area or the soundstages under HRRR were to go for park expansion at USF.

 

[Mad Dog]

I gave up hope long ago that they'll extend USO beyond its present attraction areas. They seem content to tear down existing attractions and replace them in that same area. Now with Epic opening in a year and a half, that is probably even more ingrained.

 

[Alicia]

Which begs the question of why design an attraction with an empty space when you could easily use it as part of the attraction? I totally understand the logic people use when they say there must have been a planning mistake that wound up with a space too small for HHN houses. But then again I am also inclined to believe that maybe we just all jumped the gun about this being used for HHN houses as the construction crews who design these things to to school to learn how to do it and are probably aware of the dimensions needed to be able to accommodate an HHN house or a flex space in general.

It also begs the question of what will happen to options for HHN houses down the line if some parts of the park that use them like the spring tents area or the soundstages under HRRR were to go for park expansion at USF.

Maybe because this attraction was designed to be placed within 2 (or possibly 3) different parks? And the size of the ride layout was determined based on more than just our venue’s restraints or available space?

 

[GA-MBIT]

Certainly makes sense, but also rather disappointing. The Shrek location was a very nice one, and I honestly didn't expect it to actually go away with this addition. If I may ask, where did all of the discussion stem from regarding the flex space and it's potential use for events? I feel like it was corroborated by a good number of insiders.

I can only hope that this was a fluke due to the rapid nature of the design and build plus the desire for it to be cloned elsewhere without many design changes, but I hope whatever they end up inevitably doing with the Simpsons/BoH, FFL, or Supercharged plots ends up incorporating elements designed to make the jobs of A&D easier when designing HHN, Mardi Gras, and Holidays. With HHN being the world's largest halloween event and a massive money maker for the parks, and rumors of another HHN-style event to fill out the summer months, I believe it'd be rather short sighted to remove BOH areas like B79 and the Sprung tent lots, or the seemingly only usable stage show location in the park without suitable (and hopefully superior) replacements.

 

[Nick]

Certainly makes sense, but also rather disappointing. The Shrek location was a very nice one, and I honestly didn't expect it to actually go away with this addition. If I may ask, where did all of the discussion stem from regarding the flex space and it's potential use for events? I feel like it was corroborated by a good number of insiders.

I can only hope that this was a fluke due to the rapid nature of the design and build plus the desire for it to be cloned elsewhere without many design changes, but I hope whatever they end up inevitably doing with the Simpsons/BoH, FFL, or Supercharged plots ends up incorporating elements designed to make the jobs of A&D easier when designing HHN, Mardi Gras, and Holidays. With HHN being the world's largest halloween event and a massive money maker for the parks, and rumors of another HHN-style event to fill out the summer months, I believe it'd be rather short sighted to remove BOH areas like B79 and the Sprung tent lots, or the seemingly only usable stage show location in the park without suitable (and hopefully superior) replacements.

It certainly may still be used in the future, I’m not sure. Right now there’s certain things in there that make it pretty impossible to use for events even if they wanted to. For the time being.

 

[TheUniC6]

Maybe because this attraction was designed to be placed within 2 (or possibly 3) different parks? And the size of the ride layout was determined based on more than just our venue’s restraints or available space?

I think the other park to get VCMB will be USJ and it will replace BackDraft.

 

[belloq87]

I understood the calculation behind "We need to preserve some of this space for HHN usage, so we're intentionally limiting the scope of this attraction." I didn't like it, but I could understand.

I'm not especially thrilled to hear this new information, because it implies Universal's priorities for USF are just radically different from what I'd like to see happen there, which really bums me out.

DISCLAIMER: They know more about their business than I do. I'm sure they have financial justifications for everything they've done in that park that would make total sense in a dispassionate way. That doesn't mean those decisions make my visits more enjoyable.

 

[Alicia]

The ride is like 5 mins long. It doesn’t feel like it needed to be longer.

 

[belloq87]

The ride is like 5 mins long. It doesn’t feel like it needed to be longer.

Sure, but I'm talking about not taking the whole building down and putting something else there.

That was evidently never in consideration.

 

[Casper Gutman]

I understood the calculation behind "We need to preserve some of this space for HHN usage, so we're intentionally limiting the scope of this attraction." I didn't like it, but I could understand.

I'm not especially thrilled to hear this new information, because it implies Universal's priorities for USF are just radically different from what I'd like to see happen there, which really bums me out.

DISCLAIMER: They know more about their business than I do. I'm sure they have financial justifications for everything they've done in that park that would make total sense in a dispassionate way. That doesn't mean those decisions make my visits more enjoyable.

Ultimately it’s a cute but underwhelming ride occupying the most prominent attraction space in the park, taking up a lot of unnecessary real estate in a park that doesn’t have much to spare, and rather poorly representing one of Uni’s most valuable IPs. It’s a minor improvement over Shrek, but it’s not an improvement over Shrek and an HHN space that isn’t F&F.

The “easily cloned” element is a bit confusing. The attraction seems fundamentally designed to be cloneable since it is little more than screens and a moving walkway that can, presumably, be very simply remapped to fit any available space. It’s profoundly flexible. Given that, Uni’s apparent conviction that the cloning has to extend to the precise footprint of the attraction is very strange.

 

[Jake S]

The ride is like 5 mins long. It doesn’t feel like it needed to be longer.

Yeah, if anything I think it shades too long because the gameplay is pretty repetitive and not all that rewarding (in my opinion).

We'll see how this space plays out in the years to come. I think the attraction is a nice addition to create a cute miniland and we'll see how things evolve with the "flex space" down the road.

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

Maybe because this attraction was designed to be placed within 2 (or possibly 3) different parks? And the size of the ride layout was determined based on more than just our venue’s restraints or available space?

Alicia is the queen of casually dropping rumors when we're all talking about something else.

EDIT: Also don't some of the attractions have signs for the fire department with blueprints of the ride layout? Maybe we could use that to extrapolate exactly what part of the space the attraction takes up.

 

[IzzyB]

It certainly may still be used in the future, I’m not sure. Right now there’s certain things in there that make it pretty impossible to use for events even if they wanted to. For the time being.

forget how large those theaters were. Wondering if it could be a space similar to the one in Sea World that the do Monster Stomp, a summer show (sometimes), and a Christmas show in. They have used it for special AP meet the "X" behind the scenes person.

 

[Alicia]

If they were to have used more indoor space, I woulda loved to see more indoor queue, of course.

 

[TheCodeMan95]

forget how large those theaters were. Wondering if it could be a space similar to the one in Sea World that the do Monster Stomp, a summer show (sometimes), and a Christmas show in. They have used it for special AP meet the "X" behind the scenes person.

Large enough to fit an HHN house, lol