JAWS.....is dead!

[Mr.G]

Universal Studios in Orlando has closed the ride on 1/02/2012 to make room for a new Harry Potter ride.


Me and the wife rode it twice and had a great time....I'm sad to think that it's gone. What's worse is T.S. and Brandi will never get married.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-12-02/business/universal-to-close-jaws-20111202_1_wizarding-world-new-attraction-kongfrontation

[bassman]

Tis sad. But I really shed a tear when they shut down Ghostbusters. THAT was a sad day.

I haven't been in years....are Back to the Future and King Kong still there?

[Mr.G]

Tis sad. But I really shed a tear when they shut down Ghostbusters. THAT was a sad day.

I haven't been in years....are Back to the Future and King Kong still there?

Nope, both of them are gone too. Not many real universal attractions.

[bassman]

Nope, both of them are gone too. Not many real universal attractions.

Maybe I should have read the article first....

In a message posted on Facebook, Universal sought to soothe fans who might be upset that Universal Studios is losing another of its original attractions. Earlier closures have included the "King Kong"-based Kongfrontation in 2002 (to make way for the Revenge of the Mummy indoor roller coaster) and a "Ghostbusters"-themed stage show in 1996 (replaced by a "Twister"-themed experience.)


That was a real smooth move. Close down Ghostbusters for Twister and Kong for the Mummy. I can't be the only one that sees a problem with this? And it's not because of my extreme love for Ghostbusters, but just the fact that GB is still loved by people all over the world and Twister is....well....Twister. Nobody f*cking cares about Twister. Same with Kong and Mummy. Kong definitely being the classic between the two.

They're building rides for flavor of the month movies instead of classics.

I wouldn't be surprised if they announced Final Destination and Paranormal Activity rides before long. :dead:

[EvilNed]

Truth be told, I think the Mummy is a pretty classic universal monster. So I really see no problem with that.

Twister, on the other hand. Yeah, who gives a shit.

[bassman]

Truth be told, I think the Mummy is a pretty classic universal monster. So I really see no problem with that.


If it were the classic universal monster, I would agree with you. That would be great. But this mummy ride is actually based on the recent Brandon Frazier movies.:hurl:

[AcesandEights]

That was a real smooth move. Close down Ghostbusters for Twister and Kong for the Mummy. I can't be the only one that sees a problem with this? And it's not because of my extreme love for Ghostbusters, but just the fact that GB is still loved by people all over the world and Twister is....well....Twister. Nobody f*cking cares about Twister. Same with Kong and Mummy. Kong definitely being the classic between the two.

They're building rides for flavor of the month movies instead of classics.

I wouldn't be surprised if they announced Final Destination and Paranormal Activity rides before long. :dead:

Bass, these rides and attractions are very much geared towards kids and younger generations, there's going to be some effort to keep some things modern. Aside from that, most of these rides were getting old and junky, as far as I can tell. I was happy to go on the Jaws ride, as it's pretty historic, but its age was showing and it's pretty boring when compared to similar sorts of more contemporary attractions. If they want to re-do Jaws in a few years and they do a good job of keeping it up to-date and utilizing current technology and techniques to ensure a fun experience, it would do well.


Truth be told, I think the Mummy is a pretty classic universal monster.

Frankly, that ride is great! I know it's older now, but it's damned fun...must have ridden it with my friends a dozen or more times (thank you speedpass) when we went on my first universal trip 3 or so winters back.

[bassman]

Bass, these rides and attractions are very much geared towards kids and younger generations, there's going to be some effort to keep some things modern. Aside from that, most of these rides were getting old and junky, as far as I can tell. I was happy to go on the Jaws ride, as it's pretty historic, but its age was showing. If they want to re-do Jaws in a few years and they do a good job of keeping it up to-date and utilizing current technology and techniques to ensure a fun experience, it would do well.

I understand keeping it modern and kinda geared towards children, but f*ckin Twister? I've never seen a single kid say "my favorite movie to watch is twister!". I mean, when was the last time you heard ANYONE mention that movie?

Besides....last time I went, they had a section of the park laid out specifically for kids rides. Other sections were clearly for more adult movie fans that recognize the classics like King Kong and Jaws. Granted, that was sometime in the mid nineties, so that could have all changed.

I understand upgrading the park, but when you're replacing perfectly good rides with massive name recognition for flavor-of-the-month teen flicks that won't be remembered in a few years, that seems like a poor investment, imo. But hey....I know nothing about theme parks. I would upgrade and improve the classics that people remember rather than throwing up something as forgettable as Twister. Maybe toss in some of the recent hits, but something like Ghostbusters, Jaws, and King Kong are part of the culture. They'll always bring in the crowds and be remembered.

[Trancelikestate]

I rode the mummy which was fun but no kong. And they told me they closed BTTF for hogwarts. So 2 HP rides? Is that necessary?

[AcesandEights]

I rode the mummy which was fun but no kong. And they told me they closed BTTF for hogwarts. So 2 HP rides? Is that necessary?

Well, they seem to have gotten into the practice of subdividing a lot of the park, so that there is a Hooville and marvel superheroes sections etc. and have, in keeping with that, turned a whole section of the park into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wizarding_World_of_Harry_Potter_(Universal_Stu dios_Hollywood)), which is ridiculously cool and such an attraction that there a major lines just to get to that subsection of the park. I can see why they want to fill it out,capitalize on the popularity and make that subarea of the park more worth the wait.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/Wizarding_World_of_Harry_Potter_Castle.jpg

[EvilNed]

As an adult, I kinda find that while nostalgia is great, I'm not really the park's target audience.

[MikePizzoff]

Haven't been there since like '94, but this breaks my heart. Ghostbusters, Kongfrontation, BttF: The Ride, The Alfred Hitchcock Theater, the Bates Motel, Nickelodeon Studios, and now Jaws - all gone?! I don't see myself ever returning there, especially because the majority of the great attractions have been replaced with kiddy stuff (tear down Bates Motel for Curious George and Barney?!).