RUMOR - Fantastic Beasts is replacing Dragon Challenge

[SharkyGoddess]

And here is another rumour...

http://forums.orlandounited.com/threads/future-of-dragon-challenge.10118/page-34#post-487206

These changes sound fab!

 

[maverik85]

Yea I would love for them to enhance the ride to make it more popular than to remove it. Think they are good coasters on their own and they aren't many major thrills like them in the Orlando area so feel it would be a big loss. Could close in the brake runs too to add some show scenes/screens if they wanted to make it even more related.
Also think it would be awkward to have a Fantastic Beasts section added into the middle of Hogsmeade. Make more sense for it to go into a like third park as it's own area. Even if they did take out Dragon challenge for an expansion I think it would likely involve the Forbidden Forest or something to coincide with Hogsmeade/Hogwarts. (Unless they mean Fantastic Beasts int eh sense of showing and using new creatures from them and not really the characters and locales.)

 

[Disxuni]

And here is another rumour...

http://forums.orlandounited.com/threads/future-of-dragon-challenge.10118/page-34#post-487206

As much as I wish this was true, I doubt that this is the case considering the source.

Also, normally, a theme park doesn't put that much effort into enhancing a ride unless it is doing extremely well. Hence why Spiderman got a little update finally, as well as the Hulk getting over a year of work put into it and finally opening. Both insanely popular rides, but Universal thought, "Let's give these guys a little TLC". Why? Because they know it's worth it since the fans clearly love and are dedicated to the ride. They know it's worth it and that it will give it more of a boost of popularity than it already has.

Due to The Dragon Challenge's low wait time, which I honestly think is a combination of the less thrilling experience due to them not "dueling" anymore (my personal opinion), but also due to the locker situation (which I think is the smallest locker area, besides water ride locker areas), I think that The Dragon Challenge is not a big candidate for a serious renovation like that, as amazing as this "rumor" sounds.

I do have to say if something like this happened, I think it would definitely boost it's popularity. A huge boost. As all Universal did when WWoHP first opened was place a few Harry Potter props inside the queue, as well as the outside, and slapped a new name on the ride and called it a day. Which I think is another reason why it has a lack luster attendance. They could have at least got new lockers, especially when they changed the rules and made it a "all belongings go into lockers" ride, as the locker area was not originally designed to have the capacity of having to being occupied by anyone who wants to go on the ride.

 

[maverik85]

Agree the lack of a truly immersive queue/ride experience in the most detailed lands in Universal probably doesn't help it. Though I think the low lines are a bit of a misconception. It is two very high capacity coasters. The ride probably puts ore people through in an hour than any other attraction there. If Hulk had 2 tracks it'd probably rarely have much of a line. When I was there this summer Hulk had about a 15-20 minute wait, whereas Dragon Challenge was about 5 minutes. So less than Hulk but really not by too much if you consider Hulk double would be under 10 minutes.

As for rumors if it getting taken out I'm mixed on. I love the coasters and they are great themselves. However they do sit on a large plot of land that they could do a lot with. Think it could be a good idea to take it out and replace it with a more immersive attraction/subland. A forbidden Forest area would be great back there. (Could maybe work int he Shrieking Shack too). Could loosely theme it to Fantastic Beasts by showing some of the creatures from the movie within the woods and focus on the beasts themselves more. However I think there is enough land for them to do a couple rides there. Love to see them put in a new thrilling coaster themed around HP from the get go, maybe a flying creature or something or even the Flying Ford through the woods. Then can also add in a new dark ride or something. The Shrrieking Shack coudl either be a new walkthrough/shop/or incorporated into one of the two rides.

 

[Kirbie]

Think it could be a good idea to take it out and replace it with a more immersive attraction/subland. A forbidden Forest area would be great back there. (Could maybe work int he Shrieking Shack too).

I agree that replacing the rides would not be the end of the world. Especially if like maverik85 said, they incorporate the Shrieking Shack! or Hagrid's Hut?! But the Shrieking Shack would be my first choice. I wonder how they could turn that into a ride?

 

[Disxuni]

Agree the lack of a truly immersive queue/ride experience in the most detailed lands in Universal probably doesn't help it. Though I think the low lines are a bit of a misconception. It is two very high capacity coasters. The ride probably puts ore people through in an hour than any other attraction there. If Hulk had 2 tracks it'd probably rarely have much of a line. When I was there this summer Hulk had about a 15-20 minute wait, whereas Dragon Challenge was about 5 minutes. So less than Hulk but really not by too much if you consider Hulk double would be under 10 minutes.

While that is a good theory, I've been on Dragon Challenge when it was Dueling Dragons, well before the Harry Potter parks, and back in the day the ride could easily end up being a 45 minute wait and even longer times. That being said since I've been back to the parks this year, I do not remember seeing it once even close to that long of a wait time. I think one of the major reasons for it's low wait time is due to how strict the ride is now. Before both coasters ran at the same time and no longer do anymore (which a lot of it's thrill came from). Another issue is that everyone has to put all their belongings in their lockers which before was not necessary and now that the rules have changed Universal has not added lockers for the potential threat of high demand. The one time I seen the wait time being 20 minutes I seen a massive crowd surrounding the lockers and waiting for them rather than going on the ride. That is the reason for the low wait time, not because of "two high capacity coasters".

 

[atricks]

I haven't heard anything on this rumor, so I'm personally thinking there's nothing to it. Something may happen to Dragon Challenge, but not some of what has been speculated.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I really won't miss that coaster if they replace it - especially the red side!

I just saw Fantastic Beasts today, and would love to see the area done as:

Spoiler: movie spoiler

the inside of the suitcase!!

 

[phillymummer]

Objects fell out of people's pocket

One man was hit in the eye and now blind from that accident

Years before this happened, the peeps in front of me lost many things that flew out of their lanyard and something the man had in his hand

His lanyard dangled behind him flapping in the air
His wife's lanyard broke loose and blew away

One item hit me in the face but I grasped it
Gave it back to him after the ride, his lanyard

No real injuries for any of us but he lost his passport out of his shirt pocket

TMs were very helpful to them but they did replace park tickets but not much else
Id, passport , money was gone

Don't know if any of it was turned into lost and found

^^ With the metal detectors and lockers, that problem is solved... so couldn't they go back to the dueling feature?

Of course, this is just my opinion, but they are a tremendous hassle. At Disney, the stuff I choose to carry on a ride is my responsibility. They don't dictate to me what can and cannot be brought on. At Universal, nothing can be brought on, so they don't provide a bag or stow compartment on the ride like they do at Disney. They force you into the hassle of the lockers. The locker rooms are small and cramped with hundreds of people moving in and out trying to stow or retrieve their stuff. HASSLE.

If families would just send in one person, instead of bringing everyone that problem would be solved. I saw that as the bigger issue. Why does mom, dad, and all three kids need to go into the locker area??

 

[damo]

^^ With the metal detectors and lockers, that problem is solved... so couldn't they go back to the dueling feature?

Metal detectors don't detect everything. Weirdos can still throw non-metal objects. I imagine that is the insurance company's belief. I don't believe it was ever determined if the objects that blinded the person were accidentally dislodged or purposely thrown.

 

[jon18uk]

I am actually expecting anything themed to Fantastic Beasts to go in the new park on the newly aquired land.

 

[go2grl]

While I loved the Fantastic Beasts movie and look forward to the other 4 films in the series, it doesn't fit in with the Harry Potter era, so I hope they don't put anything like that in that section of the park. I can see them putting it in a separate area to take advantage of the Art Deco/20s style of the Fantastic Beasts franchise and building on it. I could definitely see them changing the theme of the current coasters to something along the lines of what maverik85 said and think it would be amazing considering how great the rest of the Wizarding World theming is.

 

[Rovim]

Me too........I still think the coaster is one of the best duelling or not. One of the smoothest rides and has some good thrills.......

I would miss it. Yep, don't want another family friendly ride like Gringotts if they do replace it........a good old thrills and spills coaster

I agree. We look forward to riding both coasters to determine which one we think is faster. We like the long walk through the ride and lately very short lines.

 

[maverik85]

I am actually expecting anything themed to Fantastic Beasts to go in the new park on the newly aquired land.

While I loved the Fantastic Beasts movie and look forward to the other 4 films in the series, it doesn't fit in with the Harry Potter era, so I hope they don't put anything like that in that section of the park. I can see them putting it in a separate area to take advantage of the Art Deco/20s style of the Fantastic Beasts franchise and building on it. I could definitely see them changing the theme of the current coasters to something along the lines of what maverik85 said and think it would be amazing considering how great the rest of the Wizarding World theming is.

I agree. I don't see a full themed mini-land within either area to be themed to the new franchise, but could see them capitalize on it some by sing some of the creatures introduced in the series into attractions in the current spaces. But anhyting directly tied to the series like locations and characters will likely be added into it's own land within a new theme park. As go2grl said the style of the new films, being set decades ahead and being in new locales, doesn't really fit with the current areas.

 

[turtlechick6]

Of course, this is just my opinion, but they are a tremendous hassle. At Disney, the stuff I choose to carry on a ride is my responsibility. They don't dictate to me what can and cannot be brought on. At Universal, nothing can be brought on, so they don't provide a bag or stow compartment on the ride like they do at Disney. They force you into the hassle of the lockers. The locker rooms are small and cramped with hundreds of people moving in and out trying to stow or retrieve their stuff. HASSLE.

The shops are cute and quaint - laid out for a small village's foot traffic that might see 100 people in a day. Of course the problem is that they're probably seeing 20,000 people a day. Those shops are a nightmare. Don't they want people to come in? They are repulsive to those that don't like cramped quarters.

I agree with this. The first time we did Hogsmeade I did not go into one shop. It was during off season and I still could not handle how cramped it was. Like if they want people to spend money they need to make it where I can get in and shop. I am hoping with the new village added it won't be as crowded

 

[winkytink]

Haven't been online in awhile and our WDW/WWoHP trip is this October...thought I'd pop in and check out some buzz. Glad I found this! Thanks OP.