Universal Orlando Resort (USO, IOA) Discussion Thread

[larrygatorObsessive Overlord of the TPR Park Index]

Interesting. I never used a Q-Bot at a park for water rides, so I did not know that.

[BrianLoI Guess Donkeys Are Okay]

We visited IOA Dec 30/31 and Universal Jan 2. I opted ahead of time for the express pass on the 2nd only as price fluctuate depending on the day. It would have been a complete waste of money at IOA, express pass lines were similar wait times to normal lines. IOA was especially weird in that because it lacked a night show we saw Harry potter land go from being a capacity controlled 2.5 hour wait to get inside the land (inside... Let alone even trying to ride forbidden journey), to forbidden journey literally being a walk on by sunset on the 31st. So ya... I would actually recommend IOA for New years if you arrived around 6-7pm.

The Q bot would certainly help in keeping those lines capacity controlled, I would have been highly upset forking out an additional $60 for essentially nothing.

But the studios wound up being fairly busy the 2nd (Jaws of course... This trip was planned well before the closing was announced) and we found our express pass to be a great boon. Zipped past every line in under ten minutes.

Moral of the story, we had a great express pass experience, but I simultaneously saw an awful one at IOA. The capacity and timing control of the Q bot would fix that hopefully.

[paiging_jenWhen I grow up, I want to breed donkeys!]

What Universal needs more than Q-Bots is an educational video at the front gate for people to learn how to use the single rider lines. If you have a group of 8 people, DO NOT USE THE SINGLE RIDER LINE. In fact, they should restrict the single rider line to groups of 2 or fewer. Because it's REALLY obnoxious when I get in the single rider line and come up behind a monstrous group of people all wearing matching t-shirts thinking they're getting a shorter wait because they're in the "short" line, when in reality they are causing the line to bog down and making the wait twice as long as the regular line.

Like the Harry Potter twats we encountered recently. It really is obnoxious but they were just oblivious to the fact that they were bogging down the line. It would be great to see some monitoring of the single rider line, I just will never expect it.

[cfcI've gone pantless!]

^Not just their own system, but their own, better system. I would rather have a paper ticket to skip lines without waiting than hassle with a q-bot and wait for reservations all day. This could remove a lot of the advantage of HHN express...

I think the Q-Bot makes more sense for guests and for the park--keeps the Express entrance from getting slammed and slowing it and the regular queue down even more.

[jarmortoken black guy]

What Universal needs more than Q-Bots is an educational video at the front gate for people to learn how to use the single rider lines. If you have a group of 8 people, DO NOT USE THE SINGLE RIDER LINE. In fact, they should restrict the single rider line to groups of 2 or fewer. Because it's REALLY obnoxious when I get in the single rider line and come up behind a monstrous group of people all wearing matching t-shirts thinking they're getting a shorter wait because they're in the "short" line, when in reality they are causing the line to bog down and making the wait twice as long as the regular line.

This is my biggest issue at universal! I recently walked out of rockit's single riders line since it was virtually the same wait as the regular line!!!

[jedimaster1227Open Up Happiness]

Universal Orlando has sent us a press release announcing the official debut date for both the Universal's Superstar Parade and Universal's Cinematic Spectacular: 100 Years of Movie Memories.

Universal Orlando has set a joint grand opening date for two new spectacularly entertaining guest experiences. The new Universal’s Superstar Parade and Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular: 100 Years of Movie Memories will have their grand opening on May 8.

Both experiences follow this year’s re-opening of The Blue Man Group Show, the re-launch of The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man and the opening of the new Hollywood Drive-In Miniature Golf experience at Universal Citywalk. They will be followed by this summer’s launch of Universal Orlando’s newest blockbuster ride – Despicable Me Minion Mayhem.

Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular: 100 Years of Movie Memories will present some of the world’s best and most popular films in an innovative, high-tech symphony of imagery, light, sound and special effects. The show highlights some of the most fun, dramatic, awe-inspiring moments from nearly 200 films – representing approximately 300 Academy Award nominations and 100 Academy Award winners.

Narrated by Academy Award-winning actor and Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille honoree Morgan Freeman, Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular celebrates Universal Pictures’ most iconic films. Their most powerful moments will be shown in crystal-clear clarity on cutting-edge waterfall screens within the Universal Studios lagoon -- surrounded by colorful, dramatically synchronized fountains and pyrotechnics and all against a powerful musical score. The experience will take guests on an emotional journey through epic cinematic moments filled with heroes, horror, laughter, good vs. evil and triumph. The new show will run year-round except during annual and special events.

Universal’s Superstar Parade will offer an entirely new form of interactive entertainment that will give guests and entire families the opportunity to join in the fun. Some of today’s most beloved characters and stories will bring new adventure to the streets of Universal Studios during the parade, an all-new show experience that features larger-than-life floats, state-of-the-art technology and hundreds of energetic street performers. Guests will get to sing and dance along with their favorite characters including the minions from the blockbuster animated feature Despicable Me, E.B. from the hit comedy, Hop, Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora & Diego. Guests will also have the opportunity to enjoy performances and character meet-and-greets prior to the parade at select locations throughout the day.

[Jay20016I'm a know-it-all about donkeys!]

What Universal needs more than Q-Bots is an educational video at the front gate for people to learn how to use the single rider lines. If you have a group of 8 people, DO NOT USE THE SINGLE RIDER LINE. In fact, they should restrict the single rider line to groups of 2 or fewer. Because it's REALLY obnoxious when I get in the single rider line and come up behind a monstrous group of people all wearing matching t-shirts thinking they're getting a shorter wait because they're in the "short" line, when in reality they are causing the line to bog down and making the wait twice as long as the regular line.

This is my biggest issue at universal! I recently walked out of rockit's single riders line since it was virtually the same wait as the regular line!!!

It can be annoying if say, a Brazilian Tour Group got in front of you, but I see nothing wrong with a group of more than 2 hitting up the single line as long as they understand that they are not going to be seated together. After all, isn't that the purpose of the single line, to fill what would've been otherwise vacant seats had it not been there? Furthermore, some single rider lines are longer regardless by the nature of the seating style. You mention Rip, Ride, Rockit but even Cheetah Hunt suffers from the delays as the two across seating has always been disastrous for me when trying to go Single Rider on them....

God forbid that Single Rider line is not your free Universal express pass.

[triggernelBonafide Donkey Expert]

I hope so. Every park I've used Q-bot at (I haven't used the water park wrist bands) has warned that if I get the device wet that they will charge $250 to my credit card. This includes parks where you can use Q-bot on water rides. I've had to carry a ziplock bag with my to put the Q-bot in.

At SFGAmerica they told us this as well, but they mentioned that they do fine on water rides. Apparently the Q-Bots are water-resistant, not water-proof. They did advise us that submerging them would not be light on the wallet though.

[BeemerBoyWDW Monorail Fanatic]

Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular: 100 Years of Movie Memories will present some of the world’s best and most popular films in an innovative, high-tech symphony of imagery, light, sound and special effects.

Or I could grab a light bulb, garden hose, and film projector, then head down to the local pool. Sorry, Universal.....yawn.

[OrlandoPeteI Love Donkeys!]

What Universal needs more than Q-Bots is an educational video at the front gate for people to learn how to use the single rider lines. If you have a group of 8 people, DO NOT USE THE SINGLE RIDER LINE. In fact, they should restrict the single rider line to groups of 2 or fewer. Because it's REALLY obnoxious when I get in the single rider line and come up behind a monstrous group of people all wearing matching t-shirts thinking they're getting a shorter wait because they're in the "short" line, when in reality they are causing the line to bog down and making the wait twice as long as the regular line.

This is my biggest issue at universal! I recently walked out of rockit's single riders line since it was virtually the same wait as the regular line!!!

It can be annoying if say, a Brazilian Tour Group got in front of you, but I see nothing wrong with a group of more than 2 hitting up the single line as long as they understand that they are not going to be seated together. After all, isn't that the purpose of the single line, to fill what would've been otherwise vacant seats had it not been there? Furthermore, some single rider lines are longer regardless by the nature of the seating style. You mention Rip, Ride, Rockit but even Cheetah Hunt suffers from the delays as the two across seating has always been disastrous for me when trying to go Single Rider on them....

God forbid that Single Rider line is not your free Universal express pass.

Exactly. The single rider line can work to your advantage a lot of time, but if it doesn't then you can't complain. No park guarantees that the single rider line will get you on the ride faster. Guests in groups larger than 2 have just as much a right to stand in that line as someone who is by themselves.