Universal's official blog had a post by Michael Do Qui one of the creative directors and the show producer for HE & Gringotts stating that Disaster will close in Sept. and a new version of Fast & Furious will open in 2017. The new storyline will take place in SF, so the area and restaurants can stay the same at Universal Studios. The story continually emphasized that it would be a new ride experience with new transport vehicles. Sounds like it will be a much different ride experience from Universal Hollywood. They also have artwork of the queue. This is going up very quickly since it will be opened in 2017.
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I don't see this post. Did they take it down?
I'll bet even money that the ride will include a t-rex!
Robert: It was accidentally released in an email sent to some AP's. I saw & read the website and it actually had a time countdown on it. Universal pulled it but they still have it on Orlando Parks News.com as an hour ago. Conceptual art of the queue is also posted there.
Was there a t-rex in the queue artwork? Or maybe a dragon -- which is sort of t-rexy.
TH: Actually, there was a really really big hippo. LOL
Mr. Pastor, We do not joke about hippos. You need to check that attitude.
TH: No joke. I actually saw that huge Hippo on the concept art. But then again, that was after 4 or 5 Rum & Cokes. LOL
The Disaster space isn't huge, is it? There's the queue area, the preshow area, and then the room where all the "magic" happens. Seems like to me it is going to have to be a very similar attraction to what is in Hollywood, but maybe a bit longer (time wise) since the one in Hollywood is just part of a larger excursion and not really worthy of being a stand alone attraction, right?
Once again, Orlando gets all the best that Hollywood has to offer... I wonder if there will ever be a reason for someone who resides outside of the west coast to visit Universal Hollywood.
It could easily have been a fat T-Rex who ate lots of Minions, looking a bit like a hippo. I saw a press article in the Orlando Sentinel about it, but no artwork.
James: It's also going to include the Beetlejuice Theater area. A few months ago OU posters had a overlay of the Universal Orlando area vs. Universal Hollywood. Orlando's area is larger but it's a different configuration. This will certainly be a different layout than Hollywood and may have a number of separate areas due to that. It should also be interesting since the SF setting would probably incorporate chase scenes on the steep hills of SF like Steve McQueen's Bullitt. Of course, that's just conjecture on my part. In the posting, the Universal creative continually used the words new experience, new this & that. So, it seems that it will take what's good about the Tram tour & add new elements, like they're doing with Kong. And I'm happy they're keeping SF. It's a nice part of the park and it has the excellent Lombard's Restaurant.
Grant: You make a good point. Minions are reportedly high in fat content....Yes, I've seen that mentioned on the Orlando Sentinel as a later posting of the story.
So, Rob, they are getting rid of two attractions for one, and that one attraction will be a new and improved version of the F&F "simulator" in SoCal. Thanks for the clarification.
James; And rumor has it that Beetlejuice, (which doesn't close until the end of the year according to the above announcement while Disaster closes in Sept.), will replace Fear Factor. But there's been no official announcement on that yet. Hope it happens since Fear Factor is "terrible"...... Disaster was really on it's last legs. they had problems with the Tram doors and major effects in the big climactic scene were in a state of non operation. It would have cost a lot to get the attraction in good operating shape. It had become a patchwork operation that was always breaking down. But I personally liked it. It was a ton of fun and the fusion effect part of the show was excellent.
Also, the back stage area next to the Disaster block is mostly parking lot and expansion that way is also possible. (air photos indicate this)
The official Universal blog post is back online as a few minutes ago.
With this and King Kong the gap between Disney, Universal and everyone else keeps growing
I bet they use the ride system the new King Kong attraction will be using at IOA.
Don't know on that but it's ride vehicle capacity will be a bit smaller than Kong's 72.
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Sounds cool. Fast and furious could make for great theming for a coaster. I'm just hoping it won't be another Spiderma/Transformers clone.