New attraction spotlight: Donkey Kong Country

I'm still not sold on this concept. In theory, it could be pretty revolutionary, but in practice, I think it could be a massive flop. I don't know about other coaster fans, but visuals are pretty low down the list of important features on a roller coaster. Certainly theming is pretty high on the list, but visual "tricks" have never really done it for me. I've ridden plenty of coasters with head choppers, foot choppers, and all kids of other features to trick the eye, but IMHO, the real quality of a coaster comes down to the forces, layout, and pacing and how that integrates into the theme. For instance, keyhole effects on wing coasters are some of the most effective, but even those are not thrilling enough to supersede the actual forces created by the elements and how they're paced throughout the course.

My worry here is a bit of the "prisoner's dilemma" where only a small percentage of riders (guests in the very front row) get the full visual effect, while those in the middle and back of each cart (and guests off the ride) don't get the same visual appeal. From early testing and rumors, it looks like there's not much to the actual layout for the coaster, so it will all come down to how these track jumping elements look while on the ride.

There have been plenty of 1-trick ponies that have been successful, but I feel that Universal is making a huge bet that these brief illusions will be able to carry the water for a pretty major attraction. Given that IOA has three (3) world-class roller coasters, and Starfall Racers promises to be elite, this Donkey Kong coaster has to deliver since the other coasters in EU are probably in the d-ticket range, and not headliners. This could very well be Universal's 7DMT, a highly themed coaster that delivers a good story, but ultimately falls short in thrill factor because the visuals are incapable of compensating for an otherwise mediocre layout.

Universal needs more coasters that are highly themed and deliver a good story but fall short in thrill factor, especially in a land that is highly geared towards kids. It's okay to have coasters like Donkey Kong and How to Train Your Dragon (even Hagrid's could fall into this category, though I think it is plenty thrilling in its own right), when the resort overall will have so many other high thrill coasters such as Hulk, Velocicoaster, Rip Ride Rockit, and Starfall Racers.

Before anyone goes and hops a flight to Osaka to get a preview, I highly recommend doing ample research to make sure a Universal Studios Japan trip is worthwhile for you. While I did enjoy the park tremendously on my visit last year, the experience is very different from what is found at Universal's domestic parks, so if you're not prepared to deal with timed entry reservations for popular attractions, minimum 60 minute waits for literally everything, all attractions in 100% Japanese, and no re-entry policies, you might be better off waiting a year to experience it in Florida.

As for the Donkey Kong coaster itself, it looks like a novel family coaster that will probably be enjoyable to the average visitor but perhaps a little underwhelming to seasoned aficionados. Intensity-wise, it probably will be the tamest of Epic Universe's coasters (though probably still more thrilling than say Flight of the Hippogriff), with the experience likely succeeding or failing based on how well the visual trickery is executed on the attraction. My biggest concern is capacity, as based on what I've heard the theoretical numbers are in the 900-1,200 range, which isn't great for a ride that everyone is likely wanting to experience (for reference, Universal's other major coasters have theoretical capacities in the 1,700-2,000 range).

I'm actually excited for this one. I think its great that coasters are going beyond the Fastest/Tallest/loopiest and are looking for ways to make coasters exciting, and seeing the end of the track right in front of you, and survive... what could me more exciting than that?

@Russell Meyer and AJ, all good points...my biggest concerns about this ride are capacity and comfort. i'm wondering how well it will ride with the boom arm adding an extra layer of motion. i'm hoping it will make it more comfortable but wondering if it could also make it rough and as AJ pointed out, the wait times could be tremendous. time will tell

@mbrussmco - That's an interesting point about the ride quality (smoothness). I haven't delved very deeply into the design drawings for the train design, so I'm not sure if the vehicles are supported exclusively by the boom and lower tracks or if there is a portion of the force that is shared by the upper (themed) tracks. I could see a Vekoma SLC issue here where if most/all of the force is carried by the boom, it could create a bumpy ride in the same way that the single support (with 2 accessory cross beams) does on the Vekoma SLC train design (and why they're so incredibly rough - not to mention the inside tracked bogeys and uncomfortable horse-collar OTSRs). Ultimately, I think because this coaster won't actually be going that fast and will have smaller single-car trains, that it might not be too bad, but it is certainly a valid concern.

In the end, the optical illusion is going to have to be pretty convincing to overcome a less-than-thrilling layout.

Great idea - something that looks amazing from the ground and is a fun coaster. Kudos to Uni for doing something new.

If only Disney could lol … looks very interesting !

@Tiptop22 - To be fair, Disney did come up with a novel coaster design when they debuted 7DMT. It was the first (and still only the I'm aware of) coaster with swinging carts, and we've seen the result of that - a coaster that promises something unique, but is ultimately underwhelming. Again, Universal's novel design plays more on the visual appeal than anything else, but I see a lot of similarities here to 7DMT, just swapping the swinging cart feature for the boom feature.

@TipTop22: Disney no longer makes rides, apparently they are only allowed to make indoor screen based clones of other attractions.