Villain-Con Minion Blast Is Actually Terrible
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- Опубликовано: 15 июл 2023
- On July 15th, Universal unexpectedly opened Villain-Con Minion Blast for technical rehearsals and I managed to find my way over to the park to experience it. However, it quickly became clear that this might be an attraction that competes with Fast and Furious: Supercharged for worst Universal ride and so today, I discuss my thoughts on this attraction and why I think it's so poor.
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Shrek cursed the ride out of revenge for removing his ride
When you mess with shrek its all oger
no no no it was farquads ghost
It was more of a movie tbh, just one that moved sometimes and made you wet.
if I'm right about how Shrek 5D worked, they have that DreamWorks area they could easily use to play it. it's weird that that area is only being used for like 1 or 2 things when Shrek 5D could easily be added to the rotation.
Just another reason to stay at Islands of Adventure. The difference in quality of the rides and attractions and themeing between the 2 parks is astounding
Except for Jurassic Park River Adventure. That ride is in dire need of much fixing. There are dinosaurs missing and many aren't working properly anymore either.
I agree somewhat, although you’re saying this as if Studios doesn’t have the Mummy or ET adventure or MIB or Diagon Alley, those are pretty top notch
@@shoobamochasame. Mummy is my fav from both parks.
All depends on what type of attractions you're looking for. Not everyone wants to ride on high speed rollercoasters which is mostly what IOA is. Universal needs to attract the families with younger audiences which is what this attraction does. There's too much expectation that Universal is only going to release high thrill attractions so when something like this comes out those people will think it's gonna be a dud.
@@eviltom17The Dinosaurs haven’t been working properly for nearly 10 years
As a 3D artist that worked on this attraction, it's good to hear outside opinions after contributing to this for so long. I'm happy to see the work I did on here, even if the ride itself has a heap of issues. 👍
The animation and assets look really good on this attraction, I just wish they’d used yalls work better
you deserved a better ride to design on
Fault is not urs king vinsonvision, keep up the great work🙏🏽
Dude went to universal studios wirh a heat index temp above 100 degrees to give us a scoop on a shitty minions ride and more minions slop. We are undeserving.
right?!
I'm pretty sure I suffered through heat stroke, but here it is.
@@PoseidonEntertainmentand for that you should be rewarded. #Subscribed
Imagine if those minion cafe sodas were the only thing you could use to quench your thirst-
@@KaaneDragonShinobi the yellow 5 effect
Team member here! As one of the many scheduled to test ride the attraction for 4 hours straight with no breaks, I can tell you that none of us enjoyed the ride either. My opinion was that after my second loop, I was already bored and tired. Surprised to hear no mention of how heavy the blasters are, but all your other opinions were exactly what I expected to hear. The tiny indoor queue was probably the only neat part imo. The rest of my time testing after loop five was joking with coworkers about shooting ONLY the power up boxes and seeing how easily we could rack up points (my highest I believe was 25k).
Having been working the day they soft opened, I said nothing about the ride except that it was in technical rehearsal to any guest that asked. Off the clock, I’ve told everyone the ride was a huge let down. The facade and idea at one time gave me such high hopes, but now I can’t even look at that side of the park without feeling that sense of pride lost.
I agree with a lot of the comments here that IOA tends to get a lot more love than we do in USF. It’s likely because they have better IPs to work with and aren’t confined to that sound stage lot aesthetic that half our park works with. Even ET, the last legacy attraction here, hasn’t gotten the TLC it deserves for the amount of history it holds. I don’t have much high hopes for the Dreamworks lot, but I will say they have essentially stripped that entire area down to nothing but pavement and trees from what I hear, so maybe they’ll bring SOMETHING unique to our park.
I really do wish Universal took a step back from all the screens. Just because our theme is to bring people into the movies (and show in Fallon’s case) doesn’t mean I want to sit in a dozen different theaters. I think that’s why I enjoy HHN and why Universal’s pooling more and more of their resources into that time of year. Sure it’s horror, but it doesn’t rely on screens like the rest of the park does. It’s more fun and I’ve had better times then than anywhere else in normal USF. I just don’t think they care enough to do something about the regular day park. It’s disheartening really. But that’s all my thoughts anyway.
I think that the ride system makes sense for the limited space that it occupies and that the fundamental idea here is good as a D-ticket people eater. However, I just can't get over how unfulfilling the gameplay aspect of it is. If they could fix that, I would be praising the attraction for being screen-based but using them in an innovative way, instead of just now feeling like another tired, boring version of the uncompelling attraction line-up.
Interesting insight, thanks for sharing
That would happen to me when I worked at Revenge or Veloci, everyone would ask what are we building in there or what's the new ride gonna look like, the only hint I gave them that the attraction was going to be a hard miss, but it will be fun for the kids😂
@@PoseidonEntertainment Yea, but they could have at least have made it like how EPCOT had Guardians - they reused the facade of Universe of Energy/Ellens Energy Adventure, then had the actual ride in a seperate building behind it. Also, "Villain Con" seems so sloppy but that's just mho.
The minion cafe centerpiece is quite a let down. I get that moving parts is expensive but just having the hamster wheel spin and the suspended minion hop up and down would've made a huge difference with cheap tech
It looks like it is supposed to move given the chains and sprockets on it. I cant imagine that they would have that there without motion. It might have just been turned off for some reason or another.
Even the old Disney and WB stores had moving display pieces similar to those
@@CryptoTonight9393 it was turned off. in the opening day videos, they even had plates going along the conveyor belts
@@CinnamonGrrlErin1 miss those days! The last year the WB store was open I won their Austin powers lookalike contest
Who told you to even try it?
It's genuinely a shame that Universal treats the Studios park like crap while Islands of Adventure gets all of the good stuff. I hope that changes after Epic Universe though.
At this point Volcano Bay beating the Original Florida Studios
@@TheStreetFoolosopherMr187 I haven't been to Volcano Bay but already I can agree. Studios is so mismanaged it's quite sad.
Agreed. I think the same thing is happening with WDW’s Magic Kingdom. It seems like Animal Kingdom is getting the good stuff while the other parks seem to be ignored. Don’t get me wrong; I love Animal Kingdom, but it seems like Magic Kingdom and the other Disney parks have closed lots of rides without putting in any good replacements, or are just ignored without any thought of improvement in the grand scheme of things. Magic Kingdom has a huge crowding problem, and I feel like adding more attractions would help alleviate that problem somewhat. It’s a shame because Magic Kingdom used to be my favorite Disney Park. The only thing I look forward to now if I ever go back to Disney World is Epcot (the World Showcase part of the park) and Animal Kingdom.
@@BirdsandGhibliFan I noticed that Magic Kingdom was nowhere near as good as it was before when I went back in 2016.
It was an overcrowded nightmare, and a lot of the new stuff was pretty lame.
@@NocturneFexy Yeah, I feel like I should go to the Disneyland Park in order to feel the immersion that I used to feel in Magic Kingdom (although, living in the Northeastern U.S., I’m closer to Disney World than Disneyland). I’ve heard that despite Disneyland not being perfect and having its own problems, it still seems to be a slight improvement over its counterpart in Florida, especially the aspect of there being more attractions in Fantasyland than there is in the Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom.
It’s a shame that what is supposed to be the main park at Universal Orlando gets all the bad attractions. Universal should’ve taken a page from the Secret life of Pets ride in Hollywood when creating Villian Con, and made it be more like a traditional dark ride
I agree completely. Finding the space would be difficult, but they're creative.
I found a POV of this attraction and I’m amazed that they managed to make something that’s both chaotic AND boring at the same time!!
I think the chaos is the issue. There's so much overloading the screens at once, that you can't really do anything but disengage.
@@PoseidonEntertainment that’s sort of the opposite of what an attraction
@@AuthorCertifiedGoofOf what an attraction... What?
@@HOTD108_is supposed to do i think?
It would have been iconic if they had made it like the monsters inc park in Tokyo! It’s a hide and go seek ride full of animatronics!
@@pianoartist8830 Fun fact
You can be usually edit comments and OP’s comment has edited on it.
Maybe that'll be in EPIC in a couple of years.
I don't think they had room for that. The footprint of that space was not big at all.
That sounds both Terrifying and Awesome at the same time
Monsters Inc is Disney but if they used the concept of the ride and incorporated it with minions that might be at least worth the ride.
I think the concept is better than shreck 3D. It has high capacity.
But I expected more animatronics. I wish they had tore down the entire building and just did life of pets.
Now I’m worried what they are doing to kids zone. Is it just a cheap overlay? I’m just so surprised because lately all their new rides have been innovative
I wish they had more practical effects, too, but they had a very small area to work with. Half of that building was permanently set aside for use for HHN ever year.
There’s a mini New York land RIGHT THERE. Secret Life of Pets would be the perfect transition from the Illumination land to the New York mini land. Helps that the ride doesn’t take up too much space.
A lot of KidsZone is gone except the coaster so I think this will be a little more than just a paint and coverings of existing buildings.
@@elizabethgates7024 they should have sacrificed HHN cause it's just unacceptable that they're on a tear and then do this
You’re mistaken. All of ISLANDS rides have been so innovative. The last good ride that was added to Studios was Gringotts. Studios always will be inferior to Islands and at this point I’d rather them just invest more into Islands
am i the only one who thinks an actual "villain con" event themed around halloween would have been amazing?
I would love a scare zone based on the villains in minions in this new minion land for HHN
@@ParkMind maybe if they wanna do a "not so horrific nights" thing in the future, but stranger things already brought enough children to the event.
@@chillabrew_glycolinstallBooville 2
@@chillabrew_glycolinstall They could do it on like weekdays, or make actual HHN on weekdays and a more family friendly version on weekends
@@amyvasquez4268 I'll take a a halloween-themed version, if it's just an overlay like haunted Mansion holiday...
I just really wish they went with a more traditional Minions dark ride much like Secret life of Pets! Imagine how cool the minions would look as rubbery animatronics, the chaos of touring the labs and other locals of the movies. I can’t help but feel that would be a more substantial ride and do justice the the IP, even a MIB style shooter would have been cooler imo. This just looks like a waste of time. They could have just been based it at Villian con, seems like it would have made so much more sense.
I agree. I'll take any dark ride if it's quality, even if it is aimed at kids.
I definitely expected animatronics, very disappointed to see that if Universal feels the IP is popular enough, they don't need to bother with practical effects. 🙄
I dont think a actual dark ride would fit, but if you kept the moving walkway system i think it would work
@@cookimaus1 the moving way isn't the problem exactly I wouldn't say, it's lazy execution
@@andynava5144 I actually think its a clever way to fit a lengthy experience into a small space but yeah i would have ditched the screens for animatronics
Universal Orlando needs more rides similar to Mummy's Revenge. That ride is incredible, one of my favorite rides ever honestly.
The screen stuff is very lackluster in comparison.
I'd rather ride ET than most screen centered rides.
Dw, Epic Universe is nearby with alot to offer!
I feel any theming dependent on minions is honestly asking for trouble, they wear out their welcome very fast, which is in-character but still not a good thing lol
Kids love them and it sells more than any other IP sadly............. I hate them but this youtuber is dead wrong, this ride is a success and is fun, for adults? not so much
@@EpicLemonMusic Exactly! I know some people despise Minions but one of the most popular IP's in the entire world still to this day. Like I said in another post, this attraction wasn't meant for him.
Its made for kids and a huge money maker for Universal. The way I think of it is it will fund the next great expansion for this park which is probably already in the works given how fast Universal is building.
Totally fine to hate the Minions, but the franchise has been pumping out money by focusing on them for over a decade. Children and middle-aged women love them, I think it's a smart rebrand even if the ride sucks.
@@EpicLemonMusicShame. I want Minions to tank. ❤
I do find it bizarre that all the other villains appear at the end, considering Vector and Balthazar are supposed to be like, two years old at the time of the Vicious 6 existing?? I feel strange criticising the logic of a freaking minions theme park ride but i feel like they should at least be somewhat consistent
So I went on it and asked about it. So Professor Flux made a Time Machine that brought back all the villains to attend Villain-Con and have the people be brought to the past to try it out.
@@nathaliechavez9653 aha, ok that makes a bit more sense then
@@nathaliechavez9653 Yeah but Professor Flux died before any of this happened... and they even show that scene from the film in the queue video lol.
@@PoseidonEntertainmentyou would think that Universal would have learned by now about hiring continuity directors.
@@PoseidonEntertainmentObviously it's Doctor Flux 2
A major hinderance in these gamified rides is their aversion to a player “losing”. This aversion makes sense, but a major part of what makes both video games and carnival games fun is the challenge, which unfortunately alienates a good number of people.
What’s interesting about this ride is I think everyone loses. There is no win condition because you obviously can’t actually be recruited to a cartoon villain’s gang so everyone gets told they suck :/
Another thing is that there’s no free prizes earned from how many points you got
I was so confused that there wasn’t a score board at the end. Also half the time I didn’t know which blaster indicator was mine since the screen was so cluttered
Speaking for myself, I don't want theme park rides to be video games. I can play video games at home (though I rarely do, I'm not much of a gamer). The more "interactive" a theme park attraction is, the less fun it is for me. Let me sit down and enjoy a ride. Don't make me work. Work is what I'm there to get away from.
@@Shoulderpads-mcgee Then why Spiderman is there, Transformers ETC... You save the world in those. And in buzz lightyear spin at the Disney parks you join the literal Space Ranger thing...
Minion cafe was also disappointing for me. I love the food but the theming is very lackluster. I expected animatronics and more minions around you. Even a screen that shows you them cooking like toadstool cafe.
At least the Minion Cafe won't put people in the hospital (so far) unlike Toadstool Cafe
@@KetsubanSolohuh? Can you elaborate pls? Never heard anything about this
After reading the extremely positive reviews I was a bit disappointed as well. There was some cute decor and I enjoyed my food (though again, it did not live up to the glowing reviews) but it felt weirdly lacking in brightness and kinetic energy for something themed to Minions. Not bad at all, just overhyped.
How about like chucky cheese type animatronics ?! Ha haaaaaaaaa
They shouldn’t have touched God’s chosen cafe: Monster Cafe
While Monster Cafe will be missed, I'm hoping they save all the props and move the cafe to Epic Universe in the Universal Monster's themed area. It seems like an easy way to reuse assets and save some money, but also "bring back" something many visitors enjoyed.
The statues from the top of Monsters Cafe have already been spotted at Epic, where a bigger and better version of the cafe is being built. Never fear!
@@vectorwolfvery delighted to hear monsters cafe will be back and better then ever, that was my favorite themed eating spot last time I was in the parks.
Damn, thats disappointing. I remember saying this doesn't sound very exciting but was betting it was gonna blow away expectations. Unfortunately tho seems like a rushed attraction with little care put into it as just like Disney with Webslingers, Universal decided to just wave keys infront of children and call it a day.
I wasn't excited by the idea of the ride but was cautiously optimistic... but it did not deliver at all.
@@PoseidonEntertainment gotta say I went and watched a POV and holy shit what I imagined from your description wasn't amazing, but it was interesting. The ACTUAL attraction is just Universal's Webslingers with unimmersive screens and cheap sets! (Although VillainCon is easily better because it didn't disgrace my FAVORITE CHARACTER AND INSPIRATION) Truly a slapped together corporate attraction. Makes me scared for the new Dreamworks area. This attraction looks truly terrible. Especially when Shadow Showdown at USH is so fun
I don't care honestly I go there for fun and that's fun lol
@@CrazyManhog ppl like u are why modern Disney attractions suck so hard
While I actually found myself enjoying Villian Con myself, I wanted to respond to say that I love your analogy and think that's a very good way of putting my disappointment with the obsession with bending over backwards for "families." I feel like prioritizing "families" and little kids is just corporate speak for "Let's put little effort into this and be cheap and shame people for criticizing the quality." Come on, does it really make that much sense to drop thousands of dollars on a family vacation just to please some little kids who would probably be happy with any cheap local amusement park? I feel like what draws people to take these vacations would be how much the pre-teens, teens, parents, or childless adults would enjoy it. I feel like you saw a lot more of them at parks than people like to admit.
Definitely think this should have been done in the area where nicktoons studios used to be. Would have preferred a more movie/studio focused revamp to the entranceway of the park, that really sticks it to Disney and what they've done to MGM. We should have had the greatest movie ride ever, right there, front and center of the park.
But instead we got the complete opposite 🤣
@@Starlit43 I'm just really interested to see how they incorporate a childrens property into horror nights, because honestly, the past couple years have been pretty butt in comparison to previous ones.
@@chillabrew_glycolinstall Last of us isn't made for children but it's the most young targeted attraction other than JP back in 1999 I think that was in Horror Nights.
Wake up honey poseidon just posted a new video
im up
Third!
Minions are way too overdone at Universal. Some of us never liked them in the first place.
Well of course that's fair and understandable!!!!! BUT.... those who never liked them are clearly the minority, meaning that Universal is always going to go with what is popular to the majority. Even if that means things are "overdone" in doing so!!
Same. Ugh...I can't *stand* those creepy, annoying AF things and I will be forever baffled at how they became so damn popular in the first place. It's not like the series they originated from are any good, either.
@@opo3628Despicable me is an amazing movie and I will not accept any slander
@@sharkfamine despicable me 1, 2, and rise of gru are all good imo
@@sharkfamineYou can simultaneously think that Despicable Me was a good film and still think that the Minions have become ridiculously overexposed and overplayed. Which they have. They were funny at first but now they're just aggravating
I saw another video that showed the frame rate drops. The FPS chugging that bad is unacceptable for an attraction like this. It looks like their GPUs are struggling with alpha transparency fire effects. I agree with you that video game based attractions are usually too simple and watered down. They’re very underwhelming for anyone, even kids, who actually plays video games.
Adults play video games as well but you are spot on
It's literally in technical rehearsals right now, so they are still actively working out the kinks. That's not really a fair judgement to pass at this time.
@@sarah.weaver Was there a few weeks back, the FPS still chugs
I'm absolutely CRUSHED to hear they not only got rid of the Monsters Cafe, but replaced it with a glut of Minions stuff. What a bummer.
It's because they're putting in a bigger, and ostensibly better version at Epic in the Monsters land, the statues have already been moved. They just didn't want to have the same thing in two places.
It’s what I expected. A filler attraction to keep us hung on until epic universe.
Can I say I appreciate how you didn’t spoil the ride? Like it’s annoying when other RUclipsrs do that when Disney and Universal say not too until it opens.
When I learned this ride was going to be based aroubd a moving walkway system, I knew there was no way this WASN’T going to be an absolute clunker. It’s such a strange idea and feels like Universal wasn’t sure if it wanted to do a traditional dark ride and just didn’t have space or a walkthrough attraction and somehow settled on something in the middle
I dont think its that bad, its a cheap addition for limited space, and i like how it still feels somewhat thematically 'accurate' to the park, its rather cheap and very screen-based, but i dont mind it too badly
I don't mind cheap if done well. I've always been a fan of what Chester and Hester's Dino-rama has added to Dinoland thematically. I have to imagine that immersive experiences like the Tribute Stores are done (relatively) cheaply too. I don't think the issue here is cheapness, so much as it is fundamental gameplay issues.
For comparison, look at the monsters, Inc. ride at Tokyo, Disneyland. It’s almost entirely made up of audio animatronics and interactive gags that take place physically. And while there is no “shooting” it actually is fun simply trying to aim a flashlight at things. The whole ride is themed to perfection, including the exterior of the show building ,of course it also cost $128 million to build over 10 years ago.
Why does the Japanese Disney resort get all the cool stuff while we here in America get stuck with cheap corporate crud for rethemes and “additions” ugh
@@amyvasquez4268 Tokyo Disneyland is not owned by Disney themselves. It is owned by The Oriental Land Company, which licenses intellectual property from The Walt Disney Company.
they also probably had more than one single 4D theater to work with. it was also probably not meant to be a C-Ticket project exclusively for little kids in a park desperate for little kids. it also probably wasn’t competing with a massive theme park and a significantly bigger land on the other side of the park for importance.
@@amyvasquez4268 Because Disney isn't the one spending money on the japanese resort. The Oriental Land Company is.
@@amyvasquez4268 Disney Tokyo is independent, not owned by Disney, and I think we have Horror Nights, and there is Monsters INC in California adventure. Japan's parks are overrated and they're not Disney.
I just wish Universal would invest more into USO. It seems like all of the innovative and impressive attractions are going to IOA and the upcoming Epic Universe. It’s making what is supposed to be the main park of Universal seem like more of the second gate than the actual second gate park.
I don't see any validity to this argument. You're getting Epic Universe, just got amazing new attractions in IOA and kid zone is being replaced. As a resort Universal is sparing no expense on Orlando.
My theory is that this ride was meant in part as a sort of replacement of Men in Black as the park's shooting dark ride, and sometime soon they're gonna shut that down and use that and the currently unused Fear Factor stage for something big and new.
Fear Factor is a good location for something but the MiB ride is one of the best left at Universal, getting rid of it (for a potentially worse attraction) would be a massive blunder on the level that was replacing Back to the Future with Simpsons
I know that people keep speculating that MiB might go soon, but I don't see why it would. The contract with Simpsons is up next, so that will have to be their big focus.
@@PoseidonEntertainment I'd wager that's a perfect reason to start looking forward to the future over there. If Simpsons goes and they demolish MIB, that creates one massive contiguous piece of land to develop if they do away with the World's Fair and Springfield theming. Or two huge areas if they get rid of Fear Factor stage and MIB, and then develop Springfield into something else separately.
@@PoseidonEntertainment when is the contract up with Simpsons?
Universal shouldn’t be replacing their practical effects rides , men in black is one of the better rides in the park. They need to get rid of the older screen rides
It’s weird how universal studios keeps getting bad rides but they knock it out of the park at islands. Part of me wishes old universal would return cause god damn that park was invincibly good in my mind. Back to the future, E.T., Kong, earthquake, Hannah Barbara….the new rendition of universal has not lived up to the classic. Mummy and gringots are an exception. Rip is ok and mib is good but I don’t see it with a ton of re-ride ability. I always re ride mib but I took my fiancé and she said it was fun but didn’t need to
Do it again. So I just assume there’s more people who aren’t nerds like me that feel that way. Where as for mummmy I could do over and ovwr
E.T., The Mummy, Diagon Alley (not Gringotts), and MiB are pretty much the reasons why I visit the Studios park. I think that they are true diamonds in the rough for sure.
That park needs a BIG e-ticket dark ride at the very least. I would take a few smaller ones, but it needs an absolute show stopper to change my opinion on it.
@@NocturneFexy see gringots is ok with me. It’s one of the 3 reasons I still hit studios. Mib not so much. It’s good don’t get me wrong, but I had a change of heart this past November when I was there. My fiancé loves amusement rides and coasters all of that, but she’s not an enthusiast like I am. Made me really question that ride and honestly it’s something I can live without doing again.
@@PoseidonEntertainment yes they do. They screwed up twice now. Fallon and fast&furious are just embarrassing given what universal creative is capable of
@@PoseidonEntertainment and sorry I have to be fair. I’d say the same with skull island to be fair. Although islands is in far better shape and parts of that ride are impressive, as a whole, it’s a one and done. I don’t ever need to go on that again. Just wanted to say that in the interest of transparency
Even when I had my top tier Disneyland pass I never did Toy Story Mania that much (the line was always insane) and have largely forgotten it, but I remember being surprised how good it was. So the short break down here about why that ride is great against seemingly similar rides is excellent and a nice refresher!
I don't like it in DCA, but I do like it in Hollywood Studios. It has much higher capacity with its additional track and the line moves much more quickly.
I’ve yet to experience it, but disappointed to hear that after so many W’s for Universal, they’ve taken a slight L. Still, Universal remains top dog of Orlando in my book. Just wish this would’ve turned out better with all the impressive attractions they’ve been building as of late…
Still, looks better than Web Slingers. No $60 DLC and slightly innovative with the moving walkway at least…
A good takeaway would be that unless you can mirror the charm of Midway Mania don't do a shooter game on a track because no amount of technology will make people feel like they aren't playing a crappy phone game disguised as a theme park ride.
@@NinthShinigamiNah, it’s worse seeming. You can’t even sit, and the screens are visibly lagging and stuttering
To me, this should've been Secret Life of Pets. It's a fan-favorite and I think it would've been a refreshing new addition to a park with a repetitive line-up.
At least it was replacing Shrek, so it wasn't like anything was really lost unless you somehow really liked that attraction. I'm not a fan of losing Monsters Cafe, but I'm excited to see them at Epic, so at least the area got a nice refresh.
Secret life of pets has a ton of animatronics, sad to see both minions rides being lackluster cause they are meant for “kids”.
My Honest Thoughts with this Villain Con Ride is that it would have been a cool attraction if they would have added Animatronics and effects like myst and water effects of perhaps smell effect
I agree. I guess that's my fault for not mentioning it, but physical elements would have gone a long way here.
I am baffled that they couldn't even be bothered to add mist, explosion effects, or even more lights to really make the attraction immersive. They really couldn't be bothered!
It's kinda baffling to me as to why they didn't put in Minion animatronics in between screens. It at least would've reminded people that this was a Minions attraction in midst of all the chaos.
I think it's a refreshing take on a traditional dark ride. There's just too many dark rides in orlando. seems like a cliche. A for effort for Universal trying something different.
Exactly, not to mention they're bringing an actual theme to what was just boring sound stages.
@@dannielz6 exactly, it's definitely a big step up from a 4D show! I think we need a few 'filler rides' at parks otherwise every ride has a super long wait time like Hollywood Studios cuz it's mostly all E ticket rides.
They got rid of the Shrek ride for this? Just give me the Alfred Hitchcock ride before those.
i admittedly watched a pov video before finishing this one bc i didn’t know about the no filming rule, but i still found your description WAY more helpful than watching a video cause it’s so overstimulating! i literally didn’t understand a thing that was happening on that ride lmaoo
I think that "overstimulating" is a good description. The ride feels like chaos and it forces you to disengage.
I enjoy shooting gallery attractions, but the idea of one that is a moving walkway where (apparently heavy according to reports) guns are untethered and where guests are free to move around sounds like an inaccessible logistical nightmare.
At the very least, if I was a Universal cast member I definitely wouldn't trust guests to follow the rules and not fight or crowd around each other, especially if you consider that the ride's theme would mostly appeal to rowdy children.
I was surprised by how well people were listening and staying on their designated dots. Still, the park seemed really nice for a Saturday which was weird.
you finally put words to why toy story mania is the top dog of arcade game rides. i have a lot of fondness for that one and have gotten a little too competitive about it with my mother over the years (i'm currently in the lead of our feud, but who's counting)
Thank you for showing us this new attraction; while what is going on on the screens looks fun and interactive. The concerns I have is for people who are unable to stand for long periods; then wanting to sit down on a this ride and the fear of these people falling. For many people with canes and other assistive devices there is a lot of walking at theme parks already and these people look forward to sitting down on rides. Also, if you really want to see a incredibly done interactive ride look at videos of Tokyo Disney's Monsters, Inc. Ride & Go Seek.
Oh God, yeah.
They do provide a wheelchair for the disabled, and it works just fine on the ride.
honestly i’m really surprised at how inaccessible the ride is, it being a standing conveyor belt means people with mobility issues can’t ride :/ you’d think for a ride themed around a beloved children’s franchise they’d try to aim for it to be rideable by everyone :/ fingers crossed that parents don’t have knee issues, back issues, etc. that might keep them from standing that long comfortably, or need a mobility aid that would hinder their ability to ride with their child :/
They do provide a wheel chair, which my mother used on it, and she had a good time. It didn't create any issues.
@@mr.froglegs I was going to mention this. I know the attraction is wheelchair accessible and each attraction will provide them for the queues if asked.
@@mr.froglegs thanks for mentioning this. I was confused when comments said it was addressing accessibility issues but all I could picture was a disaster for people with balance issues!
i visited the parks about 2 months ago and the three broomsticks had already switched over to this bizarro ordering system. we still had to wait for a table to open up and it took almost an hour to get our food from getting in line.
That was where I first discovered how dumb the system was. I asked a Team Member about it but he was just rude and didn't want to answer any questions so I just cancelled the order and went to Mythos.
Great vid as always. the direction they took with the ride is interesting but makes sense if they want max people in and out - no loading/unloading vehicle delay on moving walkway.
Hopefully they reduce number of guests over time and dedicate more resources to make Univ Studios Orlando as compelling as Islands of Adventure.
Such an underrated channel! Excellent video as always! 🥰
Sounds like the only really worthwhile stuff to do at Universal Studios are Rip-Ride Rocket, Mummy, and Men in Black. RIP in Peace this park...
Don't forget E.T.!
I honestly hate Rip Ride Rock-It. I wish they would replace it with a Gerstlauer or something.
@@NocturneFexy I forgot about it sadly, but it has seriously gone downhill. It's in need of repair, and the return of the preshow and passport registration for the ride to make any sense. If those have returned since I was last there in 2021, great, but I doubt it.
@@MCLegoboy Yeah, the passport registration for the ride is back but otherwise yes. E.T. and MiB are in serious need of refurbishment it's not even funny.
@@PoseidonEntertainment For me it holds a bit of a special place in my heart because it was one of the first rollercoasters I could bring myself to go on when even into my teens I didn't want to take part in the ones Islands of Adventure had. Having been on better coasters since, I'll agree it's not spectacular, but I do still have a fair amount of fun with it.
When I first heard that this was going to be a shooter with a ‘moving walkway’ I suspected it was going to be a let down. Shooter/arcade rides are there for you to take the weight off your feet, get some AC and have fun with your family. This sounds like it doesn’t provide at least 2 out of those 3.
to be fair the kids needed something with kidzone closed
Despicable Me is always busy and has bad capacity, the decision is completely understandable in that regard too. I just wish it was executed better.
I’m so impressed by the quality of your videos. You have a new fan!
It seems like the additions to IOA have been great, but USF have been mostly misses.
Hopefully that changes after Epic Universe opens.
Absolutely….while the Bourne Stuntacular is pretty awesome, we’ve got Minions, Jimmy Fallon, and Fast N Furious…which all absolutely miss the mark and bring the quality of this park down. Way to screen reliant.
@@Cheezbat I hope that F&F, Fallon, and The Simpsons would be replaced by much better stuff in the future.
Every Villain-Con video looks the same and you are a breath of fresh air! ❤
So, yeah, i think something id really like to see moving forward is the integration of screens in shooting gallery rides like MiB, or more animatronics in rides like Midway Mania.
It's understandable, that the amount of moving parts it would take to create practical reactive effects could be ridiculously costly. However, I think the integration of small screens and other less costly overlays could really bring us to the next level of dark ride shooter!!
Florida tourism is dwindling. They are probably depending on hhn and the new park to attract real crowds. Hopefully if epic is successful then USF can get more love.
I have to imagine that HHN will be just as crazy as last year. It looks like Disney will have trouble in the fall, but Universal might fare better.
me who knew it was gonna be terrible from the start:
Sure, it’s not a top tier attraction and wasn’t meant to be. It looks to be a fine enough family attraction that kids will enjoy. It’s unfortunate that they went back to a screen heavy attraction. A clone of Secret life of pets likely would have been a more welcomed addition but mixing it with existing minions attraction in the area may have been more of a challenging. Finding a way to tie in the whole area was probably easier to accomplish by sticking to one coherent theme.
Makes me worried how much will be screen based in Epic Universe...
Based on everything I'm hearing, there doesn't seem to be any screens-only attractions in Epic Universe. Maybe some projection mapping, but I hope that the park could maintain the same level of quality of Hagrid's and Velocicoaster.
I'm sure they will be used a fair amount, but they won't dominate the rides. From the most reliable rumors, the park seems to be very practical. I think that Mario Kart may end up using the most screens.
I “rode” it today, and while I found the “ride??” cute, I will say the instructions weren’t clear at all. In the queue it only tells how to pick of the blaster but it never told you which button to press (there’s 2) or what you were even supposed to aim at. I found the experience quite frustrating instead of fun like how it should’ve felt. I feel like they should’ve used the 4-D theater instead of stripping it and just adding a moving walkway with screens. (I will add that there were so many people shooting at the same thing so that made the whole process even worse since the screens was just blocked by multiple explosions happening at once 😭)
Nicky from RixFlix did this ride on opening day and she said that the ray gun gets awfully heavy after a while of carrying it while standing up on the moving walkway. I think this is going to be the next _Poseidon's Fury_ as far as refurbishment or reimagining.
If reception is bad enough, then I can see that being the case. I think the gameplay needs to be rebuilt from the ground up. Even if the technical issues were fixed, it's still boring.
What a shame. I was intrigued by the idea and thought it had potential. What worries me is that these band-aid investments might get in the way of real investments in the future because they've locked themselves into having attractions like this for the foreseeable.
The IP sucks so I'm not surprised.
I do believe the Monsters themed area is being relocated into Universal Orlando's upcoming third park, along with DreamWorks and Nintendo.
I really appreciate your channel. You do a great job providing content.
Thank you.
God… this is my worst nightmare. I hate minions and I love Shrek. Seeing Shrek 4D decommissioned for THIS is crushing
I'm very sad to hear that the monster cafe is gone. It was my favorite place to eat in Universal and I was going to bring my friends there next May for our vacation, what a shame.
I think it's coming back for the epic theme park anyway, in a new form.
There's going to be an ENTIRE monsters area at Epic.
You missed the best part of the ride, the App in the Universal App. You can sync your phone to the blaster and customize it, collect collectibles, complete missions, earn trophy’s. These things make each ride different through interesting and different. I think you need to take another look at the ride and redo this video. Ken
Grinding man. Love to see it
For something meant to hold us over until Epic Universe opens, this isn't a bad thing. Holds capacity well, a fun free arcade style game, and it's replayable since you can eventually sync it to the Universal app. I don't like the minions but I think they did a great job with it and the whole land around it.
I like how the antidote and poison drink actually do what they say
one of my favorite parts of rides at least is that one moment where you gain relief from sitting down after being in a long line and you get excited for what’s to come. the moving walkway is for certain an interesting element, but not one i’d pair with an arcade shooter. specifically because of the strain you already get from the shooting, and then paired with the continuous standing often during the middle of a hot florida day. hoping it’s at least air conditioned in there? lol. can’t see that many people will be interested once the opening hype goes down, especially in the summer.
Just rode it today and I can say it is freezing in room you get the blasters in. Just before you get to that room its just normal fans in the florida heat
I wish they actually gave you the opportunity to have a high enough score to qualify for the Vicious Six, only for them to then leave for Gru's meeting to keep continuity.
Wow, I think your way off on Minions Café, we ate there for the first time a couple days ago and thought for themepark quick serve it was great. Universal typically has some of the worst quick serve food in the area and this is by far the best they've done so far. We honestly liked the ordering process and I don't mind having to wait to get seated as this seems to eliminate people from just hanging around and unable to get a table.
I can't comment on the attraction yet, heading over this afternoon to hopefully experience it. But the early reviews I've read nobody seems to be blown away, but it looks to be an upgrade over Shrek.
Can you update when you've ridden it too as I'm curious on your thoughts?
TBF anything is a upgrade over Shrek, that ride easily took the boot
I'm not sure that we disagree with the food? I think it's objectively cafeteria quality, which is completely fine for what it is. What I like about it is the creative presentation which elevates it.
@@WastelandsNomad2277 so just got back from experiencing this attraction. The queue is well done, once you get inside lots of physical props to look at and tons of small details. The videos they play on the screens are also pretty well done. A lot of the humor reminds me of the Simpsons queue. The actual attraction I feel is lackluster. Almost entirely screen based with very little real sets which was disappointing. I didn't have any issues with the control of the gun, however it is heavy for what it is and my trigger finger was getting tired towards the end, I kept on having to switch hands. The screens have way too much going on that it's hard to figure out what your aiming at and really no objective, just blast away.
While I think its an upgrade over Shrek, this attraction isn't a game changer. I think once the newness wears off I don't ever see this being more than a 15-20 min wait. I give it 5 outta 10. Something new to do in the park but a little bit of a let down.
@@dizneycrew4799 Thanks love for your honesty too! I'm not someone who cares for the minions IP but it's a shame it's got elements closer to the Simpsons ride than it does much else since I think that's one of the weaker screen based attractions (the queue is fine but overall a disappointment compared to other screen based rides).
I'd rather the resources had gone towards giving other rides improvements but I'm glad they added on the minions cafe even if it replaced what I thought was a much more interesting location (Monsters Cafe).
Just a shame to hear they didn't do much in terms of physical props especially since I keep hearing dimension is an issue whilst on the ride since there's alot of empty space between you and the screen. Easy fix would have been the Buzz lightyear method of cardboard props and statues, even if its a little lazy compared to full on animatronics it adds alot more dimension and can redirect shooters visuals to certain points since they're not looking at everything overwhelmed.
Also I think the reason it's a screen based shooter in the first place with minimal decor is incase it doesn't do well or they get a better IP later on. That's why majority of the despicable me attractions are easily replaceable. Not sure what will be in the future once interest in the IP dies but it's smart really that universal realise the next popular kids franchise to overtake Minion's will come along and it'll be easier to make the change between the two than to have put effort into a longterm attraction.
I always tell people that Islands of Adventure has the best rides and Universal Studios just has great vibes to walk around in. I wonder if the company will ever change that.
The screens are so far and there’s no depth just scene in back and emptiness inbetween
I would like to see an AR shooter ride with real sets. They were trying to make a full family attraction and in that I think they succeeded and kids will enjoy the competition aspect but I think they wanted to do something quick and easy and cheap that wouldn't be a lot of upkeep with all the money they are dropping into Epic (which I think only has 1 screen based ride)
I actually like the idea of a physical arcade shooter with the moving conveyer. I know you said AR, but something like Disneyland's shooting gallery would be cool as a ride lol.
@@PoseidonEntertainment I'm just thinking AR because it allows them to do the explosions and other effects that a physical set would make difficult
They also have a physical set shooter in the same park so the AR will help separate it from MIB, otherwise I worry MIB would be superior seeing it has the cars that will spin as opposed to just standing on a walkway
@@jennydorrance1884 have u gone on Mario Kart Bowsers Challenge? What ur expressing is that ride
@@andynava5144 no I haven't but that's absolutely the type of thing I'm picturing. It would help the frame rate issues this ride has and it would make things less chaotic by reducing the number of blasters you see at a time
@@jennydorrance1884 The Mario Kart ride is amazing, although if u ever get to ride it to try to get 2 rides in. The first ride is usually devisive. But the second time around u really get to truly take it all in for the incredible experience it is. Also ofc doesn't have frame rate issues lol
I like some of the stuff at Universal Studios, but Islands of Adventure just has better rides imo. The Harry Potter one there is better (Gringotts is cool, but I probably won’t ride it again, mostly bc I’m deathly afraid of roller coasters), Spiderman still holds up after so long, Reign of Kong is just better than Fast and Furious in every way, there’s just better rides overall. And honestly, the Despicable Me attraction is fine. But having the building where Shrek 4-D once stood be an another Illumination thing along with several other parts of the park is questionable to me. Why not just make it another Jaws thing? Or Back to the Future? Or idk ,something more interesting.
I get why they did it. Despicable Me is popular and can't handle capacity well and they needed another small attraction for this space, still allowing room for a HHN house. It makes sense, I just think that the gameplay is fundamentally flawed. If they completely re-did that aspect, it could be really good.
Rode it yesterday and liked it better than MIB overall. Appeals to a wider audience and like how you can actually impact the environment.
They should definitely fix the lag and re-work the gun though.
I don't really understand where you're coming from. From my observation, there was very little in each environment to actually target. Each scene felt incredibly bare with almost nothing in them.
Imagine a shooter style ride thats actually really hard. Like, if your "team" on the car didnt get a high enough score then it would just divert you to the exit. There could be legitimate myths about reaching "the last section" of the ride.
And imagine waiting 60 minutes in line for that ride only to be immediately forced off of it 20 seconds after getting on. That’d be miserable.
I actually got the chance to ride this today. I think for what it is, I enjoyed it. I don’t think it’s an especially great ride but I’m glad there’s more to do at the front of the park. Hoping to get on it again sometime soon and hoping that the technical issues are fixed up. I think once this ride goes through its opening phases and there’s just less people going to ride it, I think it’ll be fine. That’ll help with visibility and I think probably with less guns needing to be tracked, it’ll probably minimize disconnections. Also I think the leaderboard idea they seem to be wanting to include is going to be a cool idea.
Definitely not a great ride but I think it’ll improve over time and will wind up being fine.
I think the idea is definitely there, especially as a mid-tier people eater. I'm hoping that they make significant changes to the gameplay before it opens though.
I think it’s pretty good for the space. It’s not an e ticket, but sometimes you just need something small to add a nice touch to a park.
Someone else said the blasters might be too heavy for some of the smaller kids, which seems like it would defeat the purpose. I like the general idea of a kind of reverse shooting gallery using a walkway though, but it's a good thing this is a soft opening.
I think the ride misses its target audience.
Im gonna be honest I did enjoy my experience but what you said is also very true as the spaces were very cramped and I even lost my cursor. I think universal should space out the spots even a little bit because it will give riders a bigger space and not feel cramped because it really felt like that when I was on the attraction. Either way, great review.
See i love the minions and all the movies and all the aesthetics they did in the park buuuuut hen i heard about that new minion blaster thing, i wasnt crazy about it tbh 😅
Anyhoo awesome video!!
I wonder if this will be like the Jurassic world ride in Hollywood where they take some time to rethink and transform the attraction to plus it up some
If reception is bad enough, then I can see that happening. I think the ride system and theming are interesting, it's just the gameplay that suffers.
UNPOPULAR OPINION: I think this ride was actually fun! While I’m still sad Shrek left, I do like shooter rides and I adore the minions too. Since DreamWorks land is on its way, I’ve got an idea. Maybe they can bring Shrek 4D back there, next to the Trolls coaster and what could possibly be Gabby’s Dollhouse replacing Good ol’ Georgie.
If they were to bring back Shrek, it'd be more likely through something related to Puss in Boots and the Last Wish (potentially more of a ride than a sit-down screen). Just from the looks of it, I'd prefer this new ride over Shrek 4D, cuz I vividly remember walking out of Shrek freezing thanks to the constant water and wind sprays.
So it's already going on 9 years at this park without a true E-ticket attraction opeing. Curious if/when the next "big" attraction will come along for USF. Seems like it'll be a while yet.
@PoseidonEntertainment I’ve watched you for a few months now and I’m just wondering,
Do you do this as a full time job or do you have another job that helps with the amount of money you have to spend at overpriced theme parks?
They need to get rid of the jimmy Fallon ride asap and do something amazing with it
I think another "disaster" style ride would work. Not Twister, but something like it.
I hope that they will listen to the feedback and change it before officially opening it. It’s in technical rehearsal after all. If they don’t change it, then this would be considered a bump in the road for Universal Studios.
So where do I go for spiked slushies at studios now??
Ah, glad you made the WEB Slinger comparisons because I was thinking of that when you were describing the ride. Recently rode that one, and it was... fine. Personally would ride Buzz over it since I like the physicality.
What I don't understand is that Universal is capable of doing incredible things! The Mummy is spectacular, from the façade, to the queue, to the ride, to the exit. Velocicoaster is the same way. And then you have garbage like Fast & Furious barfed out with zero effort and I don't understand it. We were just there last month and honestly we were kind of bored. After riding The Mummy, VC, and Hagrid's, we just kind of wandered around aimlessly. I feel like maybe they've been banking on the Harry Potter attractions to drive attendance and neglecting the rest of the park.
So all these Florida theme park vloggers that say it's awesome are wrong? That seems right cause they all said F&F was amazing on opening day.
I think it’s always just the hype of a brand new attraction…
@@NinthShinigami Might be ok but I will never spend money in Florida again.
Vloggers just care about generating hype for views and trying to suck up to Universal to keep good brand relations so they get access to media perks. It's honestly a joke, just make your own opinions for yourself.
@@devonalomar9012 Not in the summer
That was my concern from the onset. Because it was a kids ride I didn’t think it was going to reach the level of MIB. I had thought web slingers from the beginning…..missed opportunity
Thanks for the overview ... it maybe remodeled by the time I get there.
But it brings up an interesting point about the interactive attractions. Our first experience with one was with Buzz Lightyear Astroblasters at DIsneyland followed by Toy Story Mania at Hollywood Studios. Having only experienced these two along with Toy Story (DCA), Ninjango (Legoland) and Iron Reef / Knott's Berry Tales Back to the Fair, Toy Story stood out being the best for a ground up attraction, while Berry Tales was the best for an adaptation.
I like the interactive element of the attractions, but too often elements are non-functioning or too general. I view these attractions as a melding of the dark ride with an midway shooting arcade. It would be intriguing to see how this concept could improve.
I went during team member previews and I thought it was the most ‘ok’ attraction I’ve ever been on. If I want a game I’ll do MIB or Buzz Lightyear. If I want out of the heat I’ll head to Transformers or ET.
I’m wondering how long it’ll be until that walkway stops working and they have to close the attraction to fix it?
Edit: I’ve also eaten at the cafe and my meal was so bad I went to McDonald’s afterwards! I also left a yelp review to spell out what was so wrong since I based it only on the food. I had gotten the grilled cheese and tomato soup and the pimento just felt wrong and was unnecessary and kids will not love it while the soup didn’t taste like tomato at all and was unexpectedly spicy. I just feel like the entire menu will need to be overhauled or it’ll go the route of the Star Wars hotel.
Oh yeah, the Monsters Cafe food was horrible was lol. As much as I miss the theming, that's why I think Minion Cafe is an improvement.
@@PoseidonEntertainment as much as the Monsters Cafe food was bad I at least could stomach it enough to go back multiple times. One time at Minions makes me not want to go back for seconds. I only went back for a second time just to try the desserts and drinks. I liked the cupcake, found the cream puff very one note and while I liked the purple drink I didn’t enjoy the yellow one. I went with a coworker and they agreed on the drinks as well.
The only reason I can see people going to Minions Cafe is just because their kids just love the minions for some reason.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Jurassic Park is the best themed restaurant, and it's also the most American, although it would be nice if they put costa Rican foods, like Chilean seabass from the movies, making the food good enough, and the theming makes you forget your in Florida. Hope they dont replace the interior with Jurrasic World, I'm scared for MIB, Jurrasic Park river adventure, and Krustyland. Not E.T because Universal shouldn't replace their last opening day ride. I enjoy MIB but I feel sad riding it, because Universal doesn't care for it.
This ride has been open for one day and is still in technical rehearsal. Maybe give it some more time?
If the technical issues were fixed, it doesn't address the fundamental gameplay issues. Now is exactly the time to voice criticism when they're indicating that they're still working on it.
As a person who hates roller coasters, I really enjoy the 3D rides! I love the Harry Potter 3D rides and even the more basic ones like Jimmy Fallon Race Through New York. But I did not have a good time on the Minion Blast. The queue was pretty cool, but after walking and standing in line all day my feet nearly fell off having to stand more on that moving walkway lol. And it wasn't very fun or exciting, not to mention hard to play with so many people on it all at once shooting at the same screens. Toy Story Mania at the Disney parks was much more engaging in my opinion, and after riding I wanted to go again.
We lost shrek 4d for this