Richard Bannister

My visit to Universal today was planned around visiting the new area themed around the Harry Potter books. I'd anticipated high demand, and I figured that arriving at the park entrance thirty minutes before opening would been ample; it wasn't. There was a ninety minute queue for the Forbidden Journey ride by the time I got there, though it could have been worse; less than fifteen minutes later it had hit three hours. In a rare example of good morals overtaking profit, Universal does not offer paid line jumping on this attraction; the express pass today was an additional $99 on top of regular admission.

Many others have written about this ride on the web in more eloquent terms that I'm capable of, so I'll concentrate on my impressions. The queue line is extensive, and much of it is unimaginative cattle grid without theming. However, the themed sections are done well, including a trip through a greenhouse, a visit to Dumbledore's Office, the Defence against the Dark Arts classroom, and a hall full of moving paintings talking to themselves in an enthusiastic and entertaining fashion.

The ride vehicles are four-seat benches, which are attached to robotic arms which themselves are attached to a track. The technology is impressive, allowing a freedom of movement that cannot be matched by any other dark ride technology; passengers are moved seamlessly between projection screens and fixed scenery. Operationally the ride is loaded with military precision and at high speed; one cannot fault Universal for the speed at which the queue moves; it's simply a case of demand greatly outstripping supply.

As an enthusiastic fan of all things Potter, I really wanted to like Forbidden Journey. Unfortunately, I found the story was far too disjointed to make any sense; it seemed like random flashes of different aspects of the magical world stitched together in a way that was almost incoherent. For me the best bit of the whole experience was the room full of talking paintings in the queue area; while I would like to ride again at some stage to give it a second chance, I don't think I'd wait more than fifteen minutes for the privilege.

Queues had yet to build up at Dragon Challenge, so I caught one lap on each side. These rides used to operate in tandem, with three near-miss moments providing spectacular visuals for riders and observers alike. Unfortunately, after ten years of doing this they have been modified to dispatch separately, and while they're still good rides it is nevertheless not the same. On my way towards the exit I took a quick look at the status of Incredible Hulk, but with a ninety minute wait I decided to call it a day instead.

 

The park once known as Cypress Gardens went out of business in 2009 due to a combination of bad luck and low attendance. The latter problem was mainly due to its location, almost an hour out of Orlando, which was too far away to attract many tourists to what was was basically a set of botanical gardens with a few amusement rides thrown in. Fast forward to this year, and the park has been transformed to the sixth Legoland resort. While some of the rides have been preserved from before, most of it is completely different; new theming, new landscaping, and various alterations have turned the place into a destination, one which families are likely to make the effort to visit. As a testament to the changes, the park hit capacity for the first time in its history two days before my visit.

America has too many lawyers, and some of them appear to work for the Lego group. The following text is reproduced intact from the receipt given to me after I paid the twelve dollar parking fee. The word ridiculous springs to mind.

Customer and Operator agree this is a license to park only, no bailment is created. In accepting this contract, Customer agrees to use Operator's lot or garage at Customer's own risk. The Owners and Operators of this parking facility hereby specifically disclaim any responsibility, express or implied, to protect against the loss or damage to your vehicle or its contents. No employee or agent may enlarge our liability hereunder orally or otherwise. Vehicles containing illicit drugs, firearms, open alcohol bottles, explosives, or other hazardous or dangerous items are not permitted and may be removed at the owner's expense. It is also unlawful to leave children or pets unattended in vehicles. Parking in this facility shall constitute an acknowledgement and acceptance of the conditions on your right to use our parking facility. Note hours of operation and posted rates. Parking area closes one hour after LEGOLAND RESORT closes. Vehicles remaining in the parking area thereafter are subject to being towed away at the owner's expense. Please lock your vehicle and take your keys. WHEN YOU PARK YOUR VEHICLE IN AN UNOCCUPIED SPACE, YOU AGREE THAT IT IS AT YOUR SOLE RISK, THAT YOU WILL LOCK YOUR CAR, AND THAT POSSESSION AND CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CONTENTS ARE YOURS.

These same minds appear to have done a job on the Island in the Sky observation platform, the only such ride I've come across where guests are required to remain seated at all times. Better yet, the island has been covered in black netting, presumably to stop people throwing things from it. It is a sad reflection on the American legal system when this ride cannot operate in the same way as similar attractions everywhere else in the world.

The first coaster I found was the Dragon, and this immediately presented me with an interesting conundrum. Though it incorporates the track of the original Okechobee Rampage, this coaster has been extended substantially. Most of the change is the addition of a dark ride section, but there's additional coaster track too. Does that make it a new credit? From there I went to LEGO TECHNIC Test Track, a mouse coaster that was taken out of Legoland Windsor following neighbour complaints about noise. It was running well today, and it was good to see that the unwieldy scream shields that it operated with in England have been removed.

New since the rebuild is the Lost Kingdom dark ride, a target shooter from Sally that was good fun, though probably not worth the hour I waited for it. Having said that, seeing hour long wait times at this park is in my view a good thing; it can only bode well for the future.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas was playing over the PA system as I left the park, making me wonder about the optimism of park staff. Having said that, some parts of Florida actually did get a dusting of snow on Christmas Day in 2004; maybe a few more years of climate change might make this wish more realistic.

 

Fun Spot USA is a park that is going places; media reports have indicated that new coasters are on the way, and indeed it was quite crowded when compared with the largely empty Old Town next door.

The Kiddie Coaster (#1704) was my sole new credit for the day. Much to my surprise I wasn't the only adult riding independently; four teenagers joined me for a lap, all of whom screamed like two year olds to the amusement of everyone. Following this, I took one quick lap on Power Trip before returning to my car.