57 replies to this topic

[DTH316]

It looks okay. It makes it look like the entire ride is a simulation. If that turns out to be the case after all, I'm going to be very disappointed.

[Freak]

^IDK I heard some weird rumor that the ride is going to cost about $250 million and that NASA is going to make the world's first animatronic transforming robot. That's just what I've heard and that's not a confirmed source. I just got that info from some guy on MC. I don't know how creditable his source is, though. :PIf that is, however the case with the ride, then I think it will easily be the best ride ever created.

But all we know so far is that there will be a really awesome indoor queue area and that the elevators that transport the ride vehicles to the second floor and back down to the first will be about 60ft tall. I think it'll be better than Spider-man for sure. The only thing I'm hoping for is that they have some good wind effects in there. Potter didn't have any when I rode.

Trust me, the entire ride won't be just one big simulation like the Simpsons. Trust me.

The plot for the ride has already been unveiled. The story is that NEST has a piece of the allspark in Hollywood.The general will order guests to evacuate te spark plug out of the headquarters and get it into safe hands. Pretty simple plot, but sounds good.

[Freak]

Awesome news! This article from ThemeParkInsider (With an interview with Mark Woodbury) has confirmed that the ride will have 60ft. elevators used to transport rides to a second story, and giant 28ft. tall robots! This ride will be awesome! The article:

Quote

"We're doing this really spectacular Transformers attraction right now [under construction in Hollywood and in Singapore]. And there were a couple of [breakthrough problem-solving] moments there. We have a very limited piece of real estate and we wanted to tell a really big story, so we devised a way that we would be able to create a vertical experience.

"The adversity was that we didn't have enough real estate. The idea that we could go vertical created an opportunity to create a media silo, a 60-foot-high silo that we would really be able to explore the full scale of the characters. So we solved the technical problem of real estate by creating a double-decker, or two-story, attraction."

"The technical problem leads to creative challenge, because here we have a 28-foot robot and how are we going to get this guy to unfold in a single-story space? Well, we created a volume of space that enabled us to do that as well as solve the technical problem of the real estate."

"We had tight real estate in Hollywood and we had tight real estate in Singapore, so the solution was beneficial in both locations, and it's exactly the same building [in both theme parks]."

Woodbury said that Transformers is on schedule to open later this year in Singapore and in 2012 in Hollywood.

[Freak]

New picture showing a peak at the queue in the Singapore counterpart! http://tftheride.rws...-vault-at-nest/

Also, it has been confirmed that the ride will open this December.

[Freak]

Another new photo of the queue! This is in the Singapore counterpart: http://tftheride.rws...ientation-room/

[The_Bled]

They launched a teaser site for the ride.

http://www.nestneedsyou.com/

[Freak]

TRANSFORMERS UPDATE: According to Screamscape, the official opening date for Transformers in Singapore will be December third. There should be a YouTube video of the ride up by then. It should be a nice post-HHN gift for us all.

[The_Bled]

The facade is going in hot (pun intended).





What we will be riding in:



So stoked for my vacation to Cali soon.

Edited by The_Bled, 11 November 2011 - 09:16 AM.

[Freak]

^Nice! I hope you're going in October.

[Freak]

New Ride-Thru of the attraction posted from the employee preview at Singapore:

http://www.tfw2005.c...he-ride-173771/

[Josh]

Freak, on 17 November 2011 - 10:34 PM, said:

New Ride-Thru of the attraction posted from the employee preview at Singapore:

http://www.tfw2005.c...he-ride-173771/

So much win.

Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

[Freak]

POV of Transformers is now up! DO NOT WATCH IF YOU WANT TO BE SURPRISED!

[Freak]

New teaser for Hollywood up!



Expect this ride to open Memorial Day weekend in May. There should be some soft openings before that by looking how everything is progressing.

[Freak]

Just heard from a source that Transformers will open May 25th. There will also be several soft openings a few weeks in May.

[electro_killer]

Saw a tweet that there will be a sneak peak this Superbowl.

*Commercial I believe.

Edited by electro_killer, 01 February 2012 - 11:00 PM.

[Freak]

^Yes, it will be a commercial to promote the ride.

[Freak]

Got to ride Transformers today! If you're afraid of spoilers, don't worry. I'll make sure they stay sacred.

Well, after three and a half years of eagerly waiting to ride our long-awaited version of Spiderman, I finally had the privilege of being able to ride this awesome ride three times this morning for the technical rehearsal. I am pleased to say that it was well-worth the wait.

You may notice how tacky and cheap the facade looks, but once you step into the queue line, those thoughts about that will immediately be washed away. The queue is very detailed and convincing as it really feels like you are inside of a military base. Heck, it's so well done, I had to remind myself that I was still in California and not Orlando! The queue was not as elaborate as what you would see in Harry Potter's queue, but it's good enough to enjoy taking a look around. I would discourage you from taking single rider since you would miss out on all of the details, but if you insist on doing so, you aren't missing out on any major plot points. The ride's story is pretty straightforward and simple enough for the average guest to understand.

While the queue itself was impressive, of course, the ride was more spectacular. The moment EVAC whips around the corner at the start of the ride, the pace jars and accelerates from start to end. I was pleasantly surprised with how rough the ride was. Though the movements are smooth, they are also violent and "jerky"; so much to the point that I had to have a firm grip on the handlebar to keep from sliding down the row. I hope they keep it that way for the rest of the ride's run.

The 3D was very clear as there was no ghosting. The reason for that is because they use the same Dolby 3D digital system that Star Tours and the upgraded Spiderman uses. It blended in seamlessly with the physical props surrounding the screens. Heck, the 3D Was so good, it caused me to flinch a bit!

So what do I think of this ride overall? Hands-down the best dark ride on the Western U.S. Period. Definitely a close second with Spiderman still reigning in first (Yes, even after Transformers, nothing can dethrone that amazing ride). This will be a major game-changer for not just USH but for the entire SoCal theme park industry. Just the addition of this ride alone has made USH a really nice park. Just imagine what USH will be like once Despicable Me and Potter open!

I give this ride a 9.5 out of 10. Amazing ride, but my only gripe is that there weren't any moving physical props. That's part of what made Spiderman so great and to lack that sort of takes the "Oh wow!" factor out of it a bit. Aside from that, it's definitely the best ride in the Western U.S.

[DTH316]

[Minor Spoilers]

Basically, all of the reviews you might've read at this point are true. I won't say much different from what others are saying (except the two negative points at the bottom), so feel free to skip to the bottom if you've already read a dozen other reviews.

Got to the park at around noon and the line said 20 minutes. I honestly didn't care how long the line was as I drove an hour and a half just to go on it and that was my sole purpose of being there. So I rushed to the bottom lot. Coming up to the facade of the building, I couldn't help it but think it could be a bit better. I mean, they force the theme upon you so heavily once inside "the base" that one would figure they'd either just make it really plain or just go all out with the facade. Instead, they went half way, making it seem like transformers are bursting from the building... but they're not moving. So basically it's a giant billboard for the ride, on the ride's building. I understand reason not to go bare but something could've been done a bit more creative, I think.

One thing that confuses me when entering the building (remember, this is during Technical Rehearsals) is they force you to go up the middle staircase. Being a native theme park goer and a person who has common sense, I was heading to the regular line and staircase, only to be lead toward the middle (which is supposed to be for Gate A riders) and then was asked to step to the left by another line moderator ... I unno, just weird. Anywho, this line looked massive but I pretty much bypassed it until the last two hallways. If there's any extra videos or elements to the story, I would have no idea.

[For HHN nerds:
I don't see how the "Behind the Mummy" spot will work as a maze location anymore with this new ride, since the old Backdraft queue is now the Transformers queue once it reaches 80 minutes (which it easily got to at around 1 PM) on a day when most people there didn't even know it was open, so imagine the crowds come October. That's not even mentioning that all three of the entrances (regular, Gate A and single rider) as well as the exit are in direct path of where the old maze queue would be. This is too much for a line and crowd operator to handle, I'm sure. As some have speculated before, the line will indeed have to veer off to somewhere else (this is if they even put mazes down there this year), which will probably be under the escalators.]

Luckily, the queue doesn't come to many standstills. I was on the ride within 10 minutes. The energy in the loading station is frentic, as these guys and gals are really into their roles. I salute them on their efforts and getting the ride loaded as quickly as possible. Another cool thing I noticed is you can take items on with you. I took my souvenir cup and I saw people with purses, backpacks and etc.. If this were Mummy, people would've been scolded and tossed back to the entrance to throw their crap into a locker. Here, I heard no such instances of them caring about any "loose articles." Okay, now onto the ride itself. Man, once it starts, it really just doesn't stop. The two times I rode it, I don't think I breathed for those entire four minutes each. It's just non-stop intensity from beginning to end.

The vehicle moves very fluid, gliding from one point to another (from what I saw, it's literally a motion simulator vehicle on a track -- imagine a giant bumper car with a bendy bottom half -- not so much like an Indiana Jones vehicle). I did not experience any of the nausea others have been reporting but both times, I rode in the front row and wore my 3D glasses. I'd like to try the ride without the glasses and sit in the back, as I'm sure it's probably bumpier back there and a different experience all together. The interaction with what's happening on the screen matches with the vehicle perfectly, as do the show effects. The heat and fog effects come at perfect timing. May I also say the practical sets blend perfectly in with the screens. Like seriously, there were times I didn't even notice them because it looked like all screen (I see that as a compliment). It adds just a tiny bit of more realism than just a regular 3D motion simulator. But also on that same token, that means a lot of practical sets get whizzed by a bit quickly and it's hard to really notice the detail.

I also love how once the scene is over and your car drives off to another point, the scene continues out on the screen once you're practically turned all the way around from it. I just figured the screen would turn off, but if you crank your neck good enough (I don't necessarily recommend that, btw), you'll see the scene still going -- just not with a lot going on. Keeps it completely real at all angles, which I love. As far as I can tell, you never encounter another vehicle either (until the station, ofcourse), so it makes the mission really seem like your own. One of the things I disliked about Back to the Future/The Simpsons, is you could easily see the other cars bouncing around if you looked over without even trying. One thing I'm getting afraid of though is the theme park industry's use of screen based/3D rides. Really makes me feel like the days of physical-everything is slowly dying. Not just Universal either but Disneyland is starting it too, even on the animatronics (blinking eyes, or even whole faces... those kinda just bug me). I hope RSR is all physical, but knowing that it's Pixar, I have a feeling some of the scenes inside the showrooms will be helped out with animations in some way.

As for story elements and such, it's pretty simple and easy to understand. I mean, there isn't much to understand, really. It's just action, action, action, go, go, go. They needed something simple for the set pieces to work. One tiny gripe, the ride takes place at night. Universal is mostly known as a park that usually only operates during the day. To sell the ride better, and for most cases of who will ride it, I would've gone with daytime. I won't be ridiculous and say, "it should change depending on the time you go on it" but sticking with the time of day about 90% of the visitors who will go on it throughout the year would've been a better idea. But maybe they kicked that around and decided it was too bright and hurt the eyes. Who knows.

The length of the ride is awesome also. I think those who wait for it for a long period of time will be satisfied with what they get. I loved swinging and speeding through that track and it just seemed endless. That building really is massive and takes you on quite an adventure.

Okay, now on to my two negative points...

1) I'll call this section, "okay, I get it, it's 3D!" I can't even count on my fingers and toes how many times something comes at the screen. Every moment, they throw anything they can at you to remind you it's a 3D ride. I mean, cool to make full use of it but seriously, it was overboard. Using 3D successfully, to me, is when I forget I'm watching something in 3D until something comes at me. Here, it's a constant reminder from the moment it starts. Grabbing at you, throwing at you, swatting at you, falling on you, coming towards you and stopping in the nick of time, etc. etc. Every trick in the 3D book is here and they stuff it in and double/triple the tricks within the 4 minutes of the ride. Like, literally in EVERY scene, Megatron grabs your vehicle. EVERY SCENE. It results in a good jolt each time, but it got old about half way through. I figured our car would've been destroyed at that point!

2) This section, I'll call "can we take a breather for just a second?" In my opinion, a great ride should have highs and lows so each moment stands out from the rest. This ride is like one big blur. The moments all mesh together because they never really stop to give you a moment to remember it. For example, on Indiana Jones there's points where the vehicle stops or slows down that really benefit the dramatic storytelling of the ride: seeing Indy for the first time, seeing the cavern of bubbly death, the bugs on the wall, before the bridge, the rats falling, before the darts and before the boulder. Once each scene is done, you're whipped around and another insane action set piece happens with no time in between. It really heightens the excitement of the ride and all but after both times, I left feeling something was missing. I never thought I'd complain about a ride being TOO exciting but this perfectly fits that definition. The simple story from before that was needed to make this exciting ride now feels like it should've had a bit more to it so there could've been moments where we can stop, talk to a Transformer for a beat and move on to another scene. Maybe 2 scenes where nothing action-y happens and just story, just to up the drama or at least a proper intro. Literally, the ride just jumps into the mayhem. There's no alluring moment before the havoc begins. For those who decided not to pay attention to the monitors in the queue, or for those who went through Gate A or the Single Rider lines, will get zero build up to what's happening on the ride. Once again, I'll use Indy as an example. We learn in the queue that Indy and the tourists have been missing for some time. Still, we encounter Mara and once she gets peeved, we're THEN thrusted into the action. This ride starts off like as if you've already looked into Mara's eyes and you're immediately whipped around and there's lightening on the walls. The ending is a bit quick too (also the car doesn't point toward the screen, which is odd) but I think it's fine since the whole ride was neckbreak paced anyway. The fast, fierce and non-stop style, as fun as it is, only leaves me wanting a bit more of a story.

Bottom Line: Those last two thoughts only drop the score for this ride down about half a point each. It truly is a great fun ride and an amazing technological achievement that'll wow audiences for years to come. No doubt this summer, that lower lot will be as crowded as ever and I'm sure that line will reach to record breaking lengths that park has never seen. If you thought it was insanity in '10 for Studio Tour's King Kong, which is a high capacity ride, imagine what it'll be like trying to fill up each of those cars that only sit 12 each for Transformers. For my second time on the ride, I did single rider since the line reached up to 80 minutes. I only recommend this for riders who've been on the ride before because the line has nothing to look at and tells less of a story. Being able to watch the monitors for a longer time really benefits the storytelling experience of the ride, as I said prior in "Can we take a breather for a second?" If you're a fan of the films, motion simulators, 3D, fast rides, new ride technology, action or just looking for a really thrilling 4 minutes, Transformers is for you. Heck, I'd say Transformers is for everybody. You won't want to miss this ride as it has to be seen to be believed. Watching it on YouTube will do it no justice. The movements are what make the ride, in my opinion. And even though I've been on it twice and can't pinpoint a favorite part, I still loved it to death and will be back numerous times this year to ride it again. This is as close as you'll probably ever get to living in a real action scene! As for any elements missing during the rehearsal, I'm not sure what they would've been. My favorite ride at Universal is still Jurassic Park but this definitely comes in second. There's honestly maybe another 2 paragraphs I could say about the ride but this is getting long as is, so I'll leave you with my grading:
9.0 out of 10. 'A'-.