efoxx
11-04-2002, 08:40 PM
just some notes on our recent trip.
first of all universal express is going strong. universal express is the system that allows on property hotel guests front of the line access. it has been rumored that they would either do away with it or limit it. as of 10/27 it was still in place.
that being said let me add that the infrastructure is now in place whereby they could limit guest to one per hour as rumored. at every express entrance the attendant had a little palm scanner. they would take your card and run it through the machine. when I inquired I got several differen answers. from "were just tracking to see where it is used". to "to elimated fake cards" to the honest "I don't know they just tell me to scan it". I did get a look at one of the screens, and it gave a rather large number, something like 15 digits, as well as the name of our last ride, and the time our card was scanned there. so it is possible they are planning this.
as to the rest of the park, not much has changed. it looks as though tricertops encounter is permantently closed. it wasn't even mentioned on the map. the boat ride across the lake is also gone. the boats now are stored over by the royal pacific hotel.
holloween horror nights has been moved to IOA. and while I didn't go I must admit I think that this was a stroke of genious. from what we saw during the day these are a perfect fit. and at night from our hotel we could see bursts of flames and some of the special fx they used. it looked very impressive.
the crowds were down from last year, which came as a suprise to us. but then they were down at WDW also.
overall we had a great time
first of all universal express is going strong. universal express is the system that allows on property hotel guests front of the line access. it has been rumored that they would either do away with it or limit it. as of 10/27 it was still in place.
that being said let me add that the infrastructure is now in place whereby they could limit guest to one per hour as rumored. at every express entrance the attendant had a little palm scanner. they would take your card and run it through the machine. when I inquired I got several differen answers. from "were just tracking to see where it is used". to "to elimated fake cards" to the honest "I don't know they just tell me to scan it". I did get a look at one of the screens, and it gave a rather large number, something like 15 digits, as well as the name of our last ride, and the time our card was scanned there. so it is possible they are planning this.
as to the rest of the park, not much has changed. it looks as though tricertops encounter is permantently closed. it wasn't even mentioned on the map. the boat ride across the lake is also gone. the boats now are stored over by the royal pacific hotel.
holloween horror nights has been moved to IOA. and while I didn't go I must admit I think that this was a stroke of genious. from what we saw during the day these are a perfect fit. and at night from our hotel we could see bursts of flames and some of the special fx they used. it looked very impressive.
the crowds were down from last year, which came as a suprise to us. but then they were down at WDW also.
overall we had a great time