Our Thoughts on the Dark Universe Universal Monsters Epic Universe Reveal 

This is my favorite show that The Dis puts on. I sure am going to miss Craig in the future!!

Gents, come on…. How many Dracula reboots have there been? That says it all. Nosferatu this Christmas and Keanu’s version coming soon. That’s what the public and myself want.

Literally the smallest of nitpicks, but the doctor’s name isn’t "Victor" Frankenstein, it’s Henry! Universal switched the names of Henry Clerval and Victor Frankenstein for their movie, and they seem to be sticking with that switch for Victoria’s backstory.

Curse of the Werewolf has been said to have a ride time of over 2 minutes which is decent for a family coaster. Similar to that of Slinky Dog relative to ride time. I do worry a little about hourly capacity with that ride time system/swing launch style coaster. Crush’s Coaster in Paris is notoriously slow to load and keep a good hourly capacity (back to back spinning coaster). Add the swing launch and it limits the number of trains that can be on the track itself…

Fyi the music thing is real. My friend plays the accordion on the streets of Italy for a living. Every week our market is full of musicians making bank

I've been watching this show for well over 7 years and I can't believe I haven't done a Universal vacation.

I've been looking forward to this discussion I'm so HYPED

"Even a man who is pure at heart and says his prayers by night Can become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms And the moon is full and bright "

I read somewhere that the steaks on stakes are kebabs in the Vampire restaurant. Overall this land absolutely pulls from Silver Dollar City in the best way. They have a Time Traveler style family coaster, lots of old timey streetmosphere, even the food. The cart getting cinnamon bread & twisted taters is straight out of SDC. Fun fact, the twisted tater originated there, but it is called a Tater Twist™️ 😂 The burning blade tavern description feels like a realized Evermore Park concept as well with the character interactions.

On film commentary for The Wolf Man, the Universal Monster movies are said to be like fairytales, not needing to be rooted in one solid time. The Wolf Man has horse driven carriages and modern cars. It has fortune tellers, caravans, a modern telescope, all kinds of things that exist together with no year stated.

Love the chat about the theming of the traditional time period we are hoping for with this. It should be gothic old school Transylvania with castles and little villages.

Yes there are strolling musicians including many violinists in Vienna as well as other European cities. Lol. Passport?

I was waiting to hear your thoughts! We had to wait patiently for Ryno to return from Disneyland.

Thank you Mary Shelley! Looks like land is only missing the ship on the ice floes that opens the novel. The ice melted.

I am beyond STOKED for this land!! 🧛‍♂️

I hope the queue is awesome for those of us who there is not enough dramamine in the world for us the safely ride that ride.

dark universe is will I'll live when I go visit.

The Curse coaster is still a family coaster so it won’t be that extreme. It should be very similar to the one at Knott’s.

Imagine Remy or Forbidden Journey but the video domes are 20xs bigger with lots of practical elements and AAs in the foreground so you didn’t feel like you are in a screen. The new Fantasy Springs Peter Pan for example

The first set of Universal Horrors didn't have a specific time in which they were set; it was all a very Mittel Germanic Timeless place. The Not Monster People with dialogue dressed in contemporary fashions for the U.S. in the 30s/40s, unless their names were Hans or Erik or the like, in which case they wore lederhosen and suspenders. In BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN they used a phone but referred to it as a New Electronic Box. So, yeah, time is meaningless in the Universal Horrorverse.

Wouldnt it be cool if they had actual live actors incorporated in the ride?

I just wanna get the pic with Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, and Cuba Gooding Jr

Dracula is too classy for Craig lol. What We Do in the Shadows rules.

I enjoyed this vlog a lot. I’m most interested in the monster land but also the dragon land and Harry Potter land. Can hardly believe it’s next year, hoping to get reservations at the new hotels. I hope this park stays open late, I never like it when they close early.

@Craig, Just as the look of the Disney fab 5 have evolved over the years, why shouldn’t the look of the monsters evolve and be updated? I love the OG classic monsters but am looking forward to the update too.

Craig, Gene Wilder=Young Frankenstein 1974 (Blazing Saddles, Willy Wonka)

Completely agree with Ryno! the people designing love the chain wallet. They also have the arm band tattoos. Such a shame because they are putting their own (horrible) preferences over what the audience is actually looking for which are the classic characters. Being true to originals is what we actually all want. If they get enough feedback will they pivot? They should. Also Universal has a tendency to do this like you guys touched on with horror nights. It needs to stop.

Guys, watch the Bride of Frankenstein (1935). It opens with Mary spinning an imaginary (universal studios sequel) tale. It is definitely Empire era.

Stop. Just stop with the trying to figure out timeline and cannon. Dracula is immortal and is going to levitate !!

I am most excited about the Dark Universe. I think what they need to do with the movies is commit to it being period pieces. Part of what makes them scary is an old setting. Part of what made the 1999 Mummy beloved is it takes place in the 1920s, part of the charm is setting it then. The reason the new movies didn't do well were numerous, but setting in modern times didn't work for me. Van Helsing did pretty well when it premiered, I think most issue with the movie were CGI heaviness. I feel like a new Van Helsing universe could do well. I definitly want a new creature from the black lagoon movie, he's such a cool creature and the bride of frankenstein is so iconic I hope she gets a new movie and hope she features in this land.

Hopefully it’s more fluffy friendly than HP and the forbidden journey

It’s interesting that both Shelley’s Frankenstein and the later Dracula novel by Bram Stoker each open with the same literary device: letters written home. Both more than twice-told tales. ;). Both gothic horror. Talk about starting a franchise or two!

What is up with the background you have going there... You guys need to step it up it looks super low budget. Are you in a we work space or something?

Universal says she is the great great granddaughter of Henry Frankenstein and it is set in modern day.

I pity the cast at the QSR Stakehaus who will have to explain a thousand times a day they don’t actually have steak. 😅

I agree. Why did they not go with the classic familiar look of the monsters.

Well, I saw Lon Chaney walking with the Queen Doing the Werewolves of London I saw Lon Chaney, Jr. walking with the Queen Doing the Werewolves of London I saw a werewolf drinking a piña colada at Trader Vic's And his hair was perfect. Lyrics by Warren Zevon.

im watching this and your not getting it, your not talking about why the monsters are not the originals, they wanted to go with the classic monsters look but they cant use the likeness of , Lugosi , karloff, chaney, thats the reasons why. so there going back the there old reboot, Dark Universe....

Werewolf? ...there wolf.

I love the monster designs. I have been into punk and goth music since 86 so I predate Hot Topic and Marilyn Manson.

The dude that said dark universe makes it feel heterosexual 😂🤣😂🤣

IMO - the mistakes this monster ride has is puzzling. -- 1) It should have been muted colors with mostly B&W - greys / browns. Instead they show the monsters in color. -- 2) The designs of Phantom and Gillman - are TERRIBLE. How can Universal allow these designs to occur? -- 3) The ride takes place in catacombs - and is basically Spiderman meets Gringotts Bank meets Transformers the ride. HORRIBLE to turn "monsters" into another video game battle fight. --- THIS RIDE should have been exploring the mansion, crypts and moat etc.. This should have been a build suspence and scare - and finishing with a major wow - drop factor.

Since Craig is always negative I’m sure he will find the negative in this reveal

Could u do a show about the Park and how it doesn't flow. Too many dead ends and if they will have virtual ques to get into lands and how that could be a big turn off to people. Ty

Stakehaus will sell kebabs

Totally agree that my only complaint with Dark Universe are the weird character designs. And Ryno I just turned 54 and would never choose this weird aeshetic. 😡 Hoping the ride is so darkly lit we don’t really notice. I’m guessing part of why they did the dumb updates is because Darkmoor is supposed to be modern day.

I was so hyped till they said Harry Potter and the forbidden journey. Hate hate hate that ride vehicle it gets me sick every time. Why do all universal rides have to use same 3 ride vehicles.

SOOOO SOOOOO NEGATIVE stick to disney

Oof. Isn't everyone excited about the new Universal Monsters section of the Florida park based on their failed "Dark Universe" and not their beloved classic Monsters? Yep. The "Dark Universe" once again rears its computer generated head , attempting to completely reinvent the Universal monsters. An idea that has always failed. You would think that these movie executives would be good at math. Every time you try to reinvent these monsters, it makes no money. But selling merchandise of the classic monsters makes a lot of money. Could this studio ever create an attraction that would homage the classics and did not attempt to re-envision or reimagine them? To pay tribute, rather than dress them in 1980's rock and roll costumes and have them singing and dancing in total disrespect like the Beetlejuice show did. Unfortunately, Universal doesn't seem to think that people care about older movies anymore. Which makes zero sense , considering all the merchandise they sell to this very day with the classic monsters imagery. And how the "Dark Universe" doesn't sell at all. They had a fluke in the '90s when the Brendan Frasier Mummy movie was a hit. But they instantly destroyed themselves with the terrible Hugh Jackman Van Helsing movie . Something that we wanted so badly to enjoy, but it was nearly impossible. Total box office disaster. Another failed attempt to reinvent the classic monsters. After the Tom Cruise MUMMY disaster, they gave the reins to Blumhouse to make an INVISIBLE MAN movie. But it wasn't an invisible man movie. It was the story of a battered woman in an abusive relationship with a man who happened to get a hold of an invisibility serum. It was basically a Lifetime stalker movie with an invisibility serum thrown in. That's not a fun watch. I can't root for or sympathize with that monster. That doesn't sell action figures or t-shirts. That's not a fun dark ride. What happened to the classic monsters that we could root for? What happened to fun? I can remember growing up in the '80s and seeing such an affection for these classic monsters. I still see that affection today in merchandising and from fans. I wonder if the suits will ever take notice and actually pay respect to them. Unfortunately, it seems we're getting further and further away from that everyday. 🎞🦇