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Space Fantasy: The Ride, new (Mack Spinner?) for USJ

T

TarkaTrax

Mega Poster
I don't think there's a topic on this...

USJ is building a new indoor coaster based on a space theme for spring 2010. The new coaster will be 585m long and will take guests on a tour of the solar system and will go in the old ET Adventure building (which is currently still in use as ET Adventure: The Legend). The whole project will cost 4-5 billion yen.

I don't know if this is a Japanese version of the Mummy ride, or if the Mummy still may one day set foot in Japan (though I guess it's unlikely, they sound like similar rides).

I last went at the end of October and the ET building was still up-and-running, so they'd better get a move on if they want it ready for spring. I'm going again in a few days, I'll take a look to see if anything's changed since then.

I'll get digging to see if I can find any more info, but for now I'll leave you with these sources:

http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/new ... s/2528034/

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/life/trend/090 ... 009-n1.htm

http://www.screamscape.com/html/univers ... _japan.htm

trd0909142329009-p1.jpg



PS. W00t! New ride near me!

Edit: Some more info a few posts down.
 
I believe that I have seen some info about this some time ago that this is going to be a Mack Spinning Coaster.

Found it, Trips'n'Pics states that it's a Mack, http://www.trips-n-pics.com/?id=30 (at the bottom).
And they are usually right so it's more or less what you can expect...


Of topic: You are living in Japan, COOL!!
 
Good find, I knew there was another website I hadn't thought of, that one's always proved to be accurate in the past. Haven't found anything from any Japanese sites yet, there are more train nerds than coaster nerds on the web here. I'll have a nose around when I go (maybe on Friday) and see what's happening. I'm glad I invested in an annual pass!


Off topic: I know :p
 
Wait... $55 Million for a Mack Spinning coaster?

Either they are getting ripped off or the themeing planned for this must be incredible.

Sounds really cool, better than Revenge of the Mummy as that sucks!
 
I'd rather see a rethemed Mummy clone than a Mack Spinner, but that's irrelevant.

How much did the Mummy coasters cost? I think it's a safe bet that at those prices the vast majority of the cost will be on themeing, especially given USJ's current attention to detail.
 
That seems quite a bit high for a ride of this magnitude.. even in Japan and at a Universal.
 
spicy said:
Wait... $55 Million for a Mack Spinning coaster?

Either they are getting ripped off or the themeing planned for this must be incredible.
Click to expand...
I have a feeling that those $55 million is the whole investment cost of this ride, and it includes everything and not only the coaster.
I mean they have to: remove ET, buy a new coaster, ship it to the other side of the world, install it, theme it, and the list goes on...
It's about the same as with Kawasemi...
 
Also the exchange rate will look screwy, the Yen is not helping the Japanese economy by completely hammering all the other currencies.

And, of course, they have to employ a 50% larger staff full of box-checkers to supervise the workers actually putting up the coaster...
 
The concept of this sounds good, but the fact its practically a Mack Spinner sounds scary, even after reading they're rough and rickety. Would be a good thing to see mind. But that price is huge :| just hope it lives up to its price-tag.
 
Just a couple of quick things...

Name! Logo!

news_2009_1216_pic_01.jpg


And I also found some information about the story (haven't bothered to read it properly yet, but involves a female called a G-Bot, hmm) and that it may be 8 cars per train, though that was on the Japanese wikipedia page and didn't have a source.

And I went for a few hours today (it was bloody freezing!) and there are a couple of signs up hinting at what's on the way. Also the 'ET Adventure: The Legend' attraction (which I had a look at because it had a tiny queue) is based only in the old queue of the ET ride, which has been closed since about May, so they've had plenty of time to install everything inside the building where the actual ET ride was. I don't think there will be much to update on this until it opens, but I'll keep my eyes open.

Here's the G-Bot page! http://www.usj.co.jp/company/news/2009/1216.html
 
Ancient double post ftw.

22276_506791935513_277200045_296706_4635334_n.jpg


Opening soon, and still not much to add! But I'll be there opening weekend, camera at the ready.

And one more thing, an English advert which, if anything, makes the story sound even weirder...

img_news_100204.jpg


http://www.usj.co.jp/e/
 
Forgive me for asking, but is Space Fantasy a film that was released only in Japan or something, or have USJ just gone for a theme outside the whole Film/Hollywood concept of the park?
 
^ I'm betting on the "outside the whole Film/Hollywood concept".

Probably a bit like the Hollywood Dream the ride, since it haven't anything to do with the park apart from the name (in my view)...

Wonder if they only are going to have 2 riders/car, that would mean that they have a lot of trains to keep up the capacity.
 
^^No, not a film, they've just made it up as far as I can tell.

^Hollywood Dream: The Ride is styled rather than themed, fits in nicely with the park and the entrance is in one of the Hollywood streets, but you're right, there's no strong theme like most of the other rides. This new one looks strongly themed, but not to the area of the park it's in (which is between the 4D cinema and Terminator 2), which doesn't really have a theme anyway apart from film sets.

I read somewhere that it's just 2 riders per car (would make sense for everyone to see the same story at the same time), no idea about trains or anything else to do with it, you literally can't see a thing regarding construction.
 
I came across this completely accidentally, but pic of the station and trains, and some more information (like 2-car trains!):

TKY201002260483.jpg


OSAKA--Universal Studios Japan is set to unveil a galactic roller coaster ride in which human adventurers "rescue" the ailing sun.

Built at a cost of 4 billion yen ($45 million), the "Space Fantasy: The Ride" will debut on March 19.

Hurtling along at a top speed of 40 kph, guests will travel 585 meters in about four and a half minutes.

They will head for the sun, at the request of its "queen," by traveling between Saturn and a group of comets, with moving images forming part of the backdrop.

During the journey, which connects two "space craft" seating four persons each, the ride rotates irregularly.

The attraction was built on the former site of E.T. Adventure, which closed last May.

From the Asahi Shimbun: http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201002260475.html
 
Looks good, but the speed is just under 25mph! I've been on kiddy coasters faster than that!
 
It's seems to be more of a dark ride than a coaster, which is fine by me. Seems like they went for the 4 seater cars than what it first suggested.
I really hope that it will be a great addition to USJ.

About the speed, then it will probably be fast enough, especially if they manage to get a good interaction between the themeing and the train, I mean I doubt that Comet Express is much faster but the ride feels like it's insanely fast due to all the themeing, turns and spinning...
 
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