As discovered by Aahs and Oohs and expanded upon recently by Josh, we have a new Universal ride patent to explore and speculate about! And let me tell you, this one REALLY got my creative Universal Creative-neering neurons firing. As mentioned previously, Dark Universe is my favorite of the Epic Universe worlds and perhaps my favorite of all theme park lands. With Alicia Stella confirming that a new ride is on the way in this world, the new patent that allows for a boat ride with no visible current or ride path seems all but perfect for what could be coming to the swamps of Darkmoor. And that’s not even the only place this new ride system could be used. Let’s drift into the swamps of speculation together to explore some possibilities!

As always, the usual disclaimer: I have no insider knowledge here. I’m just a huge theme park nerd who got sent a new public patent and couldn’t stop turning over ideas in my head, so let’s get going.

So what does this patent actually do?

Josh already broke down the technical details, so I won’t repeat all of it here. The short version: Universal is developing a ride vehicle that floats in one body of water while a separate, hidden channel underneath does the actual propelling. Fins extend down from the ride vehicle into the lower channel, where a controlled current and the rotation of the fins can be used to move the ride vehicle above. The patent also mentions that the fins can be controlled through an automated system or even by the passengers within the boat, allowing for a more typical passive ride or a more active ride in which speed can be controlled by guests.

What I found particularly interesting about the patent, aside from the ride possibilities it entails, is that while it focuses on how the vehicle will be propelled, it is light on how the vehicle might be secured. A few fins held in a trough by brush gaskets is hardly going to hold a boat or wheeled vehicle in place, especially if it’s anything more than a very slow-moving ride. It feels like those fins would pop out of the trough in a heartbeat! I’m going to speculate that unrelated to this propulsion system is a stronger physical rod connection to a track that runs parallel to or within the trough.

This more physical connection would allow the vehicle to move in the ways needed for a thrill ride, while still using the moving fluid in the trough for propulsion. With this connection in place, ride vehicles could be designed that could shake, tilt, rotate, and more, while still looking like boats (or other vehicles). Imagine the enhanced motion vehicles from Temple of the Forbidden Eye, for example, but as a boat rather than a Jeep. The ride vehicle being secured in place is the difference between a gentle drifting ride and something that could genuinely convince you that a creature has just grabbed your boat! Speaking of…

An updated Creature from the Black Lagoon ride pitch

Based on what the ride system may be capable of and Universal’s desire to build something quickly on the Darkmoor expansion pad, I think a Creature from the Black Lagoon ride certainly makes the most sense here. How do you strand a boat in the stagnant water of an open swamp with no visible way of moving it? A separate propulsion trough hidden beneath the murky waters, of course! The surface above never has to reveal a current, a track, or a flume wall.

This is what I’m envisioning. We open on a moonlit stroll with the Bride of Frankenstein. Yes, she’s still here for this pitch. The Bride in Dark Universe has been characterized as a friendly presence, appalled by the work that Dr. Victoria Frankenstein gets up to in her manor, and trying to free Victoria’s Monster from the good doctor’s clutches.

In this ride, perhaps we have joined her on a mission to sneak into Frankstein Manor to cause chaos – or perhaps we were on our own journey through the swamps and happened upon what might be a normal midnight stroll for the Bride. Either way, the Creature begins stalking her… and us. The Bride draws the Creature’s attention as we attempt to get away into the swamp.

But that’s when our boat engine fails, and we drift to a stop in a wide murky pond, no track or flow of water in sight to help us. The Bride’s distraction has failed. In the dark, the Creature starts in on us. We feel it bump the hull of our boat. It shoves us sideways, spins us around, toying with us before its attack.

Just as it starts to seem hopeless, the engine sputters to life, and we begin to move forward just as the Creature leaps from the water. We pick up speed moving away, now swerving to dodge the Creature as it reaches for us from the darkness. Finally, we get close to land, where the Bride is ready and uses some sort of instrument – perhaps stolen from Dr. Frankenstein’s lair – to drive the Creature away. The experience of floating helplessly in the middle of a swamp is exactly the kind of moment this patent seems built to create, and I am certainly rooting for that creation!

An indoor Jaws revival

The same logic could just as easily bring back Jaws, and Universal already has the perfect spot for it: the soon-to-be-empty Fast & Furious: Supercharged building in San Francisco at Universal Studios Florida. This area is already rethemed as a Jaws tribute from time to time, and the building is certainly large enough to house a decently sized water ride. Or, if they’d rather it be outdoors, the building could be torn down and the space used for an outdoor rebirth of the Jaws ride, as well.

Amity Island has put all of that shark nonsense behind it and is inviting a new crop of tourists to enjoy their beaches and tours. But Bruce, Jr. has a score to settle. He could bump the boat, shove it off course, and breach right alongside us, just as his father did before him. Except now there is no loud motor or smells of gasoline fumes to detract from the show. We could even have a cast member still “driving” the boat as they struggle to keep us alive after everything has gone wrong. Fans have been clamoring for a Jaws return for years, and perhaps this is the system that could finally allow it.

Two parks, one dragon

Here’s where speculation starts to get really interesting for me. The patent doesn’t just describe a channel that runs below the ride vehicle with moving fluid. It also describes how the channel could instead be above the ride vehicle, using flowing air to push against fins – it’s an entire ride system built to fly!

And if we’re going to be flying, why not with dragons? Here’s my pitch: a ride where guests soar on the back of a dragon via a vehicle suspended from above. We glide low over the Isle of Berk’s cliffs and out across the open ocean to the island home of the dragons. Scenes would feature Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid, Stormfly, and the rest.

The best part is that there would be no visible track beneath the vehicle, giving guests perfect views. A well-hidden air propulsion trough above would allow riders to swoop and turn, one with their dragon companion. Sounds absolutely amazing and something that would be an instant family favorite!

This would be an obvious fit for Epic Universe’s Isle of Berk. The land is already packed with its family coaster, flat ride, water ride, play structure, and excellent theater show. What’s missing, though, is a dark ride that lets you soar with dragons! And there’s a fairly sizeable expansion plot in Isle of Berk just waiting for that dark ride to be built.

Universal Kids Resort has a dark ride gap. Luckily, it also has room to grow. Building a small Isle of Berk area with a play structure and a dedicated dark ride would really help the lineup at the new resort, as well.

So why not develop it once and build it twice? Universal saves money with just one round of development and both parks come out that much stronger for it.

A few parting options

Creature, Jaws, and Dragons aren’t the only fits here. Universal has other rumored projects on the horizon, specifically lands and rides based on Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda and Pokémon. I could easily picture a boat or flying option using this system for both of these lands.

For Zelda, this system would work great as you go on your own adventure aboard the King of Red Lions sailboat from Wind Waker. Or soaring through the air on your own Hyrulian glider.

Pokémon’s ride could be a boat trip through the Alola region to photograph the native Pokémon. Alternatively, it could let us soar on the back of a Charizard over the Pokemon-covered landscape, or in an airship similar to the Brave Olivine on your own Pokémon-catching adventure.

Outside of those two franchises, the “passenger control” aspect of the ride system also got me reminiscing on Universal’s first foray into a passenger-controlled vehicle, Sylvester McMonkey McBean’s Very Unusual Driving Machines. This elevated ride, which was planned for Suess Landing in Islands of Adventure, would have allowed riders to control the speed of their small cars along a single-railed track. By speeding up, they could catch up to and gently bump the car ahead of them.

McBean’s Driving Machines never materialized, but its track and show elements were eventually used for The High in the Sky Suess Trolley Train Ride, which still exists. Perhaps a slow-moving boat system that allows guests to control their speed by rotating the fins in their propulsion trough could resurrect the McBean idea as a small bumper-boat-style ride. It would be a fun addition to any of the more family-focused lands Universal already has, or as an expansion ride at Universal Kids Resort.

So, where does this leave us?

The patent’s ride system has so much potential that it’s hard to imagine all the ways it could be used. I’ve only outlined some of the more obvious possibilities based on what Universal is currently working on. I’m sure you can think of even more.

This system could show up in Darkmoor, San Fransico, the Isle of Berk… or nowhere at all. We’ll just have to watch and hope that Universal can use it to create some amazing new experiences for us in the years to come.

Thanks for joining me on this adventure into armchair Universal Creative-neering. I’ll see you soon for the next dive into the murky swamp waters of what theme parks are dreaming up.

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