I LOVE This Epic Universe Attraction…but I Just Can’t Get Over This Issue

When I visited Epic Universe, I was shocked to find that one of the rides I loved the most was the one I thought would scare me to no end.

Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment is a wildly impressive attraction in the new park that’s like a much smoother version of Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey, not to mention much scarier. Don’t get me wrong, I adore this ride (even though I’m a scaredy-cat), but there’s just one thing I can’t get over.

The queue for this ride is incredible — it really gets you into the mood for the ride, which does mean being a little freaked out with the darkness, the experiments littered everywhere, the blue electricity running through the pipes above your head, and the spooky portraits, among many other things. The spooky vibes are ON POINT.

The first time I rode the ride itself, I was expecting to be terrified, but that wasn’t the case! I was in awe of all the animatronics and the smoothness of the ride, as well as its story. However, then I got to ride it again, and when I did, I got the strangest feeling that, while I was still impressed and had tons of fun, there was something missing.

I couldn’t put my finger on it until I went back again and rode next to a friend as they experienced it for the first time (THAT was funny — I laughed the whole time hearing their reaction). While talking about the ride afterwards, we finally put into words what I hadn’t been able to figure out — parts of the ride feel unfinished.

Now, MAJOR caveat here: I visited the ride during an early preview. The park was not officially open, so it was still under a “technical rehearsal.” That means a lot could change between now and when the park officially opens in May.

During my visit, we caught things like exit signs and curtains in places they didn’t make sense, but the main thing that solidified my feeling of “am I missing something?” happened pretty early on in the ride. SPOILERS for a small part of the ride ahead, so skip the next paragraph if you don’t want to hear them!

Close to the beginning of the ride, right after Dracula escapes, you feel the ride vehicle jerk downwards as you hear the panic in Ygor’s voice as he says Dracula has escaped, but I couldn’t believe what I was looking at while this happened. Because what I was looking at was a wall…with two chains across it…and that was it. Yes, during the main inciting incident of the ride, where everything starts to go wrong, you’re staring at the wall.

It only lasts for 2-3 seconds, but it was enough to jolt me out of the story for a second, because it just didn’t make sense to be staring at NOTHING while something so important in the story happened. Of course, this attraction is fantastic and SO much fun, but it feels like a few final pieces of the illusion were forgotten about, and for people who are in theme parks as much as I am, this kind of missing detail feels more obvious.

Maybe we’ll see an update to the attraction in a year or so to add in a few final elements. I think it would help with the storyline and the immersiveness of the ride, which would pay off in the long run.

Be sure to stay tuned to AllEars for all the latest Epic Universe news to help you plan your trip!

I Love This Epic Universe Land, But I Could Only Handle Two Hours There

Are you a fan of this new ride, or do you plan to experience it? Tell me in the comments!

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