Universal Studios Florida: What Do We Think About It?

[Freak]

The Ghostbusters attraction rumor gives me hope that USF is going back to its roots of highlighting classic movies. With IoA and Epic focusing more on more modern properties, I think this park would benefit greatly from focusing a lot more on its classic properties (I.e. Ghostbusters, Jaws, Back to the Future, etc)

In a perfect world, it would be great to see them bring back the Jaws ride but using the new Mack powerboat ride system. It would also be great to see a BTTF ride of some sort...maybe a themed coaster? An overlay of Supercharged? Ghostbusters coming back would be the catalyst. They already have ET so the foundation for it is already there.

I just want this park to focus on its core strength: classic properties. Hopefully this is the direction I think they will go in with some exceptions (Potter, Pokémon, Minions, and Transformers).

 

[Wesker69]

In a perfect world, it would be great to see them bring back the Jaws ride but using the new Mack powerboat ride system.

I would always sit on the left side, sometimes right, and seeing how close that water was to the edge of the boat was unnerving! Even worse during those epic night rides making the water darker

That powerboat ride system is just complete nightmare fuel when thinking about the sharks popping up

Thanks to the JAWS Ride, I still have trust issues when riding POTC at Disneyland. But that is also how you know it was THE BEST (and only scenic tour on the island)

 

[DodgsonHere]

The Ghostbusters attraction rumor gives me hope that USF is going back to its roots of highlighting classic movies. With IoA and Epic focusing more on more modern properties, I think this park would benefit greatly from focusing a lot more on its classic properties (I.e. Ghostbusters, Jaws, Back to the Future, etc)

In a perfect world, it would be great to see them bring back the Jaws ride but using the new Mack powerboat ride system. It would also be great to see a BTTF ride of some sort...maybe a themed coaster? An overlay of Supercharged? Ghostbusters coming back would be the catalyst. They already have ET so the foundation for it is already there.

I just want this park to focus on its core strength: classic properties. Hopefully this is the direction I think they will go in with some exceptions (Potter, Pokémon, Minions, and Transformers).

Do Epic and IoA focus on modern franchises though? IoA has a land based on newspaper comic strips and another based on Dr. Seuss. One of Epic’s lands is based on a 100 year old franchise.

I do agree with you in hoping that Ghostsbusters, the new parade, and the new nighttime show opens the floodgates to more older/classic/retro stuff in USF. I’m still not convinced it’s entirely realistic, but damn I hope that’s where we’re heading.

 

[Wesker69]

Does IoA focus on modern franchises though? IoA has a land based on newspaper comic strips and another based on Dr. Seuss.

Originally, IOA was roughly based on adventure via literature.. to an extent:

MSHI = (Marvel) comic books
TL = newspaper cartoons (loosely)
JP = Michael Crichton's JP (loosely)
LC = mythology stories
SL = Dr Seuss books

However, the park has evolved to be more modern franchises (Potter movies), VelociCoaster (JW), KONG etc..

 

[wutisgood]

Just saw the back to the future show in NYC. That property seems to not have lost any popularity. It looked incredible. That being said ghostbusters has also had more recent movies so it makes more sense for the park. It sounds like the there is no real movement on any new back to the future content even though the demand I think would be huge.

 

[DodgsonHere]

Been playing the Minecraft Universal DLC recently and I have been completely blown away by it. THAT is how USF should feel. A celebration of movie making and some of the most cherished film franchises of all times.

Every property they chose for the game’s park should be tentpole franchises for UOR, they’ve really all stood the test of time. Hopefully Ghostbusters is a catalyst for getting some more beloved properties back. More hopeful for it now than ever to be honest.

 

[Brian G.]

Might derail this forum, but Orlando in Jan/Feb is busy nowadays (like really busy), I'd argue busier than some July days recently. If you're insinuating that people leave Universal's parks earlier in the day, that's mostly due to the lack of nighttime entertainment and inconsistent operating hours. IOA has had no issues with keeping guests late, but USF has this issue more due to the lack of repeatable attractions. According to Thrill-Data, Jan/Feb is roughly in line with the "busy" period of July-August, and even December.

As for Mardi Gras, I think that's a separate issue as I believe the event has hit a price ceiling/lack of interest (along with just about every other food festival in Orlando). Went on Saturday & Sunday, and it was very easy to walk up to a booth and order, park was packed.

So keep the parks open later even though there isn't anything to do? But you are right. Without a nighttime show, there isn't much need for the parks to be open later. When it returns, and we're still closing early - I'll agree with you.

And you know what Jan-Feb numbers show? January has the 3rd lowest avg wait. It's slower than the busier months that have Spring Breaks, Summer vacations, and the Holidays; in which the parks are open much later. Again, not dead doesn't mean it's the busy season.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

So keep the parks open later even though there isn't anything to do? But you are right. Without a nighttime show, there isn't much need for the parks to be open later. When it returns, and we're still closing early - I'll agree with you.

And you know what Jan-Feb numbers show? January has the 3rd lowest avg wait. It's slower than the busier months that have Spring Breaks, Summer vacations, and the Holidays; in which the parks are open much later. Again, not dead doesn't mean it's the busy season.

IOA can easily sustain daily 9 PM closures, it's always busy until the park closes and Hagrid/Velocicoaster lines are impressively busy until the last minute. USF needs nighttime entertainment to keep it open late... but even then Universal would occasionally just not run the show at all in favor of closing the parks early, even on weekends.

I didn't take the time to comb through the data, but the screenshot I provided includes previous years' data, and we've seen increased attendance YoY in January. It wouldn't surprise me to see Jan numbers higher than that current average.

 

[Brian G.]

IOA can easily sustain daily 9 PM closures, it's always busy until the park closes and Hagrid/Velocicoaster lines are impressively busy until the last minute. USF needs nighttime entertainment to keep it open late... but even then Universal would occasionally just not run the show at all in favor of closing the parks early, even on weekends.

I didn't take the time to comb through the data, but the screenshot I provided includes previous years' data, and we've seen increased attendance YoY in January. It wouldn't surprise me to see Jan numbers higher than that current average.

IDK about all that.

Wait Times on 02/28/2023 at Islands of Adventure | Thrill Data

The wait time data for Islands of Adventure on 02/28/2023 at Thrill Data

www.thrill-data.com

The month is up due to Presidents Week bump but this week is trending down.

 

[Mad Dog]

The problem with the last night time show, and the show was a really excellent show, is that Universal ran it sporadically. Sometimes even the TM's didn't know if it was running that night or not. Consistency is important. If they want a night crowd, they need to run it all the time, so guests know that will happen. With lots of hotel rooms now, and so many gusts staying on site, they'll get a crowd if they're consistent. PLUS, and this is a big Plus. Universal needs to be patient. It takes a while for the word to get out and for guests to get used to the late hours. Universal can't just do it for a couple of months and expect instant crowds and success. It'll take a good while for later hours to become a 'habit'. MK, Epcot & DHS are always busy late. And they 'consistently' run their night shows, except for super bad weather.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

IDK about all that.

Wait Times on 02/28/2023 at Islands of Adventure | Thrill Data

The wait time data for Islands of Adventure on 02/28/2023 at Thrill Data

www.thrill-data.com

The month is up due to Presidents Week bump but this week is trending down.

I need to spend more time with the data, downloading at the moment only shows 2024 numbers, but just off my experience so far these past are far busier than before.

The problem with the last night time show, and the show was a really excellent show, is that Universal ran it sporadically. Sometimes even the TM's didn't know if it was running that night or not. Consistency is important. If they want a night crowd, they need to run it all the time, so guests know that will happen. With lots of hotel rooms now, and so many gusts staying on site, they'll get a crowd if they're consistent. PLUS, and this is a big Plus. Universal needs to be patient. It takes a while for the word to get out and for guests to get used to the late hours. Universal can't just do it for a couple of months and expect instant crowds and success. It'll take a good while for later hours to become a 'habit'. MK, Epcot & DHS are always busy late. And they 'consistently' run their night shows, except for super bad weather.

Yeah, Universal isn't known for nighttime shows because previous attempts have been either lack luster and/or run occasionally. Universal has become a year round destination that can now sustain nightly shows.

I'm really hoping the new show is given a proper buildup/announcement unlike Celebration's rather late announcement. It was a shame to see low crowds for Celebration as it was a show on par with WDW's shows, they just never gave it the fanfare it deserved.

Maybe they need to implement a dining package to convince management to run the show more consistently?

 

[SeventyOne]

I think the "it closes early because there's no nighttime show" oversimplifies the matter. UOR is not and will never be WDW, despite spurned WDW lifestylers' desire to make it such. WDW has far more on-site guests; a lot of UOR guests have a 20 - 30 minute drive down I-4 ahead of them when they leave. Inside the UOR parks, there are three to four "dinner" type restaurants--EPCOT alone has double that. Little factors like this add up.

If there was truly a pent-up demand for evening hours, UOR would know it and would be collecting that money.

 

[TheCodeMan95]

I think the "it closes early because there's no nighttime show" oversimplifies the matter. UOR is not and will never be WDW, despite spurned WDW lifestylers' desire to make it such. WDW has far more on-site guests; a lot of UOR guests have a 20 - 30 minute drive down I-4 ahead of them when they leave. Inside the UOR parks, there are three to four "dinner" type restaurants--EPCOT alone has double that. Little factors like this add up.

If there was truly a pent-up demand for evening hours, UOR would know it and would be collecting that money.

While I wish that they'd stay open later, this makes sense. This takes me back to something I said in the Blue Sky thread - I think each park should add at least 1 more full-service restaurant.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

I think the "it closes early because there's no nighttime show" oversimplifies the matter. UOR is not and will never be WDW, despite spurned WDW lifestylers' desire to make it such. WDW has far more on-site guests; a lot of UOR guests have a 20 - 30 minute drive down I-4 ahead of them when they leave. Inside the UOR parks, there are three to four "dinner" type restaurants--EPCOT alone has double that. Little factors like this add up.

If there was truly a pent-up demand for evening hours, UOR would know it and would be collecting that money.

I visit the parks frequently, IOA with no nighttime show is busy until park close on any given day. When there's enough great attractions in a park, people will stay late, especially those in vacation. I'm not expecting MK hours, but 7PM is way too early for a world-class theme park charging $119+ a day. If Universal has an issue with people leaving parks early to grab dinner... maybe they should (as they're currently doing to a degree) improve their dining quality or keep some of their higher quality restaurants open?

IOA doesn't need additional table service capacity to draw folks at night... it already does that on its own. Universal, in my opinion, hasn't properly "activated" nighttime experiences at their parks due to inconsistent hours, poorly informed TMs (fault of management) and outdated information. Cinematic Celebration was great, but where was the fanfare? Where were the park wide announcements to let people know about it and where they could see it? Rarely would you see more than a few hundred people or so watching, it was a shame.

 

[IzzyB]

I think the "it closes early because there's no nighttime show" oversimplifies the matter. UOR is not and will never be WDW, despite spurned WDW lifestylers' desire to make it such. WDW has far more on-site guests; a lot of UOR guests have a 20 - 30 minute drive down I-4 ahead of them when they leave. Inside the UOR parks, there are three to four "dinner" type restaurants--EPCOT alone has double that. Little factors like this add up.

If there was truly a pent-up demand for evening hours, UOR would know it and would be collecting that money.

Since coming back to Universal I have been going strictly at night and I can say that IOA is busy until the end. Even in the rain the lines for Velocicoaster and Hagrids never slowed down. I was hoping to get lower lines to try Hagrids but it never happened even in the rain, in fact the wait went higher towards the end of the night. Sure Suess was walk ons but other parts of the park were not and again this should have been a lower crowd day to begin with as it was non-stop rain from open to close.

 

[Tbad556]

I get what you guys are saying, but the two newest and hottest rides, both of which have partial capacity causing inflated wait times, being busy into the evening does not equate to the rest of the park being busy. An hour before close yesterday, the average wait time in the park with those two inflated waits included was only 15 minutes. You can look at the ThrillData link @Brian G. posted and see day-by-day, there's a noticeable dip in waits just around 2 hours before park close. They're not just shutting down at 7 PM for fun. Like @SeventyOne said, if there was money on the table for them to stay open later, they'd be taking it.

Trust me, I'd love to ride Hagrids with a reasonable wait time again. I haven't been on it in ages. But the only thing getting us there is them fixing the dual-track issue, not longer park hours (as great as that would be).

 

[Brian G.]

I'd also add that IOA has EPA, so that's 11 hours of operation in the doldrums of winter.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

I get what you guys are saying, but the two newest and hottest rides, both of which have partial capacity causing inflated wait times, being busy into the evening does not equate to the rest of the park being busy. An hour before close yesterday, the average wait time in the park with those two inflated waits included was only 15 minutes. You can look at the ThrillData link @Brian G. posted and see day-by-day, there's a noticeable dip in waits just around 2 hours before park close. They're not just shutting down at 7 PM for fun. Like @SeventyOne said, if there was money on the table for them to stay open later, they'd be taking it.

Well, if you are closing the parks at 7 PM on weekdays, APs can't come in after work, so that's a good amount of folks you're missing revenue/visits from. Pair that with no nighttime entertainment (or in daytime), and there's no incentive for those that aren't interested in Hagrid/Velocicoaster to stay late. They also have really odd policies to this day that are hurting them financially (like closing Ocean Trader's randomly at park close or a few minutes after close).

 

[Jake S]

Well, if you are closing the parks at 7 PM on weekdays, APs can't come in after work, so that's a good amount of folks you're missing revenue/visits from. Pair that with no nighttime entertainment (or in daytime), and there's no incentive for those that aren't interested in Hagrid/Velocicoaster to stay late.

There's a little bit of a chicken and egg happening in this discussion. I'd also be disappointed if I had an annual pass and couldn't make it to the parks after works. That's something we used to do regularly when we had Disneyland passes, but can't at Knott's (I realize that's not analogous to WDW/UOR).

But given how profit-driven the resort is (just like WDW, certainly), it certainly seems Universal does not feel like it's leaving money on the table. Of course, they could be wrong! But given the much smaller quantity of guests staying on-site, it wouldn't surprise me if they've found most guests cut out to CityWalk for dinner and are then ready to call it a night.

Universal can change that, but even if they opened up multiple high-quality (and expensive) restaurants and added a nighttime show this summer, I don't think it'd be like flipping a light switch. It would take some time for the resort to cultivate a culture that encourages guests to hang out deep into the night.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

But given how profit-driven the resort is (just like WDW, certainly), it certainly seems Universal does not feel like it's leaving money on the table. Of course, they could be wrong! But given the much smaller quantity of guests staying on-site, it wouldn't surprise me if they've found most guests cut out to CityWalk for dinner and are then ready to call it a night.

Universal can change that, but even if they opened up multiple high-quality (and expensive) restaurants and added a nighttime show this summer, I don't think it'd be like flipping a light switch. It would take some time for the resort to cultivate a culture that encourages guests to hang out deep into the night.

Most guests cut to CityWalk because they know the parks have no nighttime entertainment and/or close early. I think we all know (and can agree) the quality/value of in-park food is just not there and we're essentially incentivized to eat at CityWalk as a better value. With that said, CityWalk has been bursting at the seams as of late, we're no longer in that period of 10 years ago when Universal was begging people to eat there after exiting the parks. CityWalk doesn't have trouble filling seats like it used to anymore.

Your last paragraph is exactly what is wrong with Universal, they haven't changed that mentality from the pre-Potter days.

Universal strategically schedules the Mardi Gras parade to run roughly 1-1.5 hours prior to park close because they know guests could be incentivized to stay later if there's a good reason.