I could see that being an issue with the original ride, but I don’t think it was the kind of thing that would limit the entire franchise. There’s already a pretty high suspension of disbelief the minute you enter the gates of any theme park- the specific Back to the Future dates would actually be pretty tame compared to the storylines of most other rides. Again, it’s likely not happening, but I still feel like Universal parks were better with that property as a headline attraction.
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Unfortunately, I think this ride is in serious danger of removal whether we like it or not. The ride system is no longer supported, the reboot flopped, the contract is coming up, and it’s a huge plot that’s in the way of some prime real estate.
Ghostbusters is the more obvious choice as a replacement with the third movie coming out next year. I could see it as something that would be built multi-story like how SLoP was originally designed to be, but put in NY to fit with the surrounding theming better. MIB was always in a pretty random location that took up a lot of real estate, not fit for long-term plans.
I love MIB: AA but whether we like it or not, I think it’s days are numbered. I think GB would be a good replacement IP though.
Ghostbusters is the more obvious choice as a replacement with the third movie coming out next year. I could see it as something that would be built multi-story like how SLoP was originally designed to be, but put in NY to fit with the surrounding theming better. MIB was always in a pretty random location that took up a lot of real estate, not fit for long-term plans.
I love MIB: AA but whether we like it or not, I think it’s days are numbered. I think GB would be a good replacement IP though.
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To be fair GB is the one replacement I'd be happy with.
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The removal of Men In Black would be a travesty on par with the demises of Kongfrontation, JAWS, and Back to the Future.
I've always said that a Ghostbusters ride using an updated version of the MIB ride system would be tight. They're already familiar with the property and the concept wouldn't be that different from MIB. You'd just be catching ghosts instead of zapping aliens. Plus, it would be a major improvement over some of the other GB shooter rides that are overseas :look:
The big issue though, is the MLB ride system is obsolete and no longer supported by the manufacturer.
To bring this up, I thought someone may of mentioned (might've been @Disneyhead or @Mad Dog) of Universal potentially bringing in Oceaneering for the sake of retracking Cat in The Hat with something more..modern. I'm probably wrong, but I thought that was discussed back early on in the year.
With how MIB International is faring critically and already disappointing in BO revenue, I could see a chance that they pass on the chance of renewing the deal. And with UC Orlando's hands already seemingly full on UFW, a lot of questions may need to be weighed in.
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Agreed. I fully expect my trip in September to be my last chance to experience my favourite ride in Orlando, MiB.
We go roughly every 4 years, and I fully expect it to be closed by 2023. It will be missed, should it happen.
I don't see MIB closing anytime soon. If it closes down within 5 years, I will be shocked.
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It's always impossible to know exactly what's going on in management's mind, but think about this: if they don't have soon to move plans on the real estate that MiB: AA covers, why not extend it? I think as long as people enjoy the ride, they wouldn't want to upset the current guests for a mythological ride they don't have yet.
Also, I didn't see the new MiB (but plan to on Friday!), but the math could be funny since it can be considered a bomb-the rights get cheaper as Sony needs any cash it can to soften the blow of a missed blockbuster. With it being less popular, there's less people who'd want to develop the IP which makes Sony in a worse negotiating position. They don't even have to do anything besides cash the check.
Jaws, BttF, Kong, Earthquake were all ride systems that were becoming incredibly problematic, so it's not like those rides were just looked at because of relevancy alone.
Jaws is dear to me - but against Potter, in terms of the betterment of the Resort, it will always lose. That said, it is the only one that could come back.
BttF suffers from the characters now being too old and a timeline problem.
With MiB, we're looking at franchise on life support, with an increasingly out of date ride system, and a possible contract end. With USF land being as precious as it is, I would be shocked if it isn't replaced.
Oh, it's going to be going down. Just a matter of whether they update the ride to a new IP or not.
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I'm going to leave this 2nd post from the "Future of KidZone" thread right here...
Date: May 28th 2014
It's not that I don't see this happening eventually, but there is still Kid Zone, they are building essentially a whole new resort, there is the lost continent, new Jurrasic Coaster, new hotels. possible VB expansion, Toon Lagoon, Fear Factor Live, Shrek 4D, not to mention the eventual loss of the Simpsons. Also USF is highly criticized for having so few non screen attractions. I can't imagine this is a priority.... I stand by my I'll start worrying in 2023.
Why is Lost Continent, Toon Lagoon, or Shrek a priority over MIB? Simpsons we're not looking at anything for another decade. Dockside is the last resort being built until the new resort down the street.
KidZone cannot be killed.
The reality of the situation is people should be ready for anything that is 20-ish years old to close and be replaced at any time. That seems to be where Uni’s cutoff is for replacing most things
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I know way less than you do about the ins and outs of the park, but a primarily a "fan" MIB is a beloved attraction, whilst Lost Continent and Shrek are not. Toon Lagoon has it's fans (myself included), but as far as IPs go they are irrelevant. Also again I could be wrong, but it doesn't seem like MIB has a lot of downtime? I've never been to USF when it was closed.
This is 50% logical and 50% wishful thinking ... I just feel like there are tons of available fish to fry for Universal... unless there is a huge financial reason I don't see why they would go in on MIB first.
This is 50% logical and 50% wishful thinking ... I just feel like there are tons of available fish to fry for Universal... unless there is a huge financial reason I don't see why they would go in on MIB first.
Well, if we want to go on one particular route..technologically, the ride (albeit similar to Cat in The Hat) is made with a system that isn't supported in modern day practices. And with MIB, it's continuing to diminish in the general public's eye, no small part to the sequel's varying quality (with MIB3 being the closest seemingly to the original's style).
Not to mention, the building is one of the largest on Universal property. And depending on how it'd be used, could churn out something that's at a much higher capacity, with a ride system that is more modern and able to be worked on for a longer stretch of time.
LC, Shrek, and Kidzone will likely see their times to come eventually, but if Universal's contract cutoff is next year, it's very plausible that they may desire to venture into an IP that can be marketed more towards a larger mass populous.
That's all subjective though. In addition, replacing one ride is a lot easier than a whole land - especially when you can take a bit more of a leap.
Especially replacing a land right after you build a new theme park. Personally it’s at the point where I expect MIB or Mummy to close in USF before KidZone after FW. Quicker and easier return on investment after building a whole park rather than replacing KidZone or Lost Continent
You make a compelling argument, but I just think a better balance could have been struck over the years.
And obviously, this is coming from a place of my personal preference, not objective fact. Of course Diagon Alley is better for the resort overall than Jaws. Jaws, as a ride, blows Gringotts out of the water, however.
This would be an incredibly depressing outcome, especially considering what their original Nintendo plans were.
