Universal's New Park/Site B Blue Sky Thread
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The almost-got-built version of Nintendo for KidsZone had a small warp pipe tunnel between the Mushroom Kingdom and Donkey Kong Country. So, it’s definitely possible to have mini lands separated within a larger world like that.
Exactly. If there are multiple properties in DreamWorks, it won't look like KidZone
I still don't get why everyone has a problem with HTTYD getting a land all to itself. I'd rather have a fully-realized Berk and a Pokemon World over Trolls any day of the week.
- Feb 28, 2015
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No one is complaining about that. We’re saying Trolls should have a land also.
There's only so much money that they can throw around, and I'd rather have them spend that on a better IP like Pokemon. Trolls isn't needed in this park. Put it in IOA or USF.
- Jul 27, 2015
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I think some things should be better defined, within the context of how Fantastic Worlds may look. And we can reference the KidZone Mushroom Kingdom Plans.
Land - A featured, IP based component with at least three attractions, a restaurant and a store. Mushroom Kingdom, with Peach's Castle, Bowser's Castle, Yoshi, etc. is a "land."
Mini-Land - An area tangentially themed to an associated land, featuring one or two attractions and a shop or restaurant. DK's Jungle would be considered a "mini-land." Mini-lands may expand to become fully-formed lands in the future.
I think, even by establishing things this way, it helps clarify ideas.
(The following is all wishful thinking)
(World of Dreams) DreamWorks - Anchored by a Berk land and surrounded by Trolls, Croods, and Kung-fu Panda mini-lands.
(World of Play) Nintendo - Mushroom Kingdom land surrounded by DK Jungle, Pokémon, Hyrule mini-lands.
(World of Magic) Fantastic Beasts - Paris land paired with Beauxbatons mini-land.
(World of Monsters) Monsters - Transylvania land flanked by Egypt, Amazon, and Scooby-Doo's Creepy Carnival mini-lands.
- Dec 21, 2016
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I'm ok with a one-off attraction if they can give it proper themeing. What I and I'd imagine most fans don't want is like a Croods spinner next to the boss baby teacup ride next to the Madagascar ferris wheel.
If they wanted to do something with a few flats like Suess the Scooby Doo haunted carnival is a great way to get around this!
Great thoughts Legacy...
If they wanted to do something with a few flats like Suess the Scooby Doo haunted carnival is a great way to get around this!
Great thoughts Legacy...
- Feb 28, 2015
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Sounds great but would hope for a larger Pokémon land than what DK is getting. Should be the same size as SNW IMO. Not sure Universal or others feel that way
- Jul 27, 2015
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I’m not expecting Pokemon to be much bigger than what I described a mini-land getting. Here’s why:
A “land” should be able to support two or more unique, “featured” rides (whether they’re built or not) that are true to the IP. By featured, I basically mean “not a flat” - so a dark ride, simulator, or non-kiddie coaster. Flats, playgrounds, and shows can fit anywhere, so don’t count as “features.” We see that with Mushroom Kingdom- Mario Kart and Yoshi are feature rides. Diagon Alley supports Gringotts AND Ministry of Magic. Hogsmeade has Hogwarts and the Dark Forest. New York and Hollywood could have dozens of rides.
So... what about Pokemon? At first glance, it fits. But it doesn’t really. The immediate Pokemon ride is a “safari” or “snap” dark ride. It’s the best way to feature the Pokémon themselves, while matching the gentile, slower-paced tone of the games. That’s one featured ride. What’s your other one though? We can say “roller coaster,” but that’s not something that matches the tone of the IP (game or show) really at all. A battle arena show isn’t a ride. Flats or playgrounds aren’t “features” either.
DK faces a similar and opposite problem. A coaster is perfect. But what else can you do for that IP’s feature. A dark ride doesn’t really fit the IP.
For comparison, HTTYD (Berk) actually aligns narratively with Pokemon. It’s kids becoming friends with monsters. Thematically, though, they’re very different. Dragons has epic battles, soaring flights, speed, and personal danger. A coaster fits because of of riding dragons. A dark ride works in the same way as a Pokemon safari ride OR a battle like Spider-Man. That’s why Berk would get a land versus Pokémon’s mini-land.
I agree with you but there’s a lot of things that the IP can bring. I saw that you mentioned the battle show. I mentioned this Awhile back mixing musion and practical effects to bring a Pokémon battle to life. Also consider that there could be a Charizard flight ride similar to what you see in Pandora, you could have a SLOP style dark ride, you could do a Spider-Man style simulator following ash through a journey to save the region from a Pokémon gone rogue. The IP is pretty spread and has a lot of possibilities. The product side of this is on another level too. The only true question is whether or not it can be the anchor of its own land.
- Feb 13, 2013
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- Jul 27, 2015
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I disagree that Pokemon can't be support a full land but I can see where you are coming from as thinking from UC perspective with a baseline knowledge of Pokemon, it will force it to be solely a mini land
But if you play the game and watch the shows and the movies, there are multiple "ride" elements across the board that fit pokemon that people forget about such as the fact in both the game and shows people ride on Pokemon to fly, surf, move across the land fast, etc. Additionally, even within those games due to the fact they are set in the world, they have things such as subs (Hoenn Region), rockets (Also Hoenn region), trains (Johnto and Kalos), bikes and skates (almost every region) and boats (Kanto, Kalos, and Hoenn) which can be evolved in a way that can help encompass a land. You really don't need to relegate Pokemon to just a simple dark ride when it can have so much more in E-ticket ride attractions. 
There is your story supported coaster/coasters/boat ride/etc.
Then going into it, there are Pokemon towns with Roller Coasters and rides and attractions as part of the gym such as Nimbasa City in the Unova region.
The biggest thing with Pokemon is there are towns created that aren't in any mainline games like Ryme City. There are towns and cities made just for the anime. Some towns are made for festivals, some are huge entertainment areas, you have the huge resorts. Universal has a lot of leeway to create something in their image that doesn't necessarily have to fit the mold but will be distinctively Pokemon and still be considered canon.
Now the reason why I think Universal will just do a mini-land is because I don't think anyone currently working knows Pokemon like that well as in seen every single episode, played every game including the spin-offs, seen every movie etc. The land will likely just be a Pokemon Center with a pick your starter element, a Pokemon show of some kind, and a Snap Safari ride. With Potter, it was a lot simpler because you essentially go and read 7 books, watch 8 movies, read the side novels (History of Magic, FB and where to find them, Quidditch book), and read Pottermore and that's almost the entirety of HP canon until the next set comes out. I feel that most of the staff in UC who help with this project likely are Gen 1 and Gen 2 players so their perception of what can be done will be limited unless the Pokemon Company comes in and forces them to go bigger.
Now if I was in charge, I would just tell Universal to create their own city in a new "region" made just for the parks and ask to see if the Pokemon Company will assist in making an online one-off episode to highlight it. Make it a huge tourist town with a huge range of Pokemon due to its unique location consisting of 5 different geographic features and biomes. (Mountains, Tropical Beach, Dense Forests, Deserts, Caves, Planes). This makes it a huge place for a trainer who wants to get a lot of different types of pokemon easily. The town also due to the location has become a hit entertainment resort with the biggest Pokemon festival as well as the greatest Pokemon battles.
Ride Attractions you now that would fit the story and the Pokemon IP now you can do a snap safari ride through the different biomes and even within that one giant attraction you can combine the show building with another ride where the guests are riding on Pokemon (using AAs as the coaster vehicle similiar to Yoshi AA ride vehicle for Yoshi Island or using water pokemon like Lapras as a boat and ride on it). You can add a walk through throw a poke ball attraction to catch Pokemon using Balloon AAs with rapid deflate and inflate capability and projection mapping. Then you can add your flats of course to build things out.
E-ticket: Safari/snap/walkthrough
D-ticket: Riding on Pokemon
C-ticket: Family flats
Now you have your attractions to support your land. Add in the Battles Shows and the Pokemon Contest show. You have a full fledged land fitting the story and the IP.
imo, I can see Pokemon working really well as it's own land, if it's set up in a similar way towards Hogsmeade.
Have a big E-Ticket attraction featuring a collection of Pokemon from all the gens alongside Team Rocket, then have 1-2 C/D Ticket attractions. And then as an interactive element, an AR Pokedex experience ala' the Ollivander Wands that rotates constantly with updated Pokemon.
Have a big E-Ticket attraction featuring a collection of Pokemon from all the gens alongside Team Rocket, then have 1-2 C/D Ticket attractions. And then as an interactive element, an AR Pokedex experience ala' the Ollivander Wands that rotates constantly with updated Pokemon.
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