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Future Universal Projects and Parks

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Kuribo said:
It's wrong to think that either company needs to do something to appeal to a broader audience. Both Disney and Universal are positioned exactly where they need to be. Disney is magic and fantasy. Universal is action and adventure. There are exceptions at each to help round out your day, but generally that's the game plan.

Back to the topic of future projects, parks specifically, I would like to see Universal do something to evolve the theme park experience. And by "theme park experience", I mean going through a turnstile and then waiting in line for rides. I think that whole process is ready for a rethink.

I would envision some type of boutique (read: smaller) park experience where you are 110% immersed, and possibly have a mission to accomplish. So, Diagon Alley theming, but a mini-park, where everyone you encounter is a character and there are a limited number of guests in the park (no more than 5,000). I have no idea what this is. Maybe a Jurassic World, or a Hunger Games, or some type of haunted experience, or something. I know a while back the idea for a LOST island was tossed about, where you were on an actual island at Disney World and had to figure a way out -- something like that. MYST in real life, if you will. It doesn't even have to be around an existing IP, it can be an experience of its own. This experience would not be for everybody, it would come at a premium price, and it would be highly in demand (waiting list!). The experience could even start weeks before your vacation, as you begin receiving stuff in the mail (e.g. a message in a bottle asking for help) at your home, gradually enveloping you into the story. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
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Or they can make it an entire park but only allow a certain amount into each section at a time....Like you have to take a boat to get to Jurassic world or to get the Hunger game arena you have to stand on a pod and the pod takes you to the arena...Then Translyvania you have to help someone solve a mystery without being taken away etc....it can be done but need a good size
 
More succinctly, what I am trying to say is that DA has proved (and Avatar may continue to prove) that the experience is the attraction, not the rides. I believe future theme parks will follow that ideal.
 
Kuribo said:
More succinctly, what I am trying to say is that DA has proved (and Avatar may continue to prove) that the experience is the attraction, not the rides. I believe future theme parks will follow that ideal.
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Great point. Look how crowded Diagon always is. We spent a huge proportion (apx. 40 hrs.)of our 2 week vacation experiencing & exploring Diagon, & we're not even Potter fans. The area immersion is the attraction, more so than the ride itself. We never tired of Diagon. It kept luring us back. And the bottom line has to be great for Universal. Instead of riding, people are spending money on food and merchandise. Universal has unlocked the key to the Profit Kingdom.
 
Disneyhead said:
Some are complaining that DA is basically a pretty mall.
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Yes, but with a licensed/trademarked look and design from one of the biggest book and movie series of the last century. People would be complaining if they couldn't purchase all the stuff. Diagon is, after all, a street of shops filled with the most curious merchandise.
 
Sorry peeps, hitting the conversation late.

First of all, thanks to Kuribo for his/her wonderful description regarding the use of actor likenesses when negotiating film/marketing/print/theme park rights. That was one of the most informative posts I've ever read on this site.

anihilnation said:
I think there won't be a third park until they have done everything they possibly can with the two existing parks.
They have a definite goal to expand big time, as to whether or not they have a solid plan ... it definitely seems like they really think things through and don't rush things (planning wise), I think that Universal's brilliance, they think and change things accordingly, that is why everything they do is so good ...
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I would think this to be the case as well, but if they spend the next 8 years or so leveling the existing 2 parks and building them up into what they "should" be, where does that leave them for expansion in the future? They'll be out of expansion space for new attractions and they're not going to tear down attractions that are only 10 years old at that point, so now the parks have been built into a sort of gridlock with little to nothing new for 5+ years. Sure, they've done that in the past with Islands, but I don't think that's something we'd want to see them continue to do in the future, right? My thought is that if they truly ARE pushing to open a 3rd gate (like Disneyhead has mentioned numerous times...October, 2021 was the target date he mentioned, if I remember correctly), they'd want to build up the existing parks a little more, get the resort fleshed out (CityWalk, hotels, water park), open the 3rd gate, and THEN finish fleshing out the "older" parks to give them options to keep building new stuff and drawing guests in to ALL the parks. I'm no theme park expert, but that's the logical way to do it in my mind. The new park will likely be a smash, so let the newness of the 3rd gate sustain itself for a few years while they open new attractions at IoA and the Studios, then open something new at the new park after it's 3-4 years old. They could be opening something new and exciting every 1-2 years at the resort and still keep people flowing through the gates of all 3 parks.

This is a great thread!
 
EPCOTcenter said:
The American Adventure IS an E-Ticket. That said, this does not invalidate your point, as all the other pavilions do not have E-Tickets.
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I agree that the American Adventure is the best attraction of World Showcase and very impressive. It's hard to compare though, since it's a show and Gringotts is a ride. But maybe we shouldn't have this discussion in the Future Universal Projects and Parks thread so this will be my last post concerning this.
 
Is the area that I've outlined in Orange still empty?
ad6krxc37


It used to be the Delta Orlando hotel, I stayed there back in the late 90s - eek.
I though I read the land has been levelled now, but nothing built on it.

I thought it would be good land for Universal to purchase, should be cheaper when there's no development on it. If other parcels become available in the future, then there would be a pretty big stretch of land there.
 
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UNIrd said:
I have never heard that in my life.
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Well, it is, in size and spectacle and price tag. It has to cost them bucks to keep it running and it certainly cost them more than many of their other so-called E's.

I only saw it once, and once was enough. But I do respect the achievement, kinda.
 
The tricky thing with Star Trek is that Paramount has shown that they have the theme park rights, at least as far as Europe and Asia are concerned. Didn't they have the rights when they operated US parks as well? I know that they did not sell the rights to Premier or Cedar Fair when they got out of the theme park business the first time around.
 
Starting a list of all the current project numbers known right now, whether we know the specifics of the project or not.

Project 340: Kong - Location: South side of JP.
Project 533: Wondersea - Location: South of Cabana Bay
Project 664: Sapphire - Location: Between Cabana and RPR
Project 862: Unknown - Location: Nascar Grill
Project XXX: Unknown - Location: Twister
Project XXX: Unknown - Location: Disaster

Feel free to copy and update this with numbers any of you might be aware of. Suggestions welcome!
 
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