Middle Earth coming to UOR?

[Legacy]

Let's say Universal go all in and connect LC to the Mummy and relocate Stage 33, tech services and whatever that other building is behind LC.

14.5 acres.

View attachment 11412

That building behind LC is Islands’ HR building. And the other building in the parking lot is a maintenance shop for BOTH parks.

 

[Nick]

Let's say Universal go all in and connect LC to the Mummy and relocate Stage 33, tech services and whatever that other building is behind LC.

14.5 acres.

View attachment 11412

Whoa, you just wiped out about 4 vital backstage buildings

Theres no room to expand back there.

 

[Legacy]

Whoa, you just wiped out about 4 vital backstage buildings

Theres no room to expand back there.

Yep, and something else to consider is how the soundstages and the amphitheater require 24-hour access which a combined land like that would prevent.

 

[Scott W.]

Whoa, you just wiped out about 4 vital backstage buildings

Theres no room to expand back there.

Wild ideas for wild speculation.

 

[shiekra38]

Couple thoughts to ponder

#1 - Would LOTR replace LC or TL?
#2 - If it replaces TL, would LC need to be replaced first so as not to confuse people?
#3 - Would Zelda still make its way to Islands?
#4 - Would LOTR clash with Potter is it replaced LC?
#5 - Is this Epic Universe's first expansion?

 

[Ridgepole]

Ex tm's will always shoot down ideas for streamlining operations. The northeast corner has room. Plus the relocation at the new property.

 

[Magic-Man]

New decade, new LOTR Universal rumor I guess.

 

[tielo]

I'd love Middle Earth to be a closed land (like all at EU). I think the ip holders will look at Nintendo and say 'we want something like that.'

 

[Scott W.]

I'd love Middle Earth to be a closed land (like all at EU). I think the ip holders will look at Nintendo and say 'we want something like that.'

That’s an interesting point about any future deals for outside IPs. Potter, Nintendo and LOTR can demand these large highly themed lands, most other IPs can’t except maybe Star Trek but it could be me but I’ve not found it to be all that popular. Could be a Scottish thing.

 

[Alicia]

Historically, UOR has a light year in terms of additions after adding something major. So with EU opening in 2023, 2025 seems to be a reasonable guess as to when we could possibly see this. IF there is any truth to the rumor.

2025 or later is what the TPU article says.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Let's say Universal go all in and connect LC to the Mummy and relocate Stage 33, tech services and whatever that other building is behind LC.

14.5 acres.

View attachment 11412

Scott why did you draw THAT on the map?

 

[Scott W.]

Scott why did you draw THAT on the map?

You know, I was going to draw it again to make it more penis like but Mythos was providing you be a problem.

 

[youhow2]

IOA needs SOMETHING else to go in before they tear down TL I can also imagine such a conversion of space would take 2 years minimum... So would construction begin prior to 2025?


Christopher Tolkien also came up off as Director of the estate about 2 years and some change ago... Around the same time there were rumbling this very deal had been struck.

I can't imagine any more of a big splash than opening EU and then Middle Earth shortly after...

 

[AlexanderMBush]

Let's say Universal go all in and connect LC to the Mummy and relocate Stage 33, tech services and whatever that other building is behind LC.

14.5 acres.

View attachment 11412

IOA needs SOMETHING else to go in before they tear down TL I can also imagine such a conversion of space would take 2 years minimum... So would construction begin prior to 2025?


Christopher Tolkien also came up off as Director of the estate about 2 years and some change ago... Around the same time there were rumbling this very deal had been struck.

I can't imagine any more of a big splash than opening EU and then Middle Earth shortly after...

If anything, it'd be a hell of a statement. Especially if EU does the potential of adding Pokemon shortly after, it'd make Universal Orlando a dominant force of the industry.

 

[Legacy]

Ex tm's will always shoot down ideas for streamlining operations. The northeast corner has room. Plus the relocation at the new property.

I’m all for streamlining. I’m anxious for everything behind the Studios to get redesigned.

However, the only thing that can really be moved to the new property are resort operations and management. That really only amounts to two buildings. A&D works out of a soundstage. Creative is off property. The parks still have to have costuming, HR, maintenance, and other administrative/logistical requirements for two parks and CitiWalk along Turkey Lake Road.

Think about how Disney operates. They have Casting, which doubles as resort management offices, but each park has all of their own operational resources with them. They do that because it’s too much of a hassle to move employees and equipment across property on a day to day basis. There’s too much going on.

To think Universal is going to move the majority of its current backstage operations to the new property intimates a misunderstanding of what all happens back there.

Back to the proposed 14 acres between SS33 and Lost Continent.

That HR building wouldn’t be too difficult to move across the street, but would have to build around the Hogwarts Express and move the resort’s motor pool (which is centrally located because it’s centrally located). The maintenance bay could move too. The best place for all of that, however, is the resort admin buildings that were just built.

However, even if those changes are made, you still have to worry about the soundstage parking lot and vehicle access to Hard Rock Live and the Hollywood amphitheater. That includes parking for the DAVE School and Blue Man Group.

Now, could the expansion involve a bridge? It could, but it have to be tall enough for semi trailers to get through.

So, it’s not so much that ex TMs are against streamlining operations—they just have a much better idea of why the stuff that is there is actually there.

 

[Ridgepole]

Ah...against....In my experience, "Can't", "I don't know how" and "I don't want to" are synonymous in the business world.

 

[shiekra38]

I feel a lot of IOA is taken up by water rides

Some re-configuring within the gate could allow for a much better use of space

 

[Nick]

Ah...against....In my experience, "Can't", "I don't know how" and "I don't want to" are synonymous in the business world.

There’s some things that simply have to be at (or near) their current location. There’s a big TM grill back there that needs to stay. The tech services stuff has to be back there if you want working rides. Each park needs local management buildings as well. They can shuffle the deck, but there’s no room to actually move this stuff back there, meaning no room to expand.

 

[Legacy]

Ah...against....In my experience, "Can't", "I don't know how" and "I don't want to" are synonymous in the business world.

Cool. The REAL solution to do what is being asked to then is remove all of the soundstages, Hard Rock Live, Blue Man Group, the ampitheater. Move Hard Rock Live, Blue Man, and the soundstages to the new property. Get rid of all that, then you no longer need the parking lot or those access roads. Then, tear down the wardrobe, HR, and management buildings, and combine them into a 5-7 story building where the current motor pool/maintenance area is that holds all of those services for both parks. Move the motor pool/maintenance areas behind Diagon.

That’s “how” to reconfigure everything so the space between the parks can be used and what it would mean.

So, is it possible? Yes. But it’s also financially irresponsible and unnecessary. Which is why it “won’t” happen.

Sometimes, “don’t want to” is the correct business decision.

 

[Disneyhead]

Hit up one of my friends last night. He declined to comment. But he did say the UC has REALLY cracked down on "leakers" and how info is shared within the department.