Minion Café - USF

[belloq87]

Acknowledging that this would shift timelines to 2026 as you suggested, that would also shift timelines for other future projects, too - especially ones with pressing needs. Would that change your mind?

That would depend entirely on what those future projects might be, and whether or not I agree about how pressing they are. What I think are pressing needs for USF are (I'm sure) at least somewhat different from what Universal itself thinks are pressing needs.

(Again, in terms of purely personal preference here, not "put myself into the Universal executive suite and analyze from a business perspective.")

My posts were in regard to this amorphous idea that anyone outside the set that posts on here cares if Minion Land is one of the opening areas of a park vs something like Port of Entry, and any such differences having any affect on their day.

Understood.

I still think having a great entry area that makes some kind of dramatic impression is better than the alternative if at all possible, though.

 

[Casper Gutman]

That would depend entirely on what those future projects might be, and whether or not I agree about how pressing they are. What I think are pressing needs for USF are (I'm sure) at least somewhat different from what Universal itself thinks are pressing needs.

(Again, in terms of purely personal preference here, not "put myself into the Universal executive suite and analyze from a business perspective.")


Understood.

I still think having a great entry area that makes some kind of dramatic impression is better than the alternative if at all possible, though.

Yup. For instance, Uni seems to think F&F is pressing. I… really don’t, but I know I’m odd. I also don’t really think Lost Continent is that pressing, especially before Poseiden closed. As of 2020 or so, my personal most pressing would be:

1) the three huge empty theaters. This is #1 by a big margin.
2) the lack of family-friendly dark rides
3) Kidzone
4) The big, under-utilized soundstages in Production Central
5) aging Simpsons ride

as for 3 and 4 on that list… shrugs… oh well.

 

[belloq87]

Yup. For instance, Uni seems to think F&F is pressing. I… really don’t, but I know I’m odd. I also don’t really think Lost Continent is that pressing, especially before Poseiden closed. As of 2020 or so, my personal most pressing would be:

1) the three huge empty theaters. This is #1 by a big margin.
2) the lack of family-friendly dark rides
3) Kidzone
4) The big, under-utilized soundstages in Production Central
5) aging Simpsons ride

as for 3 and 4 on that list… shrugs… oh well.

I agree on all those areas, but I would definitely have Supercharged on my list. I don't think that's an attraction worthy of existing (certainly on the acreage it occupies), and it would be a high priority of mine to get rid of it in favor of something else.

 

[Alicia]

Man that Beef and Cheddar sandwich sure looks good huh guys?

CHEESE Ray? I said FREEZE Ray!

 

[TheCodeMan95]

CHEESE Ray? I said FREEZE Ray!

You know what's funny? I'm listening to the latest podcast right now and I heard you say that for real about 20 minutes ago lol

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

CHEESE Ray? I said FREEZE Ray!

I want a look into the minion kitchen a la Toadstool’s Cafe to see this kind of chaos.

 

[jarmor]

As someone who has never seen a minion movie and who is in no rush, I think its nice how they have laid out the attractions and the "land". The make of "production central" has not changed and as it has been said, the area is not foreboding as soon as you walk in. It just looks like the minions have taken over a section of the production area. WE aren't taking about potter immersion here, The new attraction is even stating it is happening at universal studios lol so they are totally aware they are inside the park and not really trying to transport us to the world of those little bugs. No neighborhood, no park, no amusement park area, just current soundstages taken overand a restaurant that is also being taken over.

I like it and I feel it should be easy to be use for HHN still. so refreshed area AND still able to be themed to HHN is a win win for me.

 

[JungleSkip]

I like it and I feel it should be easy to be use for HHN still. so refreshed area AND still able to be themed to HHN is a win win for me.

Needing the area for HHN is another underrated reason for the lack of facades. That area is already congested during HHN. Making the walkway even smaller is a nonstarter

 

[kingcooger]

I want a look into the minion kitchen a la Toadstool’s Cafe to see this kind of chaos.

Imagine if we got that AND all the wait staff had singes on their clothing, fake food stains, etc.

 

[graspthesun]

Putting facades on Illumination Avenue makes the queues worse. They'd be blocked in behind fake walls with no natural lighting and no real way to spruce up the wait.

 

[Nico]

Damn. You all were busy today.

 

[OrlandoGuy]

I gotta say, the land looks pretty shoddy overall but that Minions Land sign is pretty neat and cleverly designed.

Also, given the work put into the Hello Kitty store facade and the new popcorn stand by the wait times board, I’m pretty sure USF is deliberately extending Hollywood to “the entrance.” That’s enough for me to settle the (admittedly pedantic) debacle of whether or not Minions Land is now the new USF entrance land.

 

[Mad Dog]

Hollywood is the perfect entrance, as it's quite attractive, BUT, there's little in the way of dynamic attractions on that right side of the park....so the crowd most often walks to the straight/left through Production Central on their way to the park's most popular attractions.....Now, if they would have built Nintendo, as once planned, a decent percentage of the crowd would have made that turn into Hollywood. Problem solved. But, unfortunately, that was cancelled at the last minute.

 

[TheCodeMan95]

Looks like Minion Cafe is now listed on the Universal app. No menu yet though!

 

[DodgsonHere]

You guys know there are buildings outside production central that looks like soundstages right? The theme of Minion Land is not ruined if the show buildings still look like that. Universal STUDIOS.

 

[Tbad556]

Walls are down around the sign:

 

[Casper Gutman]

You guys know there are buildings outside production central that looks like soundstages right? The theme of Minion Land is not ruined if the show buildings still look like that. Universal STUDIOS.

Universal has made considerable, laudable efforts to hide or theme the soundstages in other sections of the park and the “behind-the-scenes” aspect of “Studios” has been dead and buried for a very long time.

The sign looks good. The cafe looks good. The land as a whole does not look good.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Walls are down around the sign:

Very cute and shows how the minions are invading the space.

 

[DodgsonHere]

Universal has made considerable, laudable efforts to hide or theme the soundstages in other sections of the park and the “behind-the-scenes” aspect of “Studios” has been dead and buried for a very long time.

Like it or not that’s just how USF has been themed since the original park everyone loves so much. It’s never been thematically inconsistent to see a soundstage inside of a studio park.

 

[Milla4Prez66]

Part of me wishes they just decided to do a full on minion land at the new park, theme it around the neighborhood Gru lives in with some kiddie areas and restaurants like what they are building to round it out. This just feels like a not as cool version of what they did with Springfield. I don’t totally hate it, but I think the minions deserve a better presence at UOR. It’s Universal’s biggest in house family franchise and it feels like they have always phoned it in with them at the parks for quick and easy money instead of getting the treatment that JP, Potter and Nintendo get. Even SLoP got better with the Hollywood ride.