Should Universal Parks be more Nostalgic?

[shiekra38]

Some of you seem to have brought up the point that some classics should be featured in the new Universal Cinematic Celebration™ . While some of us seem to think that it is a step in the right direction to not include older properties

As we know, Universal was home to many great attractions when it first opened, and continues to grow and change as a destination

So, should Universal continue to include past attractions and the "Ride the Movies" days in their current offerings so as to build on nostalgia to attract people? or should they continue down the path of using brands that are "hot" to attract people?

 

[Mad Dog]

Universal has greatly expanded their customer base since Potter. I would imagine most of the non locals that visit the parks now, have no knowledge of, or former nostalgic experiences with, the so called retired classic attractions. Time to move on.

 

[MagicMagicMagic]

My main issue with the new show is that it feels a little unfocused. It's called "Cinematic Celebration", and while they do mention at the beginning that it features some moments from your day at the park, it doenst feature ONLY movies that are represented as attractions. Who cares if guests are unfamiliar with the BTTF ride or the Jaws ride - they're definitely still aware of the films existing, and they're iconic Universal properties, so I don't think they'd feel out of place in a show celebrating Universal's movies.

Maybe if the show had a different name, or featured only movies that are represented within the parks I'd feel a bit differently, but as it stands it just seems a bit unbalanced and unfocused. That's not to say the show wasn't visually impressive and a major step above their past efforts - because it definitely is. It just seems to be aimed at a totally different demographic.

To bring it back to the topic at hand - yes, I think Universal should be nostalgic about the iconic films from their past, but not so much the attractions themselves.

 

[s8film40]

There are a lot of factors. It depends on how relevant or iconic the character/IP is. It also depends what the context of including it in the resort offerings is.

In the case of the new Cinematic Celebration, it's intended to have a very broad audience so there's a little more leeway to include some classics in something like that. Not including BTTF in that show to me seems like a big failure. BTTF as an example while older is still VERY relevant today. They still play the music at the entrance to the park, the characters and vehicles are represented daily in the park. You will still regularly see guests wearing BTTF merchandise, and the stores still sell quite a bit. Now building a new BTTF attraction would maybe be a different thing. I think they could get away with it, but I could see why they wouldn't want to invest heavily in an older property.

I also don't really think continuously tearing out attractions that have become iconic is always the best move. On one hand it's good to reinvent the park, but at the same time it's also good to leave the ones that have stood the test of time one way or another and possibly even just simply improve them. Using BTTF again as an example The film was only 22 years old when they replaced it. In just five years Harry Potter will be as old as BTTF was when the ride was removed, should it be torn out at that point? I think Harry Potter has already started encroaching into that nostalgia area, and definitely in 5-10 years will be there.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

The past, is important to remember. However, it shouldn't mean we should always, look to it.

CineCele, was dedicated in a sense to what you see in the park, with most of what's there already being in USF..However, it also looks towards the Future, in a way that I would look more closely at.

The future for Universal is huge, in many ways. And while I like the past, and find it great for Disney; it has never been a thing for Universal when you think of the past, for all of the parks and not just Orlando.

 

[MagicMagicMagic]

Comma Rules: A Quick Quide | Grammarly

 

[shiekra38]

In just five years Harry Potter will be as old as BTTF was when the ride was removed, should it be torn out at that point? I think Harry Potter has already started encroaching into that nostalgia area, and definitely in 5-10 years will be there.

That's actually an extremely thought provoking statement...I will respond later once more people have chimed in, and to gather my thoughts...But I really want to expand on this at some point

 

[shiekra38]

Comma Rules: A Quick Quide | Grammarly

 

[AlexanderMBush]

Comma Rules: A Quick Quide | Grammarly

I'm not a saint when it comes to grammar, but I did try to edit it so you can understand. :tease:

:read:

Edit: Also, your keys are in the second Preshow room of Drupercharged; but they may not be able to give it back easily, considering how popular the IP is.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

I make lots of jokes, but my view is this.

Universal does not partake in the same historical retrospectives Disney does. There's no "vault", no rereleases, and no reverence. This is a problem, yes, but also freedom. Universal wouldn't built a major attraction based on an animated film from the 1930s in 2010s. Additionally, what is considered "hip" today is retro and nostalgic tomorrow. How many guests do you think rolled their eyes at a BTTF or Ghostbusters attraction in 1990? Yet here we are.

That being said, nods can be made. When WoC was changed prior to opening the character of "Squirt" was removed and new segments over old animation were added. At the end of the whole show one lone red water fountain is let, a call out to the Squirt character from the original concept. I don't see why Universal couldn't have given a nod or a small highlight at the end to old movies, or even newer movies without the franchise pull. It's a cinematic celebration, after all.

In the end, I'm saving judgement for the show till I see it in person. It looks good.

 

[belloq87]

This goes beyond the new nighttime show. In the grand scheme of things, the new show is just a very small part of the resort.

To me, it's not exactly a question of Universal needing to be more "nostalgic," because the real damage is already done and nostalgia isn't going to change it. The rides I loved are gone, and the park I loved (I'm talking about the Universal Studios Florida of the 1990s and early 2000s) is also - essentially - gone. That can't be reversed, and though I grumble about that, I have (more or less) accepted it.

All I'm really looking for, as a consumer of Universal's theme park product for 25 years at this point, is the occasional acknowledgment from them that, yeah, '90s USF was an awesome and ambitious place. Because by removing all of the '90s attractions (save for two), the implication is kind of that the park I grew up loving was really just full of a bunch of junk that needed to be replaced and swept under the rug.

My comment history will back me up when I say that I have never said that Universal should be stuck in the past and should never be able to replace attractions. I am a realist about how a business like Universal operates and tries to stay relevant. But I do think they've swung too dramatically in a certain direction.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

All I'm really looking for, as a consumer of Universal's theme park product for 25 years at this point, is the occasional acknowledgment from them that, yeah, '90s USF was an awesome and ambitious place. Because by removing all of the '90s attractions (save for two), the implication is kind of that the park I grew up loving was really just full of a bunch of junk that needed to be replaced and swept under the rug.

That's an awfully illogical jump, no? Especially for a park based around movies and television.

 

[belloq87]

That's an awfully illogical jump, no? Especially for a park based around movies and television.

Maybe. I'm just attempting to convey how it feels to me sometimes.

 

[Brian G.]

Nostalgia is a drug. Everyone has different memories from their childhood/younger experiences, so it invites a sense of ownership over things outside of our control.

I'm on both sides of the fence. I miss old USF, but some of the properties needed to go.

Jaws, as much as I adored the attraction, was a pain in the ass with maintenance. BTTF was always fighting time, storywise and maintenance.

Unfortunately, Universal wasn't blessed with size until they added back the Site B land 2 years ago - so stuff had to go.

There is still plenty of old nods to the past so it's not like they pretend they didn't exist. Like I said in the night show thread, this is not a permanent show. It will always change, like WoC. This iteration just doesn't feature much of the past. Could they have added to the ET section and use it as part of a Universal Classic? Sure, but I don't think it takes away from the show.

 

[Scott W.]

Disney's nostalgia and classic rides work as a right of passage for a lot of families. Disneyland opened 60 years ago and grandparents went as kids and they took their kids and now their grandkids are going. It's a nice tradition that Universal are only just getting old enough experience and capitalise on except the park I went to when I was 4 doesn't really exist any more outside of ET and a few restaurants.

The big difference is that Universal's classic rides are heavily tied into IPs. Jaws, Ghostbusters and BTTF were great rides but knowing that they're based on older films makes them feel instantly dated. Disney doesn't have this problem as Matterhorn, Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion and Splash Mountain (I know this is based on Song of the South but Disney have distanced themselves from the movie and most people don't know about it) are original and timeless experiences that transcend generations.

 

[tielo]

I think the classic movies should have a place in the Universal themeparks but no need for a ride or land. An "Old friends" parade would be awesome. I would like to see it at night so the flames of the BBtF float will look awesome. ET and the Horror and Make-up show both are heavy on nostalgia. It would be great if the entrance for ET would get placed in the Hollywood are and the replacement for Terminator will be a classic ip because then the Hollywood area will have it's own theme attraction wise.

 

[Scott W.]

I think the classic movies should have a place in the Universal themeparks but no need for a ride or land. An "Old friends" parade would be awesome. I would like to see it at night so the flames of the BBtF float will look awesome. ET and the Horror and Make-up show both are heavy on nostalgia. It would be great if the entrance for ET would get placed in the Hollywood are and the replacement for Terminator will be a classic ip because then the Hollywood area will have it's own theme attraction wise.

You could have a museum walk through similar to Fallon's queue about the Tonight Show.

You could take it a step further and have the Universal Orlando Cafe or something similarly cheesy sounding. Imagine a Hard Rock Cafe or Planet Hollywood setup with all kinds of crap on the wall using props from Universal's rides and attractions.

Put it where Emeril's is and make it a character dining experience with Minions and Doc Brown.

 

[MartyMcFly]

Universal has greatly expanded their customer base since Potter. I would imagine most of the non locals that visit the parks now, have no knowledge of, or former nostalgic experiences with, the so called retired classic attractions. Time to move on.

Have you ever stood near the Delorean, it’s probably one of the most popular photo ops in the park for all ages that isn’t Harry Potter. The soundtrack alone to Back to The Future is synonymous with Universal.

I’m 25 and Back to The Future is one my favourite movies, Fast and Furious on the other hand is absolutely horrendous, and I have no interest in that property. Parents are introducing their kids to back to the future and it’ll continue to happen.

Not so long ago in California they had a back to the future day at the place they filmed Doc browns house exterior, the queue to get in was like 8 hours long, and the movie didn’t even shoot anything inside. It’s a timeless property with staying power and if you disagree I would guess you just weren’t a fan of the movie.

Having said all that I respect your opinion if you disagree even if you’re wrong. So don’t get too worked up.

 

[Andysol]

Some good comments so far. I especially liked @scott_walker example of Disney creating their own nostalgia.
Unfortunately, those days seem to be gone for both Disney and Uni.

Universal has greatly expanded their customer base since Potter. I would imagine most of the non locals that visit the parks now, have no knowledge of, or former nostalgic experiences with, the so called retired classic attractions. Time to move on.

I wanted to piggy back on this comment. Specifically the “non locals” part.

We have the remember that Universal being a “resort destination” is a relatively new thing. They didn’t have their first on-site hotel until 1999 and really, until cabana bay opened in 2014, staying on-site was a pretty niche market.
I say all that because we have to remember what Universal has always been- a diversion and an “add-on” to your WDW, beach or General Orlando trip as well as a locals park. It was never the destination.

So what that meant was they needed to keep adding “new” attractions to keep the locals interested while also advertising their “new ride” to try to steal a day or two from tourists vacations. Because of that philosophy and the fact they were land-locked, it never really allowed nostalgia do even grab a footing.

Things are different now, and they’ll be massively different when site 2 opens. I expect to see a bit more “nostalgia” now. HP certainly will be. My young kids, when they have kids, will take my future grandchildren there and love it. Same with Nintendo.

Now if we’re talking CineCele, they should not have a segment for non-current IPs or non-park IPs unless they’re selling merch of those IPs (like SLoP).
Although I would have like to have seen a better clip montage at the finale that included the iconic one-liners of a dozen+ movies, including jaws and BTTF but also To Kill a Mockingbird, Dracula, Spartacus, Apollo 13, Scarface, Shrek, Animal House, Bourne (if that is the T2 replacement, no brainer), etc. and maybe even Mummy, MiB and The Simpsons.

Would’ve added ~20 seconds and could’ve been a great promotion of their brand and impact.

 

[Trumpet]

Have you ever stood near the Delorean, it’s probably one of the most popular photo ops in the park for all ages that isn’t Harry Potter. The soundtrack alone to Back to The Future is synonymous with Universal.

I’m 25 and Back to The Future is one my favourite movies, Fast and Furious on the other hand is absolutely horrendous, and I have no interest in that property. Parents are introducing their kids to back to the future and it’ll continue to happen.

Not so long ago in California they had a back to the future day at the place they filmed Doc browns house exterior, the queue to get in was like 8 hours long, and the movie didn’t even shoot anything inside. It’s a timeless property with staying power and if you disagree I would guess you just weren’t a fan of the movie.

Having said all that I respect your opinion if you disagree even if you’re wrong. So don’t get too worked up.

I think BTTF is timeless to a point. The Nostalgia to the series is always tied to the first film. But as a franchise, its dated. The future was three years ago, & if the ride was still in the park, I doubt it would be as popular. And before you assume I dislike the film, I love it! It's one of my favourite films of all time, but that is exclusively the first one, not the sequels.

Now does it have a place in USO, of course, but not as a major attraction. Meet & Greets, a roaming Delorean, and the iconic theme is absolutely the perfect tribute to the series & doesn't automatically date the series. USO likes to change their attractions so none of them get stale. Do I think F&F will stay for longer than 10 years, no, but that is the nature of the park. It is one of the reasons why there are so many fans, because they are constantly changing and updating their roster of attractions. The members of this board are excited for what the future will hold, because nothing in this park is sacred. That was obvious when Kongfrontation closed in 2002. That was my favourite attraction, it still is, but that is all due to nostalgia, & if it was still about today, it would have low wait times & would be seen as dated.

We have to remember Universal is not Disney, their demographic is completely different, their target market is different, & they have to actively work to keep guests coming back. If the park still had all of its opening day roster, would the park be as popular as it is today? I think no