Stage 28/Phantom Stage Replacement

[k_peek_2000]

 

You couldn't be even more wrong for Orlando. 

 

Nope. 28.

I get it.

I appreciate being rudely corrected over something I was merely speculating on.

 

[Jon Fu]

I get it.


I appreciate being rudely corrected over something I was merely speculating on.

Your post sure didn't sound like speculation to me. If anything, it sounded like a concrete declaration.

Secret Life of Pets is apparently replacing Shrek in both Hollywood and FL. This would make sense as the new queue that was just built could be re-purposed to WWoHP standby and it would allow them to reprofile the building so it was no longer visible from Hogsmeade.

Perhaps in the future, you should label speculation as such.

 

[Red Carpet]

A family friendly non 3d dark ride is exactly what this park needs. I am excited for it.

But the interesting thing is, if this ride goes into the stage 28 location, that means Nintendo will not be at that location.

 

[Allen The Actor]

If Secret Life of Pets goes to the Lower Lot and specifically Stage 28, that's great because the lower lot could definitely use a family friendly ride, and even more so a dark ride!

But I agree, definitely makes me question where they plan to stick Nintendo. I hope the rumor of some of the surrounding lower lot sound stages being replaced will end up being true.

However, if it was ME, I would put a Secret life of Pets dark ride as a replacement for Animal Actors. I think visually I would look better being a walking distance from Despicable Me and other fantasy/family properties.

Let's be real though...I don't care WHERE this goes, as long as we get more rides and attractions! The new AP prices are insulting for the amount (and type) of attractions USH offers, so they better ramp up the ride count ASAP.

 

[Chris]

It looks like in 2017 USH will have a ride count of 9.  WOW!  That was fast!

I want to know if NBCUniversal and Panda Express will make it to 2017?

 

[Alexshow.]

With all the stars lining up that could possibly be for this attraction, I wouldn't be a damned bit surprised to see massive crowds flock to Universal Studios Hollywood to ride this. This sounds exactly like an recipe for success and will start the lower lots golden age, much like how Potter will be for the Upper lot.


Also, on the topic of Panda leaving (because NBCExperience is already gone..), it wouldn't be much of a surprise. Considering that Transformers will need to be updated in the line-flow, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the building demolished and that they make a open plaza for Transformers extended line and to open the area so people can get to TSLoP's.

 

[Jon Fu]

^ The NBCUniversal Experience building technically isn't gone yet in the traditional sense if you look at the current structure. It looks like they're trying to modify it into something new.

 

[Ryan]

BriMan from OU rode Transformers today and called the USH version "dated" compared to USF's, which wasn't in particularly great shape when I rode it either. So it'd be nice if TF could at least get a two week, off-season refurb (that's pretty much all it would need) in early 2017 and then a redo of the exterior while the refreshed ride is opened, that would be much appreciated because SLoP will shame the heck out of it. The best news is that Oceaneering is a good bet on the manufacturer (somebody needs to utilize a better use of the ride system than SeaWorld), so they'd be able to hop from one show building to another in a matter of seconds.

A family friendly non 3d dark ride is exactly what this park needs. I am excited for it.

But the interesting thing is, if this ride goes into the stage 28 location, that means Nintendo will not be at that location.

Not at that location, but probably nearby. 

It looks like in 2017 USH will have a ride count of 9.  WOW!  That was fast!

I want to know if NBCUniversal and Panda Express will make it to 2017?

Actually 10! Minions, Silly Swirly, FJ, Hippo, Simpsons, Studio Tour, JPRA, Mummy, TF and SLoP. Unless spinner rides don't count, which I wouldn't necessarily disagree with you. 

 

[Wesker69]

Brover................   [HASHTAG]#Spinnerridesmatter[/HASHTAG]

While I do think a ride based on the new "Pets" movie is a great/fun idea, my initial thought for it was automatically Animal Actors haha... I do have two complaints about this new ride that make me grumble... and that would be the location.

1 - It seems very random to have it placed next to Transformers. You go from JP dinos, soul sucking mummies, giant robots...... and then... house pets. :wacko:  It just feels so odd to have it on the lower lot, especially in this location.

2- This annoys the hell out of me because the SS28 plot is pretty sacred territory as far as Universal legacy/history is concerned. So the fact that a HoH and/or Classic Monster ride/attraction (emphasis on Phantom of the Opera) is NOT being built in that location just feels like Comcast is taking another dump on Universal's legacy/history (the first being when they tore down SS28 instead of finding a way to utilize it for a ride/attraction).

With that being said, I found the trailer for the new "Pets" movie to be quite hilarious. Despite being anti new "screen based" attractions in the park, for some reason it seems like this would be better with video screens than it would animatronic figures. :unsure:  We obviously don't have enough information on the ride yet, so we don't know how "good" it actually will be. I have faith that it will provide laughs though. For some reason I keep picturing this ride as IOA's "Cat in the Hat" with trackless vehicles (YAY MORE SPINNING THAN EVER BEFORE!). As I said already, I just find the location choice to be a bit odd.. -shrugs-

 

[Ryan]

Arguably UC's animatronic tech has improved since 1999, and looking at Pets' teaser, the animatronics will be fairly easy to pull off. They're all small, simple characters, and Illumination's simple but colorful scenic design is practically an accountant's wet dream. I mean, Minions only cost $76 mil and netted Universal over a billion dollars and I bet Pets will have a similar budget. So it'll end up looking like a low-rent, but cartoonish Kongfrontation. 

I also think video screens will be utilized (I mean, apartment windows offer the perfect opportunity), but they won't be the focus.

On a sidenote, I should probably input that I rather dislike Illumination and their output film-wise. And yeah "Pets" is the same thing for me right now. The teaser is insanely pandering and this is coming from a person who has owned (and still owns, and adores) pets. The story of the film is basically "Toy Story" with cats and dogs. (seriously read the plot synopsis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_Life_of_Pets) As you can see, I'm a total animation snob... however I can't mistake the appeal of their products and they do make for engaging attractions. The humor works when they don't have to focus on telling a theatrical story (because they're really bad at that), so I'm all up for attractions based on their stuff.

Except "The Lorax". That was an insult to Seuss as much as the live-action Cat in the Hat was. That movie needs to rot in hell.

 

[Wesker69]

You say KONGfrontation and my mind just saw itty bitty tiny pets all over NY.... instead of 2 giant monkey animatronics... that broke my brain a little haha. Does this mean instead of banana breath, we'll get the fresh scent of dog crap & kitty litter? (I really shouldn't say these things where Universal can read them. It will only give them ideas).

Ugh.... why did you have to mention the trainwreck that was the Cat in the Hat movie!? <_<  Don't even get me started on the fact that Universal is coming out with an animated Grinch remake (but that is a discussion for another time... like in the Grinchmas thread since said movie will have an affect on said event)

 

[Ryan]

Yuuuup, enjoy these next two Grinchmas seasons, folks. S'gonna get weird after.

 

[Aaron]

I wonder how the exterior for Pets in Hollywood is going to work out being snuggled in next to this. Would the Transformers façade need to be redone? New York, Generic Studio theming and Art Deco all meshed in one area. So many questions... 

 

[Freak]

^The upper lot flows very well thematically after they have redone it. The lower lot looks very hodgepodge and will certainly get the upper lot treatment. There's no way they're going to just let it stay the way it is when the expand the lower lot. I especially don't see that ugly facade lasting before Pets opens. They're going to make it flow. I predict they'll give the back area of the lower lot where Transformers and the 28 location are a New York looking facelift. Hey, maybe we'll finally get our Optimus Prime statue? 

Also, is that really the Transformers tech rehearsal sign I see?It felt like it took forever for Transformers to open way back. Now it feels like forever ago since it opened. I feel old. 

 

[Aaron]

^The upper lot flows very well thematically after they have redone it. The lower lot looks very hodgepodge and will certainly get the upper lot treatment. There's no way they're going to just let it stay the way it is when the expand the lower lot. I especially don't see that ugly facade lasting before Pets opens. They're going to make it flow. I predict they'll give the back area of the lower lot where Transformers and the 28 location are a New York looking facelift. Hey, maybe we'll finally get our Optimus Prime statue? 

Also, is that really the Transformers tech rehearsal sign I see?It felt like it took forever for Transformers to open way back. Now it feels like forever ago since it opened. I feel old. 

How New York can flow with Mario should be interesting. Haha. But yea, thematically the Upper-Lot is fantastic as a whole with the Art-Deco theme holding it together. Maybe they will do the same in the Lower-Lot?

 

[chris.g]

^ I know EXACTLY how New York can flow into Mario as it's exactly the rumor I've been hearing... you'd enter the land through a warp pipe. In this case, just make the "street" end at a huge brick wall/ warp pipe that you must go through to enter Nintendo Land and bam, you've got something that flows thematically while still immersing you into two completely different worlds. 

 

[Jonathan]

Come to think about it, maybe Murdy's "secret" project is Secret Life of Pets. Just guessing.

 

[Wesker69]

Yea, no... I honestly can't see Murdy excessively mentioning a top secret project he is working on repeatedly to be something like this. Sure he is a dad, but sorry.. I just can't see it. I'm sure it will be a great ride, but this doesn't have the John Murdy required vibe... I still say he is working on something horror related.

Its possible he is working on it, but it just doesn't seem like something he'd make such a big deal over project-wise. -shrugs-

 

[William]

I think I would only discount Secret Life of Pets because Murdy mentioned not too long ago that his secret project would be opening next year. At this point I'm not dismissing every rumor that surfaces regarding this project considering how tight-lipped he's been about it, but I assume we would've seen progress on that attraction in the Lower Lot by now.

 

[Ryan]

Come to think about it, maybe Murdy's "secret" project is Secret Life of Pets. Just guessing.

This would crack me up. John "Scary" Murdy designing a family-friendly dark ride about dogs and cats.