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State of USH - What's Next?

1) Event's USH is in the heart of LA and people love...loveeee events int his town. So bigger events for the Holidays, some smaller but still bigger events then what we have now with some fun movie/tv themes from past things to current hot new ideas. More ticketed events as well since right now we have both WW and the now empty sound stage that can pack people in they should try some special extra ticketed nights and they are either music themed or have special guests some to speak like say the cast of the office (Creed, Kevin, Oscar like the side guys but people still love them)
2) More rides, Universal love you but my god you need more rides/attractions. An easy one would be to move the Star bucks you have now into that small little generic universal shop right after the gust services area then use the Walking Dead/old starbucks area to make the Minoin moving pathways ride/shooting attraction and then you can redo the film in the Dream works theaters and have it playing HTYD new little film but then in October have Shrek come back and in February have Kung fo Panda for Chinese New Years. Then get us the DK Coaster and something to replace the mummy
3) Move the Tram area. I don't care if its in the theme park or not...if it stays nice if not that sucks but wont be too upset to use both the tram loading area/hill/storage area for a new land or two. Then use the path down the hill to add some new rides/shows.
4) Don't replace Simpsons land until you have to...just add more rides before replacing this land
5) Even if you use the Special effects area for some new ride please add another area for a stage show....WW is great but we need another big live show and please.....please change up animal actors its a cute idea but it needs rewrites yearly and holiday themed scripts would be wonderful.
6) Better food, just better only HP for me is something i really like everything else is meh or just an better choice is found 500 feet away in citywalk
7) Last thing for now, night time shows. Please make more or updated Potter light shows but also make an area for a Water show or another lightshow we need something big to make people stay longer or APs want to come in for night/dinner on busy season days like summer or winter break.
8) Hire me, I'd love to be apart of making this park even more kick ass
 
1) Event's USH is in the heart of LA and people love...loveeee events int his town. So bigger events for the Holidays, some smaller but still bigger events then what we have now with some fun movie/tv themes from past things to current hot new ideas. More ticketed events as well since right now we have both WW and the now empty sound stage that can pack people in they should try some special extra ticketed nights and they are either music themed or have special guests some to speak like say the cast of the office (Creed, Kevin, Oscar like the side guys but people still love them)
2) More rides, Universal love you but my god you need more rides/attractions. An easy one would be to move the Star bucks you have now into that small little generic universal shop right after the gust services area then use the Walking Dead/old starbucks area to make the Minoin moving pathways ride/shooting attraction and then you can redo the film in the Dream works theaters and have it playing HTYD new little film but then in October have Shrek come back and in February have Kung fo Panda for Chinese New Years. Then get us the DK Coaster and something to replace the mummy
3) Move the Tram area. I don't care if its in the theme park or not...if it stays nice if not that sucks but wont be too upset to use both the tram loading area/hill/storage area for a new land or two. Then use the path down the hill to add some new rides/shows.
4) Don't replace Simpsons land until you have to...just add more rides before replacing this land
5) Even if you use the Special effects area for some new ride please add another area for a stage show....WW is great but we need another big live show and please.....please change up animal actors its a cute idea but it needs rewrites yearly and holiday themed scripts would be wonderful.
6) Better food, just better only HP for me is something i really like everything else is meh or just an better choice is found 500 feet away in citywalk
7) Last thing for now, night time shows. Please make more or updated Potter light shows but also make an area for a Water show or another lightshow we need something big to make people stay longer or APs want to come in for night/dinner on busy season days like summer or winter break.
8) Hire me, I'd love to be apart of making this park even more kick ass

I agree with most of these, just to add my own with varying degrees of nitpickiness:
1. Advertising for the park really needs to be better. For a park as small as Universal, the park literally does not have enough to be a full day experience unless you have people waiting in some lines.

2. Stop giving us downgraded versions of things that are better elsewhere. I'm hopping they don't build a bigger Secret Life of Pets elsewhere, because that would just be sad. This park has little to make it a unique theme park destination to the tune of Disneyland or even California Adventure Land. I think Jurassic World was a step in the right direction, we really do have the better version of that ride.

3. The entrance plaza is nice but it needs some more kinetics. I'm sure the lads at Universal Creative could figure it out because while nice, it's just a tad lifeless. This might be difficult due to narrow pathways.

4. Stop using the soundstage gimmick as a crutch. SLoP, Mario Kart, and TWDA all come to mind as attractions where they did not bother theming portions or all of the soundstage.

5. Give the Lower Lot some splashes of color. JW is nice but Mummy and ESPECIALLY Transformers just look bad.

6. Lower the price for a day ticket until there is more to do, it's insane. Only a bit less than Disneyland...

7. Put something, anything, in TWDA

8. Lay some roadmaps, or things to look forward to. You don't need to go Disney levels of overpromising, but just slight hints of what is being planned would be a really nice way to hype people up.
 
Up your maintenance.
Reinstate single rider
Get a decent app, Genie+ just makes the uniersal app look pathetic

If I was in charge and money was no object I'd be looking to increase the attraction count dramatically, with a combination of USH exclusives, a version of Velocicoaster and a Monsters land in the LL.
 
Universal Studios Hollywood feels like a property that could shine brightly, if the executives made advances to make the entire experience more like not that of Universal Orlando Resort..but rather, Universal Studios Japan. Notice the differentiating I am placing on the two.

Much like how Universal Beijing Resort is benefitting off of the similar structure of Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios Hollywood needs to go forward and get things more along the lines of Universal Studios Japan. A feat, that would require a lot as it stands, especially given that of Hollywood's larger struggle towards being on Studio Property (And dealing with the respective Studio City and Burbank nearby for residentials).

The limits of the park expansion as it is, lies in that of the geographical placement of the park and studio, alongside large portions of the park being situated on the hillside. For the time being, the limits of park expansion seems to be currently at that of the current Studio Tour Plaza, and when they get them--Soundstages 33-37, Soundstages 41-44, the rehearsal hall, and currently in their possession that of Soundstage 29 and the plot being used for construction trailers for the park. If they wish to expand further than they are in the lower lot; it would likely need to deal with the subject of Bud Westmore building (Which I have been repeatedly told will be nigh impossible due to the technical aspects that are in that building).

Cannibalization, is going to happen. And I think the only way it doesn't, is if Universal goes and uses the hillside like Genting Skyworld's. But that would only really be for the Studio Tour plaza and the side of French Street being that of Moulin Rouge. There's really no-where else to go after that.

As far as Hotels, due to the NBCUniversal Creative Campus taking over the spot currently held for the initially planned Fum Lung hotel, that really only leaves the hotel that would be located over at the Globe. That's not to say--they couldn't do a second hotel. But that'd likely mean losing the ET Parking Structure expansion if they do that (which is something I believe has a shot). They could additionally go in and buy up hotels near Universal Studios Hollywood, and go from there in demolishing and starting from scratch with new Loews hotels.

If I was Universal? I'd look at this:

  • In November of this year, begin work on the next project of Universal Studios Hollywood. Have it be in French Street, with Parisian Courtyard taking the blunt hit of the demolition. Fully complete that side of the park to be Illumination centric, with a Minion walkthrough attraction in TWDA, and a version of Sing: On Tour. Have it ready for 2024

  • Prepare for LA2028. With LA2024, plans were in place for NBCUniversal to go fully at hand to be the Media Hub for the international news stations covering the LA Summer Olympics. If that is still a go, then it makes complete sense for Universal to go fully in on it. Get the Globe Hotel and a potential second hotel over at the ET Parking Structure expansion plot built ASAP. Get the additional soundstages over at Red Sea built ASAP. Get the park ready for the Olympics with "Per year" capital, ASAP. They need to be aggressive, now, because they have a unique potential to be The place for LA tourism for summer of that year. Especially if it's heavily promoted and heavily done to stress both the Studio and Park to be working alongside eachother--to be as gung-ho as they can be.

  • Separate the NBCUniversal Studio Tour from the parks. Yes, I get it, it strips USH of it's Studio identity, but it's the biggest roadblock Universal Studios Hollywood has for the future. Nostalgia has not been Universal's noted strong suit. And in my eyes, that's actually completely fine. The NBCUniversal Studio Tour needs a complete revamp from the top down. Make it a second gate if you will, having it be the VIP Tour combined with the park tour. Keep Kong 360 3D and Supercharged, but make them standout experiences for the "New" NBCUniversal Studio Tour. Incorporate the filmmaking experience with walking down sets and walking in soundstages unused. Make it about the group experience, even if that is done at a premium.

Outside of these three tenet thoughts? Lower Lot and Studio Tour Plaza (and the hillside it's on). I am hoping, Nintendo lights a fire under Universal's ass much like Transformers did. Because at this point, the park desperately needs it. That isn't even going into the event's of the Holidays at USH and Halloween Horror Nights, but I wanted to get what I thought would be..the "larger" points, out of the way.

But considering how large this post is, I'll just keep it contained to this, for now.
 
Disneyland’s app is kinda a confusing mess though. The Universal one does lack features but at least it isn’t aesthetically messy and provides the bare minimum info you need (mobile annual pass finally happened too). The Six Flags app is the real disaster.

Its a bit 'busy' but i found it to be great, being able to load park tickets/reservations, mobile order food, book lightening lane passes, get itinerary suggestions and keep an eye on lines was very useful. I was against spending all day on my phone but after experiencing it at Disneyland recently i can honestly say it made my visit better, and I got much more done than my last visit.

Add to that Ronto roasters being better food than anything at USH - I say that as a Vegetarian - everyone raves over the 3 broomsticks but it had zero options for me.

im a Universal fanboy but currently USH just doesnt cut it.
 
Add to that Ronto roasters being better food than anything at USH - I say that as a Vegetarian - everyone raves over the 3 broomsticks but it had zero options for me.

im a Universal fanboy but currently USH just doesnt cut it.
Oh yeah, vegetarian food options, and food in general is kinda rough. Also, personally, I wish they had a Kosher option. Even if it was shitty. It's be nice to have available, Disney does
 
Disneyland still has some Meh food items but when I went last September was supposed on how good most the new restaurants/new menu items were

they were over priced but at least tasted good. USH for the most part has that old school crappy theme park food, somehow they even have bad Mexican food. I don’t know they made bad Mexican food in Southern California but they did it
 
Its a bit 'busy' but i found it to be great, being able to load park tickets/reservations, mobile order food, book lightening lane passes, get itinerary suggestions and keep an eye on lines was very useful. I was against spending all day on my phone but after experiencing it at Disneyland recently i can honestly say it made my visit better, and I got much more done than my last visit.

Add to that Ronto roasters being better food than anything at USH - I say that as a Vegetarian - everyone raves over the 3 broomsticks but it had zero options for me.

im a Universal fanboy but currently USH just doesnt cut it.

It definitely has the most elaborate functionality, but I'm not sure if all it makes or breaks the experience that hard at Universal since the app does let you have your ticket and shows you wait/show times just fine. I don't think the park in its current state of size warrants the elaborate itinerary suggestions system Disney has and Universal already has their version of express (the option to buy a single express pass for a single ride could be added but seeing what that's doing at Disney I'm not sure if I want that). The thing I wish Universal takes from it next is the mobile order food for sure (i'd just use it for butterbeer lol).

Yeah food at USH sucks, I don't ever buy it unless desperate. I don't get the 3 broomsticks hype, I rather get the birria tacos they added from HHN cause it doesn't have the potter premium added on and it doesn't completely make me feel sick like their other food (DCA's are somehow actually decent). It must be especially awful for vegetarians or vegans, I don't think I've seen anything other than a veggie burger.
 
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Yeah food at USH sucks, I don't ever buy it unless desperate. I don't get the 3 broomsticks hype, I rather get the birria tacos they added from HHN cause it doesn't have the potter premium added on and it doesn't completely make me feel sick like their other food (DCA's are somehow actually decent). It must be especially awful for vegetarians or vegans, I don't think I've seen anything other than a veggie burger.
they have what is essentially a salad sandwich being sold in the French Street Bistro as well. I think food might be USH's weakest link honestly.
 
In terms of rides, I think USH is on the right track with what kind of rides to add. I like that there's less interest in adding simulators and more interest in practical rides. SLoP and JW can show that they can make good practical rides. Mario Kart is also *kinda* in that direction. If I remember correctly, I recall one poster claiming that the USH creative team responsible for SLoP and JW have been laid off due to Covid. That's too bad.

While I appreciate USH really interested in adding more practical-effects heavy dark rides, I think it would be best for USH to cool it on the dark rides for a while. I understand that USH is trying to market themselves more towards families (And they should), they really, REALLY badly need a good thrill coaster. At the very least something on the same caliber of thrill as Manta at SWSD or Hagrid's. The lower lot is a jumbled bland mess leftover from 2000's USH. I appreciate the Mummy because it at least offers something in terms of a coaster offering, but I think it's best to tear the whole thing down and start from scratch with a new coaster. Indoor, outdoor, or both, doesn't matter. Any coaster that can provide a little bit of thrill would be great. I'm not asking for a VelociCoaster clone or a giant B&M hyper. I just want a decent themed coaster that can provide some amount of thrill. Replacing Mummy with a JW-themed coaster of some sort with a little thrill will go a long way for the park's ride roster.

They also need to get back into the events ring. Really liked the old Chinese New Year festival they had. It would be great if they had a Mardi Gras food festival in the Spring. Hopefully once things get back to where they should be they can do some food events.

Finally, USH really needs to do something about the food. While they do good with the novelty foods (Churros, ice cream, etc), the "regular" food is just "eh". They can make some good food during HHN and for Chinese NY but they can't seem to do so anytime else during the year.
 
I have to ask...why are people on forums wanting more coasters? We have a billion coasters in Socal and no clue why another big steel coaster is better then a E ticket themed ride.

I just don't get it if you want boring things to look at go to Six Flags or Knotts....but like I want rides that Universal makes well which are badass E ticket dark rides not Six Flags coasters but at Universal

A DK coaster to me would be perfect but something like say the Hulk? No thanks save the space for 3+ other rides, we need bulk rides over one big coaster you can find all over the USA
 
Meanwhile, the two most popular attractions at UHF/IOA are Velocicoaster and Hagrid's.

There may be a lot of roller coasters in Socal, but unless it's a direct clone (such as a boomerrang), each ride offers a unique experience. And even direct clones can feel different and unique with proper theming (such as Crush Coaster in Disney Studios Paris, or Exterminator at Kennywood). The Batman: Dark Knight coasters at SFGAm and SFGrAd are identical to Goofy's Sky Coaster at DCA, but most people probably wouldn't realize it with the theming SF did on it.

And all the people who line up for all those roller coaster at SFMM/Knott's clearly disagree with your view that they're "boring".

Additionally, basically the only major type of ride that USH is missing (Mummy notwithstanding). It's a fairly noticeable gap in their variety of attractions. It's also a relatable attraction that people can relate to... I always feel a bit sorry for all the team members at FJ who have to try to explain what the attraction is to a first time rider.
 
I'm also of the consensus that the park desperately needs a thrill coaster. I get why there are issues, especially with sound emissions, but it feels long overdue for USH.
 
Meanwhile, the two most popular attractions at UHF/IOA are Velocicoaster and Hagrid's.

There may be a lot of roller coasters in Socal, but unless it's a direct clone (such as a boomerrang), each ride offers a unique experience. And even direct clones can feel different and unique with proper theming (such as Crush Coaster in Disney Studios Paris, or Exterminator at Kennywood). The Batman: Dark Knight coasters at SFGAm and SFGrAd are identical to Goofy's Sky Coaster at DCA, but most people probably wouldn't realize it with the theming SF did on it.

And all the people who line up for all those roller coaster at SFMM/Knott's clearly disagree with your view that they're "boring".

Additionally, basically the only major type of ride that USH is missing (Mummy notwithstanding). It's a fairly noticeable gap in their variety of attractions. It's also a relatable attraction that people can relate to... I always feel a bit sorry for all the team members at FJ who have to try to explain what the attraction is to a first time rider.
Do they have long lines because those coasters load slow?

second we don't have room, we just dont along with no one...no one in LA will want an open coaster. DK is the best we will get there but i dont need more coasters we have plenty and no where near enough e ticket rides
 
USH just needs one decently thrilling coaster just because every major park in California has at least something like that. Coasters are just the classic theme park ride too, a lot of people refer to any ride as "coasters". If you grew up with USO, Universal is known for being the thrilling version of Disney so it's kinda weird for this Universal park not to have at least something Hagrids/Mummy Orlando level thrilling. Every other Universal park in the world also has a decently thrilling coaster too.

I wouldn't be opposed to another new E-ticket besides Mario Kart but it must have re-rideability and be a thrill ride since not many rides at the park have re-rideability and that they're probably getting rid of Mummy for it.
 
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I just want a coaster in the park that either hits the type of atmospheric highs of Orlando's version of the Mummy (which I think an indoor "jungle" version of Velocicoaster could do) or at least something like Escape from Gringotts, which doesn't even *have* to be Gringotts themed but something based on that ride system, which is just a blast. I have a soft spot for our Mummy, and always will, but we need something that's better themed and much longer at this point, and it doesn't have to be some steel, Goliath-esque monster (which would never be in the cards anyway); just something that embraces theming and thrills in a great way and delivers something unique to the park.
 
I think USH could use a thrill coaster because it will attract the locals. Nobody is booking a vacation to ride coasters (usually), but locals looking for fun usually prefer a fast coaster to a well themed dark ride or a simulator. SLoP is probably one of the best themed dark rides I’ve been on from start to finish, but it doesn’t get any attention outside of theme park junkies like us who take the time to discuss online.

Growing up in the Orlando area, IOA was always the favorite park for locals partly thanks to Hulk and Dueling Dragons. Even before Potter showed up, everyone at school loved IOA and it’s ride offerings.

With that said, I’m not sure if a thrill coaster is feasible for USH. I think best case scenario is a better indoor coaster than the Hollwood Mummy.
 
2. Stop giving us downgraded versions of things that are better elsewhere. I'm hopping they don't build a bigger Secret Life of Pets elsewhere, because that would just be sad. This park has little to make it a unique theme park destination to the tune of Disneyland or even California Adventure Land. I think Jurassic World was a step in the right direction, we really do have the better version of that ride.

One of the biggest complaints I have about Universal is that they have gotten too clone happy with their attractions. Hollywood needs more unique experiences or else it’s literally just UOR’s little brother with a working studio.

I wanna give them props for not cloning SLoP, but at the same time I get the feeling that it would already be under construction in Orlando if the franchise was selling more merchandise at USH.

I think this ultimately may be the problem with Nintendo too. Obviously it’s way too big of an IP to just not bring to USH, but the park is getting the smallest version by far and likely won’t have any exclusive Nintendo attractions. Once Epic Universe opens, SNW at USH will be an afterthought.
 
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