The Old KidZone Thread

[mahnamahna]

If I were Universal, here is how I would redo the KidZone.

A Day in the Park with Barney= same
Animal Actors on Location= same
Curious George Goes to Town= same
E.T. Adventure= Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase
Fievel's Playland= Smurf Village
Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster= Madagascar Crate Coaster

Here's my redo
Animal Actors - bulldozed for a SpongeBob flat ride and E-ticket Splash Battle adventure
KidZone Pizza - Krusty Krab
Barney - rethemed to Dora
Fievel - rethemed to Smurfs ((
ET - sadly I think it's goin Smurfs but Sesame Street or How to Train Your Dragon would be better
Curious George - moved over for a My Little Pony area with a small dark ride, and a show
Woody Woodpecker - better theming/track extension

So only 3-4 new attractions would be added while the others are re themed... plus it gives KidZone a new dark ride and a new completely family friendly E ticket. But HTF might render all of our predictions meaningless with his announcement tonight lol ;D

 

[TheMackMachine]

I would be surprised if both water play areas (Curious George and Fievel) are both replaced by new attractions. One should be rethemed and the other should replaced by a new attraction. A nice play area for kids in a park that doesn't have the same amount of kid-friendly rides as Disney is needed.

 

[King_K.]

Universal has too many few shows as is.

Animal Actors should either stay or be re-purposed into a new show, not a ride or a restaurant. Also, still holding out hope for ET.

 

[mahnamahna]

I would be surprised if both water play areas (Curious George and Fievel) are both replaced by new attractions. One should be rethemed and the other should replaced by a new attraction. A nice play area for kids in a park that doesn't have the same amount of kid-friendly rides as Disney is needed.

Oh I'm sorry!!! I just meant that Curious George would be moved around so that a My Little Pony mini-land could be added! Curious George is the best part of KidZone along with ET and I personally want both to just get major plussing ::thumbs:

@king.k: Would you seriously prefer an animal show over a full-scale Springfield expansion-esque SpongeBob mini-land (Animal Actors, SpongeBob Store, KidZone Pizza) ???? It's like saying you'd rather have one worn-out boat ride over an extremely strong D-ticket (possibly E!) transport ride, an E-ticket motion base coaster, a revolutionary walkthrough, many shops, a great restaurant, and a well-themed facade by the waterfront (Jaws vs. Potter 2.0)

And I mentioned My Little Pony could get a show or maybe a Enchanted Tales-style M&G opportunity. But let's be honest - do most people pay $100 for shows? No, most Americans and foreigners alike love rides; whether they're roller coasters, dark rides, simulators, flat rides - people love rides!! Shows and play areas are really just icing on the cake

All in all, I'm hoping tonight's announcement is a fully detailed expose on what the KidZone redo/expansion will be all about!! Can't wait, HTF!!

 

[Legolas813]

Orlando Business Journal published a story today about ET being replaced by Smurfs. I gather that will be the announcement tonight. If so, I will be VERY disappointed. They can get rid of any ride, but not this!

 

[JungleSkip]

Orlando Business Journal published a story today about ET being replaced by Smurfs. I gather that will be the announcement tonight. If so, I will be VERY disappointed. They can get rid of any ride, but not this!

Orlando Business Journal has been posting hilariously off the mark things...forever.

The Smurfs rumor comes from a survey that also talked about a Lorax ride. Point is it's not a done deal, and I doubt HTF would be as chipper about his news if this is what he was talking about.

 

[Accio Butterbeer]

Orlando Business Journal has been posting hilariously off the mark things...forever.

The Smurfs rumor comes from a survey that also talked about a Lorax ride. Point is it's not a done deal, and I doubt HTF would be as chipper about his news if this is what he was talking about.

Exactly. There's no way HTF is going ET is being replaced by The Smurfs it's going to be so awesome! And I can't wait to tell you guys! lol

 

[mahnamahna]

Yeah E.T. should be the sole relic to old-school Universal - I would prefer the parade building and old Hard Rock Cafe get relocated for a Smurfs miniland personally but obviously Comcast sees the dark ride as valuable real estate...

Either way, E.T.'s replacement is probably not the BIG, BIG, BIG announcement but HTF could easily say it's the lone casualty in what could be a vastly improved and cohesive KidZone... but if it's out of left field, it's gotta be good :smiley:

 

[Legolas813]

The Smurfs rumor comes from a survey that also talked about a Lorax ride.

I would tend to agree, but I was referring to this part:

An industry source told me that Universal will be replacing the classic E.T. Adventure ride, which opened in 1990, and replacing it with a Smurfs-themed revision. "We're hearing that Smurfs is coming and it will be interactive — that's all we know," the source said, noting there isn't any solid timeline on when that would happen.

Of course you are right that Orlando Business Journal is hardly a reliable source. But that statement was made separate from their Screamscape mention.

 

[Jakemeister]

We'll get the Seasame Street ride from Signapore before we get Smurfs.

 

[Nitro_230]

We'll get the Seasame Street ride from Signapore before we get Smurfs.

In all fairness Smurfs is at least an available IP. Sesame Street is not.

 

[TheMackMachine]

Oh I'm sorry!!! I just meant that Curious George would be moved around so that a My Little Pony mini-land could be added! Curious George is the best part of KidZone along with ET and I personally want both to just get major plussing ::thumbs:

I agree. I don't have any bad things to say about Curious George. People say it should go, because it "doesn't connect with children" or it "makes no money." This is the Toon Lagoon problem, and it stinks. Curious George has no reasons to leave. It's a great play area, and it should stay. Fievel on the other hand should be re themed. It's time has come.

 

[mahnamahna]

Curious George is a great attraction - the only thing I don't want changed at all in KidZone. But HTF says the whole place is gonna get gutted so I suppose that we're gonna see it say goodbye sooner rather than later.

And I'll be sad if Toon Lagoon goes, it doesn't need to! Popeye is a gem!! And Dudley could be if Comcast gave it a massive upgrade. A new D ticket dark ride and a flat ride or a show is all Toon Lagoon needs - some love!

 

[Cheezbat]

Curious George is a great attraction - the only thing I don't want changed at all in KidZone. But HTF says the whole place is gonna get gutted so I suppose that we're gonna see it say goodbye sooner rather than later.

And I'll be sad if Toon Lagoon goes, it doesn't need to! Popeye is a gem!! And Dudley could be if Comcast gave it a massive upgrade. A new D ticket dark ride and a flat ride or a show is all Toon Lagoon needs - some love!

I wholeheartedly agree!

 

[Hedwig201]

I think Spongebob deserves his own ride. It has lasted as a wildly popular show for kids everywhere and with the new Spongebob film set to come out in 2015 now would be the good time to plan this out. I absolutely love E.T. and I too don't think it should go...but that hasn't stopped them with BTTF and Jaws. SO, I think it safe to say it is a possibility. My point is that maybe E.T. could be rethemed into a Sponge dark ride with Kidzone Pizza being turned into the Krusty Krab and Feivel's Playland possibly being turned into a Jellyfish Fields playground.
Also (don't know how this would work out) The current Spongebob store would also be used for the Krusty Krab. The store would be relocated to E.T.'s Toycloset.

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And Animal Actors is enough space for Madagascar--Just sayin'

 

[Legolas813]

Krusty Krab would be too close to Krusty Burger.

 

[mahnamahna]

Krusty Krab would be too close to Krusty Burger.

While Krusty Burger is too close to Richter's Burger which is too close to Mel's Drive-In which is too close to the BK Whopper Bar which is too close to Burger Digs which is too close to Wimpy's which is too close to Captain America Diner

I doubt most tourists would notice the difference between the Krusty Krab or Krusty Burger - they'd just see a cool place to eat :smiley:

But maybe they could build the Chum Bucket instead? That'd be a lot cooler in my opinion :drool:

Either way I definitely want to see what Universal could do with Bikini Bottom after visiting Hogsmeade, and seeing pictures of Springfield and of the construction at Diagon Alley. It'd be a real treat!!

 

[Mad Dog]

My out of left field guess is Despicable Me Silly Land replacing Kidzone & ET staying. HP expansion into two parks is proof that themes can be separated in a park. The kids area need not be next to Despicable Me the attraction. And since they're doing it in Hollywood, that would cut development costs.

 

[Legolas813]

While Krusty Burger is too close to Richter's Burger which is too close to Mel's Drive-In which is too close to the BK Whopper Bar which is too close to Burger Digs which is too close to Wimpy's which is too close to Captain America Diner

That is exactly my point. Too much of the same mediocre food all over Universal property. Let's get something better and different.

 

[mahnamahna]

My out of left field guess is Despicable Me Silly Land replacing Kidzone & ET staying. HP expansion into two parks is proof that themes can be separated in a park. The kids area need not be next to Despicable Me the attraction. And since they're doing it in Hollywood, that would cut development costs.

I think the out of left field idea that HTF mentioned was Kong getting green-lit suddenly and prepped for a 2015 opening. It made sense with Potter because there's 2 fleshed out locales that are separated by hundreds of miles. Plus, most Potter fans wanted to see Diagon Alley and Gringotts Bank.

However, is there really anticipation for a Super Silly Fun Land? I really think that was added to USH's plan because they wanted their own original Springfield-esque mini-land - think about it: both will have games, both will have a flat ride... aside from no restaurants, the DM area is basically just like the Springfield expansion... why build a 2nd carnival when there's one right by?

Now if they fleshed out the idea, and added a dark ride along with a walkthrough and a restaurant and included everything else they're going to add, maybe it could work. But I'd see it going into Production Central as a DM land... two separate areas in the park.

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That is exactly my point. Too much of the same mediocre food all over Universal property. Let's get something better and different.

Well Chum Bucket would be different... it'd be seafood but yeah there's a couple seafood places already, but again I think it'd be unique and definitely better than another McDonald's... plus maybe they could do a Living Character style thing for Plankton, and I'd love to see his "wife" Karen interact with him and guests