Universal Lack of Announcements Thread

[Nick]

It's now the why, but sometimes the what that turns into strange (i.e. birthday cake castle)

I'm expecting some strange cupcakes, and upcharge parties

Disneyland's celebration was great, but everything there is better anyhow

Definitely lot's of upcharge things, but that won't be any different than what's become the norm these days (unfortunately).

 

[GAcoaster]

I think it's a safe bet they'll make a special cupcake...

 

[ThrillRideLover3214]

I am just curious if Universal will do the same thing with Fantastic Worlds as they did with IOA back in 1999. I believe they announced their new park two years before opening right? So you would think if FW opens in 2022 we would hear some sort of announcement in 2020 at the earliest.

 

[Brian G.]

I am just curious if Universal will do the same thing with Fantastic Worlds as they did with IOA back in 1999. I believe they announced their new park two years before opening right? So you would think if FW opens in 2022 we would hear some sort of announcement in 2020 at the earliest.

I'm sorry if this upsets you, but we can't keep allowing this. You keep posting the same questions over and over, in different ways. I don't want to ban you, but I think it may be for the best.

 

[ThrillRideLover3214]

Ok fine we are just frustrated that Universal won’t give us future announcements and they keep wanting to play the waiting game that doesn’t upset you? That’s why I suggested Universal should have a Expo event like Disney but no one seemed to respond to me about that.

 

[Brian G.]

Ok fine we are just frustrated that Universal won’t give us future announcements and they keep wanting to play the waiting game that doesn’t upset you? That’s why I suggested Universal should have a Expo event like Disney but no one seemed to respond to me about that.

To answer your question - No it doesn’t.

Still, that’s not an excuse to ask the same things over and over. Consider this a final warning.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Reviving this thread as we are now 2 years away from Epic Universe opening. With the downturn in vacations this year, and likely next, it’ll be very interesting to see how they market this park. You don’t want to push back vacations, however they need Epic Universe to be a slam dunk. I think it will be, but it is a LARGE investment and if it struggles out of the gate that will absolutely factor into future expansions at UOR.

It’s a pivotal and exciting time for the company, the marketing of “we won’t announce things” will objectively not work for an entire new theme park with 3 hotels. I’d assume this becomes park of a larger marketing shift within UOR, but I’m fascinated to see how they brand this new experience. We all know Universal Escape, which I think they’ve learned their lessons from.

If I’m them I start marketing the shiz out of this thing around Christmas time this year assuming construction is on schedule. Gives people 18 months before the first bookings begin.

 

[JungleSkip]

With the downturn in vacations this year, and likely next,

It's not a "downturn", its a reversion to the mean.

Anyone who thought post COVID travel was the new normal was deluding themselves.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

It's not a "downturn", its a reversion to the mean.

Anyone who thought post COVID travel was the new normal was deluding themselves.

Don’t disagree, but it is something I think executives take clear note of at the same time. How that effects future marketing is what I don’t know.

 

[JungleSkip]

I don't think it will affect much of anything going forward. The parks are still making money hand over fist. Universal will continue to be weird about announcements, but the sky is blue and water is wet.

 

[ReelJustice]

Abandon all hope ye who enter here

 

[GAcoaster]

I really think things are already starting-- lots of new branding going on in preparation for new announcements and campaigns prior to the 2025 park opening.

 

[Nico]

I was 9 when IOA opened, so I didn’t really get to witness Universal Escape. I know as a family we went to Islands for the first time in 2003. I wonder how my dad learned about Universal. I should ask him.

I’m super curious about how a new park is promoted in a world that is completely different technologically. I foresee Universal using tiktok pretty heavily. EU having its own account, leveraging existing relationships with theme park sites and accounts, and using Peacock. I would love for them to go old school and follow Walt’s promo plan for the parks with World of Disney. Maybe a new episode weekly on different topics that relate to the park.

The how is exciting, but as it relates to the thread, it feels like the big question simply is “When?” I’m no announcement strategist, but I hope we see stuff early 2024 to wet existing appetites and build excitement in those that have no idea the park is even coming.

 

[Jake S]

I was 9 when IOA opened, so I didn’t really get to witness Universal Escape. I know as a family we went to Islands for the first time in 2003. I wonder how my dad learned about Universal. I should ask him.

I have a similar relationship to California Adventure [we were living in the Bay Area at the time]. the first time I recall hearing about the new park was an advertisement on our Toy Story 2 VHS.

it'll be very interesting to see how universal approaches this, given that the resort is much more of a known quantity than it was when Islands of Adventure opened.

 

[Mad Dog]

It still seems most Universal Orlando attraction openings are internally keyed into the May/June period. Whether they actually open then has often been dictated by technical issues. But I'd guess the original motive was because summer was the hot attendance period. BUT, that's no longer the case. Summer has diminished and other periods of the calendar are as busy, if not busier than summer. Perhaps they should just move off that model and open attractions when the build schedule is amenable. Fallon Race Through NY is one of the few that seem to have opened way sooner than that May and forward time scape.

 

[Nick]

It still seems most Universal Orlando attraction openings are internally keyed into the May/June period. Whether they actually open then has often been dictated by technical issues. But I'd guess the original motive was because summer was the hot attendance period. BUT, that's no longer the case. Summer has diminished and other periods of the calendar are as busy, if not busier than summer. Perhaps they should just move off that model and open attractions when the build schedule is amenable. Fallon Race Through NY is one of the few that seem to have opened way sooner than that May and forward time scape.

Fallon opened sooner I think because VB was the main marketing focus that year. Opening Fallon sooner gave it a small window to shine on it's own.

 

[GAcoaster]

I still remember how little I knew about Universal in 1999 when IoA opened. It was the infancy of the internet and park/coaster websites. I read Thrillride! religiously for all the latest coaster and park news, and after reading Robert Coker's writeup of the park I became determined to go and I got the opportunity in September 1999 when I had a conference in Tampa to attend. My BF at the time and I were living in Atlanta and he worked for Marriott so we made a trip of it going to BGT, SWO (we had Platinum passes from BGW), and we ended up buying Universal APs (for about $99 @) because we wanted to come back again and again. I always think about how ineffective Universal's marketing was at the time that time and how effective the internet could be ("social media influencers" weren't a thing yet) that Thrillride! made me want to plan the trip.

BTW-- here's that write up that still live on: ThrillRide!

 

[UniversalRBLX]

The how is exciting, but as it relates to the thread, it feels like the big question simply is “When?” I’m no announcement strategist, but I hope we see stuff early 2024 to wet existing appetites and build excitement in those that have no idea the park is even coming.

They would probably like to start the campaign as soon as spring next year to convince AP keeps to keep renewing/incentive "pre-order" purchases of 3/4-park APs.

It still seems most Universal Orlando attraction openings are internally keyed into the May/June period. Whether they actually open then has often been dictated by technical issues. But I'd guess the original motive was because summer was the hot attendance period. BUT, that's no longer the case. Summer has diminished and other periods of the calendar are as busy, if not busier than summer. Perhaps they should just move off that model and open attractions when the build schedule is amenable. Fallon Race Through NY is one of the few that seem to have opened way sooner than that May and forward time scape.

Post-Spring Break/Before Memorial Day has become the ideal time to visit Orlando. and the perfect date for opening things up as people start to finalize their vacation plans. September/October is tied up with HHN, November-December with Holidays, and March taken over by Spring Break would be black holes for a new attraction.

 

[Mad Dog]

They would probably like to start the campaign as soon as spring next year to convince AP keeps to keep renewing/incentive "pre-order" purchases of 3/4-park APs.


Post-Spring Break/Before Memorial Day has become the ideal time to visit Orlando. and the perfect date for opening things up as people start to finalize their vacation plans. September/October is tied up with HHN, November-December with Holidays, and March taken over by Spring Break would be black holes for a new attraction.

As a guest....post Spring Break, for both Disney & Universal, is the sweet spot. Most years I've used that for my first vacation of the year. Crowds are only moderate, and the weather is fairly decent.

 

[TheUniC6]

They would probably like to start the campaign as soon as spring next year to convince AP keeps to keep renewing/incentive "pre-order" purchases of 3/4-park APs.


Post-Spring Break/Before Memorial Day has become the ideal time to visit Orlando. and the perfect date for opening things up as people start to finalize their vacation plans. September/October is tied up with HHN, November-December with Holidays, and March taken over by Spring Break would be black holes for a new attraction.

A preview center like what was done for IOA will be nice. Now on to the topic on hand. The way Universal announces new attractions. Part of me understands why they do it, but they should not cut it so close to openings. Announcing things once they break ground on construction is a far better way to go about it than Disney who often announces things prematurely such as the Magic Kingdom Main Street theater, Mary Poppins at Epcot and the original Quinjet Avengers E ticket which for a variety of factors never saw the light of day. But at the same time Universal should also not wait until the latter part of 2024 to get the hype train rolling for EU. They need to hit the ground running in early 2024 to generate maximum excitement IMO and to give people to have a solid timeframe of when to book vacations. Also the lack of communication for the status of Villain Con (will it still make a summer opening or has it been pushed back to fall/winter 2023?) could be done better as they could at least give us actual pictures of the ride like they did for Pets to tide us over and update us ASAP if VCMB can't make a summer 2023 opening if it needs more time in the oven.