Universal Orlando Resort Expansion (Part 1)

[UK-Trigg]

1.

MagicFeather over at Magic dropped these hints- said some were for Universal (and other domestic parks).



Assuming:

?
Tiki Room
Club 33
?
SLoP
?
?
?
?
Most curious about this one. Nintendo, obviously but Ship? The Olive???
?

1 = Game of thrones

You got the other obvious ones I guess

Magic = MoM?
Black = Serious Black maybe

 

[quinnmac000]

Winter is Coming... Eventually= Game of Thrones
Let's All Sing Like... Who?=Sing not Tiki it was already asked over on Magic
33 Upcharges=Club 33
The Not So Suite Life=???
The Not So Secret Life=Secret Life of Pets
Magic=Ministry of Magic
Find your Way Black= House with Clocks on the Wall or Goosebumps
Can you tell me how to get to Seaworld?=Seasleme Street Expansion of Seaworld
New York=???
I didn't Nintend to Infringe on your Ship=Nintendo Ride Toon Lagoon
Needs More Cowbell=SNL

 

[Legacy]

I think the Winter is Coming clue is actually Christmas Island.

 

[Teebin]

Who in hell is this magic-feather? Have they proven that they know anything before this?

 

[socaljoeyb]

Who in hell is this magic-feather? Have they proven that they know anything before this?

From WDWMagic. Has been reliable.

 

[captainmoch]

I feel like winter is coming is more likely to refer to Christmas Land than Game of Thrones. Although it's so vague that who knows.

 

[JoeCamel]

If Universal did a Disney Seas type park (theme/size/immersion level/Universal type attractions), I might never leave Orlando once I got there. :thumbsup:

I hope I live long enough to see it. Gotta get to Japan soon.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

I am going to guess, simply as this..

• Winter is Coming... Eventually = Christmas Wonderland at LC
• Let's All Sing Like... Who? = This to me seems as a blind guess.
• 33 up-charges = Epcot, MK, DHS, and DAK Club 33 Locations
• The Not So Suite Life = I get a Dream Suite vibe..
• The Not So Secret Life = Pets for Hollywood and Orlando
• Magic = Ministry of Magic (Find your Way Black = Sirius Black incorporated in the attraction)
• Can you tell me how to get to SeaWorld? = Sesame Street Mini-land in SeaWorld
• New York = USH Pet's Project and possibly Fallon for Lower Lot.
• I didn't Nintend to Infringe on your Ship = SNW (Needs More Cowbell = SNW 1.5)

 

[fryoj]

@fryoj

Okay, I figured out the discrepancy on the Orlando Equity Partners leftover land. Technically they still have 32 acres under that name, but nearly all of it is assigned to Trammell Crow for this project:
Trammell Crow Residential files plan for 656 apts on Universal Boulevard - GrowthSpotter

That's pretty much the end of Orlando Equity Partners' acreage then. So it's just the UCPM III and FQP properties at issue.

Behind a paywall, but I saw the location before it kicked in. My initial thought was its a terrible location for apartments considering they will be surrounded by commercial. But with that large retention pond to its west, theres not much Uni could do to connect to the Western leg of the UCMP property anyway. Looking at the way everything lays, they'll probably end up right next to a large parking garage. So they may not want to build apartments there after all. lol

 

[Scott W.]

I’m interested to see how how much will be open to the public when they finally start to develop the land. I can see staggered openings but only by a couple of months. I can see a CityWalk opening first followed by a park and then a hotel. I can’t see a hotel opening first because who want to stay there?

 

[captainmoch]

I’m interested to see how how much will be open to the public when they finally start to develop the land. I can see staggered openings but only by a couple of months. I can see a CityWalk opening first followed by a park and then a hotel. I can’t see a hotel opening first because who want to stay there?

My guess is:
- Phase "0.5" - The main parking structure for the South resort, the transportation hub between both resorts, CityWalk 2.0, and a value hotel. Basically, the "easy" stuff.
- Phase 1 - Dry park 3, and 2 more hotels that are on the more "deluxe" scale.
- Phase "1.5" - Several more hotels.
- Phase 2 - Water park 2, and an accompanying hotel.

 

[Teebin]

I for one am awaiting zg44’s next graphic update of land acquisition. I’m not ready to start dreaming about building anything until some of those land tracts are filled in. Hopefully soon!

 

[zg44]

Behind a paywall, but I saw the location before it kicked in. My initial thought was its a terrible location for apartments considering they will be surrounded by commercial. But with that large retention pond to its west, theres not much Uni could do to connect to the Western leg of the UCMP property anyway. Looking at the way everything lays, they'll probably end up right next to a large parking garage. So they may not want to build apartments there after all. lol

Yeah, I think Universal passed on the ~75 acres of Orlando Equity Partners' land that's been sold since 2015 to Andretti Karting/Topgolf/Ripley's/Trammell for around $50 million total (based on a guess of Trammell paying around $10-12m for that final slot).

Universal was more focused on the land closer to Sand Lake and the UCPM/FQP land. Plus, now Universal can capably say that they're really the only future buyer of Lockheed's land if they ever move. All in all, it sounds like they know which specific land they want; that's always the most important step when you have their financial capability.

 

[Frank Drackman]

Who in hell is this magic-feather? Have they proven that they know anything before this?

Maybe they read my post in the Nintendo thread about me ship...but I guess anyone who has played Oddessy can see how close that ship is to a ship in IoA.

 

[Andysol]

I for one am awaiting zg44’s next graphic update of land acquisition. I’m not ready to start dreaming about building anything until some of those land tracts are filled in. Hopefully soon!

No doubt Teebin. Keep up the badass work @zg44

 

[zg44]

The interesting sidenote related to the possible Stan Thomas transaction is what Universal is looking at in order to free up those wetlands on the East side. At some point, Universal may need its own version of the Disney Wilderness Preserve, so they might need to purchase as much as 1,000-2,000 acres or so elsewhere for wetland restoration as @GadgetGuru pointed out earlier.

Given the development situation around Orlando (population growth is consistently high), they'll need to account for that sooner rather than later like Disney's exchange a couple years ago when they bought Mira Lago's 3,000 acres and exchanged that to free up 575 around the resort.

Universal would want to free up the wetlands between Sand Lake and Destination very quickly I'd imagine since they'd probably include that land in any designs of the early/middle phases of the resort buildout...

Though others have pointed out that it may not be feasible to touch Shingle Creek. Maybe just go right up to it.

 

[fryoj]

The interesting sidenote related to the possible Stan Thomas transaction is what Universal is looking at in order to free up those wetlands on the East side. At some point, Universal may need its own version of the Disney Wilderness Preserve, so they might need to purchase as much as 1,000-2,000 acres or so elsewhere for wetland restoration as @GadgetGuru pointed out earlier.

Given the development situation around Orlando (population growth is consistently high), they'll need to account for that sooner rather than later like Disney's exchange a couple years ago when they bought Mira Lago's 3,000 acres and exchanged that to free up 575 around the resort.

Universal would want to free up the wetlands between Sand Lake and Destination very quickly I'd imagine since they'd probably include that land in any designs of the early/middle phases of the resort buildout...

Though others have pointed out that it may not be feasible to touch Shingle Creek. Maybe just go right up to it.

Yeah, they will not be able to touch Shingle creek. I've seen developments in other parts of the country that were completely shut down because they would have had to relocate a tributary that led to a creek that led to a river. I think they'll be able to bridge over it to get a road up to the property across from Sand lake, but thats about it.

As for the rest of the wetlands, you are probably right. I do wonder though if they can use that wetland area as a place to relocate those retention ponds in the center of the property to. Would they still be considered wetlands? If they can do that, that would kill two birds with one stone so to speak.

 

[Nash]

Do you all think getting this expansion land to extend to the Turnpike is a priority? Gotta think easy access to a highway makes that north east property attractive.

 

[shiekra38]

Winter is Coming... Eventually= Grinch??
Let's All Sing Like... Who? = Sing
33 Upcharges = Upcharge rooms overlooking the new park?
The Not So Suite Life= New Hotel
The Not So Secret Life=Secret Life of Pets
Magic=Ministry of Magic
Find your Way Black = ET Upgrade?? Mummy Re-Do??
Can you tell me how to get to Seaworld? = Tram that stops at Sea World too?
New York=Fantastic Beasts
I didn't Nintend to Infringe on your Ship = Nintendo ride in Toon Lagoon??
Needs More Cowbell = Something else with Jimmy or Walken (Jimmy was in the sketch)

 

[Happytycho]

The interesting sidenote related to the possible Stan Thomas transaction is what Universal is looking at in order to free up those wetlands on the East side. At some point, Universal may need its own version of the Disney Wilderness Preserve, so they might need to purchase as much as 1,000-2,000 acres or so elsewhere for wetland restoration as @GadgetGuru pointed out earlier.

Given the development situation around Orlando (population growth is consistently high), they'll need to account for that sooner rather than later like Disney's exchange a couple years ago when they bought Mira Lago's 3,000 acres and exchanged that to free up 575 around the resort.

Universal would want to free up the wetlands between Sand Lake and Destination very quickly I'd imagine since they'd probably include that land in any designs of the early/middle phases of the resort buildout...

Though others have pointed out that it may not be feasible to touch Shingle Creek. Maybe just go right up to it.

They definitely won't be touching shingle creek, and I don't expect them to actually try and develop those eastern wetlands. It just doesn't seem like it would be worth the effort for the limited amount of oddly shaped land.
However, the drainage ponds and canal that are in/near the main area can definitely be moved/reconfigured within the property as long as they don't mess up the functionality of the whole drainage system.