Universal's New Park/Site B Blue Sky Thread

[Mike S]

So, @AliciaStella says this started picking up this week. Nintendo’s fiscal year report is also this week. Hmmmmm.

 

[zg44]

Let's just assume they're thinking about a Nintendo-only park in the context of 2 dry parks at the South Resort..., the question is still why not split them up?

Scenario 1 (Nintendo-only park + another dry park):
Dry Park #3 headliners:
Mario, Pokemon, Zelda etc.

Dry Park #4 headliners:
LOTR + maybe Star Trek or DC?

# of Crossover rides to force multi-ticket hopping:
0


Scenario 2 (split Nintendo and LOTR into 2 parks):
Dry Park #3 headliners:
Mario and LOTR part 1 (Mordor + Minas Tirith)

Dry Park #4 headliners:
Pokemon/Zelda and LOTR part 2 (Shire + Isengard)

# of Crossover rides to force multi-ticket hopping:
2 (One between the Nintendo lands, and another between the LOTR lands)


Okay, now if you're a Universal Executive... don't you go for Scenario 2 automatically? You basically force everyone to get a multi-hopper to use the crossover rides for Nintendo and LOTR. You create 2 strong parks instead of a potentially strong Nintendo park and a 2nd park that caters to a completely different audience...

I mean, if they're delaying all the Nintendo stuff, then go all out and make 2 parks with those headliners, and you're looking at 2 parks with 10 million guests easy. Scenario 1? That's a lot more iffy on the 4th dry park.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

I don’t like the “dark universe is bad” argument. Mummy and Dracula aren’t exactly going to start a shared universe but they also have 60 or so years of iconic filmmaking with these characters and they’re easily the most classic property universal has outside of Spielberg’s stuff.

To say this, DU was not what Universal wanted, and that they tried making it to be something that it wasn't.

It's possible, but more improbable due to how bad The Mummy was received, critically and commercially.

 

[Ridgepole]

Hogwarts express was the most brilliant theme park move ever. Can't imagine that was lost on the bean counters.

 

[Happytycho]

Let's just assume they're thinking about a Nintendo-only park in the context of 2 dry parks at the South Resort..., the question is still why not split them up?

Scenario 1 (Nintendo-only park + another dry park):
Dry Park #3 headliners:
Mario, Pokemon, Zelda etc.

Dry Park #4 headliners:
LOTR + maybe Star Trek or DC?

# of Crossover rides to force multi-ticket hopping:
0


Scenario 2:
Dry Park #3 headliners:
Mario and LOTR part 1 (Mordor + Minas Tirith)

Dry Park #4 headliners:
Pokemon/Zelda and LOTR part 2 (Shire + Isengard)

# of Crossover rides to force multi-ticket hopping:
2 (One between the Nintendo lands, and another between the LOTR lands)


Okay, now if you're a Universal Executive... don't you go for Scenario 2 automatically? You basically force everyone to get a multi-hopper to use the crossover rides for Nintendo and LOTR. You create 2 strong parks instead of a potentially strong Nintendo park and a 2nd park that caters to a completely different audience...

I mean, if they're delaying all the Nintendo stuff, then go all out and make 2 parks with those headliners, and you're looking at 2 parks with 10 million guests easy. Scenario 1? That's a lot more iffy on the 4th dry park.

I think I'm there even without crossover rides.

Putting the best few IP's in one park and leaving the others to fend for themselves in a different type of park seems like it would make it far to easy to just write off one of parks completely when planning a short vacation.

By doing Park 1 as primarily Mario & friends, Dreamworks and Park 2 as primarily Zelda, Pokemon, LOTR you motivate people to at least take the time to visit both parks.

 

[zg44]

I think I'm there even without crossover rides.

Putting the best few IP's in one park and leaving the others to fend for themselves in a different type of park seems like it would make it far to easy to just write off one of parks completely when planning a short vacation.

By doing Park 1 as primarily Mario & friends, Dreamworks and Park 2 as primarily Zelda, Pokemon, LOTR you motivate people to at least take the time to visit both parks.

Yeah, I just don't like the idea of the 3rd and 4th dry parks being so different in terms of targeting/age groups etc.

One adult park and one millennial park just doesn't seem like it's that great an idea. I can easily see people choosing to go to the Nintendo Park or the adult park while skipping the other (and going to the north resort instead). Just doesn't seem like a great idea to bring people to both.

 

[quinnmac000]

Anyways instead of keeping on this argument....Comcast financial report comes out today where I am tomorrow your time and maybe we will get some insight as to what will happen.

 

[Galaxy Defender]

Universal isn't simply building another park or two, they are building an entire second resort. I would think they want variety to give it the best chance of success.

Disney has stepped up its game in the theme park wars. They've already bought Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars and are trying to buy Fox. If Universal doesn't tie down the big intellectual properties they might not be available years in the future. If not Disney then some other company with deep pockets might get into the game also. It could turn into the theme park version of Game of Thrones.

 

[shiekra38]

I don’t like the “dark universe is bad” argument. Mummy and Dracula aren’t exactly going to start a shared universe but they also have 60 or so years of iconic filmmaking with these characters and they’re easily the most classic property universal has outside of Spielberg’s stuff.

A monsters island could have original rides with original storytelling honestly...And it would go great....at IOA

 

[jseal777]

To say this, DU was not what Universal wanted, and that they tried making it to be something that it wasn't.

It's possible, but more improbable due to how bad The Mummy was received, critically and commercially.

Well yeah. My point was that one bad Mummy movie shouldn’t keep Uni from utilizing an IP that’s been a big part of their movie making history almost since inception.
A monsters land would be great shared universe or not.

And it’s not like it’s inpossible for Uni to make good UCM movies right now. They just can’t use it as a cash grab starring Tom Cruise.

Imagine a Blumhouse creature from the black lagoon.

 

[jseal777]

A monsters island could have original rides with original storytelling honestly...And it would go great....at IOA

Yeah let’s do it!!! I’ll ride the creature from the black lagoon dark boat ride while everybody is funneling into the Nintendo Mega Resort

 

[shiekra38]

Yeah let’s do it!!! I’ll ride the creature from the black lagoon dark boat ride while everybody is funneling into the Nintendo Mega Resort

Side note, I honestly don't think the Monsters need anymore films or a dark universe to be relevant...They're rather engrained into movie culture

I would love to see Universal take on a Steampunk Monster Land with a monster dark ride, Dracula castle/greenhouse restaurant, and a spooky bar/show for people to hang out in

If you can't tell I'm picturing this for LC haha

Probably wont ever happen though

 

[Felipe]

A monsters island could have original rides with original storytelling honestly...And it would go great....at IOA

I would be fine with an UCM island taking over LC... but I don't see them doing that. I also think it would work better in a new park, having a strong, classic horror presence in between other heavy-hitter IPs and themes.

 

[quinnmac000]

Hogwarts express was the most brilliant theme park move ever. Can't imagine that was lost on the bean counters.

But it actually fit the story. Its something that actually existed in the books and the locations worked that made having the Hogwarts express made sense. LOTR doesn't have anything like that at all and Nintendo not so much unless they want to split up Mario, Zelda, Pokémon into two parks.

 

[Magic-Man]

What if this was a 200 acre park, with Nintendo taking up half of it?

 

[Ridgepole]

True, but still brilliant.

 

[Galaxy Defender]

What if this was a 200 acre park, with Nintendo taking up half of it?

I don't even want to imagine the ticket price for a 200-acre theme park.

 

[captainmoch]

What if this was a 200 acre park, with Nintendo taking up half of it?

Universal’s Nintendo & Middle-Earth park would be a bit thematically jarring but I'd certainly take it.

 

[Magic-Man]

I don't even want to imagine the ticket price for a 200-acre theme park.

BGT is over 300 acres.

 

[quinnmac000]

I don't even want to imagine the ticket price for a 200-acre theme park.

Cedar Point, Epcot, and three Six Flags are 300 acres and larger yet all aren't that expensive so....