Universal's New Park/Site B Blue Sky Thread

[Mad Dog]

Another factor to look at is what the expected attendance will be. The new park certainly will probably never see MK 20 million plus year attendance levels. (And even MK & Disneyland didn't have their present number of attractions when they debuted). So, from a financial perspective and a realistic park operations standpoint, there's no way a new park will have today's MK or Disneyland type attraction numbers. I'd guess that Universal would be happy with 10 million guests in the park's first 12 months of operation, and in reality, my guess is, it'll probably be in the 7 to 10 million range. So, I'd expect an initial attraction level on par with the present IOA & USF parks. And, as I said, I think QUALITY of attractions wins out over quantity..... I would strongly doubt Universal will debut a new park like Disney did with AK, MGM (DHS) & California Adventure, and have an extremely low number of initial quality attractions.

 

[Magic-Man]

I really doubt that Universal would open a park with less attractions than both of the other parks. It wouldn’t make any sense.

Also, if we’re looking at 12 attractions/rides, that would mean a third or fourth of them would be in a single land (SNW). No way that happens.

We’ll get 15, minimum. 21, maximum.

 

[JungleSkip]

We’ll get 15, minimum. 21, maximum.

Neither of those numbers is enough. #SorryNotSorry

 

[Magic-Man]

Neither of those numbers is enough. #SorryNotSorry

Rides won’t be everything in the new park. You also got shows, interactive play areas, walk-through attractions, meet & greets, live entertainment, parades. Quite a lot of money has to go to those things. And considering the fact that half of the rides will be state-of-the-art, you really don’t need more than 21.

 

[JungleSkip]

And considering the fact that half of the rides will be state-of-the-art, you really don’t need more than 21.

I disagree. You need all the rides you can possibly get.

 

[Imperius]

Rides won’t be everything in the new park. You also got shows, interactive play areas, walk-through attractions, meet & greets, live entertainment, parades. Quite a lot of money has to go to those things. And considering the fact that half of the rides will be state-of-the-art, you really don’t need more than 21.

It’s a new park which will have huge attendance. State of the art rides doesn’t eat those people any more than a regular ride.

 

[zg44]

Another factor to look at is what the expected attendance will be. The new park certainly will probably never see MK 20 million plus year attendance levels. (And even MK & Disneyland didn't have their present number of attractions when they debuted). So, from a financial perspective and a realistic park operations standpoint, there's no way a new park will have today's MK or Disneyland type attraction numbers. I'd guess that Universal would be happy with 10 million guests in the park's first 12 months of operation, and in reality, my guess is, it'll probably be in the 7 to 10 million range. So, I'd expect an initial attraction level on par with the present IOA & USF parks. And, as I said, I think QUALITY of attractions wins out over quantity..... I would strongly doubt Universal will debut a new park like Disney did with AK, MGM (DHS) & California Adventure, and have an extremely low number of initial quality attractions.

I think 7-8 million is their first 12 months target; gotta remember they won't have that many hotels open at the start; maybe at most 2000 hotel rooms or so.

I think after the water park and up to 4000+ hotel rooms are open, they'll probably aim for 10 million around year 3-4.

 

[Mad Dog]

I think 7-8 million is their first 12 months target; gotta remember they won't have that many hotels open at the start; maybe at most 2000 hotel rooms or so.

I think after the water park and up to 4000+ hotel rooms are open, they'll probably aim for 10 million around year 3-4.

Yes, that's why I used the 7-10 million range. 10 million would be really optimistic, but doable.

 

[Magic-Man]

I disagree. You need all the rides you can possibly get.

Yeaaaa, no. They’ll be fine with a high amount. No need to go extreme.

It’s a new park which will have huge attendance. State of the art rides doesn’t eat those people any more than a regular ride.

But they need money to make the state of the art rides. They can’t waste it all on regular, run of the mill roller-coasters and flats.

You guys are forgetting that these things cost money. A lot of money. They can’t make the best park possible if they waste all the budget on rides.

 

[zg44]

Yes, that's why I used the 7-10 million range. 10 million would be really optimistic, but doable.

A wider range is probably better just because we haven't really seen anything like a new park opening in around 25 years at the time of the new opening:

It's hard to gauge just because there's no real blueprint in the post-Harry Potter era of Universal. Orlando is as busy as ever but it also has more options than ever before at the high end. I could see 10 million happening just off of built in hype (like how a movie like Jurassic World or TFA cashes in on nostalgia in a sense), but realistic constraints just make 7-8 million seem more likely.

I expect USB to open to 10 million because it'll have that great transportation setup with people across Beijing able to get there easily.

 

[JungleSkip]

Yeaaaa, no. They’ll be fine with a high amount. No need to go extreme.

15-21 rides is not a "high amount"

QUOTE="LintemuthStudios, post: 674002, member: 8247"]But they need money to make the state of the art rides. They can’t waste it all on regular, run of the mill roller-coasters and flats.

You guys are forgetting that these things cost money. A lot of money. They can’t make the best park possible if they waste all the budget on rides.[/QUOTE]

I'm not forgetting that at all. But you'll maybe get 5 "state of the art" rides. Maybe 5 more that are D ticket dark rides. There should be a ton of smaller B/C level rides to flesh the park out. IDK why Orlando theme parks have an aversion to having a ton of rides. It makes no sense.

 

[Brian G.]

True. Plus, the mat slide was off and on. But for the most part the rides were ready. The lazy river wasn't open due to landscaping issues if I remember correctly... But I meant the slides mostly.

It was. Nasty storms rolled through the week of opening and knocked plants, sand, and soil into the river. It was closed opening day only for filtering purposes. It was open by day 2. Kid's playground opened later in the day.

 

[Mad Dog]

A wider range is probably better just because we haven't really seen anything like a new park opening in around 25 years at the time of the new opening:

It's hard to gauge just because there's no real blueprint in the post-Harry Potter era of Universal. Orlando is as busy as ever but it also has more options than ever before at the high end. I could see 10 million happening just off of built in hype (like how a movie like Jurassic World or TFA cashes in on nostalgia in a sense), but realistic constraints just make 7-8 million seem more likely.

I expect USB to open to 10 million because it'll have that great transportation setup with people across Beijing able to get there easily.

I used the upwards optimistic figure relying on the info from a couple of insiders that Potter would be one of the 5 lands in the new park. If that Potter info is incorrect, I doubt if they'd reach 10 million, even with a Nintendo land. Potter people will come.

 

[Magic-Man]

15-21 rides is not a "high amount"

QUOTE="LintemuthStudios, post: 674002, member: 8247"]But they need money to make the state of the art rides. They can’t waste it all on regular, run of the mill roller-coasters and flats.

You guys are forgetting that these things cost money. A lot of money. They can’t make the best park possible if they waste all the budget on rides.

I'm not forgetting that at all. But you'll maybe get 5 "state of the art" rides. Maybe 5 more that are D ticket dark rides. There should be a ton of smaller B/C level rides to flesh the park out. IDK why Orlando theme parks have an aversion to having a ton of rides. It makes no sense.[/QUOTE]

I’d rather not have a ton of flat rides in my brand new theme park I like how nobody wants a tall coaster but they’re okay with flats, which ruin the immersion 95% of the time.

 

[JungleSkip]

I’d rather not have a ton of flat rides in my brand new theme park I like how nobody wants a tall coaster but they’re okay with flats, which ruin the immersion 95% of the time.

I'm good with all of the above. Gimme all the well themed flat rides you possibly can

 

[Magic-Man]

I'm good with all of the above. Gimme all the well themed flat rides you possibly can

No offense, but flat rides are some of the worst things you can have in a theme park (excluding some examples like Swirling Saucers and One Fish). They’re pointless, boring rides with low capacity, and you can find them at any fair or festival. They don’t belong in a park like this.

 

[JungleSkip]

They don’t belong in a park like this.

Is it a theme park? Then any ride belongs, as long as it's in-theme.

 

[Magic-Man]

Is it a theme park? Then any ride belongs, as long as it's in-theme.

Most flats don’t fit the theme at all. They just ruin it.

 

[JungleSkip]

Most flats don’t fit the theme at all. They just ruin it.

So you think it's impossible to theme a flat ride? Uh...okay

 

[Magic-Man]

So you think it's impossible to theme a flat ride? Uh...okay

Most. I said most.