Universal's New Park/Site B Blue Sky Thread

[Magic-Man]

Universal has more than enough ip's of it's own that didn't flop to fill 2 new parks. I expect (hope) a Middle Earth and of course Nintendo as non owned but worthy ip's for Universal. No Oz, BttF, Ghostbusters, Waterworld, WB animation or DC. Maybe a Wicked CityWalk 2.0 presents.

I wouldn't be so sure on that anymore.

 

[Badgeking]

I don't see more rides/attractions/shows in the initial opening than IOA or USF has. Even Shanghai Disney doesn't have any more attractions than that. It'll take a few years to build the attendance past 7 to 10 million. So that should be enough capacity for that level of attendance. But, I'm sure they'll have plenty of easy to access expansion pads for the future expansions , so they don't have to tear down existing rides to add on like they do at USF/IOA. . Just my business sense guess though.

With enough big IP's and the fact that it's tied to a current vacation hot spot that has skyrocketed in attendance the past 5-6 years, I think this will open to quite a big crowd. It's been quite a long time since a major theme park opened in a current resort area. In fact, the last one I can think of is Islands of Adventure. You can't look at Shanghai because it was brand new to the area. This is an addition to a resort which has each park hitting 10 million+ a year. Those 10+ million guests that are already coming to visit will most likely go to the big, brand new, shiny park as well during their trip.

Plus, Universal (really Comcast) wants to take down Disney. They want all the tourist dollars. The only reason Disney is building SO much all of a sudden is because they are scared. Disney went so long without doing much in terms of new rides. Now they are adding things all over the place to try and keep the tourist at their resort. Also, look at what they are adding. Two MAJOR coasters, two high tech dark rides, plus all of Star Wars. That's six new attractions between Fall 2019 and most likely summer 2021. I can't remember the last time Disney had six attractions under construction at once.

My guess is Comcast/Universal will get this park opened, filled with high tech rides and highly themed coasters (without many screen based rides) by summer of 2021 to combat Disney and their 50th anniversary. I fully expect a Harry Potter themed hotel connected to the Fantastic Beast area to try and one up the Star Wars hotel. Plus, Disney will already be doing a big marketing push for the 50th, so Universal having a brand new theme park will be a big draw for most tourist coming down to check out what Disney is offering. Sure they might just be day guests, but they will check out the new park. If the new park doesn't hit 9+ million in it's first full year, I would be shocked!

 

[UNIrd]

With enough big IP's and the fact that it's tied to a current vacation hot spot that has skyrocketed in attendance the past 5-6 years, I think this will open to quite a big crowd. It's been quite a long time since a major theme park opened in a current resort area. In fact, the last one I can think of is Islands of Adventure. You can't look at Shanghai because it was brand new to the area. This is an addition to a resort which has each park hitting 10 million+ a year. Those 10+ million guests that are already coming to visit will most likely go to the big, brand new, shiny park as well during their trip.

DCA in 2001..

 

[Magic-Man]

DCA in 2001..

Can you explain?

 

[captainmoch]

Can you explain?

Disneyland was and is one of the most visited theme parks in the world, but when DCA opened literally a few feet away it had abysmal attendance that hasn't evened out until this decade.

 

[Scott W.]

The naming of the nintendo for site b shall be quite interesting Because how do you say world or land at site b, and then put the other nintendo at IOA and USF?

I think Nintendo World covers Mario, Donkey Kong and Yoshi while Pokemon has enough brand recognition to exist on that name alone. Zelda I’m not so sure but it doesn’t really matter. Lost Continent doesn’t mean anything really but the ride is what sells it.

 

[Nick]

I know but you ignored the fact the company that is Universal Studios now isn't the same as the one that originally created the park. Comcast is here to take over the Orlando theme park market and has deep pockets and a grand vision to get the results they want. Side B is created as a whole on paper and not rolled out in parts. It's a waist of money to pave parking lots and then rip them up to replace them with garages.

Parking lots are incredibly cheap. Garages like the one at the current UO campus are expensive and very, very permanent. So if you’re building it, you damn well better make sure you won’t have any regrets.

 

[Magic-Man]

I did a writeup on the whole rumor situation for Reddit:

As a lot of you know, Universal is currently starting construction on a new theme park in Orlando. They acknowledged this a couple days ago in a conference call Comcast Call: Universal Acknowledges Plans for New Florida Theme Park. No, they didn't fully confirm it. But given that they've already started land clearing on a large plot of land south of the current resort and that fact that they've already filed trademarks for "Fantastic Worlds" and "Epic Universe", it's clear that a new park is imminent.

A few notes before I get into this:

First off, I'm not the best when it comes to writing skills and grammar. So if my writing seems odd to you, I'm sorry. I'm just not good at this.

Secondly, remember that these are rumors and speculation. As such, take everything you read here with a grain of salt. It might not come true, and plans change all the time (looking at you, Super Nintendo World KidZone). And, while this article also covers the Super Nintendo World plans a bit, make sure to check out this video for more:

Now, for the rumors.

According to insiders on multiple sites, this park will have either four-to-five lands. These lands will be built around what is known as a "Hub & Spoke" layout, in which the lands surround a central point. A well-known example of this is Disney World's Magic Kingdom.

As for the lands, the following are 99.9% likely to be there...

Super Nintendo World: It's widely believed that the KidZone version of SNW was cancelled due to the move to the new park. But the plans will remain the same, with some additions here and there. Since we already have leaks and plans for the current rides, I'll just list them here.

• A Mario Kart interactive dark ride, using similar vehicles to Test Track and Radiator Springs Racers. The ride would feature an augmented reality (like Virtual Reality, but you can see most of the world around you) element, but also would include physical sets and animatronics. The ride has been confirmed for Universal Studios Japan.
  
  
• An indoor-outdoor dark ride based on Yoshi, using an omnimover-style ride system. Physical sets and animatronics. You can currently see this in the concept art for SNW in Universal Studios Japan, but it's disguised as Yoshi characters.
  
  
• A roller coaster based around the Donkey Kong franchise, using a brand new ride system to allow you to jump the track. No, not literally. Basically, there's two different tracks: A fake track, which looks like real track, and a secondary, real track that lies a couple of feet below the train. Watch the video I linked above if you don't understand. The land would also include multiple play areas, gift shops, a quick-service element, and tons of interactive elements and attractions spread throughout. It's also possible that other rides and areas could be added, with the likes of Zelda, Splatoon, and Pokemon rumored to get a presence.
  

DreamWorks Animation: Universal bought out the DreamWorks brand a few years back, so their properties should start popping up real soon. DreamWorks properties include...

• Shrek
  
  
• How to Train Your Dragon
  
  
• Kung Fu Panda
  
  
• Madagascar
  
  
• Trolls
  
  
• Abominable
  

It's rumored that three-to-four of these properties would be included as part of a single land. Berk (How to Train Your Dragon), Far Far Away (Shrek), and Trolls Village seem to be the most-likely candidates at this point in time.

Now, here's where things get a little more interesting. The following lands have recently come up in conversation, but we don't have much information on them yet. It's also possible that some of these lands will not be in the park, so keep that in mind.

Fantastic Beasts: This is a Harry Potter spinoff, set before the original series. It also spans across multiple countries and cities. Plenty of attraction opportunities here.

Universal's Classic Monsters: This includes Dracula, Frankenstein, Creature from the Black Lagoon, and more. It seems like they're getting a land at Universal Studios Beijing, so this is a very likely choice. Not to mention that there hasn't been a single denial of this by any of the insiders, especially when they've denied multiple other properties (see below).

Warner's Bros.: This is by far the newest addition to the rumor list, and a shocking one. Warner Bros. properties include...

• DC Comics
  
  
• Looney Toons
  
  
• Scooby Doo
  
  
• Ready Player One
  

Note: I purposely did not put Lord of the Rings on there.

Universal would have to work out some sort of deal with Six Flags, but don't put it past them. It would give them a stellar lineup, and Universal almost built a DC Comics area where Marvel Superhero Island now stands.

Now, for the outcasts, AKA properties that will make their way into the new park. Again, this can change. But it's not likely.

Lord Of The Rings: This is likely due to the abundance of Fantasy IP's that Universal has in its inventory right now (Harry Potter, Zelda, How To Train Your Dragon, Shrek) and a extremely large licensing fee. However, it could come afterwards as an expansion. Just not right away.

Star Trek: Complicated licensing rights, and it's not really needed.

Sanrio: Not as popular in the United States as it is in Japan.

Jurassic Park/World: Currently getting an expansion in Islands of Adventure, most likely a coaster. However, since I keep seeing this suggested on this sub, they are not going to get Flying Dinosaur. There's not enough room.

That's all for now, but there's going to be tons of new info in the coming months. So stay tuned!

 

[ThrillRideLover3214]

The only possible way as an outside shot if jaws, ghostbusters, back to the future would return to universal Orlando 4th gate would be if spielberg contract with universal parks in my mind is still running through the early 2020's or it might be up already I don't know. And we don t know I'd Nintendo land will replace kids zone at usf and JP area at IOA will be rethemed to Jurassic world. Which would leave both of these out of the question.

 

[Imperius]

We know Nintendo isn’t going into Kid Zone at this point.

 

[Badgeking]

DCA in 2001..

True, but DCA was a total disaster from the start. Basically nothing Disney at all. Very few characters, no IP's, barely any rides. They threw it together and then had to spend more money than they spent to build the entire park to fix it years later. I don't see Universal making that mistake.

 

[Scott W.]

Parking lots are incredibly cheap. Garages like the one at the current UO campus are expensive and very, very permanent. So if you’re building it, you damn well better make sure you won’t have any regrets.

Would it be possible to build a garage that can be exended as the resort expands?

IIRC, the current parking at UOR could allow a few more levels to be added if needed.

 

[Nick]

Would it be possible to build a garage that can be exended as the resort expands?

IIRC, the current parking at UOR could allow a few more levels to be added if needed.

Yes.

A current example of this would be the Team Member garage that is being expanded in the coming months.

HOWEVER, I assume they’ll build a garage and position it in an a way that would fit into a potential 4th dry park expansion.

 

[Disneyhead]

They will want a central parking location, most likely a garage but could be a surface lot with trams, so they can funnel everyone through security before entering the new CityWalk or the parks.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

Food for thought, but how plausible could it be if they do a Mickey & Friends Parking structure scenario, to where a portion of it could be a tall parking structure, with adjacent parking that could be shaded?

That'd be an interesting thought, especially if they'd go the DLR style of getting people from there to the Entertainment complex.

 

[Scott W.]

Yes.

A current example of this would be the Team Member garage that is being expanded in the coming months.

HOWEVER, I assume they’ll build a garage and position it in an a way that would fit into a potential 4th dry park expansion.

I wonder if they’d do something similar for a water park to what they’re doing eith VB or have it’s own dedicated parking.

Transport within the new resort could be a whole other topic. Do they run an internal monorail similar to DL with stops inside the parks and hotels or would they prefer to have people walk through CityWalk and increase spending opportunities.

 

[quinnmac000]

I wonder if they’d do something similar for a water park to what they’re doing eith VB or have it’s own dedicated parking.

Transport within the new resort could be a whole other topic. Do they run an internal monorail similar to DL with stops inside the parks and hotels or would they prefer to have people walk through CityWalk and increase spending opportunities.

Or a monorail with a virtual shop inside

 

[Legacy]

Okay, I threw out my concept a while ago. The more discussion that happens, the more I think the "worlds" will be somewhat generic and have smaller lands. SO, as I see it.

World of Nintendo - Mushroom Kingdom, DK Jungle, and Hyrule. You basically have 5-7 rides right there.

World of Whimsy - Sanrio and Trolls. Despicable Me can also be expanded into this area. To a degree, this is the "kids" section. This gives 4-6 rides. Arguably, this is the most "variable" world.

Holiday World - Christmas and (wait for it) Classic Monsters. I don't see this as a big world, but it'll still have 3-5 rides.

Fairy Tale World - Predominantly Far Far Away, but with the potential for Wicked (Oz) and others. Could also essentially be a "Storybook World" to include book-based franchises (but I don't see that initially). This could range between 4-8 rides.

And guess what: I think that's it. I think it'll ride-or-die on Nintendo. I also think they won't just lump the lands together in a "here's all DreamWorks" fashion. But even on the low end that provides about 15 RIDES of varying intensities and appeal. It also allows expansions in a logical way.

 

[tielo]

This is the first theme park resort that is build with the false security hoopla build in and not retrofitted. It will be interesting to see how they implement this to streamline the process. I think they do a great job in their current resort but I'm looking forward to see how many improvement they can make for this security theater.

 

[Nick]

Do they run an internal monorail similar to DL with stops inside the parks and hotels or would they prefer to have people walk through CityWalk and increase spending opportunities.

This is Comcast we’re talking about. I think we all can predict the answer to that pretty accurately.