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What to "add" to Islands of Adventure

Aug 7, 2018
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Since it was discussed in the JP Coaster thread to an extent, I thought this deserve its own thread. I think many agree that IOA is a top end theme park, may or may not be your #1 but I think we all agree its closer to the top. By the time FW opens in 2023/2024 or so, how would you like IOA to look?

It seems as if we'll be getting Jurassic Park coaster in 2021, id assume the new JP River Ride in Hollywood around 2022 or so. After that, I truly believe adding a strong show either in Sinbad's location or The Toon Lagoon theatre would add tremendous value to IOA.

As others have said, if it rains, there are limited options in the park. Its not a fault to the park, but man if they could add a show to either place, or a small dark ride in Seuss Landing, or depending on the Marvel contract, maybe a dark ride where the Spinning ride or Doctor Doom's is. Idk, I think this would make this park just that much more appealing. I mean, why can't they use that new SING show in USJ? Not saying the show looks revolutionary at all, but itd add to its diverse lineup of attractions in my opinion.

Just a thought, since this is personally my favorite theme park I have visited. I truly find it difficult to get everything done I want to in just 1 day here.
 
In my opinion, Islands truly needs two things:
  1. More shows.
  2. More indoor attractions.
But, here's some Blue Sky ideas for each area:
  • Seuss Landing: Add a Grinch dark ride/family coaster next to Cat in the Hat. If it needs to be removed from that area, move "Fish" to where Green Eggs & Ham is. Redo Cat in the Hat. Refurbish Caro-Seuss-El.
  • Lost Continent: Replace Sindbad with a dark ride based on Greek Mythology. Theme the exterior and surrounding Bazaar area to Mount Olympus.
  • Jurassic Park: Keep it themed to Park, refurbish River Adventure, add some sort of entrance sign near Kong, and add better theming around the Discovery Center. If themed to Jurassic World, build the Mosasaurus tunnel on a path in the area instead of on River Adventure.
  • Toon Lagoon: Add a fourth subarea in the form of Frostbite Falls, complete with a Rocky & Bullwinkle show (Potentially in 3D) where the theater is. Since Universal is going to keep them anyways, give the games a bit more permanence in structure (Unfortunately). Refurbish Ripsaw Falls and Popeye (In terms of the latter, please add back the animatronics of Popeye and Bluto fighting over Olive over Hurricane River). Expand the bathrooms and lockers into Wimpy's.
  • Marvel Superhero Island: X-Men Show of some sort where Storm Force and backstage storage facilities currently are. Move the Hulk lockers to the other side of the path. Remaster the queue video for Spider-Man.
  • Etcetera: Bring back Island Skipper Tours with docks at Port of Entry, Toon Lagoon, and Lost Continent. Make an actual nighttime show in the Lagoon (Similar to Island Blast).
  • Hogsmeade and Skull Island: I've got nothing. Sorry.
 
- Update Jurassic Park to Jurassic World
- USH updates to JP River Adventure
- Add SLOP dark ride to toon lagoon
- Add Hogwarts Great Hall restaurant to Hogsmeade
- Nighttime Spectaculair lagoon
- Replace Lost Continent with a dreamworks/nintendo IP
- Grinch family ride Suess Landing
 
Im so in agreement about SLOP in IOA instead of US. Maybe its just me, but id feel it'd work a lot better there and with more space.
 
Suess Landing:
- Demolish Green Eggs and Ham move One Fish, Two Fish to that location
- Add Grinch/Whoville mini-land/Mt. Krumpit dark ride

Lost Continent:
- New show for Poseidon/upgraded effects and Projection
- Hyper Coaster like Hyperion themed to the Hades/underworld

Hogsmede:
- Nadda

JP/Skull Island:
- Upgrade aesthetics a bit
- Bring back the electric fences!

Toon Lagoon:
- Add SLoP to theater
- Upgrade some aesthetics to be a general 'toon' land, not just Sunday Funnies

Marvel:
- Replace Fantastic Four flag

Port-Of Entry:
- Would love to see Island Skipper Tours return, but maybe on a track?
 
Not sure if its popular or ground breaking enough, but the musical Hadestown recently won Best Musical at the Tony awards, so Hades is having a bit of a moment now in 2019, maybe Greek Mythology is making a big comeback!
 
SLOP was specifically designed to fit into a small footprint in Hollywood, so I don't see why we would need to move it to IOA. US is the park with a strong imbalance in its screen to practical effect ratio; it desperately needs it. Besides, the IP doesn't have enough meat to it to support it's own whole land, and its urban setting would fit much better into US.
 
If I was in charge:

Seuss:
Demolish Green Eggs and put another flat ride in there
Heavily upgrade CitH
Build another dark ride

Lost Continent:
Retheme entire land to Zelda, build a ride and a show

JP/JW:
Upgrade River Adventure
Build a themed indoor/outdoor bar

Toon Lagoon:
Upgrade theming
Replace theater with a Rocky & Bulwinkle indoor themed family coaster.

Marvel:
Replace Doom and backstage with big Avengers E-ticket
 
SLOP was specifically designed to fit into a small footprint in Hollywood, so I don't see why we would need to move it to IOA. US is the park with a strong imbalance in its screen to practical effect ratio; it desperately needs it. Besides, the IP doesn't have enough meat to it to support it's own whole land, and its urban setting would fit much better into US.
I could also see it in Studios...Would be a great replacement for Shrek as well

If that was the case then I would say do an Iron Man coaster in that plot or maybe a Minions family spinner coaster
 
I know theres a thread discussing the Marvel contract so not trying to entirely change topics here, but are they allowed to add anything marvel at all to their parks? Or is it just Disney who can't do anything in Orlando? Sorry if this has been asked a million times but that contract has always confused the heck out of me.
 
I know theres a thread discussing the Marvel contract so not trying to entirely change topics here, but are they allowed to add anything marvel at all to their parks? Or is it just Disney who can't do anything in Orlando? Sorry if this has been asked a million times but that contract has always confused the heck out of me.

The conventional wisdom is Uni probably could add something. It would require Disney’s go ahead, but Dis is required to be “reasonable” in accepting/rejecting said proposals according to the contract.

So they probably can...probably
 
The conventional wisdom is Uni probably could add something. It would require Disney’s go ahead, but Dis is required to be “reasonable” in accepting/rejecting said proposals according to the contract.

So they probably can...probably
Ah, so still complicated like I thought lol. An Avengers/Marvel Comics Dark Ride would be sooooo dope though.
 
*cracks knuckles*

Toon Lagoon - Demo Toon Lagoon Theater.
Marvel - Refresh entire area to a more modern look. Up the neon, ditch the cutouts for statues. Include areas featuring popular relics of the Universe, i.e. Mjolnir, Gauntlet, Cap's shield, Beta Ray's helmet, etc. Replace Doom.
Jurassic Park - Make it World. Make area feel alive with random paddocks and more fencing. Moving trees. Ambient sound. Redo River Adventure. Redo inside of Visitor Center. Replace Watering Hole as Isla Nu-bar. Add JW sign at Thunder Falls to further seperate Skull Island from the land.
Seuss - Redo Cat. Add Mt Crumpit dark ride/mine train-type attraction.
 
Don't think there's room at Islands, but an AE style show in JP. Wish they had done that instead of Kong, put Kong where F&F is, and just rethemed RRR to F&F.
 
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Mine:

Seuss Landing:
new track for Cat
Take out what you need for Mt. Crumpit Dark ride

Hogsmeade: nothing

Toon Lagoon:
Demo the theater for either new Marvel ride t0 expand Marvel Island or add SLOP to Toon Lagoon

Marvel:
Big refresh to the land and update to modern look of the comics
Replace Doom with a really really well themed ride based on the Winter Solider comic TOT style ride
If not Slop at Toon Lagoon theater then a big E-ticket ride base on the Infinity Gauntlet comic

Skull Island: nothing

Jurassic:

Redo River Adventure to Hollywood version, change the land to World, heavily update the Discovery Center to World, bring in Isla Bu-bar

Lost Continent:

Zelda
 
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Shows and a slow-moving dark ride or two. There's literally nothing to do after heffing out on Mythos.

The most relaxing thing to do is the Hogwarts Express and that takes you out of the park. :lol:
 
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