Universal Orlando Resort Expansion (Part 1)

[IAmFloridaBorn]

In all honesty to ANY universal expansion, I think Universal is about to pull a Mr. Rosen and go ape**** with resorts and hotels.

 

[Scott W.]

Nothing around Universal to the West or the North will be relocated. Universal can only relocate some of it's properties or buy new properties . That is it lol.

I think their grand plan was to build a brand new state of the art school at the newly acquired land.

I'm having a hard time visualising just how big this land is and what can realistically be done on it.

 

[JungleSkip]

I think their grand plan was to build a brand new state of the art school at the newly acquired land.

I'm having a hard time visualising just how big this land is and what can realistically be done on it.

Put it this way: On the largest piece of land you could fit 3.5 USFs

 

[Viator]

I think their grand plan was to build a brand new state of the art school at the newly acquired land.

Yea, that won't happen.

 

[Teebin]

I think their grand plan was to build a brand new state of the art school at the newly acquired land.

I'm having a hard time visualising just how big this land is and what can realistically be done on it.

I'll be right back with the answer...

 

[IAmFloridaBorn]

I think their grand plan was to build a brand new state of the art school at the newly acquired land.

I'm having a hard time visualising just how big this land is and what can realistically be done on it.

Well the school is right on the left hand side.

It borders a residential neighborhood. There is not much Universal would be able to do with this land anyway except low rise commercial.

 

[Blue]

How much of the land that borders Turkey Lake & Vineland to the east is owned by Universal?

 

[Teebin]

Here ya go...

 

[JungleSkip]

Here ya go...

And they still have plenty of room for resorts, parking and backstage stuff

 

[captainmoch]

Love that you're using Tokyo DisneySea as an example!

Also, what is the exact name of the area where this is? I wanna judge the distance.

 

[Scott W.]

The land is a good size and close to the current resort but it's wildy drastic. Providing you could actually convince the school it's a good idea and worth their time, it's expensive, to get to it, you'd have to travel through Islands and you'd be severely limited with what you can do with it.

By the time a parking complex is built and a new type of CityWalk, just how much room would be left for a park(s)?

 

[JungleSkip]

The land is a good size and close to the current resort but it's wildy drastic. Providing you could actually convince the school it's a good idea and worth their time, it's expensive, to get to it, you'd have to travel through Islands and you'd be severely limited with what you can do with it.

By the time a parking complex is built and a new type of CityWalk, just how much room would be left for a park(s)?

Why are we still talking about the school?

 

[JungleSkip]

My guess for the breakdown of Universal's I-Drive developments:

For the main, central location which has about 400 acres to work with: Park 3, Park 3 resorts, CityWalk 2.0

For the smaller satellite locations included in the UniCorp purchase: Backstage facility relocations to free up expansion space in existing resort

Wet'n'Wild: One or two satellite resorts

 

[Scott W.]

I know I've went into land that isn't being acquired but this has helped me visualise what's possible.

 

[*Q*]

Put it this way: On the largest piece of land you could fit 3.5 USFs

What if they literally built three-and-a-half-clones of USF? That'd be so weird!

 

[GAcoaster]

I'm not sure how to research it, but since Universal Blvd. was carved out of the center of the property by Universal back when they owned all the land on both sides of it specifically to connect the two parts of the property, isn't there (a pretty good) chance that they put in place some kind of variance for using the road right of way for a transportation system of some sort? They had BIG plans and dreams for the Orlando property back then, and I can't imagine they would have forgotten to connect the parks with some sort of transportation. I would guess as part of building Universal Blvd, then turning it over to the roadway authorities they may have come up with a right of way agreement for (elevated) transportation to follow the same route. Just like they had the land zoned for theme parks and resorts years ago (so they don't have to get new approvals now).

 

[sjago13]

What size of a park do people expect them to build? Also would they build it possibly thinking of moving HHN to it such that they have house locations build around the park and such. I would love for the park to have a hub and spoke layout as well.

 

[maxairmike]

I'm not sure how to research it, but since Universal Blvd. was carved out of the center of the property by Universal back when they owned all the land on both sides of it specifically to connect the two parts of the property, isn't there (a pretty good) chance that they put in place some kind of variance for using the road right of way for a transportation system of some sort? They had BIG plans and dreams for the Orlando property back then, and I can't imagine they would have forgotten to connect the parks with some sort of transportation. I would guess as part of building Universal Blvd, then turning it over to the roadway authorities they may have come up with a right of way agreement for (elevated) transportation to follow the same route. Just like they had the land zoned for theme parks and resorts years ago (so they don't have to get new approvals now).

I believe there was indeed a ROW contingency with the initial development, but I'm not sure if that has remained in place, or even to what extent it existed to begin with (was it just envisioned into the design and nothing formal put in place, formal ROW, etc). Given that Universal sold off the land, any ROW contingency may have been abandoned. Now, since the road has remained mostly untouched and the boundaries and set backs largely intact, there may not be any issues with revisiting any alternate forms of transportation that may have been envisioned for Universal Blvd.

I'll see if I can't find anything on ROW easements and such.

 

[Scott W.]

 

[*Q*]

I'm not sure how to research it, but since Universal Blvd. was carved out of the center of the property by Universal back when they owned all the land on both sides of it specifically to connect the two parts of the property, isn't there (a pretty good) chance that they put in place some kind of variance for using the road right of way for a transportation system of some sort? They had BIG plans and dreams for the Orlando property back then, and I can't imagine they would have forgotten to connect the parks with some sort of transportation. I would guess as part of building Universal Blvd, then turning it over to the roadway authorities they may have come up with a right of way agreement for (elevated) transportation to follow the same route. Just like they had the land zoned for theme parks and resorts years ago (so they don't have to get new approvals now).

It has always struck me how Universal Blvd. has a relatively wide median for most of its length. I've always half-wondered if the original plan was to eventually use that space for some kind of dedicated transit system spanning Universal property.