CityWalk Orlando Updates & Changes General Thread

[shiekra38]

Rolled ice cream is a scam to sell you less food for more money without you noticing. Think dip n dots

Buuuuttt it's so coool

I was thinking the other day about the potential for an escape room/mystery dinner, but I'm not sure how popular those are

I also had a dream about a classic Universal restaurant...For some reason I was eating on the Orca and there was a projection of Jaws in all of the windows...I have weird dreams

 

[quinnmac000]

Buuuuttt it's so coool

I was thinking the other day about the potential for an escape room/mystery dinner, but I'm not sure how popular those are

I also had a dream about a classic Universal restaurant...For some reason I was eating on the Orca and there was a projection of Jaws in all of the windows...I have weird dreams

Escape rooms are growing in popularity and Universal Creative already has experience in creating them.

 

[JungleSkip]

The DS AMC has a Dine-in side as well, which is extremely popular.

The movie theater at Uni really needs an upgrade to be more in line with AMC's current offerings

 

[Nick]

The movie theater at Uni really needs an upgrade to be more in line with AMC's current offerings

Agreed, but at least Universal has an IMAX.

Honestly, Disney Springs' Dine-In side needs to be larger. Having worked there for a bit, it's a mess. The air-conditioning barely works, the kitchen is too small, and many theatres smell like mold due to spilled alcohol on the carpets. The kitchen at DS often doesn't get meals out to guests until close to the end of the movies because of how many orders they are processing at once. AMC themselves could care less, unfortunately.

 

[JungleSkip]

Agreed, but at least Universal has an IMAX.

Honestly, Disney Springs' Dine-In side needs to be larger. Having worked there for a bit, it's a mess. The air-conditioning barely works, the kitchen is too small, and many theatres smell like mold due to spilled alcohol on the carpets. The kitchen at DS often doesn't get meals out to guests until close to the end of the movies because of how many orders they are processing at once. AMC themselves could care less, unfortunately.

I don't necessarily need the Dine In aspect at Uni, but it needs the reclining seats and such that most AMCs are getting now. Last movie I saw there was Deathly Hallows 2 on opening night, and the theaters looked really worn then, and that was 6 years ago

 

[Nick]

I don't necessarily need the Dine In aspect at Uni, but it needs the reclining seats and such that most AMCs are getting now. Last movie I saw there was Deathly Hallows 2 on opening night, and the theaters looked really worn then, and that was 6 years ago

Oh I was more or less just complaining about the DS Dine-in

Yeah, I personally wouldn't go to the Universal AMC if i'm going to see a movie in that area simply because the Cinemark up at Artegon (hopefully it stays open) is not only cheap, but has insanely comfortably reclining seats.

 

[quinnmac000]

On the topic of theatres, foreign travelers know they are being screwed over. I've been to multiple movie theatres around the world and American theatres tend to be the worst in terms of quality for price.

I went to see Beauty and the Beast with two different flavors of popcorn, three relatively strong margaritas, two beers, buttered squid, and churros in a premium movie theatre for less than 36 bucks. In the US, same experience would probably cost me around 60-70 bucks. Add in the fact, that only 32 people can fit in this screen and they give you slippers and some other premium goodness.

Universal in general has a lot of foreign travelers. They need to upgrade like they are doing in Hollywood to at least getting 35% of the way of where they need to reach.

 

[tielo]

I really have a intense hate for Dine-In movie theaters. Why do you need to stuff your face when watching a movie? Why not watch the movie and after that enjoy a meal and talk about the movie you just saw while enjoying the food. What is next included, a foot massage, a manicure, a prostate exam?

 

[Mr. EPCOT]

I really have a intense hate for Dine-In movie theaters. Why do you need to stuff your face when watching a movie? Why not watch the movie and after that enjoy a meal and talk about the movie you just saw while enjoying the food. What is next included, a food massage, a manicure, a prostate exam?

I'm not going to lie, a pedicure during a movie sounds amazing.

 

[Joel]

I really have a intense hate for Dine-In movie theaters. Why do you need to stuff your face when watching a movie? Why not watch the movie and after that enjoy a meal and talk about the movie you just saw while enjoying the food. What is next included, a foot massage, a manicure, a prostate exam?

We love dine-in movies, but we have a 50/50 split between whether we eat in the theater or before/after. Sometimes its just more convenient, for example I get home from work at 7pm and don't have time to eat before a 7:30 movie. By 9:30 its too late so eating in the theater is perfect. Although we do try and order ASAP so we can finish eating ASAP.
Also - wine.

 

[Mad Dog]

We love dine-in movies, but we have a 50/50 split between whether we eat in the theater or before/after. Sometimes its just more convenient, for example I get home from work at 7pm and don't have time to eat before a 7:30 movie. By 9:30 its too late so eating in the theater is perfect. Although we do try and order ASAP so we can finish eating ASAP.
Also - wine.
View attachment 3952

If you didn't spend so much time posting on OU, you could probably get home from work by 4:00 PM.

 

[Joel]

If you didn't spend so much time posting on OU, you could probably get home from work by 4:00 PM.

Well the warden doesn't like me being on OU when I'm supposed to be hanging with her so I gotta get my fix in at work.

 

[Quint]

BMG exists because they didn't do any real retrofitting into the theater. If you're going to blow out walls and do demo just start new. I expect BMG to stay for many many years and maybe a new show venue to open. The show is more popular than ever and makes a bucket load of cash. It's also now the largest standing show of BMG.

Another reason this (and La Nouba) does well is because audience members do not need to speak English to follow what's going on. International guests appreciate this.

 

[GadgetGuru]

Escape rooms are growing in popularity and Universal Creative already has experience in creating them.

Escape rooms are amazingly popular. I've seen them everywhere. The only problem is that they don't scale at all. Most escape rooms are meant for 8-10 friends max and have 1 staff member staffing it throughout. They'll often have less people than that because you really can't do escape rooms with strangers.

Nintendo did a large-scale Zelda "escape room" (their words) with several hundred people. It didn't sound like much fun. It was basically people doing puzzles on paper at a table in a ballroom.

 

[quinnmac000]

Escape rooms are amazingly popular. I've seen them everywhere. The only problem is that they don't scale at all. Most escape rooms are meant for 8-10 friends max and have 1 staff member staffing it throughout. They'll often have less people than that because you really can't do escape rooms with strangers.

Nintendo did a large-scale Zelda "escape room" (their words) with several hundred people. It didn't sound like much fun. It was basically people doing puzzles on paper at a table in a ballroom.

Universal used tablets so you don't need that many people on a team and you can have many people do it at once.

 

[Scott W.]

You know what CityWalk needs and thinking about it, I'm amazed it doesn't have it already is a decent buffet.

Something like a Vegas quality buffet would be perfect.

Top 10 Buffets in Las Vegas, Guide to Vegas | Vegas.com

 

[GadgetGuru]

You know what CityWalk needs and thinking about it, I'm amazed it doesn't have it already is a decent buffet.

Something like a Vegas quality buffet would be perfect.

Top 10 Buffets in Las Vegas, Guide to Vegas | Vegas.com

Totally agree with you! The only thing I could think of would be space. Vegas buffets take up a ton of room and feed a lot of people. Toothsome would've been the perfect place for one.

 

[Scott W.]

Totally agree with you! The only thing I could think of would be space. Vegas buffets take up a ton of room and feed a lot of people. Toothsome would've been the perfect place for one.

I think Jimmy Buffet's Buffet would have a nice ring to it but I just can't see it. I'm sure other users will probably know better than me about possible locations

 

[Alicia]

The only buffet I can think of that Universal Orlando has ever had was the "Studio Stars Commissary," in what is now the Monsters Cafe. It had pastas, meat carving station, salad and desserts. It was okay, and a good value given how much my family would eat, but it didn't last very long. I probably have some photos somewhere in old photo albums from the early nineties. I liked the autographed celebrity photos in the walls.

Disney does buffets well. Not sure Universal would to be honest.

I guess Trattoria del Porto at Portofino has a breakfast buffet, but not much too it.

Oh, doesn't the Royal Pacific have a Luau? That's a buffet isn't it? Is that good? Only select days though?

 

[Mad Dog]

The only buffet I can think of that Universal Orlando has ever had was the "Studio Stars Commissary," in what is now the Monsters Cafe. It had pastas, meat carving station, salad and desserts. It was okay, and a good value given how much my family would eat, but it didn't last very long. I probably have some photos somewhere in old photo albums from the early nineties. I liked the autographed celebrity photos in the walls.

Disney does buffets well. Not sure Universal would to be honest.

I guess Trattoria del Porto at Portofino has a breakfast buffet, but not much too it.

Oh, doesn't the Royal Pacific have a Luau? That's a buffet isn't it? Is that good? Only select days though?

I heard they discontinued the Luau, not positive though....The breakfast buffet at Tratoria del Porto is first class, high quality offerings. You could almost have a separate buffet with the tables of breakfast rolls, croissants, etc. there's so much selection. There's table after table after table of food selections. Just about every hot serving you could think of for breakfast. Plus they cook to order also. Just a crazy amount of food. And we were there fairly recently, last October.