Future of Shrek 4-D Orlando

[Alicia]

This is why I liked the short-lived Production Tram Tour at USF. It really tied everything together, explaining how the backlots work at a production studio, and how they create facades for films, etc. Driving through Production Central, New York and Hollywood, while describing what the buildings were based on and how they make movies and TV shows made it feel like you really were at a movie studio... (Even if they only filmed like 3 movies there.)

 

[RFRees]

I’d argue parks like IOA and EU don’t need a thesis as much as a park like USf does

I agree, though I'll point out the "as much as"... With EU and IOA, it seems like they didn't even try.

 

[JungleSkip]

I agree, though I'll point out the "as much as"... With EU and IOA, it seems like they didn't even try.

With IoA there's nowhere really to put one.

We don't know enough about EU to say that for certain.

 

[RFRees]

With IoA there's nowhere really to put one.

We don't know enough about EU to say that for certain.

I guess I'm conflating a "thesis" which I now assume you mean a ride (eg Great Movie Ride), with an overarching theme of the park (eg AK is about animals/nature), which I was referring to in my post.

 

[JungleSkip]

I guess I'm conflating a "thesis" which I now assume you mean a ride (eg Great Movie Ride), with an overarching theme of the park (eg AK is about animals/nature), which I was referring to in my post.

I'd argue IoA was and is a thematically straight park. It's a park about adventure, and offering you adventures into many different worlds. It's gotten a little muddled since opening with Kong kind of reshaping JP, and Potter cutting LC in half. But I don't think it's a mishmash of a park.

EU remains to be seen, but I think the hub and story will make sense overall. We'll see.

 

[Legacy]

Not every theme park needs a thesis ride. They just need something declarative to say, “This is what the park is about.” Magic Kingdom, IoA (and potentially UEU) have their thesis baked into their presentation. MK has its castle that presides over its lands. IoA has its lighthouse beckoning you to its islands. EU has a space-themed hub transversing you to various worlds.

AK has a presented thesis (the Animal Kingdom) and thesis ride (Kilimanjaro Safaris).

Epcot has both, though they’re weak now. Spaceship Earth (did) introduce our interconnectivity with each other. That’s a little muddled now. World Showcase is right there in the name (though IPs complicate it now).

The movie parks struggle now. Are they about MAKING movies, or CELEBRATING movies? Hollywood Studios, with the GMR, was definitive about celebrating.

Universal, I don’t think, ever knew.

 

[RFRees]

I'd argue IoA was and is a thematically straight park. It's a park about adventure, and offering you adventures into many different worlds.

Adventure is a pretty loose theme... I'd say this explains IOA:

 

[belloq87]

There’s no reason to think this is the case. People thought in 2016 I’d be a while till IOA got something new, now they’ll have two new coasters.

We all need to chill out.

I mean, I really hope you're correct. I was under the impression the broad consensus is that Universal Studios Florida isn't getting any meaningful additions until after Epic Universe opens.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Would Port of Entry not be considered the thesis of IOA? The land itself has little touches from all the other islands.

 

[JungleSkip]

Adventure is a pretty lose theme... I'd say this explains IOA:

I mean, is Magic Kingdom any different?

 

[Scott W.]

I’d argue parks like IOA and EU don’t need a thesis as much as a park like USf does

Exactly although I think it's slightly back to front. USF had one and when building IOA, it only had to be anything different to work to allow new experiences that wouldn't work within USF.

Now that USF is losing theirs, I worry (From a purely theme park fan perspective) that all the Universal parks will just blend to be more of the same.

IOA had one in it's early days of being Cartoon World or whatever it was called and with Universal well into the 3rd park's development before IOA opened, I assume that the 3rd park would have had one too.

In an ideal world, USF would be real places with the adventures hidden behind, IOA would be mythical but set within real world rules and EU would be complete fantasy.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

I mean, I really hope you're correct. I was under the impression the broad consensus is that Universal Studios Florida isn't getting any meaningful additions until after Epic Universe opens.

There’s still whatever they’re doing to F&F, Bourne, plus several unknown project numbers. Even when there was no big addition one year we got half a dozen new street shows.

 

[JungleSkip]

Now that USF is losing theirs, I worry (From a purely theme park fan perspective) that all the Universal parks will just blend to be more of the same.

I think that's just the way all big theme parks are going, right or not.

 

[RFRees]

I mean, is Magic Kingdom any different?

I agree. I'd say most give MK a pass because it's the oldest and the first.

 

[JungleSkip]

I agree. I'd say most give MK a pass because it's the oldest and the first.

I just don't think most people care, tbh. The only parks that ever had a ethos that made sense were Epcot and DAK, and both of which have and are changing significantly towards less focused themes IMO.

 

[Scott W.]

I think that's just the way all big theme parks are going, right or not.

Getting new rides we would never have got before is a small price to pay.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

So with EU announcing 2023, definitely doubt we see anything here until 2024. I simply can't believe Shrek is around after 2024. Outline for the resort seems:

2020: Bourne, Dockside opening
2021: JP Coaster, maybe EU model in USF?
2022: Volcano Bay Expansion, EU model in USF, maybe new city walk shop/restaurant?
2023: Epic Universe, 3 hotels, new bus transportation system throughout the resort.

I mean you can see why theres no budget for anything to replace this for 2022. And looking at it this way, in the 3 years leading up to EU every single park will get a decent sized update. JP Coaster, Bourne in USF, and VB expansion. Makes sense if I were UOR. Hoping we get a Dreamworks theatre or SLOP replacing this in 2024 however.

 

[Scott W.]

So with EU announcing 2023, definitely doubt we see anything here until 2024. I simply can't believe Shrek is around after 2024. Outline for the resort seems:

2020: Bourne, Dockside opening
2021: JP Coaster, maybe EU model in USF?
2022: Volcano Bay Expansion, EU model in USF, maybe new city walk shop/restaurant?
2023: Epic Universe, 3 hotels, new bus transportation system throughout the resort.

I mean you can see why theres no budget for anything to replace this for 2022. And looking at it this way, in the 3 years leading up to EU every single park will get a decent sized update. JP Coaster, Bourne in USF, and VB expansion. Makes sense if I were UOR. Hoping we get a Dreamworks theatre or SLOP replacing this in 2024 however.

I don’t see why not. Look at their latest quarter. Universal have proved that spending money is working for them and profits are up.

With Disney spending down the road, now is the perfect time to pump more money back into the parks and I don’t see any reason why building EU should make a difference. If anything, it should encourage them to build more.

Get more people interested in coming, get them invested in the parks to vacation there and if a preview centre opens up, they’ll have even more reason to return in 2023.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

I don’t see why not. Look at their latest quarter. Universal have proved that spending money is working for them and profits are up.

With Disney spending down the road, now is the perfect time to pump more money back into the parks and I don’t see any reason why building EU should make a difference. If anything, it should encourage them to build more.

Get more people interested in coming, get them invested in the parks to vacation there and if a preview centre opens up, they’ll have even more reason to return in 2023.

Oh I don't disagree, just trying to be realistic. If I were them, adding SLOP here for 2022 is the most ideal situation. Have it open and revamp your most famous park (everyone considers Universal "Universal Studios", even POVs on youtube label Hagrid's at Universal Studios) and a preview center should only entice more people to come back and visit EU. Plus if they have fun, with EU open its really impossible to do a weekend at Universal now. Really going to stretch out peoples vacations.

Again, don't disagree at all but I just think they're spending a LOT of $ on EU with likely no budget cuts and only budget expansion. Maybe they're hoping to make a little extra $ prior to EU opening so the return on their investment is even greater. We shall see though, hope to be proven wrong.

 

[Lucky Planet]

a super easy way to replace shrek is by making a 4D ride of SLOP
leave the queue and theaters the same but just change the theming and pre show.